It is with regret that we share the news our Golden Years service is closing in the spring of 2025.
As two significant grants come to an end simultaneously we are no longer able to continue delivering our much beloved service.
We know that lots of people across Edinburgh who have found company and solace at our Golden Years events, lunch clubs, and community groups will now be looking for that support elsewhere. We are doing our utmost to signpost all of our attendees and clients to other projects in the area who may be able to provide that support.
It is with great sadness that we will be saying goodbye to our brilliant volunteer befrienders and the staff that support them. They have worked tirelessly over the years to provide consistently high quality, compassionate support to older people in our community, and we wish them the very best and thank them for their service.
Whilst we are saddened by this loss, we are proud of the work that has been done and are working hard to look at viable options that will allow the lunch clubs to continue within the community and will share updates as and when we have further information.
COMMUNITIES across Scotland are being invited to make a visible show of support for LGBTQ+ young people this Purple Friday.
Taking place on February 28th, Purple Friday encourages people to celebrate the spirit of the LGBTQ+ community and allies by wearing purple, raising funds, and participating in activities celebrating the resilience, creativity and diversity of Scotland’s LGBTQ+ youth.
This year’s theme, “Nothing Rhymes with Purple,” offers a poetic twist, encouraging participants to channel their creativity through the written word.
Budding poets can submit their work for the charity’s first-ever anthology, with selected entries seeing their works published to raise vital funds for LGBTQ+ services.
Celebrating its 10th year, the LGBT Youth Scotland awareness day, with the support of Lauren Mayberry from CHVRCHES, is on a mission to raise £20,000 for LGBTQ+ young people.
Lauren, the lead singer of the internationally acclaimed band CHVRCHES and long-time ally of the LGBTQ+ community, is among the high-profile supporters lending their voice to the cause.She said: “As someone who strives to be a visible and vocal supporter of the community, I’m thrilled to support Purple Friday and the incredible work that LGBT Youth Scotland do.
“This initiative is an opportunity for young people to live proudly as their authentic selves and for communities across Scotland to show they care. It’s so important to stand together and celebrate diversity.”
The poetry submissions form part of a wider campaign to amplify LGBTQ+ voices, especially those of young people aged 13–25, and to raise funds for life-saving services provided by LGBT Youth Scotland.
Mhairi Crawford, Chief Executive of LGBT Youth Scotland, added: “Visibility is life-changing for LGBTQ+ young people. When they see allies stand up for them, it builds confidence and fosters more inclusive, safer communities.
“This Purple Friday, we’re asking people to embrace creativity – whether it’s by writing a poem, hosting an event, or simply wearing purple.
“Purple Friday isn’t just a fundraising day – it’s a movement for change. Every pound raised helps us break down barriers, giving LGBTQ+ young people the opportunity to thrive.
“Together, we can ensure LGBTQ+ young people feel seen, supported, and valued.”
Selected poems will feature in the “Nothing Rhymes with Purple” anthology, a professionally published collection celebrating the richness and resilience of Scotland’s LGBTQ+ community.
Proceeds will support LGBT Youth Scotland’s ongoing work, including youth groups, mental health services and advocacy initiatives.
Community events are also at the heart of Purple Friday. Schools, workplaces, and organisations are encouraged to host their own poetry nights, wear purple, and raise funds to support LGBTQ+ equality.
Purple Friday also takes place during LGBT History Month, offering a platform to reflect on progress while addressing ongoing challenges. With young LGBTQ+ people still facing significant barriers, particularly trans youth in a hostile media climate, public support is more vital than ever.
LGBT Youth Scotland is calling on schools, businesses, and individuals across Scotland to get involved and make this year’s Purple Friday the most impactful yet.
LGBT Youth Scotland is Scotland’s national charity for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Questioning and Intersex (LGBTQ+) young people aged 13-25.
LGBTQ+ young people face unique and additional barriers to realising their potential, and LGBT Youth Scotland collaborates with young people to remove those barriers, working with them individually and amplifying their collective voices to influence change.
For more information on Purple Friday 2025, to submit your poem, or to find inspiration for community events, visit lgbtyouth.org.uk/purplefriday
An Edinburgh man has been sentenced to 44 months in prison for explosives offences and possession of incident images of children.
Ryan O’Donnell, 37 was sentenced yesterday, Wednesday, 12 February, 2025, at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Mixed powders, including potassium nitrate, were found at his home address in Edinburgh, as well as equipment that could be used to make homemade explosives.
