A MAN has appeared in court after a van filled with fireworks was allegedly set on fire forcing residents of a Scots town to evacuate their homes.
The vehicle burst into flames in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Emergency services raced to the scene on Braes Avenue after the alarm was raised at around 1 am.
Connor Steele, 29, has appeared in private at Dumbarton Sheriff Court charged with wilful fireraising.
He also faces a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and another of resisting arrest.
Steele, of Clydebank, made no plea to the three charges and was remanded in custody.
He is due to make another appearance in the dock within the next eight days.
Footage posted online shows fireworks exploding from the van as flames took hold while deafening bangs led residents to label the scene a ‘war zone’.
Locals were rushed from their homes and roads closed as firefighters battled to bring the blaze under control.
No one was injured during the blaze which took place around 1am on the town’s Braes Avenue.
In a post online, Clydebank East Community Council said: “I’ve never witnessed anything like it, kids screaming in sheer terror. Absolutely awful. Thankfully everyone is safe.”
Councillor Lauren Oxley said: “Absolutely shocking, hope everyone is alright and isn’t too shaken up.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A man has been arrested and charged in connection with a vehicle fire in Braes Avenue, Clydebank.
“The fire was reported around 1am on Sunday, 23 February 2025.”
