Hibernian FC has urged supporters to enjoy today’s Cup Final and reiterated that they should watch – and hopefully celebrate – the match in line with Government restrictions and with consideration for others.
The Club confirmed yesterday that Easter Road Stadium would close on Friday and will not reopen over the weekend, regardless of the game’s outcome.
And following the harrowing scenes from Glasgow city centre – where a man had his hand blown off in a shocking pyrotechnic incident – the Club is asking fans to desist from any use of pyrotechnics. These are not safe, can cause severe injuries, and can be harmful to health – particularly to those suffering from any respiratory illness.
Fans can now enjoy the game with families or close friends provided they do so in line with Government restrictions – so basically up to six adults from three households, whether in a private home or hospitality setting.
The game is being televised live via Hibs TV to International Subscribers and is also being shown on BBC and on Premier Sports – so loads of options to watch.
In his open letter to all supporters, Hibernian Chairman Ronald J Gordon said: “I also want to ask one more time for your support and patience. Please, cheer the team on, but please do it with your friends and your family and do it within the Government restrictions that are there to protect us all. Let’s not be part of anything that risks the progress made in tackling the pandemic.”
The Club is asking supporters to resist the temptation to gather unsafely in large numbers and making it clear that there will be no opportunity, sadly, to celebrate together as we would all like if Jack Ross and the players cap a great season by winning the Scottish Cup.
By adhering to the rules, Hibernian fans can help bring a return to stadiums a little closer.
Duke of Cambridge calls in at Spartans to talk mental health
Duke visits Spartans FC to hear about positive impact of the Heads Up ‘Mentally Healthy Football’ declaration in Scotland
Scotland’s spot-kick hero David Marshall joins Duke and other Home Nations players in zoom conversation on mental health
Mental Health League players engage in shooting drill with Duke and former Scotland international Steven Thompson
Spartans FC received a royal visitor yesterday when the Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, paid a visit to Pilton to hear about the progress made in putting mental health and wellbeing at the forefront of the game in Scotland.
The trip to Spartans was the Duke’s first stop on his visit to Scotland, and saw him meet with representatives from the Scottish FA, Breathing Space, Time to Tackle, the Hampden Sports Clinic and Bonnyrigg Rose to discuss the range of mental health initiatives running in Scottish football.
With the visit also coming on the eve of the Scottish Cup Final, the Duke met with former Scottish Cup winners Chris Iwelumo and Marvin Bartley, who previously won the Scottish Cup with tomorrow’s finalists St Johnstone and Hibs respectively.
David McPhee, Chair of the Scottish Mental Health and Wellbeing League, spoke with the Duke as they took in some action from small-sided matches featuring players from the League.
The League, which was previously run by the Scottish FA, was set up to support recovery and tackle stigma associated with mental health.
A number of the Mental Health and Wellbeing League players then helped the Duke test his shooting skills, as he took part in a friendly skills challenge with them and former Scotland striker Steven Thompson.
Scotland’s spot-kick hero David Marshall then joined the Duke and other Home Nations players in a zoom conversation to discuss changing the conversation on mental health and their experiences over the past year.
Also taking part in the catch-up ahead of UEFA EURO 2020 were Harry Kane for England, Julie Nelson for Northern Ireland, and Jess Fishlock MBE for Wales.
The plan, which supports the Royal Foundation’s Heads Up mental health campaign, aims to end the stigma around the issue in football and create an environment for people to talk openly about their mental health in the game.
The Duke learned of the success of the Scottish FA’s mental health e-learning platform, which has seen more than 9,000 players, staff, managers and officials in the Scottish football community complete mental health awareness training through the platform in less than a year.
This commitment saw governing bodies, leagues and organisations from across UK football join in recognising that mental health is as important as physical health, and pioneering a ‘team approach’ on this important issue.
Moray moves to Level 2, Glasgow remains in Level 3
Moray is the only local authority area to change protection level as it moved to Level 2 at midnight last night following improvement in coronavirus (COVID-19) prevalence.
Data available yesterday showed that in the last week case rates in Moray have fallen sharply, from 98 per 100,000 to 37 per 100,000, and cases of the April-02 variant – the so-called Indian variant – are lower there than in other parts of the country.
Both the proportion of cases and of positive tests have continued to rise in Glasgow, with the April-02 variant thought to be driving the spread, meaning the city will remain in Level 3 for at least another week.
Enhanced testing, vaccination and public health measures will continue to attempt to contain the spread, and enhanced contact tracing may mean close contacts of close contacts are asked to self-isolate and book a test.
