TERRIFYING photos show how an elderly couple were allegedly beaten up and set on fire by a gang in a ruthless attack.
Martha and George Stewart were visiting their daughter at Longman Caravan Park in Inverness on Sunday when a group of six men surrounded their vehicle.
After using another car to put the grandparents car in the ditch, the thugs poured petrol over it and set it alight – while the Scots couple were still inside.
George, 67, and Martha, 61, were engulfed with flames but luckily a family member spotted the couple and managed to get them out.
Photos uploaded publicly by a family member show the horrific burns her grandparents from Elgin, Moray suffered at the caravan park.
They show large blisters across the whole of George’s back and the 20 per cent burns to his back, face and shoulders.
They also show Martha lying in her bed with a bandage over her head where she supposedly had nine stitches across her head.
A family member posted the photos to Facebook and wrote a lengthy post.
“This is what the scumbags have done to my Granda and Granny.”
“Poured petrol over the top of them and rammed their car and set them alight also attacked my Granda a 70-year-old man and 60-odd-year-old woman, who was lying unconscious in the back of a flaming car, scumbags.
“World needs to see what these lowlife scumbags are like.”
People on social media rushed to offer the family support.
Shantelle Johnstone said: “That’s made me feel sick your poor granny and grandad god love them, what a sick evil thing to do.”
Nanny McPhee said: “Omg can’t believe this really hope they get jailed for that.”
Philomena Joyce wrote: “Omg how could people do that to them, hope they rot sick individuals.
George Courtney Stewart said: “Got no words, scum.”
Diana Reid commented: “Dirty, dirty rats.”
Speaking today (tue) , George and Martha’s granddaughter said the family have been left “shocked and traumatised.”
She said: “I just don’t understand how people could be so cruel.
“It’s like being in a horror film, just completely knocked my family apart.”
“My Granny and Grandpa are such a happy going couple and well-known throughout the travelling community. The whole travelling community are disgusted.
She also confirmed that her grandparents had tried to break up a fight that her father had been involved in.
She added: “They were going after people (George and Martha) who weren’t even involved.
“It’s a family feud that’s been going on for too long, but it’s never been this bad.”
Police confirmed they were made aware of the incident last Sunday and that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were in attendance to extinguish a vehicle which had been found alight on site.
Police in Inverness were made aware of a disturbance in the Longman Caravan Park area of the city shortly after 10.30am on Sunday, August 19.
Detective Inspector Eddie Ross said: “Our enquiries into this incident are ongoing and officers are currently following a positive line of enquiry.
“Our initial enquiries suggest that this was a contained incident and there was no wider risk to the public.
“I would urge anyone who has information but has not yet spoken to the police to call us on 101, quoting incident NN9222/18. You can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 to pass information anonymously.”
