Tag: lothian and borders police

Shipshape initiative targets litter in Leith

A community project to improve the appearance of Leith’s streets got underway today. Shipshape Leith is a three-week initiative organised by the City of Edinburgh Council and  Lothian and Borders Police following consultation with local residents and  businesses. 

The initiative will see graffiti, stickers, posters and cable ties being removed from bins, lamp posts,  street signs, bus stops, post boxes and telephone boxes. Streets being targeted  are Leith Walk, Easter Road, Bonnington Road, Broughton Street, Duke Street,  Newhaven Place to Salamander Street, North Junction Street, Great Junction  Street and Constitution Street.

Local residents can play their part too – as part of the initiative a Volunteer Day has been organised for this Friday (16 November) in Constitution  Street which will involve residents and representatives from the business  community joining council staff and police in a clean up.

Councillor Lesley Hinds,  Environment Convener, said: “The community spirit on display in Leith shows what  can be achieved when everyone comes together with a common goal. At the end of  the day the winners from this initiative are going to be those people who live  and work in the area. No one likes seeing their  streets looking untidy so I am sure the work planned over the coming weeks will  have a positive impact. It is something everyone can take immense satisfaction  and pride from. One of our key partnership  commitments of the Capital Coalition is to maintain and improve the quality of life in Edinburgh and Shipshape  Leith is a fine example of this in action.”

Sergeant  Gordon Duff, from Lothian and  Borders Police, said: “This  initiative is a fantastic example of just some of the joint working that is  being undertaken around the Kirkgate and Great Junction Street areas of  Leith. Lothian and Borders  Police is committed to identifying young people who are carrying out antisocial  behaviour in the area, working with partners to address their behaviour and use  solutions such as diversionary activities to ensure a long-term and sustainable  change.”

Anyone wanting to take part  in the Shipshape Leith Volunteer Day in Constitution Street should meet at the  Kirkgate Victoria Monument at 9.30am on Friday 16 November.

People taking part in the  three-week initiative include Council staff from various departments,  the Leith Police Safer Neighbourhood Team and Community Payback  offenders.

Fireworks night passes off peacefully

Bonfire, Wester Drylaw Place

It’s the busiest time of year for the emergency services, but last night’s 5 November celebrations passed off relatively peacefully in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service received around 400 calls over 24 hours, a figure slightly down on previous years. Crews attended 140 bonfires across the force area and extinguished 78 of these.

Sadly, police had to come to the rescue of firefighters who came under attack while carrying out their duties at two separate incidents.

Bonfire, Muirhouse Green

 

 

Fireworks warning to West Pilton parents

Police and Council officers in Edinburgh will be visiting parents in West Pilton in a bid to tackle the issue of fireworks being set off and fires being started in the area. Police officers from the Safer Neighbourhood Team and city council Community Safety Team staff are visiting the homes of youths identified or suspected of setting off fireworks and fire-starting after recent incidents.

Officers have being doing additional patrols in West Pilton over the last fortnight to deter youths from throwing fireworks and, as a result of their investigations, several youths have been identified as being responsible for dangerous behaviour in the area.

Joint Police and Council follow-up visits are being carried out over the next few weeks and the parents of youths involved will be warned over their children’s behaviour. Officers will also be urging parents to take additional steps to ensure their children are not involved in behaviour which causes a risk to the community.

Inspector Mark Rennie of Drylaw Police Station said “We have had two very concerning fires in West Pilton over the last month and several worrying incidents involving fireworks. This type of risk-taking behaviour will not be tolerated. We have additional officers on patrol and we are also highlighting the problem to local shop owners but speaking to parents about the recent incidents and potential consequences is a key part of our response”.

Councillor Cammy Day, Community Safety Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The joint visits are designed to make the position clear to parents – they are responsible for the behaviour of their children. We will carry out an investigation and look at potential breaches of their tenancy agreements and possible legal action should they not heed the warnings given to them. A key commitment of the Capital Coalition is to strengthen and support our communities and keep them safe. We will not hesitate to take the strongest possible action against those responsible for fire raising and other acts of antisocial behaviour.”

