Newhaven – Page 38 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Bogus callers target 81 year old woman in Nichollfield

‘This is a despicable theft from an elderly lady in her own home’ – Detective Constable Mark Seymour

Police in Edinburgh are investigating a theft from an 81 year old woman in Nichollfield in Newhaven.

The incident happened around 10.45 am on Saturday (22 August), when the woman was visited by two men who said they needed to speak to her about her water supply.

She allowed the men into the house and after a short while they stole items from her house and made off. The suspects were chased from the scene and were last seen running through a common stair in North Fort Street.

The two suspects are described as:

(1) male, white, about 6’ tall, slim build, short dirty blond/grey hair, wearing a dark grey woollen jersey and carrying a carrier bag;

(2) male, white, about 5’10” tall, slim build, short dark hair and possible moustache, wearing a dark top.

Detective Constable Mark Seymour of Gayfield Police Station said; “This is a despicable theft from an elderly lady in her own home by these two suspects who have managed to trick their way into her home by acting as bogus officials.

“We are appealing for anyone who may have seen the suspects as they fled the scene around 10.45 am on Saturday to get in touch.

“A robust and thorough investigation is underway to catch those responsible and I would urge anyone who has any information which may help in this investigation to call us on 101, or if they want to remain anonymous then through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Anyone for tennis in Trinity?

Partnership serves up new free sports facilities

Councillor Lesley Hinds opened new tennis courts and a basketball court in Victoria Park yesterday. The Environment Convener was joined by Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, Jamie Hepburn and Culture & Sport Convener Councillor Richard Lewis to open the new sports facilities, which came about following a consultation organised by Trinity Community Council.

Cllr Lesley Hinds said: “We have many wonderful parks and green spaces throughout the city and Victoria Park is a fantastic example of an excellent outdoor space that is enjoyed by the whole community.

“The consultation showed us that there is demand for free local sports facilities so the opening of these new tennis and basketball courts is great news. I hope it will encourage even more people to make the most of this beautiful park.”

The new courts are thanks to a £95,000 investment jointly funded by the City of Edinburgh Council and Sportscotland via the Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund.

A community consultation found that some local residents were discouraged from using local sports facilities due to financial barriers and that there was a lack of quality free sports provision in the area. The results of the consultation led to the development of the courts, which will also benefit the three schools located nearby, Trinity Academy, Trinity Primary and Holy Cross Primary.

Culture and Sport Convener, Cllr Richard Lewis, said: “I am delighted that these new facilities are now open and the fact that they are free and accessible to everyone makes them an excellent resource for the community.

“A key priority for the Council is to provide more opportunities for people to get active and encourage greater participation in sports as part of healthy lifestyle. The new courts will help us to achieve this and will be a real asset for local people of all ages.”

Victoria Park was first awarded a Green Flag in 2011 and forms part of the North Edinburgh Cycle Network, National Cycle Network and North Sea Route.

RNLI urges: Respect the Water

Over 200 people die accidentally each year in British and Irish waters – and more than half of those who drowned didn’t even plan to get wet …

The RNLI has launched a drowning prevention campaign which aims to reduce deaths by 50%. The ‘Respect the Water’ campaign coincides with the release of figures showing that 24 people died in Scotland’s coastal waters last year.

Over the past five years, an average of 35 people have drowned in Scotland and RNLI aims to halve the number of drownings by 2024.

Most of the deaths – almost a quarter – occurred when people slipped and fell into the water while walking and running. Other causes include people at work (14%), diving (13%), swimming and/or deliberately jumping into the sea (9%) and angling (6%).

RNLI lifeboat crews in Scotland saved 51 lives in 2014, and the charity has highlighted dangers which can be more common in Scotland.

After falling in, people can experience cold water shock or the effects of strong currents under the surface. There are also problems with slippery rocks, sudden waves or unstable ground.

RNLI coastal safety manager for Scotland Michael Avril said: “We want people to enjoy the water but to make sure they respect it.
“Around 35 lives are lost around Scotland’s coast each year but many of these losses could be avoided if people acknowledge the dangers and follow some basic safety advice.”

RNLI’s ‘Respect the Water’ campaign includes two films which will be shown in cinemas throughout the UK.

https://www.rnlivideolibrary.org.uk/getvideo.aspx?vid=QhMxynB6

http://rnli.org/Pages/Video-Details.aspx?VideoItemID=xL1O5RjR

More arrests following local crime spree

Operation RAC: Crime crackdown continues

Police have arrested and charged a 25-year-old local man following a number of thefts and housebreakings in north Edinburgh. The arrest follows the arrest of two others in connection with drugs offences in West Pilton earlier this week.

On Wednesday, officers executed a search warrant at a property on Ferry Road Drive following intelligence received from the public. Various stolen items were recovered and officers are currently conducting enquiries to reunite the stolen goods with their rightful owners.

The man was subsequently arrested and charged for housebreakings to business premises on Queensferry Road, Cheyne Street and Raeburn Place as well as an attempted break-in on Dean Street.

