Gang lobs petrol bomb and rocks in police attacks

Published on Thursday 17 February 2011 16:12

POLICE were left under siege after a gang of youths tried to petrol bomb a station and attacked patrol vehicles with stones.

The gang massed outside Drylaw police station to chant abuse before throwing a bottle filled with an unknown accelerant towards the building.

It is understood the makeshift bomb hit a tree and fell on to a car, smashing its windscreen but failing to explode, during the incident on Tuesday night.

During the day, the youths had attacked cars on patrols in the Drylaw area with police confirming that "several" were damaged.

Residents said police chiefs posted officers in high-visibility jackets outside the Ferry Road station on Wednesday evening amid fears of a second night of violence.

Locals said the incidents were sparked following the arrest of a 15-year-old boy, who was taken to the station before being transferred to a young offenders facility. It is believed youths began attacking police vehicles in the area before descending on the station on Tuesday at around 9.30pm.

A nearby resident, who asked not to be named, said: "There's a path which goes behind some of the flats and the police station car park. The kids were running about there, throwing things and shouting.

"I didn't see the petrol bomb being thrown but I heard later they were trying to hit the station. There were 30 or 40 kids around."

Another resident said: "The police were guarding the station at the front and back until about midnight. The area was covered in police.

"I was told the police had lifted a 15-year-old boy for something and his friends weren't happy about it. It was all folk about 14 or 15, some a bit younger. They were throwing stones at police cars then someone lobbed a petrol bomb."

Another neighbour of the station said: "I could see the police in the car park with their yellow jackets on, but I couldn't see the kids from my window. I could hear them shouting and swearing, though.

"That lane's bad for kids running about and causing trouble. There's quite a problem in the area on most nights."

A police spokeswoman said: "The windscreen of a private vehicle in Drylaw police station car park was damaged on Tuesday night after being struck by a bottle.

"Subsequent examination showed the bottle did contain some kind of accelerant, but was not alight when it struck the car.

"This was one of several incidents throughout the evening where vehicles, including police cars, were damaged.

"Five people were arrested throughout the evening for the vehicles being damaged."