Detectives investigating the murder of Peter Coshan are appealing for information to trace the movements of a motor vehicle in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland area of England between Monday, 15 Aug, 2022 and Tuesday, 16 Aug, 2022.
They are particularly interested in sightings of an older style dark coloured Vauxhall Vectra, with a 57 registration plate, as enquiries continue to find Peter.
Detectives believe the movements of this vehicle are central to the investigation and are appealing for the public’s help in trying to find out more about them.
Officers are urging people to think back and consider if they saw something unusual during the hours of darkness on Mon, 15 Aug, and Tues, 16 Aug, in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland areas.
Police have set up a portal that gives the public access to send information directly to the Major Investigation Team. You can remain anonymous when submitting information.
Peter was last seen in the Seafield Rd area of Leith, Edinburgh around 11.50pm on Thurs, 11 Aug, and was reported missing the next day.
Peter, of Edinburgh, is believed to be dead and officers are treating his death as murder. However, his body is yet to be recovered.
Peter’s family are aware and are being supported by specialist officers.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Patrick, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, said: “This is obviously a very distressing time for Peter’s family and our priority is to find him.
“I am therefore seeking the public’s help in trying to find Peter’s body.
“I am appealing for anyone who may have been in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland, including travelling on the A7, the A68 or any others roads in these areas, during the hours of darkness on Monday, 15 August, and Tuesday, 16 August.”
Anyone with info call Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 1745 of 12 August. Information can be passed anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Festival Square on Lothian Road will host the McDonald’s Fun Football Festival AND the Happy Readers Book Tour from Saturday 3rd September
McDonald’s is committed to supporting families across the UK and regularly provides community activities in the areas surrounding its restaurants. This weekend is no different with two free activities specifically for local children, arriving at Festival Square in Edinburgh.
In a bid to provide more children across the UK with access to the joy of reading, McDonald’s has launched the Happy Readers Book Tour, which will help distribute free books to children at 16 locations across the UK and Ireland.
The tour will arrive at Festival Square in Edinburgh on Saturday 3rd September.
Inside the bus, free books will be handed out, with different titles catering to children from age 4-11. As well as the books, there will be activity sheets, digital animation screens, ‘read-a-longs’, bubble machines and free Happy Readers bookmarks designed specifically to help children with dyslexia.
The second free event is the Fun Football Festival, which will celebrate the summer of sport in style, with more kids than ever feeling inspired to take up football after watching the Home Nations compete on the European stage.
The Fun Football Festival will be open on Saturday 3rd September and Sunday 4th September, between 11.30am and 6pm, giving hundreds of 5–11-year-olds the opportunity to enjoy football for free!
Families will be able to take part in the introductory coaching sessions under the guidance of top football coaches and a series of inflatable* Fun Football experiences, including a Dribble Tunnel and Speed of Shot, aimed at inspiring children of all backgrounds and abilities to give football a go.
The festivals are just one part of the McDonald’s Fun Football programme that will deliver over 10.5 million hours of Fun Football over the course of the next four years making it the largest grassroots participation programme in the UK.
The programme will be delivered in collaboration with the Irish FA, Scottish FA, The Football Association of Wales and a network of national coaching providers with regular sessions taking place throughout the year across the UK.
For further information on McDonald’s involvement in grassroots football and to find out how your club could benefit, visit the website, or follow @FunFootballUK on Twitter and Instagram.
For parents looking for free ways to keep their kids active and entertained over the weekend, look no further than the Happy Readers Book Tour and Fun Football Festivals, providing free fun for the whole family to get involved with.
Charity prepares for influx of dogs being given up as new school year begins
As millions of children across the country return to the classroom after the summer break, Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, is encouraging dog owners to head Bark to School with their pups in a bid to reduce the number of dogs potentially being handed into rehoming centres.
The charity, which is already experiencing its busiest period on record in terms of handovers due to the rise in the cost of living, is preparing itself for a possible further spike as families return to a post-holiday juggle of work and school, and their young dogs struggle to cope with being left home alone, causing them to exhibit bad behaviours.
Many pups acquired during the pandemic are now well into adolescence, a tricky stage for any dog owner, particularly those short on time and juggling family life, and many families may feel they are unable to cope with problematic behaviour. Many of these issues can be resolved through basic training and education of dog owners.
Last year on September 6th, the start of the new school year in England, Dogs Trust saw an uplift in enquiries from dog owners looking to rehome their dog. The charity received 163 enquiries to handover their dogs on the first day of term – more than any other day during September – and during the first week of September, saw an uplift in enquiries from struggling owners compared to the previous week.
John-Paul Maguire, Head Coach at Dog School Glasgow, explains:“Whilst the majority of dog owners see their dogs as much-valued family members and have loved spending time with their four-legged friends over the holidays, sadly we do see an uplift in handover enquiries as soon as children go back to school.
“In many cases, dogs are not equipped to deal with this sudden change in routine where they suddenly have to get used to having less attention which means they may start displaying undesirable behaviour.”
