Police say Bonfire Night yobs will face justice as Edinburgh introduces new firework control zones
It comes as Edinburgh introduces 10 new firework control zones later this month, bringing the total to 14, in a bid to crackdown on disorder in city streets
Anyone involved in Bonfire Night violence and disorder will be identified, arrested, and brought to justice, a police chief has said, after serious incidents in Edinburgh over recent years.
Police Scotland launched Operation Moonbeam at Sighthill Fire Station on Wednesday morning (October 21), as extra resources and specially trained officers were deployed to tackle firework-related crime in the run-up to Halloween and Bonfire Night.
The force’s effort to curb such incidents will enable local policing divisions to call on specially trained officers to respond to violence and disorder.
It comes after the Capital was blighted by ”unprecedented violence” on Bonfire Night in 2023, with gangs running riot in the Niddrie area of the city. During the disorder, 62 officers were injured. While serious disorder dropped in 2024 when just one officer was injured, some incidents were still seen in the south-west of the city.
The launch of the 2026 operation comes after no officer injuries were reported and Police Scotland recorded an almost 37 per cent reduction in emergency calls relating to fireworks offences in 2025 compared with the previous year.
However, Chief Superintendent David Robertson, gold commander for Operation Moonbeam 2026, said some areas still experienced “unacceptable” criminality, and he emphasised the criminal use of fireworks has “very real consequences”.
He said: “Emergency service workers were again targeted with fireworks, bricks and other projectiles as they carried out their duties.
“This cannot and will not be tolerated.”
Firework control zones and dispersal zones, which give officers the power to break up groups of two or more people whose behaviour is causing, or likely to cause, alarm or distress, will be in place in areas throughout Edinburgh.
Officers can also issue dispersal orders requiring individuals to leave an area or face further police action.
City of Edinburgh Council previously announced that 10 more firework control zones (FCZ) will operate in Edinburgh from October 30 to November 8, during which it will be illegal to set off a firework. This, in addition to the four previous zones, brings the total number of FCZs in operation in the city to 14.
These areas are: Balerno, Calton Hill, Corstorphine, Gracemount, Liberton, Lochend, Longstone, Moredun, Niddrie, Seafield, Sighthill/Broomhouse, Stenhouse/Gaskill, West Pilton, and Wester Hailes.
Mr Robertson added that Operation Moonbeam resources will be “ready to support local officers whenever required”.
He said: “For the last couple of years, we’ve seen improvement – but we are not complacent.
“The behaviour that we’ve seen has been experienced by some communities in Scotland for over 10 years now, so we must continue to work with partners to do everything we can to prevent this behaviour.”
Mr Robertson said his message to the public is clear.
“We understand how impactful this can be and we are really committed, and I will be clear this behaviour simply has to stop,” he said. “We’ll be there standing shoulder to shoulder with communities to protect them.
“To those who may be intent on engaging in disorder, the message is really clear: we will identify you, we will arrest you, and we will bring you to justice.”
In 2025, officers undertook extensive community engagement, particularly with young people, and carried out targeted enforcement to identify those intent on causing disorder and remove illegal fireworks from communities.
More than two tonnes of fireworks were seized before they could be used in violence during last year’s Bonfire Night period, according to Police Scotland.
Following last year’s campaign, officers said 24 people were charged with offences. Others previously charged in connection with crimes committed in 2024 have since been sentenced.
“I was encouraged by the reduction in serious offending in 2025,” Mr Robertson said. “I also recognise the support of communities across Scotland as we worked to tackle violence and disorder and keep Halloween and Bonfire Night safe and enjoyable.
“As in previous years, local policing divisions will work with relevant agencies to engage with and reassure communities and encourage people to share information about anyone planning disorder between Halloween and Bonfire Night.”
Community safety minister Kirsten Oswald said she is confident police and emergency services have all of the resources they need to address any disorder this year.
“That’s the message that comes through from the chief constable, and I think that the importance of making sure that our officers are properly skilled and resourced to deal with these challenging issues is a key element of the conversations that take place,” she said.
“With the planning and preparation that has been put in between Police Scotland and partners, I hope we’ll see a really positive impact on the challenges that we have faced in the past, and that people can enjoy firework night in a safe manner.”
The minister also said a number of measures have been introduced to improve firework safety, including a ban on providing fireworks to under-18s and making attacks on emergency workers using fireworks an aggravating factor that courts can take into account during sentencing.