Edinburgh crime: Teenager left injured and shaken after balaclava gang attack in Sighthill Park

Stolen bag and bluetooth speaker recovered by police after attack

An 18-year-old man who was left badly shaken with minor injuries after an unprovoked attack by a gang of seven youths in balaclavas last night has said he no longer feels safe in his local area.

The incident happened just after 9pm on Wednesday, October 18 at Sighthill Park, off Sighthill Avenue, when a group of youths approached the man and two of his friends at the play park. The yobs stole the man’s bag which contained a bluetooth speaker and viciously assaulted the 18-year-old before he and his two friends were able to escape.

The victim of the mindless attack, who lives close to the park, recalled last night’s terrifying incident. He said: “It’s not hurt me really, just made me angry. I have seen this happening so much around Edinburgh with young people and it feels like my community isn’t safe anymore.

The attack took place at the playpark in Sighthill Park just after 9pm on Wednesday, October 18.

"Seven boys, aged 16 or 17, came over to me and two of my friends at the play park and were shouting nonsense, I didn’t understand a word of what they were saying. Then they hit me and stole my bag and tried to take stuff out of it including a bluetooth speaker which the police later recovered and returned to me. It had been left at the park.

"I got hit four times on my back, three times on my head and twice in the ribs. One of them also tried to trip me up to get me on the ground. My friends and I then managed to run away to safety. My friends never got hit but they were verbally abused. I was the only one that got hit.

"The gang of seven youths were in balaclavas and all wearing tracksuits, with the one in a blue tracksuit acting like he was the leader. He was actually the only one not wearing a balaclava. He just had a baseball cap on.”

The victim, who asked not to be named, said the attack had left him with injuries and fearing for his safety.

The attack at Sighthill Park saw the victim struck on the head, back and hips.

"I’ve still got a sore head, I have a lump on my head as that’s where they were punching me full force,” he said. "It was a really scary incident. Two of the gang said ‘leave him alone’ but the other five were acting aggressively. Thankfully they didn’t chase after us. We got away safe.”

He also told the Evening News that he believes unprovoked attacks like this are “getting out of control” in the area.

He said: "That park has been an issue for some time. There are no security cameras there, I think they are desperately needed to solve any crimes carried out there. I just don’t feel safe in my own area. I was shaking after the incident last night. I’m still shaking just talking about it.

"I’m okay now really, but I couldn’t sleep last night. I’ve tried to be calm about it and brush it off as I didn’t want this to affect me, but I’m struggling a bit. It’s just not right that this is going on, unprovoked attacks on people minding their own business. It’s getting out of control.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We received a report of a man being assaulted at Sighthill Park in Edinburgh around 9.20pm on Wednesday, 18 October, 2023. Enquiries are ongoing."