Emergency services were called to the blaze in Glasgow’s Possilpark area at around 5pm on Sunday 6 September.

The fire came amid false claims, spread mainly online, that the tenement was being refurbished to house migrants. Some far-right groups and accounts celebrated the blaze on social media on the back of those claims.

A hard-right vigilante group calling itself the ‘Spartan Child Protection Team’ posted a Facebook video while the fire was still burning, asserting that the building had been the subject of talk that it was “being refurbished to house unvetted migrants”.

A spokesperson for the group claimed local residents had repeatedly asked who the refurbished homes were for and had been refused answers, suggesting this was why someone had taken action against the building. Commenters beneath the video celebrated the fire, with some making derogatory remarks about migrants moving in.

ng homes has firmly rejected those claims, insisting once again that the flats, which were currently being refurbished, will be allocated strictly in line with its allocations policy and Scottish housing law.

In a statement to Scottish Housing News, the organisation said: “We are aware that disinformation has circulated regarding the future use of the homes and would once again stress that these claims are false. The buildings are being refurbished to provide much-needed affordable homes and, as we have previously stated, these properties will be allocated in line with our allocations policy and Scottish housing legislation from our existing housing list.”

“As a registered social landlord, we do not allocate housing to people who are not legally eligible for it, and all applications are assessed in accordance with the relevant legal requirements.”

Six fire engines and specialist resources attended, and two engines remained at the scene into Monday morning, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) confirmed.

Police Scotland said officers received a report of a fire in an empty building on Stonyhurst Street at around 5.30pm on the Sunday. The fire was extinguished by SFRS and no one was injured. Enquiries into the full circumstances are continuing.

ng homes thanked SFRS and Police Scotland for their “swift response,” adding that it is “cooperating fully with the relevant authorities as enquiries continue”.

The organisation said the extent of the damage is still being assessed and that it is too early to say what impact the fire will have on the project’s timescale.