Police say that officers will continue engaging with youths over the Easter holidays following a recent rise in antisocial behaviour incidents on and around public transport across the city but they insists that ‘deplorable’ behaviour won’t be tolerated.

Operation Proust aims to address these issues through joint community patrols with Lothian Buses.

Since mid-February there have been more than 100 incidents reported to police, including youths throwing stones at buses, cars and trams along with tampering with the emergency stop button, holding onto the bus while in motion and damaging bus property.  Two drivers have been injured during this period and a number of services have been temporarily suspended as a result.

Since late February, dedicated patrols have been carried out across Edinburgh to deter and detect further incidents, with to date, 25 youths identified and reported to the relevant authorities, some for multiple offences.  Enquiries remain ongoing into several investigations across the city.

Chief Inspector Sarah Taylor said: ā€œThis deplorable behaviour will not be tolerated and our officers will be continuing their work within our communities to ensure services can operate safely.

ā€œThere has been a significant focus on engaging with young people and educating them on the harm this activity is causing, and officers have already spoken to more than 500 youths while out on patrol.

ā€œParents and guardians play a key role in addressing these issues, and I would urge them to speak to their children about the dangers associated with throwing objects at vehicles, as well as making sure they know where they are and what they are doing.

ā€œSupport from members of the public is also vital in helping us quickly identify those engaging in this behaviour and I would continue to ask anyone who witnesses an incident to contact police immediately.

ā€œAnyone with information regarding antisocial behaviour in their area can contact Police Scotland through 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.ā€

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John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.