Copyright dailyrecord
A woman who quit her job after her car was "petrol bombed" on Bonfire Night says she won't be leaving her house this year. Julita Pankiewicz, who is originally from Poland but now lives in Edinburgh , was working as a community care assistant in 2023 when a group of "kids" rolled a "petrol bomb" under her car. She was visiting a client in the Niddrie area at the time and was left "terrified." Despite the efforts of the authorities, Julita who recently moved to Craigmillar, says the police were unable to trace the people responsible on what was a night of carnage throughout several communities. Speaking to Edinburgh Live , she said: "They threw it under the car. I was terrified. It was really scary. The police were involved and they just tried to stop them and force them away from the area. It was truly bad." Julita was left shaken following the incident and felt the need to change jobs. She added: "I changed job and I don’t travel between clients. I work in one place now. I was terrified two years ago, that was the biggest incident." Police responded to various incidents in the Niddrie, Sighthill and Moredun areas last year. Fireworks, bricks and bottles were thrown at police vehicles and two firefighters were attacked. One particular street, Hay Drive in Niddrie, saw a large group of masked youths gather before aiming projectiles and fireworks at riot police . A police force helicopter was seen patrolling the skies overhead while vans full of specialist public order officers were spotted nearby. Footage of riot police forming a line before charging towards troublemakers on a Niddrie scheme was captured on camera at the time as officers could be seen brandishing shields and donning helmets as they ran down the street. At the time, one resident said: "Grabbing bottles from the communal bins behind the flats and lobbing them at the police.” Now, in an effort to combat anti-social behaviour on a night that has become synonymous with trouble in these communities, the council has introduced firework-free zones, fireworks are not being sold in supermarkets in the area and the police have been out supporting businesses in the area and giving them advice ahead of the night. Julita said that these efforts have brought her some comfort, but will remain inside this year just to be safe. She added: "It’s not the best event for kids." Edinburgh Live recently took to the streets of Niddrie and Craigmillar to speak to residents ahead of Bonfire Night who say they are scared and anxious of what is to come. Lisa, from Niddrie , said: "I’m feeling really anxious about it, there’s been a lot of trouble, especially on the main road. Most of Niddrie was on one side and the police were on the other, with petrol bombs getting thrown at them. "Because it’s been happening for that long, a lot of them think it’s a night just to go radge. There’s a lot of fear and anxiety, and if you’ve got pets it’s a nightmare for them.”