A further £1.05 million per week has been made available to Glasgow City Council to provide additional support for businesses in hospitality and leisure in Glasgow of up to £750 per week.
East Renfrewshire will see public health efforts intensified to tackle an increase in prevalence there, but will remain in Level 2 for now and be monitored closely. According to this morning’s data, cases as a proportion of the population there have increased to 118 per 100,000 people in the last week, though many of these can be traced to specific household clusters.
Everyone in Glasgow and East Renfrewshire is encouraged to get tested to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by finding cases that might be missed, as around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 don’t have symptoms.
Travel between Scotland and three local authority areas in England will be restricted from 00:01 on Monday 24 May 2021 due to sustained high prevalence of the virus in Bedford, Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen.
This will be reviewed in a week along with the other measures announced today. People can travel freely throughout most of Scotland and between most of Scotland and the rest of the UK, other than to, or from, Glasgow.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The situation in Moray has improved very significantly – cases and test positivity have fallen markedly and the April-02 variant does not seem to be as commonly present as in Glasgow and some other parts of the country.
“I can therefore confirm that Moray will now move down to Level 2, taking effect from midnight tonight. This has been made possible by the efforts of local public health teams, their partners, and of course the public – and I am grateful to all of them.
“Extensive public health measures have been deployed in Glasgow city, including enhanced testing and vaccination in the areas with the highest rates of COVID – especially the G41 and G42 postcodes – and enhanced contact tracing has been put in place.
“Despite all of the efforts that have been made in the last 10 days, however, cases in Glasgow are still rising and we are fairly certain the increase is being driven by the April-02 variant.
“We are confident that the major public health efforts which are underway will be effective – and that they will bring levels of the virus back under control – but they need a bit longer to do that.
“We also need a bit more time to be more confident that vaccination will stop rising case numbers today becoming sharply rising hospital and severe illness numbers a couple of weeks from now.
“I know how unwelcome Glasgow remaining in Level 3 is for individuals and businesses, but I genuinely hope it will not be for too much longer, and all of us who do live in Glasgow can play our part in getting this under control as soon as possible.
“While the case rates per 100,000 in Glasgow and East Renfrewshire look similar, the total number of cases in East Renfrewshire – because it’s a smaller area – is significantly smaller than in Glasgow.
“More importantly, many more of the cases that have been reported in the last week in East Renfrewshire can be traced to specific household clusters than is the case in Glasgow, where transmission appears to be much more widespread. That means we think strong and targeted public health measures have more of a chance of stemming the rise, without the need to use wider restrictions.
“We know there are particularly serious outbreaks of the April-02 variant in three specific English local authority areas – Bedford, Bolton, and Blackburn with Darwen. For that reason, from Monday onwards, we are imposing hopefully temporary travel restrictions between Scotland and those three local authority areas in England.
“If you are planning to visit friends or relatives, or to stay in those areas, you must delay your visit. We hope that these rules and guidelines will not be in place for very long, but at the moment they are a further way of reducing the risk that people will bring the April-02 variant into Scotland from those locations.”
Shoppers could be paying almost four times more than they need to for the same branded grocery products at certain times, Which?’s biggest ever supermarket pricing investigation has found.
The consumer champion analysed more than a million prices for 493 branded grocery items at six major supermarkets – Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose – throughout 2020.
The investigation revealed not just the pricing secrets that mean shoppers could be paying over the odds for the same products depending on the days they shop, but also the types of grocery products that fluctuate the most when it comes to price, as well as the supermarket that almost always beats its rivals when it comes to the cost of branded groceries
Lavazza Qualita Rossa Ground Coffee (250g) at Ocado had the most dramatic price difference, as the investigation found shoppers could pay almost four times more for the same product on different days.
It was at its cheapest price of £1.30 for 63 days in 2020, however for more than a third of the year (130 days), it cost an eye-watering £5 – a 284 per cent difference for the same product. Ocado said this price fluctuation was an error that has now been corrected.
The price for Müller yogurts illustrates the so-called “high-low” tactic used by many supermarkets – when prices are dramatically hiked and then slashed at regular intervals.
For example, Müller Light Greek Luscious Lemon yogurts fluctuated substantially at Sainsbury’s during 2020, flipping between £1 and £2.75 – a 175 per cent price difference – at roughly three-week intervals. The same product was also available for £1 or less in at least one of the major supermarkets for about 85 per cent of the year.
