Gangsters are forcing me out
He’s set to quit area after attack No3
A TORY councillor whose home has been attacked three times fears the thugs will not stop until he is dead.
Graeme Campbell, who has spoken out against gangsters and organised crime in the past, had two BMWs and parts of his home burnt out.
Campbell and his wife Fiona fled after being alerted to the blaze earlier this month by a passer-by.
They were left with only the clothes they were standing in.
Both cars were removed and the property in Strathaven, Lanarkshire, was so badly damaged that large parts are now uninhabitable.
Campbell, 52, has met with police and senior South Lanarkshire Council officials and has now begun an extended leave of absence.
He has now revealed he may be forced to leave the area because he can no longer keep his family safe and he has not slept properly since his home was first targeted in May 2019.
The councillor, who has represented Avondale and Stonehouse since 20007, said: “Please understand Fiona and I love this community.
“Leaving this area isn’t what we want but we’re not sure we have any option now. The council and police are doing what they can within the bounds of the law but given we’re on the third attack in three years, enough is enough.
“Fiona and I simply can’t live our lives this way any more.
“I will be taking another extended leave of absence but I want to be completely honest with everyone in this ward, I don’t think I will come back from this one.
“Being brought up in Northern Ireland during the decades I did, I do not scare easily, however, given the seriousness of this third and most recent attack whoever is responsible will not stop until someone, probably me, is killed.”
Detectives probing the attack revealed an accelerant had been poured over both cars and a male seen on CCTV is believed to have set himself alight during the incident leaving him with burns to his arms, body and face.
He is described as being of slim build and wearing a dark beanie hat, jogging top with two stripes down both shoulders with the hood up, jogging bottoms with two stripes down each leg, a high-vis reflective jacket and a rucksack.
Detectives believe the male approached Campbell’s home on foot, started the blaze and then fled towards Strathaven town centre.
In a statement to constituents, he added: “I want to close by saying these attacks are not politically motivated.
“It’s obvious Fiona and I are being punished for my work, and the work of South Lanarkshire Council.
The targeting of his house in May 2019 and last August were condemned as an attack on democracy and the matter has also been raised twice at First Minister’s Questions.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that her “solidarity” was with Campbell as she condemned organised crime. NOT AGAIN Police look for clues after the latest attack