Bonfire Night violence in Niddrie and Glasgow was organised, say police

Eight police officers have been injured in what police described as organised Bonfire Night clashes in Scotland.

The most serious disorder took place in the Niddrie area of Edinburgh, where a group of 50 youths threw fireworks and petrol bombs at riot police.

Police Scotland said officers faced "unprecedented levels of violence".

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said the actions of adults caught on camera directing children to commit crimes was tantamount to "child abuse".

And First Minister Humza Yousaf condemned the "thuggish and reckless behaviour" in parts of Scotland, particularly in Niddrie.

He said those involved in the disturbances should "feel the full force of the law" and paid tribute to the emergency service response.

Mr Yousaf also said the government would consider what more action could be taken to crack down on the misuse of fireworks.

Police were called to the Hay Avenue area of Niddrie at about 16:40 on Sunday after reports of antisocial use of fireworks.

Images posted on social media showed bystanders watching the violence. The videos showed officers being bombarded with explosives while teenagers gathered on a green. Some can be seen filming the action.

About 50 youths within a larger group of youths and adults were responsible for directing fireworks at vehicles and buildings before their behaviour escalated when officers arrived, the police said.

In other incidents, two police vehicles were damaged after being struck with bricks in the Beauly Square area of Dundee.

In Glasgow, officers responded to a report of about 20 youths fighting and throwing fireworks at one another in the Quarrywood Avenue area of Barmulloch.

Four people, including a police officer, were taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary for treatment.

In total, eight police officers received minor injuries in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Assistant Chief Constable Mairs told BBC Scotland News a large number of officers were deployed specifically to gather evidence and record what went on.

He added: "We've also got extensive CCTV and other sources of evidence and we will shortly be appealing for information from the public and for them to share their footage with us as well.

"From that we've identified a number of vehicles and a number of adults who have been moving around the Niddrie area and actively supplying fireworks to children and been involved in the co-ordination.

"And that to me at the end of the day is child abuse. That's what's happening. You're putting children into harm's way. You're putting them into a position where they are going to obtain a criminal record and significantly detriment their future and that's unacceptable."

On Monday the force launched a Major Incident Public Portal that allows members of the public to send information directly to officers.

Earlier, Assistant Chief Constable Mairs, who leads the fireworks policing programme Operation Moonbeam, said a minority of individuals had been responsible for an "unacceptable and frankly disgusting level of disorder".

Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme, he said: "I want to be clear. This was not a spontaneous act of anti-social behaviour by young people.

"This was a concerted effort to attack police and emergency workers - and actually to attack the community of Niddrie - orchestrated by adults."

The senior officer said the police had made one arrest at the scene and had captured "hours and hours of footage" for evidence.

Assistant Chief Constable Mairs also paid tribute to his officers, who had faced "horrific conditions" but reacted "professionally, with discipline and courage".

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said there were nine attacks on its crews during an eight-hour period on Bonfire Night, which saw crews bombarded with fireworks and bricks.

The attacks happened in Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Blantyre in South Lanarkshire, and Blackburn in West Lothian.

No firefighters were injured. A fire appliance in West Lothian had its windscreen smashed by a brick and had to be removed from operational service.

Sunday's incidents followed four attacks on crews in Ayrshire and Edinburgh in the week leading up to Bonfire Night, as well as two other weekend attacks in Troon and Glasgow.

Assistant chief officer Andy Watt described the total of 15 attacks over the last week as "completely unacceptable".

He said: "Our staff should be able to carry out their role without being attacked. It is disappointing that people have tried to hurt firefighters and have damaged our appliances.

"This type of behaviour not only prevents our crews from bringing any emergency to a safe and swift conclusion, but it can impact on our emergency service colleagues - including the police - when they are supporting us on scene to ensure the safety of our personnel."

Liz Jack, who has lived in the Niddrie area since 2016, said she was "terrified" during the attacks, which she described as "100 times worse" than last year.

"I don't hold anybody responsible except the idiots that were doing it. Because every time we have tried to get things done, it just doesn't work and as soon as it comes they just go mad," she said.

"I was peering out my window and there were fireworks going across and down the street so they were actually firing them at each other as well. It was a nightmare."

Ms Jack backed the calls for a ban on the sale of fireworks to individuals.

"I think they should ban them personally but they should also only have organised displays and that way you don't get any of this trouble," she added.

City of Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day described the attacks as "unprecedented.... disgusting and appalling".

"The behaviour of a small group of people who have attacked police officers during the line of duty, disrupted a whole community and lead to us having to close down a part of the east of the city last night," he said.

"In my lifetime I have never seen this to this extent, so we have called for an urgent debrief early this week to look at what happened, how that plan was executed and how we plan ahead for the future," he added.

Mr Day said the council would now look to bring in powers to prevent any repeat of Sunday's events and he supported a ban on the sale of fireworks to the general public.

He said: "I absolutely respect this seems unfair to punish us all for that, and it would include my and my whole family and everybody else.

"But I think the risk to people, particularly emergency service workers, is such that... the public sale of fireworks needs to be reconsidered.

"Because if we don't do something that's quite drastic I would hate to think what happens the next time."