There was widespread disorder across Edinburgh on Bonfire Night – missiles were thrown at police in Gilmerton and Sighthill and there was two instances of attacks on firefighters in the city.
Firework Control Zones were in force in Niddrie, Balerno, Calton Hill and Seafield – where the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home is located.
The Scottish government gave local authorities these powers in 2022 following a major riot in Dundee.
Parts of Glasgow were due to be covered by a similar ban but it was was delayed until next year due to a council error.
When Edinburgh’s fireworks control zones were announced in August, the Dogs Trust charity said it backed a city-wide ban despite not having any centres in Edinburgh.
RZSS has now called for tighter restrictions on fireworks, saying they cause fear and distress for pets, livestock and zoo animals.
It has backed a petition started by Julie Doorne in Grantham, Lincolnshire, which has been signed by over a million people and been delivered to Downing Street.
The petition calls for:
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Restricting private use of fireworks to traditional dates such as Bonfire Night, New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali
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Reducing the maximum permitted decibels for private use fireworks from 120 to 97
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Requiring all public fireworks displays to be licensed
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Requiring fireworks packaging to be labelled indicating the noise level
Ben Supple said it was “essential” for the UK and Scottish governments to crack down on the use and sale of fireworks.
He said: “We support calls from animal welfare charities to ban the sale of fireworks to the public, with only light displays being permitted at organised events.
“This would help avoid devastating consequences for animals like Roxie while ensuring that people can still enjoy traditional celebrations.”
A spokesperson for the UK government’s department for business and trade said: “We are sorry to hear of the death of Roxie the panda and our thoughts are with the team who cared for her at Edinburgh Zoo.
“We endeavour to keep pets and the public safe and that’s why we launched new fireworks safety campaign this season to help people use them safely and appropriately.”
