'They were mingling with each other and drinking as if they were at the pub' - Watch as drinkers swarm Scottish bar

Footage has been shared on social media showing people gathering in numbers for a pint outside an Edinburgh pub.

A large group of people appeared not to be following social distancing rules after they were filmed drinking outside a pub.

Footage shows a crowd of people drinking take-away pints and sitting in groups outside the Iona Bar in Easter Road, Edinburgh yesterday afternoon.

The resident who filmed them, who prefers to remain anonymous, said she was given abuse for catching some of the anti-social behaviour on camera.

Drinkers seen gathering outside Iona Bar in Easter Road with take-away pints before police had to disperse them

Officers attended to disperse the crowd of people, who were not complying with government regulations, at about 4pm.

A passer-by said: “There were probably about 40 to 50 people gathered there when I walked past.

“They certainly weren’t social distancing, a lot of them were just mingling with each other and drinking as if they were at the pub.

“I saw a couple of people filming and a few men started to get quite verbally aggressive.

“I understand someone had reported them to the police.

A police spokesman said: "We received a report of people gathering outside a pub on Easter Road around 4.05pm on Saturday, 6 June, 2020.

"Officers attended, dispersed the group and advice was given."

Police had been called earlier this week to breakup a group of about 40 people sat drinking outside a Tesco store in Leith.

Eye-witnesses reported seeing up to 15 officers speaking to a group of men who were sitting on - and standing by - a wall behind the Wonder World Softplay, close to the supermarket in Duke Street.

Under the Scottish Government's first phase of lockdown easing, people are allowed to meet outside with one other household, in a group of no more than eight, while maintaining social distancing.

Mass gatherings are still not permitted due to the risk of coronavirus cases rising again.

The Scottish Government revealed today no new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, a first since the beginning of lockdown.