Other products that saw significant price variations included Carte D’Or Vanilla Ice Cream and Loyd Grossman Tomato and Basil Sauce at Asda – with prices fluctuating by 133 per cent and 125 per cent respectively.
At Morrisons, shoppers could pick up a bottle of Shloer’s Red Grape Juice Drink for just £1 on a good day, however it cost more than double (£2.25) on other days – representing a 125 per cent increase.
Which? also found there were price variations of 122 per cent for Jordans Country Crisp Four Nut Cereal at Tesco. Shoppers could sometimes pay just £1.35, yet on other days the same pack was more than double the price at £3.
The investigation also analysed pricing at a category level, looking at 19 areas from chocolates to cheese, and found the price for branded cakes and biscuits fluctuated by 48 per cent on average – more than any other category.
In this category, Which? analysed the price of 14 products and found a 10-pack of Cadbury Chocolate Mini Rolls at Asda had the biggest price difference. It cost just £1.20 at its cheapest but was more than double the price at £2.60 on certain days.
Shoppers should also keep a close eye on the price of juices and smoothies, as prices in this category varied by 41 per cent on average. This was followed by cooking sauces (38%), crisps (36%) and cereal (35%).
Across all 19 categories analysed, Asda had the lowest average prices for branded groceries, making it the best option for shoppers who prefer branded items but do not want to pay over the odds.
Waitrose was the most expensive supermarket for branded items in eight categories including energy drinks, ice cream and tea, and Ocado for seven categories including juice drinks, coffee and cheddar.
Almost all the products in the investigation varied in price and could be found discounted at one or more supermarkets at any time. However, a Which? survey found one in five shoppers are confused by grocery promotions and the majority (73%) would prefer consistently low prices.
While Aldi and Lidl were not featured in the investigation as they stock fewer branded goods, they have won legions of customers by focusing on consistently low prices rather than deals and discounts. In Which?’s monthly price analysis, the cheapest supermarket is invariably either Aldi or Lidl.
Ele Clark, Which? Retail Editor, said: “Our research reveals just how wildly food and drink prices can fluctuate from day to day, meaning people are at risk of massively overpaying for branded groceries depending on when and where they shop.
“We would recommend keeping an eye on the prices of your favourite products and stocking up when they’re discounted to avoid paying over the odds.”
Please see a link below for the average price fluctuation for all 19 categories:
Don’t pay full price – If you regularly buy non-perishable branded groceries such as crisps, cereal and tins of soup, make sure you stock up when they’re discounted and avoid paying full price for them.
Shop around – Although they don’t offer online grocery shopping, Aldi, Lidl, Home Bargains, Wilko and others often offer good deals on branded products too. It’s also worth trying own-label alternatives, which can offer great quality at even better prices.
Watch out for pricing tricks – Discounts are great but don’t be manipulated by other pricing tricks. The strawberries may be on offer but what about the price of the upmarket pouring cream temptingly positioned next to it?
Scrutinise price-matching claims – Sainsbury’s and Tesco both shout about their Aldi price-matching schemes, but they actually only cover a limited range of products, so the total cost of your shopping may still be higher than it would be at Aldi.
Take advantage of supermarket loyalty scheme discounts – Lidl Plus and Tesco Clubcard are just two examples of supermarket loyalty schemes offering exclusive discounts to members.
Which? awards various endorsements to supermarkets:
Lidl was awarded Cheapest Supermarket of 2020 – link here.
Waitrose won the Which? Award for Supermarket of the Year in 2020 – link here.
Aldi was named the UK’s favourite in-store supermarket for 2021 in Which?’s annual satisfaction survey – link here.
Sainsbury’s was the highest-scoring online supermarket of 2021 in Which?’s annual satisfaction survey and was also named a Which? Recommended Provider for its online services – link here.
Aldi was awarded the Cheapest Supermarket for April – link here.
An Asda spokesperson said: “We have a long heritage in providing customers with the brands they love at the best possible prices and we’re really pleased the Which? survey found that Asda is the cheapest supermarket for branded products.
“Investing in price to provide even greater value for customers when they shop remains our key strategic priority. In tandem with everyday low prices, we are also focussed on a number of other price investments to deliver great value, including our regular rollbacks and price lock events, where prices are reduced across thousands of food and non-food categories.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We’re committed to offering our customers the best possible quality and value and prices fluctuate up and down for a variety of reasons.
“Our Price Lock and Sainsbury’s Quality Aldi Price Match campaigns ensure customers can feel confident they are getting the best possible prices at Sainsbury’s, while not compromising on quality.”
