THE sister of one of the victims of the Cameron House blaze has thanked the local community for its support as a fundraising page for the pair reached its £12,000 target.

Simon Midgley, 32, and Richard Dyson, 38, lost their lives the December 18 inferno, which swept through the five-star hotel. The pair, from London, had been in a relationship for around six years.

Simon’s sister, Nicky Midgley told the Advertiser: “The community in Scotland have been very kind to us.

“We are all supporting each other through this.”

She added that her family have had “nothing but love and support” from the area.

Two close family friends, Katie Horbury and Claire Wilson, launched an online fundraising page to help Simon and Richard’s families cover the costs of organising funerals and celebrations of the couple’s lives.

However, having raised an incredible £9,050 in just five days, the pair quickly set a revised target of £12,000.

Katie and Claire said in a statement: “The awareness of what happened at Cameron House has spread so vastly that all of Sie and Dickie’s loved ones have been overwhelmed by the love and support that they have received so far.

“It is a true reflection of how precious the boys were to everyone who knew them.”

In the crowdfunding page, Katie and Claire say: “The hilarious sense of humour, charm, cynicism, sarcasm, not to mention their caring nature, outstanding talent, and the pure joy that these two incredible souls brought to any occasion has left a huge hole in our hearts.

“Both Sie and Dickie had such hugely infectious personalities and it is a true blessing that we were all lucky enough to have known them.”

They added: “Funeral costs are always high, but because the boys were in Scotland there are even more fees that are making this already difficult time even more stressful.

“This is something that we would really love to be able to relieve as much as possible for both of their families.”

It’s understood the investigation into the cause of the deadly blaze is still ongoing because the building is not safe to enter.

David McGown, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s assistant chief officer and Cameron House incident commander, told the Advertiser: “A joint investigation between the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland into the cause of the fire at Cameron House Hotel on Monday, December 18 is ongoing.

“This is a complex investigation into what was an extremely serious incident, which resulted in the tragic loss of two lives.

“It is important to allow the investigation team to continue, and conclude, their work to establish the full facts and circumstances.”

To donate, visit justgiving.com and search for Sie and Dickie.