Month: August 2025

“It’s easier to book a hotel for dogs than disabled people”

Dogs>Disabled: New data reveals pet-friendly holidays outpace accessible stays for families across Europe

  • In some countries, it is 60 times harder to find a hotel that caters for disability access needs compared to one that allows families to travel with their pets
  • Popular European countries lack vital information regarding accessibility 
  • The ‘pet friendly’ box is answered on every booking site whilst information about ‘disability access’ is convoluted

Booking a pet-friendly family holiday is approximately 24 times easier than booking a European break with disability access, according to new research. 

The data, collated by disability holiday specialists World Accessible Holidays, shows there are far more readily available options for a family to go on holiday with their pet than with a wheelchair – leaving families with disability requirements with very limited options.

Whilst approximately 37% of family rooms across ten European countries on booking.com ticked the ‘pet-friendly’ box, only 1.5% offer disability access. 

Across the 10 European countries studied, there were 41,576 pet-friendly hotels offering family rooms, with only 1,684 of these family rooms meeting accessibility requirements. 

It is substantially harder, and in some countries up to 60 times harder, to find a hotel that caters for disability access needs compared to one that allows families to travel with their pets. 

For example, only 0.55% of family hotels offer accessible rooms in Croatia, with only 36 hotels to choose from. However, if the holiday required a pet-friendly room, Croatia offered 2,304 hotels to choose on booking.com. 

Paula Hansen, founder of World Accessible Holidays said: “These statistics are disappointing but not surprising. How can it be acceptable for hotels to provide information about accepting pets on a stay and the facilities they can provide for your pooch, yet when it comes to people with wheelchairs, there’s silence?

“I love my pet, but the fact I know I can take my dog Angus, but not my son who uses a wheelchair and has cerebral palsy, is frankly shocking.”

The 10 European areas analysed included France; mainland Spain; Italy; Greece; The Antalya region in Turkey; Croatia; Portugal; Spain’s Canary Islands; Cyprus and Majorca. 

100% of the 10  areas researched generated more hotel options through Expedia Expedia.com and Booking.com when searching for a pet-friendly family room than one that has wheelchair access.

In addition, information presented by hotels often varied, causing disabled customers confusion about what facilities are available at hotels.

Where hotels who welcome pets had clear wording and policies, there was little consistency in listings of hotels that claim to provide accessibility access, including language like ‘ramp and elevator access’ ‘top floor rooms include lift’ to ‘entire unit wheelchair accessible’. 

Portugal presented the highest number of hotels offering disability access across both search engines, with a 2.4% accessibility rate, but the figure is still low compared to 27.8% of hotels offering pet-friendly rooms. 

Paula Hansen, founder of World Accessible Holidays, established the business after experiencing this disparity first-hand.  Her son, is a wheelchair user and the limited holiday options and stressful booking process instilled the idea for her disability-friendly business. 

Paula is striving to make holidays abroad less stressful for disabled individuals travelling with their families and carers, both adults and children. The business launched as a fully transparent booking platform , one which arranges flights and accommodation at high street prices that meets accessibility needs. 

She said: “The accessibility market is hugely under-represented and badly serviced. There are a few good specialist operators, but they are very expensive, and out of reach for many disabled families. 

“Alternatively, if you try to book with a mainstream operator, it’s virtually impossible to guarantee an accessible room and the booking process is extremely disjointed. Booking platforms rarely list accessible rooms in a clear-cut way or have the option to book an accessible room with equipment. 

“We conducted this research to evidence just how far down the priority ladder disabled people are, but I still can’t believe it’s easier to book a hotel for dogs than disabled people. At World Accessible Holidays we are working to change that — because people deserve more options than pets.” 

For more information about World Accessible Holidays visit:

worldaccessibleholidays.co.uk

Crimestoppers launches campaign to highlight the rise in violence against women and girls linked to major sporting events

Crimestoppers the independent charity dedicated to giving people the power to speak up and stop crime, has launched a powerful new campaign to draw urgent attention to a distressing trend: increased levels of violence against women and girls during and after major sporting events.

Recent statistics and reports from frontline services have shown that incidents of domestic abuse and gender-based violence spike around the time of significant sporting occasions.

