Sandi Thom in hunt for lost pet

By Alexander Lawrie

Caledonia star Sandi Thom has rushed back to her Scots home after her beloved cat went missing.

The distraught singer left her Brighton home last Thursday and is currently scouring the area surrounding her home in Macduff, Aberdeenshire, for lost puss Toots.

In an impassioned plea on her Myspace blog Sandi, 26, has asked fans to “pray that I find her”.

She said: “Guys I’m totally distraught with worry. My cat toots has gone missing now since Thursday. I’m totally sick with worry.

“She’s a street wise cat but she’s only little. I’ve just rushed home to my house in Scotland where she lives from my flat in Brighton to mount a search.

“My mum, brother and neighbours are helping me to look for her. Please everyone pray that I find her, she means the world to me.”

The Homecoming Scotland star has just completed a sell-out British tour, and is currently preparing to jet off to the States to appear at this year’s South by South West festival in Austin, Texas.

She will be joined at the ‘Showcasing Scotland’ event by fellow Scots Glasvegas, Primal Scream and The Proclaimers.

Designed to promote the country’s music scene, the prestigious event will also see performances by lesser-known Scottish acts such Camera Obscura, Found and The Pictish Trail.

Gwen Stefani’s ‘Superman’ opens new studio

By Alexander Lawrie

A SCOTS personal trainer to the stars is opening his own brand new state-of-the-art gym this weekend.

Mike Heatlie, an Edinburgh-based fitness guru, will open his luxurious studio just days before jetting off to Los Angeles to knock superstar Gwen Stefani into shape ahead of her forthcoming world tour.

Mike has ploughed over £100,000 of his own cash into the venture which will be officially opened by Scottish boxing world champion Alex Arthur on Saturday.

Former-No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani, 39, said: “I’m so happy for Mike that he’s opening his own studio. I know it will be a huge success. I can’t wait to start working with him again in preparation for our summer tour.

“Mike is completely passionate about health and fitness and is a wonderful motivator.

“He is tireless, compassionate and makes working out something to look forward to. He is the Superman of my tour.”

Mike, who was recently named as Scotland’s fifth most eligible bachelor, will personally review his Edinburgh club’s members’ diet plans, with the overall fitness regimes and advice supervised by his own approved personal trainers.

He said: “My aim is to offer a real feel-good factor to health and fitness training that is a step away from the experience encountered in a typical gym or health club.

“Whilst the new state-of-the-art equipment for customers will be available for members to undertake their own training, we will also be offering personal assistance in health and fitness to provide an effective and tailored regime.

“This will include adopting a more holistic approach that will take into account diet and other lifestyle factors.”

The passionate trainer has already penned the popular weight loss ebook ‘Lose 10 pounds, 10 years in 5 weeks’ and is famed for his commitment to his clients’ needs.

He added: “We want to offer an excellent level of service to people who take their health and fitness seriously. The aim is to provide a special experience that gets the right balance of being exclusive yet accessible to ordinary people concerned about their body condition.”

There has already been a strong level of interest in membership of the luxury studio, and guests at the official opening will include many of Mike’s past and current clients.

Boxing champ Alex Arthur said: “I’m delighted to be opening Mike’s new personal training studio, it is truly a beautiful facility, but knowing Mike Heatlie I wouldn’t expect anything less.

“Mike helped me mature physically when turning professional by introducing me to numerous training techniques that I had never heard of before and they dramatically increased my size, strength and power, which helped me overcome many of my opponents.”

Teenager sold fake holidays

By Paul Thornton

A TEENAGER pocketed over £8,000 in just three months by selling non-existent luxury holidays on eBay.

Nathan Hudson copied and pasted genuine holiday deals from legitimate travel firms before putting them up for auction on the popular website.

Hudson was just 19 years old when he started his scam and managed to con £8,129 out of holiday makers before his negative feedback alerted people.

He was tracked down after giving his “customers” his email and bank details so they could pay him.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court he admitted 14 charges of fraud.

The court heard how Hudson, now 25, worked from an internet café in Edinburgh’s Leith Walk and made the hefty sum during 2003 and 2004.

He offered people breaks to London, Paris and New York, among other glitzy destinations before demanding payment.

But fiscal depute Melanie Ward said: “These holidays did not exist and Hudson was not in a position to sell or auction them.

“He would go into legitimate holiday websites and copy and paste holiday details and then slightly amend the cost to suit.

“A number of people logged onto eBay and bought these holidays – of course the tickets never arrived.”

The scam was rumbled when eBay users complained in the “feedback” section of the website.

And his identity was revealed when he gave people his bank account details and email address to organise payments.

Miss Ward added: “It was not a very sophisticated fraud.”

Hudson made a full confession to police when they interviewed him about the con but did not turn up to court for his trial.

But he was convicted of similar offences in Leeds Magistrate Court and his lawyer, Duncan Hughes, said Hudson got in touch because he wanted to resolve all his matters before his release date later this year.

He was brought to Scotland and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Mr Hughes added that Hudson had started the scam because he was short of money and that £4,000 of his ill-gotten gains had been frozen.

Sheriff Alistair Noble deferred sentence on Hudson, from East Yorkshire, until later this month.

He continues to be held at HMP Saughton over the Leeds Magistrate Court conviction.