Police are appealing for information after a man was seriously injured in a disturbance within a property at Craigentinny Road.
The incident happened around 9.10pm on Thursday night (26 November).
A 22-year-old man suffered serious injuries during the incident and was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment – his condition is described as stable.
Officers are investigating and are particularly keen to identify four people seen in a vehicle leaving the area in the direction of Portobello after the incident.
Detective Sergeant Keith Taylor of the Edinburgh Violence Reduction Unit said: “We are working to establish the full circumstances of this violent attack.
“Our enquiries so far suggest this was a targeted incident and there was no risk to the wider public.”We would urge anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity around Craigentinny Road during Thursday evening to get in touch as soon as possible.
“We would be particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have private CCTV or dashcam footage.
“Anyone who can help is asked to call 101, quoting incident 3352 of 26 November, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
As we approach the festive period and darker nights, it’s a good time to review security of your home, says Police Scotland.
Do you keep your keys in view of a window? If you have an alarm, do you use it, is it zoned? Have you recorded the serial numbers for your electrical equipment? Are your valuables easily accessible? Have you uploaded your photos to the cloud or onto a hard drive? Here’s a few tips
:• Ensure your locks are tested to British Standard or meet the needs of your insurance company.
• Keep doors and windows locked.
• Keep car keys secure and hidden.
• If you are out whilst it is dark, consider fitting light timers or leaving a light on.
• Fit outside security lights, either motion senor or dusk to dawn.
• Window locks should be fitted where appropriate and used all the time. Do not leave the key in the lock.
• Mark all the electrical equipment with an ultraviolet marker pen
• At the front of the house hedges or trees should be trimmed or cropped so as not to provide cover for thieves.
• Laptop computers and mobile phones are favourite housebreaking targets. These should be locked away or removed from view. Add tracking software to smart phones, laptops and Ipads to aid in the recovery of these items
• Consider investing in a safe or strong box for storage of cash and valuables. A safe should be securely fixed to the fabric of the building and should only be used for short-term storage of cash.
Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information following an assault and robbery in Leith.
At around 2.10pm on Tuesday (24 November) two men and a woman forced entry into a property on Buchanan Street where a 45-year-old man was assaulted and various personal items were stolen.
He was taken to The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment of serious but not life threatening injuries.
The first suspect is described as a white man, around 5ft 10in tall, of a large build and in his 20s. A second man is described as white, around 5ft 7in tall with a thin build and in his 30s.
Both men were wearing dark clothing, black beanie hats and black surgical masks.
The female suspect is described as white, around 5ft 5in tall with long hip length auburn hair. At the time of the incident, she was wearing a red and black checked shirt, pink trainers and spoke with a local accent.
Detective Sergeant Keith Taylor, of Edinburgh CID, said: “We are appealing to members of the public who may have seen anyone matching these descriptions around the time of the incident.
“The three suspects headed off in the direction of Iona Street towards Easter Road.”I would ask if you were in the area and noticed anyone acting suspicious that you contact police.
“If you have any CCTV, mobile phone or dashcam footage the could assist with our investigation, please get in touch with officers.
“Police can be contacted by calling 101 and quoting incident number 1641 of Tuesday, 24 November, 2020 or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Police are re-appealing for witnesses to come forward following a road crash on Portobello High Street in which a local 36-year-old woman died.
At around 2.45pm on Monday, 2 November, Heather Stronach (36), died after she and her bike were involved in a collision with a lorry on Portobello High Street at its junction with Sir Harry Lauder Road.
Sergeant Mark Banner, from Police Scotland’s Road Policing Unit, said:”We would like to hear from anyone who was in the area and saw the collision take place to come forward if they have not already done so.
“I am particularly keen to speak to two car drivers who may be able to assist. The first was in a car stationary at the junction of Sir Harry Lauder Road, and the other was in a small black car on Portobello High Street. They may have information that could prove very helpful to our enquiry.
“Also, we’d still appeal to any pedestrians who were there or to anyone who has dashcam or CCTV footage from the street around 2.45pm to get in touch. Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 1829 of 2 November.”
A two-year-old boy has died after being found seriously injured in a flat in Muirhouse Place West, local police have confirmed.
Chief Inspector David Happs, from Drylaw Police Station, said: “Around 9.30am on Saturday, 21 November, 2020, officers and emergency services were called to an address in the Muirhouse area where a two-year-old child was found seriously injured.
