Scots councils pay for weather forecast

By Cara Sulieman

THREE SCOTS councils are shelling out £90,000 for someone to predict the weather.

Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils are paying the Met Office to provide them with a detailed forecast so they can decide how much grit is needed for roads in their area.

It comes after the country was brought to a standstill last winter when local authorities across Scotland ran out of salt.

But motoring organisations say they need to prepare for a bad winter no matter what the forecast says to avoid a repeat of last year’s chaos.

Chickens Rule Roost As Customers Flock To Garden Centres

By Cara Sulieman

A SCOTS garden centre is stocking live hens for sale – after a six week trial saw them flying out the door.

Gardening giants Dobbies were left cock a hoop after more than 1000 hens were picked up by customers in little over a month.

And demand for the egg laying birds was so high they are now offering five different breed across selected stores.

Starting at £25, the birds allow wannabe farmers the chance to produce their own eggs for the kitchen table.

Scottish Youth Parliament “knocking shop” for youngsters – says former chairman

By Paul Thornton

THE former chairman of the Scottish Youth Parliament has branded the organisation a “talking and knocking shop” for youngsters obsessed with boozing, sex and drugs.

With a Scottish Government grant of £250,000 every year the SYP has a substantial budget to help feed the views of 14 to 26 year olds across the country into executive policy.

But the former head of the group, Kieran Collins, 26, has said that weekend get-togethers for the 150 or so members were riddled with underage drinking, sexual activity and even drugs.

BBC Alba costs £150 per viewer

By Cara Sulieman

BBC SCOTLAND has spent a whopping £30 million pounds on their Gaelic language channel, without knowing exactly how many people are watching.

BBC Alba received the cash while bosses ordered independent auditors NOT to count the number of viewers.

The only figures available for the specialist channel come from the corporation themselves, who admit only 200,000 a week tune in.

This means spending on the channel equates to £150 per viewer.

Ronnie Corbett joins Burke and Hare filming

Ronnie Corbett fends off the mobs

By Ann Sulieman

SCOTS actor Ronnie Corbett was making his point waving a sword on location at Stirling Castle yesterday after filming of Burke and Hare switched venues from Edinburgh.

The Two Ronnies star donned a uniform while getting into character in the wintry surroundings in his role as Captain McLintock.

Directed by John Landis – who made Michael Jackson’s Thriller video – Edinburgh born Corbett plays a key part in the film about bodysnatchers William Burke and William Hare.

Corbett, who stars alongside Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis, was getting into the swing of things as he held a large crowd of extras at bay in the courtyard of the historic building.

Mountain hare found hopping down high street

The hare being released back into the wild

By Cara Sulieman

A MOUNTAIN hare found on a high street in the snow has been released back into the wild after being treated for concussion.

A concerned passer-by called the Scottish SPCA after finding the animal hopping along Lauder High Street in Berwickshire.

Confused and out of his natural habitat, the animal was sporting his white winter camouflage.

Ambulance driver Mairi Stewart, who picked him up, thought he might have been concussed and that might be why he was found on the busy road.

Residents use Facebook to start grit campaign

Grit bins lie empty as council's run low

By Cara Sulieman

SCOTS fed up with treacherous road conditions are taking to the internet to vent their anger.

Hundreds of Facebook groups have been set up in protest to the lack of grit across the country – with many encouraging users to refuse to pay their council tax until the streets are save again.

And four Scottish councils have been specifically targeted, with individual groups set up for Aberdeen City Council, West Lothian Council, Fife Council and Midlothian Council.

All four are named ‘Tax Payers for Gritted Roads and Grit Bins With Grit’ – and are calling on the council to sort out the problems caused by weeks of heavy snowfall across the country.

Great Scot! Our Moira is troops’ angel of Camp Bastion

By Michael MacLeod

A BRAVE Scots mum of two has told for the first time of the harrowing work in a battlefield hospital which has helped make her the angel of Helmand Province.

Moira Kane watched as the latest news about the mounting casualties in Afghanistan filtered through this week, follow by political posturing over the rights and wrongs of it all.

Regulations prevent her from commenting about the war on terror.

But look into her pools of eyes, and you know she has seen more horror on her Camp Bastion medical table than most could imagine, alongside some awe inspiring courage.

Elderly driver smashes into petrol forecourt

 

By Michael MacLeod

The petrol station where a 70-year-old smashed into the pump after suffering a heart attack

 

A PENSIONER was in critical condition last night after slamming his car into a petrol station.

The 70-year-old is thought to have had a heart attack at the wheel after filling up at a Tesco filling station in Stirling.

His silver BMW saloon lunged into a petrol pump before careering over a newspaper stand and finally stopping just inches from a kiosk door.

Medics were called to help the injured driver while police moved in to inspect the damage at 10.30am yesterday.

Heavy rain threatens T in the Park

By Cara Sulieman and Michael MacLeod

REVELLERS heading for this year’s T in the Park were put on flood alert last night after heavy rainfall swamped the area.

The Met Office said it expects “torrential downpours” right up until the weekend sparking fears of a washout.

Dozens of flood emergencies were reported yesterday with Tayside Fire and Rescue Service receiving its first calls from worried residents at about 9.30am before pumping out water from various locations.

Most of the calls came from the Kinross and Milnathort areas – both within a few miles of the festival site in Balado.