Firefighters in East Ayrshire were called to deal with 314 deliberate blazes this spring, new figures have revealed.

The numbers, released by the service, cover the period from April to June and affect homes, derelict buildings and vehicles.

Councillors were told that these incidents were putting unnecessary pressure on firefighters when genuine emergencies arose and could have placed lives at risk.

Group Manager Gibby Lamont said: "Deliberate fires endanger lives and can cause significant damage to property and the environment.

"We take a zero tolerance approach to these incidents and work closely with our partners at Police Scotland in an effort to trace anyone involved in this unacceptable and criminal behaviour.

"Our firefighters work extremely hard to engage with the public and promote safety messages in order to keep our communities as safe as possible.

"Every deliberate fire has victims, costs - and consequences. Firesetting is an offence. Don't accept it - report it."