Identity of couple killed in Cameron House hotel fire revealed

The two men who died during a fire at the five-AA-star Cameron House hotel on the shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland have been named.

Simon Midgley and Richard Dyson, thought to be from London, were staying at the hotel together when fire broke out on Monday morning, according to the BBC.

Their deaths have yet to be officially confirmed by Police Scotland, which said it would not be releasing a statement until the bodies have been formally identified.

However, friends and relatives have begun to pay tribute to the couple on social media.

A poignant post from Midgley on his Instagram account on Saturday showed photos of the hotel and said "home for the weekend".

Meanwhile, Andy Roger, resort director for Cameron House hotel, paid tribute to the emergency services for their response to yesterday's fire: "The emergency services acted very swiftly yesterday and I cannot begin to thank them for their bravery, compassion and professionalism," he said.

"Everyone associated with Cameron House Hotel is still coming to terms with the events of yesterday and we are all hugely conscious that two people tragically lost their lives in the fire. Their families and friends are foremost in our thoughts as we co-operate fully with the investigation teams to try to establish the circumstances surrounding this terrible incident.

"The emergency services were on the scene long into the night and I cannot praise their efforts highly enough. They are true heroes. The firemen bringing out a couple and their young child by ladder from a second-floor room was a heart-stopping moment for all those who witnessed it.

"We're also enormously grateful for the many, many offers of practical support and good wishes from the UK hospitality industry and also from the local community, which has rallied around to help. It's been a humbling experience, but we are a small, tight-knit community on Loch Lomond and a response like that is typical of our many friends and neighbours.

"We've made arrangements for the vast majority of our guests to travel home or to continue with their breaks and we also thank them for their enormous patience and enduring good spirits at what was a very upsetting time.

"Lastly, I'd like to pay special tribute to all the Cameron House staff who have shown an enormous degree of care and teamwork throughout the last two days. Nothing has been too much trouble for them and, at all times, they have had the best interests of our guests and the many members of the emergency services at heart. I'm extremely proud of them."

Fire broke out at the 136-bedroom hotel overlooking Loch Lomond in West Dunbartonshire at around 6.50am yesterday.

Around 200 staff and guests were evacuated as firefighters raised ladders to the upper floors of the building. The building is said to have been "extensively damaged".

Police Scotland confirmed that one person was pronounced dead at the scene, while another four were taken to hospital.

Two adults and one child were taken to the Queen Elizabeth University hospital in Glasgow. A fourth patient was taken to the Royal Alexandra hospital in Paisley, but later died.

The hotel completed a £4m, year-long refurbishment in the summer, which Roger said at the time provided "a truly luxurious experience that offers guests only the best standards and showcases our hotel and its stunning location."

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