An Ocado spokesperson said: “Ocado is committed to offering customers the best range, service and value in the market. As part of this commitment, we are proud to offer over 49,000 products – more than any other supermarket.
“Our Value Delivered range offers hundreds of everyday items at low prices. The fluctuation in price for the Lavazza product was due to a technical error and has since been resolved. The regular price is now back in place and is in line with most other major grocery retailers.”
Morrisons, Tesco and Waitrose did not provide a comment.
With just over two months until the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Aldi is running a nationwide competition with Team GB, calling on budding child artists to submit a design for its latest lorry.
The UK’s fifth-largest supermarket is inviting school children aged between five and 14 to enter a hand-drawn design by Friday 25th June that celebrates fresh, healthy food.
The competition is the next step in Aldi’s longstanding partnership with Team GB, and the shortlisted entries will be judged by Team GB athletes – including Max Whitlock, Shauna Coxsey, Lois Toulson, Jade Jones, Lutalo Muhammad, and the Brownlee brothers – who will select one winner for Scotland, and one for England and Wales.
This initiative also forms part of Aldi and Team GB’s Get Set to Eat Fresh programme that aims to inspire young people to build their understanding and love of healthy, fresh food. Over the past five years, the programme has reached more than 1.9 million children across the UK.
Winners will see their design on an Aldi lorry, which will deliver food and drink products to stores across the country.
The supermarket will also reward the winning artists with Aldi vouchers and an exclusive Team GB goody bag. The winners’ schools will receive £1,000 to spend at Aldi.
Mary Dunn, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi, said:“The Design a Lorry competition is the latest in a series of initiatives we’re delivering in partnership with Team GB to encourage young people to think about healthy eating.
“We are looking forward to seeing the entries and hope that those taking part will learn about the benefits of choosing to follow a healthy diet along the way.”
Tim Ellerton, Commercial Director at Team GB, said: “Throughout our partnership with Aldi on the Get Set to Eat Fresh programme they have continuously created new and innovative ideas to engage and inspire young people around the topic of eating fresh and healthy food.
“This is a fun opportunity for school pupils to see their creativity rewarded and for their schools to benefit also. We look forward to seeing the end results.”
Alongside the Design a Lorry competition, the Get Set to Eat Fresh programme also offers a series of teaching resources, which can be used to educate children about eating well, the skills they need to cook for themselves and how fresh, healthy food powers Team GB’s champion athletes.
Leading aparthotel group Nativeis set to host Scottish alternative rock band, Fatherson on their private garden terrace next month.
This one-off money-can’t-buy event takes place on June 5th with thirty lucky guests to celebrate the stylish Edinburgh hotel reopening.
The band made up of Ross Leighton, Greg Walkinshaw and Marc Strain have toured relentlessly including sold-out headline shows across the UK and Europe, plus support slots with Lewis Capaldi, Kings Of Leon, Biffy Clyro, Frightened Rabbit, Augustines, Idlewild and Twin Atlantic
When they’re not touring, Fatherson spends the rest of their time cooking up a storm – and sharing their recipes with fans through their ‘Cooking With Fatherson’ channels on their website. Their pizza pop-ups have become legendary amongst other bands backstage at festivals across the country and now they’re bringing their cooking to Native Edinburgh.
This exclusive ‘Cooking With Fatherson X Native’ event will be a chance for fans of the band to hang out and enjoy a pizza Fatherson on Native’s terrace. They’ve previously cooked for Lewis Capaldi so you’ll be in good company.
To get your hands on complimentary tickets for this intimate gig, simply head to Fatherson’s Instagram between Tuesday 25 to Thursday, 27 May to enter their giveaway.
Thirty lucky winners will be announced to join them at Native Edinburgh for this exclusive get-together and complimentary pizza and drink.
Greg Walkinshaw of Fatherson said:“Cooking With Fatherson started out after we took our pizza oven on tour feeding our crew, pals and other bands backstage at festivals.
“After a long year without seeing anyone, we’re really looking forward to dishing out some slices to some new pals next month in Edinburgh!”
Native Edinburgh – newly opened last year in Kintore House on Queens Street, was originally constructed in the 1790s. The building is a significant part of the original fabric of Edinburgh’s New Town, an area of outstanding neo-classical and Georgian architecture and a UNESCO world heritage site.
With 82 apartments comprising studios, one bedrooms, and ground floor leisure and co-working spaces, Native Edinburgh provides the flexibility and amenities of a design-led boutique hotel, coupled with the space, comfort and privacy of a home from home.
