A man will appear in court today following an alleged sex attack on a woman in Canonmills.
Police confirmed a suspect aged 35 is being held in connection with the attempted rape of a 21-year-old woman near Smithies pub in Eyre Place.
He is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today.
The victim was said to have been subjected to a serious sexual assault at about 4am on 8 October.
3,800 copies of learning resource to be distributed across Scotland
Scottish Ambulance Service clinicians are set to benefit from a new learning resource on dementia designed and developed by NHS Education for Scotland and the Service itself.
It is essential that ambulance clinicians are able to recognise when a person may have dementia, and that they are are confident of their ability to provide appropriate support, care and treatment. The bespoke resource will help ambulance clinicians to give informed, high quality and person-centred support to people with dementia, their families and carers.
Ambulance clinicians will frequently come into contact with people with dementia, their families and carers as well as people with early signs of dementia who have not had a diagnosis. While recognising the often immediate and time limited nature of their contact, this will have an influence on the impact of the whole care experience for the person with dementia, their families and carers.
Pauline Howie, Chief Executive, Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “This new learning resource is an invaluable clinical support tool that will be issued to every one of our frontline emergency staff, as well as our Patient Transport Service teams.
“People with dementia often face many complex challenges and issues and this initiative, which is enhanced by a number of specially trained ‘Dementia Champions’ within the Service, will help our teams to provide the most appropriate care and treatment for people with dementia and their families and carers.”
Malcolm Wright, NHS Education for Scotland Chief Executive added: “We are delighted to have developed this important resource in partnership with the Scottish Ambulance service. NHS Education for Scotland is committed to providing educational resources and training opportunities for the entire health workforce to support rights-based, and person-centred approaches to the care, support and treatment of people with dementia and their families and carers. This new, targeted resource is a valuable addition to our suite of resources developed as a part of the ‘Promoting Excellence’ work force development programme”.
The learning resource focuses on understanding dementia, effective communication, and providing positive person-centred support. It can be used for individual learning, learning as a group or team, in a facilitated learning event, or in a mixture of all of these approaches.
As well as providing key learning, activities and scenarios are used throughout the learning resource to help encourage exploration and reflection about real practice issues.
A third man has been charged with attempted murder following an attack on a Chinese takeaway shop owner in West Pilton last week.
Jie Yu, 37, was punched, kicked and stabbed in a horrific attack last Wednesday evening in in West Pilton Park. The owner of the Pekin Garden in Ferry Road Drive remains in a “serious but stable” condition having now been moved to St John’s hospital in Livingston.
Since the attack Police Scotland has followed a positive line of enquiry and senior officers were confident that the attackers would be tracked down.
Police Scotland confirmed that a 19-year-old man has now been arrested and charged with attempted murder. He will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court later, as will another 24-year-old man who was charged yesterday.
An 18-year-old man was charged with attempted murder and appeared before the Sheriff Court on Monday.
With students moving to study at universities and colleges throughout Scotland firefighters are calling on everyone to help keep themselves and their new communities safe from fire …
September sees young people arrive in cities and towns across the country for Freshers’ Week and as students get familiar with their new surroundings, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) wants them to act to prevent tragedies.
Assistant Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay, the SFRS director of prevention and protection, said: “Many young people will be leaving home for the first time and it’s obviously an exciting point in their lives.
“When moving into halls of residence or rented accommodation there’s a lot for these students to take in, but it’s absolutely crucial everyone recognises the danger posed by fire and understands the steps needed to reduce the risk.
“Our message to students is that you’re responsible for your own safety and that of the people around you.
“We need you to help us protect the communities you’re now part of, so please take a minute to look at our student safety leaflet – it’s essential reading.”
Firefighters will visit universities and colleges across Scotland throughout September to offer advice and help raise awareness of fire safety as an issue.
Parents also have a role to play, and SFRS is eager for anyone who has a son or daughter moving away from home to discuss fire safety with them.
There can be a greater risk of fire within shared rented accommodation and people should check to ensure there are working smoke and heat alarms.
Everyone should also make sure there are no bars on the windows and that they can be easily opened from the inside, and check for fire resisting labels on the furniture. Furniture made before 1988 may not be match or fire-resistant.
ACO Ramsay added: “People’s actions have a big impact on the chances of a fire starting or causing injuries or deaths.
“We want students to recognise that if you have consumed alcohol then your decision-making and judgement will be impaired, putting you and other residents at higher risk from fire.
“Choosing never to cook while under the influence of alcohol is a key step that will significantly reduce the risk of a tragedy.
“Similarly, anyone who is under the influence of alcohol should avoid smoking while sitting down, as it’s too easy to nod off and start a fire with potentially horrific consequences.”
In halls of residence, false alarms are a particular concern. Most emergency fire calls to student accommodation are false alarms caused by carelessness and negligence.
