Drylaw Telford Community Council is to meet local police tomorrow following a spike in antisocial incidents across the area.
Recent weeks have seen two serious street attacks in Wester Drylaw along with a number of other incidents of vandalism including refuse bins being set on fire.
The community council was alerted to one incident by an Easter Drylaw woman last month: “My neighbours house (unoccupied) was set fire to last night by kids setting fire to wheeliebins.
“I had 4 small children in my house petrified and screaming as we couldn’t get out our front floor for flames. It is same group of kids constantly causing trouble in street cutting through street to skate park.
“I have had my windows smashed, fire posted through letter box and glass bottles thrown at my dogs. Its getting our of hand last night luckily someone seen the fire taking real hold last night or a dread to think what the outcome would have been today. It is now putting peoples lives in danger. What has happened to this area?”
The community council has now been able to arrange a virtual meeting with local police officers to discuss community concerns. The meeting will take place via Microsoft Teams tomorrow evening at 7pm.
If you would like to submit question to local police or you are interested in attending the meeting, please contacr vickynicolsondtcc@hotmail.com or visit Drylaw Telford Community Council’s Facebook page.
‘While Sean Orman was the only accused in this case, we believe he was acting with others‘
A man who shot and killed another man on his doorstep has been jailed.
Sean Orman has been jailed for life after being found guilty of the murder of Bradley Welsh and attempted murder of David McMillan at the High Court in Edinburgh.
The 30-year-old shot and killed Mr Welsh outside his home in Chester Street, Edinburgh on 17 April 2019.
He also burst into David McMillan’s home in Pitcairn Grove, Edinburgh on 13 March 2019 and attacked him with a machete in an attempted murder.
David Green, procurator fiscal for homicide, said: “Sean Orman carried out brazen and calculated attacks; violently invading David McMillan’s home and taking Bradley Welsh’s life on his own doorstep.
“He took steps to try and conceal his actions, but thanks to diligent work by investigators and prosecutors, Orman has been brought to justice.
“Our thoughts are with both victims and their families at this difficult time.”
Assistant Chief Constable Judi Heaton said: “Sean Orman carried out the brutal, pre-meditated and targeted murder of Bradley Welsh.
“Our thoughts today are with Bradley’s family who have lost a much-loved father, partner, brother and uncle.
“Police Scotland carried out a thorough, robust and professional investigation into Bradley’s murder and I hope today’s conviction and sentence helps to bring his family some degree of comfort.
“The use of firearms for criminal activity is utterly unacceptable and bringing those who commit violent attacks to justice is an absolute priority for Police Scotland
“While Sean Orman was the only accused in this case, we believe he was acting with others and I appeal for anyone who has not yet come forward, or who has any further information, to contact Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
“The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) carried out an independent, Crown directed, investigation into the actions of the police in relation to Bradley’s death, which we fully assisted, and their report was submitted to the Crown for consideration.
“We will be contacting Bradley’s family in the near future to discuss those matters and to offer our support and condolences.”
A coalition of organisations championing consumers, and representing civil society and business, have today joined forces to warn that the UK risks failing in its ambition to be the safest place in the world to be online unless it uses new laws to protect people from an avalanche of online scams.
In a joint letter to the Home Secretary and Digital Secretary, 17 organisations have urged the government to include online scams in its proposed Online Safety Bill – which could be announced in next week’s Queen’s Speech – so that consumers are better protected against the devastating financial and emotional harm caused by these crimes.
The organisations that have signed the letter include Which?, the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, Carnegie UK Trust, UK Finance, the Personal Investment Management and Financial Advice Association (PIMFA), the City of London Corporation, City of London Police, The Investment Association, Association of British Insurers (ABI), MoneySavingExpert and Age UK.
From using social media to stay in touch with friends and family to using search engines to research potential investments at a time of record-low interest rates – the coronavirus crisis has meant people are spending more time online than ever before.
However, scams have escalated in the past 12 months, with Action Fraud figures showing that £1.7 billion was reportedly lost to scams in the last year. Many criminals have shifted their activity online. Action Fraud estimates that in the year to June 2020, 85% of all fraud was cyber-enabled.
The actual financial losses are likely to be much higher and do not capture the devastating emotional impact on victims. Research also shows that vulnerable people, including those experiencing mental health problems, are more at risk of falling victim to these crimes online.
