Two bonfire night attacks on fire service were in Clydebank

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) say their crews were attacked six times last night with two of these incidents taking place in Clydebank.

Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.

Last night with more than 1,000 phone calls made from the public, the fire service attended approximately 347 bonfires and 598 incidents between 3.30pm and 11.30pm.

In addition to Clydebank, two attacks took place in Glasgow, one in Edinburgh and one in Blackridge, West Lothian.

In the run-up to the event, SFRS appealed to the public to be aware of the dangers of both fireworks and unsafe bonfires with a message to consider the impact of their actions on communities and emergency services.

Deputy Chief Officer Andy Watt. (Image: Scottish Fire and Rescue Service) Andy Watt, deputy chief officer for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "I would like to pay tribute to the professionalism and resilience of our frontline crews.

“Operations Control firefighters answered over 1,000 calls tonight and have once again worked tirelessly to ensure we respond to those who need us the most.

“Unfortunately, several of our crews came under attack across Scotland, with six attacks within three hours.

“Crews were bombarded with missiles and fireworks while responding to emergency incidents.

“These attacks prevent our crews from bringing any emergency to a safe and swift conclusion and can impact our emergency service colleagues - including the police when they must escort us to the scene. 

"This type of behaviour is, of course, carried out by a very small minority and we once again thank our communities for their continuing support and working together with us to stay safe across the Bonfire period.”

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has since called for more action to protect firefighters following last night's attacks.

Gus Sproul, chair of FBU Scotland, said: "It is completely unacceptable for our members to be attacked with bricks, bottles and fireworks whilst carrying out their duties to protect the public.

"There has been a concerning increase in the number of attacks on our members as police numbers, community engagement projects and youth services have been cut. The last decade has already left firefighters and other emergency services working under immense pressure without enough resources.

"Since 2010, we have lost 1 in 5 firefighters to cuts. We need to see this government commit to the investment needed to rebuild the fire and rescue service, and invest properly in all our public services."

Police Scotland has reported a fall in reports of serious disorders this year as specialist resources as part of Operation Moonbeam were deployed 18 times in comparison to 26 in 2023.

The force says various parts of Glasgow experienced pockets of disorder, with youths witnessed throwing fireworks at members of the public, vehicles and police officers.

There were also four incidents of fire appliances being subjected to attacks when responding to calls. 

Assistant chief constable Tim Mairs, gold commander for Operation Moonbeam said: “I firstly want to recognise the outstanding courage and professionalism of all of those emergency service workers who put themselves in harm’s way to keep communities safe.

“In advance of Bonfire Night 2024, local policing teams across Scotland have worked diligently with local authority and third sector partners to make positive in-roads with communities and identify some of the root causes that lead to disorder.

"In addition, this engagement has resulted in an increase in the intelligence we have received from the public, allowing us to take preventative enforcement action before crimes could occur."