A 19-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with shoplifting, road traffic offences and possession of a bladed weapon in Edinburgh.
This follows a report of shoplifting in the St James Square area of the city around 2.30pm on Saturday, 4 July, 2026. The woman was traced in her car in the new town area.
She is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on a later date.
A 17-year-old male youth was arrested in the Chambers Street area on Wednesday, 8 July, and has been charged in connection with shoplifting offences in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow.
He is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on a later date.
Sergeant Barry Mercer said: “We work closely with partners and retailers as part of our Shopwatch scheme where information is shared when a crime takes place or suspicious activity is seen.
“It means officers can respond quickly to ongoing incidents with the support of Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce.
“Retail crime has a negative impact on businesses and we urge anyone with information to contact us on 101.”
Courts will be given tougher powers to impose Football Banning Orders (FBOs) in Scotland to include specific offences in an effort to improve the matchday experience and safety at games.
It comes as the analysis of a consultation on FBO legislation has published.
There were 903 responses to the consultation, with organisations such as the SFA, SPFL and Police Scotland supporting an extension of the use of FBOs. Whilst a majority of fans who responded expressed concerns about expanding FBOs, fans also raised concern around the increase in the use of pyrotechnics and some reported witnessing serious incidences of inappropriate behaviour.
In response, Ministers will introduce legislation in the Scottish Parliament which will include targeted and specific measures to strengthen FBOs to cover behaviour such as the use of pyrotechnics, pitch invasions and throwing missiles.
Community Safety Minister Kirsten Oswald said: “The vast majority of football fans attend matches to support their team and are a credit to their clubs.
“However, a small minority are compromising the fan experience and the safety of players, officials and all in attendance through anti-social and criminal behaviour.
“Recent high profile incidents involving pitch invasions and the continued use of pyrotechnics demonstrate the challenges the police, football authorities and clubs face and have to deal with. This is why we will give courts more effective powers through Football Banning Orders to target dangerous and abusive behaviour.
“Football is our national sport, and we want to make sure it is a safe and enjoyable environment for all and that is what we aim to achieve by introducing legislation.”
Football Banning Orders were introduced in Scotland as part of the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006.
Currently in Scotland, an FBO is available to the courts when three factors are present:
A person is convicted of an offence which involved the person engaging in ‘violence or disorder’;
The offence was related to a football match; and
The court considers that making an FBO would help prevent ‘violence or disorder’ at or in connection with football matches
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory illness.
It can cause severe illness and lead to people being admitted to hospital — especially babies and older adults. The vaccine is the best way to get protected.
“Leith has persevered for 900 years, now is its time to step into the limelight!”
Fifteen towns shortlisted for the first UK Town of Culture competition
Shortlisted towns set to receive £60,000 to work on their full bids with the winner announced early next year
Shortlist selected from almost 400 applications
Fifteen towns have been shortlisted to become the UK’s first Town of Culture, after nearly 400 places from across the country entered the landmark competition.And one of them is LEITH!
This comes as the government confirmed that it has received an incredible 398 bids from over 400 hopeful towns as part of the competition, demonstrating that culture belongs everywhere and shining a light on the many towns across the UK that are vital to our national story.
Fifteen towns will now compete for the inaugural UK Town of Culture 2028 title. The shortlisted towns are:
Small towns: Ilfracombe, Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Sandown, Strabane, and Stockton Town Centre Ward
Medium towns: Corby, Great Yarmouth, Leith, Pontypridd, and Port Talbot
Large towns: Basildon, Birkenhead, Grimsby and Rotherham
Shortlisted towns will now receive £60,000 each to develop their full bids, which will be assessed by the independent judging panel. One finalist will then be selected from each category with the overall winner being announced early next year.
The UK Town of Culture competition is part of the government’s ambition to restore pride in local areas in every part of Britain and deliver a decade of national renewal, following the announcement of the Pride in Place Programme last year.
Throughout this year, this competition – together with the UK City of Culture 2029 competition – will continue to shine a light on local visions and voices from across the UK to help encourage increased local investment, create a lasting sense of pride, and open doors to the arts and culture for everyone.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “I want to say a massive congratulations to the fifteen shortlisted towns and I wish them luck in the next round of the competition.
“The fact that we received so many applications just goes to show how proud people are of their towns. When I launched this competition, I wanted to shine a light on our amazing towns all across the UK and the huge contribution they make to our national life.
“I am so glad that so many towns have applied and I hope each and every town, whether they have been shortlisted or not, is incredibly proud of the work they have done to champion their local community.”
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: “Congratulations to Port Talbot and Pontypridd on being shortlisted for the UK’s Town of Culture. Both places have a rich heritage that should be celebrated – and I am so pleased to see them get the recognition they deserve.