Gary White, Regional Manager of Scotland Native aparthotels, said:“Like the rest of the world, it feels good to be back reopened and being able to put on intimate events.
“Cooking with Fatherson is our first event on our Edinburgh terrace and we couldn’t think of a better way to kick things off than with this incredible Scottish band. If you’d like to join us, make sure you visit Fatherson’s Instagram page.”
Cooking with Fatherson X Native Edinburghwill take place on Saturday, 5th June from 4pm until 7pm on the Native Edinburgh terrace.
For more information on Native aparthotels, head to:
‘In too many schools verbal and physical abuse against teachers is going unchallenged’
Violence and verbal abuse of teachers is at risk of becoming normalised in some Scottish schools, teachers are warning, exacerbated by the rise of so-called ‘restorative’ approaches to pupil behaviour management which are eroding teachers’ authority and making them equally culpable for pupils’ behaviour.
Members of NASUWT Scotland-The Teachers’ Union are warning that the poor implementation of restorative behaviour schemes is putting both the learning of pupils and the welfare and safety of teachers at risk.
Restorative behaviour programmes typically centre on the use of restorative conversations between teachers and pupils to address incidents of poor behaviour, in lieu of other sanctions.
While the NASUWT does not necessarily disagree with the principle of such schemes, the Union is concerned that in too many schools the way such schemes are being implemented is effectively making teachers responsible for pupils’ behaviour and allowing school managements to abdicate their responsibilities for addressing pupil behaviour.
NASUWT Scotland members will call for clear guidelines to be introduced for all schools to support teachers in maintaining discipline and protect them from violence and abuse at the Union’s Scotland Annual Conference, which will be held virtually tomorrow (Saturday).
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said: “In too many schools verbal and physical abuse against teachers is going unchallenged.
“There is a growing culture in schools of ‘blame the teacher’ rather than holding pupils accountable for their behaviour and this is being aided and abetted in some cases by the misuse and abuse of restorative behaviour policies, which are becoming synonymous in too many cases with no punishment or sanctions for unacceptable behaviour.
“While good behaviour management policies encourage pupils to reflect on their own behaviour, they also have in place clear and consistently enforced sanctions for verbal abuse or physical violence and make clear to all pupils that such behaviour will not be tolerated. Evidence shows that positive pupil behaviour stems from a whole school approach where managements lead and support staff in maintaining good discipline.
“No teacher should go to work with the expectation that they will be either verbally or physically abused. All teachers are entitled to dignity at work and a safe working environment.
“Teachers are being disempowered by the failure of government to ensure that across the country, behaviour policies are supporting teachers in maintaining high standards of discipline.
“It’s about time the Scottish Government made strong and unequivocal statements about the rights of teachers to a safe working environment, and took action to ensure that these rights are being delivered.”
The Foreign Secretary has welcomed the ceasefire reached in Israel and Gaza yesterday.Dominic Raab said: “The UK welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza, an important step to ending the cycle of violence and loss of civilian life.
“Hamas must end all attacks on Israel. It is also now important for Israel to facilitate rapid humanitarian access in and out of Gaza.”
The UK will provide new funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA to help provide food, water, and emergency shelter to Palestinians affected by the recent escalation in violence in Gaza, the UK’s Minister for the Middle East James Cleverly announced yesterday.
The UK support comes as UNRWA launches an emergency appeal calling for urgent support to meet immediate humanitarian needs. Existing UK aid to UNRWA is already helping the Agency to provide food supplies to more than one million refugees in Gaza this year.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza was already concerning, with the percentage of the population living in poverty expected to increase this year from 53 per cent to 64 per cent. COVID is still spreading in Gaza and 2 million Palestinians have been living under severe movement and access restrictions.
Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, James Cleverly, said: “Palestinian and Israeli civilians should not face the brunt of this conflict, and no child or family should go without food, water or shelter. Today’s UK support will help UNRWA deliver life-saving humanitarian aid to those that need it most.
“The international community needs to ensure UNRWA is able to save lives and reduce the suffering.
“The escalation of violence and loss of life in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories has shocked all of us. Both sides must work towards an immediate ceasefire, to prevent the further loss of life and a worsening humanitarian situation.”
Members of the Edinburgh Action for Palestine campaign will continue to stage their weekly protest on Princes Street this Saturday from 11am – 12pm.
EA4P strongly opposes all forms of racism, including anti-semitism.
