Uncategorized – Page 75 – The NEN

USDAW calls for attacks on retail workers and theft from shops to be given priority

RETAIL CRIME IN SCOTLAND CONTINUES TO INCREASE

Retail trade union Usdaw is concerned by the continued growing trend of shoplifting incidents, which have more than doubled since the pandemic, alongside a persistent decline in police ‘clear-up’ rates for the offence.

The union welcomes that the protection of retail workers law has been effective in nearly 8,000 assaults, but calls for greater priority to be given to retail crime.

Police recorded retail crime in Scotland:

Shoplifting increased from 20,557 during the pandemic to 44,730 last year (2024/5), which is a 118% increase and includes a 16% rise on the previous year (2023/4).
The ‘clear-up’ rate for shoplifting has fallen every year over the past 10 years from 74.6% in 2014/5 to 49% in 2024/5, an overall decrease of over one-third.
Since the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 came into effect on 24 August 2021, there have been 7,861 police recorded incidents of common assault of a retail worker.

www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2024-25

Tony Doonan – Usdaw regional secretary for Scotland says: “Scottish retail workers suffer far too many incidents of violence, abuse and threats. No-one should feel afraid to go to work, but far too many retail workers are.

“Usdaw’s own survey shows that nearly three-quarters of our members working in retail are being abused, threatened and assaulted for simply doing their job and serving the community. They provide an essential service and deserve our respect and the protection of the law.

“The scale of the epidemic of retail crime is laid bare in these shocking police recorded crime statistics. It is increasingly common for retail stores to be targeted by organised crime gangs stealing to order.

“This is in no way a victimless crime, with weapons and violence used to ensure these criminals are not stopped.

“Having to deal with repeated and persistent offences can cause issues beyond the theft itself, like anxiety, fear and physical harm to retail workers.

“Scotland’s protection of retail workers law has made a difference, having been used for nearly 8,000 assaults, but more needs to be done.

“We continue to work with retailers, the Scottish Government and Police Scotland to help ensure that legislation is fully utilised so that all retail workers receive the protection and respect they deserve.”

Holyrood Committee agrees general principles of Dog Theft (Scotland) Bill

More work is needed if the Dog Theft (Scotland) Bill proceeds to the next stage of the legislative process. This is the recommendation in a new report issued by Holyrood’s Rural Affairs & Islands Committee.

Publishing its Stage 1 report, the Committee says that it supports the general principles of the Bill. However, should the Bill progress to the next stage, the Committee sets out areas for reconsideration and development.

The Committee says that, although the creation of a specific statutory offence of dog theft would recognise that dogs are sentient beings and reflect the impact on animal welfare, there is no clear evidence to suggest that a statutory offence would be used more in practice than the existing common law.

In addition, without a dedicated budget for raising awareness of the statutory offence, and with similar penalties as are currently available for the existing offence, the Committee say it is unlikely to act as a strong deterrent.

The report also says that making the theft of an assistance dog an aggravated crime does not seem a ‘proportionate provision’. To date, no instances of dog theft have been reported, and the court system can already consider the impact of any theft, if a case does come to court.

The Committee recommends however that, if the proposed aggravation proceeds to Stage 2, a broader definition for dogs providing support and assistance, for example working farm dogs, should be included.

The Committee says that it does not support allowing victims of dog theft to make victim statements to the court.

During scrutiny, stakeholders said that courts already consider the impact of crimes on victims and that providing this opportunity to victims of dog theft, would create an anomaly with other crimes which do not allow victim support statements.

Instead, the Committee asks the Scottish Government to include dog theft within its broader commitment to expand the range of offences where victim statements are allowed.

Committee Convener, Finlay Carson MSP, said; “This is a well-intentioned Bill which merits our support at this stage in the legislative process. We agree that dog theft is a terrible crime, and that appropriate legislation should be in place to reflect this.

“However, evidence provided to us during our scrutiny suggests that many of the Bill provisions are already available within the current court system and procedures. It’s important to ensure legislation and enforcement procedures do not create untended consequences or further bureaucratic burdens.

“It’s now for the Scottish Parliament to consider the reservations we have set out in our report and to decide the best route forward.”

£22 million to tackle waiting times in NHS Lothian

Additional funding to build on progress in clearing longest waits

Health Secretary Neil Gray has welcomed progress in reducing waiting lists at NHS Lothian as he confirmed the health board will be allocated an additional £22 million for the year ahead – as part of a £106 million investment across the NHS to tackle the longest waits.

Latest figures show a 14% decrease last year in inpatient/daycase waits for all specialties at NHS Lothian – down from 26,462 at 31 March 2024 to 22,762 at 31 March 2025.

