Bonfire Night clashes in Scotland that left eight people injured are believed to have been organised – with a police chief stating that adults were “undoubtedly” involved in “orchestrating” the violent behaviour.

Emergency crews came under attack on Sunday in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee.

A large group of youths and adults gathered on Hay Avenue in the capital’s Niddrie area at around 4.40pm in a repeat of disorder seen last year in the neighbourhood.

Specially trained public order officers in riot gear attended the scene.

Police earlier said around 50 youngsters were responsible for launching fireworks, petrol bombs and other projectiles at buildings, vehicles and officers.

Four officers sustained minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment.

At around 9.05pm, officers were called to a report of around 20 youths fighting and throwing fireworks within the Quarrywood Avenue area of Barmulloch, Glasgow.

Edinburgh: Young ‘thugs’ throw petrol bombs and fireworks at police in ‘unprecedented levels of violence’

Mohammed Ahmed: Rapist who attacked nine-year-old girls when he was 12 gets lighter sentence due to his ‘immaturity’

Edinburgh’s first ever female police driver Mary d’Arcy Kincaid, now 91, returns for tour of her old beat

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

First Minister Humza Yousaf condemned the “disgraceful scenes” as Police Scotland said emergency crews were subject to “unprecedented levels of violence”.

In an update on Monday afternoon, Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said: “Last night we experienced significant disorder, in particular in the Niddrie area of Edinburgh, and in the Quarrywood Avenue area of Glasgow.

“Our priority during the disorder was to protect our communities and our emergency workers, and now we are looking to carry on our police work and use the evidence we gathered to carry out the necessary arrests.

“The level of disorder we faced was unacceptable and looking at the evidence we have already gathered, we don’t believe this incident was spontaneous.

“Although many of those involved were youths, there were undoubtedly adults involved in orchestrating that behaviour.

“We took a robust stance and I am proud of the courage, discipline and professionalism that officers showed in the face of the violence last night.”

Read more from Sky News:
Rishi Sunak says allegations a Tory MP committed series of rapes are ‘very serious’
Girl ‘sexually assaulted’ during Dundee v Rangers football match

An ongoing police presence remained in both Niddrie and Barmulloch on Monday afternoon. Witnesses have been urged to come forward with any information they may have.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

In 2018, the force set up Operation Moonbeam to tackle Bonfire Night chaos.

ACC Mairs, gold commander for Operation Moonbeam, added: “A number of our officers sustained minor physical injuries, however we are also aware of the mental impact that dealing with such significant levels of violence can have and will continue to support all officers affected.

“Nobody deserves to be injured in this way for doing their job. An emergency worker is also someone’s son, daughter, husband or wife.”

Related posts:

More surge testing in Ealing as additional South Africa variant cases detected Missing Oxford student has chronic condition and was ‘struggling to cope’ with shielding, mum says Woman handed life sentence for murdering partner with steak knife after retrial Hospital worker on COVID ward used dead patient’s bank card to buy crisps, sweets and fizzy drinks NHS staff could soon be made exempt from COVID self-isolation rules if ‘pinged’ by the app Shoppers bringing forward Christmas purchases due to supply chain worries – poll One in five women suffer unwanted physical attention at football matches, survey finds British troops must prepare to fight in Europe once again, says new head of Army I flew back from US to stop lockdown, claims Sunak George Osborne and fiancee ‘really upset’ by ‘poison pen’ email on eve of wedding Royal Navy recruitment fall ‘could hamper ability to man nuclear deterrent’ Football fans warned they face bans if they mock Hillsborough disaster or Munich air crash