RESIDENTS living near to the Glasgow School of Art have have informed police that a series of small explosions rang out around half-an-hour before a fire erupted to devastate the Mackintosh masterpiece for the second time in four years, it has been claimed.

The Herald has been told that a number of residents have been interviewed by police and told detectives they heard four or five "bangs" in the vicinity.

One resident is said to have told the force that the "muffled pops" were sequential.

But when he looked out of his window he saw nothing and thought nothing more of it until he later saw flames rising from the building.

The Herald:

The alarm was raised at about 11.20pm and the explosions were heard sometime between 10.30pm and 11pm, it is understood.

At its peak, more than 120 firefighters battled the blaze which also severely damaged the O2 ABC music venue.

One resident said: "Several people heard a series of four or five small explosions, like muffled pops.

"Residents were told by police not to mention it. They have told this to the police and have all been interviewed and told not to discuss it any further."

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said they could not discuss what residents would have told them during their inquiries.

She added: "The cause of the fire is still to be established and we are working on a joint investigation with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

The Herald:

"The investigation is at its very early stages. It is a complex inquiry and will take some time to complete."

Concerns about the safety of the surviving shell of Mack,  have delayed a full survey of the damage until next week.

Visiting the site on Friday, Glasgow city council leader Susan Aitken said: “It is a dangerous building, there is no question about that. The facade has actually moved quite considerably - about six inches. There is an imminent danger of collapse.”

But about 40 households in the surrounding Garnethill area who remain displaced following the blaze say they are frustrated by the lack of access to their homes to collect essential items and the poor standard of alternative accommodation they have been offered.