POLICE inquiries are continuing after a house and camper van were destroyed in a fire.

As reported in later editions of last night's Evening Times, fire ripped through a parked camper van which quickly spread to a detached house in Inverkip, near Greenock.

Neighbours described hearing loud bangs and feared there had been explosions from gas canisters.

The fire took hold at the detached home and neighbours said flames were seen leaping through the roof.

Kathleen Marshall, 68, who lives close by, described seeing flames shooting into the night sky.

She said: "I have never seen anything like it. I looked out and saw the neighbours' camper van was on fire.

"In minutes the fire spread to the house and the whole front went out. Flames were leaping through the roof."

Emergency services were called to the blaze around 12.45am yesterday.

Police said their investigations are continuing.

Residents in Findhorn Road were evacuated from their homes as fire crews battled the blaze yesterday morning, but there were no reports of any injuries.

Police were still at the scene yesterday.

The fire comes just weeks after a separate incident when police were called to an address in the street following a report of vandalism on March 29.

It is understood a window of a taxi, which belonged to the owner of the blaze-hit home, was smashed.

Police said investigations were also continuing into the earlier vandalism incident.

deborah.anderson@ eveningtimes.co.uk