A football banning order was issued to a 46-year-old man at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 21 January 2025, after he pleaded guilty to a racial abuse offence which occurred at the Hearts v Hibernian game on 26 December 2024. He also received a fine.
Two men, aged 19 and 22, were issued with football banning orders at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on 15 January 2025 after pleading guilty to assaulting a teenager. This related to violence at the Dunfermline v Raith Rovers fixture on 2 January 2024.
Three other men, aged 26, 27 and 62, have also been given football banning orders this month after they plead guilty to offences including breach of the peace and assault at separate matches last year.
Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie said: “We should all be able to go to a football match and enjoy the game without fear of violence or disorder.
“We will use all available tools at our disposal to eradicate this unacceptable behaviour. Football banning orders can be instrumental in helping us keep fans, players and our communities safe.
“We will continue to work with the clubs and courts to tackle criminality.”
Calum Beattie, the SPFL’s chief operating officer said: “We warmly applaud the robust approach from the police and courts in dealing with this disgraceful behaviour, as well as the swift action taken by our clubs to identify the individuals involved.
“The fact that a football banning order was imposed in these cases is entirely appropriate and we welcome the use of this restriction as an effective deterrent to other forms of unacceptable behaviour in stadia.”
Police Scotland carried out more breath tests and more roadside drug tests during the 2024/25 festive drink and drug driving campaign than previous years.
There were 4,779 breath tests and 963 drug wipes conducted by police officers.
Road Policing and Local Policing officers worked together to target and deter drink and drug drivers.
They did this by carrying out proactive patrols, speaking to drivers and raising awareness in communities, using data to target key areas, responding to information from members of the public and setting up roadside checks.
Over 25,000 drivers were spoken to as part of the campaign.
Road safety partnership work happened at a local and national level, including supporting a Scottish Government marketing campaign and telling the story of road crash survivor Ellen Stickle who was left paralysed by a drug driver.
Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, head of Road Policing, said: “Police Scotland will keep targeting drink and drug drivers and we know how important this is to the public.
“My message to people thinking about driving after taking drugs or alcohol is you will get caught. Our officers are out every day, we will arrest you and that will affect you for the rest of your life. It’s your choice and it can have a devastating impact on other road users. It changes people’s lives and it is avoidable.
“Thank you to everyone who supported our campaign and please continue to speak to family and friends to encourage changing the behaviour of drivers.”
The campaign ran from 1 December 2024 until 19 January 2025.
A pilot to give local policing officers the ability to use Drug Wipe roadside testing kit is ongoing in Shetland. The six-month pilot started during the festive campaign.
There were 12 roadside drug tests carried out using the Drug Wipe kit, with 5 positive results and one failure to comply with the test.
Three drivers failed the alcohol breathalyser test.
The small pilot will be evaluated as Police Scotland continues to work closely and carefully with Scottish Police Authority laboratories to ensure testing capacity can be managed. More information can be found here.
POLICE are carrying out enquiries to trace a 19-year-old woman who has been reported missing.
Sophie Webster left her home in the Leith area around 12pm yesterday – Tuesday, 28 January, 2025. She was last seen in the South Queensferry area at around 2pm and enquiries are ongoing to trace her.
Searches are ongoing and officers are appealing for the help of the public to trace Sophie.
She is described as white, around 5ft 2in tall, of slim build with short dark hair. When last seen, Sophie was wearing navy blue trousers, a navy blue hooded sweatshirt, a blue t-shirt and white trainers.
Inspector Sean McGarvey said last night: “It is important that we make sure Sophie is safe and well, as there are growing concerns for her welfare.
“I would urge anyone who has seen Sophie, or who has any information on her whereabouts, to please contact us as soon as possible.
“I am also keen to hear from anyone who may have dash cam or CCTV footage of the area, which may help us trace Sophie.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting reference number 1644 of 28 January.
Five men and two women have been given Orders for Lifelong Restrictions and jailed for a total of 93 years for sexually abusing children in the Glasgow area.
At the High Court in Glasgow today (Monday, 27 January, 202)5 Iain Owens, 46, was jailed for 20 years, Elaine Lannery, 40, for 17 years, Scott Forbes, 51, for eight years, Barry Watson, 48, for nine and a half years, Lesley Ann Williams, 42, for 14 years, Paul Brannan, 42, for 15 years, and John Clark, 48, for 10 years.
They were convicted in November 2023 following an eleven-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
The offences took place between 2012-2019 and were reported to police in June 2019. Following an extensive investigation, eleven individuals were arrested and charged in October 2020.
Detective Inspector Lesley-Ann McGee said: “I hope today’s outcome can help the young victims in moving forward.