“Port Talbot is renowned for producing some of the greatest actors in the country, all of whom have been inspired by the industrial heritage of the area. Pontypridd is the home of the composers of the Welsh National Anthem, which has been proudly sung at national events for many decades.
“I would love to see a Welsh town be crowned the UK’s Town of Culture and I wish both of them every success with their bids.”
Kirsty McNeill, UK Government Minister for Scotland said: “Scotland has an extraordinary cultural heritage, and the presence of three Scottish towns on the UK Town of Culture competition shortlist is a testament to the richness and diversity of communities across the country.
“From island life to historic port towns, each of these places has a unique story to tell, and I know that each bid reflects the genuine passion and pride that local people have for where they live.
“The UK Government is committed to ensuring that culture belongs everywhere, and I’m delighted that Scottish towns are so strongly represented.”
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn said: “Congratulations to Strabane, which has secured a place in the final UK Town of Culture shortlist, from among 400 applicants.
“I know that Strabane will take this opportunity to shine, and I wish the town good luck as they finalise their bid.”
The shortlisted towns were recommended by the independent panel chaired by Sir Phil Redmond. The other members of the panel were selected to ensure a broad range of cultural experience and regional diversity. The panel members are:
Sir Phil Redmond (Chair)
Ruth Hollis OBE (Deputy Chair)
Ian Bancroft (Wales Representative)
Kristel Miller (Northern Ireland Representative)
Katy Shaw
Jim Tough (Scotland Representative)
Adipat Virdi
Ian Warren (England Representative)
Paula Williams
Chair of the independent panel, Sir Phil Redmond said: “The response to the competition has been, to say the least, overwhelming, quite literally from all four corners of the UK.
“It has been fantastic that nearly 400 towns have come forward, sharing their sense of pride, ambition and desire to demonstrate how much they have, and continue to contribute to our national story.
“That of course has made making the decision on the shortlist itself much more difficult, never mind the actual winners.
“I look forward to visiting those towns that have made the list and I am sure that, just like City of Culture, those that didn’t manage it will have found the experience of taking part worthwhile in strengthening partnerships, raising awareness and reminding us all of the depth and spread of the UK’s cultural landscape. I’d like to thank them all for that.”
The shortlisted places will now work to finalise their bids, which will explain how they would use culture to celebrate their town, showcase original storytelling, empower their local communities and provide more accessible culture in their local area.
From these fifteen shortlisted towns, the independent panel will recommend the best small, medium and large town from the full applications they receive.
An overall winner from these three towns will be designated the “UK Town of Culture 2028” and receive a £3 million grant from the government. The additional two towns, from the other two categories, will be selected as finalists and receive £250,000 each to carry out part of their programme.
The winner will go on to host a season of culture in 2028, which will help them to deliver a long-lasting legacy of cultural participation and local pride as has been seen in previous winners of the UK City of Culture competition; Derry-Londonderry 2013, Hull 2017, Coventry 2021 and Bradford 2025.
The government’s ambition behind the UK Town of Culture competition is for towns to reap similar benefits from the experience of bidding and encouraging local residents to get involved in cultural events to celebrate their town.
The benefits of cultural investment are clear. Previous UK City of Culture holders – Derry-Londonderry, Hull and Coventry – have attracted more than £1 billion in additional investment and welcomed an estimated 2 million visitors, while recent audience research from Bradford 2025 shows more than 80 per cent of attendees felt events increased their pride in the place they live.
Investment in UK City of Culture and UK Town of Culture not only supports the delivery of exciting cultural programmes but brings a legacy of cultural regeneration.
These programmes will help to attract more visitors to places for years to come as well as encouraging creativity and skills development across local areas, growing the local economy and providing more opportunities for local people to engage with arts and culture.
In order to recognise all the towns that have bid in the first-ever UK Town of Culture competition, every bidding town was invited to submit a postcard to celebrate their bid. Last week these postcards were shared across social media and showcased by National Museums Liverpool in a digital display to celebrate each and every town that has participated in the competition. The postcards will remain within the National Museums Liverpool’s national collection.
Further guidance for shortlisted towns to prepare their full bids for the final stage of the competition will be made available shortly.
Susie Gray and Jenny Mungall, Bid Directors for Leith 2028, said: ““To be shortlisted as one of just 15 places from almost 400 applications is a huge moment for Leith and a testament to the passion, creativity and commitment of everyone who has been involved in shaping this bid.
“This has been a genuinely community-led effort from day one, built by people who care deeply about Leith and are ambitious for its future.
“From the very beginning, we felt strongly that this had to be about more than a competition. Whatever the outcome, we wanted this to be the start of something special; new partnerships, fresh ambitions and a shared sense of what we can achieve together.
“We are thrilled that the judges have also seen that potential in Leith.
