‘It’s sad to see and it’s only getting worse’
The youths allegedly shouted abuse at the woman after their first altercation.
A dog walker claimed to have chased off a group of youths who allegedly started a blaze at the back of a West Lothian estate. The alleged incident took place off a woodland path at the back of Scott Brae, Ladywell.
In footage shared with Edinburgh Live, several young males and females could be seen scampering away from the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, after she confronted them near a blaze. The camera then pans to a fire which appears to have been started at the base of a fallen tree.
In another clip, the woman claims youths had sticks in their hands and had begun walking back to her, shouting abuse, before she got her phone out and took her dog off the lead. Firefighters rushed to the scene of the disturbance at around 6.35pm on Tuesday April 21.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, the woman said: “Absolutely ridiculous kids wasting fire rescue time and putting the area in unnecessary danger. Right at the back of the houses at Plover and Scott Brae.
“The fire was spreading quickly directly behind houses. They caused unnecessary danger for members of the public.
“After I bumped into them again they began coming towards me with sticks and shouting abuse. That was until I took my phone out and let my dog off the leash.
The youths seemed to run from the woman after she confronted them at the woodland path.
“They weren’t long in running then. This sort of thing happens all the time in Ladywell – it is becoming increasingly worse as an area to live in unfortunately.
“It’s sad to see and it’s only getting worse. As you can see kids don’t have any respect these days.”
The fire was raging at the foot of a fallen tree.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called to reports of a small secondary fire at the rear of Scott Brae at around 6.35pm on Tuesday April 21. One appliance was dispatched and extinguished the fire with the team leaving the scene at 6.50pm.
“The fire did not impact any buildings in the area.”