He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years for possession of almost 1500 images of children.
Detective Sergeant Jordan Sharp said: “The substances O’Donnell possessed were dangerous and could have caused serious harm if they had been used.
“The unlicenced manufacturing of homemade explosives is illegal, irrespective of the intention, and places the public at risk.
“He will also face the consequences of his actions for possessing indecent images of children. Sexual exploitation is despicable, and we remain committed to protecting children.
“We have highly trained, specialist officers, across the country who can investigate such offences and, working with partners, ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.”
Sunday 9th March GIG 7-10pm / Workshop 3-5pm Leith Arches 6 Manderson Steet EH6 8LY
EMERGING ‘Woman band’ Machine Orchid are hosting an event to celebrate International Women’s Day 2025.
MACHINE ORCHID are Aurora Engine Harp, synths / vocals, Caro Bridges guitar / vocals and Emma Lloyd Violin, vocals and electronics.
All profits will go to WOMEN’S AID EDINBURGH.
Other sets will come from harpist ESTHER SWIFT, folk singer KIRSTY LAW andGlasgow artists CURLEW.
Blending electronics and real instruments MACHINE ORCHID will present a set focused on women’s rights to include an acapella protest song ‘3 Rings’ about women’s safety / victim blaming, ‘Sharks, Bears Wolves,’ a song about toxic masculinity.
Sprinkled with electonic fizzles, polyrhythms their pefomance will also embed an electronic soundscape made up of Trump’s comments on women– ‘In His Own Words’.
In the afternoon the group will host an interactive women focused dynamic and empowering singing workshop that explores what it means to be a woman in 2025.
Woman band ‘Machine Orchid’ (Aurora Engine / Emma Lloyd / Caro Bridges) Host International Women’s Day gig and singing workshop raising money for WOMEN’S AID
Machine Orchid are an emerging ‘woman band’ from Edinburgh blending harp, guitar, and violin with lush harmonies, electronic fizzles, and a deep connection to the natural world made up of Emma Lloyd (contemporary composer and violinist, harpist Aurora Engine /Deborah Shaw (“Magical and Delicate’” Tom Robinson) and Caro Bridges, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter.
The one off International Women’s day gig also hosts trailblazing harpist harpist Esther Swift, provocative folk singer Kirsty Law and the Glasgow based roots and electronic artist Curlew (Gill Higgins).
In the afternoon the band who are all composers and choral leaders will host an interactive women focused dynamic and empowering singing workshop that explores what it means to be a woman in 2025.
Through songs addressing themes like women’s safety and the impact of the Trump era on women’s rights, this two-hour afternoon session aims to inspire, uplift and unite.
Join us for hands-on leather-making workshops at the centre, guided by our volunteer leather crafter, Bence! Perfect for beginners or anyone curious about crafting with leather.
Thursday 20th February 6-8pm: Create your very own leather card holder – a practical and stylish first project.
Thursday 27th February 6-8pm: Build on your skills with a simple leather wallet, ideal for those who’ve attended Workshop 1 (but not required!)
Details:
Cost: £5 per workshop Capacity: a few spaces still available for each session! Important: We’ll be working with sharp tools and needles. Participants must feel comfortable and confident using these.
Booking is essential – spaces are limited! Message or call us to reserve your spot.
Scottish politicians have been urged to listen to ‘marginalised’ voices within coastal communities, as part of a major multi-media touring exhibition showcased at the Scottish Parliament.
The Coastal Testimonies project features over 60 portraits of people all around Scotland about their first-hand experiences of Scotland’s inshore seas.
The exhibition has been commissioned and curated by the Our Seas Coalition, an alliance of 140+ coastal businesses, community groups, fishermen’s associations and environmental organisations who are campaigning for the environmental recovery of Scotland’s coastal marine environment and the revival of sustainable inshore fisheries.
The exhibition gives a voice to often marginalised and underrepresented perspectives, including a large proportion of fishermen, with an aim to uncover the issues that go unnoticed in areas of Scotland where the coast is not as engaged.
The exhibition also aims to give a platform to cultural knowledge on the coastal ecosystems and communities throughout Scotland. The exhibition which has so far toured venues in Stornoway, Eyemouth, Lochaline, Glasgow, Ullapool and Ardfern, arrives at Holyrood as the Scottish Government publicly consults on its Inshore Fisheries Management Improvement programme.