  • During the 2024 UEFA European Championships, police in England and Wales recorded 351 football-related domestic abuse incidents, almost double the figure from the previous tournament. 
  • Additional research indicated a dramatic association between alcohol-fuelled celebrations (or disappointments) and violent incidents. On days when England won, there was a 47% rise in alcohol-related domestic abuse.

These events, while a source of national pride and community, can also act as triggers for harmful behaviours in some individuals, putting women and girls at greater risk.

Lydia Patsalides spokesperson for the charity Crimestoppers said: “Sport should unite and inspire us, and for the most part it does. But we cannot ignore the well-documented rise in violence towards women and girls that coincides with major fixtures.

“These are not isolated incidents – they represent a national issue that affects communities across the UK.”

The new campaign encourages the public to recognise the signs of violence and use Crimestoppers anonymous reporting service to speak up safely if they are concerned about someone’s wellbeing.

Crimestoppers is also working with sporting bodies, law enforcement agencies and support charities to spread awareness, challenge harmful attitudes, and promote prevention strategies at every level.

If you see something say something. By speaking up – 100% anonymously – you could help save lives. No tip is too small, and your voice is vital. 

Joint leaders’ statement on Peace for Ukraine

Statement by President Macron, Prime Minister Meloni, Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Tusk, Prime Minister Starmer, President von der Leyen and President Stubb on Peace for Ukraine ahead of President Trump’s planned meeting with President Putin.

We welcome President Trump’s work to stop the killing in Ukraine, end the Russian Federation’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine. 

We are convinced that only an approach that combines active diplomacy, support to Ukraine and pressure on the Russian Federation to end their illegal war can succeed. 

We stand ready to support this work diplomatically as well as by upholding our substantive military and financial support to Ukraine, including through the work of the Coalition of the Willing, and by upholding and imposing restrictive measures against the Russian Federation. 

We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests. 

We agree that these vital interests include the need for robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny.

Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations. 

We reiterate that Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, the Budapest Memorandum, and successive Russian commitments. We underline our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. 

We continue to stand firmly by the side of Ukraine. We are united as Europeans and determined to jointly promote our interests.

And we will continue to cooperate closely with President Trump and with the United States of America, and with President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine, for a peace in Ukraine that protects our vital security interests.

The Royal Scots Museum: Family history research at Central Library 

Friday 15 August 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day, and commemorates the ending of the Second World War.

The Royal Scots Museum Outreach Team will hold a VJ Day 80 event in the George Washington Browne Room at Central Library.

The Family Research Area will be staffed by Museum research volunteers, National Records Scotland, Scottish Genealogical Society, and Commonwealth War Graves Commission who will have access to
• Regimental War Diaries
• Regimental Journal, “The Thistle”
• Royal Scots World War Two Attestation Books
• documents and photographs from the Royal Scots Museum Archive
• and much more…

There will also be a small display of Royal Scots-related items and memorabilia and display boards telling the stories of
• 2nd Battalion The Royal Scots who at the outbreak of World War Two were serving on Garrison Duty in Hong Kong
• the sinking of the Lisbon Maru
• 1st Battalion The Royal Scots, who after the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940, were reconstituted at Bradford and were responsible for a stretch of the Yorkshire coastal defences. The Battalion was then sent to India in 1942.
• officers and soldiers from the Royal Scots who served with specialist units in the Far East.

You will also be able to view the Museum’s new 12 minute VJ 80th film, which includes interviews with those Royal Scots who served in the Far East and their families.

The Family Research Area will run from 12 to 15 August, from 10am to 4.30pm each day, and is free to attend.

Hundreds arrested in illegal delivery rider shut down

Illegal workers arrested in nationwide enforcement surge as part of government’s drive to crack down on immigration crime

Hundreds of arrests have been made across the UK following a week-long crackdown on riders working illegally for delivery firms.   

Under Operation Equalize, the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement teams launched a nationwide intensification week of activity targeting illegal working hotspots, with a focus on the gig economy and migrants working as delivery riders.   

Between 20 and 27 July 2025, a total of 1,780 individuals were stopped and spoken to, leading to 280 arrests for illegal working activity.   

As a direct result of this operation, 53 individuals are now having their asylum support reviewed, which could result in their support being suspended or withdrawn.  

