FIREARMS offences in Scotland have fallen sharply, the Scottish Government revealed. The number of offences recorded by Scotland’s police forces fell 24 per cent, from 843 in 2009-10 to 643 in 2010/11 – a reduction of almost half since 2006/07’s figure of 1,259. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill today welcomed the statistics but warned against complacency. [...]
FIGHTER jets from RAF Leuchars intercepted two Russian bombers earlier this month, it has been revealed. The Typhoon jets from Number 6 Squadron were scrambled on October 11 after the two aircraft entered international airspace protected by Nato. Neither aircraft was communicating with either civilian or military air traffic control, neither had filed a flight [...]
POLICE are hunting a thug who thrashed his dog in front of other dog walkers. The man was spotted walking the young golden Labrador in Inchyra Park, Grangemouth at around 10.45am on Saturday. As they were walking towards the football pitch area, he let the Labrador off its lead and it ran over to the [...]
By Niamh Anderson AN INSTRUMENT maker has paid tribute to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – by making four musical instruments out of the author’s childhood tree. FOUR string instruments- dubbed The Conan Doyle Quartet- have been made from a sycamore tree that once stood in the garden of the author’s childhood home in Liberton, [...]
CENTRAL SCOTLAND POLICE FIVE garages have been broken into in Grangemouth. The properties were targeted between 11.00pm on Thursday October 20 and 6.30am on Friday October 21. While nothing was taken from three of the properties, hundreds of pounds worth of tools, including a Karcher Powerwasher and a McCulloch chainsaw, were stolen from garages in [...]
TEE-TOTAL thieves broke into a Highland distillery – and didn’t touch a drop. It’s thought the raiders entered the Ben Nevis Distillery at Lochy Bridge, near Fort William sometime between 5pm on Friday, October 21 and 3.30pm on Sunday, October 23. Nothing was taken during the break-in to the office area of the site. Managing [...]
SUBO has revealed her temper was so bad she was nicknamed Miss Piggy. The Britain’s Got Talent star became almost as famous for her outbursts as for her singing following a string of well-publicised altercations. The West Lothian singer hit the head lines after having a furious row with her assistant in a Japanese airport, [...]
NEW pictures from inside the flat where a man murdered his ex-girlfriend’s new lover have been revealed. Frank Moore was sentenced to 22 years in prison today (Tues) for the killing of Stewart Taylor, 33, and the attempted murder of Lynsey Methven, 30. Moore had stalked Methven for a number of weeks following the break-up [...]
POLICE are desperately searching for a teenager who has been missing from his home since the weekend. Dylan Cargill, 15, was last seen on London Road in Stranraer at around 10.20pm on Saturday. He was wearing a grey hooded top and dark jeans, but police believe he could have changed clothes since then. Despite extensive [...]
A WOMAN who died in a car crash in Fife has been named by police. Georgina Connelly, who was also known as Jean, died on Monday night after her Seat Ibiza crashed on Sea Road in Methil at around 6pm. Her family described the 68-year-old a “well loved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother”. They added that [...]
A TRIO of retro dancers scaled Glasgow’s Titan Crane to celebrate the launch of this year’s Girls’ Day Out event. The Kennedy Cupcakes climbed the 150ft structure to promote the event, which is taking place at the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre (SECC) and is set to attract over 20,000 women from across Scotland and [...]
SERIAL killers Burke and Hare are to haunt the streets of Edinburgh once more as part of a new touring play. Burke, by Edinburgh crime writer, Caroline Dunford, delves into the mind of one half of Scotland’s most notorious murder duo as he awaits execution. The play will be hosted in historical jails in visiting [...]
By Niamh Anderson AN OPERA SINGER was turned away from a hot air balloon ride for being “too fat to fly.” Justine Riccomini, a singer with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra chorus, dreamed of soaring into the sky in a hot air balloon. But when her husband organised a flight over the late Queen [...]
Stunning images of barren polar landscapes and the animals which inhabit them have been released to celebrate a new documentary. Frozen Planet features footage of timberwolves hunting bison in Northern Canada, a great grey owl in the Arctic and shearwaters swarming round a whale off Alaska. The programme starts on BBC1 at 9pm on October [...]
CENTRAL SCOTLAND POLICE A CANOIST had rocks thrown at him in an attack on the River Forth. The man’s canoe was badly damaged after four teenagers threw rocks at him as he paddled near the new Forth Valley College at around 5.50pm on Mondya, October 10. The four youths involved are described as 14 or [...]
A SICK baby was airlifted to hospital in a dramatic rescue which saw Navy helicopter pilots make four attempts to land. The hours-old child was born at the Lorn and Islands District General Hospital in Oban in the early hours of Friday morning (October 21). Due to medical complications, the decision was made to move [...]
By Hannah Ewan AN Edinburgh council chief has enraged Hibs fans by suggesting they could share a stadium with arch-rivals Hearts. Steve Cardownie, deputy leader of the council, made his comments in a botched bid to show Hibs fans the council is not biased in favour of Hearts. Councillor Cardownie, a Hearts season ticket [...]
COUNCIL bosses are to spend £110,000 on shipping a fleet of trams they no longer need from Spain to Edinburgh. And the ten redundant trams might have to be ferried back out to the continent – if the council can find a buyer for them. The vehicles are considered surplus to requirements after a decision [...]
AN EXPENSIVE watch left in a St Andrews golf club in July is about to be sold off at auction unless the owner claims it in the next few days. The Omega Seamaster gentleman’s watch was handed in to staff at the Links Clubhouse in St Andrews at the end of July, and was passed [...]
COUNCILS are being encouraged to use low carbon vehicles with a new £4.2m government funding boost. The money will help towards Scotland’s target of cutting emissions by 42% by 2020 and builds on over £4.3 million made available last year to local authorities who received funding to help to replace conventionally-powered vehicles with low carbon [...]