A man arrested by detectives investigating the disappearance of Khasha Smith has been charged.
Khasha, of Edinburgh, was last seen to be safe and well on a FaceTime call on Tuesday, 10 October, 2023, aged 35.
Following extensive enquiries, Khasha is believed to be dead. However, her body is yet to be found.
A 39-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with her death. He is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 9 September, 2024.
Khasha’s family have been made aware and have asked that their privacy is respected.
Detective Chief Inspector Bob Williamson, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, is appealing to the public for information.
He said: “Our thoughts remain with Khasha’s family at this extremely difficult time and they continue to be supported by specialist officers.
“They are understandably devastated and it is vital we get answers for them.
“Extensive enquiries remain ongoing to trace Khasha and I would again encourage anyone with any information regarding her disappearance to contact police, as a matter of urgency.
“Any piece of information, no matter how small or insignificant you think it is, could prove vital, so please get in touch.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 3915 of 5 January 2024.
Alternatively information can be passed anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Detectives investigating the disappearance of Khasha Smith have arrested a man as they continue to appeal for information.
Khasha, of Edinburgh, was last seen to be safe and well on a FaceTime call on Tuesday, 10 October, 2023, aged 35.
Following extensive enquiries, Khasha is believed to be dead. However, her body is yet to be found.
A 39-year-old man has today, Friday, 6 September, 2024, been arrested in connection with her death and enquiries are ongoing.
Khasha’s family have been made aware and have asked that their privacy is respected.
Detective Chief Inspector Bob Williamson, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, is appealing to the public for information.
He said: “Our thoughts are very much with Khasha’s family at this extremely difficult time and they continue to be supported by specialist officers.
“They are understandably devastated and it is vital we get answers for them.
“Extensive enquiries remain ongoing to trace Khasha and I would again encourage anyone with any information regarding her disappearance to contact police, as a matter of urgency.
“Any piece of information, no matter how small or insignificant you think it is, could prove vital, so please get in touch.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 3915 of 5 January 2024.
Alternatively information can be passed anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Officers conducting enquiries to locate missing woman Khasha Smith began searching in an area off Calder Road in Edinburgh today (Wednesday, 4 September, 2024).
The work includes specialist search trained officers as part of the investigation to locate Khasha who went missing almost a year ago, aged 35.
Extensive enquiries have been carried out but Khasha is still a missing person. We are continuing to support her family throughout this time.
Khasha was last seen to be safe and well on Tuesday, 10 October, 2023. She has never gone missing before.She is around 5ft, of slim build, with blue eyes and long, blonde hair.
She also has tattoos, one which is visible on her right wrist and says ‘Forever’.
Detective Chief Inspector Bob Williamson said: “We continue to follow up several lines of enquiry and are working to find answers for Khasha’s family.
“As with every missing person inquiry, all aspects of Khasha’s life have been, and continue to be, explored. We know she would never miss events such as her daughter’s birthday and Christmas, and we have to consider the possibility that she may have come to harm.
“We are constantly evaluating and exploring all the information we have and remain open minded. We are doing everything we can to find her.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 3915 of 5 January 2024.
Proposals for five new supported bus services in the west of Edinburgh are set to be discussed at the Transport and Environment Committee tomorrow (Thursday 23 May).
Under the plans the routes would be The Gyle to Hermiston Park & Ride via Ratho; Queensferry to The Gyle; Cramond to Balerno; Wester Hailes to Chesser and The Gyle to Clermiston.
There are currently three existing bus services operating in the west of the city that are fully financially supported by the City of Edinburgh Council – services 20, 63 and 68 – operated by McGill’s Bus Services but these are to be withdrawn on 14 July this year.
Four of the new routes would be run by Lothian with the The Gyle to Clermiston route being operated by Handicabs Lothian.
Before the revised contracts went out for tender the Council consulted with local communities and operators to help develop route specifications and help balance community requirements within the available budget.
The new services will improve bus provision in the west of the city with some of the routes amended and a new connection to Cramond being provided by utilising a developer contribution from new housing in the area.
Cllr Scott Arthur, Transport Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is fantastic news for residents in the west of the city as it’s really important to make sure the areas they live in are connected with the rest of Edinburgh. There are some parts of the city that are just not well-connected which is why these supported bus services are so important.
