A teenager involved in the significant disorder within the South West of Edinburgh during Bonfire Night 2024 has been given a prison sentence.
At Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 4 August, the 17-year-old, who cannot be named, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison for mobbing and rioting, which took place in Calder Road on 5 November.
He previously pled guilty to the Calder Road incident and a separate disorder offence that took place on Princes Street on 5 October 2024 and has so far served eight months in prison, having been remanded in custody.
Chief Superintendent David Robertson, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh said: “The scenes we witnessed in Calder Road, along with other areas of the city, last Bonfire Night were wholly unacceptable and resulted in a local car dealership having thousands of pounds worth of damage inflicted upon their vehicles, while our colleagues at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service also had their station in the area targeted.
“This individual was an active participant in the disorder and damage that took place during this time, and he was subsequently arrested as a result of thorough inquiries conducted by local officers and CID colleagues.
“His prison sentence is a welcome outcome and should once again highlight the joint commitment of both Police Scotland and COPFS to ensure those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice for their dangerous and unacceptable actions.”
There is an extreme risk of wildfire across Scotland between Friday, 11 July and Monday, 14 July.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has urged people who live within or who may enter rural environments to exercise caution.
The extreme danger assessment – released in conjunction with the Scottish Wildfire Forum (SWF) – will be in place from Friday, 11 July until Monday, 14 July. This covers central and eastern areas on Friday, 11 July, and extends to all areas, except low-lying areas with green grass, from Saturday, 12 July, until Monday, 14 July.
Wildfires have the potential to burn for days and devastate vast areas of land and wildlife, and threaten the welfare of nearby communities.
Group Commander Raymond King is a Wildfire Tactical Advisor at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. He said: “We are asking the public to exercise extreme caution and think twice before using anything involving a naked flame.
“Many rural and remote communities are hugely impacted by wildfires, which can cause significant damage.
“Livestock, farmland, wildlife, protected woodland, and sites of special scientific interest can all be devastated by these fires – as can the lives of people living and working in rural communities.
“These fires can also have a hugely negative impact on the environment, and the release of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
“Human behaviour can significantly lower the chance of a wildfire starting, so it is crucial that people act safely and responsibly in rural environments and always follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.”
The primary aim is to ensure that Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) resources – including staff, stations and appliances – are matched to operational risk and demand across Scotland.
The proposed changes are spread across 14 different local authority areas and involve more than 30 fire stations.
The full list of options include: the potential closure of eight long term dormant fire stations and a further five city-based sites – two in Edinburgh, two in Glasgow and one in Dundee. Some fire stations may be merged with sites nearby.
There are also plans to repair or rebuild in some locations, as well as transfer staff and appliances to more effective locations.
Chief Officer Stuart Stevens said: “We have an opportunity for the first time since our national service was formed in 2013 to review how we provide our emergency service every minute of the day, every day of the year.
“Building a modern fire and rescue service that is fit for purpose is the reason we are bringing these proposed changes forward.
“We recognise that these 23 options represent a significant level of change. However, we have a duty to ensure that the right resources are in the right locations to meet new risks that exist within today’s communities.
“We also need to spend public money wisely. We have a backlog of repairs in our buildings, fleet and equipment that would cost more than £800 million to address and this just isn’t an option available to our service. Therefore, along with the need for sustained investment we need to consider how we operate and reduce running costs for assets that are not serving our staff or communities.
“We must also be able to adapt to meet current and future risks, such as those posed by extreme weather events or wildfires.”
Service Delivery Review – a public consultation by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
Long term dormant fire stations have been non-operational for many years due to recruitment difficulties for on call firefighters in rural places. In some of these locations, there are sheds or storage units.
Five other fire stations across Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow have been identified as potential closures or mergers because they are located close to other facilities that could provide effective cover, or the operational demand is lower than other fire stations with the same level of resources.
Implementing a day duty shift pattern in targeted areas would see wholetime firefighters working between 8am and 6pm, supported by on call firefighters outwith those times.
A nucleus crew could be placed in two locations – Galashiels in the Scottish Borders and Lesmahagow in South Lanarkshire.
A nucleus crew is made up of wholetime firefighters who can be tactically deployed across an area to carry our prevention work, provide additional resilience and respond to incidents during the day when on call availability can often be low.
Permanent solutions are being proposed following the temporary withdrawal of ten appliances in 2023, including Perth & Kinross, Fife, Lanarkshire, Inverclyde and Glasgow.
(Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)
CO Stevens added: “These options have been developed over many months involving staff, trade union representatives and other stakeholders.
“There will be a 12-week period to give people time to submit their views on the changes.
“We would encourage as many people as possible to participate in public consultation process.”
A very high to extreme risk of wildfire remains in place across areas of Scotland today Monday, 12 May, the country’s fire and rescue service has warned.
Firefighters are currently tackling one major blaze near Fauldhouse in West Lothian. The fire broke out on Saturday.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has urged people who live within or who may enter rural environments to exercise caution.
Wildfires have the potential to burn for days and devastate vast areas of land and wildlife; and threaten the welfare of nearby communities.
