Homes raided by fireraising gang

Three break-ins and blazes in Prestonpans are being linked by police – the latest of which caused 25,000 worth of damage.

That fire at Wilson Avenue happened at the home of former East Lothian deputy provost David Costello and wife Janice, who were on a caravan holiday in Braemar.

Mr Costello said the thieves had taken several hundred pounds from a safe and drunk bottles of spirits before starting a fire in the house.

"It looks as though they've got in, seen that the caravan was away and they've drunk whatever they've drunk and they've not been happy so they took all the clothes out of our wardrobe and got them on the bed and made a bonfire with it.

"There was smoke damage throughout the house – we had to go in with torches yesterday. All our pictures of our family camping holidays were either in my camera, which I'd left behind, or in the computer, which is ruined.

"I'm more frustrated and disappointed then angry. What's the point of being angry? It's when I think of the personal things – they didn't need to do what they've done."

Neighbour Euphemia Watson, who saw the blaze at 5.30am on Monday, said: "I heard the commotion outside and I thought maybe it was a car or a taxi. I looked out the window and it was the police with their walkie-talkies shouting. The flames were coming out of the front window, I opened the back door and I couldn't see for smoke.

"I was frightened of an explosion at first, the fireman didn't know if it was a break-in or an electrical fault."

The blaze follows two other fires in the town which police believe are linked. A fire was started at a home in Cameron Way between 1pm on July 25 and 7pm on July 26, where items were stolen and the property was vandalised.

A home in Kirk Street was also targeted at around 5.30am on July 19, with several valuable electrical goods stolen and the property set on fire.

A police spokesman said: "We believe that whoever is responsible for these housebreakings has been aware that the occupants have been on holiday.

"We are appealing for any information that can help us identify the suspect in each of these incidents, which we believe may be connected."

A fire service spokeswoman added: "Deliberate fireraising poses a real danger to people, property and the responding fire crews. We are very concerned about these cases."