Two men jailed for the so-called ice-cream war killings in Glasgow have lost an appeal against their convictions and immediately returned to prison.

Andrew Cassell reports from Edinburgh (2' 07")

Thomas Campbell and Joseph Steele denied starting a fire 13 years ago that killed six members of the same family, including an 18-month-old baby.

The pair maintained their convictions were a miscarriage of justice and were confident they would be quashed in the light of new evidence.

Last year they were both freed on temporary bail pending a new appeal.

Joseph Steele during an earlier protest

The fresh evidence included a statement made by a prosecution witness who claimed he had lied in the original trial.

Lord Cullen, sitting with Lords McCluskey and Sutherland at the High Court in Edinburgh, ruled that there was no need for the fresh evidence to be heard and rejected the appeal.

Police reinforcements called

There were dramatic scenes outside the court as around 30 family and friends of the two men gathered and shouted abuse at police officers.

The BBC's Martha Fairlie describes Tuesday's events and the background to the case (1'22")

Extra reinforcements were called in to keep the crowd under control as they waited for Steele and Campbell to be brought out and led to a waiting prison van.

This was the second appeal that the two men had attempted.

The so-called ice-cream war was a violent dispute between rival mobile shop operators in the east end of Glasgow that lasted for several years.
 

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