On Saturday, 22 May, 2021, St Johnstone and Hibernian go head to head in the Scottish Cup Final.
There is always significant interest in these extremely important fixtures and despite the match being played behind closed doors, this weekend’s game will be no exception.
The game is eagerly anticipated and passions can run high. However, fans can be assured that preparations for policing any gatherings in relation to the match are well underway with public safety being Police Scotland’s primary concern.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs said: “The Scottish Cup Final on Saturday is an important day for everyone involved with St Johnstone and Hibernian football clubs and we will have an appropriate policing plan in place to maintain public safety.
“It is vitally important that both sets of fans avoid gathering in large groups and stick to the regulations in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“I also want to take this opportunity to remind people that the use of pyrotechnics is extremely dangerous. We have seen from events in recent weeks that the consequences of their use can be severe, you might not just injure yourself using them, but you could also seriously injure those in your vicinity.
“Police Scotland is already working with both teams and our partners, including the Scottish Government, to ensure the match goes ahead safely and supporters follow the restrictions for their own safety and that of the wider public and our officers.
“Our approach throughout the pandemic has been to engage with the public, explain the legislation and encourage compliance, but officers will not hesitate to use enforcement powers as a last resort.”
Survey finds strong levels of public confidence in Police Scotland
Strong levels of public confidence in Police Scotland have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the majority of people supporting our approach to keeping people safe.
When asked for their opinion of policing in their local area and concerns regarding their safety and wellbeing, 84% of respondents who took part in the ‘Your Police’ 2020/21 survey also said they felt safe.
The survey – which launched on 9 April last year – received more than 36,500 responses from people across Scotland. This will help us to build on our understanding of the views and priorities of Scotland’s diverse communities.
During the survey period, the average public confidence level was 57% – an increase of nine percentage points from pre COVID-19. We learned that the factors which affected public confidence most were local changes to transmission rates and lockdowns, in particular the announcement of the national lockdown which began in January. The restrictions and increasing infection rates were factors for both Police Scotland and other public organisations, in general.
The survey feedback has helped shape and enhance Police Scotland’s response to our communities over the past year, as our officers, staff and Special Constables have continued to play a key role in the national effort to combat the spread of COVID-19.
This response has included:
Increased police presence at identified key locations. This was particularly important to those living in rural areas with lower COVID-19 rates, who had concerns about domestic tourists from Scottish regions with higher infection rates visiting their area.
The use of enhanced technology. This included the introduction of online reporting for members of the public for perceived breaches of the COVID-19 regulations as well as the use of video appointments for the public and for community meetings, allowing for safe and accessible face-to-face contact.
Increased engagement with more than 250 organisations representing the interests of diverse communities and businesses. This helped improve awareness of the needs and challenges faced by those living with physical, sensory and learning difficulties, when practicing social distancing and using face masks. An event exploring public confidence within ‘seldom heard’ communities will also take place on May 19, co-hosted by Police Scotland, to help further enhance our support to these groups – further information below.
Tracking responses received from those living and working in communities with tighter restrictions and outbreaks. Monthly public confidence trackers have been created for each Local Policing Division to support local planning, accountability and scrutiny.
Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr, Local Policing, said: “Despite the continued challenges to policing during such an extraordinary time, Police Scotland has continued to maintain high levels of public confidence, and I am particularly pleased that such a significant proportion of the population continue to feel safe in the area they live.
“The strong relationships we have with our communities have been absolutely crucial, and providing reassurance to the people we serve during this challenging time has been a key priority.
“The ‘Your Police’ survey is the largest of its kind in the UK to involve the public in a conversation about policing and COVID-19, and I would like to thank the tens of thousands of people who took the time to get involved.
“The results were reviewed on a weekly basis, helping us to respond to emerging issues, and shape our approaches to policing at a national and local level. The survey has been relaunched to allow the public to continue letting us know their views and opinions over the coming months, and I would encourage you to take part.”
In addition, there was an extremely high level of satisfaction recorded among those who were in contact with police during this challenging time. More than 70% of people, who either reported or witnessed a crime, said they were satisfied with their experience when dealing with Police Scotland.
Furthermore, over 80% of respondents were satisfied with how they were treated by call operators and attending officers, and 87% felt that their needs were properly understood.
DCC Kerr added: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank our fellow citizens for the overwhelming support and co-operation policing has experienced during this very challenging year.
“Our officers will continue to respond with good sense, exercising discretion and when necessary, taking enforcement action where required.”
