All have apparently been targeted by arsonists who pushed burning material into their homes. In each case the flames were spotted before they took hold, although in the Earle's case material smouldered within a wall for some time and took firefighters an hour to satisfy themselves the fire had not spread.

At this stage police have no evidence to connect the incidents and in one sense it is a relief to know that we probably do not have an individual in our midst intent on destruction. On the other hand, it matters little who strikes the next match, or what their motives are, if the paper sets fire to a carpet or curtains and pours toxic smoke into a house. The results will be the same.

In all likelihood the recent events are the work of bored youths who have not considered the possible consequences of their actions. Indeed, children as young as eight are being blamed for a fire at the Highland Smiddy yard on Thornbush Road, Inverness on Friday.

Police are reticent about discussing the matter in too much detail in case publicity encourages more copy cat incidents. However, we do not believe that there are scores of potential young arsonists on our streets likely to go on a fire-raising spree if someone puts the idea into their heads.

In this case far better, we feel, to raise community awareness of what is going on in an attempt to stamp it out. The police cannot tackle this problem on their own and not seeking the public's help would be a mistake. There is much talk by police forces across the country of forming partnerships with communities in the fight against crime, but for this to mean anything people have to be trusted with information, even if that runs a slight risk of prompting fresh incidents. And as for the argument, advanced in some quarters, that publicity increases the fear of crime disproportionately, that condescendingly assumes that people are incapable of putting information into its proper context, which of course they are.

What is needed is for all of us to be full informed of what is happening and to be alert if we see anything suspicious. Parents should emphasise the dangers of fire to their children and, once the holidays are over, the fire and rescue service ought to work with schools in the affected areas.

This is not scaremongering, it is a sensible, proportionate response. Our homes are not in great danger and we can all still sleep easily in our beds. But property is being damaged around the city, children are putting themselves and others at risk and to keep quiet in the hope the problem goes away is not an option.

Time for commitment 

ALEX Salmond suggests today the dualling of the A9 between Inverness and Perth would already be under way had the opposition parties at Holyrood not united to insist that the £500 million Edinburgh tram project went ahead instead.

That may be so. But there is nothing to stop the Scottish Government committing itself to a timetabled upgrading of the route when it unveils its Strategic Transport Projects Review next month.

Any attempt by the SNP to continue with the welcome, fine-sounding but ultimately meaningless insistence that it is committed to dualling as "a long term goal" will not be good enough.

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