Funeral for tragic Riggi children

The three Riggi children

By Cara Sulieman

THREE children found dead in an Edinburgh flat earlier this month will be laid to rest in Aberdeen on Friday, it was announced today.

Twins Austin and Luke Riggi, eight, and their five year old sister Cecilia Riggi, were found dead in their home in Edinburgh on August 4.

There had been reports of an explosion at the townhouse in the Slateford area of the city leading to their discovery.

Theresa Riggi, 46, the children’s mother has since been charged in connection with their murder.

Google Maps sends mourners to crematorium eleven miles off target

Google Maps show Dunfermline Crematorium as being in Kirkcaldy

By Cara Sulieman

INTERNET giants Google have found themselves at a dead loss in Fife after mixing up a crematorium in Dunfermline with one located miles away in Kirkcaldy.

Grief stricken mourners heading there to say their last goodbyes to their loved ones could be left 11 miles off target by relying on directions from the popular online service.

Searches show the crematorium listed as Dunfermline – but located at the actual home of Kirkcaldy Crematorium which also finds itself listed as its online doppelganger.

Now funeral bosses warn the blunder could cause grief wracked families yet more distress in their darkest hour.

Funeral for Queen’s former Press Secretary Michael Shea is to take place next week

By Rory Reynolds

A SCOTS diplomat who was one of the Queen’s most trusted aides for almost a decade is to be laid to rest in Edinburgh next week.

Michael Shea died on Saturday aged 71 having served as the Queen’s press secretary from 1978 to 1987 and accompanied her to 65 countries during a tumultuous period for the Royal Family.

The career diplomat also served during the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana and became a well-known figure in the UK after speaking on behalf of the Royal couple.

SHEA: respected as an author, confidant and press aide

The Queen herself was said to be “saddened” after hearing that Lanarkshire-born media professional turned author had died.

Poached

Shea first served in Bonn during the Cold War, after being “poached” by the Foreign Service.

He then met a Norwegian diplomat, who would become his wife, and would later draw on his experiences in Germany to pen his successful novel, Sonntag.  Throughout his career Shea wrote two dozen books, including many thriller novels in a time when spies were stalking the street of the German capital and back home the IRA were terrorising London and Belfast.

Family devastated as they are told their relative’s grave is full

The grave where Margaret Miller wanted to be buried

By Cara Sulieman

A GRIEF stricken family have lost the plot in a row over where to bury a beloved relative – after being told the lair she had bought in advance was already full.

Margaret Miller died last Monday aged 88 but had already pre-arranged to be laid to rest next to her parents, even paying for the right.

But a misunderstanding in the way graves are allocated means there isn’t actually enough space to squeeze a third person into the same spot.

Now her grieving family have to cremate her instead so her ashes can be interred – the only way they can respect her dying wishes.

Hero Ewan’s final journey will be to St Giles Cathedral

By Alexander Lawrie

THE FUNERAL for a hero fire-fighter killed tackling a pub blaze as he helped save 20 people from a burning tenement building is to be held at Edinburgh’s historic St Giles Cathedral.

Ewan Williamson, 35, died after a floor collapsed as he and colleague Oliver Carrigan entered the burning Balmoral Bar in Edinburgh last Sunday morning.

Mr Williamson died at the scene and his partner was taken to the city’s Royal Infirmary suffering from severe smoke inhalation.

Yesterday it was confirmed the hero’s funeral will be preceded by a dignified procession through the capital’s streets to allow the public to pay their last respects.

Police are to close off the route to traffic including the Royal Mile and George IV Bridge and crowd safety barriers erected with thousands of people from all walks of life expected to turn out to pay their respects.

Funeral for tragic mum of three

By Cara Sulieman

THE FUNERAL of a mother killed when she was knocked down by her sister-in-law in a car park tragedy will take place on Thursday.

Jackie Monteith, 41, died just over a week ago when she was hit by the Citroen Picasso in the car park of Sainsbury’s superstore at Straiton Park in Midlothian.

Sister-in-law Amanda Wood has just dropped Jackie and her three-year-old granddaughter Reilly off.

She was trying to turn their car round in a disabled parking space when the accident happened.

Mourners Slam Council ‘Graverobbers’

By Alexander Lawrie

MOURNERS have slammed their local council in a protest at plans to remove touching tributes from gravesides.

Fife Council have decided to impose a ten-year-old policy which will see cemetery officials being ordered to remove the personal items left by families from graves.

But council representatives failed to show up to a stormy meeting this week held to discuss the ongoing problem.

And angry locals have now said the council’s no-show was the “ultimate insult” to the memory of their deceased relatives.

Grieving Fifers have been told they will be notified in writing about the council’s plans this week, with some claiming it to be “desecration”.

If the official letters are ignored, the graveside memorabilia will be removed by cemetery staff.

Mourners braved blizzard conditions on Monday evening to attend the meeting in Cardenden, Fife.

One relative, who has recently buried his father, said: “I’m absolutely furious at the arrogance of these people. I should be allowed to mourn my dad any way I choose.

“If they touch that grave it’s desecration.”

Another relative said: “The council are afraid of the public because they know they’ve went about this the wrong way. They need to get their priorities right.”

Mark Hood, Labour Councillor for Lochgelly and Cardenden, was one of the few officials to attend the meeting, and claimed the council’s decision to miss the event caused a “great deal of distress” to the relatives.

He said: “The failure by any member of the administration to take time to come along and listen to the very real concerns of Fifers shows nothing but crass sensitivity.

“The people I met at the meeting were not unreasonable and simply wanted their concerns addressed.

“It is clear that the manner in which the administration has chosen to deal with this issue has led to a great deal of distress.”

But, Liz Murphy, Fife Council’s Bereavement Services Manager, said although no-one from the council had bothered to turn up and meet with the relatives they “have already met with several local people in this area and addressed their concerns”.

Mourners in Fife will be sent two letters detailing the council’s plans to remove all graveside objects that extend beyond eight inches from the gravestone, and if there is no response from the relatives all of their touching tributes will be removed.

But SNP councillor Ian Chisholm defended the council’s callous policy.

He said: “It’s a big job to get that knowledge across to people. I think that, eventually, people will see the sense behind the policy.