“One of the most moving moments came when we saw the map of entries from across the UK. It was a reminder that in towns and communities everywhere, people are imagining better futures and recognising the role that culture can play in shaping them. We wish every place that put itself forward the very best in turning those ambitions into reality.
“Leith has a remarkable story to tell as it approaches its 900th anniversary in 2028. We’re excited to take the next step and continue making the case for why this proud, creative and distinctive place should become the UK’s first Town of Culture.
“Leith has persevered for 900 years, now is its time to step into the limelight!”
Welcoming the announcement, Tracy Gilbert MP said: “Leith is a place like no other, with a proud history, a vibrant cultural scene and an incredible community spirit.
“I want to thank every local organisation, community group and individual who has given their time, energy and passion to help bring this bid together. The dedication, creativity and commitment shown by everyone involved has been so remarkable.
“Being shortlisted as one of only 15 towns from almost 400 applications is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the hard work of everyone who has played a part in telling Leith’s story.
“I am incredibly proud of Leith and delighted to see the community’s efforts recognised on a national stage. I look forward to continuing to support the bid as it moves forward to the next stage.”
Leith has been named among the first-ever UK Town of Culture 2028 shortlist, marking a major achievement for the community and everyone who has helped showcase the area’s unique history, creativity and culture.
The UK Town of Culture is a new UK Government initiative celebrating the contribution towns make to the UK’s cultural identity. The inaugural competition attracted 398 applications from across the UK, with just 15 towns selected to progress to the next stage.
Tracy Gilbert MP has welcomed the announcement and praised the dedication of local organisations, community groups and residents who worked together to develop Leith’s bid.
Tracy Gilbert MP said:“Leith is a place like no other, with a proud history, a vibrant cultural scene and an incredible community spirit.
“I want to thank every local organisation, community group and individual who has given their time, energy and passion to help bring this bid together. The dedication, creativity and commitment shown by everyone involved has been so remarkable.
“Being shortlisted as one of only 15 towns from almost 400 applications is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the hard work of everyone who has played a part in telling Leith’s story.
“I am incredibly proud of Leith and delighted to see the community’s efforts recognised on a national stage. I look forward to continuing to support the bid as it moves forward to the next stage.”
As a shortlisted town, Leith will now move forward in the competition and receive a £60,000 bid development grant to help strengthen its application.
Emergency services remain in attendance following a fire at a disused building on Princes Street, Edinburgh.
Officers were called to assist the Scottish Fire and Rescue around 3.05am on Thursday, 9 July, 2026. There are no reported injuries.
Firefighters and officers cannot enter the building as, at this time, it is deemed not safe to enter. Work is ongoing to ensure the area is made safe and enquiries are at an early stage.
The surrounding area of Princes Street remains closed, along with Rose Street, Frederick Street and Castle Street.
Members of the public are advised to avoid the area and keep windows and doors closed where possible.
A joint investigation is ongoing to establish the cause of the fire.
271,341 drivers across 33 police force areas caught driving at 40mph or more on 30mph roads last year
RAC backs new Stop Excessive Speeders campaign in calls for Government to introduce Intervening Intelligent Speed Assistance technology (IISA), to help prevent reoffending
Seven-in-10 police forces caught drivers travelling at twice the speed limit or more on 30mph roads last year, new data analysed by the RAC has found.
Findings from a Freedom of Information request made to the UK’s police forces show the truly terrifying speeds some people are prepared to drive at that put everybody at risk. One driver was caught at 89mph on a 20mph stretch of the B5129 in Deeside, north Wales; another at 114mph on a 30mph road in Aylestone, Leicestershire – the latter close to a primary school, although luckily the driver was caught in the middle of the night.
Other shocking examples of truly excessive speeds on 20mph roads in the daytime included someone clocked at 64mph at around 10.45am in Halifax, West Yorkshire, a 60mph speed recorded in Southport in Merseyside, and a driver logged at 48mph in Alderley Edge in Cheshire around 3pm. Even faster speeds were recorded in the middle of the night by forces in other parts of the country, including 72mph in Holland Park in London and 68mph on the B3122 in south Bristol.
On 30mph roads, a speed of 95mph was recorded at around 3pm by a driver in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset and by another on a stretch of the A5 east of Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire. Elsewhere, a speeder was clocked at 80mph close to schools in Culcheth, Cheshire at around 3pm, and another at 79mph just after 4pm on a road in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Again, higher speeds still were recorded by other forces on roads at night – such as 111mph on the A3400 in Hockley Heath in the West Midlands, and 109mph on the B6145 in Bradford.
In total, across 33 UK police force areas, 271,341 drivers were caught driving at 40mph or more on 30mph roads – speeds of at least 33% higher than the posted limit – while across 28 forces 32,548 drivers were caught at 30mph or more on 20mph roads.
