Father pays tribute to Commonwealth champion daughter

By Amanda MacMillan

THE father of the former Scots Judo Champion who died suddenly while serving in the Army in England has said he “couldn’t have asked for a better daughter.”

Ian Hart, 60, paid tribute to his daughter Corporal Stephanie Hart who died aged 29.

Miss Hart, originally from Sighthill in Edinburgh, won a bronze for Scotland at the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002 before signing up for the Army shortly before the outbreak of the war in Iraq.

She was serving in Aldershot, Hampshire with the 10th Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistics Regiment when she passed away on August 28.

Her death took place off barracks.

Volcanic ash leaves thousands stranded

All flights in and out of the UK have been cancelled

By Cara Sulieman & Rory Reynolds

THOUSANDS of passengers were stranded at Edinburgh Airport today (Thursday) as volcanic ash moved into Scottish airspace.

Staff at the airport greeted passengers with the news that the eruption in Iceland had sent a mass of ash into the atmosphere, grounding planes across the country.

With little information available, holiday makers and businessmen were trying to find other ways to get to their destination.

Tanya Nixon, 27, and her seven-year-old daughter Alessia Fortunato had travelled from Sunderland to fly with Ryanair to Pisa.

Girl Guides attacked for considering donation from convicted rapist

By Michael MacLeod

THE Girl Guides are under fire after admitting they are considering accepting a half-million pound donation left to them in a will – by a man who raped his own daughter during an 18-year campaign of abuse.

Society photographer Reginald Forester-Smith – who made him name in the 1970s snapping the likes of racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart and even the Queen – was eventually jailed for the vile attacks.

His high-flying career was left in tatters when his brave daughter exposed his evil 18-year campaign of sickening abuse.

Environment watchdog uses flights three times per day

By Rory Reynolds

SCOTLAND’S environmental watchdog has come under fire after it emerged that staff took nearly three flights a day last year.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency used planes for 536 work-related journeys last year – the vast majority of them return flights – with 389 of those being short domestic trips within the UK.

The government quango also spent more than £500,000 on flights in the last five years, with some tickets costing as much as £3700.

The figures, released under Freedom of Information legislation, come as the SEPA looks to axe around 10 per cent of its staff to cut costs.

The activities of the government agency, which monitors and regulates air pollution, have been branded “absurd” by critics.

Cancer patient stranded after string of cancelled flights

Left to right: Panos Vikis, Nicola McAndrew, Patricia and Alison Vikis

By Cara Sulieman

A CANCER patient was left facing a nightmare before Christmas after a catalogue of travel disasters.

First Patricia Vikis and her husband Panos were left stranded in Cyprus last Wednesday after the collapse of what was Scotland’s biggest airline Flyglobespan.

Disappointed but pragmatic, they instead booked a flight back with low-cost airline easyJet – on for that to be cancelled too owing to heavy snow.

And because the only seats they could get were to London, it meant they also had to cancel their connecting British Airways flight from Gatwick to Edinburgh.

Family of Iraq war dead demand face to face showdown with former Prime Minister Tony Blair

By Rory Reynolds

FAMILIES of servicemen and woman who lost their lives fighting in Iraq have demanded they be allowed to meet former Prime Minister Tony Blair “face-to-face” when he gives evidence to the Iraq Inquiry.

They were today allowed to meet members of the independent inquiry into the war which is touring the UK speaking to bereaved families, and put their case for an emotional showdown.

And all the relatives agreed that they want to be there when the former Prime Minister finally appears before the inquiry into the invasion of Iraq.

Rose Gentle, who’s son Gordon was killed in Iraq, questioned the panel on its investigation at the Apex Hotel in Edinburgh.

Death

She said: “When it does go to London and Tony Blair gets asked to give his statement, will the families be allowed in to hear what he says?”

When the Sir John Chilcot, chair of the inquiry said he couldn’t “guarantee a seat”, Rose replied: “We want to be face-to-face with him – get a bigger hall.”

Valerie O’Neill also blamed Tony Blair for the death of her son, Kris, who was killed after his un-armoured Land Rover drove over an IED.

Gym coach victims “vindicated” as sneaky child abuser Mitchell Dolphin is jailed

By Michael MacLeod

A PERVERTED gym coach has been jailed for three years for sexually abusing girls as young as seven in more than two decades of sickening exploitation.

Mitchell Dolphin felt up girls in his own gymnasium and forced them to touch his privates, but continually denied he had done anything wrong.

JAILED: Mitchell Dolphin

The 51 year-old’s twisted tactics were branded “sneaky” by prosecutors during a four week trial, throughout which some of the youngsters bravely gave harrowing evidence.

Gratification

Sentencing the trampoline teacher today (Thurs), Sheriff Frank Crowe said there was no doubt Dolphin “took advantage of the athletes for his own sexual gratification.”

Relieved victims and their parents wept as the sentence was read out at Edinburgh Sheriff Court and afterwards spoke of their “vindication”.

Even one of the members of the jury who found Dolphin guilty was in court to see him being led to the cells.

One victim’s mother said: “This man was a complete beast, not to mention a liar.

“He has dragged my daughter and her friends through four horrible weeks in court and knowing him he probably enjoyed it. We’re delighted to see him jailed.”

Former Army chief Sir Richard Dannatt accused of being Tory stooge as Labour Peer goes on the attack

By Shaun Milne

THE FORMER head of the British Army has been branded a “Tory stooge” after it emerged he stands to become a junior minister should David Cameron’s party be swept to victory at the next General Election.

Labour reacted furiously to news that General Sir Richard Dannatt may be handed a Peerage to allow him to enter a Conservative administration as adviser on defence if they can seize Downing Street.

UNDER FIRE: General Sir Richard Dannatt

Mr Cameron, who is expected to unveil the appointment in Manchester tomorrow (thur), fuelled the speculation when he said: “He is a man of great talent and ability.

“He has been a great public servant and I think he has more to do.”

Such a move would be lauded by the Tory Party faithful – but fiercely rounded upon by angry Labour figures.

General Dannatt has recently pounded the current Government with claims soldiers on the front line are being forced to take on the Taliban in Afghanistan with “at least part of one arm” tied behind their backs.

Stretched

He said Prime Minister Gordon Brown has left troops exposed by refusing to allow 2000 extra soldiers into theatre on grounds of cost.

It follows a previous volley from the General in January where he said a lack of equipment had “seriously stretched our soldiers”.

Bill Bailey to perform with Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Bill Bailey

By Cara Sulieman

COMEDIAN Bill Bailey will be performing with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Scotland later this year.

The unique show – Bill Bailey’s Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra – combines music with comedy

The idea first came about when the comedian was given control of the BBC Concert Orchestra for a Comic Relief special in 2007.

Since then he has performed with them at The Royal Albert Hall in London and is now touring the UK.

Hypnosis nurse struck off

Iain Balsillie

By Cara Sulieman and Paul Thornton

A PERVERT nurse has been struck off for hypnotising patients so he could grope them.

Iain Balsillie, 40, from Dunfermline, had already been fired from B Sky B where he worked as an occupational nurse after two female workers at the call centre claimed he tried to put them in a trance before touching them up.

Balsillie used the trigger words “drop for me” in an attempt to make women fall into his arms, after which he would grab them by the breasts and, in one case, lower the patient’s head on to his private parts.

One patient described the nurse getting so close that she could “smell the sweat on his body” during her trance.