A 49-year-old man has been arrested and charged after a 35-year-old man was found seriously injured in Wester Drylaw Drive, Edinburgh, on Tuesday, 9 March.
He is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 22 March.
Officers investigating the theft of a vial of Covid-19 vaccine in Edinburgh have charged a 41-year-old man.A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Police want to thank you for your assistance with our appeal for information on this investigation.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Police are investigating the theft of a vial of Covid-19 vaccine from the EICC Vaccination Centre in Edinburgh.
Chief Inspector Neil Wilson of Edinburgh City Division said: “We were made aware of an isolated incident of theft of a COVID-19 vaccine from the vaccination centre at Morrison Street in Edinburgh around 11.50am on Saturday, 20 March.
“The theft involved a single multi-dose vial of vaccine.
“A police investigation is ongoing, and officers are working closely with NHS Lothian and following a positive line of enquiry.
“Members of the public are reminded to remain vigilant to fraudulent offers of vaccine, which pose a risk to public health.
Vaccines should only be administered by healthcare professionals as part of the national NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme.
“If you are offered a vaccine outwith this setting you should decline and inform police immediately via 101”
Trade unions GMB Scotland, Unite Scotland and UNISON Scotland have jointly informed Scottish Water over a consultative ballot for industrial action in a dispute over pay.
The Joint Trade Unions are demanding a return to proper negotiations amid a pay and bonuses row which could mean Scottish Water workers losing up to £3,000.
A number of Scottish Water workers have already lost between £500 – £1000 through the removal of the supplement payment which averages overtime hours worked over a year.
The payment covered workplace issues such as standby and emergency works. However, Scottish Water have now imposed a new workplace system which reduces the supplemental payment and workers will now not be paid for working any additional hours.
GMB Scotland Organiser Gary Cook said: “It’s shameful opportunism in the grip of a public health crisis and shows how poorly Scottish Water value their workers.
“This is the kind of behaviour you would expect from a rogue employer, not a statutory corporation, and our unions have been left with no choice but to ballot our members.
“Scottish Water bosses are accountable to all of us, yet this pay cut imposition completely ignores the fair work principles the Scottish Government claims to promote, so this is also a test for Ministers as well.”
James O’Connell, Unite industrial officer added: “Unite is launching a consultative ballot at Scottish Water due to management imposing decisions which significantly affect the pay of the workforce. The decisions which have been unilaterally made by management could mean some workers losing up to £3,000 a year.
“We can’t understand why Scottish Water has chosen to take this incendiary course of action without even talking to the trade unions.
“Unite is demanding that the money which has been deducted so far be reimbursed to those workers affected by Scottish Water and management enter into meaningful negotiations with us before this dispute escalates to inevitable industrial action.”
Emma Phillips, UNISON regional organiser for Scottish Water said: “Scottish waste-watersupervisors have been working throughout the pandemic keeping Scotland clean and safe. They travel the length and breadth of Scotland dealing with waste and sewage emergencies. They are vital workers.
“It is not acceptable that Scottish Water are unilaterally proposing to cut pay cut of this workforce by up to £4000 per year. Scottish Water must get round the table and listen to staff this. UNISON and the other unions have no choice but to start a consultative ballot for industrial action.”
– Made from scratch by Morrisons craft bakers in stores –
– At 50p per pack, these doughnuts cost just 10p each –
– Morrisons has also added a lemon curd filled doughnut to the Spinr range –
Morrisons has added a chocolate orange doughnut to its in-store bakery range. Fans of the ‘flavour of the moment’ can pick up a pack of five for 50p, working out at just 10p per doughnut.
Made from scratch by Morrisons bakers in-store every day, each doughnut is hand-filled with a generous amount of rich, chocolate orange-flavoured filling and finished with a dusting of icing sugar.
The chocolate orange craze shows no sign of slowing and customers were quick to spot the new Morrisons addition on social media when it launched in stores on Wednesday. A photo posted by @newfoodsuk amassed over 7,500 likes and 1,000 comments in less than 24 hours with fans commenting, “NEED, NEED, NEED” and “I’m in heaven”.
Doughnut lovers can get their hands on another new flavour, with Morrisons having also added a Lemon Curd flavour to the range; perfect for spring picnics in the sunshine and available at the same bargain price of 50p for a pack of 5.
