AN IRVINE minister has spoken of of his sadness following the Notre Dame fire.

Reverend Neil Urquhart spoke out following the devastating blaze which ripped through the 850-year-old cathedral last week.

It was more than 15 hours before firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control, but not before the iconic spire and the roof succumbed to the ferocious flames.

Rev Urquhart, who has visited the famous landmark on many occasions, said: “Obviously it tugs at the hearts of people who have either been there or who have religious associations to see a place of worship like that going up in flames.

“If you think of our own experience with fire ravaging an old historical building, which we had with the Glasgow School of Art, you can really feel for the people involved.

“I have been a few times to Notre Dame. My mother was a French teacher so she took me and my brother on trips to France a few times and I have been as an adult too. It’s a magnificent building.”

Rev Urquhart said while the fire has been terrible, people must try to see the positives.

He said: “While it’s a terribly sad story there are good things that have come from it that make me have hope.

“This has brought the people of France together. People are rallying.

“The church is not a building, it’s people and this sad experience will bring with it, something positive.”

The cause of the fire is unknown but an investigation is under way.

So far, more than £692million has already been pledged by a number of companies and business tycoons to help rebuild the Unesco World Heritage site.

Reports say it is not yet clear if the Vatican will play any role in repairing the building, but the Catholic Church have expressed their “shock and sorrow” at the fire.

Firefighters have used a drone to survey the scale of the destruction.