Anyone with information regarding fire setting in the area is asked to contact, Lothian and Borders Police 0131 311 3131 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Jewellery theft at Western General

Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for witnesses following the theft of two rings worth £10,000 at the Western General Hospital last week.

The incident happened around 3.15pm last Tuesday (23 October). A 33-year-old woman was in one of the bathrooms and took off her wedding ring and eternity ring off to wash her hands. After leaving the bathroom, she realised she’d left her rings inside and when she returned to retrieve them, she found they were gone. Neither item was handed in to security, so the woman has contacted police to report them stolen.

The wedding ring is a platinum band with a single one carat diamond while the eternity ring is platinum with around 24 diamonds around the circumference. The rings (pictured below) have a combined value of around£10,000.

A police spokesman said: “The woman has been left devastated at the loss of her rings and is desperate to have them returned to her as soon as possible. Anyone who comes into possession of the rings is asked to hand them in to their local police station. We would also ask that anyone who can assist with our enquiries into this theft contacts police immediately.”

Anyone with information can contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.

Police activity stepped up in Stockbridge

Lothian and Borders Police investigating a sexually motivated assault in the Stockbridge area have carried out a weekend of activity, a week after the attack.

A 23-year-old woman was returning home from a night out in Fredrick Street and had walked onto St Vincent Street when a man grabbed her from behind. The victim was forced to the ground but screamed loudly during the struggle and the suspect made off.

Over the past weekend plain-clothes and uniformed police patrolled the area between 11pm and 4am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.

Officers spoke with members of the public who were returning home or travelling through the New Town and Stockbridge area to establish if they’d been there the previous week and witnessed anything suspicious.

High-visibility reassurance patrols were also deployed throughout Stockbridge to engage with the local community and over 60 questionnaires were issued relating to last week’s assault.

As part of the policing activity, basement areas and secluded spots in and around Stockbridge were searched for anything of evidential value.

The area in and around Cumberland Street was also included during police patrols, as officers continue to investigate whether a similar attack, which took place on Saturday 29 September, is linked to this incident.

Detective Sergeant Lynsey Thomson praised the assistance of the public so far, but urged anyone who can help bring the suspect to justice to come forward.

DS Thomson said: “It’s now been a week since the victim was subjected to this terrifying ordeal and so it seemed appropriate to re-visit the area in the hope of talking to people who may have been there last week.

“Local residents, dog walkers, early morning commuters and taxi drivers were all spoken to during this time to determine whether they were in or around St Vincent Street in the early hours of last Sunday morning and whether they remember seeing or hearing anything suspicious.

“The response from those we spoke to was positive and we will now go through the statements and questionnaires we completed and progress the enquiry from there.

“Our reassurance patrols were undoubtedly a comfort to those who live in and frequent the Stockbridge area and these will continue for as long as is required.

“I would urge anyone who has yet to speak to police, but who may have vital information that can help identify the man responsible for this attack to contact us immediately.”

Anyone with information can contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.

Police seek witnesses after Pilton fireworks incidents

Police are appealing for witnesses after a series of incidents involving the reckless discharge of fireworks in the West Pilton area. From Tuesday night into the early hours of Wednesday morning (October 16 and 17), there were a number of incidents reported to police involving a group of youths who were setting off fireworks.

The most serious incident happened just after midnight in West Pilton Drive, where a firework was forced into a garage adjoining a house, causing a fire to break out. The fire service was called to the property to extinguish the blaze, which caused limited damage. No one was injured in the incident.

DC Rachael Robertson from Lothian and Borders Police said: “Thankfully the fire was dealt with swiftly, however there was the potential for far more serious consequences as a result of this reckless criminal act. At present officers are carrying out enquiries in the area, including the use of CCTV, in an attempt to identify the youths responsible. We would appeal to anyone who witnessed any fireworks being set off in the Pilton area overnight to come forward. Anyone else who has any information that can assist us in identifying the youths responsible should also get in touch.”

Anyone with any information should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.

Five charged following East Pilton drugs raid

Police in Edinburgh have seized close to £100,000 worth of drugs following enquiries carried out in relation to drug-related criminality in the Capital.

