Edinburgh crime: Muirhouse youth charity feel 'sickened' after vandal sets fire to minibus

A mini bus owned by a Muirhouse-based charity was torched by a vandal over the weekend.

The mini bus was parked at Craigroyston High School, where the charity is based, when it was set alight at around 5pm on Saturday – in broad daylight.

The vehicle, which was owned by Muirhouse Youth Development Group (MYDG), was completely burnt out, and is now unusable.

Dean Shanks, the Strategic Manager of MYDG, said the crime has had "an immediate impact” on the charity’s work.

The charity usually takes groups of schoolchildren on trips in the minibus, however these excursions have not been able to run.

MYDG began work in Muirhouse in 1977. According to Mr Shanks, the area has had problems with anti-social behaviour before, but nothing as severe as this incident.

"It’s just mindless, and especially to do it in broad daylight”, he said.

A vandal set the mini bus alight while it was parked at Craigroyston High School in Muirhouse, Edinburgh.

"Why would someone do this? That’s the question we keep asking ourselves.”

The charity usually run a summer programme to take local children on residential trips, however these plans have been put in jeopardy.

While Mr Shanks is hoping the charity will be able to purchase a new bus in time, he is unsure if this will be possible.

Officers are currently working to investigate the incident.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We became aware of a van on fire near Craigroyston High School on Pennywell Road in Edinburgh around 5.15pm on Saturday, 23 April.

“The fire was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and enquiries are being carried out to establish the cause of the fire.”