A man has been charged on suspicion of arson after fires were set at a Sikh temple and a Methodist church in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Fire services were called to the Guru Nanak Gurdwara at 5 am on Sheriff Brae in the Edinburgh port district of Leith on Tuesday, according to Edinburgh Evening News.
The temple (above, left) is housed in a former church and serves a local Sikh community of some 500. There was smoke damage caused to the building, but no one was injured in the fire.
Two hours later, emergency responders arrived at a second suspicious fire at The City of Edinburgh Methodist Church (above, right), 2.5 miles away from the gurdwara.
Edinburgh Police confirmed that an unnamed 49-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with both blazes. He will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday.
“A man has now been charged following the suspicious fire at the Sikh Temple in Sheriff Brae, Edinburgh,” a Police Scotland spokesman said.
“The 49-year-old is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday 30th August, where he will also appear in relation to a second fire at the Methodist Church in Junction Place which also happened in the early hours of Tuesday 28th August.”
The petrol bomb attack against the Sikh temple was condemned by the Church of Scotland earlier this week, with the Right Rev Susan Brown, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, saying Tuesday: “How sad that a place of worship should be the target of such a hateful act.
“I am glad no one was injured and extend sympathy to the Sikh community in Edinburgh.
“We recognise the actions of a small minority do not reflect the good relations that exist with your local community.
“There is no room in Scotland for intolerance.”
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