Fireworks were set off in the street and aimed at people, buildings and cars in parts of Scotland on Halloween night, Police Scotland has said, as officers began trying to identify those involved.
The trouble was reported in Glasgow, Tranent in East Lothian and Bonnyrigg in Midlothian on Saturday, 31 October, according to STV News and Hits Radio. Senior officers condemned the attacks, but also stressed that the night passed peacefully for most communities.
What happened on Halloween night
Police Scotland received 144 firework-related calls on Halloween, down from 160 on the same night last year, STV News reported. Some fireworks were thrown directly at members of the public, while others were aimed at buildings and vehicles.
Chief Superintendent David Robertson, who leads the national policing operation for the period, said the behaviour was “completely unacceptable” and had to stop before it led to serious consequences, according to both outlets. He also said the overwhelming majority of people across the country had celebrated responsibly.
No officers involved in the operation were reported injured. Neither report gave details of any injuries to members of the public, and no arrests had been announced at the time of reporting. Police said inquiries to trace those responsible were under way.
Officers were also called to a disturbance at a house party in the Ratho area of Edinburgh, but found it was not connected to fireworks, STV News said.
Control zones and dispersal orders
Scotland now uses firework control zones, designated areas where members of the public are banned from setting off fireworks during set periods. Fourteen zones were in place in Edinburgh and four in Glasgow, running until early November, according to STV News and Hits Radio.
Seven dispersal orders, which allow officers to move groups on from a defined area, were issued in Edinburgh. The figure for Glasgow was still being confirmed.
The policing effort runs under Operation Moonbeam, which lets local divisions call on specially trained public order officers to deal with violence and disorder. It continues until the evening of 5 November, Bonfire Night, and Moonbeam resources will support local teams throughout the coming week, Hits Radio reported.
Why this matters beyond Scotland
The Scottish picture is a mirror of what happened across the Irish Sea. In Dublin, the fire brigade reported its busiest Halloween in more than a decade, and in Northern Ireland fire crews said fireworks were deliberately aimed at them during several call-outs, according to RTÉ. We have covered the Irish night in detail separately.
The approaches differ. In the Republic, buying, possessing or setting off fireworks without a licence is already illegal, and Gardaí run an annual crackdown on illegal sales, much of which now happens through social media. Scotland instead regulates where and when fireworks can be used by the public, with control zones as a targeted tool for problem areas. Both jurisdictions are grappling with the same issue: cheap, powerful fireworks bought online and used as weapons by a small minority.
If you see fireworks being thrown at people or property, report it to the police. In Scotland the non-emergency number is 101; in an emergency always call 999. In Ireland, contact your local Garda station or call 999 or 112 if anyone is in danger.
What happens next
The next big test comes on Thursday, 5 November. Bonfire Night has a long history of disorder in parts of Scotland, most notably in Edinburgh’s Niddrie area in recent years, and police will be hoping that this year’s control zones, dispersal powers and Moonbeam deployments keep a lid on trouble. Further updates on inquiries into the Halloween incidents, including any arrests or charges, are expected from Police Scotland in the coming days.
Sources
- STV News: Fireworks thrown at people, buildings and vehicles in Halloween disorder, say police (1 November 2026)
- Hits Radio: Fireworks thrown at people on Halloween (1 November 2026)
- RTÉ News: Dublin Fire Brigade reports busiest Halloween in a decade (1 November 2026)
Featured image: Ford Scotland Police car 20, Edinburgh photo 2 by Alf van Beem, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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