The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Mystery over forensic search in club car park
Perth: Band left in dark as to why police have not let them back into their van
Forensic experts descended on the car park of a nightclub at the weekend.
The ground near the Ice Factory in Perth was cordoned off from around 4am yesterday, with activity centred on a white van parked on the site.
Police officers were keeping tightlipped about the nature of the operation yesterday, saying only that it was an “ongoing investigation”. It is understood that at least one arrest has been made.
The lane to the side of the Ice Factory, which runs from Shore Road to the South Inch, was cordoned off with police tape for much of the day.
The white Mercedes Sprinter van had a silver tarpaulin spread across the bonnet.
White-suited forensic officers could be seen carrying out a fingertip search of the ground immediately in front of the vehicle.
The van at the centre of the operation belongs to local band The Red Pine Timber Company.
One man working nearby, who did not want to be named, said it was frequently parked at the site.
“It sits there all the time, it’s not like it was just parked there last night,” he said.
“The nightclub would normally park their van there too but they can’t because of the cordon.
“There’s guys in white suits there so whatever is going on it can’t be good.”
Red Pine Timber Company frontman Gavin Munro said police officers were refusing to let band members near the vehicle and would not disclose the nature of the investigation to them.
He said: “I was at home all last night and the first I knew about it was this morning. The van was parked there on Friday night after we’d played a gig.
“The police aren’t telling us what has happened but we can’t get access to the van. The van hasn’t been damaged.
“Whatever has happened has happened in the area around the van.
“It’s obviously serious because the CID and forensics are there.”
A source from the Ice Factory said the incident had occurred during their operating hours but was unrelated to the club. She declined to elaborate further.
kmcintosh@thecourier.co.uk