The development of Prestonhill Quarry in Inverkeithing would be in the area's interest in the wake of a fire there on Easter Sunday - a company hoping to build on the site has said.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service told the Press on Monday that they "do not know" what caused a fire to break out in a gorse area near the Spencerfield Road address and had yet to confirm any more details by the time we went to print yesterday (Wednesday).

However, locals on social media expressed their concerns that the fire might have been deliberately started following a spate of vandalism and anti-social behaviour in the South Wife Fife in recent weeks. Deliberate fires were also started in other parts of Fife over the weekend.

Emergency services were alerted to the blaze at 6.40pm on April 4, and stayed at the site until around 7.40pm.

Developers DDR (UK) Ltd have plans to build 180 homes at Prestonhill Quarry and have been undergoing a 12 week consultation with the community as part of a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN), before a more detailed planning application can be submitted.

Outlined proposals consists of 135 private properties and a further 45 units with Kingdom Housing, while chalet accommodation is being looked at for the end of Letham Hill Woods.

It is understood that these luxury log cabins could be linked to the addition of recreational or community facilities in the woods.

Donald McCorquodale, of DDR (UK), confirmed that the company is not aware of any damage to the site but had been alerted about the fire.

He said: "It does not alter anything and we are still going ahead with the planning process.

"There will be some changes from the public consolation and we are meeting with architects to see how we can make some alterations.

"If there has been deliberate damage due to the fire, it's all the more reason to go ahead with the development and stop this nonsense.

"But we did know anything about it until someone messaged me."

There has been previous incidents of youth disorder at Prestonhill Quarry and it's often used as a place for large gatherings of young people.

There are safety concerns surrounding the abandoned quarry too - a site where three people have lost their lives in the past six years.

A control room spokesperson said on Monday: "An area of gorse was well alight when the fire service arrived at Prestonhill Quarry at Spencerfield Road.

"This was at the cliffside face of the quarry. We were alerted at 6.40pm.

"Fire appliances left the scene at 7.40 after putting out the fire.

"We do not know the cause of it at this moment."