New research has revealed the ultimate playlist for Halloween, with ‘Thriller’, ‘Monster Mash’ and ‘This is Halloween’ crowned the most popular songs.
The study, conducted by Gala Bingo, the nation’s favourite bingo site, analysed thousands of Spotify playlists1 that contain the words ‘Halloween’ or ‘scary’ to identify the tracks which appear the most frequently.
Other spooky classics, such as ‘Ghostbusters’, ‘I Put a Spell On You’ and ‘Time Warp’ also feature highly, as do artists like Billie Eilish, Rihanna and Lana Del Rey.
The top 25 Halloween songs are:
1) Thriller – Michael Jackson
2) Monster Mash – Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett
3) This is Halloween – The Citizens of Halloween
4) Halloween Theme – John Carpenter
5) Spooky, Scary Skeletons – Andrew Gold
6) Season of the Witch – Lana Del Rey
7) (Don’t Fear) The Reaper – Blue Öyster Cult
8) Somebody’s Watching Me – Rockwell
9) Spooky, Scary Skeletons (Undead Tombstone Remix) – Andrew Gold
10) Ghostbusters – Ray Parker Jr.
11) Stranger Things – Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein
12) Time Warp – Little Nell
13) I Put a Spell On You – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
14) Disturbia – Rihanna
15) Superstition – Stevie Wonder
16) Highway to Hell – AC/DC
17) Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
18) Calling All the Monsters – China Anne McClain
19) Dead Man’s Party – Oingo Boingo
20) People Are Strange – The Doors
21) bury a friend – Billie Eilish
22) Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Eurythmics
23) The Addams Family (Main Theme) – Vic Mizzy and His Orchestra and Chorus
24) Oogie Boogie’s Song – Ed Ivory
25) The Purple People Eater – Sheb Wooley
Karina Adrian, head of brand marketing at Gala Bingo, said: “Halloween is a time of celebration and parties, and a good playlist can really set the tone!
“Our ultimate Halloween playlist is packed full of the best spooky songs, both old and new, so you can create the perfect atmosphere this weekend.”
You can listen to the ultimate Halloween playlist here:
HALLOWEEN celebrations are well underway at an Edinburgh care home with a dedicated activity planner designed for the occasion.
After celebrations were reduced last year due to restrictions, dedicated staff at Cramond Residence were keen to put on a bumper of activities.
The programme kicked off with Halloween arts and crafts, autumnal pumpkin carving, a scary film festival and traditional Halloween party with spooky treats, a costume competition and pumpkin smashing.
Residents also travelled to different countries from the comfort of their art chair to learn about Mexican culture and celebrate The Day of the Dead.
Dariusz Miszta, Lead Lifestyle Coordinator at the 74-bedroom home, said: “Residents and staff have really been getting in to the Halloween spirit with a series of ghoulish games and activities. expertly planned by our lifestyle team.
“We’re closing the celebrations with a home wide Halloween Party with staff and residents coming together to get dressed up and play traditional Halloween games.
“The variety of activities on offer ensures mixed abilities are catered for and residents can pick and choose what they would like to attend. We’ve made sure there is something for everyone to enjoy.”
The Halloween activities feature part of the varied activities programme on offer and are designed to keep residents stimulated, learning and having fun.
Other activities on offer throughout the month include cheese and wine evenings, afternoon tea trips, physio-led exercise classes as well as an Oktoberfest celebration where residents were treated to their very own beer tasting event from local brewery, Pilot.
Cramond Residence caters for 74 residents, in nine perfectly appointed small living concepts the home provides a combination between luxury combination and the highest quality of care.
Residents are guaranteed a luxurious individual room with en-suite facilities, catered delicious food and a tailored care plan from an expert team who endeavour to maintain a minimum 1:4 of care ratio of care staff to resident during day time.
The home also offers a ranges of amenities, including onsite gardens, a library, hair salon and cinema room.
Children’s Commissioner Bruce Adamson is urging police to treat young people peacefully protesting at COP-26 with respect and dignity – and has reminded them that children’s rights must be upheld for everyone under 18.
The guide has been used as part of Police Scotland’s training for COP-26 and was informed by children’s views and experiences.
Bruce Adamson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner said: “I have written to Police Scotland and have received strong commitments that they will facilitate peaceful protest with human rights at the heart of their approach, and it is important that this happens.
