Police Scotland are issuing 'threat to life' alerts to major criminals at a rate of one every month, according to alarming new figures that highlight escalating gangland warfare across the country.
Osman Warnings Reach 68 Since 2021
The Mail can reveal that 11 so-called 'Osman warnings' were sent out by the force last year alone, pushing the total number issued since 2021 to 68. These formal notifications are dispatched to identified individuals when police assess there is a 'specific, real and immediate threat' to their safety.
Osman letters derive their name from a landmark 1998 European Court of Human Rights case, where English police were found to have failed to pass on a credible threat to Ali Osman, who was subsequently murdered. In Scotland, police have a legal duty to protect life, compelling them to share intelligence about imminent dangers.
Gangland Warfare Fuelling Threats
The concerning statistics emerge against a backdrop of intensifying gangland conflicts that have seen properties torched, businesses destroyed, and homes targeted by gunfire. What began as feuds in Edinburgh has now spilled westward across the country.
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr commented: 'These alarming figures highlight the huge pressure Police Scotland faces in dealing with regular and credible threats to life, which is doubtless fuelled by gangland rivalry.'
'After years of SNP cuts, officers are being stretched to breaking point, raising serious questions about whether every threat is being spotted and dealt with in time,' he added.
Operational Challenges and Criminal Exploitation
Former Police Scotland superintendent Martin Gallagher, an organised crime expert, explained that police now 'almost always err on the side of caution' when assessing threats, even when professional judgment suggests they might not be carried out.
Mr Gallagher warned that the warning system can be manipulated by sophisticated criminals who issue threats they never intend to execute, simply to test whether police are monitoring their communications. 'If the police do issue a warning, the criminal knows their communication methods are compromised,' he noted.
The expert further highlighted how the requirement to issue warnings restricts police ability to mount pre-planned operations that could intercept would-be killers in the act, potentially securing significant custodial sentences.
Notorious Incidents and Organised Crime Feuds
One of the most notorious recent incidents involved Scottish gangsters Ross Monaghan, 43, and Eddie Lyons Jnr, 46, who were shot dead in Spain last May while watching the Champions League final in Monaghan's Fuengirola bar. Both victims were linked to the Lyons crime group, which has been engaged in a deadly twenty-year feud with the Daniel clan.
Michael Terrence Riley was arrested in Liverpool following the shooting and currently awaits trial in Spain.
Calls for Increased Police Resources
David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation representing rank-and-file officers, called for urgent investment in frontline policing to tackle growing gangland activity. 'Police officers are doing all they can, but the simple truth is that there are not enough officers to meet the rising demand,' he stated.
'Officers are under immense pressure, with chronic staffing shortages making it harder to respond proactively and disrupt gang activity before it escalates,' Kennedy added. 'Unless investment is made in frontline policing, we fear this trend will continue—and that more lives will be at risk as a result.'
Police and Government Responses
Detective Chief Superintendent Raymond Higgins affirmed: 'Police Scotland will take all reasonable steps to protect the lives of people where there is a real and immediate risk to them. Threat to life warnings, personal safety advice and disruption notices are issued for a number of reasons.'
A Scottish Government spokesman responded: 'Threat‑to‑life warnings, personal safety advice and disruption notices are issued for a range of reasons. We are investing a record £1.7billion in policing for 2026–27 and our continuing investment enabled Police Scotland to take on more recruits in the last financial year than at any time since 2013.'
The spokesman added: 'Scotland remains a safe place to live, with more police officers per capita than England and Wales, and recorded crime has fallen by half since 1991.'
The escalating situation has prompted serious concerns about whether policing cuts have left Scotland's single force adequately equipped to combat high-level gangsters and tackle rising violent crime across the nation.
