Police have launched an investigation into a series of fires which took place across Drylaw and Pilton in the early hours of this morning.
The six separate incidents were reported between approximately 2.30am and 4.30am at properties on a number of streets: Wester Drylaw Avenue, Wester Drylaw Drive, Crewe Road North, Groathill Loan and Groathill Road North.
The fires are all being treated as suspicious. Whilst there were no serious injuries reported, a number of people were treated at the scene and one person was taken to hospital.
Detective Inspector Jonny Wright, from Gayfield CID, said: “It is fortunate that these fires were discovered and extinguished when they were, and that we are not investigating a far more serious and tragic set of circumstances.
“Enquiries into each of these incidents are ongoing and we are appealing for anyone with information, or who may have seen any suspicious activity on these streets, to please come forward.
“We will be increasing our patrols in the area and engaging with the local community, to provide reassurance as we work to identify those responsible.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting incident 0675 of 18 September. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, if you wish to remain anonymous.”
Edinburgh’s Electric Cycle Company has been supercharged
The Electric Cycle Company (ECC), Edinburgh, has just opened its new 4000 square foot, state-of-the-art electric bike store and workshop on Crewe Road North, making it the largest specialist e-bike shop in the UK.
Over four times the size of their previous shop, ECC have created a completely safe and welcoming retail environment with enough space to display a much larger selection of both new and established electric bike brands, quality cycle clothing, and e-bike accessories, alongside a bespoke e-bike maintenance workshop.
Following an extensive but challenging renovation project during the Covid-19 pandemic, the new shop is a far cry from the more traditional ‘stack’em high’ model of bike retail. Customers can easily walk around the store while remaining physically distanced.
The hugely knowledgeable and experienced sales team are able to safely deliver interactive and informative e-bike demonstrations and ‘talk throughs’, perfectly matching the best e-bike to a customer’s age, fitness and skill level, and general lifestyle.
With bookable sales appointments, vitally important to an unpressured e-bike purchase experience, there is a welcome reception and sales meeting desks, together with a dedicated, comfortable customer waiting area with a TV, coffee machine, and customer toilets.
Neill Hope, Managing Director of ECC, said: “I am so proud of what our small build team and the staff have achieved during the Covid-19 pandemic. The new shop is even more impressive than my original vision.
“The e-bike knowledge and the expertise in e-bike sales that we have accumulated over more than ten years has enabled us to create the most progressive bike shop in Scotland; a much more welcoming, comfortable, spacious and safe environment for our customers and staff. It just so happened that our long-term future proofing project dovetailed perfectly with the requirement for ‘pandemic proofing’.
“Having started the business in 2006, we quickly established ourselves as Scotland’s leading e-bike specialists, often being frowned upon by the purists within the bike industry who couldn’t see past 100% pedal power. We were just too leftfield. With our new shop we are again disrupting the industry by going against the grain of bike retail.
“Sadly, we can’t have a launch party right now. However, the shop is open, and we look forward to welcoming all of our customers, new and old, who travel from all over Scotland and further afield to buy and service their e-bikes, when they can safely travel again.”
It has been designed to give customers a fantastic first impression of the new store. It is also hoped that once they see the shop’s open and COVID safe environment they will be keen to visit in person when restrictions allow.
The ECC are now offering free extended warranties (+ one year) on all new Bosch and Shimano driven bikes. In order to help combat bike theft all new e-bikes will be fitted with complimentary security tags or trackers and Bikmo Insurance are giving ECC customers 14 days of free rideaway insurance.
Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, said: “I warmly welcome the opening of the Electric Cycle Company showroom and workshop on Crewe Road North.
“It’s great that there’s so much local demand for sustainable transport and I commend the Electric Cycle Company for involving the community in the e-bike revolution, by offering free repairs during the pandemic, bike loans for Key Workers and support for local community groups.
“I look forward to visiting when restrictions allow and it is safe to do so.”
There are plans for the ECC’s old shop on Granton Road.
It is soon to become the base for a new Community Interest Company, Urban Initiatives, focusing on e-bike and e-Cargo bike hire, bike maintenance and training, together with local guided rides on eBikes.
The Electric Cycle Company, Scotland’s largest specialist e-bike shop, is on the move to a 4000 square foot, carbon neutral premises in Edinburgh.
Boogie, host of Forth 1’s Breakfast Show, joined Neill Hope, MD of the Electric Cycle Company, to launch a crowdfunding campaign to renovate the building into a new state of the art store and workshop, the biggest e-bike shop in the UK.
Following year on year growth in the last ten years, Edinburgh’s Electric Cycle Company (ECC), Scotland’s largest specialist e-bike retailer, is on the move to a new 4,000 square foot premises on Crewe Road North, four times the size of their current retail space and workshop on Granton Road.
Building work on the state-of-the-art electric bike store, a far cry from the traditional ‘stack’em high’ model of bike retail, is set to get underway next week and will take an estimated six weeks to complete.
When completed the new shop, scheduled to open in early September, will be the UK’s largest specialist e-bike shop, displaying a large selection of both new and established electric bike brands and quality accessories.
The shop will have enough showroom space to display bikes to enable the hugely knowledgeable and experienced sales team to safely deliver both interactive and informative e-bike demonstrations and ‘talk throughs’, perfectly matching the best e-bike to a customer’s lifestyle. With bookable sales appointments, there will be a welcome reception and a dedicated customer waiting and chill out area.
