Young female tourist 'punched in the face' by group of feral teenagers in Princes Street Gardens
The incident has prompted calls for targeted police action to crack down on violence and anti-social behaviour in the area following a spate of assaults
A young female tourist has been left with facial injuries after she was assaulted by a group of teenagers in Princes Street Gardens, sparking calls for more police patrols in the city centre.
In a video on Instagram, the woman, who is known as Yomi on social media, said she was “randomly” attacked by five teenagers on Friday evening and punched in the face. She claimed the attack caused a nosebleed and she was left with significant swelling.
After posting about the incident online, she said several people had contacted her sharing videos of what is believed to be the same group of teenagers rampaging around Edinburgh on the same day.
The videos appear to show the teenagers, who were wearing grey dressing gowns at the time, stealing from a shop, abusing strangers and vandalising a bus on Nicolson Street.
She said she had reported CCTV footage of the group to the police, and urged anyone else who saw them to do the same.
“Please do not approach them,” she said. “Report it to Police Scotland immediately.”
She added: “I hope no one else has to go through what I did.”
The attack is the latest in a string of serious assaults and anti-social behaviour in the city centre. Last month, the Edinburgh Evening News spoke to a university student who was “kicked and hit” by two teenagers while reading his book in Princes Street Gardens.
In response to Friday’s attack, Shaun Hodge, who sits on the New Town and Broughton Community Council, said: “The footage that has emerged is appalling, and our thoughts are with the young woman affected.
“As soon as we saw the video, we commented publicly on her Instagram account to offer our support, and we also got in touch with her privately to check she was ok, offer our support, and signpost her to Police Scotland’s Community Policing Team, who cover the city centre.”
He continued: “As a community council, we have repeatedly raised the need for a greater police presence in this part of the city, specifically opposite The Balmoral hotel and next to the Apple Store.
“Like everyone else, we believe more must be done to keep people safe, and that starts with parents, schools and the wider community all playing their part, including challenging this kind of behaviour where it is safe to do so.”
Mr Hodge said he and other members of the community council had personally challenged incidents of antisocial behaviour on the streets, including calling 999 to report teenagers opening car boots while driving on Princes Street.
The community council is calling on Police Scotland to ramp up patrols in the area, which they say has become a hotspot for crime and anti-social behaviour.
Mr Hodge said: “The pattern of trouble here is predictable: it’s usually Friday and Saturday nights, but during school holidays it can happen at any time. We’ve seen this before over the Easter holidays, and we expect trouble again in October, sadly.
“Prevention is better than cure, and for us that means Police Scotland engaging further with schools, young people, parents and teachers, before problems start.
“We would ask that materials be developed for schools and that officers go into classrooms themselves, warning young people against this kind of behaviour and setting out the consequences for victims, local people, and for them, both later in life and in terms of falling foul of the law.
“We’re happy to share our own ideas with Police Scotland if they’d like to collaborate further.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 5:10pm on Friday, 31 July, 2026, we received a report of an assault on a woman in the Princes Street area of Edinburgh. The woman did not require any medical treatment.
"Enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances."