Polvanie View in Inverness to rise from the ashes by autumn after devastating fire caused by petrol bomb attack on police
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A block of flats destroyed by fire after a gas-mask wearing man hurled petrol bombs at police could reopen to displaced residents in the autumn.
The housing association responsible for Polvanie View in Inverness hopes to complete repairs costing £1.8 million some 18 months after 11 families “lost everything” in the blaze.
Residents left homeless were rehoused in alternative accommodation and it has not yet been confirmed how many will choose to return.
Krzystof Andruczak (41) faced five charges for the attempted murder of police officers after throwing Molotov cocktail-style bottles during the incident on March 31 last year.
He also faced charges of wilful fire-raising and possessing two knives and a metal chain.
He was acquitted at a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow in February after prosecutors accepted he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time and did not "appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct".
After setting his own flat ablaze and hurling petrol bombs at police through a window, Andruczak, also clad in military-style camouflage, was finally restrained by firearms officers after being shot in the leg.
He is currently being treated in the State Hospital at Carstairs where Lord Matthews ordered him to be held until the case calls again next month.
During a clean-up at the flats, workmen discovered a cache of deadly weapons in the landing including a crossbow, bayonet, slingshot and hatchet.
Tim Calderbank, Caledonia Housing Association’s director of customer services, said: “Having made the structure at Polvanie View safe in the immediate aftermath of the fire, we then focused on creating the designs to reconstruct the damaged parts of the building.
“An experienced local contractor, Capstone Construction, was appointed to carry out the reconstruction and work started in January this year.
“There’s been a lot of positive progress and we expect to see completion in the autumn.
“Our main focus at Caledonia has been on supporting the families affected by the incident and, as the completion date approaches, we will work closely with the tenants who will be moving back into the properties.
“Any remaining homes will be made available through the joint Highland Housing Register.”
