A MUSSELBURGH police chief has assured residents that his officers were “doing their job” following criticism of a lack of a visible police presence during recent incidents of alleged fireraising.

At a meeting of Musselburgh and Inveresk Community Council, group chairman Irene Tait said local people felt “isolated and frightened” following a spate of fires in the Fisherrow and The Promenade areas earlier this month, which damaged a flat, two boats and several vehicles.

“I was involved with some of the tenants locally who were very perturbed and upset about it,” added Irene.

“I think mainly they were frightened that these incidents were going on and on.

“Local people felt isolated and didn’t see much police presence. To people on the street it seemed nobody was there until they made a 999 call. It worried them that the incidents were so near the houses. It was a three-week period of frightened people.

“It would be nice if they had seen uniformed officers walking about, it would have made them feel safer.

“Just for the future, it does make people feel better if they see police officers. It would have alleviated all the worry these people had.”

Police said they had assigned additional patrols to the area but many were plain-clothed officers. A 28-year-old man was later charged with wilful fireraising to danger of life.

Inspector Andrew Harborow of Police Scotland said at the community council meeting: “You have got every right to be absolutely concerned, I understand that. You have to have faith absolutely from the very start of these incidents – we have had an intense effort.

“We have to make very considered decisions about how best to take it forward. I could blanket this area with uniformed officers and put a uniformed officer on every corner but we also have to try and catch the person.

“So there was quite a lot of police attention in your area but a sizeable amount of it was investigators and officers in plain clothes.

“I wish I could articulate more of the detail to you. Maybe in due course I will be in a position to. Uniformed officers were there but they were complemented by other officers. Be assured we were in there. It is that presence that has solved this matter.”

Ward councillor Stuart Currie said: “I was pleasantly surprised at the timescales over which somebody was arrested. I thought it was quicker than I anticipated. There are other places where it goes on for months and months. Ultimately you need the public to phone in and say that they’ve seen something.”

He agreed it was “frightening” for residents in flats, adding: “If somebody torches a flat and you are in a stair, how do you get out?”

Inspector Harborow told community councillors: “Every day I read all the jobs in my part of East Lothian – Musselburgh, Tranent and Prestonpans.

“I am looking for patterns like this one, youth calls and descriptions. We have got analytical resources doing that. With lots of different eyes we are trying to pick up the pattern. We had picked up and were addressing this pattern. Clearly it spiked on two weekends.”

And he added: “Tell members of the public that you speak to that we are doing our job”.

Residents attended an open surgery held by ward councillor John McNeil last Thursday evening at The Brunton, when East Lothian Council officials took part in an effort to reassure people about the issue.

They called for more security in the area, claiming not enough was being done to protect people’s homes and property.

One resident said council officials claimed to have spent £18,000 on improving lighting and partial CCTV in the area but were told it was not enough. He said: “There was over £100,000 damage done in one night, not to mention the cost of the emergency services which could have been used elsewhere.”