Having to attend false alarms risks lives, as firefighters may be delayed in getting to a real emergency where every second is critical.
The SFRS student safety leaflet – which also contains simple tips to avoid false alarms caused by cooking, smoking materials, candles, steam from bathrooms and more – can be downloaded below:
To join Scotland’s fight against fire and book a free home fire safety visit text ‘fire’ to 61611, call 0800 0731 999, or visit the SFRS website to complete an online form.
Edinburgh tops YouGov safest city poll
A new survey has revealed that Edinburgh is seen as the safest city in Britain. The YouGov research asked participants how safe they feel ten British cities are – and Edinburgh came out well on top.
When asked about the capital, 68% of participants – 1724 from across the UK took part in the survey – said it is ‘totally safe’ while only 14% believe Edinburgh is ‘totally unsafe’.
The other cities surveyed were Glasgow, London, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol.
Glasgow came eighth in the poll, with 44% of people saying it is safe and 38% saying it is unsafe – although Scots who took part in the survey put both Scottish cities higher: 86% said Edinburgh is safe and Glasgow polled 68% – but Bradford was seen as the least safe city in the UK.
Bradford is perhaps best remembered to outsiders for the race riots of 2001 which lasted three days and led to hundreds of arrests (above). It is the only city mentioned in the poll where more people (42%) say it is unsafe than safe (35%). Britain’s second most dangerous city according to the public is Birmingham: people are divided 41-41% on its safety.
Edinburgh’s senior police officer Chief Superintendent Mark Williams welcomed the findings and said he is ‘delighted but not surprised’ by the poll.
Do you think Edinburgh is a safe city? Let us know!
As people commemorate a century since Britain entered the war some basic precautions will ensure candles mark those lost without causing further tragedy.
On the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War senior Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) officers have paid their respects to those who lost their lives in the course of the devastating conflict.
The United Kingdom entered the war on Tuesday 4 August 1914 following Germany’s invasion of Belgium. Around 17 million people were killed during one of the most destructive wars ever fought.
SFRS Chief Officer Alasdair Hay said: “The devastation of the First World War touched every community and it’s right that we pause to mark a century since the beginning of this terrible episode in history.
“Many firefighters were military reservists and so they were called up by the army or the navy, and over the course of the war many others either volunteered or were conscripted into military service.
“Of course, as with their colleagues from all other walks of life, many of these men would never return home to their families.
“The commemorative events taking place around the world today are very significant to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and our thoughts must go to the awful impact the First World War had on everyone involved.”
As a mark of remembrance the Royal British Legion is encouraging people to turn off their lights for an hour tonight, leaving a single light or candle on for a shared moment of reflection.
Lights Out is a national initiative running from 10pm to 11pm – exactly a century since the UK’s ultimatum for Germany to leave Belgium expired.
Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey famously remarked: “The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.”
As the First World War progressed the government took steps to ensure communities at home still had the fire cover they needed, with firefighters added to the list of reserved occupations not liable to conscription.
With people throughout the country preparing to commemorate the anniversary by taking part in the Lights Out remembrance campaign, SFRS is reminding everyone to take extra care with their candles.
Assistant Chief Officer (ACO) Lewis Ramsay, director of prevention and protection and chair of the SFRS Heritage Committee, said: “Many of us will be marking the 100th anniversary of World War One tonight by taking part in the Lights Out event.
“Firefighters served throughout the war and the sad fact is many who did were among those killed or seriously injured as a result.
“Our aim as the fire and rescue service isn’t to discourage anyone from taking part in this national moment of reflection, but we do want to remind people to take some simple precautions if they are planning to light a candle.”
ACO Ramsay continued: “Candles do pose a significant fire risk so it’s vital we all use them correctly and safely.
“It’s important to think about where they are placed. They should always be away from curtains and out of the reach of pets and children.
“Most importantly, remember to extinguish your candles if you leave the room – it only takes a moment for a fire to start.
“We urge every household to have working smoke alarms and test them every week. We also provide free home fire safety visits and fit smoke alarms where required.”
More information on candle fire safety is available on the SFRS website www.firescotland.gov.uk
People can join Scotland’s fight against fire and request a free home fire safety visit by calling the SFRS freephone number 0800 0731 999, texting ‘check’ to 61611 or by contacting their local fire station.
Police are appealing for witnesses after a 24-year-old man fell from a moving vehicle which then sped away from the scene. The incident took place on Raeburn Place at 5.25pm on Friday evening. Police said the vehicle, believed to be a Ford Transit van, was seen being driven erratically through Stockbridge streets after the incident.
The man who fell from the van was taken to hospital but did not suffer any serious injuries.
