Residents put on alert in crime-hit neighbourhood
Keep watch, police urge after deliberate fires
Paisley police are stepping up patrols and urging residents to be vigilant after a recent spate of deliberate fires.
As reported in the Express, a 40-year-old woman was rushed to hospital suffering smoke inhalation after wheelie bins were pulled into a common close and set alight in Thrushcraigs Crescent on Saturday at around 9.05pm.
Just days earlier, a shed was also torched in the street.
Now cops say they are upping their presence in the area.
Extra patrols from community police officers, supported by community wardens, will be put in place and officers have written to residents urging them help keep the community safe.
Inspector Tracy Harkins, from the community policing team, said they are carrying out extensive enquiries into the incidents.
In a letter to residents, she wrote: “Over the past few weeks, there have been a number of fire-related incidents within the vicinity of your home address.
“The fires appear to be increasing in number and the severity of the fires are escalating.
“Incidents such as this can have potentially grave consequences, so it is really important that we all work together to trace the suspects and prevent further crime from occurring.
“Can you please make sure that the communal close doors are secured at all times, particularly during the hours of darkness, to prevent unauthorised entry.
“Can you also make sure that garden sheds are locked and that unwanted items of property are discarded via the bins provided.
“If you hear anything, particularly when its dark outside, regardless of how minor you believe it to be, please call police on 999.
“If you have any information that may be helpful to our enquiry, can you contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
“You can also call us directly on our non-emergency number 101.”
A worried resident in the street, who asked not to be named, told the Paisley Daily Express that he is scared to let his children outside in the street, where police investigated two attempted murders in May.
He said: “The street has actually been quite quiet for the last wee while, but it has just gotten worse in the last few days.
“My kids were really scared of the fire brigade lights. It brought back memories of the last time the street had lots of blue lights in it back in May.
“We don’t let the kids outside any more, it’s just not safe.
“The council and the police have to do more to tackle the problems here or they will just get worse.”