Police have launched a probe after a Motherwell pub, once a favourite of former Celtic star Kieran Tierney, was torched on Sunday afternoon. Fire crews raced to The Bullfrog on Shields Road after the alarm was raised at around 3.45pm on Sunday.
Footage taken from the scene showed huge plumes of smoke billowing up into the sky. The thick clouds rise above the now-closed down bar and turn the air grey.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) remained at the scene at 8am on Monday, more than 16 hours after the blaze was first reported. Police said on Monday morning they were treating the fire as wilful with an investigation to be carried out alongside the SFRS.
Footage of the fire, which was taken from a set of high-rise flats some distance from the pub, showed the building engulfed in flames. The SFRS sent two appliances to the scene, with one still at the scene on Monday morning. However, a spokesperson did say the blaze had been extinguished.
The extent of the damage is currently unclear. The much loved pub announced in November that it was shutting its doors for good due to the astronomical rise in costs.
It was a favourite of Tierney's during his days as a Celtic player and he supported the pub's football team. Speaking about the team in 2018, Tierney told the Record: "The Bullfrog has been part of my life since I was a kid.
"My dad would walk us down and we’d watch their games. And I’d do what kids do, I’d nick out on to the pitch at half-time with a ball for a few crosses and finishes.
"It has always been my local but now it’s my mates who are playing and people from our area go and watch. You always get a good crowd and I’m there every single game on a Sunday as long as Celtic aren’t playing. It’s a priority for me, seriously."
A Scottish Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: "We received a report of the building being on fire at around 3.48pm on Sunday, April 16. We have one appliance still in attendance as of 8am on Monday, with firefighters checking for hotspots. The fire has been extinguished."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 3.55pm on Sunday, April 16, officers were called to a report of a fire at a premises on Shields Road, Motherwell. The fire is being treated as wilful and enquiries are ongoing.”
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