“Police officers have a duty to uphold children’s human rights during COP-26, which include the rights to peaceful assembly and association, alongside their rights to expression, participation, information and protection.”
Climate justice has been consistently raised by children and young people as one of their biggest human rights concerns.
Emma, 16, a Young Adviser to the Commissioner, said: “The right to protest is important as it gives people the opportunity to create change. It gives us a voice and the ability to hold institutions accountable for their actions.
“It is one of the only ways young people can be heard and immediately have a connection with one another, creating a sense of unity. It promotes equality and allows for individuals and groups views to have a chance to be recognised. The information in this guide about our rights to protest is really useful as we make our voices heard at COP-26 and beyond.”
The Commissioner added: “Children have shown incredible leadership on the issue of climate justice and continue to act as human rights defenders for everyone’s rights across Scotland and internationally.
“They have led powerful, peaceful movements in the streets, for example during school strikes, online, and in court. It is essential that children and young people are empowered to participate and engage in their right to peaceful protest.”
The Commissioner’s guide includes rights information and support, in the event of a child under 18 being arrested or detained by police.
Mr Adamson said: “Arresting a child should always be a measure of last resort, however, it may happen, and children need to know their rights if it does. We’ve included information about children’s rights to contact their family, social worker and to speak to a lawyer, to complain and to ask for release. Any child arrested or detained must be treated with human dignity and respect.”
The Commissioner repeated his call that no child should be punished for taking part in peaceful protests: “There must be no reprisals or sanctions for children who peacefully protest during COP-26 and schools should support children to participate in the opportunities that COP-26 affords them.”
A student nurse has been honoured for her outstanding caring skills on the day she graduated from university with distinction.
Charlotte Milliken was presented with her Bachelor of Nursing (Mental Health) degree at the Usher Hall on Thursday and was also named the winner of Edinburgh Napier University’s Simon Pullin Award for 2021.
The award was established to recognise the human side of nursing and midwifery, and the judging panel agreed Charlotte was a worthy winner after reading her insightful account of her experiences on placement with community mental health teams at different stages of her degree.
Mother-of-one Charlotte, 31, of Uphall, West Lothian, underlined the importance of compassionate care and wrote of techniques she had learned to empower patients and build their independence and self-worth.
She told how an experienced nurse showed her mental health improvement is always possible by introducing her to a patient who had turned his life around, established a supportive network of family and friends, and was maintaining a home.
Charlotte, who as a first year won a Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland prize for her work on a placement, also wrote of another patient who used new skills they had worked on together to defuse an anxiety attack.
Her submission for the award was reinforced by glowing tributes from a less experienced placement student she had supported and a community psychiatric nurse who had mentored her.
Simon Pullin Award Winner Charlotte Milliken EDINBURGH NAPIER UNIVERSITY
Charlotte, who is married to Tom, a staff nurse in oncology who supported her through her degree, and has a three-year-old daughter named Niamh, said: “It has been a challenging but enjoyable five years, including maternity leave.
“I am thrilled to be graduating with distinction but to also be named as the winner of the Simon Pullin Award, having read about the achievements of some of the University’s previous winners, is just the icing on the cake.”
The new graduate, who currently works at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, added: “I am proud of the skills I have learned over my years as a student. I have worked hard to develop my practice to be person centred and holistic, practicing the techniques I have been taught by my mentors and colleagues, and I hope to continue to learn more as I progress through my career as a mental health nurse.”
Edinburgh Napier’s Simon Pullin Award was created in memory of Senior Nurse Simon Pullin, who played a key role in the university’s Compassionate Care Programme up until his death from cancer in July 2011.
Pam Logan, Charlotte’s Personal Development Tutor at the University, said: “Charlotte has been well respected by practice colleagues due to her commitment to delivering compassionate, person-centred care and her ability to establish and maintain therapeutic relationships that are based on shared understanding and respect.
“Practice feedback has commended Charlotte on consistently working in a non-judgmental manner, approaching ethical challenges appropriately and for her support of junior students.”
Dr Stephen Smith, from Edinburgh Napier’s School of Health & Social Care, who led the awarding panel, said: “Charlotte’s ability to intrinsically value each person in her care and adopt a consistently positive approach to individual recovery was a key factor in her winning the award this year.”
