SCOTTISH police have spent at least £25,000 over the past four years – calling the speaking clock and directory enquiries. Officers apparently struggling to tell the time spent £5000 making 9,000 calls to the speaking clock since 2007, despite the 31p per minute charge for the service. And despite having access to some of the most sophisticated [...]
A FORMER captain of St Andrews University rugby team was killed within days by a horrifying disease which destroyed almost all the platelets in his blood. Steven Sims , 23, passed away at the weekend after arriving at his family home earlier in the week complaining that he was feeling unwell. The fit sportsman and musician from Edinburgh is understood [...]
A BABY who was born weighing the same as a bag of sugar has grown into a strapping toddler – thanks to the generosity of blood donors. Alfie Hook was born 14 weeks premature in the summer of 2010 but his life was saved thanks to a series of blood transfusions. Now he is a [...]
A SCOTS council has been forced to shell out more than £23m in equal pay claims to female workers, it emerged today. More than 4,500 women working for Fife Council have been paid compensation for getting lower salaries than men despite doing the same job. Fife handed over £20.3m to underpaid women in one financial year [...]
Four inspiring sisters who have all beaten breast cancer are calling on women to sign up to Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life. Having supported each other through breast cancer and losing their mum to the disease, the sisters are now joining forces to encourage as many women as possible to sign up to the [...]
HUNDREDS of visitors to Edinburgh Zoo had to seek shelter today after a family of hogs escaped from keepers and ran amok. Guests who took refuge in the monkey house described amazing scenes as zoo staff armed with sweeping brushes and dart guns pursued the Red River Hogs. One of the fleeing hogs – from [...]
THE city centre basement where David Gilroy is believed to have murdered ex-lover Suzanne Pilley has been put up for rent. Property agents are looking to lease the basement where the 38-year-old bookkeeper was last seen in 2010. The ground and basement floors of the city centre building in Edinburgh are being rented out for around £107,000 [...]
A DONKEY sanctuary is looking for a new pal for their youngest ever rescue. Tiny Moses was rescued by the Scottish Borders Donkey Sanctuary after it was orphaned after birth. After his mum died, the foal was then bundled into the front seat of his owner’s car to be sold. But now, three-month-old Moses, aptly [...]
SCOTS ARCHERY clubs have been given a much-needed boost thanks to the new Disney flick – Brave. The film which is due to be screened in June has already been praised for spiking interest in the bow and arrow sport. The PG movie Brave tells the story about Princess Merida, a skilled archer who lives [...]
CHILDREN are throwing tantrums and wrecking classrooms- because of the recession. Kids missing out on nice holidays and after-school activities are starting to “lash out” because they miss their pre-recession luxuries, according to a crisis charity. So dramatic are the tantrums that middle-class families hit by the economic downturn are now facing huge bills for [...]
BILLIONAIRE Sir Tom Hunter has blasted Scots for being addicted to social welfare. The country’s fist self-made billionaire said Scots relying on benefits have become “pampered” and that they “expect what others strive and graft hard for.” The 51-year-old Ayrshire billionaire, who made his fortune when he launched retail giant Sports Division, said that benefit [...]
UP TO 30 Scots prisoners receiving “life” sentences are being released early from jail every year. Some criminals are leaving their life behind bars as early as seven years into their “life” sentence after committing serious crimes. The shocking figures were released by the Scottish parole board, which is responsible for the early release of [...]
A CHURCH chief will attend popular musical festival T in The Park in an attempt to persuade music-lovers to go to church. Trendy Reverend Albert Bogle, 63, will be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Stone Roses, Kasabian and Florence and the Machine at the Kinross-shire festival this July. But it’s not just for his [...]
CELEBRITY chef Jamie Oliver has tweeted an appeal for staff to work at his new Scottish eaterie. The chef and healthy eating campaigner is opening a branch of Jamie’s Italian in Edinburgh in the summer. Jamie tweeted: “Hands up who’s excited about our Edinburgh restaurant opening this July? You can apply to work with us now!” The [...]
AN unemployed cleaner and bank worker have become the first openly gay couple in Scotland to publicise a massive Lottery win. Darren Morgan and Graham Muir, who have been together for 10 years, scooped over £850,000. Graham, from Dalkeith, Midlothian, bought the winning ticket last Wednesday – using the same five numbers he has used [...]
A SCOTS school is offering driving lessons to children as young as 14 – in the school playground. The lessons are taught as part of a nine-week course at Eyemouth High School, Berwickshire. Pupils learn the rules of the road and are taught tricky manoeuvres such as parallel parking and three-point-turns. Students will learn how [...]
OLYMPIC legend Sir Chris Hoy has revealed he buys trousers that are two sizes too big – just to fit his massive thighs. The 36-year-old cycling star said his waist size remains a youthful 32-inches, particularly impressive given that he is 6ft 1in tall and weighs more than 14 stone. But he revealed in an [...]
A QUICK-thinking five-year-old saved his great-grandmother from drowning after she fainted in the bath. Jack Meade was changing out of his school uniform last week when he heard a strange “gurgling sound” coming from the bathroom. The 5-year-old rushed into the bathroom to find his great-grandmother Harriet Blair had fainted and was slipping under water. Jack pictured with his great-grandmother Harriet at [...]
A SCOTS soldier has been arrested in connection with the death of a Black Watch comrade in Germany almost a year ago. The soldier, also a member of 3 Scots, the Black Watch, was arrested on suspicion of the manslaughter of Private Mark Connolly. The 24-year-old from Fife died following an alleged bar brawl believed [...]
SCOTS ARE to be taught lessons on how to avoid offending foreign visitors in the run up to the busy tourist season. Retailers and hospitality staff will be taught how to hand over receipts to Chinese tourists, as well as how to shake hands with a Russian. Staff will also learn how to give change to Arabians with their right hand, rather [...]