19 assaults, 1 sex attack, 3 break-ins, 31 thefts. . .just a bit quiet, then?

MORE than 270 crimes including an indecent assault, a hit-and-run, and a bogus caller were reported in a single day in Edinburgh last month – but the police did not tell the public about any of them.

When the Evening News contacted the Force Communication Centre in Bilston Glen on Sunday, August 10, our reporter was repeatedly told there was nothing of "press interest".

But a month later, information released under freedom of information tells a very different story. An average of one crime every five minutes was reported in the city between 8am on Saturday, August 9 and 8am the following day.

While many may be minor incidents, they include assaults, fireraising and racial abuse.

Police chiefs insist that they release details of crimes and incidents only when they are satisfied the information is accurate and won't cause unnecessary alarm.

But the figures prompted calls for greater openness from the force in keeping the public informed about criminal activity in the city.

Lothians MSP Gavin Brown said today: "The more informed we are of the crimes that are being committed in Edinburgh then the more likely we are to keep our eyes open and remain safe.

"Confidentiality has a role to play, but it is healthy in a democracy to know what the crime figures are so that we can be more vigilant towards crime."

Deputy city leader Steve Cardownie, a member of the police board, said there was a "balance to be struck" but said he hoped that serious incidents would be made public.

He said: "The police have a responsibility to inform the public about crimes and let them know about the social fabric of the city.

"I would hope if there was an incident where there was doubt about whether it was serious enough to report, they would err on the side of releasing it.

"But we don't want to give the impression that Edinburgh is awash with crime as it's a relatively safe city. And releasing information on all these crimes could leave the police awash in paperwork."

A police spokeswoman said the hit-and-run incident was "minor", adding that cases such as indecent assaults meant victims had to be handled sensitively.

Police chiefs added that the implications of releasing information to the public also had to be considered from an investigative point of view.

As well as dealing with more than 270 reported crimes, officers carried out a further 400 actions throughout an "average" day.

Among the duties they carried out were dealing with four non-suspicious deaths, and seizing a vehicle under antisocial behaviour legislation.

The extent of domestic abuse in the Capital was also laid bare by the figures, with officers attending seven "violent" incidents and 17 "non-physical" cases.

Similarly, the scale of antisocial behaviour problems was revealed, with 72 cases of "disorder" reported to the force.

A Saturday night at the start of the Fringe also brought the usual violence in and around the city's pubs and clubs. Officers were called to 17 assaults and four "drug-related" incidents.

The amount of police time which is wasted during call-outs was evident from the figures. Officers were forced to respond to 41 cases where burglar alarms had tripped accidentally.