A shocking video shows the aftermath of a charity van being torched in the north of Edinburgh as police open ‘fire-raising’ investigation.
Cyrenians say that the incident took place at 10.30pm on Sunday June 11 at the FareShare depot on Jane Street in Leith.
A video shared with Edinburgh Live showed dozens of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) personnel and at least four fire appliances on site as they tackled the blaze.
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Hoses could be seen stretching across the road to the depot and Cyrenians say that the van took just under 20 minutes to extinguish.
Police officers were also seen cordoning off the area and keeping members of the public away from the scene of the fire.
Cyrenians said that the FareShare UK van was completely destroyed outside of the depot but they add that thankfully the building was not damaged in any way and that no one was hurt.
They added in a statement on their website that the fire would significantly impact their ability to be able to distribute food to some of the most vulnerable groups in Edinburgh and the surrounding area.
Around 20,000 beneficiaries in 130 groups that the charity delivers to every week will be affected by the fire as pantries across the city are cancelled this week.
FareShare depot services manager Craig Buchan said: "We're fortunate that no-one was hurt and that no damage has been done to the building.
“As a team, many of whom are volunteers, we are badly shaken up by this incident and our operations, which supply food to those in need, will be significantly impacted this week.
“We are working on getting a replacement van organised as soon as we are able, but without doubt, several tonnes of food will be wasted, food pantries will be cancelled and a high number of the 20,000 beneficiaries we support every week will go without food.”
Alan Rouane, a representative from FareShare UK added: "We're doing everything we can to divert deliveries to other sites and to support services in Central and Southeast Scotland."
Cyrenians stated on their website that Police Scotland are investigating the incident, which they described as a 'fire-raising incident'.
SFRS confirmed that they attended the incident on Jane Street.
Police say that enquiries to establish the cause of the fire are ongoing and that they are appealing to the public to come forward with any information that could help their investigation.
Detective Sergeant Christina Yeoman, from Gayfield CID, said: “We can be thankful that no one was hurt as a result of this fire.
“As our investigation continues, we are keen to hear from anyone who may have information, or potential CCTV or dashcam footage from the area.
“If you believe you can assist our enquiries, please call police on 101, quoting incident 4183 of 11 June, 2023.”
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