This follows warnings from ministers last month that anyone caught flagrantly abusing the immigration system could face having their asylum support ceased, such as entitlement to accommodation or payments. Those caught working illegally face removal from the UK.

The results come as the Home Office confirms today (9 August) that Immigration Enforcement teams will receive a £5 million funding boost to ramp up illegal working intensification activity even further.   

The cash injection, to be drawn from the £100 million investment for border security announced earlier this week, will contribute to a major surge in enforcement visits over the coming months.  

It will allow officers to revisit and re-attend illegal working hotspots more frequently and increase enforcement teams’ intelligence gathering capabilities to support frontline enforcement activity.   

The results of Operation Equalize come just weeks after the Home Office announced a new agreement with top food delivery firms that will see Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat receive new information concerning the location of asylum hotels to help better target people working illegally.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle said: Illegal working undermines our border security and we’re cracking down hard on it.

“That’s why we have intensified our enforcement activity right across the UK to crack down on those who think they can evade immigration and employment laws in the UK.   

“This government is making sure rules are respected and enforced – this operation is just one example of our relentless efforts to bear down on organised immigration crime at every level in our communities.”

In addition to the arrests made as part of Operation Equalize, 51 businesses, including car washes, restaurants and retail premises, were issued with Civil Penalty Referral Notices. This could see them face hefty fines if they are found to have employed illegal workers and failed to conduct relevant pre-employment checks.   

The operation was also supported by police forces across the UK, with officers seizing 71 vehicles throughout the week, including 58 e-bikes, as well as £8,000 in cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act and around £460,000 in illicit cigarettes.  

During one Operation Equalize visit on Tuesday 22 July, officers in West London arrested 7 Indian nationals in Hillingdon, with 5 detained as a result.   

Meanwhile, Immigration Enforcement Officers made 3 arrests in Dumfries, Scotland during a joint operation with police and Trading Standards on tobacco control.

And on Friday 25 July, 5 e-bikes were seized by police in Birmingham city centre where Immigration Officers arrested 2 riders of Bangladeshi and Ethiopian nationality for illegal working offences.  

Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office, said: “We continue to intensify our activity against those who think they can get away with working illegally. 

“My teams have been taking action around the clock, all across the country and I thank them for their hard work, co-operation and skill in dealing with this challenging issue.   

“I welcome the additional funding which will allow us to strengthen our enforcement efforts against illegal working further, to ensure those fuelling it are caught.”

The government is also tightening the law by making it a legal requirement for all companies, including the gig economy, to check that anyone working for them has the legal right to do so.

This will end the abuse of flexible working arrangements. The new measures will be introduced through the landmark Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.  

These measures form a key part of a whole system approach to tackling illegal migration from every angle, by removing the false promise of jobs used by smuggling gangs to sell spaces on small boats.  

Just this week, the Home Office announced the latest step towards dismantling the criminal trade in small boat crossings as the UK-France treaty to target illegal crossings came into force. The groundbreaking agreement means anyone entering the UK on a small boat can be detained immediately on arrival and returned to France by the UK government, with detentions having already begun. 

On top of this, a wider £100 million investment in border security, confirmed earlier this week, will drive a major new crackdown by funding up to 300 extra National Crime Agency Officers and state of the art technology to smash the networks putting lives at risk in the Channel. 

Since coming into power a year ago, the government has also returned 35,000 people with no right to be in the UK, including failed asylum seekers, immigration and foreign national offenders. Since the election, there are now fewer asylum hotels open, saving millions of taxpayers’ money.

Two arrested and charged for drug offences in Edinburgh

Two people have been arrested in connection with drugs offences in Edinburgh.

Around 11.30am on Friday, 8 August, 2025, officers stopped and searched a 21-year-old man in Hailesland Grove, who was found in possession of cannabis.

Further enquiries led officers to a car parked nearby where officers recovered quantities of Cocaine and Heroin. The estimated value of the drugs is more than £74,000.

Officers also searched two addresses in the Wester Hailes and Pilton areas of Edinburgh with a quantity of cash being recovered from one of the addresses.

A man and woman, both aged 21, have been arrested and charged in connection with drugs offences.

They are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 11 August, 2025.

