Mountain hare found hopping down high street

The hare being released back into the wild

By Cara Sulieman

A MOUNTAIN hare found on a high street in the snow has been released back into the wild after being treated for concussion.

A concerned passer-by called the Scottish SPCA after finding the animal hopping along Lauder High Street in Berwickshire.

Confused and out of his natural habitat, the animal was sporting his white winter camouflage.

Ambulance driver Mairi Stewart, who picked him up, thought he might have been concussed and that might be why he was found on the busy road.

Teacher numbers could continue to fall

By Paul Thornton

EDUCATION Secretary Michael Russell MSP has admitted that the “freefall” of teacher numbers in Scotland will not be reversed and could get worse.

After seeing the number of teachers plummet by more than 2,000 in the last two years, Mr Russell admitted: “There has been a reduction that I don’t see us making up again, to be honest.

The admission is the latest in a series of blows to the SNP’s education policies which were a lynchpin of their election campaign and was branded “astonishing” by Labour.

They say the Scottish Government have now scaled back on almost all of their manifesto pledges including promises on class sizes for younger children.

Only seven per cent of P1 to P3 classes now have a class size of 18 or less despite this being an across the board promise.

Health and safety prevents donation

By Cara Sulieman

A PRIMARY school has been unable to display a hard-earned eco award outside their building because of health and safety fears.

Craigroyston Primary in Edinburgh won a Green Flag award for showing lasting commitment to environmental issues.

The skint school could not afford over £2,000 to install a flag pole and were forced to hang the flag on a wall.

But when a generous contractor offered free poles left from another job the city’s council put a stop to works until they carried out “checks” on the pole.

“Stressed” postman hoarded 1,600 letters

By Michael MacLeod

A POSTMAN stashed over 1,500 letters and parcels in his house and car because he was “stressed” and “mentally exhausted” by his workload.

Ross Henderson blamed Royal Mail bosses for changing his delivery routes on a daily basis.

But the spotlight landed on the 23 year-old when post went missing and customers complained they hadn’t received items they expected.

The Edinburgh man said he always intended to deliver the packages, but his backlog “spiralled out of control”.