Man charged over Edinburgh stabbing incident as police warn of ‘misinformation’

A man has been charged following a disturbance in Edinburgh where two people were injured as police issued concerns about “misinformation” being shared online.

Armed officers were called to the Calder area in the west of the city on Monday morning after reports of a man being seen with a “bladed weapon”.

A tower block in the area, Cobbinshaw House, was sealed off for a number of hours as police dealt with the incident.

On Tuesday, Police Scotland said a 23-year-old man had been charged in relation to the incident and is due to appear in the city’s sheriff court on Wednesday.

Videos from the scene were shared widely on social media, with well-known accounts commenting that stabbings had taken place outside a school.

Police said the incident is not being treated as terror-related and they had not received any reports of the man allegedly responsible trying to enter a nursery or school.

Chief Inspector Scott Kennedy said: “I’m aware misinformation continues to be shared online about this incident which could cause further distress in the local community.

“I’d like to be clear: we did not receive any reports of a man attempting to enter a nursery or any educational establishment, and this was not a hostage situation.

“While we understand what happened was frightening, I’d ask people to avoid speculating about the details and be mindful that false information could affect any future court proceedings.

“We still have a police presence in the area for reassurance and I thank the public for their continued assistance and support.”

Two people were injured – a man who was stabbed and suffered “non-life-threatening injuries” and a woman with a laceration to the head, which was “not believed to be caused by a bladed weapon”.

They have both now been discharged from hospital.

As an arrest has been made, the case is considered to be active for contempt of court purposes under Scottish law.