Detective Sergeant John Dunn said: “We work tirelessly to remove illegal drugs from communities every day and remain committed to disrupting the activities of those who supply drugs.

“We cannot tackle this issue alone and would urge the public to continue supporting us in building intelligence about the possession and supply of drugs by contacting Police Scotland on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Edinburgh International Book Festival is OPEN!

The twinkle lights are up, the books are on the shelves, the food trucks have pulled up – oh yes, the Book Festival site at Edinburgh Futures Institute is ready for all the amazing authors, artists, costume characters, musicians, thinkers, dreamers, and, most importantly, YOU – our wonderful audience – to start arriving from Saturday. 9th August – i.e. TODAY!. 

If you still haven’t decided what to come along to yet, we’ve got you! This e-news will give you plenty of events to pick from:

Check out the full programme here

New Guests at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival

Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has announced a new selection of guests attending this year’s Festival in support of World and UK Premieres and events.

Attending the Festival for the UK premiere of acclaimed film Dragonfly are director Paul Andrew Williams (London to Brighton, Bull), Andrea Riseborough (Oblivion, Birdman), Brenda Blethyn (Saving Grace, Pride & Prejudice) and Jason Watkins (The Last Honour of Christopher Jefferies, The Catch).

For the World Premiere of taut psychological crime thriller All The Devils Are Here director Barnaby Roper (The Interview, Scratch’n’Sniff) will attend the Festival with stars Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes, Ray Donovan), Burn Gorman (Pacific Rim, Watcher) and Tienne Simon (Grime Kids, C. B. Strike).

In town for the World Premiere of the exuberant and thoroughly entertaining family film Grow, director John McPhail (Anna and The Apocalypse, Dear David) will be joined by stars Golda Rosheuvel (Bridgerton, Eye For An Eye), Jane Horrocks (Little Voice, Cabaret), Dominic McLaughlin (HBO’s Harry Potter series), Priya Rose (Young Becky, The Lazarus Project) and Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso, Snow White).

For the UK Premiere of beautifully performed psychological thriller Islands, star Sam Riley (Maleficent, On The Road) will join director Jan Ole Gerster (Oh Boy!, A Friend Of Mine, Lara),  Jack Farthing (Poldark, Spencer) and Stacy Martin (The Brutalist).

The UK Premiere of The Golden Spurtle will see director Constantine Costi (Karakorum, Abduction) in attendance alongside participants from the competitive porridge making documentary including Charlie Miller, the former self-titled Chieftain of the Golden Spurtle.

Attending the Festival are the Competition filmmakers who make up this year’s main competition, The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence. They are: Director Harry Lagoussis (Stratos), Zlatko Burić (Triangle of Sadness, Pusher) and Ella Rumpf (Raw, Tiger Girl) for Novak; Director Jaclyn Bethany (Indigo Valley, The Delta Girl), writer Alex Sarregeorgiou and star Francois Arnaud (The Borgias, I Killed My Mother) for In Transit; Campbell X (Stud Life, Des!re) for Low Rider; Filmmakers Per Bifrost (Autonomous, Giants and the Morning After) & Alexander Rynéus (The Glitter Factory, Giants and the Morning After)  for Once You Shall Be One of Those Who Lived Here Long Ago; Director Mas Bouzidi (Flâneur, Four Grooves) for Concessions; Filmmakers Ondine Vinao (Holy Fools, Bottom of a Bottle), Ivy Freeman-Attwood (Bob Marley: One Love, On Point) and Ralph Ineson (The Witch, Fantastic Four) for Two Neighbors; Director Jesse Noah Klein (Shadowboxing, We’re Still Together) for Best Boy; Abdolreza Kahani (A Shrine, which screened in Competition at EIFF 2024, Delighted, Hich), Nima Sadrzadeh Jolgeh (A Shrine) and Gola (Head Over Heels, Tehran 1998) for Mortician; Filmmaker Elliott Tuttle (The Steps, Lina’s Song), Reed Birney (The Menu, House of Cards) and Kieron Moore (Code of Silence, Vampire Academy) for Blue Film; Director Helen Walsh (The Violators, The Gathering), Barry Ward (Jimmy’s Hall, Blood Cells), Lorne Macfadyen (Operation Mincemeat, The Little Stranger) and Liz White (Life on Mars, The Woman in Black) for On the Sea.

