Woman sets on fire in Clydebank police station
The incident happened in a public area of the police office in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, yesterday morning, with eyewitnesses describing how the woman looked like a “human torch” with her “whole body on fire.”
The woman, who is in her fifties, is believed to have suffered serious burns and received treatment at the scene from paramedics in the station’s car park.
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Hide AdShe was then taken by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary. No one else was injured in the incident, described by the Scottish Police Federation as “horrific.”
At around 1pm yesterday, five forensics officers made their way into the entrance of the station, located in the Drumry area.
They later removed an extinguisher along with other items which had been covered in plastic sheeting, while taking photographs of the scene.
Eyewitness Michelle McCusker said she was passing the police station when she saw what initially looked like a fire at the entrance.
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The 25-year-old shop assistant said: “I was driving past the police station on my way to work when I saw flames at the front door. As I got closer, I saw it was someone with their whole body covered in flames. I was right across from it.
“The person was covered in flames. Their hands were up in the air. Then they bent down to the ground and put their face into the flames. Their whole body was on fire. It was like a human torch.”
Iain Croall, who lives opposite the police station, said: “I was driving back and I saw someone sitting out the front, which I now know was a woman.
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Hide Ad“She was being treated by, I think it was a police officer, and the fire brigade were coming up and then I couldn’t see anything as then they blocked the road. There were police coming from all directions.”
Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: “I heard sirens and came through to the front of the house to see what was going on.” The man also said he saw someone lying on the ground.
On its Twitter account, the Scottish Police Federation stated: “Horrific incident at Clydebank police station. Difficult to imagine what causes such desperation but horrific for woman involved as well as officers & staff dealing [with it].”
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “At around 9:55am police were called to a report of a woman having been injured in the public area of Clydebank police office on Montrose Street in Clydebank. The woman was taken by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary for treatment. Inquiries are continuing.”
He added: “Due to the ongoing incident the front counter at Clydebank Police Office has been closed to the public until further notice.”
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