In their letter, the organisations write: “Online platforms play a pivotal role in enabling criminals to reach and defraud internet users through the hosting, promotion and targeting of fake and fraudulent content on their sites, including adverts that they make significant profits from.
“Yet platforms have very little legal responsibility for protecting their users, despite often being the best placed to tackle harmful content.
“While we recognise there are initiatives being progressed by the Government designed to tackle aspects of online fraud, there is a growing risk that current plans for future regulatory frameworks are not taking a comprehensive approach to the threats faced by consumers and do not reflect the extent or urgency of the problem.”
UK Finance figures show a 32 per cent increase in investment scam cases in 2020, which are often promoted through adverts on search engines and social media offering higher than average returns.
One victim of such a scam was Maria Teresa Jackson, 63, a teacher. Ms Jackson was tricked by an advert she saw on a social media site, featuring a fake news story with fabricated quotes from celebrity adventurer Bear Grylls, who supposedly told how he had become a millionaire by trading in Bitcoin.
She clicked the button and put in her details and soon received a phone call from a “financial advisor” who showed her around a professional looking website, and was very knowledgeable about trading. Over time she was persuaded to transfer increasing amounts of money to the scammer.
It later became clear that the Bitcoin did not exist. Scammers stole nearly £120,000 and First Direct, her bank, has so far refunded her half that amount.
She said: “I felt completely sick. I’m overall better now but often I get flashbacks of certain events and that upsets me a lot. I usually get them at night when I’m in bed and when that happens, it sets the tone for a bad night’s sleep.”
A spokesperson for First Direct said:“We would like to offer our sincerest sympathies to Ms Jackson, and fully appreciate how the situation has impacted her. Sadly, there are unscrupulous individuals who carry out criminal activities without any regard for the effect this will have on their victims.
“Although we believe Ms Jackson could have exercised more caution and carried out further checks before making the payments, we could also have offered more effective fraud warnings. So on that basis we’ve refunded 50% of the payments made.”
A wide-ranging consensus has emerged across industry, regulators and consumer groups on the urgent need for action to tackle scams and the critical role that online platforms must take in doing more to protect their users.
The coalition of groups is calling for online platforms to be given a legal responsibility to protect users from fake and fraudulent content on their sites that lead to scams. The government now has a perfect opportunity to deliver this in its proposed Online Safety Bill, which could be announced as part of next week’s Queen’s Speech on 11 May.
Anabel Hoult, CEO of Which?, said: “The biggest online platforms have some of the most sophisticated technology in the world, yet they are failing to use it to protect scam victims who are suffering devastating financial and emotional harm due to the flood of fake and fraudulent content posted online by criminals.
“The time for self-regulation is over, as clearly it has not worked. The case for including scams in the Online Safety Bill is overwhelming and the government must take the opportunity to act now. Online platforms must be given a legal responsibility to prevent, identify and remove fake and fraudulent content on their sites so that their users are better protected.”
Martin Lewis, Founder of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute and MoneySavingExpert.com, said:“It beggars belief that the government’s Online Safety Bill could ignore the epidemic of scams that the UK faces – but that’s the plan. Scams don’t just steal people’s money, they can take their self-respect too and those with mental health problems are three times more likely to be affected.
“The policing of scams is critically underfunded, leaving criminals to get away with these frauds with impunity. The government has a chance to at least deny them the ‘oxygen of publicity’ by making big tech responsible for the scammers adverts it is paid to publish.
“I plead on bended knee for the government to take that opportunity, by putting scams in the Online Safety Bill. Failing to do so will betray its promise to create world-leading online protection and will leave vulnerable people defenceless against online crime in the midst of a global pandemic.”
David Postings, Chief Executive at UK Finance, said: “Fraud has a devastating emotional impact on victims and even when the victim is reimbursed, the stolen cash is used to fund serious organised crimes which damage our society, including terrorism, drug trafficking, and child sexual exploitation.
“The banking and finance industry is tackling fraud on all fronts, but we can’t do it alone. We need other industries including the online platforms exploited by criminals to join the fight and take responsibility for criminal activity that is happening on their doorstep.
It’s not right that online giants are effectively profiting twice – once from criminals marketing scams on their platforms and again from organisations having to advertise fraud warnings to consumers.
