Police Scotland has released CCTV images of three men they want to trace in connection with a series of fire-bombings in Glasgow and East Lothian. The men, described as white and aged around 17 to 25, were captured on camera walking through a grassy area near trees, with smoke rising from the ground in the footage.
Two incidents on the same day
The first incident took place at around 1.40pm on December 21, 2025, at a Day-Today shop on Ladymuir Crescent in Glasgow. Emergency crews were called after reports of a fire, and two men were seen getting out of a black Audi A6 before approaching the premises. The fire was extinguished and no one was injured.
The second incident occurred at around 3pm the same day on the B6371, also known as Buxley Road, in East Lothian. The three men are described as white, aged between around 17 and 25, with short dark hair. All three were wearing dark clothing and trainers, while one was carrying a grey rucksack.
Background of previous attack
The newsagents on Ladymuir Crescent had been firebombed just days after two men were jailed over a machete attack on the shop's owner. Liam McDonald, 36, was sentenced to 14 years in prison, while accomplice Dylan Haldane, 37, was jailed for 13 years at the High Court in Edinburgh following the assault on shop owner Mohammed Arif, 35. A third man, William Dickson, 39, had already been jailed for nine years and four months in June last year for his role in the same attack.
The assault happened outside the shop at around 8.10pm on August 13, 2023. The court heard how Mr Arif was pursued by a group and repeatedly struck with a machete and knife. He was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow after suffering life-changing injuries, with the attack described in court as sustained and ferocious. The charges stated that the offence was aggravated by links to serious organised crime.
Appeal for information
Jurors at the High Court in Glasgow heard that the men were accused of removing their clothing, dumping weapons in a bin and dousing them with accelerant in an attempt to set fire to them. Haldane was further alleged to have checked into a Glasgow hotel to wash himself in an effort to remove forensic traces, a move prosecutors said was designed to defeat the ends of justice.
Police Scotland is now appealing for anyone who may have information about either of the December 2025 fires to come forward. Detectives are also urging anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage from the areas around the time of the incidents to check whether they captured anything which could assist the investigation. Anyone who can help is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 1525 of December 21, 2025. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
