It’s safer to attend an organised event this Bonfire Night if you can.
the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website has a list of events and advice on keeping safe:
Think of others if you’re hosting your own celebrations and always follow the Fireworks Code.
Don’t get caught up in anti-social behaviour on Bonfire Night!
Police Officers have the grounds to take action should people be involved in such conduct, as detailed in these posters.
Please attend organised events only and always keep safe.
Firefighters who were pelted with stones and bricks at a Bonfire Night incident last year have urged people to go to organised displays.
Cumbernauld Community Fire Station’s Blue Watch was mobilised by Operations Control at 4.49pm on Friday, 5 November, 2021 to reports of a bonfire in the open in a grassy area near the North Lanarkshire town’s Torbrex Road.
What happened next took Crew Commander Glen Reid and his colleagues by surprise.
He said: “Once we arrived we had to extinguish the fire because of a gas leak in the area. I explained this to the bystanders and as soon as we started to put water on the fire we were pelted with bricks and stones.
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/HWF_1d3kGCc
“We had to retreat back to the fire appliance where the vehicle then came under attack. We realised that we couldn’t get out the street because it had been blocked off with wheelie bins. Police attended the scene and the youths ran away.”
Three firefighters sustained minor injuries during the incident. Two attended hospital and were discharged the same evening. There was also surface damage to the appliance.
CC Reid, who has worked for the Service for more than two decades, added: “We couldn’t actually believe it to be honest with you.
“Someone could’ve been seriously hurt and this kind of behaviour puts an added strain on emergency services. As we get closer to Bonfire Night this year we’d urge people to always go to an organised event.”
Bonfire Night is one of the busiest nights of the year for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. In 2021, there were eight reported attacks on crews along with the three injuries.
Figures also indicate that firefighters responded to more than 370 bonfires across the country during an eight-hour period on 5 November.
In the weeks leading up to Bonfire Night, between 8 October and 5 November, crews around Scotland also attended more than 880 deliberate secondary fires, including bin fires and grass fires.
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Alasdair Perry is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s head of prevention and protection. He said: “Attacks on our firefighters are completely unacceptable and are carried out by a small minority.”
We know that our crews have a lot of support within our communities. We want people to enjoy themselves at times of celebration but we want them to do so safely and think of others, including our crews who are working hard to respond to emergencies.
“Bonfires and fireworks go hand in hand at this time of year, and we advise people to go to an organised event wherever possible and always follow the Fireworks Code.”
See a list of organised events taking place across Scotland in our fireworks and bonfire safety section of our website.
Organisations across Scotland have put in place a series of measures to protect communities from the effects of severe weather ahead of winter.
It follows a review of the Storm Arwen response published in January 2022, which set out 15 recommendations for the Scottish Government and its partners.
A report published today updates on progress since then, with a range of improvements put in place ahead of winter. These include:
Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans, Keith Brown, said: “The Scottish Government committed to a full review of the circumstances of Storm Arwen, and this report demonstrates clearly the range of work that is underway to ensure that lessons are learned.
“Our responder community, including our blue light services and our local authorities, will put these recommendations in place and we will support them to ensure our resilience arrangements continue to strengthen to protect communities.”
Chair of the Scottish Resilience Partnership Jim Savege said: “Responders have worked hard through the year, reviewing the risks we need to be prepared for, planning and exercising and making sure we are as prepared as we all can be for any future events and incidents we may have to respond to.
“More than ever, emergency services have considered wider risks that may be realised, and the growing reality of having to deal with concurrent risks and incidents.
“Significant additional work has been invested this year into working with voluntary organisations and communities to ensure their resilience and their ability to deal with incidents has been enhanced. Community and business resilience are the bedrock upon which emergency services work and respond.
“The SRP is grateful for all of the work that so many colleagues have invested in ensuring we are as prepared as we can be for the winter ahead.”
It is illegal for the general public to use fireworks before 6pm or after 11pm (this extends to midnight on 5 November and 1am on Hogmanay, Chinese New Year and Diwali). It is illegal for adults to buy or supply fireworks to anyone under the age of 18 – with the exception of F1 fireworks.
Examples of F1 fireworks include party poppers, novelty crackers and certain sparklers. The category of firework is legally required to be displayed on product packaging.
If you are unable to attend an organised display, we would ask you to consider the impact of fireworks on people and animals. It is often children rather than adults who are injured by fireworks.
