Police are investigating after thugs stole a minibus from a care home in Glasgow and set it alight before boasting about their exploits on TikTok. Footage on social media has shown the vehicle, which belonged to Balmano House Care Home, ablaze on a grass verge between tenement blocks in Skirsa Square, Glasgow.
In video clips from the beginning of the blaze, a door can be seen left ajar as the fire spreads from the passenger side to the engine compartment. One person dressed in black can be seen running away from the right of the van before turning back to meet a second as both flee the blaze.
Groups of quadbikes and other vehicles can be seen circling the care home bus as the flames engulf the rear of the van. One rider can be seen stopping in front of the blaze to admire his handiwork.
In a second clip, which appeared to have been filmed from neighbouring properties, firefighters can be seen battling the blaze as police lights flash in the background.
The clip was captioned 'only in Glasgow' had racked up hundreds of views before it was deleted. Police are now investigating the theft which led to the blaze and searching for those responsible.
Balmano House Care Home houses elderly and vulnerable residents and has been providing care in Glasgow's West End for over 200 years. A spokesperson confirmed the van was taken late on Saturday night before the shell of the vehicle was discovered by police.
A statement said: "We can confirm that our van was taken on Saturday night and was found burnt out by the police."
Locals have taken to social media to slam those responsible for the reckless act, with one saying: "Clearly the lovely individuals don’t have any elderly relatives. Absolutely disgusted."
Another said: "Absolutely Disgusting behaviour." A third wrote: "So sad ...what a waste ...would love to know the thinking behind it but sadly even if caught there will be little or no repercussions."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were called around 0.05am on Sunday, 6 November, to a report of a minibus being set on fire in Skirsa Square, Glasgow.
“The fire was put out by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and no one was injured. “Enquiries have established that the minibus was stolen earlier from the Maryhill area of the city and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
The shocking scenes come after a spate of incidents across Scotland in recent days have seen emergency services deal with the aftermath of Bonfire Night chaos across Scotland. Police Scotland have confirmed that 12 arrests have been made over the weekend with 483 calls relating to fireworks offences - down from 581 incidents in 2021.
Authorities say the majority of incidents happened in Edinburgh as hundred of youths reportedly targeted vehicles and emergency services with bricks, fireworks and petrol bombs. Two officers were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after a brick smashed the windscreen of their vehicle. One sustained a head injury that required stitches, while the other needed treatment for glass in their eye.
The scenes follow violent riots in the Balgowan Avenue area of Dundee which saw masked youths wreaking havoc over Halloween - targeting emergency service workers, a local school, vehicles and roads. Two teens and a 28-year-old woman have been charged with "mobbing and rioting" offences over the incident which seen supermarkets across the city withdraw fireworks from sale.
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