CCTV appeal after Leith hammer attack

Police in Edinburgh have released images of a man that they wish to speak to as they believe he may have information that can assist with an investigation into a serious assault.

Officers have released CCTV images of a man who may be able to assist

The incident took place around 11.35pm on Wednesday, 1 February, 2023, at Albert Street in Leith.

A 31-year-old man was struck to the back of a head with a hammer resulting in him having to attend hospital.

The male shown in the images, is described as white, 20-30 years old, 5ft 8in to 5ft 10in tall, medium build, wearing a dark woolly hat, dark jacket with small light logo on left breast and rear right shoulder, black trousers with white vertical stripe on each leg, and black trainers.

The incident happened on Albert Street

Detective Constable Euan Chancellor of the Violence Reduction Unit, Gayfield CID said: “This was an unprovoked attack which was highly distressing for the victim who suffered a serious injury.

“Violent crime such as this is of the utmost concern to police in Edinburgh so I would urge anyone who recognises the male in the images to contact us as soon as possible.

“Members of the public can contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting reference number 0044 of 2 February, 2023 or, if they wish to remain anonymous, they can call the independent charity, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Fountain Park Casino Robbery: Man Jailed

A 23-year-old man has pleaded guilty to two counts of armed robbery at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Around 1am on Monday, 9 August, 2021, police were informed an armed robbery had taken place at a casino in Dundee Street, Edinburgh

Hassan Fallah was seen loitering in the underground car park of the premises at Fountainpark before he approached a member of staff and threatened them with a knife. He then forced them to take him into the casino. Once inside Fallah threatened a further two staff members at the cash desk before making off with a five-figure sum of money.

Image of Hassan Fallah

Following enquiries, Fallah was arrested by officers on 12 August 2021.

He pleaded guilty yesterday and has been sentenced to more than four years imprisonment.

Detective Inspector Keith Taylor said: “It’s right that Fallah is behind bars for this disturbing and violent robbery.

“I know his actions impacted directly on several members of staff who may not have been physically injured but were left extremely distressed by what had happened. Despite this, they greatly assisted our investigation and I would like to thank them for their help as I know this was challenging for them. I hope that knowing Fallah is behind bars will offer them some satisfaction as they move forward in their lives” 

Police Scotland: Vehicle Security

Despite modern locking systems on vehicles some criminals do manage to overcome them by using devices bought legally and relatively cheaply on the internet. All of which work by affecting the radio frequency imitated by the key fob / device, enabling vehicles to be stolen despite owners having possession of the key(s).

Please see below advice on how to try to prevent these:

🔐Consider using steering locks as a visible deterrent to thieves – someone who is so obviously conscious of security is less likely to leave valuables in a vehicle.

👝 Keep your key device in a Faraday pouch, which has a lining that prevents the items inside from receiving or transmitting radio frequency signals.

💡 Avoid parking in dark, secluded areas, choose locations that are well lit and over looked by houses, passers-by and covered by CCTV if possible.

🔑 Do not store keys near windows or doors.

More vehicle security information can be found on our website – https://www.scotland.police.uk/…/protecting-your-car/

Police Recruitment Event

Thursday 9th March: 6.30pm – 8.30pm online

Are you from an ethnic minority background and curious about a career in policing? Police Scotland is committed to increasing diversity within its workforce to better reflect the increasingly diverse communities we serve.

Join us at our upcoming online information event, which will give you a fantastic opportunity to gain insight on the recruitment process and the training at the Scottish Police College. Plus, there will be an opportunity to ask any questions you may have about working for Police Scotland.

The event will take place on Thursday 9 March, from 6.30pm – 8.30pm, via Microsoft Teams.

To sign up, please email ➡️recruitmentpositiveactionteam@scotland.police.uk

These events are for groups currently under-represented in Police Scotland. The consent, support and cooperation of our fellow citizens lies at the heart of the identity and legitimacy of policing in Scotland.

To ensure that bond is as strong as possible, we must fully represent and reflect the communities we serve. Inclusion is an operational necessity and morally the right thing to do.

We are committed to increasing the number of officers and staff from under-represented groups. There are well documented barriers to some people applying to join the police service.

We therefore run a number of different recruitment events to answer specific questions from people from diverse communities. This is to make sure everyone has fair access to the Police Scotland recruitment process.

Applications are welcome from all suitable candidates, and you can find out more on our website ➡️https://www.scotland.police.uk/recruitment/

Greenside Place assault: Do you recognise this man?

Police in Edinburgh have released images of a man they believe may have information that can assist them with their enquiries into a serious assault that occurred on Greenside Place, Edinburgh, at around 12.30am on Monday, 23 January 2023.

The man is described as white, around 30 to 40 years of age, and of a medium build. He was wearing a multi-coloured hooded top and dark-coloured jeans.

Constable Euan Murray of Gayfield Police Station said: “A 28-year-old man was treated for serious injuries as a result of this incident. We would ask that the man in the images or anyone who may recognise him to get in touch as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0103 of 23 January 2023. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.

Old Firm disorder: police info appeal

Officers are appealing for information following disorder on the morning of the Scottish League Cup final between Rangers and Celtic in Glasgow on Sunday, 26 February, 2023.