The wee boy, who has now been named as Julius Czapla, was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.
“A 40-year-old man has been arrested in connection with this incident, enquiries are at an early stage and ongoing.
“We understand an incident such as this can cause distress and alarm to the local community. There will be a continued police presence in the area as we conduct enquiries.”
“Anyone with information that may assist the investigation should report this to Police on 101, quoting incident number 1010 of 21 November.”
A 46-year-old man has been sentenced to nine years for serious sexual offences committed between 1989 and 2005 at the Edinburgh High Court yesterday.
John Hoy was found guilty in October, 2020 to carrying out a number serious sexual offences including rape.
Detectives from Police Scotland’s Public Protection Unit in Edinburgh began an investigation into Hoy after a woman came forward to report the non-recent sexual abuse he had subjected her to. He was subsequently arrested and charged on 31 October, 2018.
Detective Sergeant Alan Sharp, of Edinburgh’s Public Protection Unit, said: “Firstly, my thoughts continue to be with victims and the courage they displayed during the investigation. Hoy would have gone un-punished had it not been for them, but now he will spend time in jail.
“I would urge anyone who wishes to report sexual crime, regardless of when it happened to contact us so we can conduct a thorough investigation.”
If you have concerns or information these can be reported to Police Scotland on 101 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
John Paul Hoy, who was formerly a member of the Queen’s Balmoral Guard, was sentenced for a campaign of sexual abuse against children.
An NSPCC Scotland spokesperson said: “Hoy subjected these young girls to terrifying ordeals, and the crimes he committed against them was abhorrent. They have shown immense bravery in speaking out.
“Cases such as these show that people who experience sexual abuse will be listened to and justice can be achieved. It is so important that these girls receive the support they need to recover.
“NSPCC Scotland works to prevent abuse and neglect and anyone worried about a child or about past abuse can contact our helpline to seek advice.”
Anyone concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000, while Childline is there for young people on 0800 1111 or via www.childline.org.uk
Police working on the investigation into the assaults of two women in Edinburgh are appealing for information to identify potential witnesses.
The incidents happened on Sunday, 25 October, 2020 in Cranston Street and West College Street. A 24-year-old man has been charged in connection with both incidents.
Police are appealing for anyone who was in the area between 6am and 9am and who may have any information that will assist their ongoing enquiries to come forward.
Police Scotland can be contacted on 101 quoting reference number 0905 of 25 October. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.
Police are appealing for information following an assault and robbery in Roseburn.
The incident happened at round 8pm last night (Wednesday 18 November), when a 15-year-old male youth was assaulted and robbed outside a supermarket on Roseburn Terrace.
A black Nike bag with various personal items was stolen and the boy was taken to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children for treatment of minor injuries.
The suspects are described as three white men aged between 17 and 18-years-old and were all wearing face masks.
The first suspect was wearing a light coloured tracksuit with a black fur lined jacket and all black trainers.
Suspects two and three are described as wearing black hoodies, bottoms and trainers.
It is also reported that one of the men involved may have spoken with a scouse or Liverpudlian accent.
Detective Sergeant Rory Legge, of Edinburgh CID, said: “The boy involved has thankfully only sustained minor injuries but has been left evidently shaken by what has happened.
“The incident took place near a busy supermarket and we are asking members of the public to come forward with any information they may have.
“If you were in the area at the time and have any dashcam or mobile phone footage that could assist with our investigation I would urge you to contact police. I would also ask if you find a black Nike rucksack that you speak to officers.
“Police can be contacted by calling 101 and quoting incident number 3277 of Wednesday, 18 November, 2020.”
Eleven local authorities are to move into the highest protection level as efforts continue to suppress the incidence of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the weeks up to Christmas.
Speaking in parliament this afternoon, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also announced that travel restrictions will be put into law to prevent people who live in a Level 3 or Level 4 local authority area from travelling outside their local authority except for an essential purpose – such as work or caring responsibilities.
The regulations also non-essential travel into a Level 3 or 4 local authority area, except for the same reasons.
The changes to protection levels will come into effect at 6pm on Friday (20 November) and will remain in place for three weeks until Friday 11 December.
The City of Glasgow, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, Stirling and West Lothian will move from Level 3 – where they have been since the new levels system was announced – to Level 4.