Edinburgh’s ‘Capital Coalition’ council leaders have laid out the scale of Council climate action and investment in Edinburgh to date as part of moves to secure a legacy of climate action from COP26.
The City of Edinburgh Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and has set an ambitious target of becoming a net zero city by 2030, 15 years ahead of the national Scottish target.
Major programmes of work including: £1.3bn Granton Waterfront development – the largest net zero redevelopment undertaken in the city – and a £2.8bn Council House building investment programmeand domestic building retrofit programme, are key projects which will encourage change in Edinburgh at the speed and scale needed.
The Council also committed £0.5m in funding this year along with £4m of related capital investment to improve Edinburgh’s parks, food growing sites and urban forests.
And over the next 10 years, the Council is committed to spending £68m to improve road safety and to further develop infrastructure to make it easier to walk, cycle and wheel around the city.
The Council has also been developing a 2030 Climate Strategy for the city which lays out how it will enable, support and deliver action to meet the city’s net zero ambition by working with leading strategic partners in Edinburgh. The final strategy and accompanying implementation plan are set to be published at the end of November following the global climate conference.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “The issue of climate change affects everyone in our world, Edinburgh faces the same challenges and opportunities in tackling the climate crisis as those world leaders will discuss at COP26.
“Scotland’s seven major cities make up half of the nation’s emissions and have the greatest opportunity and potential to deliver innovation and rapid acceleration of climate action. As Scotland’s capital city, we need to lead by example.
“Our vision is that by 2030, Edinburgh will be a net zero and climate resilient city. To get there we need to improve our air quality, protect our green spaces and make it easier for more people to walk, cycle and wheel for every day journeys. We also need to build warm, good quality places to live and work.
“The Council will keep on working with communities, businesses and residents to help deliver the aims in our draft climate strategy. Edinburgh has a strong record of climate action and together we can make fast progress and be at the forefront of funding opportunities to invest in change.”
Since declaring a climate emergency in 2019 the Council has also:
Joined the Race to Zero, a global campaign to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth. Edinburgh has also joined Race to Resilience, its sister campaign, helping to prepare for the impacts of climate change that are already set to happen
Become a founding signatory to the Edinburgh Climate Compact, pledging to reduce operational emissions in line with the city’s target
Committed to invest in providing training to colleagues to develop their awareness and understanding of climate change and what changes they can take in their professional lives which could lead to a reduction in emissions
Depute Leader Cammy Day added: “Edinburgh offers a huge opportunity to invest in net zero action to build a better future for us all.
“Council action already under way across the city will support the reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to climate change and will also make Edinburgh a better healthier place to live.
“However, no individual partner has the knowledge, skills, capacity or resources to deliver our net zero target on their own.
“Whether that’s the choices people make in their everyday lives, the way small businesses operate, or the strategic, policy and spending decisions made by public and private sector organisations, It will only be through collective effort that we will ensure Edinburgh can make fast progress to meet our climate targets and be at the forefront of funding opportunities to invest in change.
“And we will continue to build on our successes as a city and collaborate to make sure we achieve a legacy to COP26 for the good of the planet and all future generations who will live, work and visit this amazing place.”
Next steps for Council climate action
As part of the legacy of COP26, the final 2030 Climate Strategy for Edinburgh and accompanying implementation plan are set to be published at the end of November.
Annual city and Council emissions will also be disclosed publicly at the end of the month through CDP (formally the Carbon Disclosure Project) and the Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Report.
Creating a partnership of financial investment and delivery organisations to develop a business case for how all Edinburgh’s citizens will be able to affordably retrofit their homes in partnership with the Scottish Futures Trust.
Developing an Edinburgh Community Climate Forum to help empower citizens, encourage behaviour change and community activism on climate action. It will be sponsored by the Council and delivered independently by EVOC and Our Future Edinburgh.
Bringing forward business case proposals for community energy generation schemes across the city, with Energy for Edinburgh.
Working with Lothian Buses to decarbonise their bus fleet and developing a plan for shared public service charging hubs.
Developing a costed climate change risk assessment for the city and a new city adaptation plan by 2022/23, alongside a regional approach.
Establishing a business led Economic Transition Forum and also a new Business for Good programme through Edinburgh CAN B to provide practical support and training for businesses across the city to transition to net zero.