Andy Clarke, In-store Bakery Manager at Morrisons said: “We’re always looking to add new and exciting flavours to our bakery range. We know that our customers love the chocolate orange trend so it made sense to combine it with our renowned doughnuts.”
Morrisons Chocolate Orange and Lemon Curd doughnuts are available in 400 stores nationwide now.
Next week (Monday 22 March – Friday 25 March), the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour will travel around the world for the very first time with its virtual Connected: Continents tour.
Pupils will join events and meet authors live from different parts of the world including Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, North and South America.
From celebrating different cultures and languages, to exploring mythology and magic to drawing manga, the Connected: Continents tour is jam-packed with fun events for all the family.
Scottish pupils will explore the continents from their classroom or home through six different events. Schools all over the globe were invited to join the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour, made possible by the virtual format.
For the first time since the tour’s inception 23 years ago, a school from Canada will tune in alongside Scottish pupils.
Connected: Continents tour schedule
The Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour is supported by Scottish Friendly and organised by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing.
Fun, educational video content and live events for classroom and home learning have to-date reached an audience of over 100,000 through Scottish Book Trust’s Home Activities Hub, On Demand library and social media content.
Events from the Connected: Continents tour will be available to watch later via Scottish Book Trust’s On Demand Library.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust said: “For the very first time, the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour will transport pupils from Africa to Australia.
“The magic of an author’s visit has a lasting impact on young people’s learning, and the diverse and exciting Connected: Continents events will inspire students with stories from other cultures and languages.”
Carol Ann Neil, Primary Teacher at Bridge of Allan Primary School said: “It’s amazing how one book can inspire so much. The Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour was fantastic and helped support remote learning for Primary 6 pupils at Bridge of Allan Primary School.
Thank you so much to Scottish Book Trust for the wonderful opportunity.”
Museums & Galleries Edinburgh have launched ‘Cooking Up the Past’, a new digital series which brings the city’s history to life through cookery during lockdown.
The series is the latest strand of activity as part of the ongoing Auld Reekie Retold inventory project, features videos of staff members cooking up historic recipes at home which have been sourced from digital copies of historic recipe books discovered in the city’s collection.
During lockdown many have tried their hand at new recipes and kitchen skills, from sourdough starters to viral feta pasta bake recipes. ‘Cooking Up the Past’ provides audiences with an opportunity stave off that lockdown boredom and cook up some historic recipes while discovering some fascinating stories from Edinburgh’s history.
The first episode in the series which is available to view via the Museums & Galleries YouTube channel features Curator Vicky Garrington and Collections Assistant Oliver Taylor each attempting to make a recipe for soda scones from a 1932 edition of the book Plain Cookery Recipes from the Edinburgh College of Domestic science.
They filmed their preparation, cooking and tasting from their own kitchens at home.
Commenting on the new series, Vicky Garrington said: “With our venues closed and staff working from home, the Auld Reekie Retold team have been looking for new ways to share our amazing collections with the public.
“When I suggested the idea of filming a recipe to Oliver, he was up for the challenge, and hopefully the film we’ve made will inspire people to explore more of our collections online, and to revisit some old family recipes’.
Vicky and Oliver’s soda scones might not win the Great British Bake-Off, but the pair enjoyed tackling a recipe from the past, and are hoping that the film might inspire others to do the same.”
On researching the new series, Oliver Taylor added: “There were plenty of appetising recipes to choose from in the recipe book, but some were distinctly unappealing!
Alongside a tempting selection of recipes for pies, puddings and cakes were instructions for how to make dressed sheep’s head, raw beef tea to fortify invalids, boiled tongue and ‘Poor Man’s Goose’ which included sheep’s liver and heart.
These recipes show how public tastes have changed over the years, as well as attitudes towards treating the sick. We’d be more likely to tempt a patient with ice cream or fresh fruit these days, than to brew up some raw beef tea!”
The Edinburgh College of Domestic Science began life as the Edinburgh School of Cookery and Domestic Economy in 1875. Its founders, Christian Guthrie Wright and Louisa Stevenson, were heavily involved in furthering the education of women.
In founding the College, they had two aims: to improve women’s access to higher education and to improve the diets of working-class families. They began to hold lectures at the Royal Museum (now the National Museum of Scotland), as well as arranging lectures and demonstrations across the country.
