Copyright dailyrecord
Fire crews have raced to a blaze in the upmarket village of Bothwell - just yards from a restaurant that was targeted in a firebomb attack last week. Emergency services have been called to Griqua Terrace in the upmarket village after the alarm was raised at around 12.40pm on Friday, October 31. It's understood firefighters were responding to reports of a fire at first floor flat on the street. Footage shared with the Record shows a number of fire engines in attendance near the local Co-Op store. A ladder appeared to have been placed at the window of a property on the first floor. Ambulance crews attended and three people were treated at the scene by medics. A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 12.41pm on Friday, October 31, to reports of a fire within a tenement building on Griqua Terrace in Bothwell. “Operations Control mobilised four fire appliances to the area. “Three casualties have been treated at the scene by the Scottish Ambulance Service. “Crews remain in attendance and are working to make the area safe.” A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 1.05pm on Friday, 31 October, 2025, we were made aware of a fire at a property in the Griqua Terrace area of Bothwell. “Emergency services attended and three people were checked over by paramedics at the scene. “The fire is not being treated as wilful and the surrounding roads have since reopened following the incident.” It comes after Nel & Co, a restaurant across the road loved by celebrity footballers and business tycoons, was sealed off on Wednesday, October 22. The venue had been badly damaged by a fire that began in the early hours. Police confirmed the incident was being treated as 'wilful' and said inquiries were continuing. It is understood a link to Operation Portaledge was one line of enquiry. Nobody was injured during the incident. Last month, nearby Cut Bothwell steakhouse, the sister restaurant of Nel & Co, was targeted. The popular steakhouse recently announced on social media it was going to be holding a pop-up within Nel & Co. The blaze last week was the fourth fire on the village's Main Street in recent years. Horrified locals condemned the incident and demanded action. One said: "It can only be sheer luck that nobody has died as a result of these fires. Whoever is behind them needs to be stopped quickly. This is a good area but people are very worried about what's been happening." Bothwell has been the scene of numerous fire bombings in recent years. The San Vincenzo eaterie in the village was targeted repeatedly with incidents including a series of fires and vandal attacks. Its previous owner Vincent Marini claimed he was a victim of an effort to drive him out of business. It's currently unclear if the blaze on Friday is being linked to the Nel & Co firebombing incident.