The Coastal Testimonies project has so far gathered testimonies from all eleven Scottish marine regions, including coastal businesses, marine conservationists, divers, commercial fishermen, sea anglers, local politicians, scientists, community groups, and those with recreational interests.
Portraits of each person are accompanied by a verbal testimony about their own connections to the sea, including moving witness-style accounts of environmental changes and reflections on sustainability and political decision-making.
Everyone in Scotland can participate in this #CoastalTestimonies project, by contributing a testimony of their own on the Our Seas website www.ourseas.scot.
A parliamentary reception featuring the exhibition was hosted by Rhoda Grant MSP and attended by politicians from all major parties, including acting Minister for Climate Action Alasdair Allan MSP. Copies of ‘Coastal Testimonies – Speaking up for Scotland’s seas’ were distributed to all 129 MSPs.
Speaking on behalf of the Our Seas Coalition at the Scottish Parliament, Alasdair Hughson, scallop diver and chair of the Scottish Creel Fishermen’s Federation said: “We need clear plans that acknowledge the public benefits and support for protecting our seas and safeguarding sustainable inshore fishing.
“This means urging government action and effective parliamentary scrutiny to make sure that such plans are implemented. This is why I implore our MSPs to take some time to read through the testimonies and consider the power of the voices within our own communities.
“There is bravery in these testimonies. It’s difficult to speak up. We must change. We are looking for you to make these changes and decisions for our future generations.”
Sponsor of the Coastal Testimonies event at Scottish Parliament, Rhoda Grant MSP said: “Community-led marine management leads to fair resource allocation and sustainability, and there’s many ways to help communities become involved and more active.
“There are groups of organizations…that we can learn from that are currently leading the way on this. Nobody wants to see fish numbers dwindle and habitats degraded, and equally, nobody wants to see livelihoods at risk with people leaving their communities due to a lack of opportunity.”
Acting Minister for Climate Action Alasdair Allan MSP said: “This exhibition showcases life at the water’s edge through striking photographs and moving testimonies, celebrating the interconnected roles of fishers, scientists, artists, and local communities in shaping Scotland’s coastal heritage.
“Fishing is an integral part of life in many of our coastal communities, and we all want a sustainable Scottish fishing industry; one with space to thrive alongside other users of the sea, and one that can fully capitalise on a healthy marine environment and improving fish stocks.
“Yet, we must also acknowledge that our seas are under pressure, placing unprecedented demands on marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Challenges such as climate change and pressure from human activities calls for collective action, and they remind us that the responsibility to protect and enhance our seas lies with all of us.”
Scottish Labour MSP for Lothian Region, Foysol Choudhury attended the event, emphasising: “The current consultation for the National Marine Plan 2 needs to be comprehensive and the Scottish Government should not remove key sectors like fisheries.
“We need to protect our shores, from Portobello to Cramond.”
Hayley Wolcott, Coordinator of the Our Seas Coalition said: “The primary focus of the Coastal Testimonies project is to promote a better understanding of inshore environmental and fisheries issues through the collection of personal accounts and inspire greater dialogue and action within communities.”
“The testimonies speak for themselves and are now empowering people within their communities to speak up, share their first-hand experiences and talk with each other about how to safeguard their precious interconnections with our seas.
“We encourage anyone to get involved, be it a community organisation or local business, you can host an event or contribute a testimony of your own. Please get in touch.”
Scotland’s innovation, skills and natural resources are to be showcased at Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan later this year.
Three one day events at the global exhibition will highlight the country’s strengths in creative industries, life sciences and the offshore wind sector.
It follows a successful attendance at Expo 2020 in Dubai, which generated forecast sales of almost £90 million for participating Scottish businesses.
Games companies will be the focus of the creative industries day on 17 April, including eight being supported through the Scottish Government’s Techscaler business accelerator. Also attending will be KeelWorks, an established Edinburgh game development company with an existing deal with Japanese publisher KONAMI.
Business Minister Richard Lochhead visited the company to launch the Expo programme and hear about its export success.
Mr Lochhead said: “This is an opportunity for Scotland to showcase and shine on the global stage. Our message in Osaka will be simple – Scotland is open for business and is one of the best places in the world to invest.
“We will demonstrate first hand that we have the skills, technology and opportunities in a range of emerging industries. KeelWorks is just one example of that and later in the year our buoyant life sciences businesses and the offshore wind sector will also be centre stage.