Developing a citywide programme/pipeline of green investment proposals with a Climate Strategy Investment Programme Board.
Additional action and investment towards net zero
In 2021-22 the Council committed to:
£8.4 million to finish upgrading our street lighting to energy-efficient LED lights
Trams to Newhaven project including £2.4 million to support local businesses
£7.6 million to continue to replace more than 200 vehicles with lower emissions ones
£250,000 to expand EV charging infrastructure for the Council’s own fleet, ensuring that the Council leads by example by making our vehicle fleet carbon zero.
£200,000 to improve the Council’s recycling performance.
£500,000 to drive forward the delivery of 20-minute neighbourhoods, making it easier for people to get to and access the services they need in their community.
Commuters urged to consider pressure on motorways and railways
As Scotland prepares to host the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, the demand on the transport network is expected to be unprecedented.
While many people across the country have already heeded warnings in the run up to the event, the impact on the motorway network and railways should not be underestimated.
With major road closures in place, further factors that will impact getting in and around the central belt include various protest activities – planned and unplanned – as well as non-COP26 related events such as bad weather, Halloween and major sporting fixtures.
Members of the public are therefore being urged to avoid any unnecessary travel especially during the first few days of the conference.
Nicola Blaney, head of events resilience for Transport Scotland, said: “There will be severe disruption on transport networks and we therefore urge people to consider their travel plans very carefully.
“Across the network, we know certain dates are due to be much busier than others especially November 1, 2, 5 and 6. This weekend is also likely to be very heavily congested, and we need people to help us to avoid gridlock and crucially, leave space for key workers and emergency services to make essential journeys.
“We’ve been encouraging people to work from home as a way of reducing the risk of Covid – which would also help ease pressure on the transport network during the conference’s peak.”
Road closures are already in place for public safety with Glasgow’s Clydeside Expressway now fully closed till November 14.
The M8 will be subject to lane restrictions and road closures from 8pm on October 30 until 6am on November 15. The Tradeston M8 On-slip at West Street will be closed with no access to North Street/Charing Cross.
A signed diversion route will be in place from West Street to North Street, via Kingston Street, George V Bridge and the Broomielaw. Access to Bothwell Street from the M8 Eastbound at Junction 18 will remain open.
The public is advised to visit the Get Ready Glasgow website:
which provides all the travel details and will be regularly updated with all the latest information for commuters and businesses as well as details on alternative routes, local road closure dates and where local access will be maintained.
Further road restrictions which will come into effect next week include road closures from Monday November 1 around Argyle Street – one of the main diversion routes – because of a COP26 event. This will increase congestion and put additional strain on the road network.
Friday November 5 and Saturday November 6 are also expected to be extremely busy, due to planned climate change related marches going from Kelvingrove Park into the city centre and Glasgow Green.
Police Scotland’s assistant chief constable Bernard Higgins, said: “Our aim is to deliver a safe and secure event, whilst keeping the city, and indeed the country, operational and moving.”
Pupils from Edinburgh’s Holy Rood RC High School met with the Presiding Officer and the Children and Young People’s Commissioner yesterday to discuss their views on how to tackle the climate emergency ahead of the COP26 summit taking place in Glasgow.
Ten S3 pupils led the roundtable discussion, which is taking place as part of an initiative called The Moment, which is being organised in partnership with the Children’s Parliament, the Scottish Youth Parliament and GLOBE International.
This meeting was one of many taking place across the country, with The Moment bringing together hundreds of children and young people with their elected representatives to make their voices heard on one of the most important issues for their future.
Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone MSP said: “There has rightly been a lot of focus on how we tackle the climate emergency in the run up to COP26. As part of this, it’s essential that children and young people can explore the issues and develop their own thoughts and ideas to articulate their hopes for their future.
“It was inspiring to hear the solutions proposed by young people and to learn more from their perspective about what needs to be done to tackle the climate emergency.”
Bruce Adamson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland said: “It was significant to be with children today, sharing their views on climate justice and challenging power.
“The Scottish Parliament’s commitment to hear from, and listen to children and young people on such issues is an important part of its role as human rights guarantor. Children have shown incredible leadership on the issue of climate justice, acting as human rights defenders for everyone’s rights across Scotland and internationally, and we should be thanking them.”
The outcomes of The Moment will be presented by children and young people to MSPs and international parliamentarians at a Summit being organised by GLOBE International and hosted by the Scottish Parliament on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 November.
Statement given by FM Nicola Sturgeon at media briefing at Atlantic Quay, Glasgow on Friday 29 October
Good afternoon everybody and welcome – ahead of the opening of COP26 on Monday – to the Scottish Government headquarters in Glasgow.
I am joined today by Iain Livingstone, the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, and by the National Clinical Director, Jason Leitch.
For the next fortnight, Glasgow – and Scotland – will be at the centre of the world’s attention. Hosting this conference is a huge honour for Scotland – and it is also a major responsibility.
And so I want to talk a little bit today about some of the ways in which we will live up to those responsibilities, and what the next fortnight is likely to mean for people in Glasgow, and for visitors here.
Hopefully by doing that, I can ensure people in Glasgow – and people coming to Glasgow – have the information they need before the summit begins.
Obviously, Glasgow has hosted large events before – and has done so successfully. But I think it’s important to recognise that COP26 is a bit different in scope, significance and scale. It could – quite literally – determine the future of the planet.
Indeed the importance of the event is why it is, even in the midst of the COVID pandemic, taking place in person. And obviously, the scale of the event is quite unprecedented, not just in terms of the numbers of people who are likely to come to Glasgow, but also of course, the status and standing of some of those world leaders who will be visiting i
In light of all of that is inevitable, given how much of a major event this is, that it will bring some disruption.
That will be particularly true over the next few days as national leaders and heads of state, together of course with more than 20,000 delegates, arrive here in Scotland from countries across the world
We also know that certain dates are going to be particularly busy, for example this coming Sunday, Monday and Tuesday during the world leaders’ summit.
And there are also demonstrations planned for Friday and Saturday of next week, which I will say more about in a moment.
In addition, the security requirements of the conference mean that throughout the next two weeks, there will be significant road closures in the area surrounding the Scottish Events Campus where COP is taking place.
In light of that, we are asking people to consider carefully unnecessary trips during the first few days of COP.
That’s especially the case for journeys around or near the SEC, but it also applies across the central belt more generally.
And it applies to journeys on public transport as well as car journeys. We are very pleased that strike action is no longer in prospect on Scotrail services during COP, or at all, but we do know that trains are still likely to be very busy.
Working from home will also help, of course, but this is already recommended as a way of reducing Covid transmission.
By avoiding where possible unnecessary trips during the busier parts of the COP summit, people will be helping to ease a bit the pressure on our roads and our rail services and also of course helping to ensure priority access for key workers such as NHS staff.
If people do need to travel and of course, many people will require to travel, then our advice is to plan routes carefully.
Glasgow City Council has created a set of maps which can help you to do that, and which provide information about where and when you can congestion is expected. Those maps can be found on the travel section of the Get Ready Glasgow website – that’s at GetReadyGlasgow.com.
Of course we also anticipate some disruption as a result of protests during the next two weeks and I want to say just a few words on that matter just now as well.
Scotland and Glasgow have a proud tradition of activism and of peaceful protest. In fact, I have personally taken part in many peaceful protests in the city over the past 30 years or so.
The city slogan is ‘People Make Glasgow’. That is one that I hope at the end of COP26, will be applied warmly to this summit.
So it is absolutely the case that we – and I know this is the strong position of the United Nations – want people’s voices to be heard. We want the voices of young people of wider civic society and of people from across the world to be heard loudly and clearly by those around the negotiating table.
We know there are two major scheduled demonstrations – the Friday for the Future school strike next week, and the march from Kelvingrove to Glasgow Green next Saturday on the Global Day of Action. These both provide opportunities for people to make their voices heard. And I want to thank the organisers of these demonstrations – as well as a number of other activist groups – for the engagement they have had with the City Council and with the police, to ensure that demonstrations can take place safely and securely.
We also expect that other protests that may take place without warning. That is understandable and these are harder for the city, conference organisers and the police to prepare for.
And there are just some principles, in addition, of course to that important principle of the democratic right to protest, that I would ask those intended to pay attention to.
