Major incident in Edinburgh as police rush to seal off busy street

Police have raced to a busy street in Edinburgh city centre after reports of a ‘major incident’.

Officers were called to the scene in South Clerk Street after an alarm was raised around 1.35pm on Monday, August 8.

Armed officers were seen in the area after police were called to the location following reports of a man acting in a threatening manner with a firearm.

The force closed off the road to all traffic shortly after and officers remain at the scene as they investigate the incident.

It is understood the incident ended peacefully a short time later with no reports of any injuries.

One eyewitness told Edinburgh Live: “All of a sudden all the police turned up. There’s police everywhere, there’s armed police. It’s a full lockdown situation. They’ve got the whole street cordoned off.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were called to a report of a man acting in a threatening manner with a firearm on South Clerk Street, Edinburgh, at around 1.35pm on Monday, August 8.

“Officers attended and the incident has been brought to a peaceful conclusion a short time later. Enquiries are ongoing into the full circumstances.”