Family demand inquiry into son’s suspicious death in Spain

By Oliver Farrimond and Rory Reynolds

THE FAMILY of a Scot killed in Spain are demanding an inquiry into his death after it has emerged he may have been attacked and robbed before he died.

Thomas Patterson, 21, was hit by a car while crossing a dual carriageway at Playa Flamenca, near Alicante, in July of this year.

Police cleared the single driver of any wrong-doing,.

But his 52-year-old mum Agnes has spoken out, saying that the Spanish police “wrote off” her son, the father of an 18-month-old boy, as a “drunken lout”.

Her calls for justice come as one of Scotland’s most senior judges has recommended that Fatal Accident Inquiries (FAIs) be held for Scots who are killed abroad.

Police investigate after woman is found dead in Edinburgh tenement horror – neighbours claim husband is missing

BREAKING NEWS:

by Cara Sulieman, Paul Thornton and Shaun Milne

POLICE were tonight (tues) investigating the death of a woman after her body was discovered in “unexplained” circumstances at her Edinburgh home.

PROBE: detectives say death still "unexplained"

The woman was thought to have been found in a bath at an address in Nicolson Street on the south side of the city.

It was believed she lived at the address with her husband and two children.

Identity

Locals said the woman was called Randa, aged in her late 20s, from Edinburgh’s community of Sudanese.

Lothian and Borders Police last night refused to confirm her identity.

But one man said: “All I know is she is dead.”

Another Sudanese man added: “Yes, Randa is the woman they found.”

Lothian and Borders Police  did not volunteer any statement regarding the incident during the day but confirmed later when asked that the death was “unexplained”.

Forensic teams dressed in white paper coveralls attended the scene at around 1pm.

Lack of firefighters putting lives at risk – claim

By Cara Sulieman

UNION officials have slammed Scotland’s fire services for cutting staff when fire-related deaths are on the rise.

Ken Ross from the Scottish Fire Brigades Union has criticised the cutbacks revealed by a survey carried out by the union.

They found that services across the country have lost one in 12 of their operational firefighters in the past four years as they have been moved to fire prevention.

And overall 220 full-time frontline posts have been wiped out since 2005 – which is the equivalent of 50 emergency crews.

Fewer

The organisation has hit out, saying the cutbacks are leaving the public in danger.

Edinburgh city chiefs want help with 100 dead bodies a year

By Oliver Farrimond

THE HOME of infamous Scots murderers Burke and Hare is advertising for help in dealing with the unburied bodies of around 100 people every year.

Many are forgotten John or Jane Does who have died on the city streets, others simply the unfortunate few destined for a pauper’s grave because no one else will meet the cost of their funeral.

Now Edinburgh council chiefs have advertised an £85,000-a-year contract for help to cope with the numbers.

All local authorities are legally bound to ensure funerals are held if no other arrangements are made.

And the grim work is now up for tender with a lucrative contract worth £85,000 a year – or £850 per body.

Tragic Scots schoolgirl Kelly falls victim to adult cot death

Kelly Blair

By Alexander Lawrie and Cara Sulieman

A TRAGIC Scots schoolgirl has been found dead in her bed after falling victim to suspected adult cot death.

Pretty Kelly Louise Blair, 16, from Musselburgh, East Lothian, was discovered by her family after they went to wake her.

Paramedics were called to the family home at around 8am last Thursday after being called by distraught relatives.

Two ambulances and a doctor attended the scene, but were unable to save the schoolgirl.

Rise in Scottish drug deaths blamed on Trainspotting generation

By Cara Sulieman

A MASSIVE hike in the number of drugs related deaths across Scotland is being blamed on the nation’s Trainspotting generation – addicts who began shooting up in the 80’s.

Shock new figures showed a rise of people in their late 30s to early 40s – mostly men – dying from the effects of years of drug use and a lack of support services for their age group.

In all drug deaths rose 26 per cent to 576.

As with previous years, the vast majority of drug users dying are men – an overwhelming 80 per cent.

Passer-by’s chilling basement body find

By Rory Reynolds

THE BODY of a man was found lying in the basement garden of an exclusive Edinburgh townhouse as early morning commuters made their way to work yesterday.

A shocked passer-by reported finding the man lying on steps at the plush North Castle Street address at around 7am.

Officers from Lothian and Borders Police arrived to discover the twisted body at what was described as an “awkward angle” and immediate sealed off the area.

Blue and white police tape was strung up around the unoccupied five-story townhouse building at 57 North Castle Street as a full investigation began.

Tragic schoolboy drowns while swimming in disused quarry

By OLIVER FARRIMOND, ALEXANDER LAWRIE, PAUL THORNTON & SHAUN MILNE

THE GRIEF-STRICKEN family of a schoolboy who drowned while swimming in a disused quarry had the heartbreaking task of formally identifying his body today.

Tragic 15-year-old Daniel Steedman, from Kirkliston, West Lothian, died while playing with friends at the Humbie Quarry near Winchburgh on Thursday evening.

An RAF chopper from HMS Gannet at Prestwick joined specialists teams of police divers, coastguard search teams, police and fire-fighters after the alarm was raised shortly before 6pm.

His lifeless body was recovered by police divers at around 11pm, some five hours after two friends he was with raised the alarm.

The two boys who were with him, thought to have been fellow pupils from Queensferry High School where Daniel attended, were being offered counselling yesterday.

One of the surviving boys is understood to have tried to save Daniel before losing his grip in the remote water pool said to be 100ft deep in places.

Funeral of tragic teen

By Cara Sulieman

THE FUNERAL of one of the 17-year-old boys killed in a horror car crash last Friday is to take place this weekend.

James Whitecross was driving a Renault Clio with his friend Daniel Neil, also 17, who was in the passenger seat when they collided head-on into another car in Macmerry, East Lothian.

Friends and family created a memorial at the scene, decking it with flowers, card and football strips.

The service for James will take place in Tranent Parish Church this Saturday at 9.45am before moving on to Tranent Cemetery at 10.30am.

Tragic dad killed in Spain leaves young son and girlfriend

By Rory Reynolds

A TRAGIC dad killed on holiday in Spain was laid to rest yesterday (mon) – leaving behind an 18-month-old son and long-term girlfriend.

Tributes were paid to Thomas Patterson, 21, at a service yesterday afternoon in Eastern Cemetery in Edinburgh some 10 days after he was killed while crossing a busy dual carriageway while out holidaying on the Costa Blanca.

Mourners heard him described as an “amazing dad” and “great boyfriend” by his grieving loved ones, who affectionately knew him as Tam or Top Cat.

Thomas, a roofer from Moredun in Edinburgh, had been on holiday with two cousins and two friends from work when tragedy struck on July 17.