Police vow to trace anyone involved in Bonfire Night disorder

Anyone involved in Bonfire Night disorder will be traced and arrested, police have warned after fireworks were thrown at emergency service vehicles and firefighters were attacked.

Police Scotland said there had been a “notable” reduction in disorder around the country, however they responded to incidents in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Clydebank and Blackridge, West Lothian, on Wednesday evening.

Between October 31 and November 5, police received 833 calls which needed a local or specialist response, down almost 37% on the same period last year.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it responded to 751 emergency calls over an eight-hour period on Bonfire Night, with two attacks being recorded against its personnel.

This year firework control zones (FCZs) are in place in areas of Edinburgh such as Niddrie which have seen significant disorder in recent years, and for the first time in Glasgow in three areas including Pollokshields.

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said community policing in the run up to the Bonfire Night period had been “critical” in reducing disorder.

He also said there had been a reduction in complaints about the misuse of fireworks in FCZs as people appeared to have been complying with the orders.

Police also seized two-and-a-half tonnes of illegal fireworks in the run up to November 5.

Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Mairs said: “In general what we have seen is a quieter season this year.

“There’s a number of reasons for that. The really effective community policing work that’s been going on with partners across Scotland in the run up to this has been really critical, the really effective public order support from our specialist colleagues.

“In the run up to this event, we, through investigations and intelligence, were able to seize two-and-a-half tonnes worth of illegal fireworks, which has significantly reduced the ability of people to carry out disorder.

“I think there’s real evidence emerging of the fireworks control zones and the dispersal zones in Edinburgh and Glasgow also having a really positive impact.”

Police Scotland last month launched Operation Moonbeam, its annual public order response to violence and disorder around Bonfire Night.

Many officers, including those in the Tayside and Edinburgh areas, are now equipped with body-worn video cameras.

Mr Mairs said officers are now reviewing footage from the cameras and from the police helicopter which was patrolling the skies on Bonfire Night, and will trace anyone involved in anti-social behaviour.

Two people were arrested on Wednesday evening, while 25 dispersal orders were issued in Edinburgh and a further 20 in Glasgow.

Mr Mairs, gold commander for Operation Moonbeam, said: “We’re confident that we have really good footage, and we’ll be able to identify people who’ve been involved in that.

“As last year, where we arrested over 60 people post-event and brought many of those before the courts, we’ll be doing exactly the same again this year, sending the message that there are consequences to the misuse of fireworks where people break the law. We will be arresting them and we will be bringing them to the Crown Office.”

Incidents on November 5 included one at around 7.05pm in Netherton Road, Glasgow, when local officers and firefighters reported fireworks being directed at their vehicles. The police car was damaged as a result and had to be taken away.

In Edinburgh, officers were called to reports relating to anti-social behaviour and youths throwing fireworks within the Calder Road and Sighthill Park areas at around 5.30pm. However, police said those involved dispersed when officers arrived and there were no more serious offences.

In Clydebank, police said youths terrorised drivers and pedestrians around Dumbarton Road between 7pm and 11pm.

A woman travelling with two children had her car window smashed by a firework thrown at them while a man was also hit with a firework.

Within the Glasgow FCZs – in Pollokshields, Govanhill and Broomhouse – it is a criminal offence for a member of the public to set off a firework from November 1 to November 10.

Anyone found breaching the restrictions can face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to £5,000.

FCZs came into force in Edinburgh in nine areas of the city on October 31 and they will be in place until November 9.

They cover Balerno, Calton Hill, Corstorphine, Gracemount, Longstone, Moredun, Niddrie, Seafield and Sighthill.

Officers in Edinburgh carried out 34 stop-and-searches under the Section 60 policing powers implemented for Bonfire Night.

Fire service deputy assistant chief officer Kenny Barbour said: “The bonfire season is always our busiest period of the year and presents us with some unique challenges in terms of keeping our staff and communities safe.

“But that is why our preparatory work is so key and I would like to thank our partners for their continued support in this joint effort.”

Community safety minister Siobhian Brown welcomed the “significant reduction in disorder over the Bonfire Night period so far”.

She added this was “testimony to the outstanding efforts of emergency services who have been tireless in their dedication to keeping communities safe”.

Ms Brown said: “The partnership working by all of the Operation Moonbeam partners started well ahead of the Halloween and Bonfire Night period and I would like to thank everyone involved.

“I would also like to thank communities who worked with police and other responders to help keep their local areas safe and would encourage them to continue to do so over the coming days.”