The UK’s Terrorism Threat Level has been raised to Severe – meaning an attack is highly likely.
There is nothing to suggest a specific threat to Scotland. You should be alert, not alarmed, remain vigilant and report anything suspicious.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston, Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism, said: “Today the Home Secretary announced an increase in the UK’s Terrorism Threat Level to Severe, meaning an attack is now highly likely.
“This decision has been made in response to a series of recent attacks on Jewish communities and a terror attack declared in north London yesterday (29 April). I want to stress that there is no intelligence to suggest any specific threat to Scotland.
“However, I do want to take this opportunity to urge the public to remain alert but not alarmed. You should remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to Police Scotland.”
Police Scotland can be contacted on 101 or in an emergency you should always dial 999.
POLICE Scotland is proud to support #TakeFiveWeek26, working with Take Five to Stop Fraud to help more people recognise the warning signs of scams.
This year, three best-selling crime authors have written short stories inspired by the tactics scammers use and reminding us that, just like in a good mystery, the clues are often there if you know where to look.
By taking a moment to stop and think like a detective, you could spot the clues and protect yourself from a scam.
A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to nine years and five months in prison for attempted murder in Edinburgh.
Josh Reynolds pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday, 20 March, 2026 and was sentenced at the same court on Friday, 24 April, 2026.
He was also disqualified from driving for 13 years.
The incident happened around 9.40pm on Friday, 26 September, 2025, when Reynolds deliberately drove a Peugeot Partner panel van at a 29-year-old man on Prestonfield Avenue.
The man was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment for life-threatening injuries.
Detective Constable Joanne Robertson said: “This was a serious and deliberate act which could have resulted in the loss of a young man’s life. Reynolds will now face the consequences of his actions.
“I would like to thank members of the public for their assistance throughout our enquiries, as well as the officers involved in the investigation.
“Violence of this nature has no place in our communities and we will continue to work to ensure those responsible of such crimes are brought to justice.”
A 70-year-old man has been given an Order of Lifelong Restriction (OLR) and a custodial sentence of seven years after being convicted of non-recent sexual offences.
Russell Pender’s crimes took place at various locations in Edinburgh, Midlothian and Fife between 1972 and 2021.
He was found guilty of a number of serious sexual offences, including the rape of a child, and placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow in December 2025.
The OLR means the parole board will only consider a date for Pender’s release once he has served his full sentence and his risk to the public has been assessed. He would also be subject to conditions and monitoring for the rest of his life.
Detective Inspector Keith Taylor said: “Pender is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on people in the most horrific way.
“I only hope they take some comfort from knowing their abuser is now behind bars and facing the consequences of his despicable actions.
“I know how difficult it can be to report crimes of this nature and would like to commend the victims for their honesty and strength during the investigation. Their information was vital in helping us build our case against Pender.
“Police Scotland is committed to fully investigating all reports of sexual crime – no matter who the perpetrator is or how much time has passed.
“I would urge anyone who has experienced any form of abuse to please contact us. We have specially trained support officers and work closely with partner agencies to ensure those responsible are held accountable and brought to justice.”
Hundreds of people report being victims of stalking each year in Scotland
Police Scotland recorded 744 stalking offences between 1 April to 31 December 2025, up from 686 in the same period the year before, with detection rates of 78.13% and 80.88%, respectively. Almost half of these crimes were related to domestic offending.
National Stalking Awareness Week runs between 20 and 26 April and Police Scotland is joining forces with partner Action Against Stalking to highlight the impact of stalking and harassment and call out the importance of supporting victims.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Sergeant, lead for domestic abuse, stalking and harassment, Police Scotland, said: “The impact of stalking and harassment on victims cannot be underestimated.
“As well as causing fear and alarm, it impacts on how they live their lives, how safe they feel, how they act and how they react. Police Scotland will continue to collaborate with partner agencies to protect and support victims of stalking and actively pursue perpetrators to prevent further harm.
“Every stalking situation is unique, but most stalkers demonstrate FOUR distinct types of behaviours: fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeated.
“Victims can be subjected to unwanted calls, texts, or messages. It can include hacking into devices and installing tracking apps, taking control of someone’s social media profile, or sharing or threatening to share photos, videos, or personal information.
“If you or anyone you know is a victim of stalking, then please contact the police. We will listen.
“Information people share with us is vital in helping us put together that jigsaw of incidents and behaviours that taken together allows us to evidence stalking.
“Action Against Stalking advises keeping a log of incidents, and this can be extremely helpful for our investigations.
“We will assess the risk, put in place a safety plan and work with partners to ensure support is available.
“National Stalking Awareness Week is a reminder to us all of the impact of stalking and harassment and the importance of partnership in tackling this insidious abuse.”
Hayley Tennant, Action Against Stalking CEO said: “Stalking can have a devastating and long lasting impact on victims, affecting their sense of safety, wellbeing, and everyday freedom. It is not a series of minor incidents but a pattern of behaviour that can escalate and cause serious harm.
“National Stalking Awareness Week is an opportunity to remind victims that they are not alone, that support is available, and that early reporting and documenting incidents can be crucial in helping them regain control and stay safe. We always encourage individuals who are experiencing stalking to contact and report to Police Scotland.”