He was also charged in connection with the recovery of an abandoned Mercedes C-Class, which had previously been stolen alongside another vehicle from an address on Prospect Bank Road, and used in several business housebreakings in the Capital.

Superintendent Alan Porte said: “This arrest should reinforce that we will we act on any intelligence we receive and will pursue all possible lines of enquiry to bring perpetrators of housebreaking and vehicle crime to justice.

“The public can be assured that any information given to us will be treated with the utmost confidence, and used to keep our communities safe for everyone.”

The latest breakthrough follows the arrest of two men who were arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act earlier this week, following the discovery of a significant quantity of Class B drugs in West Pilton.

Drugs Team officers executed search warrants at flats in West Pilton Drive and West Pilton Loan, where they found cannabis with a potential street value of approximately £90,000.

A total of 128 mature cannabis plants were found at a home on West Pilton Drive along with a further 15 vacuum sealed bags each containing 1oz of herbal cannabis and six 250g bags of herbal cannabis worth a potential street value of approximately £55,000. A 30-year-old has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal in connection with this incident and will appear in court at a later date.

Police Scotland officers also recovered 51 mature cannabis plants and 32 seedlings at an address on West Pilton Loan with a potential street value of approximately £35,000. A 20-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday and a report has been sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

Detective Inspector Stuart Harkness from the Gayfield CID Proactive Unit said “These searches removed a significant amount of illegal drugs from our streets and highlights that Police Scotland continues to tackle those involved in organised crime within the city.

“We will continue with a robust approach to tackle crime in the communities we police and I would appeal for the public to provide us with the information we need to disrupt those involved in criminality. This information may be provided to your community officers, through contacting police on 101 or alternatively in anonymity by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Anyone with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Forth’s youth told: think BIG!

Think BIG. Think bold. Be creative. And there’s no such thing as a daft idea! That was the message to participants at an event held at Pilton Youth & Childrens Project last week – and the results of the day’s work will help to guide youth service provision across Forth Neighbourhood.

Organised by Forth Neighbourhood Partnership and Total Craigroyston, YouthTalk brought together young people from across Forth with community representatives and decision makers to discuss three key issues.

‘Positively Engaging Young People’ is one of Forth Neighbourhood Partnership’s main priorities and Convener Cllr Cammy Day explained to delegates: “We want young people’s views and aspirations to influence decisions that are taken locally and to listen to their suggestions about how things can be improved for them. We want them to have a real say in the future of this community and how it develops over the next ten or more years”.

A background report to aid discussion was prepared prior to the Youth Talk event. During the review young people across Forth were approached in schools, libraries, at youth groups, basically anywhere they assembled – and asked their opinions on the area. North Edinburgh Young Peoples Forum organised and conducted a survey in four local High Schools and the local Street Work team also gathered views: all told around 1400 young people gave their opinions on their local community -what they like, what they hate and what Forth needs to make it better for young people.

Assisted by motivational speaker Mike Stevenson from Thinktastic, Wednesday’s YouthTalk event saw young people and ‘seniors’ working together in small groups to discuss three ‘ideas’:

How do we involve more young people in positive activity?

How do we better promote the positive contribution our young people make in their community?

What should an ideal youth-friendly community look like – and how do we get there?

Once participants got into the swing of things, the conversation – and the ideas – began to flow. Some of the ideas generated – for example a common social media address for local youth groups to share information, and an annual celebration of young people’s achievements – proved very popular and could be acted on almost immediately. Others, however, may take longer – you did ask the young people to think BIG, Mike!

All of the ideas generated – big and small – will be recorded and a report of the YouthTalk event will be circulated in due course. It will make interesting reading!

And finally, thanks so much for the warm words and that round of applause for the NEN – it was really touching and much appreciated!

Midsummer Madness at Starbank Park

Also this Solstice weekend … :

It’s Power of Food Festival weekend!

It’s here! Edinburgh’s community gardeners take centre stage this weekend as The Power of Food Festival takes place at venues and locations across the city.

PoF Programme

For further info visit https://poweroffoodfestival.wordpress.com/

Tram to Newhaven?

The city council is to consider taking the tram network into Newhaven, Ocean Terminal or the foot of Leith Walk.

The line currently stops at York Place, but councillors will consider options to extend the route from the city centre along part of the originally planned route – a plan scaled down when the project ran into financial difficulties -at a meeting next week.

Extension cost estimates are £144.7m to Newhaven, £126.6m to Ocean Terminal and £78.7m to Leith Walk.

Transport Convener, Cllr Lesley Hinds, said: “I am extremely pleased with the progress of the business case, which already shows the clear economic impact the extension of the tram line could have on the city.

“In the tram’s first year of operation we have seen passenger numbers increase, demonstrating a growing demand for public transport in Edinburgh and making the case for extending the tram to benefit people elsewhere in the city.

“But we don’t want to make any rash decisions about the future of the project, and that’s why further due diligence is required to ensure a robust financial case that can be used as a basis for an informed judgement. We will also be exploring all avenues for funding, and considering a series of new and innovative options with a view to delivering best value.

