Scots firefighters are facing Bonfire night without the resources needed to keep the public safe, the Fire Brigades Union has warned.
Trouble has already flared at Niddrie in Edinburgh on Halloween when police reportedly had bricks and fireworks thrown in their direction. One cop is believed to have been injured when the window of the vehicle she was travelling in was hit by a brick, causing the window to smash.
A 14-year-old and 17-year-old have been charged in connection with the events in Niddrie. Youths also aimed fireworks at members of the public at Blackburn Skatepark in West Lothian last night, Sunday November 3.
Last year, riots broke out in the same area of Niddrie on Bonfire night, with images showing petrol bombs thrown at police by a gang of over 100 thugs. Cops charged 26 people, aged between 12 and 34, with a total of 51 offences following the disorder.
Firefighters were also attacked in Troon, Knightswood in Glasgow and Bathgate, West Lothian. A feral mob ransacked an empty house in the Kirkton estate of Dundee, smashing windows and setting fire to wheelie bins with explosives let off.
Police identified 23 people who were involved in the trouble at Beauly Avenue and Beauly Square and four of them were under the age of 12. This followed a riot in the Dundee housing scheme the year before, which led to 33 being charged with a variety of offences.
In total, firefighters across Scotland came under attack nine times in eight hours last year, with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, receiving 892 calls last year and dealing with 355 bonfires. Across the UK, Home Office figures have recorded 967 attacks on firefighters over the year 2023-2024, a 60 per cent increase compared to attacks a decade prior.
Meanwhile, 21 per cent of firefighter jobs, more than 12,000, have been cut since 2010 across the UK. The Fire Brigades Union has called on the government to provide investment needed to rebuild the fire and rescue service.
Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary said: “As thousands of us enjoy firework displays this season, firefighters will be working round the clock to keep the public safe. Bonfire night is one of the busiest nights of the year for the fire and rescue service, with fire crews attending a huge range of incidents.
“These dangers come with a spike in the number of appalling attacks on firefighters, which have increased significantly as community engagement projects and youth services have been cut. Austerity has already left firefighters working under immense pressure without enough resources: this is the last thing they need.
“Since 2010, we have lost 1 in 5 firefighters to cuts. Central government funding has been slashed by 30%. As firefighters steel themselves for the first of many calls tonight, the government must commit to the investment needed to rebuild the fire and rescue service.”
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