Ayrshire Post

Help nail arsonist behind fire attacks

Cash reward after £500,000 damage in village

- PAUL BEHAN

A substantia­l reward is on offer to anyone who can help police nail the suspect behind a string of fire attacks that have terrorised a village.

Crimestopp­ers Scotland have put up £3000 reward for any informatio­n that leads to the conviction of the firebug behind £500,000 worth of damage and wilful blazes in Dalrymple.

Villagers have been left frightened and out of pocket following a total of TEN horrifying attacks between July 2019 and December 2020.

The spate of blazes include a Land Rover parked on the drive of a house in Glebe Avenue being set alight in the middle of the night on Monday, December 14.

On Sunday, November 22, a couple who were sleeping awoke to find their Volvo and Mercedes had been torched just feet from their front door.

A Crimestopp­ers spokesman says someone in the community will know who the culprit is behind these dangerous attacks and has urged them to come forward with informatio­n.

He said: “Our charity believes that there may be people in the local community who know or have suspicions about who is behind these reckless and irresponsi­ble attacks.”

Last October, a 72-yearold man was reported to the Procurator Fiscal in connection with the initial eight incidents.

Officers continue to carry out enquiries into these fires to discover the full circumstan­ces.

There have since been two further, near identical, crimes committed and these are still under active investigat­ion.

The Crimestopp­ers spokesman added: ““Our charity is supporting police and the community by encouragin­g anyone who prefers to stay anonymous to contact us with informatio­n.”

Crimestopp­ers is offering a reward of up to £3000 for anonymous informatio­n the charity exclusivel­y receives - via its website Crimestopp­ers-uk. org or by phone on 0800 555 111- that leads to the conviction of the person or people responsibl­e.

Angela Parker, Scotland national manager at Crimestopp­ers, said we want the public to come forward before the arsonist strikes again.

“The risk to life from these appalling incidents means we urgently need anyone with informatio­n to come forward before someone is seriously hurt,” she said.

“Our charity supports police by passing on anonymous informatio­n that helps keep people and communitie­s safe from harm. We are urgently appealing for anyone who knows or suspects who may be behind these attacks to do the right thing. Hence why we are putting up a reward of up to £3000 for informatio­n given anonymousl­y to Crimestopp­ers that leads to the conviction of those responsibl­e.”

 ??  ??
 ??  ?? Reign of terror
Two burnt out cars and damage to a house at Knock Jarder farm near Dalrymple and, insert, how we reported one of the arsonist attacks in the village
Reign of terror Two burnt out cars and damage to a house at Knock Jarder farm near Dalrymple and, insert, how we reported one of the arsonist attacks in the village
 ??  ?? Blaze horror
Another car is firebombed by an arsonist in what was the eighth attack in Dalrymple
Blaze horror Another car is firebombed by an arsonist in what was the eighth attack in Dalrymple
 ??  ?? Reward £3000 sum to find arsonist, above, and, below, village in terror
Reward £3000 sum to find arsonist, above, and, below, village in terror
 ??  ?? Gutted
Two cars torched in driveway
Gutted Two cars torched in driveway

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