The City of Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, Dundee, Fife, Perth & Kinross and Angus will all remain at Level 3.
Restrictions around outdoor socialising for those in Level 1 are to be extended to allow eight people from three households to meet outdoors. Previously only six people from two households were permitted to meet outdoors.
The First Minister said: “In the seven days up to Friday, Scotland as a whole had just over 140 new cases of COVID per 100,000 people. All of the areas moving to Level 4 were above that level – ranging from West Lothian, with a rate of 158 cases per 100,000, to Glasgow with 277.
“We simply do not have the assurance we need that hospital and ICU services will be able to cope as we go deeper into winter. Pressure on hospitals in these areas – and on those who work in them – is already severe and with the additional pressure that the coming weeks may bring, it could easily become intolerable.
“At these levels we would not have the flexibility we need to ease restrictions over Christmas – which, in common with the other UK nations, we so desperately want to do.
“The clear advice of our public health experts is that we must drive infection rates down further in these areas. They are not confident that Level 3 restrictions will do this to the extent necessary.
“That is why, albeit reluctantly, we have taken the decision to place these areas into Level 4 for three weeks. I know people are frustrated that other restrictions have remained in place longer than planned but Level 4 is intended to be short and sharp. And in this situation, it is specifically intended to have an impact in advance of Christmas and the most winter challenging period.
“Our objective in taking this action now is to protect the NHS, open the possibility of seeing some loved ones at Christmas and complete the journey to next spring with as few restrictions as possible and with the minimum impact on life and health.”
Following the announcement from the First Minister that the majority of Local Authority areas within the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area have been placed in Level 4 and additional protective measures will come into effect from 20 November, NHSGGC Chief Executive, Jane Grant said: “We understand that for many the increased COVID measures that have been announced today will be disappointing.
“However, given the increased pressures on our essential services and the rising number of people in our hospitals with COVID, we are hopeful that these measures will help to drive the number of cases in our area down and help to protect our local communities.
“We currently have more than 700 people in our hospitals with COVID, this number has been increasing steadily for a number of weeks. Our staff and services are under the same levels of pressure as they were at the peak of the first COVID wave so we hope these new measures will help us to continue to provide vital services and support to our staff, patients and their loved ones.”
Responding to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement in the Scottish Parliament yesterday, the SLTA’s managing director, Colin Wilkinson, said: “This is the worst possible news for the licensed hospitality industry and there will be many operators who will now be seriously considering if their businesses have a future at all – that’s how serious the situation is.
“Many operators in levels two and three areas have already taken the reluctant decision to close down their businesses as it is simply unviable to operate with the current restrictions on the sale of alcohol and the operating times that are currently in place. Even hotels and restaurants serving food feel defeated by these unnecessarily complex and ever-changing guidelines.
“Moving into level four suggests that the closing of pubs and bars in October in five health board areas, prior to the introduction of the tier system, has done little to bring down the rate of Covid-19 infections,” said Mr Wilkinson. “And yet again, there has been no meaningful engagement with our industry and there has been no evidence to prove that the virus is being spread within the licensed hospitality sector.
“We reiterate that we support the goal of suppressing the virus – of course we do,” he continued. “But we also reiterate that we are a sector in crisis with hundreds of businesses facing permanent closure and thousands of jobs hanging in the balance. Sadly, for some, the damage is already irreparable.”
Meanwhile, an SLTA survey of 600 on-trade premises highlighted that within the pub and bar sector, 50,000 jobs could go. The trade body estimates that two-thirds of hospitality businesses could be mothballed or go under in the coming weeks.
Over 50% of jobs in the pub and bar sector could also be lost which will have a particularly deep impact on the employment of young people as over 45% of staff employed are under the age of 25.
Mr Wilkinson added:“Closing these businesses also brings additional immediate financial costs for operators with the cost of actually closing a small wet pub around £2,000, a medium food pub around £6,000 and a large pub between £8,000 and £10,000.
“There are also the ongoing costs while closed which fall far short of support grants currently in place.An SLTA survey revealed that the average fixed costs over a wide range of licensed hospitality business types came to over £11,000 per month.”
Responding to the announcement that 11 council areas will move into Tier 4 restrictions from Friday, CAMRA Scotland’s Director Joe Crawford said: “Pubs in all tiers across the country have been feeling the devastating effects of restrictions on their businesses. Being moved up to Tier 4 will be a devastating blow for pubs in these 11 council areas.
