Edinburgh crime: Local businesses in Royal Mile speak out about crime and anti social behaviour in city centre

Crime is blighting Edinburgh’s iconic Royal Mile on a daily basis with thieves stealing from businesses and making off on scooters, a community group has said.

Members of the newly-formed Tron Area Business Group have said they are “sick to [their] back teeth” of the increasing levels of crime, with people having been seen defecating on pavements as well as dealing and taking drugs in public closes, streets and squares.

They said this behaviour suggested “a breakdown in the social fabric of the wider Tron and High Street area.”

“The wider Tron area, is now overrun by unacceptable levels of crime, vandalism, anti-social behaviour, threatening behaviour, violence, drug and alcohol abuse and drug dealing which we fear will lead to this area becoming a place to avoid or a “No Go” area, accompanied by loss of businesses, residents and visitors,” they said.

Edinburgh crime: Local businesses in Royal Mile speak out about crime and anti social behaviour in city centre

The group added: “Thieves casually walk into Greggs nearly every day and help themselves to sandwiches and drinks and walk out without paying while laugh and joking at the staff.

“Unbelievable levels of theft and attempted theft in retail stores, they’re even using scooters as getaway vehicles.”

The group is now calling on the council and police to do more to help tackle the problem and said both bodies are “failing to meet its responsibilities to the people they are here to serve”.

"[We’re] tired, frustrated and sick to our back teeth of the lack of care, interest, consideration, support and action that we expected from the city council, it’s leadership, executive officers and other officers as well as the police,” the group said.

"Our shared opinion is that we are not receiving any such thing and we’ve had enough. We have had to act.”

The group said that the City Commander for Police Scotland and others will be invited to a meeting of businesses in the immediate Tron area and wider Royal Mile that is currently being organised with the support of Councillor Lezley Cameron and Councillor Joanna Mowat.

They concluded that the crime in the area was being normalised, adding: “We think this normalisation is totally unacceptable, not just for this city but any city."

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