The noise and lights that fireworks emit can also be overwhelming for people with a sensory impairment and those with neurological differences such as autism. Animals can also find fireworks particularly distressing.
Check back here for details of organised events across Scotland. We strongly encourage anyone who does wish to host a private event to familiarise themselves with our firework code and fire safety guidance.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO ORGANISED BONFIRE EVENTS IN EDINBURGH
Help us keep children safe this Bonfire Night. We are encouraging parents, carers and teachers to help us educate children on firework safety.
Did you know Scottish SPCA has lots of helpful advice, games and videos for children to watch.
Visit https://www.scottishspca.org/firework-safety to find out more.
New powers to enforce the safe use of fireworks are to come into force. Legislation making it a criminal offence for anyone to supply fireworks or other pyrotechnic articles to a child or person under 18 comes into effect on 10 October.
From the same date, attacks on emergency workers using fireworks or pyrotechnics will also become aggravating factors that can be taken into account when courts sentence offenders. The measures are set out in the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 passed by the Scottish Parliament on 29 June.
The key powers are being brought into force in advance of Bonfire Night and build on steps taken last year restricting the times fireworks can be used, when they can be bought, and the quantity.
Work is progressing to enact other powers set out in the Act, including the introduction of a fireworks licensing system, with mandatory safety training, for people wishing to purchase and use fireworks, and introducing powers for local authorities to designate firework control zones.
Community Safety Minister Ash Regan said: “These important new powers have been delivered at pace and make it a criminal offence for anyone to supply fireworks or other pyrotechnic articles to a child or person under age 18.
“Fireworks in the wrong hands can cause serious, life-changing injuries or even prove lethal. Preventing their supply – in any way – to under 18s is a wholly welcome step which will bring greater public safety across Scotland.
“It’s also extremely important swift work has progressed which will see hard-working and brave 999 crews – who work tirelessly to keep us all safe – better protected.
“Any attack on fire, ambulance and police crews is utterly despicable so ensuring courts are required to take into consideration the use fireworks or pyrotechnics as a possible aggravating factor in any attack on 999 crews is a real deterrent to such vile behaviour.
“Work is now progressing to see other provisions set out in the ground-breaking legislation brought into force. These are essential steps which demonstrate our absolute commitment to improving the safety of communities across Scotland.”
Chief Inspector Nicola Robison from Police Scotland’s Partnerships, Preventions and Community Wellbeing Division, said: “Fireworks, when not used lawfully, present a significant risk to the public and so preventing such items from being purchased by, or for, anyone under the age of 18, is vitally important for keeping communities safe.
“Buying fireworks for underage youths can result in a £5,000 fine, six-months imprisonment, or both and our message is clear. Do not risk it. Help us prevent disorder, damage and violence over the Bonfire Night period.
“The new aggravator for attacks on emergency service workers is also a welcome legislative change and should give all frontline first responders additional reassurance that their safety and wellbeing is paramount as they go about their duties.”
The new under-18 proxy purchase and supply and emergency worker attack aggravator offences come into effect on 10 October 2022.
Detectives in Edinburgh have acknowledged the conviction of George Anthony McClure Newby for sexual offences, including rape.
The 32-year-old was been found guilty following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday (26 August, 2022).
Newby was convicted of serious sexual crimes against two women in the Edinburgh area in 2020 and 2021.
Detective Inspector McArthur-Kerr of the Edinburgh Public Protection Unit said: “George Newby is a predatory and dangerous man who committed horrendous crimes against his two victims.
“It is thanks to the courage of the women who came forward that he has been now been found guilty of these crimes and the cruelty of his behaviour has been exposed.
“I would like to commend them in their bravery throughout this investigation and trial. Hopefully the verdict today will help them moving forward.”
The Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) remains in operation as the Met Office Amber warning of extreme heat extends to more parts of Scotland this week.
The warning has been extended further northeast to Dundee.
This means that all of Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife, Perth, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and eastern parts of Lanarkshire are all now included in the warning, as well as the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.
The warning is valid from 00.00 on Monday 18 July to 23.59 on Tue 19 July. Red warnings are in place for other areas of the UK.
Justice Secretary Keith Brown, lead Minister for resilience, attended a Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR) meeting chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Mr Malthouse, on the extreme heat warning, on Saturday (16 July).
Mr Brown said: “We are aware of the extension to the weather warnings currently in place and are receiving regular updates from partners including the Met Office and emergency services. Our resilience arrangements have been activated and stand ready at all times to coordinate a response to severe weather issues where required. We will continue to closely monitor developments.