Firstly, whatever anyone thinks of the negotiations taking place in the conference centre – and I can understand why many think that world leaders are not yet doing enough because when leaders are not yet doing enough and that is one of the things we hope to see change during the summit . Regardless of views on that, progress will not be made if discussions are disrupted,
And more generally – and this of course applies to all protests – I would ask that people who are demonstrating show consideration for Glasgow and for people living in this city.
They are opening up this city to the world at what is a difficult time for those around the world, and I hope those who are travelling, welcome though they are, to make their voices heard, will recognise that.
So please also and lastly, follow our rules on Covid – they are intended to protect everyone. And also respect our emergency services – our ambulance crews, our fire crews and our police.
I know the Chief Constable will say something in a few minutes about Scotland’s approach to policing, but I want to stress that our emergency services are there to keep everyone safe.
That includes those who are here to negotiate or to protest, but of course our emergency services also have continued responsibilities to support the people of this city, no matter what is happening inside COP26. So I would ask everyone to respect and support them as they do their jobs.
The final point I want to cover relates to Covid.
This event – which is bringing people from around the world to meet indoors in large numbers while the world is still in the midst of a pandemic – inevitably poses a risk of increased Covid transmission. I understand why that makes some people wary.
However I want to give an assurance again today that we are doing everything we can to mitigate these risks as far as is possible.
The UN, the UK Government and the Scottish Government have taken steps to ensure, as far as possible, that delegates have been fully vaccinated before arrival. Everyone coming to Glasgow from outside the Common Travel Area will need to show a negative test result before they arrive in the UK.
Also, everyone entering the core venue for COP – the blue zone – is required to take a lateral flow test every day that they are in attendance.
Everyone attending the Green Zone must show either their vaccine certificate – for members of the public – or their blue zone pass, which will be updated with the result of their daily lateral flow test.
And at both venues, people must wear face coverings and follow one metre physical distancing and strict hygiene guidance.
In partnership with the UN and the UK, we will keep these procedures under review throughout the summit.
And of course I’d stress that everyone visiting Glasgow for COP – whether official delegates or activists – are required to follow the same basic Covid precautions that apply to us all when they are in the city itself. For example, wearing face coverings on public transport and in indoor public places.
Through all of these measures, I hope we can reduce the risk of Covid transmission – and make COP as safe as possible for people living in the city and for those who will visit our city over the next two weeks.
Finally, I know – as I said at the beginning – that the next two weeks will bring disruption to people living in Glasgow – and I understand that that will cause frustration. I do understand that, I’m both a resident of and a representative of this city.
I don’t expect what I’m about to say will take all of that frustration away over the next two weeks, but I think all of us hopefully will remember that what we are experiencing over these next two weeks is for a purpose.
This is probably the most important global gathering of this century so far.
It’s not just in Glasgow’s interest to have a safe and successful summit, that is in the interest of the entire world.
I know that the vast majority of people in Glasgow understand that and even if we don’t much like the disruption, we do understand the importance of what will be happening during this conference.
So let me end by thanking everyone in the city for the welcome I know will be extended to visitors but also for the patience and forbearance that will have to be shown over the next two weeks.
My hope, and I know that is the hope of Glasgow, Scotland, the UK and indeed the world, is that by the end of these two weeks the outcome of the summit will have justified that patience. So thank you very much for listening.
Chief Constable Iain Livingstone joined the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the National Clinical Director Professor Jason Leitch during a Scottish Government briefing ahead of COP26.
The Chief Constable said: “As Chief Constable, I want to assure the people of Scotland that our police service is ready to support a safe and secure COP26. And, of equal importance, we are ready to ensure a quality policing service is maintained for every citizen, every community in Glasgow, and indeed, across the whole of Scotland during the conference period.
Our policing operation, Operation Urram, is one of the biggest ever undertaken in the United Kingdom. 7,000 officers and staff from every single police service in the United Kingdom are today arriving to join colleagues from Police Scotland. Over 10,000 officers will be on duty on some days of the conference.
As Chief Constable of the Police Service of Scotland, all officers and staff are under my command and control while deployed to COP26. Accordingly, they will work to the values of policing in Scotland and follow the tone and approach that Police Scotland will apply during the operation.
The United Nations, the organisers of the event, want people to make their voices heard. It’s an objective of the conference. They expect and encourage demonstrations and protests. Our response will be informed by, and consistent with, key human rights and considerations – necessity, proportionality and lawfulness.