In 1891, the School moved to Atholl Crescent in Edinburgh’s West End, where its main campus remained until 1970. It became the Edinburgh College of Domestic Science in 1930, but to many in the City it will always be ‘Atholl Crescent’. Many developments followed, including a broader curriculum, and the institution eventually became Queen Margaret’s University.
Museums & Galleries Edinburgh holds a fascinating collection of objects relating to the College. It includes text books, millinery samples, needlework examinations pieces, exquisitely embroidered blouses and even furniture.
The edition of Plain Cookery Recipes from which the recipe in Cooking Up the Past was taken is enclosed in a beautiful linen cover, embroidered with strawberries, by a student at the College.
The Auld Reekie Retold team have plans for more cookery adventures as part of the series including: a recipe from the domestic notebooks belonging to Edinburgh suffragist Nannie (Agnes Henderson) Brown and a World War 2 rationing recipe.
Vicky Garrington commented: “A lot of people have enjoyed cooking at home during the pandemic restrictions, and searching our historical recipes adds another layer of interest to this activity.
“We’ll keep searching our stores for new recipes to try out, and we’ll be sure to share our cooking and the background stories of the recipes with the public”.
Oliver Taylor added: “We’d love people to try the recipe with us, and to tag us with the results on social media using #AuldReekieRetold”.
Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Donald Wilson said: “A lot of people are drawing huge comfort from culture and heritage activities online at the moment. They can help us stay connected with our past and our shared heritage, as well as providing a welcome break from the stresses of daily life.
“As the Deacon of the Baxters (Bakers) which is one of our oldest Incorporated Trades I am aware of both the proud history represented in these collections but also the recent interest which has arisen as a response to the pandemic. This is a fantastic project and I hope it encourages others to try the recipes.
Culture and Communities Vice Convener, Cllr Amy McNeese-Mechan said: “Museums & Galleries Edinburgh have been trialling online talks, craft events, art films, podcasts and more over the last few months, and Cooking Up the Past is another great example of the service adapting what we do during these unprecedented times.”
Episode 1 of Cooking Up the Past can be viewed here.
Some of the UK’s biggest broadband providers have been letting down their customers on connection reliability, internet speeds and value for money during the pandemic, according to Which?’s annual customer satisfaction survey.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, broadband has proved more important than ever – with millions of people relying on their internet to work from home, educate their children and keep in touch with loved ones.
In Which?’s annual survey, seven in 10 people (71%) said they had used their connection more since the outbreak of the pandemic, with nearly two thirds of those saying their use has increased substantially.
However, the volume of issues consumers have experienced with their broadband provider has also increased over the past year. Seven in 10 (69%) respondents said they had experienced an issue with their connection in the past 12 months – a substantial increase on last year’s survey.
Very low speeds (59%) and frequent dropouts (53%) were the most common problems experienced more often during the pandemic, compared to before the pandemic. Almost half of respondents (48%) reported they had been left without a connection for more than a day and around four in 10 (44%) said they had been left without internet for more than an hour.
The findings reflect the likelihood that an increased reliance on broadband over the past year means customers are more likely to notice – and be frustrated by – any connection issues.
Although the Big Four broadband providers – BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media – supply nine in ten households, our survey found they have left many customers disappointed.
Virgin Media has its own cable network in parts of the UK, which allows it to offer some of the fastest broadband speeds. Yet its customers gave it poor ratings for connection reliability – with one in three Virgin Media customers saying they had experienced a connection outage lasting at least an hour in the past year and almost a quarter saying their connection was slow to upload or download.
Virgin Media customers were also less likely to be satisfied with their customer service, ease of setup and value for money. Overall, Virgin received a low overall customer score of just 53 per cent – leaving it second from bottom in Which’s satisfaction rankings.
TalkTalk and Sky fared similarly, with customer scores of 54 per cent. While TalkTalk scored fairly well for value for money, it had the highest proportion of customers who would not recommend their provider to others.
Sky rated poorly for value for money – perhaps because a quarter of Sky customers experienced frequent dropouts despite paying more for their service than the average broadband customer.
To add insult to injury, more than a quarter of Sky customers said the price of their deal had increased in the past year.
