Firebugs who set bus shelter alight leave residents up in arms

A bus shelter was burned down after being deliberately set alight by firebugs in Dundee on Thursday night.

Firefighters were called to the incident at the bus shelter on Forfar Road, just beside Morrisons, at 7.45pm.

The fire service were inundated with calls about the blaze and one appliance was sent to the scene to put it out.

A spokesman for Scottish Fire and Rescue confirmed it was being treated as deliberate.

Local residents have reacted with disgust at the blatant act of vandalism, which has destroyed the shelter.

Former fireman and local community leader for the North East area of the city, Jim Malone, said: “It could have injured those who set fire to the shelter or anyone else passing by.

“The materials that a bus shelter are made of are incredibly dangerous when on fire. They are carcinogenic but if they stick to you as they melt you will know all about it.

“This is also social vandalism. This bus shelter is on a main artery into town and is used by dozens of people all day every day.

“It causes massive inconvenience to them as well as costing money to remove and replace.”

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police were made aware of a fire to a bus shelter on Afton Way, Dundee around 7.40pm on Thursday.

“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended and extinguished the fire safely.

“Inquiries are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding the fire, which is currently being treated as wilful.”

The charred remains of the burnt-out shelter.