Attacks on emergency services have been branded "utterly reckless and disgraceful" after police and ambulance staff were targeted with fireworks on Bonfire Night.
David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, has said scenes in Glasgow last night (November 5) were "completely unacceptable".
It comes after a police vehicle was set alight on Greenside Street, in Blackhill, after emergency services responded to a report of an injured man at around 7.55pm.
A police officer and an ambulance worker also suffered minor injuries after they were attacked with fireworks.
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David Kennedy of the Scottish Police Federation (Image: Newsquest)
Kennedy said: "Police officers and ambulance staff were responding to incidents, carrying out their duty to protect the public, when they were deliberately targeted with fireworks.
"A police vehicle was set alight, and an officer and an ambulance staff member were injured.
"Fireworks are explosives, and using them as weapons against emergency workers can cause life-changing injuries or worse.
"Police officers and any other emergency workers should not have to fear being seriously injured simply because they have responded to a call for help."
Videos shared on social media appeared to show fireworks setting off inside the police van, before it was completely engulfed in flames.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the incident.
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Police van on fire on Greenside Street, Glasgow, on November 5, 2026. (Image: Jeff J Mitchell/ Getty Images)
Kennedy says "enough is enough" and is calling for tighter restrictions on the sale of fireworks, as well as harder penalties for those who use them illegally, highlighting the pressure that Bonfire Night places on officers and their families each year.
He said: "Every Bonfire Night, we see officers subjected to violence and abuse while trying to keep communities safe.
"These incidents place enormous pressure on officers and draw significant policing resources away from other calls from the public.
"They also have an impact on officers and their families, who know the dangers they face when they leave their homes to go to work."
He continued: "Enough is enough. We need a sustained effort involving the police, local authorities, communities and government to prevent this disorder.
"That must include looking again at whether fireworks for public sale are required to be banned and if not we need to strengthen the current controls on the sale, possession and use of fireworks.
"Tougher measures are needed to stop fireworks getting into the hands of those who intend to use them as weapons, and we need harsher penalties for those who break the law."
Kennedy says all those who were responsible for the incident need to be identified.
He added: "Our message to those responsible is clear: attacking emergency workers is utterly reckless and disgraceful.
"These are people who turn up when your family, friends or neighbours need help.
"You are putting lives at risk, and those responsible must be identified and held accountable."
Firefighters were also attacked while responding to incidents in Castlemilk and Knightswood.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service received more than 800 calls relating to fireworks and bonfires between 5.30pm and 11.30pm.
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