A GREENOCK tradesman has been left in fear and hit in the pocket after his works van was torched outside his home.

Plumber Thomas Glancy was left shocked after his Ford Transit Connect was set ablaze in Murdieston Street while he was asleep at three o’clock in the morning.

There have been several deliberate vehicle blazes reported in Inverclyde recently and Mr Glancy believes he may be the latest victim of serial firestarters.

Mr Glancy told the Telegraph: “My neighbour is a taxi driver and he was just getting off his shift when he saw the van on fire.

“He had a fire extinguisher in his car and he was going to try and put it out, but then he heard an explosion and thought better of it.

“It turned out that it was a tyre blowing out but I can’t blame him because he thought that I might have some dangerous materials in the van because of my line of work.”

Mr Glancy contacted us after recently reading about the plight of 59-year-old Pauline McLetchie, whose Volkswagen Passat was torched in identical circumstances on Fife Road.

Mrs McLetchie was asleep in the early hours of the morning when she was woken by a neighbour who raised the alarm that her car was ablaze.
Mr Glancy says his business has been badly hit by the blaze.

He told the Tele: “I need the van to do my work and I’m still waiting on a settlement from my insurance company.

“I’ve had to knock back jobs, so whoever did this has seriously affected my livelihood.”

As well as the financial headache caused by the crime, Thomas says it has also left him feeling alarmed.

He said: “It’s a bit unnerving.

“I didn’t sleep a wink after my van was torched.