A Ross-shire woman says her livelihood has been destroyed after her roadside catering trailer burned to the ground early yesterday morning.
Karen Young, from Dingwall, set up her business a year and a half ago in a lay-by just north of the Cromarty Bridge, and had established a strong client base of lorry drivers and locals.
But the 47-year-old’s insurance company has refused to pay out for damage because the trailer was kept in the lay-by overnight, and deemed insecure compared to a home driveway.
And the single mum needs to raise £2,000 to pay her 23-year-old daughter Olivia’s university tuition fees for a Masters business degree which starts next month.
Two fire appliances from Dingwall were called to the fire at 4.43am yesterday and crews extinguished the flames within 35 minutes. No one was injured.
Police are treating the fire as unexplained and are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time for information.
Ms Young said that a firefighter or passing motorist could have been killed if a cannister containing 19kg of gas, connected to the trailer, had exploded.
Ms Young, a chef by trade who paid £2,000 for the catering trailer, added: “I built it up from nothing and everything was locally sourced and I had a really good client base. I am just gobsmacked by what’s happened. I feel like someone has destroyed everything.
“I just want to catch these people. There’s no way it could have been anything other than deliberate. The gas was off and someone has crow-barred the door. They are lucky it did not kill anyone.”
The incident comes after the opening of a new Harry Gow bakery, just north of the Kessock Bridge, was delayed due to a fire last month. A joint police and fire service investigation was launched but no cause has been identified.
Yesterday Ms Young, whose name and number are on the trailer, said she received a phone call from a passing motorist just before midday on Sunday alerting her to two “suspicious males” in the lay-by.
Ms Young arrived at the catering trailer 30 minutes after the call but found nothing untoward, returning at 3.30pm to prepare for Monday’s service before locking up. Her catering business served hot breakfasts and burgers using meat from local butcher Munro’s of Dingwall, and opened five days a week.
Anyone with information should contact police in Alness on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