A total of five men have been arrested and charged in connection with alleged drugs offences following an enquiry that culminated in a raid on a property in East Pilton Farm Avenue yesterday (Wednesday 10 October ), where a large quantity of herbal cannabis was seized. The total estimated value of herbal cannabis seized as part of this enquiry is £37,500, and three men, aged 49, 32, and 43, are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today in connection with yesterday’s seizure.

In a separate enquiry, officers seized amphetamine and cannabis worth an estimated £56,250 following a raid on an address in Lorne Street yesterday. A total of £4,445 in cash was also seized. A 32-year-old man and 30-year-old woman were arrested and charged in connection with alleged drugs offences, and are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow (Friday 12 October).

Detective Inspector John Kavanagh said: “These seizures come as part of our ongoing commitment towards tackling drug-related crime in the Capital. We rely on the public to provide us with information on drug dealers or any other serious and organised criminality taking place in local communities, and I would urge anyone with information to contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.”

Police probe suspicious fire at PEP

Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for witnesses following a suspicious fire in West Pilton Park. The incident happened around 7.45pm on Monday (8 October), when two wheelie bins were pushed up against the wall of the Pilton Equalities Project (PEP) before being set alight.

No damage was sustained to the building and no one was injured during the incident, but police are urging anyone who can assist with their enquiries to come forward. Officers carrying out local enquiries to identify those responsible are particularly keen to speak to two youths who were known to be in the area at the time.

A police spokesman said: “This reckless act of vandalism could have potentially injured members of the public or, indeed, the suspects themselves. Anyone who was in or around West Pilton Park and remembers seeing anything suspicious is asked to contact police immediately.”

Anyone with any information can contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.

Primary care – Travel Safe Charter launched

A new resource to help improve road safety education has been launched in primary schools across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Scottish Borders. The Travel Safe Charter is a unique approach to promoting safe road practises to young people, seeking a commitment from schools and other agencies to develop curricular activities and partnership working.

Scotland’s national Road Safety Framework aims to reduce road deaths by 50 per cent through 2020 and the Travel Safe Charter has been designed to promote these key visions to all Pl – P7 year groups within our schools. The Charter provides advice and guidance on a range of policies, practices and procedures while encouraging and rewarding individual efforts. It will fit within the existing Curriculum for Excellence framework.

Travel Safe will reinforce and consolidate current good practices, whilst highlighting partnership working, parental input and involvement from the local community. All schools will submit evidence demonstrating that they have achieved the goals set within the Travel Charter framework and will be acknowledged accordingly through the award of a Charter certificate. The schools adjudged to be meeting these criteria will be given Travel Safe accreditation, which will be reviewed after three years.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill showed his support and helped launch the campaign at Duddingston Primary School yesterday.

Police believe Travel Safe will be a very useful tool to ensure a more sustainable approach to road safety education in primary schools. Chief Inspector Jim Royan from Lothian and Borders Police Safer Communities said: “As part of the Edinburgh Road Safety Partnership’s commitment to education, the Travel Safe Charter has been introduced to assist primary schools developing road safety education as a more vital part of the curriculum. Too many lives are lost needlessly on our roads each year and the earlier we can educate young people on road safety issues the better.

” School is where children receive the vast majority of their education and it’s appropriate for schools to play a key role in promoting road safety to their pupils. However, they are not alone in this project and police and partner agencies will provide all the necessary support and guidance schools require when adapting their curricular programme. We are also keen to get parents more involved and would encourage anyone who would like to assist with road safety education to respond to local school appeals for volunteers.”

Duddingston Depute Head Teacher Sara Webster said: “We are very excited about being part of the new Travel Safe Charter. Road safety is a skill for life which we feel is part of our responsibility asking children to assess and manage risk to protect themselves in the 21st century.”

Missing medication appeal

Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for information after a packet of prescription painkillers were lost in Edinburgh on Wednesday (October 4). The box of MST continus were lost around 2pm on Telford Road near the entrance to the Western General Hospital.

A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “This medication should only be taken by the person it is prescribed to, and could have significant health implications if taken by anyone else. Anyone who finds this box of seven tablets should contact police immediately, or hand them in to their local pharmacy or police station.”

Anyone with any information should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.