Edinburgh after-school club owner 'devastated' after minibus torched outside East Craigs Primary School

A minibus owned by an after-school club was set alight in the car park of an Edinburgh primary school.

A fire crew and police officers rushed to the car park at East Craigs Primary School on Friday evening, after receiving reports of a minibus on fire.

"The owner of the 17-seater bus, Suzanne Smith, was told by firefighters on the scene that the vehicle may have been set on fire deliberately."

Ms Smith, who runs an after-school and summer club service called Kru Klub, said she is “in shock” after hearing news of the fire.

She is now left without a minibus, which is usually used to take children on trips to nearby beaches and parks, for the remaining weeks of the school holidays.

This has been a challenge, but the business owner is even more worried about what she’ll do when school starts up. During term-time, the vehicle is used to transport kids from Corstorphine to the after-school club in East Craigs.

"We’re in a sticky situation”, she said. "I can’t afford to buy another bus without a payout.”

The minibus was badly damaged by the blaze. (Photo credit: Suzanne Smith)

She is considering hiring a bus, but she added: “I can’t imagine that being cheap either.”

At first, Ms Smith thought the blaze was random, however, she now believes that her business may have been targeted.

For this reason, she is “nervous” to buy another bus, in case someone sets another blaze.

The local woman, who has run the after-school club for five years, added that she was “angry that anyone would do such a thing”.

The owner of the minibus said she is "devastated". (Photo credit: Suzanne Smith)

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 5.41pm on Friday, July 29 to reports of a mini bus on fire within a car park on Craigmount Brae, Edinburgh. "Operations Control mobilised one appliance to the scene. “Firefighters extinguished the fire and left after ensuring the area was made safe. “There were no reported casualties.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were called around 6pm on Friday, 29 July, to a report of a vehicle on fire in the Craigmount Brae area of Edinburgh. Enquiries are ongoing.”

A spokesperson for the City of Edinburgh Council said they were aware of the fire and that there was no damage to the school building.