“This was a long, complex and challenging investigation for a team of officers and staff who had to work through the most harrowing evidence to bring those responsible for these despicable crimes to justice.
“Since the investigation began we’ve worked closely with a range of partners in Social Work, Health, Education, Crown Office and the third-sector to protect and support the victims.
“We remain committed to supporting victims of sexual crime and protecting children from harm and abuse. We will use all available resources to find and arrest the abusers, no matter how much time has passed.
“I would urge anyone who is a victim of abuse to speak to police in the knowledge you will be listened to, taken seriously and fully supported.”
Mary Glasgow, chief executive at Children First said: “No sentence will ever reflect the extreme cruelty and horrifying abuse that three children endured for so long. The depths of their suffering will be unimaginable to most people in Scotland, but none of us should turn away from it.
“This is one of the most extreme cases of abuse ever seen in a Scottish court, but every day children and young people in Scotland are experiencing violence and abuse.
“Children can’t protect themselves and they need all of us to help them stay safe. And, without support to recover, the trauma of childhood abuse can be devastating and last a lifetime.
“If you have concerns about a child, Children First’s support line will listen and help you work through what’s best for the child. It’s free to call on: 08000 28 22 33 or you can speak to our team online at childrenfirst.org.uk”
The Met Office has issued a red weather warning for wind from 10am to 5pm Friday 24 January. An Amber warning is in place from 6am to 10am.
COUNCIL SERVICES:
We will publish all the latest information about Council buildings and services on this page.
Schools, nurseries and early years
All Council schools, nurseries and early years settings will be closed on Friday 24 January. Schools will communicate directly with parents.
Bin collections
Bin collections – residents should not put their wheelie bins and boxes out for collection tomorrow. Friday collections will run over the weekend instead.
Residents should put their bins out for collection on Saturday when it is safe to do so for collection from Sunday.
Street cleansing will not operate.
Recycling centres – any bookings for recycling centres will be rescheduled
Special uplift services – residents who have booked a collection for tomorrow should not put the items out for collection. Appointments will be rebooked.
Housing and homelessness
Anyone who needs to present as homeless should contact us by phone on 0131 529 7036.
Only emergency council house repairs will take place. Non-emergency council house repairs will be cancelled and re-scheduled.
Scaffolding will be checked and taken down if possible.
Council buildings, services and parks
We will only run essential services on Friday 24 January.
The following buildings or parks/grounds will be closed on Friday 24 January:
All council cemeteries, Mortonhall Crematorium, and the Mortuary
All museums, galleries, monuments and cultural venues (Usher Hall, Assembly Rooms, Churchill Theatre – this includes cancellation of a rehearsal and performance at the Churchill Theatre). Building checks will be carried out before reopening.
Lauriston Castle grounds and Princes Street Gardens. These will also remain closed on Saturday due to extended wind warning and time needed to survey grounds.
For travel updates check @edintravel and @TrafficScotland on X (Twitter) as well as your travel provider.
Emergency social care service 0800 731 6969 – free phone.
NHS LOTHIAN:
EDINBURGH TRAMS:
Due to the red weather warning in place across Edinburgh tomorrow due to #StormÉowyn, Edinburgh Trams will be operating a reduced service on Friday 24 January. We will be monitoring wind speeds at key places on the track and will continue to operate in order to facilitate essential travel as long as it remains safe to do so.
Please follow @PoliceScotland guidelines and only travel if absolutely necessary.
Customers are advised to check the status of their service before travelling on Friday and Saturday, using the Bus & Tram App.
The Met Office has issued an AMBER Weather warning for WIND.As such, there may be a HIGH RISK OF DISRUPTION for road users in the following areas:
• Central, Tayside & Fife (Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Perth & Kinross, Stirling) • Grampian (Aberdeenshire) • Highlands & Eilean Siar (Highland) • SW Scotland, Lothian Borders (Dumfries & Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders, West Lothian • Strathclyde (Argyll & Bute, Eat Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire).
The AMBER warning is effective from 0600 hours on Friday 24th to2100 on Friday 24th January 2025.
This runs in conjunction with a YELLOW weather warning for WIND which is effective from 0000 hours on Friday 24th to 1500 hours onSaturday 25th January in the following areas:
• Central, Tayside & Fife (Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Perth & Kinross, Stirling) • Grampian (Aberdeenshire, Moray) • Highlands & Eilean Siar (Na h-Eileanan Siar, Highland) • SW Scotland, Lothian Borders (Dumfries & Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders, West Lothian • Strathclyde (Argyll & Bute, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire) And a further YELLOW weather warning for SNOW which is effective from 0300 hours on Friday 24th to 1200 hours on Friday 24th January in the following areas: • Central, Tayside & Fife (Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Perth & Kinross, Stirling) • Grampian (Aberdeenshire, Moray) • Highlands & Eilean Siar (Na h-Eileanan Siar, Highland) • SW Scotland, Lothian Borders (Dumfries & Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders, West Lothian • Strathclyde (Argyll & Bute, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire)
Storm Éowyn will move across the northwest of the UK on Friday, clearing to the northeast on Friday night.