At around 8.50am a disturbance took place outside Hampden stadium involving supporters from both clubs with violence directed at each other and officers.

No arrests could be made at the time and an investigation is now under way into this specific incident.



Detective Inspector Darren Munogee, who is leading the investigation, said: “Prior to the match fans from both clubs were granted pre-arranged access, by the stadium operator, to set up displays – Celtic on Saturday, 25 February, and Rangers on the morning before the match on Sunday, 26 February.

“A proportionate stewarding and policing operation to support and facilitate this was in place.

“Supporters intent on disorder clashed outside the stadium on and around Somerville Drive with police intervention required to prevent escalation and disperse both sets of supporters.

“Officers acted swiftly in challenging circumstances to deal with what amounted to totally unacceptable behaviour. It was fortunate that no one was seriously injured.

“Police Scotland will be writing to the football authorities and clubs with an expectation that they will review the circumstances and take appropriate action moving forward, we are committed to working with them in this regard.

“We are determined to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. We are asking anyone with information that can assist with our enquiries to get in touch.”

Anyone who can help officers with their investigation is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0933 of Saturday, 26 February, 2023, or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

189 new police officers sworn in

Scotland’s Chief Constable welcomed almost 190 new officers into policing and thanked them for their commitment to public service yesterday.

Sir Iain Livingstone QPM greeted 189 new recruits as they were sworn into the office of constable during a ceremony at Police Scotland Headquarters, Tulliallan.

Addressing the officers, Sir Iain underlined Police Scotland’s core values of integrity, fairness, respect and a commitment to upholding human rights, and emphasised the duties of the office of constable.

Sir Iain, who announced his intention to retire this week, said: “Policing is a hugely rewarding vocation in which officers help our fellow citizens every day, right across Scotland.

“Making the Declaration of Constable is a significant day in the lives and careers of those who join this vital public service.

“I thank everyone who makes that important commitment to work for the benefit of others and to keep people safe. I am also grateful to the families and loved ones who support them.”

Of the new recruits, three were previously members of police staff with Police Scotland while five served as special constables. A further five have served with the armed forces.

Applications to become a Police Scotland officer can be submitted at any time. There is no upper age limit for potential recruits, who must have a good level of fitness and be at least 17.5 years old at the time of applying. More information can be found on our website.

Successful campaign to reduce street drinking and disorder to continue

A successful campaign to reduce street drinking and disorder will be rolled out to more towns and cities across Scotland.

The “It’ll Cost You” campaign to deter adults buying alcohol for minors was developed by the Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership (SAIP), Police Scotland and Community Alcohol Partnerships. It ran throughout the summer of 2022 and was the first time the campaign had been delivered nationally.

The campaign was a mix of social and traditional media and direct consumer engagement in targeted areas across Scotland.

Asking an adult to buy alcohol for under 18s is one of the most common tactics used by young people to access alcohol. The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 states that it is an offence for a person to “act as an agent for a child in purchasing or attempting to purchase alcohol”. This is also known as proxy purchase.

An evaluation of the summer 2022 campaign showed it was an effective way to communicate the consequences of buying alcohol for minors and demonstrated the benefits of partnership working between retailers and Police Scotland.

Community Alcohol Partnerships will also utilise the campaign in areas where it operates in Scotland to help reduce alcohol harm among children and young people.

Superintendent Hilary Sloan, Police Scotland, said: “We welcome the evaluation report into last summer’s It’ll Cost You proxy purchasing campaign.

“Protecting vulnerable people is one of our top priorities and this includes protecting young people from the associated risks of alcohol. We know that vulnerability increases when alcohol is a factor and this vulnerability is heightened in young people.

“This campaign showcases the benefits of key partners working together and utilising each other’s resources to inform the public of dangers associated with underage drinking, as well as the criminal consequences for supplying those under 18 with alcohol. Proxy purchasing is an offence, which can result in a fine, a prison sentence, or both. Please do not risk it.

“I look forward to continued working with our partners to build on the campaign’s success in 2023”

Luke McGarty, Chair of the SAIP Campaigns Group and Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Scottish Grocers Federation said: “We welcome the publication of the evaluation report and the key learnings from delivering the “It’ll Cost You” campaign nationally for the first time.

“Reducing underage drinking and anti-social behaviour linked to alcohol is one we support and ties in with SGF’s position of promoting responsible community retailing. We will continue to work with the campaign going forward.”

Graham Clarke, Community Alcohol Partnership Advisor for Scotland, said: “Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP) was delighted to be a partner in the “It’ll Cost You” campaign and to support activity in each of our CAP areas. 

“The campaign gave CAP an opportunity to carry the “It’ll Cost You” resources and messaging in local communities, highlighting the dangers of buying alcohol for young people.  We worked closely with Police Scotland and the Police Scotland Youth Volunteers to make sure that this messaging was carried through all our engagement activity and look forward to supporting the campaign again in 2023.”

Community Safety Minister Elena Whitham MSP said: “The Scottish Government welcomed the publication of the evaluation report. We remain committed to protecting young persons and children from harm.