“When temperatures increase, it’s important to monitor forecasts and follow public health advice, including staying hydrated and drinking plenty of fluids and avoiding excess alcohol.
“I would also urge people to look out for vulnerable family, friends and neighbours, as older people, those with underlying conditions and those living alone may struggle to keep cool and hydrated.
“Water safety incidents and drownings increase in hot weather and people should be aware of the dangers and use supervised beaches and pools when possible – follow the Water Safety Code and in an emergency call 999.
“If you are planning on travelling to the areas covered by the Red warning, you should be prepared for significant disruption, and may want to consider delaying your travel. If you decide to travel, you should prepare appropriately, and keep-up to date with travel alerts.”
The Met Office warning covers Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife, Perth, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, and eastern parts of Lanarkshire as well as the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.
While these areas will see more extreme temperatures, it is important to note that there will be high temperatures across much of the country, especially up the east coast to the Moray Firth.
The Met Office has warned that some people are likely to experience some adverse health effects including sunburn or heat exhaustion (dehydration, nausea, fatigue) and other heat related illnesses.
For guidance people should:
If someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion – headache, feeling confused or dizzy, rapid pulse or fast breathing, body cramps (particularly in the arms, legs and stomach), feeling sick or vomiting – they need to be shaded from the sun and cooled down. Heat exhaustion is not normally serious if the person is treated within 30 minutes and symptoms begin to improve.
Ensure that babies, children or older people are not left alone in stationary cars or other closed spaces. Animals should not be transported in extreme temperatures.
The Met Office is also warning of an increased risk of risk of wildfires and disruption to transport.
EDINBURGH
Today:
Hot and Sunny.
A few early mist patches across Dumfries and Galloway soon clearing to a fine day with very warm or hot sunshine and mainly light winds. Maximum temperature 30 °C.
Tonight:
A warm sunny start to the evening but increasing amounts of high cloud later. Mainly dry and very mild overnight with a mixture of high cloud and clear spells. Minimum temperature 19 °C.
Tomorrow (Tuesday):
Hot again with sunshine and periods of high cloud. This may allow for an isolated shower, though majority staying dry, sunny. Occasional gusty breeze by coasts. Chance of thunder overnight. Maximum temperature 34 °C.
Further information is available online:
A Scottish Government Resilience (SGoRR) meeting was held yesterday to prepare for the potential impacts of a Met Office Amber warning of extreme heat in Scotland next week.
The warning covers southern parts of Scotland from 00.00 on Monday 18 July to 23.59 on Tue 19 July. Red warnings are in place for other areas of the UK.
Justice Secretary Keith Brown, lead Minister for resilience, said: “We are aware of the weather warnings currently in place and are receiving regular updates from partners including the Met Office and emergency services.
“Our resilience arrangements have been activated and stand ready at all times to coordinate a response to severe weather issues where required. We will continue to closely monitor developments.
“When temperatures increase, it’s important to monitor forecasts and follow public health advice, including staying hydrated and drinking plenty of fluids and avoiding excess alcohol.
“I would also urge people to look out for vulnerable family, friends and neighbours, as older people, those with underlying conditions and those living alone may struggle to keep cool and hydrated.
“Water safety incidents and drownings increase in hot weather and people should be aware of the dangers and use supervised beaches and pools when possible – follow the Water Safety Code and in an emergency call 999.”
The Met Office warning covers southern parts of Scotland including eastern parts of Dumfries and Galloway, much of the Scottish Borders and parts of East Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and Midlothian.
While these areas will see more extreme temperatures, it is important to note that there will be high temperatures across much of the country, especially up the east coast to the Moray Firth.
The Met Office has warned that some people are likely to experience some adverse health effects including sunburn or heat exhaustion (dehydration, nausea, fatigue) and other heat related illnesses.
For guidance, people should:
If someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion – headache, feeling confused or dizzy, rapid pulse or fast breathing, body cramps (particularly in the arms, legs and stomach), feeling sick or vomiting – they need to be shaded from the sun and cooled down. Heat exhaustion is not normally serious if the person is treated within 30 minutes and symptoms begin to improve.
Ensure that babies, children or older people are not left alone in stationary cars or other closed spaces. Animals should not be transported in extreme temperatures.
The Met Office is also warning of an increased risk of risk of wildfires and disruption to transport.
Keep yourself safe in hot weather (ready.scot)
