Firefighters clamber over fence to extinguish blaze

Jul 1 2009 by Judith Tonner, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

AN astroturf football pitch at St Andrew’s High School was extensively damaged by fire on Sunday evening.

Firefighters from Coatbridge and Bellshill raced to tackle the blaze – but were unable to gain access and ended up having to clamber over fences to reach the scene.

Workmen were visiting the site yesterday (Tuesday) to assess the damage, including the cost of sourcing a new artificial pitch and the likely length of time for which it will be out of commission.

Neighbours say the incident, which fire crews believe was caused by ‘dropped lights’ such as a cigarette or lighter, adds to a catalogue of anti-social behaviour in the area.

Mary McBride, whose home in St Martin’s Gate overlooks the damaged pitch, watched in horror as the fire broke out at 6pm and emergency services were hampered in their attempts to reach it.

She said: “It started just behind the goalposts and was running along towards our houses – and since the pitch is astroturf and is rubber underneath, the place was black with smoke.

“The fire went on and on but the emergency services couldn’t get into the park because there’s no vehicle access.

“In the end, they had to come round the back of some neighbouring buildings and climb fences, carrying their hoses and all their equipment, to put the fire out – I’ve never seen anything like it.

“There’s a wooden fence between the pitch and these houses and if the wind had been blowing in this direction it would have spread here, but fortunately for us it was blowing the other way.

“It’s a disgrace that there’s no access for fire engines or ambulances to the football grounds; I was even told that vehicle access isn’t allowed in case it damages the turf.

“We’ve complained before about problems like people drinking and urinating at these parks, but it seems that there’s no security and things are now getting beyond a joke.”

Among the affected sports pitch users are Albion Rovers, who were left desperately searching for new training facilities just days before kicking off their pre-season programme.

The Coatbridge side have a 10-month block booking at St Andrew’s, which is also used by Third Division champions Dumbarton.

Rovers even had to move a friendly against amateur outfit Victoria Park, scheduled for last night (Tuesday) at St Andrew’s, to a new venue in Glasgow.

Cliftonhill manager Paul Martin said: “This is terrible news for us as we had the facility booked from Monday right through until the end of the season.

“We are now trying to find somewhere for the whole of July and perhaps even longer – it’s frustrating and has caused us a real headache.”

Balfour Beatty are responsible for the upkeep of the pitches and their security and access, including emergency vehicle arrangements.

However, a spokeswoman would only say: “The matter is currently under investigation so we are unable to comment further at this time.

“The health and safety of the public and its workforce is always Balfour Beatty’s prime concern.”

North Lanarkshire Council is responsible only for the school building, but infrastructure and development manager Ian Murdoch added: “It’s extremely disappointing that the sports pitch has been damaged in this way.

“We would encourage anyone with any information to contact their local police office, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”