POLICE are appealing for information after a 19-year-old man suffered serious injuries after being assaulted in Tollcross. The incident happened shortly after 12am yesterday (Friday, 15 September) in Brougham Street.
The man was approached by a group of three male youths and subsequently assaulted. He required treatment at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to injuries sustained in the incident.
One of the youths is described as about 16-years-old, clean shaven, tall with brown hair and a fringe. He was of stocky build and wearing a black jacket, grey bottoms and black shoes.
The second was also about 16-years-old, white, clean shaven and wearing a grey hooded top with grey jogging bottoms. He was riding a dark coloured bike with white writing
The third was a younger male, white, small and of thin build with blonde hair. He was wearing a black hooded top and black tracksuit bottoms.
Detective Sergeant Steven Dick said: “Our enquiries into this incident are ongoing and I would urge anyone who may have information which could help to get in touch.
“Enquiries so far have established the three youths had been in the city centre on Lothian Road and the Meadows prior to and after the assault.
“If you believe you have may have seen them or have any other information relating to the assault please come forward. We would also be keen to speak to anyone who may have dashcam or private CCTV footage from the area.
“Anyone who can help is asked to call 101, quoting reference 0226 of 15 September, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
ACTIVISTSmarked the anniversary of the enactment of the 1967 Abortion Act, which legalised abortion in Britain, at an event on Lothian Road yesterday.
Also marking the significant date, but for different reasons, were pro-life group SPUC, who held a simultaneous Pro-life Chain event.
Abortion Rights Scotland’s Audrey Brown (above) said: “NHS Scotland has long supported women to make their own choices about pregnancy.
“Abortion care is extremely safe, and in fact is safer than continuing a pregnancy. NHS doctors, nurses and midwives working in abortion care are trained to provide a safe and supportive service.
“The majority of women now choose early medical abortion in the privacy of their own home. Restricting access to abortion won’t stop abortion, it will push it underground and make it less safe.
“We must continue to support free, safe and legal NHS abortion care.”
A number of politicians showed their support at the demo. Among them were Edinburgh East MP Tommy Sheppard.
Detectives in Edinburgh have released images of a woman who may be able to assist an investigation into an assault which occurred on Lothian Road on Saturday 19 November 2022, around 3.30am.
The woman is described as white, 5’4″ – 5’6″, of medium build, in her mid to late 20’s, with long shoulder length blonde hair.
She was wearing a beige/cream shirt-dress and white boots with a black handbag.
Detective Constable Neill Watt said: “Our enquiries into the incident are ongoing and we would urge the woman or anyone who recognises her, or anyone with any other information to please get in touch.
“You can call 101, quoting reference 0570 of 19 November, 2022, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Festival Square on Lothian Road will host the McDonald’s Fun Football Festival AND the Happy Readers Book Tour from Saturday 3rd September
McDonald’s is committed to supporting families across the UK and regularly provides community activities in the areas surrounding its restaurants. This weekend is no different with two free activities specifically for local children, arriving at Festival Square in Edinburgh.
In a bid to provide more children across the UK with access to the joy of reading, McDonald’s has launched the Happy Readers Book Tour, which will help distribute free books to children at 16 locations across the UK and Ireland.
The tour will arrive at Festival Square in Edinburgh on Saturday 3rd September.
Inside the bus, free books will be handed out, with different titles catering to children from age 4-11. As well as the books, there will be activity sheets, digital animation screens, ‘read-a-longs’, bubble machines and free Happy Readers bookmarks designed specifically to help children with dyslexia.
The second free event is the Fun Football Festival, which will celebrate the summer of sport in style, with more kids than ever feeling inspired to take up football after watching the Home Nations compete on the European stage.
The Fun Football Festival will be open on Saturday 3rd September and Sunday 4th September, between 11.30am and 6pm, giving hundreds of 5–11-year-olds the opportunity to enjoy football for free!
Families will be able to take part in the introductory coaching sessions under the guidance of top football coaches and a series of inflatable* Fun Football experiences, including a Dribble Tunnel and Speed of Shot, aimed at inspiring children of all backgrounds and abilities to give football a go.
The festivals are just one part of the McDonald’s Fun Football programme that will deliver over 10.5 million hours of Fun Football over the course of the next four years making it the largest grassroots participation programme in the UK.
The programme will be delivered in collaboration with the Irish FA, Scottish FA, The Football Association of Wales and a network of national coaching providers with regular sessions taking place throughout the year across the UK.
For further information on McDonald’s involvement in grassroots football and to find out how your club could benefit, visit the website, or follow @FunFootballUK on Twitter and Instagram.
For parents looking for free ways to keep their kids active and entertained over the weekend, look no further than the Happy Readers Book Tour and Fun Football Festivals, providing free fun for the whole family to get involved with.
POLICE are appealing for the public’s help as part of their efforts to trace Plamen Todorov (22) reported missing from Edinburgh.
Plamen was last seen leaving his work on Lothian Road at around 11.30pm on Thursday night (14th July, 2022). He has not been seen since and there are concerns for his welfare.
Plamen is described as a white male, slim build, around 5ft 5inches, with short dark hair and slight facial hair.He was last seen wearing a dark jacket, beige trousers/chinos, a large yellow rucksack and was seen with a grey and red mountain bike.
Anyone who may have seen Plamen, or who has any information on his whereabouts, is urged to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 2518 of 15th July 2022.
