Two cars left burned out at home of former Glasgow taxi firm boss

Scottish Sun

22-05-2025

The two charred vehicles went up in flames just after midnight in Gartcosh.
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Two cars left burned out at home of former Glasgow taxi firm bos
A FORMER taxi firm boss confirmed two burned out cars in his driveway were destroyed by a faulty battery and have nothing to do with the wave of firebomb attacks sweeping the country.
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Alex Main, 57, told how fire crews raced to his home in Gartcosh, Lanarkshire, after the vehicles went up in flames just after midnight.
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The two charred vehicles went up in flames just after midnight in Gartcosh.
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Cops and the vehicles' owner says the blaze is 'not suspicious'.
The vehicles were left charred wrecks after igniting on Wednesday night.
The inferno sparked fears it was the latest in a string of attacks linked to an ongoing gang war involving rival organised crime groups but cops are treating the fire as non suspicious.
But last night Mr Main - an ex-director of now dissolved Glasgow Airport Cars Ltd and G1 Executive Private Hire - confirmed the fire was caused by a motor malfunction.
He said: 'I bought a new Mercedes diesel hybrid some weeks ago and it went on fire the other night there.
'That's what it is but everybody has been thinking it's the other thing which has been going on.
'But the fire brigade have said there are no suspicious circumstances, it's not been petrol bombed or anything like that.
'The car has got a hybrid battery in it and with the heat the other day it's just went on fire and it's caught the other car on fire as well. So there is nothing bad happening.'
A witness, who asked not to be named, said: 'We were at home and just after midnight we heard a commotion and within minutes the whole place was glowing red with smoke billowing everywhere.
"It was terrifying.
'This is a quiet area and there are kids and families living here.'
When we told Mr Main of the fears, he said: 'I don't know anything about that because we were in our bed at the time.
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'I can only go with what the police and fire brigade have said regarding it. That's all we know.'
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Around 12.30am on Wednesday, we were made aware of a vehicle fire in Beech Grove, Gartcosh.
'Emergency services attended and the fire was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
'There were no injuries and the fire is not being treated as suspicious.'
We told how cops have made almost 40 arrests over the last two months amid an ongoing campaign of gang violence being orchestrated by a Dubai-based mob boss.
Former Union Bear Ross 'Miami' McGill, 32, is said to have ordered attacks on associates of caged crime kingpin Mark Richardson, 38, and members of the notorious Daniel clan.
Sources said McGill has the backing of the Lyons crew - the Daniels' long-standing enemies with whom they've been at war for decades.