Category: Uncategorized

Scammers will use Christmas and the New Year to target the public

Christmas is nearly with us, but it is not only the goose getting fat! Scammers, are ready, able, and keen to target the pubic, say leading tax and advisory firm Blick Rothenberg.

Fiona Fernie, a partner at the firm, said: “Christmas and the January sales may be ‘the most wonderful time of the year’, but they are also a time of mixed emotions, the desire to buy presents for friends and family, and anxiety about being able to pay the bills. Scammers are just waiting to take advantage.

“Scamming is a huge issue, which we all need to recognise and take action to mitigate.

“The increase in on-line shopping during the pandemic has provided scammers with an extra opportunity to obtain credit card details.  People have had their online accounts hacked enabling their credit cards to be used which has caused a great deal of distress.”

Fiona said: “There is also increasing evidence of people receiving emails purporting to be from major retailers such as the supermarkets, saying that the individual has been selected to receive some sort of reward for customer loyalty if they just key in their bank details. 

“Such emails play on concerns about the cost of Christmas and can look very much like the real thing, so it pays to be vigilant.”

She added: “It is always sensible to pay for items online using a credit card rather than a debit card and to check statements carefully each month.  Any item which you do not recognise should be reported to the credit card company immediately for investigation. 

“In addition, anybody who receives an email or SMS message suggesting that they are due a reward or owe money should take some basic precautions:

  • Use passphrases with a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols when online shopping.
  • Use different phrases for different online accounts.
  • Ensure that two-stage authentication is triggered on all credit cards and online bank accounts – preferably this will include sending a passcode to your mobile phone as well as using the appropriate passphrase.
  • Click on/hover over the “display name” email address from which you have received any email which offers you a reward.  This will show you the full details of the sender and will help to determine whether the email is likely to be from a legitimate source.  For example, I am currently receiving emails purporting to be from Amazon and Aldi but sent from websites and email addresses that are clearly not them.

If this happens to you:

  • Do not reply to the emails or SMSs; 
  • Do not call the phone number listed in an SMS; 
  • Do not click on any links or open any attachments in emails; 
  • Do not visit websites detailed in the messages;
  • Do not provide personal or financial details.”

Fiona said: “The problem does not stop with the order process either. 

“I have heard of several examples of deliveries being made to the doorstep but disappearing before individuals could take them in, so it is clearly sensible to have a reciprocal agreement with neighbours for taking in parcels when the intended recipient is not at home. 

“Don’t let scammers or opportunists spoil your Christmas!”

CCTV appeal following serious assault in Pilton Drive North

Edinburgh Police have released images of three men they believe may hold information which might assist in relation to a serious assault that occurred on Pilton Drive North at around 2330 hours on 24 November.

Male 1 is described as white, 18-23yrs, average build, short brown hair, wearing blue tracksuit top and bottoms.

Male 2 is described as white, 18-23yrs, average build, short brown hair, wearing a black puffa jacket and dark trousers.

Male 3 is described as white, 18-23yrs, stocky build, red hair and facial hair, wearing grey tracksuit top with black triangle on LHS of chest, grey tracksuit bottoms with black patches to rear of his knees.

Detective Constable William Doughty from Corstorphine CID said: “I would urge each of these three men, or anyone who has information relating to any of these three men depicted in the images to make contact with the Police.

“Members of the public can contact Police Scotland via the 101 non-emergency telephone number quoting incident number 3662 of 24 November 2021.

“Alternatively, calls can be made anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Maison Sport reports 200% growth in customer base

  • Huge boost for UK travel tech business indicates increasing consumer confidence 
  • Business announces plans to target Italian ski tourism market 

Ski instructor marketplace, Maison Sport has reported a 200 per cent rise in customers compared to previous seasons, raising confidence that ski tourism is set for a strong recovery despite recent covid developments. 

The Edinburgh-based company, founded by three ex-British ski team members which connects its customers directly with the best independent ski and snowboard instructors, has also announced plans to target the Italian market for the first time.  

