Scumbags! Dramatic images reveal devastation caused by 'deliberate' fire at Edinburgh football club
Last updated 20th Sep 2021
An investigation's underway following a suspicious fire at a football club in Edinburgh.
A shower block at Craigroyston Playing Fields was gutted in the blaze, which happened shortly after 8.30pm last night (Sunday).
But local fire crews saved the neighbouring clubrooms from serious damage.
The pitches, in the city's Muirhouse Parkway, are home to Craigroyston Community Youth Football Club.
Committee member Ian Weatherston is praising emergency teams for their quick response.
He told Forth News: "Four or five minutes later and that whole main clubroom would have been gone. And that would have probably closed the doors on us - so, thank God, they got there in time."
Locals have condemned those responsible for the fire at the club, which supports more than 200 youngsters in the local community - with one branding them "scumbags".
However, it's not the first incident of anti-social behaviour to be reported in the area.
"This has been ongoing for years," Ian said. "Because it is so secluded, we've had all kinds of things (going on) down there - we get regular fires; people down there on stolen motorbikes, stolen cars. Only once I've seen the police turn up after we've called them.
"I've actually seen kids in buggies getting lifted onto stolen motorbikes that are doing wheelies, it's just ridiculous - absolutely crazy."
And he added: "It's certainly getting worse. Last night was dangerous. I think it's been petty, kind of minor vandalism and whatever up until now, but now it's getting serious."
Police have confirmed they are treating the fire as deliberate and they're appealing to anyone with information to come forward.
It's the latest in a serious of suspicious blazes in Edinburgh at the weekend.
On Saturday, one person was taken to hospital and a number of others needed treatment following six separate fires in the city's Drylaw area.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 9pm on Sunday, September the 19th, police were informed of a fire at Craigroyston Playing Fields.
“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended and extinguished the fire which had caused damage to a shower building.
“There was no-one injured and police are treating the incident as wilful fire-raising.”