The reduction in ongoing waits was driven by reductions in:

General surgery -19.6%
Gynaecology -20.6%
Orthopaedics -17.9%
Urology -27.9%

On a visit to the Day Surgery Unit at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, the Health Secretary met with staff and patients and saw first-hand the positive impact Scottish Government investment is having on waits. The Day Surgery Unit carries out 30 – 40 scheduled procedures every day – this helps allow patients to leave for home from 2pm onwards with a focus on same day discharge.

A huge variety of procedures are performed with patients from a mix of five specialties, including gynaecology, general surgery, vascular, neurosurgery and orthopaedics. Last year, around 4,500 procedures were carried out by the Unit.

Mr Gray said: “This government is focussed on taking the action needed to cut waiting lists and we are determined to make it easier, faster and fairer for patients to get access to the treatment they need.

“I was pleased to meet the team at the Royal Infirmary’s Day Surgery Unit who are carrying out fantastic work to help target long waits and making significant progress. We want to build on this success and drive that improvement across Scotland – our additional investment of £106 million support this work across all health boards.

“Figures published today show monthly A&E performance at its best since July 2023 and delayed discharge at its lowest since October 2023. Our plan to improve our NHS is working and we will build on this progress by increasing capacity and investing to tackle the longest waits to ensure patients get faster access to care.”

Sheltered housing tenants in Leith celebrate ‘Glastoldbury’!

Tenants at Jameson Place in Leith are celebrating ‘Glastoldbury’ this weekend. The festival line-up includes Edinburgh Festival Fringe singer Sean Mearns and Leona Corio.

The tenants’ outdoor space will be transformed with tents and festival decorations with around 40 festival-goers expected to attend Glastoldbury. There will be a BBQ lunch, mocktails, fun tattoos and a photobooth to enjoy between sets.

A slot has been carved out for games and chip butties before the party continues into the late afternoon.

Maureen Combe, Sheltered Housing Manager at Harbour Homes said: “Our tenants have a varied social calendar and, with so many music fans here, we decided to bring a little bespoke festival atmosphere to our doorstep in Leith.

“A big thank you to the singers who are performing at Glastoldbury and to all those involved in making this idea a reality. We’ve got our fingers crossed for a little sunshine on Leith this weekend!”

Your wish was granted, Maureen!

The east remains dry as SEPA urges the country to stay vigilant

This week, the rain has brought relief to the west and northwest of the country, but some levels of water scarcity are still being felt in large parts of Scotland, particularly in the east. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are asking that water users remain vigilant.

Although the rainfall in late May and early June brought localised relief, it has not reversed the underlying dry conditions. Eight river catchments – the Spey, Deveron, Ythan, Don, Dee, Esk, Firth of Tay and Tyne – remain at Moderate Scarcity, while a further six – Wick, Helmsdale, Findhorn, Forth, Almond and Tweed – are at Alert. The Naver has seen some light relief and recovered to Early Warning.

SEPA started issuing warnings about the chance of water scarcity in March, after an exceptionally dry autumn and winter. Spring 2025 was the second driest in more than 100 years, and the driest since 1964 in parts of eastern Scotland. With rainfall in the east still well below average for the year, river conditions could deteriorate quickly even without the presence of a heatwave.

With the rivers already stressed after months of below average rainfall and summer only just beginning even brief periods of rain over the summer often will not soak in properly or evenly enough to reverse the pressure. This means warmer temperatures, lower oxygen, and shrinking channels will increase pressure on fish, aquatic life, and habitats.

Scotland’s water scarcity levels are grounded in current data, not forecasts. SEPA’s team of specialists maintain and calibrate a national network of river flow stations — a science-led system that gives an accurate picture of pressures on our rivers, lochs, and water supplies.

Eilidh Johnston, SEPA’s Senior Manager in Water Industry and Rural Economy, said: “Many abstractors have already been planning ahead and taking steps to use water efficiently, especially in areas of Alert and Moderate scarcity.

“We’ve talked to over 400 licence holders across the last few months and welcome the steps that have been taken by farmers, distilleries, industry and others to use water efficiently. We urge them to continue to do that. We don’t wait until the situation reaches crisis point to act, and we don’t expect water users to either.

“We’re still contacting abstractors where rivers are low to ensure they have all the information they need to make decisions about their water use, and to make sure nothing comes as a surprise if further action becomes necessary. If you hold an abstraction licence and you’re in an area of Moderate Scarcity, don’t be concerned if we get in touch.”

SEPA will continue to monitor conditions and publish weekly water scarcity reports to help businesses make informed decisions about their water use.

Access to the reports, and SEPA’s DRAT station information, is available at sepa.org.uk/waterscarcity

Remember, remember …

FIREWORK CONTROL ZONES

Is your community being considered for a Firework Control Zone in November?

