Gangs blamed as street near Stepps turns into '˜war zone'

Witnesses reported a towering fire, and one boy was seen “covered in blood” on Frankfield Road, in the Cardowan area near Stepps on Sunday afternoon. Two vans were also burnt out in the street.

Scottish Ambulance Service confirmed “several patients” had been transported to hospital.

A police spokesman said he thought the disorder was “more likely to be rival gangs fighting” than anything related to terrorism.

It is understood the incident was the result of an altercation between groups of males.

One passer-by posted a picture on social media of a road gridlocked by emergency vehicles, adding that it was “like a war zone”.

Local resident Frank Kerr, 59, a banksman slinger, also saw the aftermath and said: “I saw a boy sitting in a paramedic’s van. He was covered in blood, but I didn’t see what happened to him.

“It’s very rare for this neck of the woods.

“There was a fire at the end of the street, and I heard tyres blowing up. There were police, fire brigade, ambulances, tow trucks, you name it, everything was here.”

He said he couldn’t confirm speculation on social media that people had been stabbed or shot during the incident. “I didn’t hear any gunshots, just tyres blowing up with the heat,” he added.

An eyewitness, who did not wish to be named, said he saw two vans on fire with flames “as high as a house”. He said: “I was washing my car and I saw high flames and smoke, then the fire brigade came.”

Police said inquiries were still at an early stage and they could not comment on the nature or the cause of the victims’ injuries.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: “We got called out to a van on fire. The incident has been handed over to the police.”