Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins said Police Scotland will continue to provide a robust response to any potential disorder across the country.
He said: “We are aware of a few planned demonstrations and protests which are due to take place across Scotland this weekend. We live in a democratic society and Police Scotland is absolutely committed to respecting people’s rights to freely and peacefully express their views.
“Recent disorder in George Square saw people hijacking a peaceful event with the intention of violence and thuggery.
“This remains completely and utterly unacceptable and we will not tolerate these scenes, including attacks both physical and verbal on the public and our officers.
“My message to those who have been involved in the disgraceful scenes witnessed over the last couple of weeks is that if you continue to behave like this then be prepared to be arrested.
“We have a comprehensive policing plan in place with access to additional resources that can be deployed very quickly to respond to incidents of disorder anywhere in Scotland.
“However, I would remind people that the lockdown restrictions remain in place and people should only leave their homes for very limited purposes. Anyone who wishes to protest should find another way of doing so that keeps everyone safe.”
Six in hospital following incident at Park Inn Hotel
Constable David Whyte has been named as the police officer seriously injured in yesterday’s stabbing attack at a Glasgow hotel. The 42-year-old officer’s condition is described as ‘critical but stable’.
PC Whyte was one of six people injured in the attack at the Park Inn hotel, which is currently housing asylum seekers. The suspect was shot dead by police.
Late last night, Chief Constable Iain Livingstone made the following statement on the incidents in West George Street, Glasgow:
“Terrible incidents such as we have seen today are, thankfully, very rare in Scotland. This event has understandably shocked the people of Glasgow, and indeed, the whole country.
“My thoughts and very best wishes are with those who have been injured and their families, including our colleague Constable David Whyte who was seriously injured in the course of doing his duty. I offer my personal support to all those affected.
“Officers have once again run into danger to protect their fellow citizens. Their professionalism as police officers was outstanding. I pay tribute to their bravery, selflessness and commitment to protecting the public.
“I briefed the First Minister and the Prime Minister earlier today on the circumstances and advised them both that we are not treating the attack as a terrorist incident.
“It is essential enquiries are now carried out to establish the full circumstances and all speculation must be avoided.
“Scotland is a safe place to live and work. We have cohesive communities who work with their police service to maintain our peaceful and respectful way of life.
“In the context of the current health emergency, and to respect those injured today and the people of Glasgow, I ask everyone to exercise personal responsibility. Please, do not gather in crowds this weekend.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has responded to the serious incident in Glasgow’s West George Street.
The First Minister said: “First and foremost my thoughts are with all those people who have been caught up in this terrible incident, particularly the six injured people taken to hospital for treatment, as well as residents and staff at the hotel.
“I also want to thank all of those police officers whose quick and decisive actions contained the incident – one of whom was among those taken to hospital – as well as the work of the other emergency services. The Justice Secretary and I have been kept informed through the afternoon and briefed by the Chief Constable.
“While such a serious incident is rare in Scotland it is another reminder of the courage and professionalism of our police officers who are willing to run towards danger in order to protect the lives of others.
“Clearly there is already much speculation around this incident, which remains under investigation.
“I would urge everyone to avoid such speculation, to not share potentially harmful or upsetting material on social media and to follow police advice while investigations are underway.”
10 Downing Street issued the following statement:
The PM has this afternoon spoken with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon about the incident in Glasgow.
He has also held a meeting with the Home Secretary and senior police officers, in which he was updated. The Prime Minister thanked the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, Iain Livingstone, for the exceptional bravery of his officers at the scene.
The PM’s thoughts remain with the injured and their loved ones.
2020 is certainly going to be a summer to remember. The coronavirus pandemic has markedly changed our society. With the majority of the nation working at home, and many juggling work commitments with home schooling, time spent outdoors has become an important part of daily life.
With the sun already shining, many have dug out old bikes, dusted off their running shoes or taken to the park to meet with family or friends.
As we spend more time outdoors, we must consider risks to safety. Here are a few tips to help have a safe and enjoyable summer. As we spend more time outdoors, we must consider risks to safety. Here are a few tips to help have a safe and enjoyable summer. For guidance on coronavirus (COVID-19) please visit the Scottish Government website.
Anti-social behaviour
We want you to have a great summer and enjoy sunbathing in the park or having a drink in your garden, but please remember to be considerate of others and respectful of your surroundings.
Be responsible and have a safe summer by:
Always being considerate of your actions and the actions of your family and friends on others who may live nearby or who are enjoying time in the same area.
Being mindful of your surroundings. Shouting, swearing, rowdy behaviour and loud music may be fun for you however may cause fear, alarm and distress to others.
Binning your litter when you leave, be kind to our environment and keep Scotland beautiful.
Keeping your dog on the lead and under control.
Never carrying a weapon. If caught, you will be arrested and prosecuted. Criminal records for violence make it harder to get into college or university as well as going on holiday.
Remembering that violent crime can affect anyone and innocent bystanders can get caught in the middle of other people’s disputes and suffer trauma, serious injuries or worse.
If you know or suspect someone who is responsible for anti-social behaviour, you can speak up 100% anonymously by contacting our partners at Fearless.
