Portobello incidents: Officers continue to patrol beach to monitor antisocial behaviour

Officers are continuing to patrol the Portobello area of Edinburgh following a spate of of violence and anti-social behaviour.

At least six arrests have been made after gangs of youths caused trouble in the area in the last two weeks, police have confirmed.

Civerinos Prom Slice was forced to shut early due to the “intimidating” behaviour of large groups of teenagers, with reports of bottles and a flare being thrown.

The recent disorder led to police calling on the public to take part in tackling the issue by reporting incidents of antisocial behaviour.

A statement from police confirmed that there will be an increase in patrols in the area over the next few days with a zero tolerance approach.

The statement read: “Police Scotland has confirmed continuing with increased patrols at Portobello Beach and other open spaces over the coming days to deter and deal with violence, antisocial behaviour and disorder. There will be a zero tolerance approach and enforcement action will be taken if anyone is identified as being involved in any criminal behaviour.

Police have increased their presence on Portobello Beach following various incidents of anti-social behaviour on the promenade. Picture: Lisa Ferguson.

“One of our priorities in Edinburgh is dealing with disorder and antisocial behaviour and we are committed to making Portobello a safe place for visitors, local businesses and residents.

"If you have any concerns about criminality, or you’re aware of anyone planning to travel to Portobello to cause issues, please speak to officers, call 101, or call 999 in an emergency.

"Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or report online - http://ow.ly/zYD550FG4H1#OpDrift”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.