“Many publicans are understandably worried about how and when these restrictions will end and whether they will be able to survive the tough weeks and months ahead.
“We urgently need a long-term, sector- specific support package to help our locals – and the breweries that serve them – survive the winter.
“Lockdowns and restrictions across all tiers has decimated trade and knocked long-term consumer confidence in pubs as a safe, Covid-secure place to meet. Entering the highest tier is putting more local pubs in an untenable position to make it through this crisis.
“Simply put, without greater financial support, we risk seeing hindreds of Scottish pubs and breweries close their doors for good.”
POLICE SCOTLAND are asking the public to comply with the restrictions announced today by The Scottish Government to stop the spread of #Coronavirus.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs said: “We are asking people to take personal responsibility to do the right thing and remember the purpose of these measures is to aid the collective effort to protect the NHS and save lives by preventing the virus from spreading.
“As we have consistently said throughout the pandemic, the vast majority of the public have been complying with the regulations.
“People have been exceptionally quick to act when new restrictions are introduced. The mandatory wearing of face coverings in shops is evidence of this. Scotland is, generally, a law-abiding nation and I fully expect that public support to continue as these new measures are introduced.
“Therefore, the policing approach we adopted from the outset of the pandemic will not change. Our officers will continue to engage with the public, explain the legislation and guidance, and encourage compliance.
“We will use enforcement as a last resort where there is a clear breach of the legislation.
“The Chief Constable has said publicly on numerous occasions that we will not be routinely stopping vehicles or setting up road blocks, and that will not change as a result of travel restrictions now being in law.
“However, officers may in the course of their duties come across people who are travelling from one local authority area to another. In areas where travel restrictions apply, officers will continue to use the common sense, discretion and excellent judgement that they have applied since the crisis began.”
Updated travel guidance will be published ahead of the travel regulations being introduced on Friday 20 November.
From 6pm Friday 20 November, the level allocations will be:
Level 1: Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar Highland Moray Orkney Shetland
Level 2: Aberdeen City Aberdeenshire Argyll and Bute Borders Dumfries and Galloway
Level 3: Angus Clackmannanshire Dundee City Edinburgh Falkirk Fife Inverclyde North Ayrshire Perth and Kinross
East Lothian and Midlothian will remain in Level 3 until Tuesday 24 November when they will move to Level 2.
Level 4: East Ayrshire East Dunbartonshire East Renfrewshire Glasgow North Lanarkshire Renfrewshire South Ayrshire South Lanarkshire Stirling West Dunbartonshire West Lothian
The assessment of what level of protection should be applied to each local authority is broadly based on an analysis of five key indicators:
number of positive COVID-19 cases per hundred thousand people over the last week
percentage of positive tests
forecast for new cases in the weeks ahead
capacity of local hospitals
capacity of local intensive care facilities
These factors are assessed alongside the advice and recommendations of local public health officials, National Incident Management Team, the Scottish Government’s chief clinical and policy advisors, and consideration of local circumstances, such as: specific COVID-19 outbreaks; travel and work patterns; and the extent to which health services are provided by neighbouring health boards. Final decisions are based on all of these factors.
Alongside a table setting out the levels, a detailed analysis paper has also been published setting out the Scottish Government’s assessment and overall decision for each local authority.
The five-level strategic framework aims to tackle COVID-19 with measures strong enough to reduce virus prevalence while proportionate to the scale of the problem in different parts of the country – and in a way that minimises, as far as possible, the other harms caused by the pandemic.
UPDATE: Police are pleased to report that 35 year old Lauren Weeks, who was reported missing from Edinburgh has been FOUND. Thanks to everyone who shared the appeal.
Police are re-appealing for the public’s help as part of their efforts to trace Lauren Weeks (35) who has been reported missing in Edinburgh.
Enquires have now revealed that Lauren was in the York Place vicinity on Thursday (12 November).
New images are being released as Lauren’s hair may now appear to be darker than originally posted.
She is described as a white female, 5’7” tall, slim build, long blonde/brown hair. She is believed to be dressed all in black wearing a high quality windproof jacket, skirt and ankle boots. She is believed to be carrying a large grey mountaineering style backpack, a dark green duffle bag and a dark green sleeping bag.
Anyone who may have seen Lauren, or who has any information on her whereabouts, is urged to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 1155 of 12/11/2020
