Riots broke out in Niddrie on Bonfire Night as balaclava-clad youths on motorbikes lit a fire in the middle of a road, aimed fireworks at residents and attacked emergency services vehicles.

Police blocked Niddrie Mains Road to traffic between the junctions with Duddingston Park South and Duddingston Road West after a bonfire was lit across both lanes of the street near Paterson Place. Footage taken at the scene shows masked youths riding through the residential area, with fireworks being thrown close to where people were standing. Pieces of a temporary bus stop were also dragged into the road.

On Saturday evening, Police Scotland asked residents in the area to remain indoors, while they urged members of the public to avoid the area. A spokesman said the warnings came while officers dealt with “reports of various incidents including antisocial use of fireworks, a break-in to a shop and road blockages”.

A fire was lit on a road blocking traffic

He added that a bottle containing flammable liquid had been hurled at a police van but added that no one was injured and no damage was caused.

Officers in the Capital working as part of Operation Crackle, which was launched to tackle anti-social and criminal activity on and around Bonfire Night, and Operation Moonbeam, which tackles high levels of public disorder and violence, were dispatched to the scene alongside specialist resources. Several police vans were seen patrolling the area in the early hours of Sunday morning.

One resident who lives off Niddrie Mains Road told the Evening News that this was one of several incidents involving a gang of young people in the last fortnight.

"They were throwing fireworks under cars on Halloween and there was also an incident with a knife two weeks ago," she said. “I knew when I saw all the police that something else had happened with it. It seems to be all the time.”

Edinburgh crime: Niddrie riots see police block Niddrie Mains Road after bonfire lit and fireworks thrown