Rival ice-cream van drivers sparked 'real-life Narcos' war and mass murder of six

dailystar.co.uk:

heroin ended in a blood bath which saw almost an entire family killed. Back in the 1980s, against a backdrop of mass unemployment, unrest and poverty, the huge housing estates on the east end of Glasgow suddenly represented a cash-making opportunity for those willing to sell cut-price everyday goods along with their lollies and 99s.But it wasn't long before toilet paper, bread and milk weren't enough, so drivers also started flogging illegal items such as bootleg cigarettes, drugs and weapons.As a result turf wars quickly broke out, with opposing factions all seeking to take over the most profitable routes, reports The Daily Record.Baseball bats, knives, guns and axes were used by gangs to defend their territory as petty vandalism turned into all-out conflict.Andrew Doyle, nicknamed Fat Boy, was an 18-year-old driver for the Marchetti Brothers ice-cream firm and had resisted numerous intimidation attempts from those wanting to take over his route and force him into selling drugs – attempts which even saw him shot at through his windscreen.In April 1984, it was decided Doyle needed another "frightener" to get him to play ball.

So in the early hours of April 16 someone drenched the front door of his family home in with petrol and set it alight.Three people were wiped out that night; Anthony Doyle and Christine Halleron were dead when firefighters arrived, while her 18-month-old baby Mark would die in hospital hours later.

Another three, Andrew Doyle, his brother James and their dad (also called James) would also succumb to their injuries over the next several days.The six deaths shocked Scotland and threw into focus the violent gang wars plaguing the city, earning Strathclyde Police the nickname 'Serious Chimes Squad' for.