Firefighters’ attackers should be ashamed, says Sturgeon
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said anyone involved in attacks on firefighters should be “deeply ashamed”, after riot police had to be called out when about 200 youths threw fireworks and bottles on Bonfire Night.
Police vehicles were damaged as officers attended what they described as a" largescale disturbance" in Auchmead Road in the Larkfield area of Greenock, Inverclyde, at around 8.10pm on Thursday.
A 15- year- old boy has been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.
Firefighters also attended the scene – just one of hundreds of incidents crews were called to on one of their busiest nights of the year.
The call- outs also included a fire at a house in Motherwell which was started by a stray rocket.
Footage posted on social media of the disturbance in Greenock showed a line of riot police advancing down a street as fireworks explode in the background.
A post on the Facebook page of St Andrew's Roman Catholic Church in Auchmead Road on Thursday said: "Hundreds have gathered for fireworks and are using the church wall as a public toilet.
"Fr Danny has tried to keep them out but has just been advised by the police, for his own safety, to stay inside.
"Both fire service and police have had bottles thrown at them."
Police Scotland said public order officers were deployed to disperse the crowd, with no reports of any injuries.
Among other incidents firefighters dealt with were the house fire in Corrie Drive, Mother well, which started shortly before 8pm, and a gorse blaze on Arthur's Seat.
Police said the house was unoccupied at the time and neighbouring properties were evacuated as a precaution.
In Edinburgh, the fire service received 32 calls reporting the blaze on Arthur's Seat just before midnight. Three appliances were sent to the scene and around 40 square metres of gorse were found to be on fire. There are no reports of any casualties.
Overall, firefighters dealt with 511 bonfires and handled 1,193 calls from members of the public between 3.30pm and midnight on Thursday.
There were 13 reported attacks on crews, although there were no reports of any injuries.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service assistant chief officer Stuart Stevens said: "Attacks on emergency service workers are completely unacceptable."
Commentingonan" extremely difficult night for our fire service", Ms Sturgeon said the attacks were unacceptable. Speaking at her coronavirus briefing, she said: “Anybody who was involved in any of these incidents of attacks on firefighters last night, or throwing things at fire appliances, should be deeply ashamed of themselves.
"There is no excuse anytime, anywhere, in any circumstances, to attack emergency workers, and attacking firefighters on Bonfire Night is particularly reprehensible.
"I condemn that behaviour, and those who did that will – in the normal way, where appropriate – face the full force of the law and so they should."