SCOTLAND’S senior law officer has admitted it is not possible to say when any decision will be taken over proceedings into the deadly fire at Cameron House Hotel.

The Lord Advocate, James Wolffe QC, says this is due to the nature of the complex investigation into the fire in December 2017 which left two hotel guests dead.

Londoners Simon Midgley, 32, and Richard Dyson, 38, perished when the blaze ripped through the hotel days before Christmas.

In December, on the first anniversary of the fire, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said it had received death reports following the incident and a fire investigation report from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service earlier in the year. These were not prosecution reports.

READ MORE: Still no answers for victims' families in Cameron House fire probe

It said at that time the investigation by Police Scotland and other agencies were continuing and COPFS had not yet received final reports from them.

Now, in a letter to Jackie Baillie MSP, the Lord Advocate says inquiries are ongoing and final reports have not yet been received by the Crown.

He states in his letter: “The procurators fiscal assigned to this investigation, together with the senior advocate depute, continue to have regular meetings with the relevant agencies and maintain regular contact with Police Scotland.

“Since I last wrote to you, the senior advocate depute overseeing this investigation has met the families of both deceased along with the dedicated procurators fiscal and Police Scotland appointed family liaison officers.

“Both families continue to be kept up to date regularly. As I indicated previously, due to the nature of this complex investigation it is not possible to say when any decision as to the future proceedings will be taken.

“A decision as to whether there should be a prosecution can be made only when the investigations are complete and the final reports have been submitted by Police Scotland and others to the Crown.”

Ms Baillie, who has been in constant contact with the Lord Advocate and Police Scotland in relation to the fire, said: “It is clear that investigations into the fire are ongoing and that further details are still needed before any decisions can be made.

“I am hopeful that the investigation can proceed quickly and that answers can be found for the sake of the families of the victims.”

READ MORE: Major extension planned for fire-hit Cameron House Hotel

Meanwhile, a decision is expected soon on plans to build a major extension to Cameron House, including 70 new bedrooms.

A planning application lodged with the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park last month stated that the extension plans pre-dated the fire.

The hotel’s owners were given permission in January to carry out restoration work.