Ex-gangland figure Hugh “Shug” O’Donnell claims he is unaware of any grudge or vendetta against him despite fire attacks wrecking three restaurants in a sleepy village linked to him
An affluent village has become Britain’s ‘firebomb capital’ with nearly 30 petrol bomb attacks – after it was infiltrated by criminal gangs. Bothwell was once popular with celebrities, footballers and business leaders.
But the “historic” leafy Lanarkshire village in Scotland has been rocked by a boom in violence. Three restaurants connected to ex-gangster Hugh ‘Shug’ O’Donnell have been seriously damaged in targeted blazes in recent years.
The series of arson attacks has hit restaurants, homes and cars since 2021, thought to have been ordered organised crime bosses. And figures from Police Scotland under Freedom of Information show there have been 27 attacks between 2021 and October this year.
The most recent was at the Nel & Co eatery on Bothwell’s Main Street which was destroyed by a blaze on October 22. The Cut steak restaurant was severely damaged by another suspected petrol bomb weeks before.
Two years ago the village’s Da Luciano restaurant also on Main Street was destroyed by a firebomb. The former San Vincenzo restaurant is still empty after being firebombed three times and ram-raided twice.
Locals have become increasingly concerned over the attacks. Many are unsure why the businesses are being targeted and scared of the impact on the town at large.
One local woman, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of backlash, said: “It’s terrible – it’s ruining the village. Nobody is doing anything about it.”
Another local man described witnessing fire services and road closures at the Cut Steakhouse following the blaze. He said: “Bothwell was a good place, quiet. The shops aren’t getting touched, it’s just the eateries. You don’t see this happening in Uddingston – just here for some reason.”
Another local man added: “It’s bad for the community. I’ve been here years and it’s the first time I’ve seen anything like this happen. I don’t know why it’s happening.”
Graeme Pearson, former Director General of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, says crime groups use firebombings as a weapon of terror. But he said to have such a large number in a small and affluent place was ”highly unusual”.
He added: “I would expect there would be a very substantial local involvement in those crimes. They are always very difficult situations to investigate because there will be very few people know the background that connects all these matters.”
The 27 fire attacks include 16 on private property including cars and nine on commercial properties including restaurants. Four restaurants have been burned to the ground since 2019, three of which are connected to underworld figure O’Donnell, 68.
The businessman, who was jailed in 2006 for six months for running a brothel out of £250,000 Parkgrove House in Glasgow’s west end, claims he cannot work out who or why the businesses – run by his wife Marion and daughters – have been targeted.
The most recent attack on Main Street saw his bistro Nel & Co firebombed shortly after midnight on October 22. It came just over a month after Cut steakhouse, also on Main Street, was gutted in a blaze attack.
Up until recently, the restaurant’s sole director was listed as O’Donnell’s family member who has since resigned.
Another Bothwell eatery linked to him, DaLuciano, was burned to the ground after multiple blaze attacks in 2023 which destroyed the roof and forced it to be demolished.
In 2020, O’Donnell was the target of a motor firebomb attack at luxury Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Perth and Kinross. He was on an annual break with relatives when three of the group’s flash cars were torched.
In October, he told the Daily Record: “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.”
After the most recent firebomb attack, Chief Inspector Sarah McArthur said: “We understand these incidents in Bothwell may be worrying for the local community, but I want to offer reassurance that we believe these fires were targeted and there is no wider risk to the public.”
Bothwell councillor Kenny McCreary said: “This gets raised all the time by residents at every single community council meeting. They are always telling our local police officers how much of a worry this is. This isn’t just a bit of vandalism, these incidents are serious.
“It is a real concern for everyone, not just for the safety of the community but we now also have all these derelict buildings right in the town centre.”
Uddingston and Bothwell MSP Stephanie Callaghan said: “The fire attacks in Bothwell go far beyond property damage. These criminal acts devastate the local community and harm local businesses, many of which are family-run and central to the community.
“The recent incidents have shaken the sense of safety and security that residents in Bothwell deserve. It is essential that Bothwell, along with its residents and business owners remains a safe, secure, and thriving community.”
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