“We are strongly calling on the government to take a major step forward by including economic crime in the upcoming Online Safety Bill and helping ensure tech giants take responsibility for their part in protecting consumers from the scourge of online fraud.”
William Perrin, Trustee at Carnegie UK Trust, said:“Our work at Carnegie UK Trust has set out the case for a systemic, statutory duty of care that would make online platforms take responsibility for the design and processes of their services to reduce online harm.
“This new research underlines the urgent need for action to protect consumers from harms such as online fraud and scams – and the Online Safety Bill is the way to do it. Both the City of London Police and the National Economic Crime Centre have told Parliament that their current powers are not enough to limit the spread of online fraud and scams.
“It is vital that the Government reconsider their inclusion in the Online Safety Bill.”
Liz Field, Chief Executive of PIMFA, commented:“The financial services industry has along with our partners been calling for financial harm to be included in the Online Safety Bill for some time.
“It is now vital that the Government takes action to provide better protection for consumers online by ensuring online search and social media firms take greater responsibility for what we, their customers, see on their platforms.
“The Online Safety Bill could provide a clear legal framework that would protect consumers from ever more sophisticated online fraud, largely perpetrated by organised criminals. PIMFA and our partners in this campaign continue to urge the Government to include financial harm in the Online Safety Bill.
“Doing so would save thousands of victims suffering enormous financial and mental distress and would be one of the best possible ways to disrupt organised crime.”
Around 7.10pm last night (Wednesday 5 May), police received a report of a bus window being smashed in Pennywell Gardens, after a stone was thrown by a group of youths.
Enquiries are continuing and officers are following a positive line of enquiry.
A Which? investigation has found that doorstep scammers are back in business after lockdown restrictions – and these ruthless fraudsters are using new coronavirus scams to target the most vulnerable.
According to Action Fraud data, £18.7 million was lost to doorstep crime in 2020 alone. With many in-person scams believed to go unreported, the true figures could be even higher.
Doorstep scams can come in many forms. For example, fraudsters might offer building, gardening or home improvement services and then overcharge for or never complete the work. Fraudsters also often pose as salespeople or charity workers as a means of parting people from their hard-earned cash.
The number of reports to police for this type of fraud in April 2020 was 46 per cent lower than April 2019 as doorstep sellers were banned during the lockdown. However, by summer 2020, reports of doorstep scams had returned to pre-pandemic levels, with fewer restrictions stopping fraudsters from going out.
Which? research has found that scammers have exploited vulnerable people’s uncertainty and isolation during the lockdowns and used the pandemic as an opportunity to create new coronavirus frauds and recycle old scams.
A survey of 1,186 Which? members found that 16 per cent have received unsolicited visits from someone claiming to be a salesperson or charity worker since the start of the first lockdown.
9 per cent said that they felt the visitor was pressuring them into making a purchase or performing a certain action, such as donating.
Although Which? doesn’t know how many of these visits were scams, even genuine doorstep selling can leave consumers at a disadvantage. These unexpected visits can also be unnerving – especially for elderly or vulnerable people or if the salesperson is particularly pushy.
Which? member William Grayson, 81, lives alone in Weston-super-Mare, a 40 minute drive from his closest relatives.
William was visited at his home by two volunteers from a ‘Covid support group’ who offered to do shopping and errands for him while he was shielding. He gave the young couple £200 cash over two visits for food and home essentials but never got his shopping. He said: “Realising these people were out to get me made a dark time even darker for me to be honest.”
Which? has heard from other victims across the UK who have been targeted by fraudsters claiming to be from local NHS services offering fast-track testing and vaccines, collecting donations for fake charities and selling vitamin pills that ‘protect against’ Covid-19.
NHS services across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland continue to stress that all testing and vaccine services are free of charge, and nobody will ever turn up at someone’s home without warning. Those being vaccinated at home will likely be contacted in advance by their local NHS service, or regular district nurse, to arrange an appointment.
An increase in home improvement projects during lockdown provided scammers with new opportunities to rehash old scams.
Over a third (37%) of Which? members surveyed who had an unsolicited door knock said it was someone offering home improvement services.
When two landscapers turned up at Lucy’s, whose name has been changed, front door in Maidenhead last July, offering to tidy up her front garden, she didn’t think it was unusual that they’d asked for the money up front.
