Inside the horror story of Britain's Ice Cream Wars: How six people including a mum and her 18-month-old baby were murdered in a fire attack over ice cream van routes in Glasgow as the killers remain at large 40 years on
From squirting raspberry sauce on rival van's windscreens to carrying out mass murder, the Glasgow ice cream wars still remain today one of Britain's most notorious turf wars.
Following a housing boom in the 1980s in the East End of Glasgow, ice cream vans were used to sell popular household items to families who were not near to supermarkets.
But, criminal gangs soon learned that they could take advantage of this by selling illegal items, such as drugs and stolen goods, without attracting attention from the police.
What transpired was a viscous feud between rival criminal organisations - that saw a mother and her 18-month-old baby murdered - all over van routes as gangsters became protective over their patches.
An early example of a rival trying to gain an edge over their opponent included squirting sticky raspberry liquid on to somebody's windscreen to force them to pull over and clean it.
Andrew Doyle (middle) pictured with Daniel Doyle (right) and a fireman holding a baby after the fire-bomb attack in 1984
Andrew Doyle was a driver for the Marchetti Brothers, pictured one of their vans, but he refused to be intimidated into selling drugs
His family home in Ruchazie, Glasgow, was then set alight, killing six of the nine people inside
Andrew Doyle is helped out of the inferno which killed six by firemen
The victims of the fire bomb attack. From top left to bottom right, Christine Halleron, Jim Doyle, Andrew Doyle, Anthony Doyle, Mark Halleron and Jim Doyle Snr
The notorious Glasgow ice cream wars shocked the nation for decades with its violence
However, this soon transpired into physical violence, arson and eventually mass murder.
Following numerous fights and bricks being thrown through people's windows, the violence culminated in the murder of six members of the Doyle family, including a mother and her 18-month-old baby.
After Andrew Doyle, who was an ice cream driver for the Marchetti brothers, refused to be intimidated into selling drugs, his family home at the Ruchazie housing estate was set alight on April 16, 1984.
Six of the nine people inside died, including James Doyle, 53, his daughter Christina Halleron, 25, and her baby son. Three of Mr Doyle's children were also killed.
Stella McGuire, who was 12 at the time, phoned 999 at the time of the fire after hearing the Doyle family's screams and described feeling 'shell shocked' and 'helpless', The Sun reports.
She said in a documentary: 'I opened the window and I shouted, "What's wrong?" and they shouted "Fire!".
'I went running to the living room and I phoned the fire brigade. I went back into the bedroom and I woke my younger sister up.
'Probably now I regret waking her up to see what she saw but I didn't... I think I felt afraid at the time.'
Police linked the attack to the criminal gangs in the ice cream wars, but still to this day it remains a huge miscarriage of justice with those responsible for the fire still at large 40 years later.
Several arrests were made and six people charged and convicted for gang-related offences, but two innocent men were convicted of murdering the Doyle family and spent two decades behind bars.
Joe Steele (left) and Thomas 'TC' Campbell (right) were found guilty of the murders and spent 20 years in prison
In 2004, both Steele (pictured) and Campbell's convictions were overturned after 20 years of campaigning
Campbell (pictured) - who passed away in 2019 - was awarded £1.2million over the miscarriage of justice
Joe Steele and Thomas 'TC' Campbell were found guilty of the murders after a witness claimed he heard them discussing the fire.
Campbell also said that he was 'fitted up' and told to testify in exchange for staying out of jail, the Daily Record reports.
This earned the Strathclyde Police the nickname of 'Serious Chimes Squad' for their failures.
In 2004, both men's convictions were overturned after 20 years of campaigning and it is still not yet known who set fire to the Doyle home.
Campbell - who passed away in 2019 - was awarded £1.2million over the miscarriage of justice.
Steele said that he knew the person who killed the Doyles - but would never tell.
It is thought that both Tam 'The Licensee' McGraw, a major crimelord and player in the ice cream trade, was involved in the killings.
