Dispersal zones for Bonfire Night in Edinburgh

Organised displays are recommended as the safest way to enjoy fireworks

Nine dispersal zones will be operating in Edinburgh over the weekend in an attempt to combat disorder around Bonfire Night.

The zones allow police to instruct groups of two or more people who are congregating and behaving in an anti-social manner to disperse.

They will run between 14:00 and midnight from Thursday to Saturday.

They cover Muirhouse, Portobello, Loganlea, Pilton, Saughton, Gorgie, Moredun, Gilmerton and Southhouse.

Those asked to disperse will be arrested if they return within 24 hours if they do not live in the area.

Ch Insp Murray Tait, of Police Scotland, urged parents to explain to their children about the dangers of fireworks.

Police at the dispersal zone in Pilton in 2019

In 2018, Police Scotland set up Operation Moonbeam in an effort to clamp down on trouble during the annual Halloween and Bonfire night festivities.

The following year firework exclusion zones were introduced after a string of incidents.

In 2020 two fire crews had to call for police back-up after they had to deal with a huge out-of-control bonfire the height of a house in Saughton Mains Park.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said there were 12 attacks on crews on Bonfire Night last year.

Police in Edinburgh have named this year's Bonfire Night response as Operation Crackle

Ch Insp Tait, said: "Over the past few months we have been analysing the previous demand on the division and identifying the continued areas that are hot spots for firework-related disorder and criminality.

"We have used this data to develop our resource plan for Operation Crackle 2021 - our local response to Bonfire Night.

"We know that the emergency services alone cannot prevent young people engaging in such activities and I am asking parents and guardians to consider having open and frank conversations with young people about how their lives can be severely impacted if they are injured, or injure another while messing around with fireworks.

"The public should be left in no doubt that we have all the tools at our disposal to respond appropriately to any incidents that arise in local areas.

"These officers will be out and about in Edinburgh and can be deployed immediately to any area requiring additional support and we will not hesitate to utilise them, if necessary."

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) said the safest place to watch fireworks was at professionally-organised public displays.