Aside from the rise in the cost of living, one of the main reasons dogs are handed over to Dogs Trust is because of behaviour-related issues that may have been prevented or managed with training. Which is why the charity is urging dog owners to go ‘Bark to School” and take action now by signing their puppy or adult dog up to training classes to avoid future problems so they can live happily together.
Dogs Trust runs affordable dog training and puppy classes in locations across the UK. Dogs Trust Dog School classes operate nationwide and are available throughout the year. At these classes, owners will learn how to teach their dogs how to meet and greet other dogs politely, walk nicely on the lead, come back when called, overcome chewing and mouthing as well as understand dog body language and what your dog is trying to tell you.
John-Paul adds: “Dogs Trust is always here to help families who are struggling to care for their dog, for whatever reason, but we hope that anyone that is finding their dog’s behaviour challenging after the summer holidays will consider heading Bark to School and sign up to Dog School classes to help their dog fulfil their potential and make sure families and four-legged friends can continue to live happily together.”
A total of £84 million has been paid to families since it was introduced less than 18 months ago.
The payment of £20 per week, unique to Scotland in the UK, began in February 2021 as a direct measure to tackle child poverty. It provides regular, additional financial support to parents and carers to help with the costs of caring for a child.
As of 30 June 2022, it is estimated that 104,000 children were actively in receipt of Scottish Child Payment and 1.4 million payments have now been made.
By the end of this year the payment will increase to £25 per week and extend to include all eligible children under the age of 16 when it is expected that over 400,000 children will potentially be eligible.
Responding to the latest official statistics on Scottish Child Payment published today Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “We are taking a number of urgent actions to address the current cost crisis.
“This includes efforts to maximise financial support to those most in need so that they get all the money they are entitled to. The ongoing work to extend eligibility for and increase the value of the Scottish Child Payment is a vital part of these efforts.
“We created our game changing Scottish Child Payment to provide direct financial support to tackle child poverty. Every penny of support is absolutely vital at the moment, which is why we are using our devolved powers and resources to make a difference for as many households as we can.
“We doubled the payment to £20 in April and will increase it to £25 when we extend it to under 16s by the end of the year – a 150% rise in this important benefit which is one of five family benefits we are now delivering.
“The Scottish Government want to support families during these difficult times.”
Scottish Child Payment is part of a wider package of five family payments including: Best Start Grant Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment, Best Start Grant School Age Payment and Best Start Foods
CAMPAIGNERS have launched a petition to save the Pride Bridge at Lindsay Road.
Local resident Jodie Schofield said: “I’m really concerned an important community space which connects the Leith and Newhaven will be lost, not to mention the fact the ‘diversion’ has a dug up pavement at a busy junction.
“The Council have condemned it (only recently was used as a parking and heavy storage space for the Trams of Newhaven project) and have built an ugly heavy concrete wall across the Lindsay Road end without any community consultation – if the bridge is so dangerous how can it sustain this weight?
“If the bridge is so dangerous how can it be safe to walk and cycle underneath on the Hawthornvale Path? Why did they leave repairs left undone for so long? it’s a disgrace and nearby residents are very unhappy.”
See below for details of the petition:
The Pride Bridge is a community art project and public space. Painted by a diverse group of local volunteers, it marks the boundary of Leith and welcomes visitors with a rainbow that incorporates the colours of both the Pride and Trans Pride flags.
As well as being a much loved LGBTQ monument (the first of its kind in the city), the bridge is an important pedestrian and cycle thoroughfare, connecting the residential area to the main road, shops, public transport and schools.
It is also a much valued community social space, where people can meet in the beer garden and children can play in a safe, pedestrianised area which has been thoroughly weeded and litter picked to remove hazards. The bridge is also an important part of Leith’s industrial history.
The council has earmarked the bridge for demolition due to their failure to maintain it which has led to it becoming structurally unsound. Repairs are possible, and for less than the price of demolition. However, they are currently reluctant to pursue repair as an option, despite support from local Councillors, business owners and the wider community.
Please sign and share, and show your support for maintaining safe community spaces and preserving the first LGBTQ landmark in the city and certainly the only one that is visible from the plane when you fly into Edinburgh.
STARBANK PARK VOTED ONE OF SCOTLAND’s LOCAL FAVOURITES
Earlier this summer you nominated 364 local parks and green spaces for UK’s Favourite Parks. You then voted in your tens of thousands, demonstrating the immense love that we all have for our local parks, and Fields in Trust is delighted to announce that the UK’s Favourite Park 2022 is Penrhos Coastal Park in Holyhead, Wales.
Over 30,000 votes were cast for parks across the UK which represented the wide diversity of green spaces we all use and enjoy, from large country parks to major city parks to small neighbourhood pockets of green. Penrhos Coastal Park emerged as the overall UK winner having attracted the most votes from the public.
Across the Home Nations, Blackpool’s art deco Stanley Park has been named England’s Favourite Park 2022, attaining prestigious ‘National Treasure’ status having now been named as the public’s favourite park in England three times.
In Scotland the national title went to Seaton Park in Aberdeen, whilst Craigavon City Park in County Armagh took the title in Northern Ireland, the second time it has scooped its national accolade.