The new store will be one of the first carbon-neutral bike shops in the UK. The renovation plans include solar panels on the roof and battery banks will take care of lighting and bike charging. Heating will be provided by a biomass boiler powered by the waste packaging the business creates.
They are targeting current e-bike customers, new and returning cyclists looking to buy their first e-bikes, and other e-bike owners looking for long term specialist bike maintenance and high end accessories, all of whom will be keen to ‘pay forward’ in order to receive excellent discounts on a wide range of e-bike products, accessories and services that will help them to save money. Puncture repairs, clothing vouchers, free software updates and bike servicing and discount cards for life are amongst the fantastic rewards for investment.
Neill Hope, Managing Director of ECC, said: “We’ve always been the largest e-bike specialist in Scotland, continuously at the forefront of the industry. My Dad started the Electric Cycle Company in 2006.
“I took over ten years ago and moved it into proper retail premises on Granton Road. Since then we have seen our turnover increase year on year, by as much as 500% over this period. Our staff numbers have increased from two to ten [today] and we now have the widest range of electric bikes in Scotland.
“This is something I could never have imagined when my family started the business from the back of my Dad’s office, as an offshoot from his plastering company. We also have the added benefit of being backed by the North Edinburgh community.
“We really hope that our customers, old and new, are keen to support us create the most progressive bike shop in Scotland and a more comfortable, spacious and safer environment for them and our staff. The range of crowdfunding rewards will be beneficial to their e-bike lifestyles, both now and in the future.
“With their investment we will also be able to reward all of our customers with added value with things like extended guarantees, free security marking, and updates. It’s a win win for all.”
ECC’s expansion comes at the perfect time as the City of Edinburgh Council plans to make big changes in the way people move around the city. One of the goals is to create ‘a city where you don’t need to own a car to move around’, a clear shift towards cycling and walking.
The proposals to shape the Scottish capital for the next decade, City Plan 2030, include expanding the network of cycle paths and linking the park and ride terminals to bike-friendly routes. They also set out potential new areas for park and ride terminals and ‘active travel routes’.
Neill Hope added: “Since the start of the Covid-19 Lockdown there has been a revolution in cycling and our sales have increased by more than 100%, as compared with the same period in 2019.
“With such a high demand for e-bike sales and maintenance, the Granton Road bike shop and workshop are just too small to operate as safely and efficiently as we want. Our move can’t come quick enough.
“Our new customers are not only getting to grips with the many health and financial benefits of cycling for both commuting and exercise but also quickly realising that e-bikes make the whole physical process even easier and more joyful than traditional cycling, despite the larger initial investment.
“Edinburgh, with its many hills, substantial cycle path network, and ongoing council backing is the perfect city for an electric bike. With the UK Government’s Cycle To Work Scheme and the Scottish Government backed Energy Saving Trust e-Bike Loan scheme to help with e-bike purchases, it is also the perfect time to invest in an e-bike.”
Police Scotland can confirm that the body of a woman was found in Granton View around 11.15am today (Saturday, 25 April, 2020).
The family of local missing woman Elaine McArthur, missing since Saturday, 18 April, have been made aware of the discovery.
Formal identification is yet to take place and a post mortem will be carried out in due course to establish the exact cause of death. The death is being treated as unexplained.
Police are appealing for information to help trace a 48-year-old woman who went missing in North Edinburgh at the weekend.
Elaine McArthur was last seen around 12.40pm on Saturday (18 April) outside a shop on Crewe Road North. She has not been seen since and officers are growing concerned for her welfare.
Elaine is described as white, 5ft 2in tall, slim build, long blonde hair tied up. She was last seen wearing a khaki green waterproof jacket, blue jeans, green trainers and carrying a green rucksack.
Inspector Scott Kennedy of Corstorphine Police Station said: “Elaine has not been seen since 12.40pm on 18 April and we are concerned for her welfare.
“I would ask anyone who has seen Elaine, or recognises her description, to contact police as soon as they can.
“Likewise I would ask Elaine, if she does see this message, to get in touch to let us know she is ok.”
Anyone with information regarding Elaine’s whereabouts is asked to contact officers on 101, quoting incident number 1604 of 18 April 2020.
Police in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault on a man on Crewe Road North last week.
The incident happened on Sunday 2 February between 2.30 – 2.50pm. The 23 year old victim, who is Polish, boarded a number 19 Lothian bus on Queensferry Street and got off at the stop after the Crewe Toll roundabout on Crewe Road Gardens leading to West Pilton Place. It was here that he was assaulted by the suspect, who is believed to have also been on the bus and got off at the same stop.
The victim was wearing a black anorak and black jogging bottoms and the suspect was wearing a light grey top and light blue jeans.
Detective Sergeant Lynsey Thomson from Police Scotland said: “This was an unprovoked attack which left the victim with a broken jaw. Following new information, we believe that passengers onboard the no. 19 and who left the bus at the same time may have witnessed this assault. Anyone with information that may assist with out inquiries is asked to contact police immediately.”
Police are appealing to anyone with information that can assist their inquiries to contact Police Scotland on 101, or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.