“It is essential that we learn from our past mistakes and I am confident that this process will deliver thoroughly researched, strategic options for a tram extension.”

Further work is now to be carried out, including a formal market consultation, testing and auditing of the financial model and an investigation of alternative funding options, ahead of the final decision in autumn.

Read more about the Edinburgh tram project online.

Edinburgh’s tram service began running in May last year, six years late and costing more than double (£776 milion) the original £375m price tag – and that price was for a trams network not just a single line.

A public inquiry was set up last year under Lord Hardie to establish why the Edinburgh Trams project ‘incurred delays, cost more than orignally budgeted and through reductions in scope deliverd significantly less than projected’.

A formal call for members of the public to provide written evidence was issued on 12 May this year and a list of issues has been published. An online survey has also been created to give people an easy way to submit this evidence.

For more info visit http://www.edinburghtraminquiry.org/

Edinburgh Guarantee spells success for school leavers

More school leavers than ever in Edinburgh are moving into work, education, or training, thanks to the strong partnership that has developed between the public and private sectors through the Edinburgh Guarantee.

Figures published by the Scottish Government today show that the success rate of school leavers in Edinburgh achieving and sustaining a positive destination are at the highest rate ever. The figure is up 10 per cent since the Edinburgh Guarantee began four years ago and is now at 93.1 per cent. The Capital is now the best performing city in Scotland and is 12th out of all local authority areas, which puts us well above the national average.

The statistics show that more school leavers in Edinburgh are getting into jobs compared to September 2013 with over one in four of school leavers in employment at the snapshot taken in March. Just over 40% are getting into and sustaining places in Higher Education while over a quarter of school leavers opt for Further Education.

The majority of schools improved their performance since September 2013.

The largest increase was at Craigroyston Community High school up 13.1 per cent (see separate article), Currie performed extremely well with their figure now sitting at 97.9 per cent, and Firrhill and Gracemount were up by 6.8 per cent.

This success has been underpinned by the active support of the city’s employers in recruiting young people into their businesses, with 350 opportunities offered since April 2015.

Sue Bruce, Chief Executive, the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Today’s figures will be welcomed across the city by young people, employers in the private, voluntary and public sectors and those working in education. Giving young people the best start they can have in life is a key priority and I am delighted that the Edinburgh Guarantee is playing such an important role in securing the future success of our young people in the city.”

Cllr Paul Godzik, Convener of the Education, Children and Families Committee, said: “Whether it’s employment, apprenticeships or training, young people need to move out of school and into a positive destination quickly. It is really encouraging that there has been such an improvement in the figures this year as moving on to make a new start in life is the boost young people really need to raise their self esteem at this critical point in their lives.”

Cllr Frank Ross, Convener of the Economy Committee, said: “Ensuring that Edinburgh’s young people have opportunities is vital for the economic success of our city. These year’s figures demonstrate that initiatives such as the Edinburgh Guarantee are making a real difference to many young lives. I am confident that with sustained investment we’ll continue to drive up this figure and see many more young people taking a positive next step in their lives.”

Stephen Ramsay (pictured top) , panel beater modern apprentice at DSL Motors, said: “When I was at Craigroyston High School I was invovled in a Formula 1 project and I really enjoyed it. My career advisor helped me with an interview for Edinburgh College and I am now a modern apprentice doing a four year course in Automotive Paint Refinishing. As soon as I left school I wanted to get involved in this trade and I want to work in this field until I retire.”

A positive destination is defined as a place in Higher Education, Further Education, a job, paid apprenticeship, or work-focused training.

Click here for a short video featuring Cllrs Burns, Godzik and modern apprentice Stephen Ramsay.

Police seek four following Trinity attack

Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault on two people on Laverockbank Road. Four people, one of whom is a woman, are being sought following the attack.

The incident happened at around 1am on Sunday 31 May, when the two victims and four suspects left a business premises separately.

The first suspect assaulted the 34-year-old male victim, and the 28-year-old female victim was assaulted when she tried to intervene. The other suspects then joined the attack and the female victim was knocked unconscious.

Both victims sustained facial injuries, which were subsequently found to be more serious than first thought. Police attended at the time of the incident, and officers have conducted various enquiries in an effort to trace the suspects.

The first suspect is described as a white man in his 30s, 5ft 10inches tall with a medium build. He had a shaved head and a heart tattoo with a keyhole on his right forearm.

The second suspect is described a white man in his 30s, 5ft 11inches tall with a heavy build. He had short dark hair and was wearing a dark jacket.

The third suspect was a white man in his 40s, 5ft 10inches tall with a slim build. He was wearing a light-coloured shirt.

The fourth suspect is described as a white woman, 5ft 6inches tall, with a medium build. She had long dark hair and was wearing a black jacket.

Detective Sergeant Clark Martin said: “This was a seemingly unprovoked and brutal attack and we are eager to trace anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or has any information which can help with our enquiries.

“We’re also eager to speak to a taxi driver seen in the area at the time of the assault, who may be able to help with our investigations.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.