Sky also received low scores for connection speed, connection reliability and ease of setup and dropped three places in this year’s survey. The Which survey also revealed Sky to be the joint worst provider – along with Utility Warehouse – for very slow speeds, which affected three in 10 (29%) customers.
BT earned the highest score of the Big Four providers (57%) but still only managed eighth place overall – just one place up from its ranking last year. It scored middling ratings across the board apart from value for money, which scored poorly.
One BT customer said they were satisfied with BT but believed the provider could do better – especially during the pandemic, when more people are working from home and dependent on an internet connection.
More than half of BT’s customers had never been with another provider, and the majority were not planning to switch. But our results show that out-of-contract BT customers should consider making a move as they are likely to find an alternative that is both cheaper and more reliable.
Only John Lewis scored lower than the Big Four (47%), with low ratings for connection speed, connection reliability and ease of setup.
At the other end of the scale, Zen Internet achieved the highest customer score of 70 per cent and was the highest ranked broadband provider for the second year in a row (scoring 84 per cent in 2020).
Zen achieved high scores across the board and despite not offering the cheapest tariffs, 85 per cent said they would recommend it to a friend.
Zen narrowly missed out on Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) status as it has not yet signed up to Ofcom’s codes of practice on broadband speeds. However the company is actively working towards signing up soon, at which point it will become a WRP.
The survey also found customers who upgraded to fibre broadband often felt the benefits. Of the nearly 3,000 respondents who had fibre broadband, 63 per cent noticed faster speeds after switching and 45 per cent noticed fewer connection dropouts.
However, although superfast fibre connections are available to 96 per cent of the country, many are yet to take them up. Around a quarter of the respondents told Which? they still had standard broadband.
In light of these disappointing results for many providers, the broadband industry must up its game. Consumers are relying much more heavily on their internet connection during the pandemic and broadband companies will have to work harder to meet customers’ rising expectations and provide value for money.
The government has also recognised that as part of achieving its goal for at least 85 per cent of the UK to have access to gigabit-capable broadband by 2025, low consumer demand for these services in the current market must be addressed.
In August 2020, the UK government asked Which? to convene and chair the Gigabit Take-up Advisory Group (GigaTAG) to put forward recommendations on how to encourage more consumers to switch to gigabit-capable networks.
The GigaTAG is considering these barriers and the potential solutions in more detail and will report back to the government in spring 2021.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said: “With so many people at home relying on their internet during the pandemic, a good connection has never been more important – but we found some of the UK’s biggest suppliers are not up to speed.
“Broadband providers must up their game and meet the challenge of providing fast, reliable connections and good customer service for millions of customers whose needs and expectations have risen over the last year.
“The industry and government must also work together to ensure more people have the chance to switch to faster and more reliable gigabit-capable broadband services in the years to come – or risk undermining the UK’s goal of becoming a world leader in connectivity.”
Figures released on Young Carers Action Day reveal that The Scottish Government has paid out more than £860,000 to eligible young carers since The Young Carer Grant opened in October 2019.
Over 2,900 applications have been authorised to support young people aged 16, 17 and 18 who spend an average of 16 hours a week caring for someone who receives a disability benefit.
The Young Carer Grant is an annual payment of £305.10 made to young carers to spend on anything they like, for example, a subscription to a video or music streaming service, new clothes or something else that helps them take a break from their caring responsibilities.
Young carers who have previously received the Grant and still meet the eligibility criteria can re-apply 12 months from the date of their previous successful application.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Security Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Young carers play a vital role across our society. It is fantastic that so many have received this financial support since the benefit was introduced.
“People may not realise what they do at home is caring – you could see it as just part of your day to day life. It is true all year round but it is worth emphasising again on Young Carers Action Day that people should check if they are entitled to The Young Carer Grant.
”I encourage young people who help someone that receives disability support to check if they could get this additional financial support.”
Granton Information Centre can help you get the benefits you are entitled to. GIC has been supporting clients throughout the pandemic and is here for you.
For free, professional advice call 0131 552 0458 or 0131 551 2459, or you can email info@gic.org.uk – an adviser will respond to your message.
Record-breaking Scottish cyclist Josh Quigley has thrown his support behind plans for the return of the Tour de Forth sportive, which was cancelled last year due to Covid-19.