“I’m pleased that the community and bus operators also fed into the proposed routes allowing us to amend some services, which should improve reliability and connections to the wider public transport network.
“I’m delighted to be proposing that these services will be operated by Lothian Buses and Handicabs. Once these contracts are awarded better connecting Lady Nairne and Dumbiedykes will become our top priority.”
If the proposals are approved next week then the Council will immediately move to award contracts so the new services can be registered with the Traffic Commissioner and be ready to operate as soon as McGill’s services stop. The proposed contract lengths are for two years, with two one year optional extensions.
The Council will also work with the successful operators to update all available passenger information on each route and keep community groups updated on the changes to services in their area.
Tendering for the new service provision for the Lady Nairne and Dumbiedykes areas will now start to be progressed.
Starcatchers, Scotland’s arts and early years organisation based in Wester Hailes, have travelled to France this week to present their acclaimed co-production with SUPERFAN, “Little Top” at Les p’tites tommettes festival in Creil, France.
The show launches the Scottish showcase for the British Council’s UK-France, ‘Together We Imagine’, Spotlight on Culture, which is building artistic collaborations and celebrating the cultural links between the UK and France throughout this year.
Set in a specially designed ‘little top’ circus tent the show is designed to create a magical first circus experience for babies aged 0-18 months. At a time in their development when young children are discovering their own physicality, and the pleasures and perils of gravity, Little Top invites babies to experience all the fun of the circus.
Rhona Matheson, CEO of Starcatchers, is delighted to bring Little Top to France: “Little Top will transport you to a playful, joyous, upside down, topsy-turvy world where people can fly, patterns fill the air, and anything is possible.
“We are excited to present our award-winning show, a co-production with SUPERFAN, at Festival Premières Rencontres.”
The festival appearance strengthens Starcatchers’ partnership with French arts company Compagnie ACTA, following their recent Erasmus+ collaboration exploring topics around artistic awakening in early childhood.
The two organisations have already collaborated to share research findings and exchange best practices in arts for early years. Starcatchers and Compagnie ACTA presented research at PREMIERES RENCONTRES festival 2024’s European Forum in March. The Early Childhood Principles were developed by Starcatchers, Compagnie ACTA, 2turvenhoog and LaSala Teatre.
Rhona Mathesoncontinues: “We are very grateful to the British Council’s UK-France Spotlight Fund for this invaluable opportunity to strengthen our international connections.
“It’s a huge privilege to showcase Scottish work on this platform as we deepen our understanding of what artistic experiences can mean for very young audiences.”
Starcatchers is one of six Scottish-based awardees to receive over £100,000 in funding from the Spotlight on Culture Fund programme, funded with partners including Creative Scotland and the National Lottery.
Their festival presentation is part of a wider celebration of UK-France cultural partnerships happening throughout 2024, coinciding with major events like the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Norah Campbell, Head of Arts, British Council Scotland added:“What a wonderful opportunity for very young children to experience the magic of physical theatre for the first time. An excellent example of how through cultural exchange, artists can come together to share groundbreaking research and performance.
“We’re proud to help bring this innovative work to France, a fabulous start to the UK-France Cultural spotlight activity for this year.
“All the projects are now helping to maintain vital links between Scotland and France, and creatives across both countries are coming together to connect, collaborate and form lasting relationships.”
Following information from the public, Police executed warrants at three addresses in the Wester Hailes and Stenhouse areas yesterday (Friday, 12 April, 2024).
Drugs with an estimated value of around £38,000, a significant amount of cash and other valuable items were recovered.
A 44-year-old man was arrested in connection and enquiries are ongoing.
Police would like to thank the local community for their support.
Canal View Primary in Wester Hailes has become the first school in Edinburgh to be given the prestigious Reading School accreditation by Scottish Book Trust.
The successful Reading Schools programme, developed by Scotland’s national charity changing lives with reading and writing, supports schools to build a reading culture, where every pupil is encouraged to feed their imagination through books.
Reading for pleasure is central to supporting wellbeing, improving attainment across the curriculum, and boosting critical thinking, creativity, empathy and resilience.
Canal View Primary is one of over 400 schools in Scotland to have been accredited through the programme and, having achieved the first level, the school is now working towards progressing to silver status.