A 36 year old man has been arrested after five people were hit by a car in Edinburgh city centre in the early hours of this morning.He will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow.
Police Scotland received reports of the pedestrians being struck on Rose Street, near its junction with Frederick Street, at about 00:40 this morning.
Two men, aged 39 and 60-years old, and three women, aged 37, 22 and 65, were all taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
All five are in a ‘stable’ condition.
The car failed to stop at the scene and continued on to Lothian Road where it was involved in a crash with another vehicle. No further people were injured.
A 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow.
Lothian Road remains closed up to the West Approach Road junction.
Free to attend programme online and at St. John’s Church, Princes Street from 6th – 30th August
Edinburgh’s social justice and human rights festival is coming of age this summer with its biggest event yet.
Among the headline offerings are a poignant new choral work, No Alleluias: A Requiem for 2020, specially commissioned to celebrate the festival’s 21st birthday and an online appearance by former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen (below) who spent several weeks in intensive care after contracting Covid-19.
Both reflect on the extraordinary experiences faced during the past year and Rosen – “not dead yet,” he says – considers how we can emerge from the pandemic with a more equal future.
Originally established as the Festival of Spirituality and Peace, Just Festival celebrates humanity in all its differences and encourages the exploration of new perspectives in the hope of reducing religious, political and social intolerance.
Festival director Helen Trew says: “The last year has shattered many illusions and laid bare the inequality at the heart of our society. So, as we come of age, it is time to put our shoulder to the wheel of a better, fairer, inclusive future for us all.”
Running from 6th – 30th August, the festival features a range of innovative events and art installations presented, through a blend of digital discussion and performance plus live audience event, in St John’s Church and the surrounding area.
The No Alleluias requiem, a mix of live and virtual choir, was inspired by preacher and theologian Rev Dr Karen George Thompson and describes her experience of last Easter Sunday.
Having lost her father to Covid and been infected with the virus herself, she also saw her community suffer and found the uplifting Easter message replaced with melancholy.
The resulting choral work, composed by Anthony Hammond with lyrics by Robert Rae, is an extraordinarily moving piece and will help close this year’s festival.
The programme also includes:
a live installation of Peace Cranes when 140,000 origami birds will be positioned throughout St John’s Church as symbols of hope for inter-generational justice and a call for a solution to the nuclear and climate emergencies;
Photography under Siege, an exhibition of photographer Mahmoud al Khurd’s images of life in Gaza today and an evening of music and conversation with Northern Irish peace activist Tommy Sands.
And the Cabaret of Dangerous ideas returns this year, looking at issues including children’s access to nature and outdoor play, debating whether we need to-re-wild youngsters.
With the exception of the No Alleluias performance, all events are free to attend, although a donation is suggested to support the festival whose main sponsors this year are Elephants in Action, a part of ELE Global, with support from EventScotland, Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund and the Culture & Business Fund Scotland, managed by Arts & Business Scotland.
Helen Foord, CEO and founder of ELE Global comments: “The team is delighted to be supporting Just Festival again, helping to celebrate 21 fantastic years.
“And we’re proud to be associated with an event whose values of tolerance and encouraging new ways of looking at the world are ever more important in these challenging times.”
Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, said: “The Just Festival is a timely event that I am sure will spark engaging debate while offering a welcome return to in-person experiences for audiences alongside its impressive virtual programme and I am delighted that EventScotland has been able to support it through Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund.”
The Cockburn Association has submitted its formal response to the @Filmhouse (Centre of Moving Image) planning application to build a new centre for film in Festival Square.
After ‘prolonged & careful consideration’, Edinburgh’s Civic Trust will be objecting to this proposal:
Detectives are appealing for information and witnesses following a serious assault which took place in Lothian Road onTuesday.
The incident happened outside the Salvation Army shop at around 7.55pm on Tuesday, 1 September.
The victim, a 52-year-old man, was attacked by another man who then ran south along Earl Grey Street in the company of a woman.
The victim was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment.
Detective Sergeant John Dunn, from Edinburgh CID, said: “We understand that there may have been several people nearby who witnessed the assault take place and are appealing for them to come forward.
“At least one of these people helped treat the victim prior to the ambulance’s arrival.
“Anyone with information should contact police on 101, quoting incident 3304 of 1 September. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, if you wish to remain anonymous.”
Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information following an armed robbery in the city centre.
The incident happened around 2.45am yesterday (Thursday, 6 August, 2020) when a man entered the Costcutter Store on Lothian Road and threatened a member of staff with a knife.
He then demanded money from the till drawer before leaving on foot in the direction of Princes Street with a small quantity of cash.
The suspect is described as a white man, around 5ft 8in tall and of a slim build. At the time of the incident he was wearing a black hooded top, black tracksuit bottoms, grey woollen gloves and his face was covered with black sunglasses and a red scarf.
Detective Sergeant Keith Taylor, of Edinburgh CID, said: “Thankfully nobody has been injured as a result of this incident but the member of staff has been left evidently shaken.
“Although this happened in the early hours of the morning, I would ask that if anyone noticed a man matching this description or anyone acting suspicious in the area to get in contact with police.
“I would also ask if anyone has any dashcam or CCTV footage of the surrounding area and may have information that could assist with our investigation to come forward.
“Police can be contacted on 101 quoting incident number 0400 of Thursday, 6 August, 2020. Alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
