Sick attacks on emergency workers soar

Top cop reveals shock statistics

- STEWART MCCONNELL

Violent Crime across North Ayrshire in the fourth quarter of 2024-25 was down on the previous year, falling by 2.7 per cent.

However a worrying trend shows that there have been an increase on the five-year average of 9.1 per cent and emergency workers are increasingly being targeted, Ayrshire Divisional Commander Suzanne Chow told the recent Police and Fire and Rescue Committee.

She said: "This increase is primarily due to the number of common assaults on emergency workers including the police and fire service.

"There has been a 22.7 per cent increase in common assaults on emergency workers including police in the last year and 27.7 per cent on the five-year average.