Police have launched a probe after a bus shelter was burned down by firebugs in Dundee on Thursday night.
Firefighters were called to the incident at the bus shelter on the 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.
‘It is dangerous vandalism…but also social vandalism’
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 to any one 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.”
Mr Malone said he fully backed the question posed by The Courier and Evening Telegraph recently, asking if parents would hand in their kids if they knew they had started a fire.
“That was really interesting and this is a prime example of when parents should be asking questions of their kids and being prepared to expose them if they think they were involved,” he added.
“There has been a spate of secondary fires in this area over the past couple of weeks, with grass and reed beds among other things set on fire.
“This is not acceptable behaviour and needs tackled and challenged.”
One local resident said: “I use this bus stop most days of the week. I just don’t see the need for this kind of behaviour.
“If they police and fire brigade believe this to be started deliberately then something needs to be done in a hurry.
“We can’t allow young people to think they can go about starting dangerous fires and get away with it.”
A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “Police were made aware of a fire to a bus shelter on Afton Way, Dundee around 7.40pm on Thursday April 15.
“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended and extinguished the fire safely and there were no injuries.
“Inquiries are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding the fire which is currently being treated as wilful.”