She explained: “They said they’d been working on my neighbour’s garden and thought mine looked like it could do with a bit of TLC. It was funny because I’d recently been admiring my neighbour’s new front garden.”
Lucy later found out they weren’t the same traders that had worked on her neighbour’s garden. She has since given up hope of getting any money back.
Unfortunately for Lucy, victims are unlikely to get their money back if they’ve handed over cash.
Cash transactions are also untraceable which makes the perpetrators harder to track down and bring to justice.
Which? advises consumers against buying from unsolicited doorstep sellers. This applies to anyone that calls by who isn’t expected, or who consumers haven’t made an appointment for, such as water or electric meter readings or gas engineers.
If there are any safety fears, police and Trading Standards advise calling 999. This also goes for particularly aggressive traders.
It is banned practice for a trader to refuse to leave your property if you’ve asked, although this may be justified under some circumstances, such as to enforce a contractual obligation.
Consumers should also sign up to Which?’s scam alert service in order to familiarise themselves with some of the latest tactics used by fraudsters, particularly given the explosion of scams since the coronavirus crisis.
Adam French, Which? Consumer Rights Expert, said: “It’s highly concerning that doorstep scammers are back in business and looking to exploit the pandemic in every way they can. We all need to be wary of anyone who knocks on our door unexpectedly.
“Adopting a blanket policy not to buy goods or services offered at the door is a sure-fire way to stop any would-be fraudsters in their tracks. However, if you do decide to purchase something at your door, you should ask the seller for their ID or call the company to verify their identity before making any payments.
“If you encounter a fraudster, you should report this to Action Fraud in England or call Policing Scotland on 101 in Scotland and if you have any safety fears, dial 999 immediately.”
Officers are appealing for information after a teenage girl was assaulted in Davidson’s Mains Park this morning.
Around 8am on Friday, 30 April, the 14-year-old was walking to school on a footpath through the park when she was assaulted by a male suspect. She was not injured and ran off, on the path through the wooded area, towards Barnton Park Avenue.
The male suspect is described as white, around 6ft tall, aged late 30s to early 40s. He is described as being clean shaven with short brown hair. He was wearing a long-sleeved black hooded top, a yellow high visibility vest and black combat style trousers.
Inspector Keith Forrester, of Corstorphine Police Station, said: ” Thankfully the victim was not injured, however understandably this was an upsetting incident for her.
“It happened near to a local school just before the start of the school day and so there may have been numerous people in the area at that time. I am therefore appealing to anyone who was in the Davidson’s Mains Park area this morning, and saw a man matching this description, to get in touch.
“If you were driving past the park at the time and have a dashcam, I would ask you to check back to see if you have captured footage of the suspect.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 1081 of 30 April, 2021
Following an increase in antisocial behaviour in Portobello recently, local officers will be carrying out focused patrols this weekend.
Local community Sergeant Suzie Sandbach of Craigmillar Police Station said: “Officers responded to a number of incidents of anti-social behaviour involving groups of youths in Portobello last weekend.
“Dealing with disorder and antisocial behaviour is a policing priority in Edinburgh and I’d like to reassure residents, visitors and business owners in Portobello that there will be an increased police presence over the coming weekends to disrupt anyone intent on causing trouble.
“Our open spaces and beaches can now be enjoyed by the wider community and beyond, but sadly this can be ruined by the reckless behaviour of a small minority which is often fuelled by alcohol, and will not be tolerated.
“Local officers will continue to remain visible in the area, on mobile, foot or cycle patrol and I ask that if you see any criminality in the area help us hold offenders to account by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.”
Councillors yesterday gave the green light for £450K funding to install temporary public toilets in busy parks and other ‘hotspot’ areas in Edinburgh like the Meadows and Portobello.
Environment Convener Lesley Macinnes, said:“As the weather gets warmer and we ease out of lockdown our beautiful parks, beaches and other open spaces are going to be busier than ever.
“I’m really pleased Council agreed this funding today allowing us to respond so quickly to provide these much needed facilities over the summer months. We’ll publicise the list of temporary public toilets as soon as we have it.”
A drug dealer has been jailed for 45 months after drugs worth an estimated street value of £220,000 were recovered in Edinburgh. Dale Cleeton (28) admitted being concerned in the supply of drugs at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday (Tuesday, 27 April).