The third, and top level, to be achieved is gold status.
Susannah Jeffries, Depute Head Teacher of Canal View Primary School said: “We are so excited to be recognised as the first accredited Reading School in Edinburgh.
“Our whole school community is so proud that, in Edinburgh – the first ever UNESCO City of Literature – we are the first school to receive this award.
“We are also absolutely delighted to represent our community in Wester Hailes in such a positive way!”
Samuel, the primary seven Reading Leadersaid: “Everyone’s worked hard to get the Reading School accreditation, especially the Reading Leaders.
“It’s great that everyone gets to share what they like to read as a whole school. I am proud and grateful that I could help the team get the award and spread the reading bug to everyone in our school.”
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “We are thrilled that Canal View Primary has achieved the honour of being the first school in Edinburgh to be accredited as a Reading School.
“A Reading Schools accreditation is a fantastic accomplishment for pupils and teachers alike, and achieving this status is a way of demonstrating a school’s commitment to developing vibrant reading cultures and the many benefits this brings.”
Detectives are appealing for witnesses following an armed robbery which took place in Edinburgh on the evening of Monday, 5 February, 2024.
Around 10.55pm a male delivery driver on a moped was dropping off an order at a property in Murrayburn Gardens.
When he approached the delivery address he noticed a male youth had got onto his moped.
He asked the youth to get off and another male youth appeared and threatened him with what appeared to be a firearm.
The youths took the victim’s phone and moped keys and made off on the vehicle heading along Murrayburn Gardens towards Westside Plaza.
Police were contacted and the moped was recovered two hours later in Morvenside in the Wester Hailes area.
The first suspect is described as a white male, aged 15 to 16 years old, of skinny build and wearing a black balaclava, a black jacket, black joggers, black shoes and black gloves. He had Scottish accent and was softly spoken.
The second suspect is described as a white male, aged 15 to 16 years old, 5ft9, of skinny build and wearing a black balaclava, a black jacket, black joggers, black shoes and black gloves. He also had a Scottish accent and was softly spoken.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait said: “This was a terrifying experience for the victim and it is vital that we trace the two individuals responsible.
“We are appealing for anyone who was in Murrayburn Gardens or the surrounding area on Monday evening who may have noticed anything suspicious to please get in touch.
“We would also urge anyone with private CCTV or dash-cam footage of two males riding on a moped in the Wester Hailes area to pass this on to officers.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 3790 of Monday, 5 February, 2024. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Detectives are appealing for witnesses following an armed robbery which took place in Edinburgh last night (Monday, 5 February, 2024).
Around 10.55pm a male delivery driver on a moped was dropping off an order at a property in Murrayburn Gardens.
When he approached the delivery address he noticed a male youth had got onto his moped.
He asked the youth to get off and another male youth appeared and threatened him with what appeared to be a firearm.
The youths took the victim’s phone and moped keys and made off on the vehicle heading along Murrayburn Gardens towards Westside Plaza.
Police were contacted and the moped was recovered two hours later in Morvenside in Wester Hailes.
The first suspect is described as a white male, aged 15 to 16 years old, of skinny build and wearing a black balaclava, a black jacket, black joggers, black shoes and black gloves. He had Scottish accent and was softly spoken.
The second suspect is described as a white male, aged 15 to 16 years old, 5ft9, of skinny build and wearing a black balaclava, a black jacket, black joggers, black shoes and black gloves. He also had a Scottish accent and was softly spoken.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait said: “This was a terrifying experience for the victim and it is vital that we trace the two individuals responsible.
“We are appealing for anyone who was in Murrayburn Gardens or the surrounding area on Monday evening who may have noticed anything suspicious to please get in touch.
“We would also urge anyone with private CCTV or dash-cam footage of two males riding on a moped in the Wester Hailes area to pass this on to officers.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 3790 of Monday, 5 February, 2024. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Dispersal Zones for #OpCrackle have been set up across Edinburgh and will be enforceable between 3rd November and 5th November 2023.
These zones are set up to help prevent anti-social behaviour and to keep the community safe.
Additional officers will be deployed over the weekend across the city and they have the grounds to take action should people be involved in such conduct, as detailed in the below poster.
Keep yourself and others safe by attending organised events only, which can be found here:
