Council in financial trouble sending staff on £10k trip to US

By Cara Sulieman

A SCOTS council facing a nine billion pound black hole is splashing out more than £10,000 to send staff to the United States – to greet some sailors.

Edinburgh City Council are preparing to send a delegation to greet the city’s entry in the round-the-world yacht race.

The plans would involve a senior council official leading the group to San Francisco next month and to New York in June when the Edinburgh Inspiring Capital Clipper visits.

Bosses – who are hoping to gain sponsorship to cover some of the costs – claim that the move would boost tourism and business links.

But opposition politicians are furious at the timing when the council has to find more than £90 million worth of savings in the next three years to ward off the biggest financial crisis in its history.

Giant cake towers over kids at Jenners

Keira Edwards encounters the giant cake

By Cara Sulieman

LITTLE Keira Edwards must have thought all her Christmases had come at once after stumbling across this giant festive cake.

The two year old was wide-eyed with wonder at the seven-foot high monster treat which has gone on display in Edinburgh.

The brightly coloured confection towers over children in the posh department store and will be handed out to shoppers later this month.

It took artist Connie Viney four weeks to prepare and bake the cake before it took pride of place amongst the toys.

The 23-year-old’s edible sculpture is part of a project by Edinburgh Sparkles to create four unusual decorations to be dotted around the city.