BBC Watchdog Live sent an expert surveyor to a new-build Bellway Homes development in West Lothian after concerns were raised by a resident whose house was found to have inadequate fire barriers.

Surveyor Greig Adams said the four properties he examined had poorly-fitted fire barriers with voids and gaps around them.

He said: “What we’ve unfortunately found is that there are fire breach issues in every house we’ve looked at. It’s a legal requirement that the cavity barriers are to be there. It’s not optional - and with good reason: it saves lives.”

A spokesperson for Bellway Homes said it was “committed to improvement” and had introduced mandatory training on fire stopping for all construction staff.

The housebuilder said it was only aware of one property in the West Lothian development with fire safety concerns until last week.

The spokesperson added: “As a responsible builder, Bellway takes our customer’s safety extremely seriously and we will investigate and address any raised concerns immediately, where there is perceived to be an imminent danger to persons or property.