Police Set Up Capital Checkpoint

Police set up a checkpoint on a busy road at the border between Edinburgh and Midlothian – but insisted they were not hunting for lockdown lawbreakers.

- Jane Hamilton

Drivers claimed a static roadblock situated on the capital’s Burdiehouse Road was checking for shoppers heading to Ikea and Straiton shopping centre just a mile over the border into Midlothian.

Edinburgh and Midlothian are locked down in Tier 3 – but entering or leaving your local area has been banned by the Scottish Government in an effort to combat the spread of Covid.

There were fears the retail parks just outside the city boundaries would be besieged by panicked shoppers from the capital last weekend.

Motorists said at least six officers carried out checks from 8.30am on Saturday and stopped dozens of cars passing by.