“Japanese businesses already recognise Scotland’s economic potential, including Sumitomo, which is currently building a subsea cable factory at Nigg in the Highlands. I am confident that further companies and significant investment will follow as result of our presence at the Expo.”
KeelWorks Chief Executive Meher Kalenderian said: “This activity is about strengthening connections, driving investment and opening new doors for collaboration. So, we’re thrilled to be part of Scotland’s presence at Expo 2025 Osaka, highlighting the strong business opportunities between Scotland and Japan’s prominent gaming industries.
“This platform offers a great chance to showcase our thriving creative sector and build new collaborations. At KeelWorks, we’ve seen first-hand the value of such partnerships through our work with KONAMI on CYGNI: All Guns Blazing.
“Our presence at the Expo reflects the growing potential for Scottish and Japanese gaming sectors to engage, as both countries lead in innovation.”
Expo 2025 Osaka takes place from 13 April to 13 October. It is an international event at which countries, organisations and companies showcase innovations, cultural exchanges and solutions to global challenges.
It is expected to attract about 28 million visitors and more than 150 participating countries. Scotland’s three events are supported by Scottish Enterprise.
Hundreds of thousands of working people and families will reap the rewards of new towns across England, as Starmer paves the way for the largest housebuilding programme since the post-war era.
Over 100 sites across England have come forward to be considered for next generation of new towns
Government on track to create beautiful communities, provide affordable homes, and deliver much needed infrastructure, including schools and nurseries, GP surgeries, and bus routes
By taking on the blockers, 20,000 homes, along with new schools and health facilities, will move forward following government action, and we will now turn to unblock the remaining 700,000 homes across 350 sites
Comes as government rolls out major planning reforms to sweep away the blockers and push through its housebuilding agenda as part of the Plan for Change
Hundreds of thousands of working people and families will reap the rewards new towns across Britain (? – Ed.), as the Prime Minister paves the way for the largest housebuilding programme since the post-war era.
Visiting a housing development today, the Prime Minister will unveil the government’s plans for the next generation of new towns – well-designed, beautiful communities with affordable housing, GP surgeries, schools and public transport where people will want to live.
Over 100 proposals from across every region in England were submitted, showing local areas and housebuilders’ ambition to get on board to build the next generation of new towns – playing their part in getting Britain building and tackling the worst housing crisis in living memory. Every new town will have the potential to deliver 10,000 homes or more.
Delivering security is central to this government’s Plan for Change, because the least working people deserve when they graft hard is a secure home. That’s why the government is providing much-needed housing in the right places with the right infrastructure, and the New Towns Taskforce has today set clear principles on what the next generation of new towns will deliver: affordable housing, vital infrastructure and access to open green spaces and nature, to transform the lives of working people.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “For so many families, homeownership is a distant dream. After a decade of decline in housebuilding, the impact is a disconnect between working hard and getting on.
“This is about more than just bricks and mortar. It’s about the security and stability that owning your own home brings. I know what this means for working people – the roof above our head was everything for our family growing up.
“We’ve already made progress in just seven months, unblocking 20,000 stuck homes. But there’s more to do.
“We’re urgently using all levers available to build the homes we need so more families can get on the housing ladder. We’re sweeping aside the blockers to get houses built, no longer accepting no as the default answer, and paving the way for the next generation of new towns.
“As part of the largest housebuilding programme since the post-war era, our ambitious Plan for Change will transform the lives of working people, once again connecting the basic principle that if you work hard, you should get on.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner said: “Time and again we are seeing too many new homes stuck or stalled that not only act as a barrier to growth but also has real-world consequences for working people and families who see homeownership as nothing more than a distant dream.
“I will not run away from the tough choices to fix the housing crisis we inherited that has left thousands of families on housing waiting lists, allowed homelessness to spiral out of control, and stopped an entire generation from picking up the keys to their first home.
“While our vision for the next generation of new towns is setting the stage for a housebuilding revolution in the years to come, urgent action is needed now to build the homes and infrastructure that our local communities are crying out for.
“That’s why our New Homes Accelerator is working at pace to find solutions and remove blockages in the system, executing long-lasting solutions to get spades in the ground.
“Today we are embarking on the next chapter in our Plan for Change to build 1.5 million new homes, deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housing in a generation, and raise living standards for working people and families across the country.”
For far too long, working people have been let down by a decline in housebuilding. That’s why the government is ‘rolling up its sleeves’ and is ‘taking on the blockers’ with major reforms to planning regulation to get Britain building.