Maison Sport says it is currently averaging £100k a week of new bookings, up from its pre-pandemic level of £30k a week at the same time in 2019. The company has also doubled the number of instructors on its books compared to the 2019/2020 season to 1300 and has reported a 30 per cent rise in customer spending for this time of year, all pointing to growing post-Covid confidence in the recovery of the European ski tourism market.  

This latest news follows Maison Sport’s successful fundraise in May where the company secured £1.25million in external investment from both individual investors and a crowdfunding campaign.     

Founded in 2016 by former ski champion brothers Nick and Olly Robinson and fellow ex-British Ski Team member Aaron Tipping, the company now boasts the third largest selection of instructors in comparison to any ski school in the world.  

Over the past year, Maison Sport grew its team to 20 people and also opened a new, larger head office in Edinburgh. With its innovative platform continuing to grow, overcoming the significant challenges facing the global travel industry, the company plans further expansion into Asia and South America over the course of 2022.  

Maison Sport has proven to be a game changer for independent ski and snowboard instructors who can significantly increase their earnings using the platform. The marketplace has surpassed 34,000 hours of lessons taught in 364 ski resorts across Europe.  

Founder and CEO, Nick Robinson said: “The significant growth in our customer numbers underline both the success in developing our business model and the rising consumer confidence in the resurgence of the ski tourism market.

“Even though the recent identification of the new Omicron variant may disrupt some travel plans people are obviously keen to get back on the slopes and our instructors are ready and waiting. 

“Despite the difficulties posed by Covid-19, this latest development follows a pivotal year for the business where we secured significant investment, grew our base of instructors, and entered new markets.     

“This progress continues with our expansion into Italy, where we’re already seeing impressive numbers of customers signing up to our platform. Italian customers, who’ve have typically had to book ski or snowboard lessons last minute, are now benefitting from our platform which allows them to source the best instructors and book them in advance of their ski holiday.”  

Hospitality prayers answered: UK Government doubles Covid support funding … maybe?

The UK Government last night doubled the amount of additional funding available for the governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to tackle Covid – but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is querying the Treasury’s announcement. 

The Treasury says this means the Devolved Administrations can now spend an additional £860 million, increased from the initial £430 million announced earlier last week.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed the increased funding following discussions with the Devolved Administrations. This will continue to ensure the Devolved Administrations can take the Covid precautions they feel are necessary to keep people safe.

The additional amounts now being provided to each government on top of their Autumn Budget 2021 funding (my italics – Ed.) are:

  • Scottish Government – £440 million
  • Welsh Government – £270 million
  • Northern Ireland Executive – £150 million

These amounts will continue to be kept under review.

These are additional amounts on top of the combined £77.6 billion confirmed for this year at the Autumn Budget 2021. It means that the Devolved Administrations have the certainty they requested to spend additional funding now rather than waiting for Supplementary Estimates in the new year.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “Following discussions with the Devolved Administrations, we are now doubling the additional funding available.

“We will continue to listen to and work with the Devolved Administrations in the face of this serious health crisis to ensure we’re getting the booster to people all over the UK and that people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are supported.”

However First Minister Nicola Sturgeon continued to query the additional funding in a series of tweets last night.

The First Minister tweeted: “: “Before we get spin on ‘doubling’, the £220m announced last week was NOT new or additional (it was actually £48m less than we had been expecting). Seeking confirmation if this new £220m is additional (tho if so £48m will just make up last w/k loss) & if it has to be repaid to the extent it is new/additional, @scotgov will make sure it goes in full to helping business and the overall Covid effort.”

She added in another tweet: “As infections soar and businesses suffer, we still need much more urgency in action/support from UK Gov – so that devolved gov hands not tied. To that end, it was disappointing and frustrating that neither the PM nor the Chancellor attended this evening’s COBRA.“

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: The UK’s favourite Christmas Film

  • ‘Elf’ is the UK’s favourite Christmas movie
  • ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ and ‘Home Alone’ take second and third respectively
  • ‘Love, Actually’ and ‘Last Christmas’ also make the list

The 2003 comedy ‘Elf’ is the most popular film to watch this Christmas period, according to new research.

