The ice cream wars, a family slain and THE SHADOW OF THE LICENSEE

The real story behind the torching of flat and deaths of six trapped victims.. and who was behind it all

- BY JOHN DINGWALL

IN the 1980s, Scotland's crime scene was marked by audacious attacks, with the shootings and car bombings of rival gangsters a constant threat.

But the most shocking was an arson attack in which a family of six perished in their own home.

Glasgow street photographer Brian Anderson lived in the same area - and the tragedy was the beginning of his lifelong involvement in documenting the city's underworld.

On April 16, 1984, the front door of a flat on Bankhead Street, Ruchazie, had been doused with petrol and set alight.

James Doyle, 53, sons James Jnr, 23, Andrew, 18, Anthony, 14, and daughter Christina Halleron, 25, plus her 18-month-old son, Mark, all perished.

The attack had come at the height of a petty turf war which became known as the Ice Cream Wars'.

As the police investigated, outlandish claims were made including that ice cream vans had been a front for drug, dealing and stolen goods.

Public outrage followed, and Strathclyde Police, who were derided as the "Serious Chimes Squad" for botching the case, arrested several suspects.

Thomas "TC" Campbell, who died aged 66 in 2019, and Joe Steele, 62, were, tried for the murders and convicted.