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
A fraudster may call pretending to be from the victim’s bank advising of suspicious activity and thereafter induces the victim to hang up the telephone and call the number on the back of their bank card.
In these cases the fraudster stays on the line pretending to be a representative of the bank, then instructs the victim to transfer money into a ‘safe account’.
Fraudsters are cunning, creative and often very convincing.
Your bank will never ask you to transfer money into another account. If you receive a phone call, apparently from your bank, under the above circumstances, call into your local branch or phone your bank using a different telephone.
A new taskforce set up to tackle online child sexual abuse has already made 39 arrests in its first four-weeks of operation from 1st September.
Of the 39, 37 resulted in the recovery of material relating to online child sexual abuse and exploitation.
All of those arrested were men ranging in age from 15 to 76 years old.
Dozens of children were identified as being at risk or potentially at risk and have now been protected.
Internet grooming and online child sexual abuse (CSA) remains a priority for Police Scotland.
Assistant Chief Constable Judi Heaton, Lead for Major Crime, Public Protection and Local Crime, said: “Recorded crimes for online offending have risen substantially in line with our determined and recent proactive work to uncover this hidden criminality.
“Online offenders may think they are anonymous, and they may not comprehend the terrible, devastating and lifelong impact their actions have on children. But there is no excuse for their actions. Online images of child abuse and exploitation are not virtual, they show the very real abuse of a real child.
“We are determined to improve our response, invest in resources and latest technologies, to track down predators and abusers, and to make sure they face the full consequences of their actions.
“Tackling online CSA requires a cross partnership effort not only through enforcement but also on deterrence by means of offender programmes. And we are also working with the National Police Chiefs Council on ways we can prevent this criminality on a larger scale.”
From next week Police Scotland will run the next phase of its online child sexual abuse campaign #GetHelpOrGetCaught, which signposts offenders or potential offenders to Stop It Now!Scotland for help to stop or prevent offending.
A total of 1,036 online child sexual abuse crimes were recorded between April and September, according to Police Scotland’s 2010-21 Quarter 2 Performance Report, an increase of 18.4% on the previous year and 35.8% above the five year mean.
Police Scotland has today issued its Qtr 2 Management Information data for the period of 1st April to 30th September 2020.
These figures show that the number of serious assaults fell from 181 to 128, while there were also 40 fewer robberies and assault with intent to rob, compared with the same time last year.
A proactive approach to tackling weapons offences within the Capital has seen a rise in the number of these crimes recorded.
In total, 13 more offences for carrying an offensive weapon were recorded, however, the number of crimes for handling a knife fell from 95 to 77.
Overall, offences involving offensive or bladed weapons rose from 387 to 411 and more crimes were detected, up from 323 to 339 year-on-year.
Similar to the rest of the country, fraud has increased within Edinburgh. In total, 837 fraud offences were recorded during the six-month period, compared with 700 in the same timeframe the previous year.
There have also been increases in the number of crimes for taking and distributing indecent images of children, as well as the threatening to, or disclosure of intimate images.
A further 16 crimes for indecent images of children were recorded, while five more crimes for threatening to or disclosing of intimate images were also recorded.
Continued and targeted monitoring of Edinburgh’s road network has seen drink and drug driving offences increase, with 251 offences in the first six months of 2020/21, compared with 190 the year before.
There have been two occasions where there has been a fatality during a road collisions, which is the same as last year. However, serious and slight injury collisions have both fallen within the Capital.
Chief Superintendent Sean Scott, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh, said: “Following the last quarter data, we are beginning to see crime levels return to normal levels. However, we remain committed to keeping our communities safe and bringing offenders to justice.
“While I am pleased to see the benefits of our proactive approach towards weapons, and of course, the fall in violent offences, it is always disheartening to see a rise in drink driving offences. It is never acceptable to get behind the wheel if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs and we will continue to target motorists who do so.
“Rises in online crimes are consistent across the country and continue to bring new challenges to policing.
“However, as DCC Fiona Taylor set out today, our cyber strategy provides clear direction as to how we aim to tackle the threat, risk and harm of digitally-enabled crime.”
Police are appealing for information after a 17-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in the Corstorphine area.
The incident happened at around 6.40pm on Saturday (7 November). She was walking from the direction of the Tesco Extra store at Corstorphine and turned onto Broomhall Road at a convenience store and hair salon.
She was aware of a man following her along Broomhall Road. As she approached the junction of Broomhall Road and Broomhall Loan, she was approached from behind by the man, who asked her for the time.
He then assaulted her before running off along Broomhall Road towards Meadow Place Road.
He is described as white, around 30 to 40-years-old with short black hair and fair eyebrows. He was wearing a black mask and a black padded jacket.