“Underage drinking can cause short and long-term harm to health and put young persons in dangerous situations when drunk. Purchasing alcohol for someone under 18 is a criminal offence, and we were pleased to support collective efforts to help reduce the attempted purchase of alcohol for those underage.

“The 2022 National campaign illustrated the value of strong collaboration and regular engagement between partners, which helped to deliver shared aims to help reduce underage drinking and anti-social behaviour as a key step to help keep communities safe.”

A copy of the Evaluation report can be found here.

Over 3,000 child abuse crimes were recorded by Police Scotland in 5 years

  • NSPCC urges UK Government to seize last opportunity to strengthen Online Safety Bill so it creates online spaces for children safe from pervasive abuse

More than 3,100 child abuse image offences were recorded by Police in just five years, the NSPCC reveals as it calls for a more robust Online Safety Bill.

Last year, 662 crimes including the sharing and possession of indecent images of children were recorded by Police Scotland.1

The NSPCC warns that unregulated social media is fuelling online child sexual abuse and behind every offence could be multiple child victims who are continually revictimized as images are shared. 

They said the issue of young people being groomed into sharing images of their own abuse is pervasive and tech bosses are failing to stop their sites being used by offenders to organise, commit and share child sexual abuse.

The charity is calling on the UK Government to give children, including victims of sexual abuse, a powerful voice and expert representation in future regulation by creating a statutory child safety advocate through the Online Safety Bill.

This would ensure that children’s experiences are front and centre of decision making, building safeguarding experience into regulation to prioritise child protection. 

NSPCC analysis of data obtained by FOI from England and Wales police forces shows Snapchat is the social media site offenders most used to share child abuse images where platform data was provided. The app, popular with teens, was used in 43% of instances. Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, which are all owned by Meta, were used in a third (33%) of instances where a site was flagged.

And for the first-time virtual reality environments and Oculus headsets, used to explore the Metaverse, were found to be involved in recorded child sexual abuse image crimes.

The NSPCC said committing to a statutory child safety advocate is crucial to act as an early warning system to identify emerging child abuse risks and ensure they are on the radar of companies and the regulator Ofcom.

The advocate would reflect the experiences of young people and be a statutory counterbalance the power of the big tech lobby to help drive a corporate culture that focusses on preventing abuse.

Holly* called Childline in despair when she was 14. She said: “I am feeling sick with fear. I was talking with this guy online and trusted him. I sent him quite a lot of nude pictures of myself and now he is threatening to send them to my friends and family unless I send him more nudes or pay him.

“I reported it to Instagram, but they still haven’t got back. I don’t want to tell the police because my parents would then know what I did and would be so disappointed.”

Sir Peter Wanless, Chief Executive of the NSPCC, said: “These figures are alarming but reflect just the tip of the iceberg of what children are experiencing online.

“We hear from young people who feel powerless and let down as online sexual abuse risks becoming normalised for a generation of children.

“By creating a child safety advocate that stands up for children and families the UK Government can ensure the Online Safety Bill systemically prevents abuse.

“It would be inexcusable if in five years’ time we are still playing catch-up to pervasive abuse that has been allowed to proliferate on social media.”

Online Safety Bill amendments

The NSPCC is seeking amendments to the Online Safety Bill as it passes through the House of Lords to improve its response to child sexual abuse.

They are asking Lords to back the creation of a child safety advocate which would mirror statutory user advocacy arrangements that are effective across other regulated sectors.

The amendment would give Ofcom access to children’s voices and experiences in real time via an expert child safety advocate akin to Citizen’s Advice acting for energy and postal consumers.

And after the UK Government committed to holding senior managers liable if their products contribute to serious harm to children the charity says this must also include where sites put children at risk of sexual abuse.

The move would mean bosses responsible for child safety would be held criminally liable if their sites continue to expose children to preventable abuse – which is backed by an overwhelming majority of the public.

Meta Encryption

In response to the latest data, the NSPCC also renewed calls on Meta to pause plans to roll out default end-to-end encryption of Facebook and Instagram messenger services in order to comply with future requirements of the Online Safety Bill.

They said Meta will turn a blind eye to child abuse by making it impossible to identify grooming and the sharing of images making the importance of external bodies such as a child safety advocate even more paramount.

However, the charity said the Online Safety Bill should be seen as an opportunity to incentivise companies to invest in technological solutions to end-to-end encryption that protect adult privacy, the privacy of sexual abuse victims and keep children safe.

Appeal for information following crash on A90 at Cramond Bridge

Road policing officers in Edinburgh are appealing for information following a crash on the A90 at Cramond Bridge.

Around 2.55pm on Monday, 20 February, 2023 police were called to the collision involving a red Ford Focus and a blue Fiat Panda.

The 78-year-old male driver and 71-year-old female passenger of the Fiat were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh by ambulance. The 55-year-old male driver of the Ford was not injured.

The road was closed while crash investigations were carried out and fully reopened around 7pm.

Offers are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time and saw what happened to get in touch. Anyone with relevant dash cam footage is also asked to contact us.

If you have any information call 101 quoting reference 2037 of 20 February, 2023.