Locals react to the Edinburgh house explosion

A resident and a local councillor have spoken to BBC Scotland News about the devastating explosion in Edinburgh which claimed the life of an 84-year-old man.

Police Scotland said the alarm was raised on Baberton Mains Avenue, in the Baberton area of the city, at about 22:25 on Friday.

Neighbour Arthur McAnna, 83, was in the back bedroom of his home when he heard the blast.

The retired firefighter, who lives across the road, said: “Previously my wife had been sitting at the window and she had just gone up in front of me. “So we both missed the explosion, luckily, when the windows got blown in.”

Cllr Stephen Jenkinson called the devastation to the local area “quite shocking”.