Detective Sergeant Mark Seymour said: “We are appealing to anyone who was in the area both before and after this incident who may have seen this man or know who he is. In particular we are asking anyone with dash-cam footage or private CCTV that may have picked up anything suspicious to get in touch.
“Anyone who can help is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 1676 of Sunday, 8 November, 2020, or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Police in Edinburgh have received reports of malicious calls being made purporting to be from Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Fraudsters are spoofing genuine HMRC phone numbers to deceive victims stating that as a result of non-payment of tax, they are liable for prosecution.
The fraudsters suggest victims can avoid this by arranging a payment to be made immediately.
In genuine cases, HMRC will initially make contact via letter and potentially follow up with a call later. HMRC will not discuss something you are not already aware of and will not demand immediate payment.
• Be cautious and listen to your instincts. Don’t be afraid to hang up. • Legitimate organisations wouldn’t ask you to pay taxes, bills or fees using an iTunes gift card, or any other type of voucher. • Know who you’re dealing with – if you are unsure or need help, talk to someone you know or get in touch with trading standards at Trading.Standards@edinburgh.gov.uk • Don’t be rushed or pressured into making a decision. • Always question unsolicited requests for your personal or financial information.
If you think you’ve been scammed report it via 101 and also contact your bank. As always, if you are in immediate danger call 999.
For further advice, call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133 or visit our website http://ow.ly/hJnD50CcULF
For advice and guidance on suspicious emails or ‘phishing’ emails or text messages, please visit http://ow.ly/Uc2M50CcULE
Take advantage of the free online training at http://ow.ly/70ry50CcULD to learn more about different types of scams and how to protect yourself and others
Investigations are under way following a number of serious incidents across Scotland on Bonfire Night.
Police officers and firefighters were attacked with fireworks and other objects being thrown at them. On other occasions, groups caused damage to cars and properties.
In Edinburgh police received reports of anti-social behaviour in Pennywell Place. Officers attended and a 16-year-old male youth was arrested and is subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal.
In Hay Avenue, officers had to deal with a large group of youths throwing fireworks and bricks at them. A police vehicle was also damaged in this incident. Officers also attended Arthur’s Seat where groups of youths had gathered with fireworks and a bonfire was alight.
In Glasgow, officers came under attack in Dale Street with youths throwing fireworks at them. In Glenisla Street, a police officer was struck on the head with a firework. He was treated at the scene and continued his shift.
In Kendoon Avenue, police received a report of a vehicle on fire. Officers attended and the police car’s windscreen was smashed, resulting in an officer washing glass from his eye. He continued on duty and one man was arrested.
In Auchmead Road, Greenock, an unauthorised bonfire event resulted in firefighters and officers being attacked as youths threw fireworks and bottles. Public order officers were deployed to deal with the incident. A 15-year old male youth was arrested and charged. He is subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said: “As the Chief Constable has said, it is disgraceful and deplorable when officers and staff are subjected to violence during the course of their duties.
“Across the country, the overwhelming majority of the public enjoyed Bonfire Night safely and responsibly and I want to thank them for heeding our advice. However, I am disappointed at the level of disorder and anti-social behaviour seen last night. A minority of people’s behaviour has once again put lives at risk. It also places intense pressure on the emergency services and impacts severely on local communities.
“The evening of Thursday, 5 November, 2020, saw a number of serious incidents arising throughout Scotland that required Operation Moonbeam resources to support local policing colleagues.
“The majority of these incidents involved young people. To be absolutely clear, such actions are dangerous and cause harm to the public and emergency service workers.
“We will not tolerate such acts and you may not have been arrested last night but rest assured, officers are carrying out follow-up investigations to identify those involved and responsible. Additional officers will continue to be deployed over the coming days to support local divisions.”
Dispersal Zones remain in place until midnight tonight.
Police Scotland officers dealt with more than 300 house gatherings over last weekend, the vast majority of which were small groups of people in houses.
More than 300 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) were issued and 24 people were arrested between Friday, 30 October, and Sunday, 1 November.
The majority of FPNs issued were to small groups from different households meeting in homes in clear breach of the regulations in place to tackle the spread of coronavirus.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs said:“Officers dealt with a significant number of calls to house gatherings over the weekend and we have been quite clear that we will enforce the law where necessary, as the public would expect us to do.
“We are not just talking about large parties. The vast majority were smaller groups of different households meeting indoors.
“House gatherings of any size cause the virus to spread and we are asking people to do the right thing and take personal responsibility.
“I fully understand the implications the current restrictions have on our daily lives, but we cannot have people twisting the rules and disregarding the law which is there to stop the spread of coronavirus and help save lives.
“Anyone clearly breaking the law should be in no doubt that they will be met with a robust response from Police Scotland.”