A Police Scotland operation between November 2017 and February 2019 recovered significant quantities of cocaine, and smaller quantities of other controlled drugs, at various locations across Edinburgh.
Detective Inspector Mark McCullagh from OCCTU (Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit) East said: “As a result of this operation, a significant quantity of harmful drugs were taken off the streets of Edinburgh, and Dale Cleeton has now been held to account for his actions.
“Drugs can have a devastating impact on communities and officers are working every day to identify those involved in supply and put a stop to their despicable activities.
“Support from members of the public is vital to this work and we would continue to encourage people to engage with the police and pass on any relevant information.
“Anyone with information or concerns about drugs activity in their area can contact Police Scotland through 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
A recent survey found that almost 12% of people in Scotland had experienced at least one form of stalking and harassment in the previous 12 months. As we mark National Stalking Awareness Week, I want to reaffirm the commitment of Scotland’s prosecutors in tackling stalking and protecting victims.
Stalking takes many forms and can involve spying on a victim and monitoring their activities, often through their mobile phone or social media and online accounts, along with a host of other intimidating and intrusive behaviour such as being sent unwanted messages, phone calls, cards and gifts, or being followed or having someone loitering outside their home or work.
Many victims of stalking know their stalker in some way, often as their partner or ex-partner but many others do not. The offence does not only occur in intimate relationships; it can be work related, prompted by an ongoing dispute or as a result of a person’s public profile.For any victim, the experience of being stalked can be frightening and distressing and can have a huge emotional impact.
Stalking is a criminal offence. For a person to be prosecuted for stalking, they must have engaged in a course of conduct on at least two occasions, which caused the victim to suffer fear and alarm where the accused intended or ought to have known that their behaviour would cause fear and alarm.
In isolation, many incidents of stalking might appear innocuous – receiving an unexpected gift could be viewed as a nice surprise – but it is the repeated and unwanted pattern of behaviour which makes it criminal. It is always important to look at the whole picture and the impact on the victim. Regardless of what prompted the behaviour, it can leave victims feeling fearful, powerless and isolated.
While by definition stalking occurs over a period of time, victims do not have to wait years or even months to seek help and support.Scotland’s prosecutors understand the impact of stalking and will always consider the safety of victims when prosecuting stalking offences.
In 2019-2020, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service received more than 1,100 reports of stalking offences from the police. We take every case seriously and are always mindful of the risk of the behaviour escalating.
We know the fixation of a person engaging in stalking behaviour is unlikely to end on arrest and so we take steps to address this.Stalking has been a specific offence in Scotland since 2010, and every COPFS staff member received training following its introduction.
We have come a long way since then. Every victim in a stalking case is now referred to COPFS’s Victim Information and Advice Service (VIA) where specialist staff provide updates and support to victims to help them navigate the prosecution process, and we work closely with police and third sector organisations.
I would urge anyone who has been the victim of this type of offending to report it to the police and seek support.
Police are appealing for information after two “bogus workman” incidents in the Corstorphine area.
The first incident happened at a property on Broomhall Avenue and was reported around 12.35pm Wednesday (21 April).
Two unidentified men claimed to have carried out work on a neighbour’s roof which had extended to the house owner’s property.
They persuaded the resident to give them a low three figure sum of money for their work. It eventually turned out now work had been carried out.
The second incident happened at Craigmount Place in Edinburgh around 10.45am and again involved two men attempting to persuade work was needed on the roof of an elderly resident’s property.
However, they ultimately left empty handed after the resident spoke to his bank who raised concerns this may be fraudulent.
Both incidents are being treated as linked and enquiries are ongoing.
Both men are white. One was in his mid to late 40s, of slim build with short brown hair. He was wearing a red jumper and brown trousers. The second is described as wearing a dark jumper.They were using a white panel van.
Detective Constable Jenna Lawrie of Corstorphine Police Station said: “We are carrying out extensive enquiries to identify these men and would urge anyone else who believes they may have seen him to get in touch.
“We would urge everyone to be wary if anyone attending unexpectedly at your property and always to ask for identification.
“False callers are often well practiced and can be very convincing. A genuine caller will expect you to check for identification and will not put you under any pressure if you check.
“Anyone who has information about these incidents is asked to call 101, quoting incident 1283 of 21 April, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
