Upsurge in violence on Edinburgh city streets in 48 hours

Published on Wednesday 16 December 2009 09:31

POLICE are dealing with a spike in street attacks during the festive period as they investigate six assaults which took place in Edinburgh in just over two days.

Among the incidents was an unprovoked drive-by attack on a man and woman in Leith in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The victims, aged 23 and 24, were walking at the junction of Easter Road and Albion Road when a small white car pulled up and a couple jumped out and assaulted them.

The incidents also included a sex attack on a woman in Craigleith, two sisters beaten up in Tollcross, and a man punched and kicked on the ground in Gorgie.

Police chiefs today said the force had put extra officers on the streets to combat the problem, and encouraged revellers to take security precautions, such as trying to go home with friends and not drinking excessively.

Superintendent Mark Williams said: "This a very busy time of year, with a lot more people out enjoying themselves, not just in the city centre but across Edinburgh. In response to that, the force is doing a great deal to prevent such attacks, but clearly there will still be isolated incidents.

"We do see an increase in violent and alcohol-related crime over the Christmas period."

The force is mounting the third year of Operation Astrodome, which was last year credited with reducing city-centre crime by 16 per cent.

Supt Williams added: "We have extra officers on the beat over the festive period and we're working with bus companies to carry out 'gateway' checks to make sure people are travelling safely.

"Officers are working closely with licensed premises, taxi marshals and ambulance staff too."

The unconnected attacks began on Friday at 11:10pm when a bogus private hire driver picked up a 45-year-old man next to the Playhouse Theatre before driving him to nearby Cathedral Lane. The driver – an Eastern European man aged around 45 – assaulted the man and stole his cash.

This was followed at around 12:30pm on Saturday when a 49-year-old man was struck on the head by two men on a path at the Water of Leith, off Gorgie Road. The victim was beaten as the attackers demanded cash. They fled after being disturbed by dog-walkers.

At 7:40pm a man was robbed at a cash machine on Buckstone Terrace by three males.

Then at around 2:30am on Sunday morning, a 33-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by a man in Orchard Brae before managing to fight him off.

At 3:30am, a 15-year-old girl and her 27-year-old sister were injured in an attack on Earl Grey Street, Tollcross. Two young men and a woman assaulted the siblings, punching them on the head and body and leaving them needing hospital treatment.

The sixth attack was the drive-by assault on Easter Road, with police appealing today for any witnesses to the incident.

As well as the couple who attacked them, the victims were aware of three other people, possibly two women and a man, in the vehicle with the suspects.

The male suspect is white, in his twenties, 5ft 10in tall, with dark hair, and a broad/fat build. He was wearing a white knitted sweater, and had a local accent. The female is dark-skinned or mixed race, in her late teens. She is 5ft tall, medium build, with dark hair in a ponytail, with a long fringe in strands. She was wearing a dark green top and black ankle boots.

A police spokesman said: "This was an unprovoked assault, and we are keen for any information that can help us track down the suspects."