Cars torched in garage yard amid fears of resurgence in gang feud

A number of cars in a garage yard. Two vehicles are covered in tarpaulin and a third - a small blue Vauxhall - has scorch marks on its rear. Houses and trees can be seen in the background.

Detectives are keeping an open mind as to whether a deliberate fire at a garage in Glasgow is linked to a resurgence in gangland violence.

Police Scotland said the alarm was raised at about 00:40 on Causeyside Street, Tollcross.

On Saturday a vehicle was torched at Kelvinside Motor Company in Kirkintilloch, days after officers attended a "disturbance" at the same property.

That blaze came just 24 hours after police confirmed they were investigating a car crash into a house in the suburb of Eaglesham, south of Glasgow.

A white car, parked in a yard, with large scorch marks on the right hand passenger

Last month, Police Scotland announced that an ongoing gang feud across central Scotland had come to an end.

The force said Operation Portaledge had brought dozens of arrests and there was a "resolution of differences" between rival groups.

But last week The Daily Record newspaper reported a flare-up of violence, with the Lyons crime family allegedly ordering attacks on rival members of the Daniel clan.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service extinguished the Tollcross fire on Tuesday and no-one was injured.

A police spokesperson said: "The fire is being treated as a wilful and inquiries are ongoing."

It was later reported by The Scottish Sun that the garage was not the intended target.

Low-angle view of an industrial estate with a row of shuttered garage units and workshops. The foreground shows a damaged asphalt surface with a drain cover, loose debris and potholes, while several parked vehicles sit beside the buildings under a partly cloudy sky.

On Saturday the alarm was raised at the Kelvinside Motor Company in Kirkintilloch at 22:55, days after officers attended a "disturbance" at the same property.

The garage was previously targeted in a fire attack in April last year, which police investigated as part of its Operation Portaledge gangland probe.

Meanwhile, on Friday a car crashed into a house in Eaglesham.

Officers were called to the property on Low Borland Way at about 13:20.

The brick wall of the house, in a quiet cul-de-sac of detached homes, was caved in near the front door with smoke marks visible to the upper floor.

The trouble first began in Edinburgh in March last year and led to a series of fire bombings and attempted murders - 84 separate incidents in total.

It has been linked to a fallout between Ross McGill, the former head of Rangers FC's fan group the Union Bears, and Edinburgh drug dealer Mark Richardson - who is currently in prison.

A resurgence of violence in January and February this year saw another wave of arrests.

Several of the Operation Portaledge cases which have come to court resulted in lengthy jail sentences.

Arran Reid was imprisoned for eight years and four months after admitting carrying out a machete attack on an Edinburgh businessman linked to Richardson.

And four men were jailed or detained for a total of 25 years over a series of fire attacks in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell previously described it as a "a deeply concerning war between rivals".

Original source Cars torched in garage yard amid fears of resurgence in gang feud

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