POLITICIANS have called for the Scottish Government to do more to help secure the future of the fire-hit Mackintosh building. 

The plea comes in the wake of a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) report released yesterday that, three and a half years after a devastating blaze, listed the cause as "undetermined".

Fire bosses were unable to determine the root of the catastrophic fire that gutted the Mack, the N-listed O2 ABC and damaged other buildings on Sauchiehall and Renfrew streets in 2018.

MSP Paul Sweeney said the Scottish Government should now step in to ensure the future of the building.

He said: “It’s incredibly frustrating that we’re now four years on from the fire at Glasgow School of Art with absolutely no tangible progress having been made. 

“Be in no doubt, if this was Edinburgh Castle, Scottish Government finances would have been mobilised urgently and the building would have been saved as a matter of priority.”

A statement from the art school said management is “committed to the faithful reinstatement of the Mackintosh Building within the practical constraints of the regulatory environment”.

Other Glasgow politicians expressed dismay that the report, following a long wait, provides no answers as to what sparked the fire on the night of June 15, 2018. 

The alarm was first raised at 11.19pm with 84 calls coming into the SFRS control centre and crews were on the scene within six minutes with 120 firefighters working at the height of the blaze.

Findings from the report suggest it is likely the fire began in the east side of the Mack, as the building is nicknamed, on or above level four.

While the report makes recommendations for improved fire safety on construction sites, it does not provide answers. 

SNP MSP Alison Thewliss said: “The people of Glasgow will not forget the devastating Glasgow School of Art fire in 2018, and neither will I. 

"Many who came to visit or lived in Glasgow would look in awe at arguably Mackintosh’s greatest work and was one of the most important landmarks in our city.

"When the fire ravaged the School of Art, I had hoped we would be able to find the answers for this devastation through the investigation. 

"With the release of the new report, it seems we are just as far away from the truth as we were at the time."

Her colleague Kaukab Stewart MSP added: “I appreciate the efforts of those who have carried out this investigation and released the report into the fire at the art school, but to know we are still unaware of how such a harrowing event could take place is deeply disappointing. 

"The fire that ravaged the art school has also devastated many Glaswegians, and I imagine many of my constituents will continue to feel regret that a cause could not be reported."

READ MORE: Glasgow art school fire report does not find cause of blaze

The Scottish Government was asked what specific support it had offered to the Glasgow School of Art in the wake of the fire.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The fire at the Glasgow School of Art was a tragic loss to the cultural heritage of Glasgow and the whole nation.

"Now that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has published their report we will continue to work with the Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow City Council, Historic

Environment Scotland and other partners to ensure everything possible is being done to progress the art school’s plans to bring the iconic building back to life."