Spate of Orkney car fires sparked by nesting birds
Car owners on Orkney have been warned to check under their bonnets regularly after a spate of fires caused by birds nesting in vehicle engine compartments.
There have been at least three car blazes over the past few weeks which have been caused by nests.
In the latest incident, a car in St Margaret's Hope was completely destroyed by a fire caused by a nest built by a starling over the space of an evening.
Kim Patching, the owner of the car, said that it would not start and then in a matter of minutes smoke and flames emerged from under the bonnet.
Firefighters with Ms Patching's car.
The vehicle was almost completely destroyed in the blaze.
Another of the three recorded car fires in Orkney.
Johnathan Porterfield discovered this nest in his electric vehicle but has decided to leave it until the birds hatch out and leave. Mr Porterfield - who is a dealer specialising in electric vehicles on the islands - said he would be using another car until the birds were fledged.