Fields in Trust are also delighted to announce the parks to have achieved ‘Local Favourite’ status, having placed in the top 20% of the public vote, demonstrating the love that their local communities have for them.
The full list of local favourite recipients can be found here and each will receive a special certificate to denote its success.
Edinburgh’s STARBANK PARK features proudly on the list of Scotland’s Local Favourite parks. Also commended are Aden Country Park in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire; Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline; Wilton Lodge Park in Hawick and Grangemouth’s Zetland Park.
This is the first time that the overall winner of UK’s Favourite Parks has emerged from Wales, with Cyfarthfa Park in Merthyr Tydfil, Roath Park in Cardiff and Pontypool Park in Torfaen having taken the national title in recent years but not the overall honours.
Attracting close to 100,000 visitors each year, Penrhos Coastal Park is near Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales.
The 200-acre park has everything from beaches to woodland walks and is extremely popular with both locals and tourists alike. With a rich history dating back to 1553, the green space is also home to several features of historical interest, including original Tudor-era buildings.
Commenting on the announcement of Penrhos Coastal Park as the UK’s Favourite Park 2022, Fields in Trust Chief Executive, Helen Griffiths, shared: “We’re incredibly excited to announce that Penrhos Coastal Park in Holyhead has been voted as the UK’s Favourite Park 2022 by those who use and love it.
“It is clear that this park is a very special place to a lot of people, and we are thrilled to officially crown it the UK’s favourite. We’ve had a fantastic response to the competition from all across the UK and I’d like to thank everyone who nominated and voted for parks over the past few weeks.
“The UK is home to such a diverse range of green spaces, and we hope that this award has encouraged people to truly appreciate their local parks. Our work to legally protect green spaces for good means we’re well aware of the threats they face and how important it is value and celebrate them.”
The campaign has illustrated how appreciation of our local parks has grown since the pandemic. As concerns mount over the climate crisis, green spaces have been proven to improve air quality and significantly limit the impact of heatwaves, by lowering urban temperatures.
With the annual Green Space Index revealing that 2.8 million people are not living within a ten-minute walk of a local park and that only 6% of green space provision in Britain is legally protected, the campaign has also highlighted the financial and developmental threats to green spaces.
By demonstrating our love for local parks, we can champion what they mean to communities and in turn help make the case for their long-term protection. Without legal protection our local parks can so easily be lost. And once lost, a green space is lost forever.
You can play your part in this protection of treasured local parks by making a donation to support Fields in Trust’s work.
Police are appealing for information following the vandalism of a headstone and theft in Greyfriars Kirkyard.
The incident happened in Greyfriars Kirk, Candlemaker Row between 10.30am and 4.30pm on Sunday, 21 August, 2022.
Police Sergeant Charlotte Crerar of Gayfield Police Station said: “We are appealing for information following the vandalism and theft of a marble facing stolen from the headstone.
“We are keen to trace a woman who was seen in the area. She is described as being around 5ft 6 inches tall, with red/ginger hair and of slim build. She was wearing a striped purple and white top, black bottoms, lime green socks and trainers and spoke with an American accent.
“The headstone is of historic significance and is irreplaceable and anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 0834 of Thursday, 25 August, 2022.”
As Collective’s summer exhibitions draw to an end, make sure you don’t miss your last chance to see them: Camara Taylor’s backwash and Annette Krauss’ A Matter of Precedents both close on 4 September, and Ruth Ewan’s The Beast closes on 18 September.
As our summer programme draws to a close, we are delighted to announce two new exhibitions opening in the coming weeks, featuring new work by Stephanie Black-Daniels and Katie Schwab.
Position & Attachment | Stephanie Black-Daniels
EXHIBITION
17 September – 20 November 2022
PREVIEW
16 September 2022, 6–8pm
Position & Attachment is a new exhibition by Glasgow-based artist and researcher Stephanie Black-Daniels, a participant in our 2021 Satellites Programme.
The artist draws on her experience of navigating breastfeeding practice in manmade public spaces during lockdown, whilst also reckoning with the medical language used to describe and instruct a feeding journey.
The new performance-based works for Collective build upon two years of performative and collaborative research with a group of women, and consider the potential for breastfeeding bodies to reclaim public space.
Join us for a preview on 16 September 6–8pm, to celebrate the launch of the exhibition.
The Seeing Hands | Katie Schwab
EXHIBITION
8 October 2022 – 5 March 2023
In October 2022, Collective’s City Dome will be a site of play, filled with a large-scale interactive exhibition by artist Katie Schwab, who participated in Collective’s Satellites Programme in 2015.
With a special interest in early-mid twentieth-century design and craft, Schwab’s practice is emphatically hands-on, collaborative and participatory. In the City Dome, she will layer textures, touchable surfaces and sculptures to create an exhibition that will invite tactile engagement and learning through play.
People of all ages are welcome to drop-in to play, look and gather in the exhibition with facilitated sessions during our regular Friday drop-in Play sessions.
Schools, nursery or community groups are welcome to contact Collectiveto book time to experience the exhibition.
This artwork is a joint commission in partnership with Bluecoat (Liverpool).
