FIRE alarm rule changes have been branded a "fiasco" as 124 Fife households are left waiting for help.

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Alex Rowley has again spoken out against the introduction of new measures, after supply of new alarms has outstripped demand.

He said the plan had "clearly not been thought out" as constituents have been left wondering when their alarm systems will be brought up to date.

As of this month, households are required to have inter-linked fire alarms, as part of a new law introduced by the Scottish Government.

However, funding and supply issues have meant that people across the Kingdom have been left on waiting lists after requesting help with the costly installations.

Mr Rowley said: "After contacting the Fife Care and Repair Service, I have been told they have requested funding for a further 100 installations of smoke alarms under the latest round of funding.

"The closing date for the bids was Friday 18th February, and notification is expected towards the end of the month.

"There are 124 households on the waiting list in Fife at present.

"The Scottish Government have announced an additional £500,000 of funding but this is between 32 local authority areas, which averages £15,625. One hundred installations costs approximately £25,000.

"It has clearly not been thought out.

"I note that there is still no update on when the supply chain issues of the actual alarms will be resolved but suppliers have said they are working with Care and Repair Scotland to prioritise these installations.

"On top of this, the delay in providing the funding is obviously causing people concern, the Government have had years to get this right yet still seem to have made a complete mess of the situation.

"Fife Care and Repair have said that even if they got funded for up to 200 installations, demand is still likely to exceed that. They also raise the point that they possibly won’t get the full funding amount they have applied for due to demand from other areas across Scotland in the same situation.

"The whole situation is a complete fiasco, and the Government really need to sort it out properly."

Last month, a Scottish Government spokseperson said: "Homeowners are generally responsible for paying for works to protect their property but we know some may not be able to meet the cost of fitting these alarms.

"That is why we have provided £500,000 through Care and Repair Scotland to help disabled and older people install the alarms in their homes.

"This is in addition to the £1 million we have provided to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to install alarms in owner-occupied homes identified as being at highest risk."

Around 35,000 houses in Scotland qualify for funding; eligibility can be checked on the Scottish Government website.