Two men are understood to have been in the van at the time of the incident – one, the driver, was wearing a white tee-shirt. Stockbridge was busy at the time of the incident and police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Det Sgt Bob Williamson said: “Our officers are working hard and making extensive inquiries to establish the full circumstances of what happened. The events described and the irresponsible actions of the van driver are obviously concerning and we would urge members of the public who may be able to identify the vehicle or its occupants to come forward immediately.”
“Anyone with information that could help the investigation should contact Police Scotland on 101 or, alternatively, phone the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman was injured during a break-in at her Newhaven home. The incident happened last Friday at around 12.15pm at an address in Pier Place.
The 19-year-old victim was in the house when she became aware of a male’s presence, and a short struggle between the pair resulted in the young woman sustaining a dislocated elbow and an injury to her face.
She managed to get away from the suspect and ran to a neighbour who contacted emergency services.
Police are now conducting local enquiries to trace the male responsible and anyone who can assist in identifying him is asked to come forward.
He is described as white, just under 6ft tall with a skinny build. He was wearing a black tracksuit with the hood up and spoke with a local accent.
Detective Sergeant Mike Leask said: “The victim sustained painful injuries to her arm and face, which required medical attention and left her incredibly shaken.
“Anyone who was in or around Pier Place on Friday afternoon and remembers seeing anything suspicious is asked to contact police immediately.”
Those with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
With the school holidays upon us the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) are appealing for parents, carers and young people to Join Scotland’s Fight Against Fire.
Director of Prevention and Protection, Assistant Chief Officer (ACO) Lewis Ramsay, said: “During the summer break there is often a rise in deliberate fires. These can include refuse and wheelie bin fires, fires in stairwells, closes and derelict buildings as well as grass and countryside fires.
“With early weather predictions suggesting we could be set for a hot, dry summer, communities could be particularly affected this year. We are appealing for the community to help us reduce these incidents.”
Mr Ramsay added: “Many young people will have engaged with SFRS personnel via school visits, youth programmes and public events. We want young people to remember our message that starting fires is never harmless fun.
“Deliberate fires can overstretch local fire and rescue service resources, taking firefighters away from other incidents and putting lives at risk. Parents and carers can help too by discussing summer fire safety with young people.
“Every hour, every day, there is a house fire in Scotland. We need firefighters to be free to tackle real emergencies. Together we can work towards a fire free summer.”
The service is also urging anyone in the community who may have information about a deliberate fire, or who may be responsible for setting it, to report it straight away.
Mr Ramsay said: “Every deliberate fire has victims, costs and consequences. The core public safety and call to action message is that fire setting is an offence. Don’t Accept It, Report It.
“If you know anything about fires that have been started in your area contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. You won’t have to give your name or go to court.”
SFRS is often called to attend fires which have been started deliberately in stairwells, closes or wheelie bins and ACO Ramsay is keen to highlight the danger these pose.
He said: “Refuse left lying in the street or in a common stairwell or close present a potential target for fire setters. Make sure you don’t leave refuse or wheelie bins against any property or building.Deliberately set fires are dangerous and put people’s lives and property in danger.
“By keeping wheelie bins out of sight, stored away from the building and, if possible, behind locked gates these risks can be reduced. We would ask residents and businesses to follow these precautions to eliminate the threat of deliberate wheelie bin fires.
“SFRS wants communities to enjoy the summer and work in partnership with the fire service to help make this a fire free summer.”
There is further information about deliberate fires at the SFRS website www.firescotland.gov.uk
Last year, firefighters in Scotland attended around 14,196 fires in bins, skips, fly tipped waste, derelict buildings, dry grass and heath land. With an estimated average cost of £2,000 for attendance at such incidents, the cost to the Service and our communities is a staggering £28.4 million. Approximately 81% (12,238) of these fires were deliberate.
Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a man was assaulted in Leith earlier this month. They are particularly keen to speak to anyone who came to the aid of the man during the vicious attack – which took place in board daylight.
The 29-year-old victim was subjected to an unprovoked attack while walking south on the bridge crossing the Water of Leith at the north end of Great Junction Street.
He was punched and kicked by three teenagers during the incident, which took place at around 3pm on Tuesday 17 June.
It’s understood that members of the public intervened to stop the assault and Police Scotland are very keen to trace those people.
Police Constable Iona McWilliam said: “This was a terrifying and unprovoked attack on a man and enquiries are underway to identify the three men responsible.
“It took place in the middle of the afternoon and we would urge anyone who witnessed the event or who may know something that would help our investigation to come forward immediately.”
The first suspect is described as white, aged between 16 and18, of slim build, and wearing a grey hooded top and grey jogging bottoms.
The second man is also described as white, aged between 16 and 18, of slim build, wearing a grey hooded top and grey tracksuit bottoms, and he was carrying a black drawstring sports bag at the time.
The third suspect is described as white, aged between 16 and 18, and of slim build, and he was wearing a black top with a white Adidas logo on side.
Anyone with information on this incident can contact Police Scotland on 101 or, alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
