{"id":1048156,"date":"2026-06-25T01:08:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T01:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1048156\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T01:08:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T01:08:19","slug":"edinburgh-delivery-riders-under-threat-amid-persistent-misinformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1048156\/","title":{"rendered":"Edinburgh delivery riders “under threat” amid persistent “misinformation”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Delivery riders in Edinburgh are under threat from\u00a0\u201crobbery,<\/a>\u00a0verbal abuse, and\u00a0assault<\/a>\u201d amid what they describe as persistent \u201cmisinformation\u201d and a sharp increase in incidents.<\/p>\n

They say two riders were targeted during terrorism-linked \u201canti-Muslim\u201d attacks across the city last Friday.<\/p>\n

CCTV footage from\u00a0Leith Walk<\/a>\u00a0showed a topless man driving erratically before abandoning his car and lunging at a delivery driver on an e-bike while brandishing two large knives and smoking a cigarette, with one of the two riders allegedly attacked taken to hospital.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Riders Observatory and Organising Movement (ROOM)<\/a>\u00a0suggested that \u201ca recent rise in misinformation online and in the press, blaming riders for incidents\u201d has led to increased threats against delivery drivers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A riders association has highlighted the threats facing delivery riders in Edinburgh \u00a9 2026 Martin McAdam<\/p>\n

In a statement, ROOM said: \u201cWe are appalled and concerned by the horrible attacks that took place last week, which have left several people injured, including two delivery riders, with at least one of them taken to the hospital.<\/p>\n

\u201cDelivery riders have lived under threat when working for a long while, reporting all kinds of incidents especially during the last two years, including robbery, verbal abuse and assault.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have noticed a recent rise in misinformation online and in the press, blaming riders for incidents in which they were not involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cRiders work in risky and high-pressure conditions across the city, providing a vital daily service for hundreds of people, and giving genuinely essential support, often vulnerable residents. Like all road users, we are entitled to safety and respect.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe all riders should perform their duties respectfully of traffic rules, prioritising road safety as the vast majority of riders do.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe streets are for all of us, and we want to see them free of hate. Let\u2019s respect the rules and respect one another, as we use them together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man accused of the Edinburgh knife attacks was named as 36-year-old Lewis Hawkes after appearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court earlier this week.<\/p>\n

First Minister John Swinney condemned the attacks in the immediate aftermath. After a visit to Edinburgh mosques on Monday, he said:<\/p>\n

\u201cI unequivocally condemn the heinous attacks in Edinburgh, and my thoughts are firmly with all those who have been affected.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me be absolutely clear, no one in Scotland should fear being targeted because of who they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article is provided by the news agency Deadline News Limited and published here with permission.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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