Across the wider programme, director Nadia Fall attends Brides alongside performers Ebada Hassan and Safiyya Ingar; Director Brendan Canty will attend for his Cork set film Christy; Director Gerard Johnson and star Polly Maberly attend for their darkly hilarious new thriller Odyssey; Director Urska Djukic attends for coming-of-age film Little Trouble Girls; Filmmaker Lucio Castro for the erotic thriller After this Death and Charlie Shackleton for his meta documentary Zodiac Killer Project.

Director Simon Rumley and star Steve Oram bring their unflinching film Crushed to the Festival; Director Julie Pacino and star Cara Seymour bring psychological horror I Live Here Now; Welsh language opera adaptation Fires of the Moon director Christopher Forster will be town; Surviving Earth filmmaker Thea Gajic; Director of the intimate documentary Walk With Me; Heidi Levitt, Directors Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni for their film Cutting Through Rocks; Director Harry Sherriff for darkly comic Misper and timely documentary Put Your Soul On Your Hand and Walk director Sepideh Farsi.

Previously announced guests include Eva Victor (Boys Go To Jupiter, As Of Yet) for the Festival’s opening night film Sorry, Baby. Ben Wheatley (Down Terrace, Free Fire), Noah Taylor (Shine, Vanilla Sky), Alexandra Maria Lara (Rush, Downfall) will attend for the World Premiere of Ben’s Midnight Madness opening night film Bulk.

Paul Sng (Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché, Tish) and Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting, Filth) attending for the World Premiere of Paul’s immersive documentary film Reality Is Not Enough, which will close the Festival on 20 August 2025.

Filmmakers from The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence will also attend the Festival.

EIFF’s In Conversation strand also features a range of attending major filmmaking talent who will discuss their creative careers to date including legendary editor Thelma Schoonmaker, celebrated filmmaking team Ken Loach, Paul Laverty & Rebecca O’Brien (The Wind That Shakes The Barley; I, Daniel Blake) Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void, One to One: John & Yoko) speaking with his brother, producer Andrew Macdonald (Trainspotting, Civil War, 28 Years Later), acclaimed filmmakers Nia DaCosta (Candyman, The Marvels) and Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank, American Honey, Cow, Bird) and producer Jeremy Thomas (The Hit, Bad Timing, Naked Lunch).

Edinburgh International Film Festival will run from 14-20 August 2025. Building on EIFF’s reinvigorated vision under new leadership from CEO and Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa, the Festival will continue to accelerate the discovery of new film talent and engage with audiences, industry members and local, national and international media.

The Festival team aims to create a world-class showcase for independent film and filmmaking talent. Ridd is supported by the EIFF Board, led by Chair Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films, producer of the iconic Edinburgh-based film Trainspotting; and Vice Chair Amy Jackson, producer of BAFTA award-winning indie, Aftersun; as well as Peter Rice, former Chairman of General Entertainment at Disney and President of 21st Century Fox; Teresa Moneo, Former Director of UK Film, Netflix; Isla Macgillivray, Partner at Saffrey; and Romana Ramzan, Producer at Screen Burn Interactive (formerly No Code Studio). 

Paul Ridd, CEO & Festival Director said: ‘We are thrilled to be welcoming so many terrific filmmakers and performers from around the world to this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival to celebrate their work with us.

“One of the greatest joys of a film festival is the opportunity for audiences and industry to interact directly with the creatives behind the work shown onscreen, to hear directly about their vision, and to discuss films in a space that is both welcoming and productive.

“Our guest list this year is testament to all the hard work and passion that has gone on behind the scenes here in Edinburgh to make this edition special and to celebrate this wonderful medium in style.’

EIFF 2025 is supported by Screen Scotland.  

Website: https://www.edfilmfest.org/  

Social handles: Facebook, Instagram, Letterboxd, LinkedIn, TikTok, X (@edfilmfest)   

Scotland ‘at the heart of defence investment’

Small and medium businesses get a seat at the table

The contribution of Scottish SMEs to the UK’s national security was recognised during a roundtable held on Thursday at Edinburgh’s Queen Elizabeth House, chaired by Defence Minister Lord Coaker following his visit to the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo.

  • Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) take part in Government roundtable in Edinburgh, discussing how defence can boost growth in Scotland. 
  • Chaired by UK Defence Minister Lord Coaker, the roundtable follows the MoD’s commitment to spend £7.5 billion with SMEs by 2028. 
  • Scotland is at the heart of UK’s defence industry, keeping the UK safe at home and strong abroad, delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change.  

The Minister met with representatives from eight companies, from Stirling to Forfar, to discuss their innovative work that helps keeps the country safe.  

Ahead of the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, the government has announced the intent to increase spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion over the next three years, reversing the fall that was recorded before last year’s election.

This government’s commitment to SMEs recognises the vital role they play at all levels within the defence supply-chain – both directly and indirectly –with a total of £7.5 billion to be spent with SMEs by 2028.

Defence Minister Lord Coaker said: “It was fantastic to meet many innovative Scottish companies who play a crucial role in strengthening our national security, boosting growth and providing jobs in their local communities.  

“Businesses in Scotland will be among those who can benefit from the £2.5 billion increase in SME spending that we will deliver, helping drive defence as an engine for economic growth – as we deliver on our Plan for Change.

“As well as being home to thousands of military personnel and major bases, defence is a key driver for renewal in Scotland, with latest statistics showing that the MOD spends more than £2 billion a year with the defence sector in Scotland, supporting nearly 12,000 industry jobs.”

Scottish Secretary, Ian Murray said: “We are proud of Scotland’s defence sector and we will always stand up for the industry and workforce.

“The UK Government’s historic uplift in defence spending will see a huge defence dividend for Scotland which will help ensure Britain’s security, deter our adversaries and drive economic growth for years to come as part of our Plan for Change.

“Through events such as today’s roundtable we are working closely with industry and supply chains to maximise Scotland’s defence dividend. Our new Brand Scotland campaign will seek to build on that success and help the sector export its world class technology around the world.”

Programmes including the multi-billion pound redevelopment programme for His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde will also create skilled jobs – including for small and medium size firms – to boost the economy while addressing the critical skills gaps facing the country.

As outlined in the Strategic Defence Review, the private sector, including small and medium businesses, are key to unlocking defence innovation, giving the UK and its allies the fighting edge.

The upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy will provide further detail into future collaboration between Government and industry across the UK. 

Police appeal following series of high-value car thefts 

POLICE are appealing for information following a series of linked high-value car thefts across Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Lothians and Borders.

Between Tuesday, 15 July, and Thursday, 7 August, several vehicles, including BMWs, Audis and a Mini were stolen from various residential addresses.

Details of the thefts are as follows:

Polwarth Terrace, Edinburgh – Between 2am and 3am on Tuesday, 15 July, a white BMW M340i, registration EH10 JEN and a black/red Mini Clubman, registration, EA20 SXT were stolen. Incident 0781 of 15 July

The Orchard, Berwick-upon-Tweed – Between 8pm on Monday, 4 August, and 7.30am on Tuesday, 5 August, a white BMW X3, registration VGZ 4001 was stolen. Incident 0632 of 5 August.

Matthews Drive, Newtongrange, Midlothian – Between 11.30pm on Tuesday, 5 August, and 12.30am on Wednesday, 6 August, black Audi A6, registration RE59 TKA, and a black Audi Q5, registration KS20 KNA, were stolen. Incident 0923 of 6 August.

Norman McLeod Crescent, Glasgow – Between 11.30pm on Tuesday, 5 August, and 12.30am on Wednesday, 6 August, a grey BMW M4, registration SF25 JJK and a grey BMW M3 Competition, registration SH23 WXT, were taken. Incident 0365 and 0358 of 6 August.

Gilsland Grange, North Berwick – Between 1am and 2am on Thursday, 7 August, a grey Audi RS3, registration EJ18 WGO, was stolen. Incident 0503 of 7 August.

Detective Sergeant Will Dickson said: “Extensive enquiries are ongoing to trace those responsible for these thefts and recover the stolen cars.

“Our investigation so far suggests that the cars may be in the Edinburgh area, although they could be displaying cloned or false number plates.

“If you’ve seen any cars matching the make and model of those described in your area and believe them to be out of place, or noticed any suspicious activity in relation to them, please get in touch.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting the relevant incident number or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.