Streets in Balerno, Calton Hill, Corstorphine, Gracemount, Longstone, Moredun, Niddrie, Seafield and Sighthill have been nominated.

We’d like to hear your views at http://edinburgh.gov.uk/firework-control-zones…

Meeting Centres: Help to develop a dementia-friendly Social Club

MONDAY 30 JUNE 10.30 – 1pm at NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS

BOOK YOUR PLACE:

Email: fionab@northedinburgharts.co.uk

New AI tech company to tackle impersonation scams

Cyber project LastingAsset has become the latest firm to spin out from Edinburgh Napier University

A team of Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) cybersecurity experts have taken their fight against impersonation scams to the next level – after setting up their own company.

Their project, LastingAsset, has become the latest to spin out from the University, joining an illustrious list of cyber firms that began life at the School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment.

LastingAsset started out as a cybersecurity project to protect digital assets, before the founding team adapted the technology to tackle imposter calls.

Their service uses cryptographic encryption and artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent fraud perpetuated by rogue actors who impersonate an organisation or individual.

Almost half of all fraud has an impersonation aspect and criminals are increasingly duping victims by using AI to socially engineer, voice clone and deep fake individuals. These crimes cost organisations across the UK billions of pounds every year.

The cryptography-based verification process developed by LastingAsset can assure client firms and their customers that they are speaking to a legitimate caller.

Having spent recent months developing their product, LastingAsset will now become the latest ENU spin-out company – the term used for new businesses which began life as an academic project.

The project was initially developed by ENU academics Dr Zakwan Jaroucheh and Professor Bill Buchanan. Their team includes co-founder and CEO Nanik Ramchandani, newly appointed Chief Operating Officer Ciara Mitchell and Senior Software Engineer Dmitri Timoshenko.

Since establishing the project more than two years ago, they have been backed by significant funding from Scottish Enterprise’s High Growth Spinout Programme, Innovate UK, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Data Lab. Their work has also drawn award recognition from the likes of Converge – claiming its Cisco Future Tech Award in 2023.

Having developed the technology, the LastingAsset team have begun exploring pilots with early adopter customers – and recently participated in a Scottish Enterprise programme to test the American market.

Dr Zakwan Jaroucheh, LastingAsset Co-founder & Chief Technical Officer, said: “Impersonation scams cause untold misery for people all around the world, and this is a big moment in our effort to fight against them.

“Edinburgh Napier University has a strong track record of supporting projects like ours to become major international companies, and we would like to thank colleagues for their help to get us to this point.”

Prof Bill Buchanan, LastingAsset Co-founder & Chief Innovator, said: “In an era of AI, there are so many opportunities to integrate privacy and digital trust into our online world.

“Our vision is to create systems which respect the rights of privacy of citizens, but where we can still address challenges around financial fraud and identity theft.

“We are aiming to build automated systems which can be trusted from a human and a technical level.”

Nanik Ramchandani, LastingAsset Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, said: “With the rapid development of AI and deepfake technology, it is more important than ever to stay one step ahead of fraudsters.

“We are determined to provide individuals with the peace of mind to confidently continue to communicate with each other knowing that they are secure and not being scammed.”

Fiona Mason, Head of Business Engagement and IP Commercialisation at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “We are delighted with the launch of LastingAsset, the fifth spin-out from the Cybersecurity group within the School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment.

“Lasting Asset’s fraud detection is set to deliver significant benefits to people’s lives, by making everyday phone communications more trustworthy for everyone.

“We can’t do this alone – we are incredibly grateful for the support of our vibrant ecosystem which has been instrumental in supporting this project. I’d also like to offer thanks and congratulations to the founding team whose dedication and commitment have brought this vision to life.

“We are so proud of LastingAsset, which exemplifies our ambition to foster innovation, translate our research into real-world impact, and drive economic growth through groundbreaking technology.”

By spinning out, LastingAsset joins an impressive list of companies that began life as projects at the University, including the likes of Cyacomb, MemCrypt, Symphonic Software, ZoneFox, Mercel and Celtic Renewables.

In 2023 ENU was named among the UK’s top ten universities for generating spin-out firms.

Missing Man: Have you seen Keiran?

POLICE are appealing for the help of the public to trace a 25-year-old man reported missing in Edinburgh.

Kieran Maloney was last seen around 0.10am on Sunday, 22 June on Ferry Road near the junction with North Junction Street.

He is described as around 6ft 1ins, of medium build, with short, red hair. When last seen he was wearing a navy blue bomber jacket and jeans.

Inspector Grant McCulloch said: “Concerns are growing for Kieran’s welfare and we want to make sure he is safe and well.

“I am asking anyone who has seen Kieran or knows where he might be to get in touch.”

Anyone who can help should call Police Scotland on 101, quoting reference number 0908 of Sunday, 22 June, 2025.