THE school holidays have ended this week and, like many parents, the normal routine of the school week is welcomed.

The end of the holidays also means the bigger summer events have all passed.

This weekend, we had Ladies Day at Musselburgh Racecourse and the conclusion of Fringe by the Sea. Both passed without major incident and I would consider them a great success for the local areas, bringing lots of visitors to the area.

I enjoyed my afternoon at Fringe by the Sea with a beer listening to Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards entertain the crowds with his tales of Olympic 'glory'. The only down point was the brass-necked thief who stole a set of DJ decks in broad daylight on Friday afternoon. Officers are looking into this and I would advise the thief to hand himself and the property back before he gets an unwelcome knock at the door.

This week I would like to discuss the issue of e-scooters.

As reported last week, tragically a teenager was serious injured in Musselburgh on an e-scooter after colliding with a van. Also, there were reports of youths on e-scooters causing issues during the Musselburgh Festival ride out.

All e-scooters are illegal on roads and pavements in Scotland and can only be ridden legally on private land with the permission of the landowner. However, you can buy them legally in major retailers and online, but the fact they are illegal on roads and pavements is buried in the small print. They are clearly very dangerous and I would not recommend them as presents unless you have a place to ride them.

Those who are caught using them in public risk being charged and having the e-scooter seized. I am aware it is very difficult for officers to catch youths on these scooters, as they are nimble and escape through vennels and paths that police vehicles cannot follow. We will be using tactics such as CCTV to identify the persons onboard and paying them a visit at home.

Our school link officers will also be in school passing on the above messages about e-scooters and their dangers, as we know teenagers think they are indestructible when this is not the case.

In a very similar vein, there has also been a rise in the number of calls regarding off-road scrambler bikes using farmers' fields without permission. Theses bikes are often brought in on vans from outwith the county. We are working with the council anti-social behaviour team to identify the owners of the van and contacting them to change their ways. Also, we are engaging with landowners to make access more difficult by offering crime prevention advice.

My final point is in relation to the kids going back to school. I would encourage all parents to have their kids walk or cycle, but I do know this is not always possible so, when dropping off children, please be considerate to other drivers and residents near schools. Do not park on pavements or yellow lines. Officers will be out monitoring at drop-off and pick-up times.