Quiet night for emergency crews as rain thwarts yobs

Fire crews received 261 calls throughout the night responding to 100 bonfires and extinguishing 44 - a decrease on the 450 which were handled last year.

And while there were instances of verbal abuse, the attacks on crews and fire-raising that has blighted previous years were absent from Edinburgh and the Lothians last night.

Ambulance crews were called out to an incident in West Lothian, after a nine-year-old boy fell into a bonfire at the Old School House in Blackridge.

He was taken to St John's Hospital in Livingston with burns to his legs and hands.

More than 30 firefighters were called out to a blaze at a disused community centre in Auchendinny, near Penicuik, around 5.30pm.

After ruling out initial reports that there may have been people inside, the substantial blaze was extinguished and the building monitored for traces of asbestos.

The only incident police were called to was one case of youths shouting verbal abuse at crews in Wester Hailes.

Fire chiefs said they were happy for unplanned fires to be held as long as they were supervised by responsible adults, while control room staff were able to monitor CCTV feeds to determine whether crews were required to attend reports of fires.

Mike Bridgman, convenor of Lothian and Borders Fire Board, who was monitoring developments from central control last night, said: "I've been advised this has been one of the quietest bonfire nights in many a year.

"I think the partnership between the service and police and community safety is paying dividends, while the weather has contributed as well.

"The CCTV we have in use has been able to give us a perspective that allows the control room to view what's going on ahead of the crews getting there. It's another tool and we have to utilise everything at our disposal.

"Our very experienced staff have said it's the quietest they've had in many a year. I've been able to see first hand their professionalism and they are a credit to the service and the public.