Scottish Mines Rescue team praises heroic efforts in Chile

By Amanda MacMillan

A SCOTS based underground recovery team yesterday (thurs) lavished praise on the Camp Hope emergency teams in Chile – and vowed Britain’s own experts could rise to the same kind of challenge if ever needed.

Mines Rescue, based at Crossgates in Fife, are on constant stand-by for just such an emergency while offering expert solutions and preventions through mainly health and safety training.

But Brian West, 50, a rescue officer with Mines Rescue, said that Britain has all the necessary equipment to cope with such a drama if ever confronted with the same kind of trauma of the San Jose 33.

He said: “It was a fantastic job in Chile. Very well done and very well managed from start to finish.”

Taxpayers land £175,000 mine fine after planning row

By Oliver Farrimond

A SCOTTISH council has had to cough up its biggest ever pay-out after bungling a planning application from one of the UK’s largest coal mining companies.

ATH Resources – who are currently under investigation by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency – were handed more than £175,000 by Fife Council after the Scottish Government overturned the council’s application refusal.

The coal mining firm was also recently fined £10,000 for paving over protected peatland near another of their opencast mines at Grievehill in Ayreshire.

Alistair Black, Chief Executive of ATH Resources, said: “It was something that the company did not relish having to do, but given the decision by the reporter it is quite clear that the councillors based their decision on unreasonable grounds.

Postmaster charms robber out of shop

By Paul Thornton

A MODEST postmaster who stood-up to a masked raider when he tried to rob his shop has insisted “I’m no hero”.

John Gordon, 57, saw off the terrifying intruder after the would-be thief burst into his post office in Crossgates, Fife.

The robber – disguised by a balaclava – thrust a bag over the counter and demanded that John filled it with cash.

But brave John twice refused, sending the desperado packing, before calmly calling police and getting back to serving customers.