Research conducted by PokerListings.com analysed IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes scores, as well as Google search levels and Wikipedia page views to see which Christmas movie is the UK’s number one fan favourite.

‘Elf’ ended up taking the top spot, with more than 30,000 Google searches a month for the Christmas classic, as well as praise from audiences and critics alike.

The film is currently sitting at 7/10 on IMDB and a 79% score from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The Jon Favreau-directed comedy featured an ensemble cast with Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan and many more starring.

In second place is the animated musical ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. Released in 1993, the film is a high scorer with audiences sitting at an 8/10 on IMDB and a 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

It’s the biggest scorer for Wiki page views on the list, with more than 1.1 million visiting in the past month alone. The fantasy title was the first animated film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

‘Home Alone’ sits in third place in the list as another audience favourite, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 80% and a 7.6/10 on IMDB. It’s widely considered one of the greatest festive films ever, and the effect the film has is clear, with its success influencing the making of six sequels since its release in 1990.

RankMovie titleRT Audience scoreIMDB RatingTotal Searches per monthWiki Page Views (Past Month)
1Elf79%730800159,484
2The Nightmare Before Christmas91%810701,100,610
3Home Alone80%7.62450530,980
4Mickey’s Christmas Carol90%8192075,212
5Last Christmas81%6.511900230,285
6Love, Actually72%7.62050335,226
7Santa Claus: The Movie66%6.33690038,795
8It’s a Wonderful Life95%8.6800672,539
9Love Hard94%6.330699,162
10The Snowman91%8.2440093,672

‘Love, Actually’ also features in the top ten, sitting in fifth place. The film is one of the most prominent UK rom-coms set in the Christmas period, and features a star-studded cast including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson and many more. It had a charity short film sequel, Red Nose Day Actually, which aired in 2017 on BBC One with the same cast.

The 2019 Romantic Comedy ‘Last Christmas’ makes an appearance in seventh place. Inspired by the music of George Michael, it stars Emilia Clarke in the leading role, with Emma Thompson and Henry Golding also starring.

It’s an example of a Christmas movie that divided critics and fans, with a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 81% and only a 44% score from critics, with a 6.5/10 on IMDB. It’s also one of the most Googled entries on the list with more than 11,000 searches a month.

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for PokerListings said: “It’s great to see how diverse the market for Christmas movies is, with a variety of genres included on the list.

“Despite many new additions every year to the festive line up, many entries in the top ten are more than 20 years old now, which really emphasizes how timeless movies like ‘Elf’ and ‘Home Alone’ are and how they can be enjoyed for generations to come.”

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Morrisons expands Christmas shopping options

  • Click & Collect available in over 350 stores – 
  • Morrisons via Deliveroo can deliver groceries to your door – 
  • Extended opening hours – 
  • Blue Light card holders get 10% off in store – 

Home delivery slots for the festive period may be hard to come by in December but you can still have your Christmas grocery shopping done for you.  

At Morrisons, we offer Click & Click from over 350 of our stores, including a same day option.  There is currently availability across the country for collection right up until December 23rd with convenient one hour slots to choose from throughout the day.  

There is no charge to use the Click & Collect service when booking ahead and only a £1.50 fee when using the same day option. To use the service, customers simply need to register at Morrisons.com, select the time they want to collect their order and then choose the item they want.  There is a £40 minimum spend. 

Alternatively, customers can use Deliveroo to have their Morrisons shopping delivered straight to their doors in as little as 20 minutes. Over 190 additional Morrisons stores have been added to Deliveroo in recent weeks, more than doubling the number of stores offering the service and meaning that most major towns and cities nationwide now offer Morrisons via Deliveroo. 

As well as expanding the number of stores that offer the service, we have also added hundreds of new products to the Deliveroo menu including a wider selection of our ‘The Best’ range.  There are also Christmas classics such as mince pies and yule logs as well as party food, fruit & vegetables and meat and fish from our Market Street counters.

To help our customers who prefer to shop in store, we are extending our opening hours from Monday 20th to Thursday 23rd December and will be opening from 6.00am until midnight.  On Christmas Eve our stores will open at 6.00am and close at 6.00pm.

