Early intervention is needed to tackle Edinburgh's balaclava gang crime

But as I was walking through only this week, I turned a corner and was met with a sight that is sadly becoming all too familiar in the city.

It was a group of around eight boys, who must have been no more than 12 or 13, most of whom were hiding their faces under balaclavas.

This was in one of the city’s busiest parks, especially at this time of year when tourists flock to the city for the festival, and residents want to make the most of the sunshine before winter returns.

The Evening News has covered stories about balaclava gangs for years.

The group were trying their best to annoy those around them - walking in the road to put off drivers and just generally being anti-social. Beyond that, there was nothing overly alarming.

But what became immediately obvious was the atmosphere the balaclava-donning children were creating.

One man walking in front of me told his pal on the phone it was ‘unnerving’, while others crossed the street and changed their routes altogether to avoid the group.

This is not an isolated incident. In fact, it is probably the fifth or sixth time this summer I have spotted groups of boys roaming this part of the city with their faces covered by masks of some sort. Sometimes they are on bikes or motorbikes, sometimes they’re on foot. 

And it’s not just youngsters who think it’s a bit of fun. The issue of masked men is a lot more serious than that.

Earlier in the week we told how an Edinburgh dad’s life had ‘flashed before his eyes’ after he was attacked by two masked men who swung a hammer at his head.

The father-of-three now feels forced to quit his job as a courier as, he says, it is too much of a risk while balaclava gangs seemingly wreak havoc in the Capital.

Last week, one Edinburgh local launched a petition, demanding the police to do more to tackle the growing issue of mobs riding dangerously on dirt bikes. Some, he said, ride through our city hiding their identities with balaclavas.

And last month, a home in Learmonth Terrace was targeted by a balaclava-clad gang who made off with safes after prizing the door open with a crowbar.

The Evening News has been reporting on these types of incidents for years, and there is no sign of the problem going away any time soon.

Action is needed and early intervention is key. 

Young boys may see it as a bit of fun to don balaclavas and annoy drivers and passersby just now, but there is an obvious risk that the more they get a kick out of hiding their identities and causing mischief, the more likely they are to find themselves heading down a much more dangerous path.

Are you concerned about balaclava-clad gangs in Edinburgh or do you have any thoughts on the issue? If so, please drop me an email at [email protected] or join in the conversation in the comments below.

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