Edinburgh crime: Balaclava gang surrounds woman's car and tries to steal bike in Stockbridge area

An Edinburgh woman has spoken of the moment balaclava-clad teenagers surrounded her car while she was trapped inside and tried to steal her bike.

The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, had pulled over on the side of a road in the Stockbridge area at around 3.30pm on Saturday, August 27.

“I saw in my rear view mirror some lads on bikes all dressed in black. There were about six, seven or eight of them,” she said. “It just looked really odd and looked as if they were coming towards the car.”

Moments later, her car was surrounded by the gang, with one member having stood up against the driver’s door to prevent her from getting out.

There are been several reports of balaclava-clad teenagers targeting people in Edinburgh

Other youths then started trying to steal her bike from the back of the vehicle.

“I’ve cycled for years and I have had lots of bikes stolen but I’ve never experienced anything like that,” she said. “It was broad daylight, on a Saturday afternoon, in the middle of Stockbridge.”

Before the youths could make off with her bike, the woman put her car in gear and drove away. She said the gang then just left the area.

“My first thought was that my doors weren’t locked and I thought about trying to lock them but then I thought it would be quicker and easier just to try and drive away,” she said.

And although she got away unharmed, she described the situation as “really scary”.

“I don’t want to be alarmist but it was extreme by any measure. It was pretty scary in the moment,” she said.

“I’m now having to think about if I pull up or stop at traffic lights, can I escape? Do I need to lock my doors? Do I need an extra lock on my bike?

“I’m not going to change what I do but I am thinking about what else I might need to do for security.”

It comes after several reports of youths wearing balaclavas attacking people and causing trouble in the Capital.

One incident saw a gang try to push a motorcycle instructor off his bike while he was driving.

Last week, police said the motorbike attack was “an isolated incident” and that their enquiries were ongoing.