Families allowed on Fife beach awash with radiation

THE clean-up of a Fife beach has been halted putting families at risk of potentially lethal radiation.

For years radioactive waste has been found at the beach in Dalgety Bay which is thought to come from the luminous dials of wrecked warplanes.

Defence Estates, the MoD’s land agents, began removing the material two years ago after experts warned it posed a serious risk.

But now the clean-up has been halted and no agreement has been reached with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to resume, despite warnings the problem is set to get worse.

Some-fin special for Christmas

SHOPPERS are being offered the chance to snap up a Christmas present with a little more bite this year – shark diving.

Deep Sea World at North Queensferry in Fife say they are cutting prices in the hope a dive with the feared beasts at Scotland’s national aquarium may hook those looking for the special something.

The aquarium based in the waters if the Firth of Forth is the only place in Scotland where it is possible to get up close and personal with the notoriously feared water creatures.

Adult divers are able to swim alongside three-metre-long sand tiger sharks, giant stingrays and many other sharks, rays and other fish species including angel sharks, tope and bull huss.

Completion of new Diageo plant left hanging in the balance

DRINKS giant Diageo has been forced to suspend work on two multi-million pound plant in Fife on Monday after the main contractors went into administration.

The future of the £86 million project in Leven and a £65 million bio-energy plant at the Cameronbridge Distillery has been left hanging in the balance along with many others across the UK after it emerged that the building services firm Rok was in financial difficulty.

Should the administrators, Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC) fail to find a buyer, 3800 jobs will be at risk nationwide, though it is unknown how many in Fife are in danger.

It is understood that up to 150 tradesmen are involved with the work on the new bottling plant and are all waiting to hear any developments concerning their future employment after Monday’s announcement.

On completion, the plant at Banbeath is set to create 400 new jobs in Fife and is part of greater plans to close the Jonnie Walker plant in Kilmarnock.

Cow killed on road after double car trauma in Fife

A COW has died after being hit by two cars in Fife this morning (Thurs).

The animal wandered off onto the A92 at the Forgan roundabout and was hit by the oncoming traffic.

One woman had to be taken to hospital with head lacerations following the incident.

Man appears in court in connection with Fife murder

By Cara Sulieman

A MAN has appeared in court charged with the murder of a businessman at a flat in Fife last week.

Tencho Andonov, 27, made no plea nor declaration when he appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court today.

Mohammed Nadeen Siddique, 38, was found dead at the property on Forres Drive in Glenrothes on October 24.

Another injured man was taken to hospital following the incident described by police at the time as a shooting.

Andonov, from Livingston, West Lothian, is charged with the murder of Mr Siddique and with the attempted murder of the second man.

He also faces a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice and was remanded in custody until his next appearance.

Cross-country running with man’s best friend

By Amanda MacMillan

FIFE is getting ready to host an unusual sporting event which involves dog owners taking part in competitive racing with their pesky pooches.

CaniX is a new sport in which competitors attach their dogs to a harness around their waist and run cross-country with them.

A two-day event is taking place at Lochore Meadows Country Park at Lochgelly, in Fife next weekend to allow dog owners of all ages to try out the sport.

One man who knows how much fun the sport can be is 42-year-old Colin Reid, who races with his four-year-old Border Terrier Mitch.

Rosyth workers ready for industrial action over pay

By Amanda MacMillan

SHIPYARD workers at Rosyth are gearing up for strike action – just three days after being spared the axe.

A walk-out has already been planned at the Fife yard for next week with a full strike to follow in a bitter row over pay.

But they kept quiet about the planned action until after Tuesday’s Defence Spending Review.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg visited the Babcock site to deliver the news in person that the two planned £5.2b aircraft carriers on the Forth and Clyde will go ahead.

That secures work at the yards for the next eight years at least.

Rosyth dockyard workers breath a sigh of relief

By Amanda MacMillan

AFTER all the waiting and choppy waters of uncertainty, it was a huge sense of relief finally beginning to dawn across the grey skies of Rosyth on Monday.

Yet until the words utter from Chancellor George Osborne’s mouth that he really has sanctioned the go ahead for the two £5.2b aircraft carriers on the Forth and Clyde, the nerves will still shred.

Everyone around the Fife base – the workers, their families the businesses that rely on them, know what is at stake.

Fraser McRae, 21, a drawing office apprentice from Fife, said it had preyed on all their minds: “It’s good news. We weren’t sure if it was going ahead or not.

“Obviously with it coming up to Christmas as well you don’t want to hear about redundancies.”

World record breaker Mark Beaumont launches film festival

WORLD record breaking Scots cyclist Mark Beaumont swung from the walls of Edinburgh International Climbing Arena suspended on his bike to help launch this week’s Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival.

The EMFF runs from October 21-24 at the city’s George Square lecture theatre, with special events at EICA at Ratho including a talk from the Fife biking hero.

He broke the world record for cycling round the world in 2008 and this year cycled down the Americas from Alaska to Southern Argentina, a distance of more than 13,000 miles.  On route he climbed the highest peak in both continents.

Beaumont will recount details of his most recent accomplishment on the final evening of the film festival as part of a guest lecture titled, ‘Cycling the Americas’.

Motorcyclist who died in crash named by police

By Christine Lavelle

A TEENAGE motorcyclist who died in a crash with another vehicle in Fife at the weekend has been named by police.

Andrew Murray, 18, from Denny, was on the B942 Pittenweem to Colinsburgh road when his Yamaha motorbike collided with a Vauxhall Corsa on Saturday at around 5.15pm.

Paramedics tried to revive him by giving emergency CPR at the scene but the teenager could not be saved.

The driver of the car and his passenger were taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee following the incident, but their injuries were not believed to be life threatening.

In a statement issued by Fife Police, Andrew’s parents Donald and Lynn said: “The family are devastated at the loss of their magnificent son and brother Andrew Murray.