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Man slashed by masked gang outside home as feud escalates

BBC Police tape outside a suburban home with a paved driveway. A police car is parked on the corner and a forensics officers kneels examining a patch of ground.BBC
Forensic officers carried out inquiries outside the home on Pitcairn Grove

A man has been attacked by a masked gang outside a house in Edinburgh, in the latest hit in an escalating gangland feud.

Four or five men emerged from a grey Land Rover Discovery and slashed the 54-year-old victim on Pitcairn Grove, at about 21:20 on Thursday.

It is the third incident at the property after the front door was deliberately set on fire last month and two vehicles were torched on 8 May.

Police said the attempted murder was linked to a series of assaults, shootings and firebombings across Glasgow and Edinburgh since March.

More than 30 arrests have been made in total, including three men charged with fire-raising at a property near the latest gangland hit in Pitcairn Grove on 8 May.

Following the slashing attack, the 54-year-old man was taken was taken to hospital and remains there but police have not provided any details about his condition.

BBC Scotland News understands a bladed weapon was involved in the attack and newspaper reports have suggested it was a machete.

Officers have established that the Land Rover travelled east along the M8, possibly at speed or "erratically".

Any drivers who were on the motorway around the time of the attack have been urged to contact the force's non-emergency line.

A charred front door at Pitcairn Grove
The front door of the property on Pitcairn Grove was set on fire last month

Police said the suspects were all wearing balaclavas and dressed in dark clothing.

Det Supt Paul Grainger said: "This has been a targeted attack and we are continuing our inquiries to identify those responsible.

"I would appeal to any motorists with dash cams to check their footage as the images could be significant to our investigation."

Anyone with information can also contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

A number of violent incidents have been linked to the feud, including an attack at a garage in East Kilbride this week.

Three men wearing dark clothes and face coverings are believed to have assaulted another two men in the town's Wilson Place on Monday afternoon.

A blue Audi, found on fire later that evening, was likely used during the assault.

Meanwhile, four more men have been arrested in connection with fire-raising at properties in Edinburgh and Lanarkshire.

The men, three aged 18 and one aged 31, are expected to appear in court on Monday in connection with the fire-raising in Pitcairn Grove in Edinburgh on 8 May.

They were arrested after warrants were issued at properties in Edinburgh, Whitburn and Bathgate.

One of the 18-year-olds and the 31-year-old man have also been arrested and charged in connection with fire-raising at a business premises on Cumbernauld Road in Stepps on the same date.