‘Massive financial impact’ - £125k spent in Edinburgh policing disorder over bonfire and fireworks period

Policing anti-social behaviour and disorder in the Capital over the latest bonfire night period cost more than £125,000, new figures show.

The bulk of the public costs covered wages and overtime and catering for those officers working in Edinburgh division for the delivery of Operation Moonbeam - a national initiative that enabled police to draw on specialist support units.

Cars were torched in Muirhouse and Granton, police were attacked with fireworks and bricks in Niddrie, a bonfire was started on Arthur’s Seat and young boys were seriously injured after a discarded box of fireworks exploded at Saughton Park.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said the level of resource put in place was “entirely appropriate” given the disorder they experienced on bonfire night, which was similar to the previous year, and officers continued to see large numbers of people from different households gathering outdoors despite Covid restrictions.

Almond ward councillor Kevin Lang said: “These figures show the massive financial impact which the misuse of fireworks has had on our already overstretched police. It is outrageous that so much public money has had to be used to deal with the actions of a small minority.

“It is clear the Scottish Government must act and give councils new powers to control the sale and use of fireworks, including the introduction of no fireworks zones. We simply cannot afford another November like last year.”

Public concern

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service reported more than 1,000 calls on this year’s Guy Fawkes night in Scotland, while 12 crews were reportedly attacked while attending call-outs.

The cost of policing disorder over the bonfire night period in Edinburgh exceeded £125,000.

Mounting public concern over the availability and use of fireworks in recent years has coincided with large retailers scaling back on promoting them, including Sainsbury’s which stopped selling fireworks across its UK stores in 2019.

In a 2019 Scottish Government consultation, 94 percent of respondents agreed there should be more control over the sale of fireworks and 92 percent were in favour of greater control on the use of fireworks.

An independent firework review group including police, fire and animal welfare representatives made 11 recommendations in a report to Scottish Government ministers in early November to tighten regulations around the public sale and use of fireworks. These included introducing no fireworks zones and a proxy purchasing offence to prevent adults from buying fireworks for under 18s.

In mid November, Edinburgh councillors backed a motion from councillor Lang calling for the UK and Scottish governments to strengthen fireworks laws.

Minister for Community Safety, Ash Denham, is due to put regulations forward to the Scottish Parliament this month to restrict times of day fireworks can be sold, the volume of fireworks that can be bought and the times that fireworks can be set off by the public.

But she said a number of the other recommendations - including no fireworks zones and a proxy purchasing offence - will require further consideration.

Ban unlicensed sales?

Liberton and Gilmerton councillor Derek Howie, who is blind and uses a guide dog, is concerned about the impact of such anti-social behaviour on disabled and vulnerable people, who may be unable to move if a firework is thrown at them.

Mr Howie, who highlighted such difficulties through an amendment to the city council’s November motion, said: “I have for a long time been in favour of banning fireworks with the exception of licenced, organised events.

“As a guide dog user I am constantly aware during the weeks around November 5 of the dangerous possibility of a loud firework sending my dog into a panic and these increased costs at a time when council finances are under extreme pressure only strengthens the argument for a ban on the unlicensed selling of fireworks.”

The new figures, obtained under freedom of information laws, state the delivery of Operation Moonbeam cost more than £114,000 on operational core hours on November 4 and 5, with costs of £5,372 for overtime and lieu time and £3,057 for catering.

Another £253 was spent on vehicle hire, £43 on first aid kits and £147 for printing.

The total cost of delivering Operation Moonbeam was £123,032.

Operation Crackle, which involved increased police patrols in the city over the bonfire period, cost £2,695 - mainly for vehicle hire costs for officer transport.

The spend on this was much lower as officers deployed were already working as part of their normal duty or had their shift amended at no extra cost.

During the bonfire period in Edinburgh, nine ‘dispersal zones’ were set up which allowed police to instruct groups of two or more people congregating and behaving in an antisocial manner in certain areas to disperse, with those failing to comply facing arrest.

The zones covered Muirhouse, Portobello, Loganlea, West Pilton, Saughton, Gorgie, Gilmerton, Moredun and Southouse.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said: “Despite the Covid-19 restrictions that were in place during bonfire night and the surrounding days, and the cancellation of public fireworks displays, we continued to see large numbers of people from different households gathering outdoors. We also experienced similar levels of fireworks-related disorder to the previous year.

“In order to ensure we could respond to any and all incidents which arose, and as part of our commitment to protecting our communities, our partners and our own personnel, we dedicated significant resources to bonfire night at both local and national level.

“I believe the level of resource we put in place was entirely appropriate, given the incidents of disorder we experienced over bonfire night.

“The public can rest assured that whenever major events take place across the country, all necessary resources at our disposal will be used to prevent criminal activity and keep people safe.”

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