Welcome to Britain’s firebombing capital: How picture-postcard village beloved by millionaires has been hit by 30 thriller assaults
The leafy village of Bothwell is home to celebrities, footballers, wealthy businessmen and boasts some of Scotland’s most exclusive streets.
With its independent boutiques, palatial mansions and villas and beautiful medieval castle, the historic conservation area is not the typical backdrop for a dangerous gangland war.
But it is here, just 20 minutes to the southeast of Glasgow City Centre, that gang violence seems to have taken hold, with a spate of nearly 30 firebomb attacks in four years in the otherwise tranquil village.
Arsonists have blown up popular restaurants and luxury cars across the quiet neighbourhood, and thrown petrol bombs at homes.
But while police are still investigating the cause of the attacks, locals are convinced they are all interlinked and the culprits are gangs in nearby Glasgow.
The two most recent properties to be firebombed were the Nel & Co deli on the high street and The Cut steakhouse further down the road – both owned by the same family with links to a retired-gangster.
When the Daily Mail visited the quaint village in Lanarkshire this week, locals said it is common knowledge that wealthy criminals move in to the area ‘after they make their money’.
One local, who said they did not wish to be named for fear of being targeted, said: ‘It’s local gangsters, tit for tat attacks. It’s basically a mini gang war that is waging.’
Pictured: A Bentley driving past burnt out eatery Nel & Co in the affluent village of Bothwell. The cafe was firebombed in October
The wealthy conservation area village is known for its mansions and villas, popular with footballers and businessmen. One footballer sold his mansion after his neighbour’s home was repeatedly firebombed, both pictured above
The Main Street, where two restaurants have been attacked, boasts a lovely church, local pub and high-end boutiques
Nel & Co eatery was firebombed on October 22 this year, and sits besides San Vincenzo, which was shut down in its derelict state in 2022 after being subject to firebombing three times.
The Cut, a plush restaurant nearby owned by the family of former gangster Hugh ‘Shug’ O’Donnell, was gutted by an arson attack in September.
His family restaurant, Da Luciano, was also destroyed by petrol bombs twice in 2023, leaving the popular Italian spot up in flames.
O’Donnell, 67, was jailed for six months in 2006 for running a brothel in the west end of Glasgow.
Despite consistent attacks, the former brothel owner who was also the target of a motor firebomb attack in 2020 at the luxury Gleneagles Hotel in Perth and Kinross, says he left his criminal life behind and does not know who is behind the attacks.
But those living in the affluent neighbourhood say it is all linked to feuds between gangs.
One local told the Mail: ‘It’s a sunny place full of shady people.
‘It’s been happening for years now. It’s local gangsters.
‘Police know who they are but they’re unable to do anything because people are too scared to speak.
‘The number one thug in the area has put it out that if you see or hear anything forget about it or get a hole through your head.
‘Friends of mine have been threatened by his people.
‘Omerta applies to these guys. See nothing, hear nothing.
‘It’s all linked to the same people.
‘San Vincenzo took three attempts to bomb. It’s quite terrifying for some local people, these gangster have all got guns.
‘I walked past Da Lucianos before it was burnt down and I saw bullet holes in the window and I asked one of the guys. They said a guy came on a Saturday night while people were around and got off the bike and fired several shots.
Pictured: Nel & Co which was attacked just two months ago. To its right is San Vincenzo, an Italian restaurant which was firebombed three times and has remained derelict since 2022
Inside San Vincenzo, which has been abandoned in its state as locals describe it as an ‘eyesore’. Locals are convinced the attacks are all linked and connected with organised crime groups
The Cut was also badly damaged by a petrol bomb in September and has remained shut since
Bothwell boasts some of the most exclusive streets in Scotland. Pictured: Mansions on the village’s St Andrews Avenue and Mill Road
‘There is a degree of animosity between them as well, it’s all about who’s the big guy.
‘Everybody feels a bit hopeless about it. If the police are clearly not acting to do anything, everyone feels like what’s the point.
‘There’s a big drug dealer who lives next door to me. I’m concerned that someone could get sent down to firebomb his house and accidentally attack mine.’
San Vincenzo was the subject of repeated attacks after it opened in 2018, twice being ram-raided by a car and petrol bombed three times.
The restaurant was forced out of business in 2022, with owner Vincent Marini posting on Facebook ‘sadly, they won’.
Mr Marini said at the time that he was receiving threats because he stood up to gangsters by running his business, and blamed the attacks on a ‘major Scottish crime family’. There is no indication that Mr Marini himself or his family were involved in any gang activity.
Former Celtics star Leigh Griffiths sold his Bothwell mansion in 2023 after his neighbour, businesswoman and rail tycoon’s daughter Jennifer McLeish had her cars and home repeatedly set on fire. There is no suggestion Ms McLeish or her family were themselves involved with any gangs.