SFRS Wildfire Lead Michael Humphreys said: “We are asking the public to exercise extreme caution and think twice before using anything involving a naked flame.
“Many rural and remote communities are hugely impacted by wildfires, which can cause significant damage.
“Livestock, farmland, wildlife, protected woodland and sites of special scientific interest can all be devastated by these fires – as can the lives of people living and working in rural communities.
“These fires can also have a hugely negative impact on the environment and the release of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
“Human behaviour can significantly lower the chance of a wildfire starting, so it is crucial that people act safely and responsibly in rural environments and always follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.”
A fire starting at night while you’re asleep means less warning to escape.
Your smoke alarms should wake you if a fire does break out – but you can further reduce your risk by carrying out these simple checks before you go to bed
Before going to bed, you can help keep your family safe by checking your home for potential fire hazards. This will only take a few minutes, but it can help keep everyone safe while you sleep.
Follow these simple bedtime checks to help keep your home safe.
Switch off and unplug all electrical appliances not designed to be left on overnight.
Stub out all cigarettes and always empty ashtrays. Pour water over cigarette ends and matches before putting them in the bin outside.
Put fireguards around open fires. Do not build-up the fire before you go to bed.
Switch off any portable heaters.
Switch off any electric blankets, unless it’s marked ‘suitable for all night use’.
Close all doors – it can keep your escape route free from smoke and may stop a fire spreading.
Make sure the main door keys are to hand.
Extinguish open flames such as candles, oil lamps, and incenses sticks.
Only use laptops and devices on hard surfaces so the air vents can let the heat escape. They should also be unplugged before bed.
Never charge your mobile phone while you are asleep, or charge it and leave under your pillow.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service combined forces with the Leith Community Policing Team at Lorne Primary yesterday to deliver the ‘The Junior Cop & Good Citizen’ programme.
Constable Gloc leads the current initiative which is presented to Primary 6 pupils with the aim of encouraging the children to act responsibly and safely at home, in the community and within their school environment.
It involves a weekly programme of inputs covering the following topics:
The Role of the Police
Fire Safety
Travel Safe
Online Safety
Alcohol, Drugs, and age specific goods
Respect in the Community, including ASB and Hate Crime.
The image is of Community Fire Fighters Young & Sinclair, PC Clark and in centre stage a potential firefighter of the future.
Police Scotland’s criminal investigations into Bonfire Night disorder began yesterday, with detectives across the country following positive lines of inquiry to identify those responsible.
Certain areas of Scotland experienced significant levels of disorder, with the Niddrie, Calder Road, Gracemount and Moredun areas of Edinburgh and the Pollokshields area of Glasgow being the most adversely affected.
In each of these regions, local policing teams and other emergency services required the assistance of Operation Moonbeam assets to tackle violence and damage being caused by large groups of youths who threw fireworks and other projectiles at officers, vehicles and public property. Fires were also set in some of these areas, causing fear and alarm to the local communities.
Other isolated incidents involving the reckless or criminal use of fireworks were also reported in various parts of both cities, including a report of 21 cars being damaged by fireworks at a car dealership in Calder Road, Edinburgh.
In Glasgow, officers and colleagues from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service had to respond to large number of unauthorised bonfires being lit and were met with large groups of hostile youths upon their attendance.
All of these offences continue to be investigated.
Between Thursday, 31 October and Wednesday, 6 November, a total of 19 arrests have been made throughout Scotland in connection with firework offences. Six people have been charged under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles Act, while a further 26 charges have been brought against individuals for associated criminality.Further arrests are expected in the coming days.
A Major Incident Public Portal has also been established, allowing communities to share video and photo evidence of Bonfire Night offences taking place in their area. Anyone with footage that can assist officers in identifying people involved in fireworks-related crime can submit it to:
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, Gold Commander for Operation Moonbeam, said: “Now that our Bonfire Night deployments have stood down, our investigation teams will begin reviewing all the evidence we obtained through Body Worn Video, Air Support Unit footage and statements from the public.
“This will help us establish the identities of those who chose to cause harm within our communities and who sought to attack and injure emergency service workers.
“While I am encouraged that we didn’t see the same levels of serious disorder, when compared to last year, I am under no illusion that that actions of a minority of individuals still had a significant and detrimental impact on various communities across Scotland.
“Their actions will not be tolerated, and detectives are working tirelessly to make arrests and ensure all of those involved in the offences we witnessed are brought to account.”
Chief Superintendent David Robertson, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh, added: “I made it clear following the incidents that occurred during the evening of Halloween that we’d leave no stone unturned as part of our investigations and I am reaffirming that statement today.
“Law-abiding members of the public living in Niddrie, Calder Road, Gracemount and Moredun were left terrified as serious disorder took place in their communities and vital bus services that allow safe travel across our city were violently attacked, which is entirely unacceptable.
