Prison officer's car firebombed outside jail

The Scottish Prison Service confirmed an incident took place within the car park of HMP Edinburgh on 7 September

A prison officer's car has been firebombed outside HMP Edinburgh, the latest in a series of similar incidents.

Phil Fairlie, of the Scottish Prison Officers Association, told BBC News he believes the attacks have been carried out by organised criminal gangs.

Last week's incident follows similar fires outside HMP Addiewell and HMP Perth.

So far there have been no prosecutions in relation to the attacks.

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Mr Fairlie said there was nothing to link the incidents other than that they are each thought to have been carried out by criminal gangs in an effort to intimidate and threaten prison staff.

"The level of threat and intimidation that staff are facing is the worst I think I've seen in the 30 odd years I've been involved in prisons," he told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland radio programme.

"We've had another staff car targeted recently at Edinburgh prison car park, with petrol thrown over it and set on fire. It's probably the seventh or eighth example we've had across the estate in the last couple of years."

Mr Fairlie said prison staff may be targeted if they intercept or disrupt the gangs criminal activity or if they just fall out with them inside the prison.

"You get lots of threats working within prisons, you know them well enough to know how much weight and credence to give them," he said.

"I think with the organised crime gangs we are dealing with at the moment - staff know that some of those threats carry genuine risk."

Police Scotland launched an investigation after this car was firebombed outside HMP Perth

Police Scotland has launched an investigation after a car was set on fire outside HMP Perth on 6 July.

And six vehicles were also destroyed at HMP Addiewell in January this year.

The attacks are thought to be on the rise as more criminal gang members are being imprisoned, and Scotland is heading towards a record number of people in custody.

In her annual report the chief inspector for Scottish prisons warned the number of inmates are likely to go above 8,000 in the coming year.

It has led to concerns that prisons will become more overcrowded and there will not be enough staff to cope.

Mr Fairlie said that the fire bombings may have played a role in recruitment issues.

"We couldn't pinpoint that or say for certain but the turnover in the prison service is bigger than it used to be. We didn't have as many people leave as quick as they are at the moment," he said.

"I don't know if some of that is whether we're getting recruitment wrong or whether they're coming in and the levels of intimidation and the kind of environment they are working in aren't what they expected to find and they're leaving."

A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: "We can confirm that an incident took place within the car park of HMP Edinburgh at around 11:40, on Thursday, 7 September.

"Scottish Fire and Rescue were called and no injuries were sustained.

"Incidents of alleged criminality are reported to Police Scotland."