This will bring a spell of very strong west to southwesterly winds, with peak gusts of 60-70 mph fairly widely inland, 70-80 mph in some areas, and 80-90 mph along more exposed coasts and hills (perhaps even higher in a few locations).
It should be noted that there may be a slight reduction in wind strength for a time as the centre of Storm Éowyn passes overhead, this most likely in parts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland, before winds rapidly increase again.
Winds will gradually ease later on Friday.
General advice for road users:
• Plan ahead and avoid unnecessary travel • All road users should consider if they really need to travel during adverse weather • Consider delaying travel until conditions improve • If you are travelling on the roads, prepare yourself and your vehicle for the conditions • Ensure your mobile phone is charged and plan your journey, including an alternative route • Have sufficient fuel, warm clothing, food and water in case you’re delayed • Do not ignore road closure signs – they are for your safety • Congestion caused by vehicles may restrict emergency services and recovery vehicles from providing essential assistance • Listen to media broadcasts, including radio, for updates Traffic Scotland radio player | Traffic Scotland |Traffic Scotland radio player | Traffic Scotland or visit Traffic Scotland | Trunk road traffic updates & route planner • Follow your local authority for the latest updates in your area via Facebook, Twitter/X or their website • Other information can be found on the Met Office and Ready Scotland websites. For public transport information visit https://www.traveline.info. • Follow @policescotland and @trafficscotland on Twitter/X for up-to-date travel information.
Wind
HGV and bus drivers should drive with extreme caution and be aware you may be asked to park at a suitable position by the police.
Drivers of vehicles vulnerable to being blown over should plan their route to avoid exposed areas or consider cancelling your journey until conditions improve.
Cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians should consider the risk of being blown over or into the path of other road users.
Snow/Ice
Keep well back from the road user in front. Stopping distances can be up to 10x greater than on dry roads.
Check your windscreen washer levels and effectiveness of wiper blades.
Check your vehicle’s lights.You must ensure your lights are clean and number plates are clearly visible.
Ensure your windows are completely clear before driving. Failure to do so can result in a fine.
Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with drugs offences after cannabis cultivations, with an estimated street value of £3.6million, were recovered in West Lothian, Falkirk and Edinburgh.
Two warrants were executed in Falkirk on Monday, 20 January, 2025 which resulted in the men aged 29 and 28 being arrested in connection with serious and organised crime. They were due to appear at Livingston Sheriff Court on Tuesday, 21 January, 2025
Large scale cannabis cultivations were discovered in Livingston, West Calder, Edinburgh and Falkirk between September, 2022 and January, 2025.
The cannabis cultivations have an estimated street value of £3.6million.
As part of enforcement action £80,000 worth of cannabis was recovered and £12,000 in cash.
Detective Sergeant John Irvine: “We remain committed to targeting those involved in serious and organised crime in Scotland as we recognise the impact this has on our local communities. “Disrupting large-scale cannabis cultivations prevents illegal drugs being circulated on our streets. “This action reiterates our commitment to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country’s Serious Organised Crime Strategy. “Information from the public is absolutely crucial to our work and we ask anyone with knowledge about drugs activity in their area to call Police Scotland on 101.” Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”
Following a report of concern for a person, around 4pm on Monday, 20 January, 2025, officers found the bodies of a 36-year-old man and a six-year-old girl within a property in Harburn Drive, West Calder.
The deaths are being treated as unexplained and post mortem examinations will take place in due course.
Their relatives are aware and are being supported by specialist officers.
Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.
Chief Inspector Elaine McArthur-Kerr, local area commander, said: “We understand this incident may be very upsetting and worrying for the people living in this community and would ask anyone with any concerns to speak to us.
“A police presence will remain in the area while we carry out investigations and anyone with any concerns, or information, can approach these officers.”
UPDATE at 12:05pm 22/1/25:
Extensive enquiries are ongoing into the deaths of a 36-year-old man and a six-year-old girl in West Calder.
On Monday, 20 January, 2025, officers attended at a property in Harburn Drive where the bodies of a man and a girl were found within.
The deaths are being treated as unexplained and post mortem examinations will take place in due course.
