Police in Edinburgh were forced to face down violent “hooligans” last night as officers were targeted by fireworks and bricks for the second year in a row.
Hay Drive, in the Scottish capital’s eastern Niddrie suburb, was locked down as disorder broke out – with public transport and police vehicles attacked by a mob.
At around 10pm, Police Scotland said “a number of people” were involved in the chaos, as roads were shut down and riot officers descended on the scene.
Meanwhile, local public transport operator Lothian Buses said it had withdrawn at least nine bus services as the anti-social behaviour erupted.
Violence unfolded once again in Niddrie – with riot police pictured battling a mob last year
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Edinburgh Council’s leader Cammy Day said he was “shocked and saddened to hear of the mindless violence and disorder”.
He said: “This is a time for families and young people to come together and enjoy Halloween in a safe environment, so it’s incomprehensible to me that anyone would choose to cause such disruption, fear and alarm in our communities – particularly with hooligans deliberately targeting buses and police vehicles.
“I would appeal to anyone who can help identify those responsible to contact police as soon as possible so they can be dealt with appropriately through the justice system.”
At the time, the public were urged to avoid the area before police eventually quelled the chaos by 11pm.
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Police in Edinburgh were forced to face down violent “hooligans” last night
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The disorder struck just hours before the imposition of a controversial new Bonfire Night fireworks ban in parts of Edinburgh – including Niddrie.
The Firework Control Zone (FCZ), as it’s known, will run from today to November 10. In it, anyone setting off a private firework will be committing a criminal offence.
The FCZs exist thanks to a Scottish Government push after a major riot gripped Dundee in 2022, with individual authorities given the power to vote on them themselves.
City of Edinburgh Council became the first such authority to vote for the measures in August – with Cammy Day pointing at last year’s violence as to why.
Councillor Cammy Day has condemned both this and last year’s violence
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Emergency service workers were injured in disorder in Niddrie on November 5 last year, with footage from the time showing fireworks and petrol bombs being aimed at riot police.
He said that while such incidents were “not unique to Edinburgh”, he was “clear that this sort of behaviour has no place in our city”.
Day also condemned “the shocking scenes we saw last year with emergency services being attacked while trying to do their jobs”.
“It’s long been my view that we need to ban the public sale of fireworks, given the potential risk to health if misused, but also the unnecessary fear and alarm they cause in our communities,” he said.