To say a huge thank you to all of our emergency service workers, we are offering all Blue Light card holders 10% off their shopping with us in store until January 2nd 2022. 

NHS workers can also join our NHS Club to receive discounts off their shopping and for NHS customers wishing to use Morrisons.com we offer a free delivery pass.  

For information on ordering Morrisons groceries this Christmas visit:

Morrisons.com or Deliveroo.co.uk

Care home and hospital visiting

Visits to people in hospital and care homes to continue with additional protection measures

Visitors to hospitals and adult care homes are being asked to take an LFD test before every visit under new guidelines.

Adult care homes and hospitals should continue to support visits for residents and patients, however new recommendations set out that visits should be in line with the rules for the general public brought in to control the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

The guidance stresses that residents in adult care homes should continue to have opportunities to connect safely with their loved ones, if the protective measures to support safe visiting are maintained.

Under new guidelines no more than two households should meet with a resident at any one time inside the care home and residents are asked to avoid larger gatherings when visiting friends and family outwith the care home.

Staff testing has increased to daily and all visitors should test before every visit. As before named visitors can still be supported  to visit residents in care homes with a controlled COVID-19 outbreak if the local Health Protection Team has agreed this can happen. Essential visits in circumstances such as distress or end of life should be compassionately and generously supported at all times.

Hospital visiting must continue to be prioritised, with appropriate precautions and protections. These include asking all visitors to use an LFD test ahead of visiting, and for no more than two people to visit a patient at any one time, on wards where there is no current active outbreak. Where an active outbreak is being managed, hospitals should allow essential visits only.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are clear hospital visiting must continue, with appropriate precautions and protections in place. We are also mindful of the imminent Christmas period and what this means for patients, staff, visitors and communities.

“Our expectation is that every patient in hospital in Scotland over the Christmas and New Year holiday period should be able to benefit from the support of at least one visitor and, wherever it is safely possible, two.

“These additional measures, in recognition of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, are on top of existing infection prevention and control measures. As has always been the case, we expect protections such as hand hygiene, face coverings and distancing to continue to be maintained.

“The additional protective measures for adult care homes aim to balance the current Covid-19 risk and the need to keep people safe in line with clinical advice provided about the risks of Omicron variant of COVID-19 at this time. 

“Anyone who visits a hospital or care home should undertake an LFD test before every visit in order to keep patients and residents safe. However the additional measures in care homes and hospitals are based on the principle that, using all the protective measures, people living in care homes or being treated in hospitals should continue be supported to see and spend time with those important to them.

“It is vital that everyone works together to enable people to see each other in the lead up to and over the Christmas period so that everyone can spend time with one another safely and with confidence.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank all health and social care staff who have worked tirelessly to enable people, whether patients or care home residents, to stay connected with their loved ones. Their contribution has been immense.”

COVID-19 pandemic and UK energy market turbulence must be addressed in fuel poverty strategy

The twin stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic and the significant turbulence in the UK energy market must be tackled to address fuel poverty according to a letter issued yesterday by the Scottish Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee.

The Committee has been examining the Scottish Government’s Tackling Fuel Poverty Strategy to ensure it meets the needs of low-income households.

The impact of ongoing high inflation was a key concern highlighted in the Committee’s letter. A significant cost of living increase, caused by high inflation, is likely to push more people into, or further into, fuel poverty. The Committee has now called on the Government to define its plans in the strategy beyond this winter to reassure people that support will be available.

The Government’s proposals outline that some households are more likely to experience fuel poverty. While the Committee was happy to see this acknowledged, they want to see what more could be done to help disabled children or adults.

The Committee also raised concerns that the strategy did not fully plan to tackle the depth of fuel poverty in rural, remote and island areas. Some of these areas have recently faced significant challenges in accessing energy caused by winter storms. The Committee called for more detail on how the Government will engage with people living in these communities, who face a disproportionate risk of extreme fuel poverty.

Neil Gray MSP, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “The significant recent disruption to energy supplies has brought the issue of equality in access to energy into sharp focus.