The annual event has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities, including its main beneficiary Cash for Kids, with both elite and amateur cyclists taking on the challenge of a 97.3km sportive across the East of Scotland.
Organisers are now hoping that restrictions will be eased enough for this year’s event to go ahead on Sunday 6th June. More than 130 riders are already automatically signed up after agreeing to carry over their plans from last year. If restrictions are eased in the coming weeks, new applications will be opened.
Ahead of the planned event, Josh is backing plans to encourage cyclists of all ages and abilities to take part in a ‘virtual Tour de Forth’ – raising funds for charity as well as improving their fitness levels and mental health.
A series of online challenges are already underway, including an 800km total distance challenge for beginners – the equivalent of cycling from Edinburgh to Brighton!
For Livingston-born Josh, cycling became a passion that helped him tackle his own mental health challenges. The 28-year-old decided to make the sport his full-time occupation and last year he shaved six minutes off the North Coast 500 world record, completing the 516-mile route in just 31 hours and 19 minutes.
Josh, who’s currently recovering after a cycling accident in Dubai, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be involved with Tour De Forth and it’s a huge honour for me to be an ambassador of this event.
“I am really passionate about the sport of cycling and its potential to change and transform lives. I know firsthand the benefits of cycling as it’s something that helped me overcome mental health issues and achieve things on the bike that I never dreamed would be possible.
“When I started cycling a few years ago, I would have been one of the last people to finish an event like this. But since then I have gone on to cycle around the world and break records on the bike. This is what was possible through hard work, dedication and having the courage to step outside my comfort zone and do things that made me uncomfortable.
“I believe that the Tour De Forth is a great opportunity for people to take on a challenge that will push them to go further than they have been before whilst having fun in a positive and supportive team environment”
In 2019, the Tour de Forth race featured more than 800 riders, taking part in the traditional 97.3km route and a shorter 44km ‘nouveau’ route. The event has become a major fixture in the Scottish cycling calendar with individuals and businesses from across the country taking part.
Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids works in partnership with the organisers, with donations helping the charity to support young people throughout Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Falkirk, disadvantaged through poverty, sickness or disability.
Charity Manager, Victoria Hendry, said: “The Tour de Forth has become a huge part of the cycling calendar in Edinburgh and the commitment and passion from both amateur and elite cyclists has been incredibly inspiring.
“In 2019, we raised more than £21,000 for Cash for Kids bringing the total fundraising from the Tour de Forth event to over £200,000. I’m continually amazed by how committed everyone is. It’s a challenging event, but the support people show to each other and the sense of fun on the day is amazing.
“While we’re not yet in a position to open applications for 2021’s event, we’re all working tirelessly behind the scenes and crossing our fingers, hoping it can go ahead.
“In the meantime, I’d urge cyclists, either new or established to cycling and people looking to work on their lockdown-fitness to sign up to our virtual event via the Tour de Forth website.
In exchange for a £100 donation to Cash for Kids or raising £100 through your own fundraising efforts you can take part in online cycles and a variety of individual challenges. It’s a great way to get back to fitness, as well as helping to make a real difference to the lives of young people in the region at an incredibly difficult time.”
Tour de Forth Chairman, Neil Davidson, said: “I am delighted Josh has agreed to join as ambassador for Tour de Forth. Josh has excelled with his attempts at various world cycling records, especially when he completed the North Coast 500 in just over 31 hours.
“It takes lots of training, preparation, and a real determination to achieve that kind of record and I hope his inspiration will help a lot of our participants in both the Virtual challenge and to complete the Tour de Forth event on Sunday 6th June.”
To take part in the Virtual Tour de Forth, and sign-up for updates on the 2021 race plans, head to:
Do you live in Muirhouse, Pilton or Drylaw? Would you like to be in our advisory group?
We are looking for people from the Muirhouse, Pilton and Drylaw areas to join the advisory group for the Lauriston Farm project.
The project seeks to transforming an existing farm into an urban food production and community hub that benefits, supports and regenerates the environment and all those connected to it.
The group will meet once a month to give input, insight, thoughts and advice on different aspects of the farm project as it progresses.
In terms of time commitment, there will be an introductory meeting in late March and monthly meetings thereafter. (maximum one 2hr meeting per month).
If you would be interested in joining the group please e-mail:
