POLICE are hunting a firestarter who has been setting bins and rubbish alight at night outside a block of flats in Haddington.

Fire crews have been called out to Wellside in the town four times since Sunday to put out blazes.

The first incident happened in the early hours of New Year’s Day, when a wheelie bin at the back of the flats was deliberately set on fire.

The second fire was attended by fire services after it broke out shortly before 3am on Monday.

On Tuesday evening, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it received a third call to put out a wheelie bin on fire at the property at around 10.50pm, and then were called back two hours later to deal with another blaze.

Police accompanied the firefighters to the last two incidents and residents reported officers going from door to door in the block to make sure everyone was safe, after the blaze spread to rubbish lying under an archway at the back of the property.

Inspector Alan Hogarth, of Haddington Police Station, said police patrols would be stepped up in the area after describing the deliberate fires as potentially life-threatening.

He said: “This type of anti-social behaviour is completely unacceptable.

“Not only does it divert valuable emergency service resources, it potentially endangers lives.”

High-visibility patrols are expected to be carried out in Wellside over the coming days.

It is not the first incident of this type in the county in the past year, as last month a man who sparked panic by setting a series of late night fires in Musselburgh was jailed for 20 months at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Euan Walker, 29, admitted setting fire to a number of cars during a five-day spree in Fisherrow last March.

The court heard the owner of one of the vehicles was asleep inside at the time it was set alight, although Walker did not know this at the time.

Police appealed for anyone with information about the fire-raising in Haddington to get in touch as soon as possible. Call Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.