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Three men arrested and gun seized in gang feud crackdown

BBC Police tape outside a suburban home with a paved driveway. A police car is parked on the corner and a forensics officers kneels examining a patch of ground.BBC
Police forensic officers outside the home on Pitcairn Grove in May

Police investigating a gangland feud across Edinburgh and Glasgow have arrested three more men - taking the total number of arrests to 47.

Officers also recovered a car and a firearm which they believe were used in recent incidents.

Police Scotland said two men, aged 20 and 26, were charged with the attempted murder of businessman David McMillan in Edinburgh last month.

Another man, aged 26 was arrested over a deliberate fire at a property on Albert Drive in Edinburgh as well as outstanding warrants.

Mr McMillan, 54, was seriously injured in the incident outside his home in Pitcairn Grove.

He is believed to have been targeted three times in the gangland feud that started in March.

The first incident took place on 17 April - the sixth anniversary of the murder of his friend, T2 Trainspotting actor Bradley Welsh.

The front door of his home was set on fire. Weeks later, two vehicles were torched outside the house .

Then on May 22, Mr McMillan was hospitalised after being attacked by four or five masked men.

Local police officers and a team from the Specialist Crime Division are continuing inquiries to gather evidence and reassure the public.

Det Ch Sup Dave Ferry said: "This activity highlights our continued commitment to tackling organised crime and we are following a number of positive lines of inquiry.

"We still require further support from local communities as our investigation progresses."

How the gang feud developed

  • A series of attacks began on 2 March when a car was set on fire in Edinburgh's Parrotshot area
  • A beauty salon in Leith and a garage in Portobello were also targeted. Later, gunshots were reported at two properties in Niddrie and Pilton
  • Further firebomb attacks were reported at a house in Niddrie at the start of April
  • A carpet business in Bishopbriggs and another commercial premises in Kirkintilloch were also hit, alongside homes in Glasgow and Stepps
  • In April, a 72-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy were assaulted at a house in in Milton, Glasgow. Two more properties in Bishopbriggs were set alight
  • Two men were taken to hospital following a serious assault at a garage in East Kilbride on 19 May
  • A 54-year-old man needed hospital treatment after he was attacked by a group of men at the house at Pitcairn Grove, Edinburgh.
  • A large house in Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, was set alight on 2 June