These principles are vital in all that we do within policing and they are what I expect from Police Scotland, and from our colleagues who will be supporting us. We will protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest at COP26, balanced against the rights of the wider community.
But to those intent on violent disorder and damage; to those who seek to disrupt the climate conference actually taking place; I have a clear message. We will respond swiftly. We will respond robustly.
Every individual within Police Scotland has a role to play. Either directly deployed during the conference or in day to day business ensuring every citizen in Scotland continues to get the help they need and deserve, when they turn to their police service at times of crisis and emergency.
An event the size of COP26 of course places considerable demands on policing and brings inevitable disruption. Thus, maintaining an effective and responsive police service to all of Scotland has been central to our preparation since we knew that COP26 was coming to Glasgow, was coming to Scotland.
We know need and requirements can arise unexpectedly and, as a national Service, we are able to deploy resources quickly.
That’s been evident over the last 24 hours, when we have had officers from many parts of Scotland deployed to the south of the country to support communities affected by the terrible flooding.
I am focused and confident about Police Scotland’s ability to lead this enormous policing operation, that’s primarily because of the quality and commitment to public service that’s demonstrated by officers and staff in all ranks, all roles in Police Scotland, strongly supported by other UK colleagues.
I would stress again, if you or your family at any time need police assistance, contact us; call treble nine in an emergency. We are here to help you and to keep you safe. I will close as I began, by assuring the people of Scotland that our police Service, your police Service, is ready for the challenges that lie ahead: both to police COP26, and to continue keeping people safe across the whole of Scotland.
A simple blood test for people with Type 1 diabetes enabling some patients to stop taking insulin is to be rolled out.
Scotland is the first country in the world to introduce this test which will be available from hospital diabetes centres from Monday (1 November).
Aimed to improve the accuracy of diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes, the routine testing of C-peptide allows doctors to work out how much insulin someone with diabetes is making themselves.
If C-peptide is present in significant amounts, then it may indicate that the person does not have Type 1 diabetes and that it may be possible to stop or reduce insulin treatment.
The roll-out follows a two year pilot study in NHS Lothian led by Diabetes and Endocrinology Consultant Professor Mark Strachan.
Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “Diabetes is a clinical priority for this Government and we want to ensure that everyone living with diabetes in Scotland can access safe, effective and person-centred healthcare, treatment and support.
“Type 1 diabetes is a significant health challenge right across the world. I am proud that Scotland will be the first country to introduce this blood test which has the potential to have a significant positive impact on the lives of those people living with diabetes.”
Professor Mark Strachan said: “C-peptide helps diabetes specialists make a more accurate diagnosis of the cause of diabetes, and that means we can get people on the most appropriate treatment. In some instances, C-peptide testing allowed people to stop very long-standing insulin therapy; this can be life-transforming.
“If anyone has any concerns regarding their diabetes or wishes to know more about the new blood test, they should contact their diabetes clinical team who are best placed to provide specific advice and support based on their individual circumstances.”
There are approximately 315,000 people living with diabetes in Scotland.
The programme will be offered to people with a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes of at least three years duration. C-peptide testing will be offered by hospital diabetes centres.
A 29-year-old man has been found guilty of causing the death of Jonny Smith by dangerous driving.
Edinburgh’s High Court heard that Ednilson De Ceita was speeding and drove on to the wrong side of the A902 Maybury Road on 25 May 2018. De Ceita’s BMW X5 collided with a Peugeot 206 being driven by 29 year old Jonny Smith, whose car caught fire. Mr Smith died at the scene.
Property firm manager De Ceita was also found guilty of not having a valid driving license or insurance. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced next month.
In a statement on their Justice For Jonny Facebook page last night, Jonny’s family said: “Just a little message to everybody as a family we have been at court all this week, it has been a long week filled with long tiring days.
“Today, earlier on Ednilson Ceita was found guilty on 2 charges, the first being causing death by dangerous driving, the second being death by dangerous driving with no license or insurance and has been remanded until next month for sentencing.
“In all honesty we don’t really get any satisfaction from any of this, it doesn’t bring Jonny back but what it does do is give us that little bit of justice for him and also potentially saving someone else without this idiot on the road.
“We would just like to say a massive thank you for everybody’s kind words and support throughout all this, it truly does mean a lot to us and we forever appreciate it!”