Alcohol
With bars, beer gardens and restaurants closed, some of us are enjoying a drink from the comfort of our garden or home. Research undertaken by Alcohol Change UK has revealed that more than one in five (21%) of adults who drink alcohol are drinking more often since lockdown.
It is important to drink responsibly and put your safety and the safety of others first. Overindulgence in alcohol can impact on your behaviour, your mind and your self-control. Drinking too much can make you vulnerable to becoming a victim of crime as well as getting involved in altercations which can ruin two lives.
Be responsible and have a safe summer by:
Knowing your alcohol limits.
Drinking plenty of water and staying with your family or friends.
Being aware of local drinking laws in your council which can makes it an offence to drink alcohol or have an open container of alcohol in a public area.
Secure your home
Although we are spending more time at home, it is still important to remember to secure your home when you are outside enjoying the sunshine.
Many thieves are actually opportunists who do not have to break in at all because a door or window has been left open or unlocked.
Locking the front door and windows when sunbathing in the back garden.
Locking all doors and windows when going out to the shops or for exercise.
Remember to lock all sheds and outbuildings after gardening.
Never leaving keys on the inside of door locks, under mats or anywhere else an intruder may easily find them. Don’t keep house keys and car keys on the same key ring.
Not leaving valuables in sight of windows.
Avoiding keeping large amounts of cash in the house. If you must then disperse it in various locations.
Security marking your property with a UV marker pen, which you can use to place an invisible imprint of your postcode and house number on your possessions.
Recording details of your valuables, such as mobile phone, cameras, laptops and tablets on the national mobile property register at Immobilise.com.
Staying safe outdoors
Spending time outdoors has become more important than ever before. Everyone wants to see our countryside and enjoy our waterways and coastline.
Remember, any area of water, including reservoirs and canals, can hold hidden dangers. Scotland has more than 37,000 separate stretches of inland water and over 11,500 miles of coastline when including both mainland and island coast.
With many stretches located in remote areas, help will often be some considerable time away, so take responsibility for your own actions and make sensible decisions to stay safe around waterways.
Be responsible and enjoy a safe summer by:
Being aware of the dangers when out hillwalking, cycling or near areas of water. Think about the risks and plan to minimise them.
Never underestimating the current, temperature or depth when in water.
Never get into the water alone and don’t go swimming after drinking alcohol.
If you get in trouble in water, float to live.
You can find out more about inland water safety from our partners Scottish Water.
A man has pled guilty to the rape of a then 12-year-old child which happened in Edinburgh in 2016. Balwinder Singh (54) pled guilty to raping the child at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday.
Detective Inspector Jonny Wright of Edinburgh’s Public Protection Unit said: “Today, Singh has pled guilty to raping a 12-year-old child in 2016. My thoughts remain with the victim and those impacted by Singh’s actions.
“Singh fled the country soon after the offence came to light and travelled across the world seeking to avoid detection. However, his attempts would not be allowed to succeed and as a result of committed national and international partnership working, he was traced and deported from Canada, ultimately leading to his arrest in the UK on 12 March 2020.
“I would like to place on record my thanks to the Police Scotland International Unit, Canada Border Services Agency, Scottish Police Authority Forensic Services and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service whom made significant contributions towards achieving Singh’s conviction today.
“Singh will now face justice for the abhorrent offence committed by him.
“We remain committed to bringing sexual offenders before the courts and treat all reports of sexual crime with the utmost seriousness. Anyone wishing to report such offences should do so to Police Scotland via 101.”
MISSING PERSON UPDATE – JOHN FOUND ‘SAFE AND WELL’
Police are appealing for the public’s help as part of our efforts to trace a 38 year old man reported missing in Edinburgh. John Glynn (AKA Gee) was last seen in the Leith area on 12th June and there are concerns for his welfare.
John is descried as about 5ft 5 tall, slim build, he normally has a shaved head and a clean shaven face. He has tattoos on his neck onto his arm as far as his elbow, and also has other tattoos on his arms and back.
John would normally wear a blue Stone Island jacket (one he is wearing in the above image), tracksuit and often a cap or hat.
John is almost always on his silver/yellow Giant Talon mountain bike (which is missing from his flat). He has links to the East Lothian area.
Anyone who may have seen John since this time, or who has any information on his whereabouts, is urged to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 1125 of the 19/06/20.
John Glynn has been traced SAFE AND WELL. Police would like to thank the public for their assistance.
Chief Superintendent Sean Scott has reaffirmed the Scottish Government’s message of ‘Stay Safe, Protect Others, Save Lives’ and appeals to the residents of Edinburgh to keep up their excellent level of discipline and compliance as we move into phase 2 of the coronavirus recovery.
Chief Supt. Scott said: “The regulations remain that people should only leave the house for very limited purposes, for example for basic necessities, for exercise or recreation, for medical needs or travelling for work which cannot be done from home.
“The Chief Constable has made it clear that 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 stay safe, protect others and save lives by preventing the virus from spreading.
“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 only where there is a clear breach of the legislation.
