Police to Embed Officers in Scottish Fire Stations as Bonfire Night Crackdown Deploys Up to 1,700

On Thursday night, police officers will be stationed inside fire stations across parts of Scotland and will ride out with firefighters, ready to step in if crews come under attack. It is a new tactic in the country's biggest police operation since President Donald Trump's visit last summer, and police describe the pressures behind it as a "unique" mix of safety concerns.

As many as 1,700 officers could be deployed. They will deal with fireworks-related disorder, a European football match involving Celtic, and potential protests in Glasgow. Public order vehicles and drivers are being brought in from 18 police forces in England and Wales under mutual aid arrangements.

The new initiative is called Operation Amberlight. Glasgow and its surrounding area are a particular focus, with officers working out of 10 fire stations across Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire. Supt Ross Aitken said the aim is to support fire service colleagues should they be attacked, and also to provide an effective and efficient response to incidents. He added that the vast majority of people act responsibly, but those intent on anti-social behaviour or criminality can expect a robust response.

Amberlight sits inside Operation Moonbeam, the annual Halloween and Bonfire Night public order operation, now in its ninth year. Moonbeam has grown since 2023, when an upsurge in disorder left 62 officers injured. The worst violence was in the Niddrie area of Edinburgh, where groups of youths attacked officers with fireworks, petrol bombs and other missiles. Glasgow and Dundee have also seen significant disorder in recent years, and emergency workers have frequently been targeted.

Another tool is the Fireworks Control Zone, which bans pyrotechnics in certain areas. Since 2024 they have been used in known troublespots, first in Edinburgh and then in Glasgow the following year. Setting off a firework inside a zone, or throwing one into it, is a criminal offence. The number of zones has risen from 12 to 18 this year. SFRS Commander Mark Cleland said the incident statistics show a benefit and hoped for further reductions in antisocial behaviour. He stressed that firefighters are "mums, dads, brothers and sisters" and that the goal is for crews to get home safely.

The numbers last year give some context. The fire service took around 750 calls on Bonfire Night and attended more than 250 bonfires. Between 31 October and 5 November 2025, police said just over 830 calls needed a local or specialist response, down by more than a third on the year before. This year, police received 144 fireworks-related calls on Halloween night, down from 160 in 2025.

Some incidents were serious all the same. In Drumchapel, Glasgow, a firework landed near a pram and left a child badly shaken. In Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, fireworks were reported thrown in the high street, and two male youths have since been charged. On Tuesday, police seized 350kg of fireworks worth about £12,000 from an address in the Penilee area of Glasgow. Officers said they were being sold online, and some could fire 600 individual rockets.

Thursday brings two further challenges in Glasgow. Celtic host Turkish side Besiktas in a Uefa Europa League match at Celtic Park, kicking off at 20:00. Police are also aware of online images suggesting planned protest activity in the city that night. Supt Aitken said the intelligence picture continues to develop and will feed into planning so the response can adapt. He acknowledged several competing events but said proportionate policing plans are in place.

Organised displays remain the safest option, and SFRS says around 20 have taken place in the last five days with 79 more planned. But many large council-run events have vanished because of costs such as insurance, security and stewarding. Glasgow Green has had no display since 2019, and Edinburgh's Meadowbank event was last held in 2017.

Animals are affected too. Two years ago Edinburgh Zoo said a three-month-old red panda called Roxie had probably died from stress linked to Bonfire Night fireworks. The zoo now sits inside a control zone, which it welcomed, though Ben Supple of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland said that is only part of the solution. The Scottish SPCA wants a UK-wide ban on private sale and use of fireworks, and a 90 decibel limit as an interim step, down from 120db. What to watch is how police adapt on Thursday night as the match and any protests overlap with fireworks.