“If you or anyone you know is a victim of stalking and harassment then please contact Police Scotland on 101, or 999 in an emergency. People can also report online, or via a third party like Action Against Stalking.”
A man has been convicted of an assault in Meadowbank in December 2023 which left a man permanently disfigured.
At Edinburgh High Court today (Friday, 24 April, 2026) Alijo Danso, aged 22, pleaded guilty to assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and danger to life.
Around 10.20pm on 3 December, 2023, emergency services were called to a report of the assault of a man at a property on Whyte Place, Edinburgh.
Danso was subsequently arrested and charged in connection and is due to be sentenced at Glasgow High Court on Wednesday, 3 June, 2026.
Detective Constable Chris Docherty said: “This was a violent incident that resulted in a man being taken to hospital.
“Danso will now face the consequences of his actions.
“I’d like to thank the public for their support and patience as we dealt with this incident.”
Two brothers have been jailed as part of a large-scale investigation into serious and organised crime.
Kieran and Aaron Miller, 31 and 34 respectively, plead guilty on Thursday, 12 March, 2026, at the High Court in Glasgow to offences relating to supplying drugs and using encrypted devices between November 2019 and June 2020.
Yesterday, Wednesday, 22 April, 2026, they were each sentenced at the same court to six years in prison.
Their part in sourcing and distributing illicit drugs worth over £1 million was uncovered as part of Operation Enchanting, closely linked to Operation Venetic – a Europe-wide investigation to identify and dismantle organised crime groups utilising encrypted devices.
The brothers are believed to have been supplying dealers rather than end users and, on a weekly basis, were found to be moving large quantities of cocaine, diamorphine, MDMA, cannabis, amphetamine and diazepam in the Fife and Central Scotland areas.
During the investigation, detectives uncovered that the pair sent over 36,000 messages via EncroChat devices, including images of cash and drugs.
Detective Inspector Craig Davies said: “Drugs cause misery in our communities and we are committed to use every tool and tactic at our disposal to bring those responsible for the sourcing and distribution of illicit drugs to justice.
“This result has taken a significant quantity of Class A and Class B drugs off the streets, and the people behind the deal will now face the consequences of their actions.
“This operation and our other recent successes underline our unwavering commitment to working with partners, including the NCA, Border Force and SOC Taskforce, to disrupt this sort of criminality.
POLICE are appealing for information following reports of offensive graffiti in South Queensferry.
The vandalism is reoccurring and we are aware of six instances between the end of December 2025 and Tuesday, 21 April, 2026.
The graffiti is being removed by the council each time before appearing again. It is mainly happening in the Morison Gardens underpass, and Society Road areas.
Police Constable Euan Sinclair said: “Since this was reported to us, we have been conducting enquiries to trace the person, or persons, responsible. It is wholly unacceptable for this to continue happening.
“I would urge anyone who may have been in these areas and seen anything suspicious, or who has any information to help us identity and trace those responsible, to contact us.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2772 of 6 April, 2026.
TRACY GILBERT URGES POLICE TO LAUNCH CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
On Tuesday, 21 April 2026, Tracy Gilbert MP, the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North and Leith, accused websites advertising prostitution of facilitating industrial-scale sex-trafficking in Scotland and revealed she has written to Police Scotland urging them to launch a criminal investigation into the websites, which continue to openly operate in Scotland.
Websites advertising prostitution are commercial online platforms dedicated solely or partly to advertising individuals for prostitution. A report in February by the UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner identified nearly 63,000 listings of women across 12 websites advertising prostitution in the UK at a single point in time. In just one month, the same websites received almost 41.7 million visits.
Frequently referred to as ‘pimping websites’, the UK Government has acknowledged through a written parliamentary question that “adult service websites are now the most significant enabler of trafficking for sexual exploitation”.
Leading a debate in the UK Parliament on sex trafficking in Scotland, Tracy Gilbert MP argued that it is not just third-party criminals using these websites who should be the focus of police attention. Instead, it should be the website operators themselves facing investigation for sex trafficking.
https://twitter.com/i/status/2046563957708558669
In her speech, the Edinburgh North and Leith MP revealed that she had written to the Chief Constable at Police Scotland, urging a criminal investigation into pimping websites.
She stated that websites advertising prostitution knowingly aid prostitution and facilitate the travel of individuals for prostitution – by listing and categorising prostitution adverts according to whether the advertised individual will do so-called ‘outcalls’ – which is where a person travels to the sex buyer for the purpose of prostitution.
These actions, Tracy Gilbert MP stated, mean that the websites themselves constitute human trafficking operations under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015.
Following the debate, Tracy Gilbert MP said:“It is a national scandal that the individuals operating Adultwork and Vivastreet have not only been allowed to operate for years with total impunity, but that they have been publicly presented by Government and the National Crime Agency as partners in tackling sex trafficking.
“Pimping websites openly and explicitly facilitate the transportation or transfer of individuals for prostitution. The operators of these platforms publish prostitution adverts in a standardised format – which includes specifying whether the individual being advertised will do ‘out-calls’. …Facilitating the transportation of individuals for prostitution is built into the architecture of Adultwork and Vivastreet.
“I believe the seriousness and scale of these activities warrant an immediate criminal investigation.”