“We recognise that people have made significant sacrifices but we would ask they use their judgement and avoid making unnecessary journeys to areas in the city such as Portobello beach, Holyrood Park, The Pentlands and The Meadows.
“I appreciate that young people may be particularly frustrated at the current situation, but please resist the temptation to gather in large numbers as these measures are in place to protect you too.”
Doorstep crime is a problem that continues to plague our communities’ year on year. These incidents can have a devastating and lasting effect on victims from disruption to their homes, or property and financial loss that impacts heavily on their emotional wellbeing and health.
This is why we feel it is so important to run a yearly Shut Out Scammers campaign, in our effort to raise awareness and provide guidance on the matter of doorstep crime.
This year’s campaign, titled ‘It is not easy to spot a rogue trader’, aims to highlight the signs to look out for when trying to identify a rogue trader or bogus caller at your door, and the support mechanisms available to help you do this.
With the main message of the campaign being:
It’s not easy to spot a rogue trader. They will often look genuine. They will look professional, have a branded van, a website, and business cards. They may even have their company listed on review sites, and appear to be endorsed by reputable trade associations. They may look authentic, but cowboy traders just want to scam you.
The most common types of work offered are roofing, driveways and gardening. They mainly operate during the spring and summer months when lots of people are looking to get work done around the house and garden.
It is difficult to tell the difference from a real tradesman; however they will:
Offer to do small jobs cheaper than competitors. However, once started they claim that urgent and more expensive repair work is needed on your property when this is not the case.
Claim they can start immediately and offer special discounted deals if you pay in cash now, trying to rush your decision.
Complete similar work in your area to give you confidence in them. However, scammers have been known to finish one job in order to get into a local area. They then go on to scam, mislead and overcharge additional customers in the surrounding area.
They can have a local telephone number and claim to have a local business premises. Telephone numbers can now be purchased and business units can be let short term. Scammers will often go to great lengths to make you believe they are local.
They may even drive a branded vehicle and have a website that they can direct you toare able to supply a business card.
Due to the current COVID 19 pandemic, remember that you and the tradespersons should adhere to the social distancing guidelines to keep safe.
Call 101 to report any suspicious activity. If you feel scared or threatened call 999 and ask for the police.
For more information on spotting the signs of a rogue trader visit Trading Standards site, while further advice in relation to COVID19 scams can be found here.
What can you do to shut out the scammers?
If you don’t want any cold callers, you can request a No Cold Calling sticker from your local Trading Standards office.
Always ask for identification.
Ask to see a business card or letterhead for full contact details for the company. Call the business to check it exists and that the contractor does work for them.
Request to see proof of qualifications in their trade.
Consult your local Trusted Trader Scheme via approvedtrader.scot and obtain three quotes for any maintenance work.
Check to see if the contractor is a member of a trade association by searching the trade association websites.
Never feel pressured into making a decision on the spot. Any legitimate trader will be happy to return at a later date, use this time to research their business.
Never agree to a trader starting work straight away and never hand over any money without seeing proper paperwork.
Making sure that you understand the terms and conditions, including cancellation rights. Make use of your cooling off period to think about the proposed work.
Never be afraid to say ‘No thank you’ and close the door.
You can also sign up to the Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Alert system to receive timely alerts about local crime prevention and safety issues from partners such as Police Scotland.
Police are appealing for information after a 15-year-old boy was robbed in the Portobello area. The incident happened around 7pm on Sunday (14 June) on Mount Lodge Place.
The teenage boy was approached by two men, one of whom threatened him with a knife before stealing his silver and red Carrera mountain bike.
The two suspects left the scene on bikes towards Portobello High Street.
The men are described as follows:
Man 1 – late teens, 6ft 1in tall, straight black hair with fringe, tanned complexion and black bushy eye brows. He was wearing a black buff covering lower face/nose.
Man 2 – white, late teens, of skinny build and was wearing a black balaclava showing eyes only, black puffer style jacket and black joggers.
Detective Constable Christina Yeoman, of Edinburgh CID, said: “This was an appalling and traumatic experience for the victim and his friend and on this occasion no-one was seriously injured.
“Officers are carrying out extensive enquires in the area and would like to hear from anyone who may have witnessed this incident take place or any information regarding the whereabouts of the bike.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101, quoting incident 3351 of 14 June. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, if you wish to remain anonymous.
Police are appealing for information which could assist with identifying the body of a woman recovered from the River Forth.
A report was received of a body seen in the water off Society Road west of South Queensferry around 9.45am on Saturday, 13 June.
The woman was recovered with the aid of HM Coastguard.
Herd death is currently being treated as unexplained.. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.
Officers are now appealing for information which could aid identifying the woman.
She is described as approximately early to mid-30s, 5ft 5in tall and of slim build. She has dark shoulder length hair which was dyed red, and has four small tattoos in a cluster on her outer leg above her right ankle, consisting of a fire symbol and a symbol similar to multiple apostrophes in a circle.
She was wearing two necklaces, both of a thread like material. One was red/orange in colour and the other green. One had small silver stars and the other green gemstones.
Anyone who may be able to assist identifying the woman is asked to call police on 101, quoting incident 1128 of 13 June.
