Thursday November 6th 2025
City of Edinburgh Council Leader Jane Meagher
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Following a considerable reduction of serious disorder over the Halloween and Bonfire Night period, Police Scotland announced that they received 484 less calls across Scotland requiring local or specialist response than last year.
Between Halloween and the 4th of November no significant incidents were reported with only minor antisocial behaviour reported in Edinburgh and Midlothian.
After 1,317 calls to Police regarding disorder last year, Police Scotland’s Operation Moonbeam 2025 involved more specialist resources than ever before with this operation being credited for the lower number of reports in Edinburgh.
Operation Moonbeam is a public order response to address serious disorder on Bonfire Night.
Responding to the success of Operation Moonbeam, Council Leader Jane Meagher said:
“I’m pleased and relieved that Bonfire Night passed off without serious incident last night and that the vast majority of people celebrated safely and responsibly. It was wonderful to see so many families, friends, and communities coming together to have fun and enjoy the organised events on offer. It really did feel worlds apart from recent years – and I want to thank our communities for the part they played in that.
“Of course, I’m disappointed by the behaviour of a few mindless individuals and I hope they’re dealt with swiftly and appropriately. However, we only saw a fraction of the issues and disruption we’ve experienced in previous years and it’s such a relief that no one was hurt.
“I want to express my sincere thanks to Police Scotland for their swift action on the night and to everyone who played a role in keeping us safe. A huge amount of planning and hard work has gone in from by colleagues from across the Council – particularly in our schools – and from Police and blue-light services, Lothian Buses, and many other partners across the city.
“A standout for me was the genuine and constructive engagement with our young people over many months, with last month’s Youth Summit a particular success. It was so heartening to hear the impact this had on our young people and, also, how well attended last night’s activities were. To me, this feels like a great return on the investment we’ve made in our young people, many of whom had begun to feel demonised by the events of previous years, and it’s something we must focus on all year round – not just on Bonfire Night.
“Overall, this was a genuine team effort that represents the very best of partnership working in our city – and I know colleagues are already thinking about how we can use the lessons we’ve learned last night, and in the build up to it. I’m determined to make sure that every Bonfire Night is as positive and memorable for our residents and communities.”
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