That work is already underway, with a staggering 20,000 new homes now successfully unblocked by the government’s novel ‘New Homes Accelerator’ programme, which deploys planning expertise to speed up the delivery of housing sites held by unnecessary delays.
Areas that have already benefitted from direct government action include:
Over 1,000 homes unlocked at Cowley Hill in Liverpool, where an agreement has been reached with the Environment Agency who withdrew its previous objections on both flood risk and biodiversity grounds, subject to planning.
And at Wolborough in Devon, the Accelerator has worked with Natural England to help accelerate this development, whilst ensuring environmental improvements are secured. On top of the 1,100 homes the site is injecting £1.75 million towards off-site pedestrian and cycle improvements, playing pitches, bus services and a local travel plan.
Housebuilders and local councils have put forward over 350 housing development sites stuck in the system under the previous government – that together could unlock around 700,000 new homes.
Around a quarter of sites submitted are already receiving government attention since the call for evidence closed in October – demonstrating success of the programme, and local ambition to support the government’s 1.5 million homes target.
This goes hand-in-hand with government action to overhaul the planning system, supporting the builders and not the blockers, taking the brakes off economic growth, raising living standards, and making the tough decisions to deliver for working people and families.
This includes:
Publishing a new growth-focused National Planning Policy Framework, which introduced new mandatory for councils to deliver the right homes in the right places, with a combined total of 370,000 homes a year.
Introducing the Planning and Infrastructure Bill next month. The Bill will overhaul environmental regulations to no longer accept the failed status quo where bats are more important than trains or newts more important than homes, and remove blockers to fast-track delivery of the homes and infrastructure that local communities need.
To get Britain building now – the government today announces plans to fast stream planning through brokering disagreements between the agencies and expert bodies, which by law must be consulted within the planning process. Bodies including National Highways, Natural England and the Environment Agency will need to bring planners and housebuilders to the table and iron out concerns that have been holding back development.
Responding to sector concerns on pinch points, work stepping up with the Building Safety Regulator to ensure greater timeliness and efficiency when new tall buildings are signed off – to provide more homes for more people.
This work will be bolstered by extra government funding announced today, including:
£1 million for government agencies, including National Highways, Natural England and the Environment Agency, to speed up the planning approval of new homes and improve feedback to local authorities and industry where required.
£2 million to support the Building Safety Regulator to continue improving the processing for new-build applications.
Over £3 million of grants for local councils to bolster planning capacity, alongside direct advice and navigate through some of the more complex issues holding up new development.
Alongside the Accelerator, the government is also supporting local partners through a clearing service to help accelerate the sale of uncontracted and unsold affordable homes, with nearly 300 housebuilders, local councils and registered providers signing up in the first 50 days of its launch.
In December, the government set a clear hierarchy of brownfield first, grey belt second and green belt third. Today, further funding is being injected to drive regeneration and brownfield deliver in the following areas:
£20 million to help transform neglected small-scale council-owned sites into new homes, for areas most in need.
Nearly £30 million from the Brownfield Infrastructure and Land Fund in Bradford to transform derelict brownfield sites into a vibrant residential area with 1,000 new homes, three community parks, shops, cafés, restaurants, and offices.
£1.5 million to support a regeneration programme at Manchester Victoria North, delivering a new district of 15,000 homes with transport links and green spaces.
Getting homes built for working people is a priority and is backed by investment in housing which is increasing to £5 billion for this year, including a top-up of £800 million being injected into the existing Affordable Homes Programme to help deliver tens of thousands of new affordable and social homes across the country.
This is in addition to an extra £100 million of cash to bolster local resources with increased planning fees to cover costs and funding to recruit 300 planning officers, making sure councils have the capacity they need to rubberstamp new homes and infrastructure.
Local Scottish Green MSP Lorna Slater is calling on Edinburgh to bid to be one of the first councils to sign up for the expansion of free school meals for thousands more S1 – S3 pupils.
The Scottish Greens have recently secured money for the expansion of free school meals to thousands of S1-S3 pupils who receive the Scottish Child Payment (SCP), starting with eight council areas in August 2025.
This builds on the ongoing rollout to P6 and P7 pupils who receive SCP and the previous extension to all P4 and P5 pupils, both of which were secured by Green MSPs during past rounds of budget negotiations.
Edinburgh currently has a child poverty rate of 20.4% and around 4,500 of S1-S3 pupils who receive the Scottish Child Payment, a support payment for families on low incomes.