When it comes to the highest overall speeds last year, vehicles were recorded travelling at 161mph by police forces on the A5 in Bayston Hill, Shropshire and on the M6 southbound between Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford. Other drivers were caught at 160mph on the M6 in Cheshire, 158mph on the A14 in Suffolk and 155mph on the A38 Sutton Coldfield bypass in the West Midlands.
Speed has for a long time been one of the main factors in fatal collisions on Great Britain’s roads. Official data for 2024 – the latest year data is available – shows that speed was a factor in most (58%) fatal collisions, with drivers or riders exceeding the speed limit behind a fifth (20%) of all such collisions.
In the same year, 185 people lost their lives where breaking the speed limit played a role. Such collisions are most likely to take place in the summer months and on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Previous RAC research found that four-in-five drivers said they regularly see people driving at excessive speeds on 20mph and 30mph roads, while 55% said they believe there is a ‘culture of speeding’ in the UK. Separate research last Autumn found that 86% of drivers polled support new measures to combat excessive speeding, of which 55% strongly support action.
The RAC recently responded to several Government consultations following the publication in January of the Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade.
It has welcomed commitments to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on the roads by 65% by 2035, and the acknowledgment that excessive speeding should not go unchallenged.
However, the RAC believes clear focus must now be placed on tackling those drivers that represent the biggest risk on the roads, including those that are prepared to drive at such high speeds – especially on low (20/30mph) roads – and those that habitually reoffend.
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “Our analysis shows some of the frankly chilling speeds some people are prepared to drive at – and these are just the cases the police are aware of.
“The fact that some were recorded in residential areas, even near schools, in daytime hours when others might well have been using the roads, underlines just how dangerous this kind of behaviour is. Such roads will almost certainly be well used by pedestrians and cyclists, so it doesn’t bear thinking about what travelling at such high speeds could have led to.
“There is a lot of work to be done. Despite drivers and riders exceeding speed limits being a factor in an increasing number of fatal road collisions, it’s clear that some people remain oblivious to the incredibly severe risk that driving too fast poses. The latest official data shows there were more than 300 fatal collisions in just one year where speeding was a factor – tragedies which are, on the whole, entirely avoidable given speeding is a choice the driver makes.
“We very much look forward to the Government’s response to its consultations on the Road Safety Strategy. New casualty reduction targets and an update to councils on setting local speeds are welcome, but a greater focus tackling the problem of excessive speeding and repeat offending is also desperately needed.
“Together with the Stop Excessive Speeders campaign, we therefore strongly urge the Government to introduce Intervening Intelligent Speed Assistance technology – which can prevent a vehicle from exceeding the limit – to reduce the number of drivers on our roads that puts all of us at risk.”
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing Chief Constable Jo Shiner said: “The fact that a majority of drivers now believe there is a culture where speeding is acceptable reflects a deeply embedded issue in driver behaviour.
“We must reset expectations and make it clear that safe, lawful driving is a shared responsibility.”
The case for Intervening Intelligent Speed Assistance (IISA) technology – as made by the RAC in its response to the Government’s Road Safety Strategy consultation:
Speeding in the UK is a widespread and persistent problem that continues to drive death, serious injury and wider social and economic harm on a significant scale. In reported road collisions in Great Britain in 2024, 29,467 people were killed or seriously injured, and 128,272 casualties of all severities were recorded.
Further, RAC research in October 2025 found that 86% of drivers polled support new measures to combat excessive speeding, of which 55% strongly support action.
The Government has recently consulted on mandating Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) in new vehicles that in future are sold in Great Britain. Though a welcome addition to road safety, the impact of ISA has a limit as it only advises the driver of a speed limit breach and can be overridden at will.
Intervening ISA (IISA) is an aftermarket technology that limits throttle input when required to ensure compliance with the speed limit and can only be overridden in limited and monitored circumstances.
The RAC is therefore supporting the new Stop Excessive Speeders campaign, and its call for Intervening ISA to be considered for its potential to significantly improve road safety by specifically targeting those most dangerous offenders.
Intervening ISA should be used as a specific mandatory judicial intervention, in coordination with the DVLA, for drivers who persistently and dangerously exceed the speed limit, despite multiple other interventions.
Intervening ISA would be used as a condition of retaining or regaining a licence and paid for at the cost of the motorist, with subsidies provided for low-income motorists to ensure they are not excluded on the basis of exceptional financial hardship.
To provide a more robust evidentiary basis for the widespread implementation of intervening ISA, specifically as a judicial intervention for repeat or serious speed offenders, the RAC – together with the Stop Excessive Speeders campaign – supports calls for a legislated intervening ISA pilot programme for Great Britain, with mirrored provision for Northern Ireland.
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