Burned boy critical in special unit

A young boy who was badly burned in a city street has been moved to a specialist hospital unit where he is in a critical condition, police said.

Seven-year-old Preston Flores was found "on fire" by shocked neighbours in Bedford Avenue, Aberdeen, on Friday at about 2pm.

It is thought petrol could have been involved.

He was transferred from hospital in Aberdeen to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh overnight.

Chief inspector Nick Topping, the local Police Scotland area commander, said: "We are grateful for the continued assistance we have received from the local community to help us piece together the events leading up to this incident. We have spoken to a number of residents about what they saw or heard which has been very helpful and important to our inquiry.

"I can confirm that the young boy who was injured is seven-year-old Preston Flores. We can advise that he was transferred last night from Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital to the ITU unit at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.

"We understand he is still in a critical condition.

"Our investigation into this tragic incident will continue today and I would reiterate that so far there has been no evidence of any deliberate act."

He appealed for witnesses to contact police through the 101 non-emergency number.

Eyewitness Victoria-Jayne Pirie said Preston was on fire from the neck downwards and his clothes were sticking to him.

"We had heard him screaming and he had been lying on the floor, basically just trying to get himself calm, but nothing was working and he just ran up the back garden, screaming and crying. It was just horrid," she told STV News.