By signing up to be one of the first councils to receive more free meals for pupils, thousands of local children and families will benefit.
Eight councils will be chosen for the initial rollout and the Scottish Greens will be pushing the Scottish Government to extend the project to all 32 council areas as soon as possible.
Lorna Slater the Scottish Greens MSP for Lothian said: “Children can’t learn if they’re hungry. Problems like classroom hunger simply should not exist in a country as wealthy as Scotland.
“As a result of this work by Green MSPs, thousands more pupils in S1-S3 will now get a free school meal. I hope Edinburgh will volunteer to be one of the first areas to provide these lunches.
“The Scottish Greens have always championed free school meals. This high school expansion builds on the work we’ve already done to provide more meals in primary schools.
“No pupils should have to learn on an empty stomach simply because they cannot afford a school lunch. Each and every child in Scotland should have what they need to do well at school, including a free and healthy lunch.”
RAC warns actions of a few are putting other road users at serious risk
NPCC roads policing lead: “We all have a responsibility to keep each other safe”
Almost half of UK police forces (48%) have caught motorists driving over 90mph on 30mph roads – more than three times the speed limit, new data analysed by the RAC has revealed.*
A Freedom of Information request to the UK’s 45 police forces also found that, of the 40 with data, almost all (90%) had clocked people driving at 60mph – more than twice the limit – on these roads.
With the highest recorded speed on any road being 167mph on a 70mph stretch of the M1 by Leicestershire Police, the new RAC study paints an alarming picture of the speeds some motorists have been caught driving at.
Looking at the largest difference between the speed recorded and the posted limit, the highest logged speed was 161mph on a 50mph eastbound stretch of the A303 in Somerset.
More than half of police forces (23, or 58%) recorded drivers travelling in excess of 140mph. While most of these contraventions were on 70mph motorway stretches, this wasn’t always the case. South Yorkshire Police clocked a driver at 146mph on a 50mph southbound stretch of the M1, while Police Scotland detected someone driving at 148mph on a 60mph section of the A68 in the Scottish Borders.
But perhaps most disturbing of all are the speeds some people are prepared to drive at on 20mph and 30mph roads – those that are far more likely to have high numbers of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users using them.
South Yorkshire Police recorded a speed of 122mph on a 30mph road, while North Wales Police logged a vehicle being driven at 88mph on a 20mph road. Both speeds are more than four times faster than the speed limits.
In total, six-in-10 police forces (24) have caught motorists driving over twice the speed limit on 20mph roads, with seven recording speeds of more than 60mph.
Government data shows speed is the biggest factor reported in fatal road collisions – it is a factor in 58% of fatalities, and in 43% of road collisions of all severities. In 2023 speed contributed to 888 fatalities, and 39,882 collisions of all severities.**
RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “Although this data is a snapshot, it shines a light on the incredibly dangerous actions of a few, that are putting law-abiding road users at serious risk. Thankfully, the police were on hand to catch these drivers.
“There is no place for the vastly excessive speeds that some people are prepared to drive. While some speeds were recorded in the middle of the night when traffic will have been lighter, this isn’t always the case – some of the fastest drivers were clocked at other times of day when they’d have been sharing the roads with many others.
“Speed is the leading cause of deaths on UK roads. We look forward to the Government’s forthcoming road safety strategy understanding what can be done to reduce such avoidable casualties on the UK’s roads.”
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing Chief Constable Jo Shiner said: “We know that some incidents of going over the speed limit can be genuine mistakes or errors but the speeds cited here are clearly drivers taking deliberate decisions to travel at excessive speeds, putting everyone at risk.
“Speed limits are set based on many factors including the road layout, what’s in the surrounding area and taking into account where there might be more vulnerable road users. Choosing to drive above those limits is reckless, selfish and completely unacceptable.
“We all have a responsibility to keep each other safe and do whatever we can to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads each day.”
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “One life lost on our roads is one too many and that’s why I’m committed to Vision Zero. No more deaths on our roads.
“Too many people are being killed or seriously injured and we need to act now. I’ve launched a Road Safety Action Plan and appointed the UK’s first dedicated road safety commissioner, Mat MacDonald, to make sure communities’ voices are heard and real action is taken to prevent more tragedies on our roads.”
The RAC’s study on speeding – one of the so-called ‘Fatal Four’ behaviours that cause most fatal collisions on the roads*** – follows its earlier work in January that identified a culture of speeding among some drivers in the UK.
