Edinburgh Council is set to tighten restrictions for purchasing fireworks after bonfire night riots left the city’s residents ‘terrified’.
Police and fire services faced violent attacks over the first weekend in November as they responded to reports of anti-social behaviour in Niddrie, Sighthill, Drylaw and Pilton.
In some areas streets were closed off and locals urged to remain at home amid the chaos, which saw fireworks, petrol bombs and bricks thrown.
The riots – which the police said afterwards showed “blatant disregard for the safety of the public and the emergency services” – left vehicle windows smashed, several officers injured and resulted in the arrest of four teenagers.
Although bonfire night typically sees a spike in such incidents, councillors have said this year was worse than usual and called for a clamp down on unruly gangs with pyrotechnics.
At a City Chambers meeting on Thursday (November 24) they agreed to harness new powers from the Scottish Government to restrict the sale of fireworks. The council will also look to develop a new city-wide anti-social behaviour strategy and explore how to “create better lives for young people who have lost faith and trust in the system”.
Council leader Cammy Day said it’s “not about banning firework sales entirely” but rather restricting sales to the general public and organising firework displays in collaboration with the emergency services.
SNP councillor for Portobello and Craigmillar Kate Campbell described some of the reckless behaviour in her ward on Guy Fawkes Night, saying “this year I think was probably worse than other years”.
“In the community that I represent the road was closed, residents were told by police not to leave their homes because the police couldn’t keep law and order on the streets, they couldn’t keep people safe and there were petrol bombs that were thrown at police cars, so it was a really really terrifying experience for people.
“The truth is I don’t really know what to do because it’s really difficult and it happens every year.”
New legislation passed at Holyrood in June, and due to come into effect next year, will require people to apply for a licence to buy fireworks and limit when they can be sold throughout the year.
Furthermore, councils will be given the powers to establish ‘firework control zones’ which will mark out an area where it will be illegal to set them off other than in a display “of essential purposes”.
Councillors agreed unanimously that the option to restrict the general sale of fireworks to members of the public should be included in the new licensing regulations.
However, both the council leader and Cllr Campbell said the new powers don’t go far enough.
“Legislation doesn’t cover petrol bombs and petrol bombs were part of the issue,” Cllr Campbell said.
A motion tabled by the SNP councillor noted that fireworks related disorder disproportionately affects neighbourhoods with higher levels of poverty and deprivation.
She described this as “a symptom of policy failure across a number of areas”.
“We must, as policy makers consider how we can create better lives for young people who have lost faith and trust in the system, power structures and authority.”
Cllr Campbell continued: “I think we have to look more broadly at what are the route causes and in the council we have a role in doing that alongside the police, alongside criminal justice.
“We do need to listen to young people who might have been involved who might have been drawn in to it, we need to make sure that any young person who made a mistake is given the opportunity to turn their life around and I think also for me you can’t get away from the factor that poverty is a part of this.”
