‘The area we found it in was quite secluded’
20:45, 10 May 2026Updated 20:50, 10 May 2026
The object looked like a safe that had been set on fire.
A West Lothian woman has made a peculiar discovery while walking on a path between Winchburgh and Newton. Kim Maxwell was out on Sunday, May 10, when she came across what she believed to be a burned-out safe.
Kim was aware of local break-ins in the local area and thinks the object may be related to such incidents. She described seeing charred pages with Arabic writing on it as well as a set of keys dumped behind the safe.
After coming across the items, Kim said she filled out an online form to alert police to the scene.
She said: “I suppose it was likely linked to a burglary as I’m aware there’s been quite a few. It was completely burnt out so I suppose somebody had tried to hide evidence.
“It appeared like the door had been opened with a set of keys which were dumped behind it. We just felt really bad for whoever it belonged to.
“We reported it to the police, just using their online forum. I called 101 but as it wasn’t an emergency, so I thought it best to fill in the form as advised.
“We tried not to touch anything just in case the police came for a look but I noticed some burnt out pages with Arabic writing on them, so hopefully that might help identify the owners.
“The area we found it in was quite secluded. So it was probably an ideal location to break into it.”
Police Scotland have been approached for comment.