A 48-year-old man has been arrested and charged following a deliberately set fire at tenement flats in Glasgow. He is scheduled to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday.
Emergency services responded to the blaze, which broke out in a fourth-floor flat at a building on Stonyhurst Street in Possilpark on Sunday. The fire caused extensive damage, destroying the roof of the structure. No injuries were reported.
The building had remained unoccupied for two decades before securing funding for a comprehensive renovation programme to convert it into affordable housing. This development came against a backdrop of significant community tension. Police had previously indicated they were treating the fire as wilful, with detectives investigating the blaze at a building undergoing a £3 million refurbishment.
What prompted the protests?
Two separate demonstrations took place at the site before the fire occurred. A protest was organised in July, followed by another in early August, after claims circulated online that the refurbished flats would be allocated to migrants. These assertions fuelled community concerns and drew public attention to the renovation project.
Key Facts
- The fire occurred on Sunday in a fourth-floor flat on Stonyhurst Street, Possilpark
- The building had been empty for 20 years before receiving funding for renovation into affordable homes
- Two protests were held in July and early August over online claims about migrant housing allocation
- No injuries were reported in the incident
- The suspect is due to appear in court on Monday
