Constant sound of motorbikes
MOTORBIKES roar in the distance – a revving engine grows louder and louder in the still night.
In this part of Edinburgh, their presence has become an accepted part of everyday life, as routine as darkness falling.
But more and more residents are reaching the end of their tether with a situation they brand “completely out of control”.
And you don’t have to walk far in Pilton and Muirhouse – two badlyhit estates in the north of the city – before finding someone who has been directly affected.
Rebecca Campbell’s cat was deliberately run over by yobs on motorbikes last September as part of a sick game.
The beloved family pet – a 12-year-old ginger moggy named Tigger – was killed instantly when its head was crushed by the wheel.
Mum-of-two Rebecca, 26, said: “I felt awful. It was the hardest thing. His body had only just been brought back to us and I was trying to figure out what to do – and all I can hear is motorbikes going round and round and round.
“I hate it because I’ve got two kids as well – six and two. They are terrified of the motorbikes coming on our street.”
At West Pilton Park, large groups of youngsters – some believed to be as young as 12 – congregate almost every night, often with motorbikes in tow.
John Rodgers, 49, said four scooters belonging to him had been stolen from the area within the space of a year.
He added: “It’s always been bad with the bikes.
“They’re not bothered. To them it’s just a bit of fun – for other people its misery.”