A prison officer's car was firebombed outside HMP Edinburgh on 7 September, marking the latest in a series of similar attacks targeting prison staff in Scotland. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene, and no injuries were reported.
Phil Fairlie of the Scottish Prison Officers Association said the attacks are believed to be carried out by organised criminal gangs aiming to intimidate prison staff. He described the current level of threat as the worst in his 30-year career, noting that this is the seventh or eighth such incident in the last two years across the prison estate.
Recent attacks include a car set on fire outside HMP Perth on 6 July and six vehicles destroyed at HMP Addiewell in January. No prosecutions have been made in connection with these incidents.
Fairlie suggested that staff may be targeted for disrupting gang activity or due to conflicts within prisons. He warned that threats from organised crime gangs carry genuine risk. The rise in attacks coincides with an increasing prison population, which is expected to exceed 8,000 inmates in the coming year, raising concerns about overcrowding and staff shortages.
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson confirmed the incident at HMP Edinburgh and stated that all alleged criminality is reported to Police Scotland.
