Hooded and masked men petrol bombed a tractor at a Perthshire farm at the weekend.
The pair were caught on CCTV throwing something, thought to be petrol, into the fuel tank of the tractor at Eastmill Farm, Glenisla, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The tractor was completely destroyed and police have confirmed they are treating the fire as suspicious.
Petrol bomb thrown into fuel tank
Farm manager Pamela Nicol said she was alerted to the fire by visitors to the farm.
She said: “People who were staying here thought they heard fireworks and when they looked out they saw a glow and alerted me.
“When I looked out I saw the tractor was well alight.
“I have CCTV on the farm and when I looked at it I saw two men with masks and hoods up at the tractor.
“It looks like they punched the vehicle tank and threw a petrol bomb in.
“They definitely looked like they knew exactly what they were doing.
“It also looks like this was a targeted attack because our farm is about 500 yards off the road.
“You would have to know where you are coming and also know where the tractor was.”
Pamela described the men with one wearing a hoodie on pulled up over his face. She said he had a light top and dark coloured trousers.
Tractor and trailer both destroyed
The other man was wearing light coloured clothing and had a mask on.
She said that one of the men walked with a limp and had a very distinctive gait.
The Massey Ferguson tractor and a trailer were both destroyed in the attack.
She said: “This is the farm’s only tractor.
“It’s current value would be about £60k to £70k but to replace it will cost around £140k.”
Pamela said the tractor is insured and in the meantime other local farmers have offered the use of tractors so the farm can operate in the short term.
She said: “This is a very frightening situation and right now I feel very vulnerable.
“This was planned and deliberate.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 3.20am on Sunday we were called to a report of a tractor on fire at farm premises in Glenisla, Blairgowrie.
“Officers attended and the fire was extinguished by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
“The fire is being treated as wilful and enquiries are ongoing.”
A spokesperson for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We got a call at 2.15am reporting a tractor on fire at Eastmill Farm, Glenisla.
“We sent one appliance from Kirriemuir.
“We used one hose reel jet and we left the scene at 4.15am.”
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