Speaking of the attacks, another local, who did not want to be named for fear of ‘the same thing happening’, said: ‘It feels like you wake up and there’s another one everyday.
‘They say it’s related to drugs and drugs gangs and the places not paying money back.
‘I don’t understand why police aren’t doing anything, they must know who it is.
‘I don’t know whether police don’t know or if they are scared.
‘Every time you go up the street something has happened. It is terrible.
‘There’s an obvious connection between all the places, some of them have the same owners.
‘It’s a lovely place, Bothwell. But everybody is in the dark about this.’
San Vincenzo had been ram-raided twice and set on fire three times since its opening in 2018. The owner, who blamed gangsters for the attack, wrote on Facebook ‘sadly, they have won’ as he shut the restaurant down permanently in 2022
The inside of the burnt down San Vincenzo restaurant shows extensive fire damage
Some of the most exclusive addresses in the village such as Countess Gate overlook the famous Bothwell Castle
The high street is lined with boutiques and independent retailers. Locals say there is a ‘mini gangland war’ in the quiet village
A Freedom of Information request by the Daily Record found there had been 27 firebomb attacks between 2021 and October this year.
O’Donnell told the publication he was mystified by the attacks on the restaurants run by his wife and daughter, adding: ‘I can categorically tell you that I don’t know who is behind this and I cannot think of any grudge that would have led to such damage being inflicted.
‘It is fair to say that I may have had certain associations 20 years ago but my life is very different now. I’m a pensioner and I’m very interested in a quiet life.’
O’Donnell had links to the Seventh Heaven lap dancing club in Glasgow’s Charing Cross area.
Another local, walking their dog along the leafy high street, said: ‘It’s clearly personal and we’ve heard its to do with gangs.
‘Somebody is clearly targeting the restaurant. It’s a shame because it was a good cafe, Nel & Co.
‘There’s a thing going round that people are being told not to open restaurants in Bothwell.
‘It’s a shame because I’ve only been here seven years and it’s a lovely village.
‘The restaurants were all lovely, we actually had The Cut booked for our wee Xmas dinner.
‘It’s all to do with these gangs.
‘There are gang-affiliated people living here definitely.
‘They get their money from wherever they get it from and then they come to these areas and clean it. You come here after you’ve got the money.
The quaint area is decorated with knitted Christmas decorations organised by a local group from Keep Scotland Beautiful
Locals said it was known that gangsters lived among them in mansions and villas as it is where they move to ‘once they’ve made their money’
‘They have to get rid of the big money, ey?
‘It’s definitely known that there are gangsters living within the bigger mansions and villas, dotted about.
‘It doesn’t worry me because we’re in one of the smaller houses, it’s not like they’re targeting ordinary people. If I were in one of the big mansions, I’d be more worried.’
Another said: ‘It’s a disgrace that nothing is being done about it.
‘We feel that the police are being a bit shy about investigating it, it’s been going on for many years.
‘That place has been derelict for at least five years. This one belongs to the daughter of the local gangster. Of course it’s all gang-related.
‘He says he’s retired from gangsterism, but he must know who’s done it, people don’t do that for nothing.
‘They don’t do three properties for nothing. They wouldn’t attack this one [Nel & Co], The Cut and Da Lucianos for no reason.’
When the Mail visited the small village, most businesses were reluctant to speak in fear of retribution.
One local business owner said: ‘Not a chance, nobody will speak to you.’
Angelina Franchitti, director at Property Angels which sits opposite the road from Nel & Co, said: ‘It has always been a very affluent area, I brought my kids up here and it’s a safe environment, you never have to worry about anything.
Police say they are investigating the spate of firebombings across the small conservation area
The historic area is a gold medal winner of Beautiful Scotland and is filled with independent cafes and eateries
‘But I do definitely think about it a wee bit more now.
‘I wouldn’t say the attacks have been random, there’s always been connections between the places.
‘They tend to be businesses owned by the same people.
‘But people in the village wouldn’t know that, they would think it’s the villlage being attacked as opposed to specific individuals.
‘But it is clearly targeted but don’t know why. So I don’t feel threatened or anymore nervous about my business, because I don’t think it’s somebody randomly targeting businesses in Bothwell.
‘From my perspective its just not nice as a village.
‘It is a village renowned for being pretty and friendly, and now it’s like a scene from the Gaza Strip, it’s not nice.
‘Bothwell is an affluent area and it has a lot of affluent people living here so it can attract people with problems over things like money.
‘Most people here are in high power jobs or businesses, so it is a more condensed area where there’s likely to be an issue involving money.
‘So this issue is probably relative to the types of people living here because of the businesses here.’
Police say they are following a number of lines of enquiry but have no evidence it is linked to Operation Portaledge, a gangland war that is erupting across Glasgow and Edinburgh.