A team of officers from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, plus the local division, are involved in the investigation.
Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and at this time, there is nothing to suggest anyone else has been involved.
Detective Chief Inspector Bob Williamson, of the Major Investigation Team, said: “Our thoughts remain with the man and girl’s relatives at this extremely difficult time and they continue to be supported by specialist officers.
“They are understandably devastated and it is vital we get answers for them.
“At this time, we have no information to suggest anyone else is involved and our enquiries are continuing.
“I would ask that anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant you think it is, gets in touch with officers.”
There will continue to be a significant police presence in the area while the investigation is ongoing.
This includes uniformed and plain-clothed officers from the local division and the Major Investigation Team.
Chief Inspector Elaine McArthur-Kerr, local area commander, said: “We understand the significant impact this will have on the local community and I would like to thank everyone for their help so far.
“This incident is very upsetting and worrying for the people living in this community and would ask anyone with any concerns to speak to us.
“A police presence will remain in the area while we carry out investigations and anyone with any concerns, or information, can approach these officers.”
POLICE are appealing for information following a serious injury collision on Bog Road, Penicuik yesterday (Sunday, January 19, 2025).
Around 3.20pm, police received a report of a collision involving three children, aged 11, 12 and 13, and a Volkswagen T-Cross on Bog Road, Penicuik.
Emergency services attended and an 11-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl were taken to the Royal Hospital for Children in Edinburgh where medical staff confirmed their injuries as serious. The 12-year-old girl was uninjured.
The road was closed to allow for collision investigators to examine the location.
Sergeant Fraser Mitchell said: “Our enquiries remain ongoing as we work to establish the full circumstances of this collision.
“Anyone with any information or dash cam footage should get in contact, no matter how insignificant it may seem.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 1844 of 19 January, 2025.
Police Scotland and Education Scotland have come together to deliver YOU, ME, TOGETHER, a resource for secondary school pupils to make them aware of domestic abuse and the wider issue of violence against women and girls.
A video has been released on our social media channels after an event on Thursday, 28 November, 2024, when teachers at Loudoun Academy in Galston and officers provided young people with information about domestic abuse, including themes of coercive control, inappropriate relationships and peer pressure.
Teachers have a number of a resources to work with to help facilitate open and safe discussions about what can be an emotive subject for young men and women. The package includes a short film (add hyperlink to trailer) which follows a story line of coercive control between young people in a school setting and shows the warning signs to look out for.
YOU, ME, TOGETHER demonstrates that if we all work together, we can tackle domestic abuse. The emphasis being on victims, friends, family, supporters, partner agencies, professionals and police all working together.
Detective Inspector Phillip Kennedy said: “This programme is aimed at young people at an age when they are starting to form relationships.
“Domestic abuse can be a problem at any age but You Me Together aims to address any issues and promote positive behaviours.
“The programme talks about healthy relationships but also about the warning signs when things are not right. It is about empowering young people, giving them advice and information, and helping them make a choice and take action when something doesn’t feel right.
“By helping to educate young people, we hope that in the longer term this will reduce the likelihood of abusive behaviour developing and reduce incidents of domestic abuse.”
Councillor Jim McMahon, East Ayrshire Council’s Spokesperson for Housing, Transport and Communities said: “I was very pleased to join with Police Scotland and Head Teacher David Falconer for the launch of the new resource You, Me, Together at Loudoun Academy.
“East Ayrshire schools were involved in the development of the resource through the pilot project in 2022 and are proud to have had a role in shaping its development.
“I am also pleased that this took place during the 16 Days of Action campaign, which continues to be so important. It brings people together to work towards eliminating gender-based violence and encourages us all to take action to support women and girls in our communities.
“Last year, the Police recorded 1552 reported incidents of domestic abuse in East Ayrshire. There is no doubt that action is required to reduce the number of women and children affected by domestic violence, but we all understand that there is also no quick fix. Education is essential and resources like You, Me, Together take a long-term approach with the aim of encouraging positive behaviours among our young people that they will take into adulthood.”
The resource was initially piloted in 2022 in schools across Scotland reaching more than 1000 pupils, with feedback supporting the enhancement of the resource to meet the needs of students.
In 2023 all high schools in Ayrshire supported the delivery of the resource which has now been developed into a more accessible online interactive format to support national delivery to students in all areas of Scotland. It will be delivered within the existing personal and social education curriculum (PSE).
Police Scotland is committed to tackling gender-based violence and abuse, as highlighted in our prevention campaigns including the recent That Guy campaign and our support for the annual 16 Day of Activism campaign.
A key part of this work is building relationships with partners and working with them on a regular basis to highlight and make people aware of their messages too.
