Teacher struck off after gun attack

Allan Dickson leaving court in March 2009

By Cara Sulieman

A GUN-WIELDING teacher has been struck off after firing an air rifle at a teenager to frighten off a gang he claimed had attacked him.

Allan Dickson was fined £1,000 after he admitted two firearms offences at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in March last year.

Dickson, 33, was suspended by Midlothian Council following the incident which he said was “totally out of character”.

And today (Tuesday) the Disciplinary Sub-Committee of the General Teaching Council (GTC) struck him off for at least a year after deciding he was not fit to teach.

Tennent’s backs minimum pricing

By Cara Sulieman

THE Scottish Government yesterday toasted a decision by brewing giants Tennent’s to back plans for minimum pricing on alcohol.

But opposition parties said the glass was remained half empty and called on more to be done to tackle the nation’s drink problem.

Tennent’s said the government’s plans “could be part of the solution” to Scotland’s binge drinking culture.

It comes just a day after figures showing the true extent of Scottish schoolchildren’s relationship with alcohol – with 300 under 16 admitted to hospital with booze-related diseases every year.

The Scottish Government welcomed the move by the Glasgow-based beer makers, saying that Tennent’s had “nothing to fear” over the new proposals.

Buckfast brewers pressured to remove caffeine

By Rory Reynolds

THE makers of Buckfast are under pressure to remove caffeine from its recipe after new figures linked the drink to crime.

Research shows that half of young men jailed for booze-related crimes consumed the tonic wine before committing an offence, with some claiming the caffeine made them “hyper” and aggressive.

A BBC investigation has revealed that the strong tonic wine has been cited 5,000 times in crime reports over three years by Scotland’s largest police force, Strathclyde.

One in 10 of the crimes were violent, with figures showing that bottles of Buckfast themselves have been used as a weapon on 114 occasions.

BBC Scotland Investigates, being shown tonight also examined the physical effects of drinking Buckfast through inmates at Polmont Young Offenders’ Institute.

Private garden members locked out by teenage boozers

By Michael MacLeod

A PRIVATE pleasure garden for the rich has been hijacked by yobs holding their own “lock-in” drinking sessions.

Keys to the tranquil gated Dean Garden at Edinburgh’s West End costs £110 per-year each – enjoyed as a private playground for almost 150 years.

But police have raised fears that some sets of the expensive keys have fallen into the wrong hands.

Former nurse patents booze-o-meter glass

By Rory Reynolds

A FORMER Scots nurse has invented a glass design that shows drinkers the number of units they are downing in an attempt to cut down on the nation’s binge drinking culture.

John Sharp, 57, came up with the design, which can be printed on wine, beer and spirit glasses to provide a visual of how much booze is being consumed.

Sharp, now a councillor for Moray Council, has successfully patented the product, which could become a regular sight in bars across Scotland.

He said: “It became apparent to me that alcohol is measured in units, but nobody really knows what a unit is.

“There are no glasses available that actually measure units so I began to investigate.”

One in five people in Scotland fear they will become a victim of crime – ID theft and credit card fraud top list

by Cara Sulieman

SHOCK new figures released by the Scottish government today (Tues) show that one in five people are likely to be a victim of crime.

More than half of violent offences in Scotland is alcohol related, sparking calls from opposition parties for the government to crack down on “drink fuelled” crime.

But most Scots are still more worried about identity theft or having their credit cards ripped off, than being attacked.

The statistics were unveiled by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill (right) as part of the official Scottish Crime and Justice Survey.

 They revealed that while the risk of becoming a victim of crime was generally lower north of the Border than in England and Wales, Scots are more at risk of suffering from violent crime.

Over one million crimes featured in the survey, but just 38 per cent of crimes were reported to police.

Ex-Hibs keeper boozed at the wheel

By Michael MacLeod

A HIBS reject who “drowned his sorrows” by drink driving has been fined £1,000 and banned from the roads for four years.

Hungarian goalkeeper David Groff, 20, lost his £30,000 per-year contract with the SPL side earlier this year after failing to make an impact.

He had featured on the fringes of the first team during his three year spell at Easter Road, but was released into unemployment in March.

A few weeks later police found him slumped drunk at the wheel of his Audi A3 in an Asda car park close to the Easter Road stadium where he played in front of thousands of fans.

Police said Groff and a friend were sleeping in the car with the engine running.

Eleven-year-old suspect in booze raid

Owner Mary Boylan (left) and manager Liz Reid (right) outside the shop

By Cara Sulieman

A BOY involved in a smash and grab raid is thought to be as young as ELEVEN.

Three boys are believed to have broken into the post office in Dechmont, West Lothian and stolen cigarettes and alcohol.

The door of the shop was kicked in on Saturday night and the cigarette case was smashed open.

Two of the three suspects were caught on the shop’s CCTV, leaving staff stunned at the age of the young lads they saw.

Licensing laws end 18-year tradition

Peter Swanson behind his bar in Edinburgh

By Cara Sulieman

AN EIGHTEEN year tradition is coming to and end as new licensing laws brought in today (Tues) mean stricter rules.

The bar has opened its doors at 6am every morning for shirt workers looking to enjoy a pint after work, but the new legislation means that it can’t be open for more than 16 hours a day.

It has left Peter Swanson, owner of The Gladstones, in Edinburgh with the choice of opening early or staying open later at night.

Police gift register reveals unusual presents

By Cara Sulieman

POLICE forces across the country have received around 200 bottles of booze, more than100 boxes of chocolates and 23 calendars in the last three years.

Senior staff from all seven forces, mainly chief constables, were also invited to 61 sporting events including Scotland international rugby matches, Euro qualifier football matches and even rock concerts.

A further £728 was donated in cash in the last three years – all of which went to benevolent funds.

But as well as thank you cards from victims of crime and Nectar points donated by staff, other perks included an invite to view the Scottish Crown Jewels.