“I am enormously grateful and immensely proud of all of the officers and staff who contributed to Operation Moonbeam. Colleagues worked tirelessly behind the scenes and on the front line, putting themselves in harm’s way to restore order and return these areas to a state of normality as quickly as possible, but the work begins now in terms of identifying and arresting everyone responsible.
“If members of the public have information or evidence that can help with our inquiries then please contact us immediately.”
Chief Superintendent Lynn Ratcliff, Divisional Commander for Greater Glasgow Division, said: “The overwhelming majority of those within Glasgow chose to enjoy Bonfire Night in the proper spirit. However, groups of young people, motivated to cause the maximum amount of fear and alarm carried out targeted disorder in certain parts of the city.
“This put not only local residents at risk, but meant police officers, fire service personnel and ambulance crews were in danger of being injured, as they responded to protect communities. Thankfully, however, no injuries were reported.
“Detectives across Glasgow are reviewing all evidence they obtained during Bonfire Night, and working with the public to gather more information, which will help bring these offenders to justice.
“If you believe you can assist with our ongoing inquiries then please get in touch.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service received more than 1,000 calls from the public during an eight-hour period on Bonfire Night
There were also six reported attacks on crews within three hours, however no injuries have been reported.
Two attacks took place in Clydebank, two in Glasgow, one in Edinburgh and one in Blackridge, West Lothian.
Initial figures indicate that crews responded to approximately 347 bonfires across the country between 3.30pm and 11.30pm on Tuesday, 5 November.
In the run up to the event, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) had appealed to the public to be aware of the dangers of both fireworks and unsafe bonfires with a message to consider the impact of their actions on communities and emergency services.
Andy Watt, Deputy Chief Officer for SFRS said: “I would like to pay tribute to the professionalism and resilience of our frontline crews.
“Operations Control firefighters answered over 1,000 calls tonight and have once again worked tirelessly to ensure we respond to those who need us the most.
“Unfortunately, several of our crews came under attack across Scotland, with six attacks within three hours. Crews were bombarded with missiles and fireworks while responding to emergency incidents.
“These attacks prevent our crews from bringing any emergency to a safe and swift conclusion, and can impact on our emergency service colleagues – including the police when they must escort us at the scene.
“This type of behaviour is, of course, carried out by a very small minority and we once again thank our communities for their continuing support and working together with us to stay safe across the Bonfire period.”
FEWER INJURIES TO EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSONNEL THIS YEAR
Incidents of serious disorder during Bonfire Night have fallen this year.
In 2023, specialist resources as part of Operation Moonbeam were deployed on 26 separate occasions during the evening of 5 November. This year, 18 deployments were required during the same period.
The overall number of fireworks-related calls has remained consistent to previous years, however, the number of officers injured has reduced significantly, compared to last year.
During the Operation Moonbeam deployment for October and November 2023, a total of 62 officers sustained injuries after being targeted with fireworks and other projectiles.
To date, one officer was injured on Halloween evening after a brick was thrown through the window of her police vehicle in Edinburgh. No further injuries to officers have so far been reported. One person has been arrested and charged in relation to this assault.
During the evening of Tuesday, 5 November, officers in Edinburgh responded to various incidents of youth disorder in Niddrie, Sighthill and Moredun.
Large groups gathered in these areas before throwing fireworks, bottles and bricks at police vehicles and other cars. Two fire service appliances were also attacked during this time.
No injuries to emergency service workers or members of the public were reported.
Various parts of Glasgow also experienced pockets of disorder, with youths witnessed throwing fireworks at members of the public, vehicles and police officers. There were also four incidents of fire appliances being subjected to attacks when responding to calls. Again, however, no injuries were reported.
In Peterhead a pyrotechnic device was ignited within a skate park in Aalesund Road at around 9.20pm. Those responsible then made off in a van before striking a 33-year-old male pedestrian and fleeing the scene.
The male was treated by paramedics at the scene but did not require further medical attention. Inquiries to identify the suspects are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to come forward.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, Gold Commander for Operation Moonbeam said: “I firstly want to recognise the outstanding courage and professionalism of all of those emergency service workers who put themselves in harm’s way to keep communities safe.
“Their actions ensured that some of the challenging scenes we witnessed this year did not escalate into mass disorder, on the scale of what we experienced last year.
“Nevertheless, the levels of violence and aggression police officers, fire service and ambulance service personnel faced in some areas was wholly unacceptable and a significant investigative response is now underway to identify each and every one of those involved and bring them to justice.
“In advance of Bonfire Night 2024, local policing teams across Scotland have worked diligently with local authority and third sector partners to make positive in-roads with communities and identify some of the root causes that lead to disorder.
“In addition, this engagement has resulted in an increase in the intelligence we have received from the public, allowing us to take preventative enforcement action before crimes could occur.
“Throughout Operation Moonbeam, we have utilised all legislation and policing powers at our disposal and we will continue our discussions with local authorities and Scottish Government to explore further opportunities for reducing fireworks offences for next year and moving forward.”
Bonfire Night is the busiest night of the year for firefighters across Scotland.
Please respect our crews when they are bringing incidents to a safe conclusion. Remember – we are here to keep you safe.
