Seven buses have been destroyed in a deliberate fire at the depot of Wilsons Buses in Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland, the BBC reported.
Emergency services were called to Wilsons Buses’ depot at about 0100hrs on September 15. It was later confirmed that seven vehicles had been destroyed.
Police said a joint investigation had been launched with the fire service to identify the cause of the blaze.
Det Insp David Wagstaff said: “I would appeal to anyone who was in the area around the time of the incident and saw or heard anything suspicious to get in touch.
“I would also ask any drivers who passed by the bus depot between 0000 and 0100hrs to check their dashcam footage in case they have captured any of the incident.”
The operator has said it will not be run off the road, the Greenock Telegraph reported.
Robert Wilson, whose son Ross runs the firm, spoke out after the incident, highlighting that it had come less than a week after a bus on the company’s new Larkfield route was attacked, with missiles thrown through its windows. The operator said it also suffered an attack in Lochwinnoch the night before, when a man wearing a balaclava used a claw hammer to smash several windows. Three passengers were on board at the time.
Robert Wilson said: “The whole family is devastated by this.
“It’s a double blow for us as a similar incident happened to buses at the Dellingburn Street garage back in 2011.
“It’s terrible to try and put a company out of business; I can’t find the words for it. But Ross doesn’t want to give up – he’s determined to pick up the pieces and get through this.”
