An elderly Yes campaigner from Glasgow has been left 'frightened and worried' after his sticker-adorned car and trailer were torched overnight by callous thugs.
The ' malicious ' incident took place in the early hours of Sunday, September 18 - the eighth anniversary of the 2014 independence referendum - when Ian Mcneil woke up to a ferocious blaze raging outside his home in the east end of the city.
Emergency services, including Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, rushed to the street where hero crews worked to temper the double vehicle fire, which took hold dangerously close to the 72-year-old's home that he shares with his disabled wife.
Devastatingly, Ian's advertising trailer, which he has toured across the country most weekends for five years, was completely destroyed. His car was also written off, leaving him having to fork out a whopping £3k to cover the cost of the damage.
Photos taken at the site show the blackened, burnt out trailer parked on the residential street while firefighters, decked out with breathing apparatus, helmets, masks and other safety gear, hose down its charred remains.
The car's head and tail lights also melted due to the intense heat of the inferno. Ian told the Record: "As a political activist, you learn to put up with a certain amount of banter, gestures and name calling, but this is a step too far.
"This was an extremely dangerous and life-threatening incident. This has taken things to a whole new level, that's what's really concerned me. There's a baby just a few months old up the road. It's terrifying.
"I was warned to stay indoors as the fire could have caught my garden hedge and spread to my house. The fire chief said it was really fortunate that it didn't, it was caught just in time.
"My insurance company doesn't pay out anywhere near what the car's worth so I'm going to lose out on thousands of pounds. I'm pulling my hair out about it. It's a mess."
Initially, Ian thought the act was a result of reckless vandalism, but now, after considering that the motors were adorned with Yes paraphernalia including stickers, banners and flags as well as a PA system and microphones, he now wonders whether it was a politically-motivated attack.
Sadly, the OAP had been due to travel with friends to a pro-independence event in George Square on the very day the blaze broke out, meaning he could no longer attend.
He also admitted that he was so shaken by the supposed ambush that he contemplated 'packing it all in' and selling his car and trailer, but has decided to remain resolute so as not to 'give up the fight'.
He has, however, vowed never to park his trailer on the street again. Ian continued: "The trailer has been sitting there for five years and has never suffered any damage. It just seems strange that there would be an incident on September 18. The date only dawned on me once I spoke to the police.
"I was going to give it all up but I'm just going to move on and get bigger and better. The difference is the trailer is going to get parked at another, more secure location.
"People have seen the trailer everywhere from Inverness to Dumfries. They've heard it pass through the streets blaring music and speeches. I think this incident has touched them. There shouldn't be such political division like this."
A GoFundMe page has now been set up to help Ian get his trailer back on the road, which has already raised an incredible £5,000. If you would like to donate, click here.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 5am on Sunday, 18 September, 2022, police were called to an area of Glasgow, following a report of a trailer on fire.
“Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting incident 0817 of 18 September.”
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson added: “We were alerted at 4.40am on Sunday, September 18 to reports of a caravan on fire in Glasgow.
“Operations Control mobilised two appliances to the scene and crews extinguished the fire before leaving once the area was made safe.”
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