“We are pleased that the Scottish Government has made a commitment to address fuel poverty with this strategy. However, we believe the proposals should go further to protect the most vulnerable in our society.

“Sadly, given current indications that high inflation looks set to last well into the Spring, we are extremely worried that more people may be dragged into fuel poverty through no fault of their own. This makes it more important that the Government’s strategy details long term commitments.

“Thank you to everyone who shared their lived experience of fuel poverty with our Committee. The compelling and often upsetting evidence we heard has reinforced our belief that people’s experiences should be reflected in the strategy’s design and implementation.”

The full text of the Committee’s letter can be read here:

https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-social-justice-and-social-security-committee/correspondence/2021/tackling-fuel-poverty-in-scotland-a-strategic-approach

Witness appeal following serious assault in Market Street

Detectives in Edinburgh are appealing for information after a 31-year-old woman was assaulted in the city centre.

The incident happened around 11.20pm on Sunday, 12 December, 2021, on Market Street directly underneath North Bridge outside Waverly rail station.

The woman sustained a serious head injury and was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.

Officers are keen to speak to a man and a woman who were on the street at the time of the assault and then were seen on Jeffrey Street, going towards the Royal Mile.

The man is described as white, in his mid-30s, around 5ft 9ins, of medium build and with short dark hair. He was wearing a cream baseball cap, grey and blue padded jacket and a two tone blue hooded jumper, and blue jeans. He was carrying a plastic orange carrier bag.

The woman is described as white, also in her mid-30s, around 5ft 5ins, and of small build. She was wearing a knee length black padded jacket with the hood up and had small framed glasses.

Detective Constable Gary Lipscombe, from Edinburgh CID, said: “This part of the city was extremely busy at the time of the incident and we are appealing for anyone who was in the Market Street area and believes they may have seen what happened to come forward.

“If the man and woman see this appeal then please contact us. We are also keen to speak with any drivers in the area who may have dash-cam footage that could assist with our enquiries.

“Anyone with information should contact police on 101, quoting incident 3829 of Sunday, 12 December, 2021. Alternatively, you can call the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, if you wish to remain anonymous.”

Planning permission secured for redevelopment of Edinburgh One

  • Permission granted for 88,000 sqft of Grade A offices in Edinburgh city centre
  • Joint agents JLL and Dobson Scotland support Edinburgh-based developers on new project
  • The development is set to be the Capital’s first targeted net zero office scheme

Odysseus Capital Management has secured planning permission for the redevelopment of Edinburgh One, 60 Morrison Street.

The Edinburgh-based developers and asset managers will deliver the 88,000 sqft Grade A offices over seven floors in what was the former Scottish Widows Investment Partnership’s headquarters.

The building, which is due for completion by the third quarter of 2023, is anticipated to be the first targeted net zero carbon office scheme in Edinburgh city centre.

Richard Edlmann, managing director of Odysseus Capital Management, said: “We are excited to be delivering this exemplar development, which will be one of the first post-COP 26 designed office buildings in Edinburgh city centre.

“Architect CDA’s design creates a new generous double height reception, while adding two further floors and a unique roof terrace with stunning views of the Castle. Edinburgh One is targeted to be net zero carbon, incorporating significant carbon embodiment along with core principles of Circular Development.”

JLL and Dobson Scotland are the joint letting agents on the redevelopment of Edinburgh One, while Montagu Evans advised Odysseus on planning.

Cameron Stott, lead director at JLL in Edinburgh, said: “Edinburgh One will be delivered at a time when there’s a predicted critical shortage of grade A offices in the city centre.

“The design and specification of the redevelopment has been future proofed to attract corporate and public sector organisations that have ambitious targets to become net zero by 2030. We believe Edinburgh One will attract financial, corporate and technology companies who value sustainability as part of their agenda.”

Keith Dobson, managing director of Dobson Scotland, added: “Odysseus is targeting the highest ESG credentials including BREEAM Excellent and EPC A whilst achieving a net zero carbon building in operation through utilising fully electric power.”