Detectives investigating a break-in at The Gyle Centre in Edinburgh, that took place around 2.50am on Wednesday, 10 November, are appealing for any information on the whereabouts of another vehicle involved.
The two suspects tried to force entry to a shop using a silver Suzuki Celerio. That car was left at the scene and the two men made off in a silver Audi A5 or S5 model.
Both men involved are described as being of slim build and wearing dark clothing with a hood up and face covered.
Detective Inspector George Calder said: “Our investigation is progressing and we believe that the car may be a silver Audi S5, five-door model that was reported stolen from the Drylaw area of Edinbugh around 8pm on Friday, 5 November.
“We are carrying out enquiries to trace the movements of this car since it was stolen, and indeed where the car is at the present time. The information we receive from the public is vital in assisting our investigation and we would appreciate any information you hold.
“If you have seen a car matching this description since last Friday, or know where it may be parked then please contact us.
“We would also be keen to speak to anyone who may have dashcam or private CCTV footage which could help our investigation.”
Anyone with information can call 101, quoting 0246 of 10 November, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
We are pleased to announce that show registration for Fringe 2021 will open on Wednesday 05 May.
Artists and venues will be able to register Fringe shows right up until the end of the festival. The Fringe’s world-class programme will be available to browse and book at edfringe.com, with tickets going on sale for audiences in early summer.
As Scotland navigates its roadmap out of lockdown, much is still unknown about what the Fringe will look like this August. However, a range of scenarios are being prepared for, from socially distanced live events to digital offerings.
The Fringe Society is supporting artists and audiences to find and book work online across a range of platforms, including the brand-new Fringe Player.
This online platform aims to bring some festival magic into homes across the world, while providing a secure platform for artists, companies and venues to host their shows. The platform is available to any registered 2021 Fringe show or venue to use if they wish.
Any live performance registered as part of the 2021 Fringe will be expected to adhere to public health guidance from the Scottish Government.
Audiences can search, browse and buy tickets to both online and in-person work through edfringe.com. More details on individual shows and Fringe 2021 will be available in early summer.
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Fringe Society, said: “We’re delighted to be able to open registration for 2021. Of course, we’re still very much in planning mode as we await further updates from the Scottish Government, but this feels like a hugely positive step in the right direction.
“Through the work being created across the various digital platforms, including the Fringe Player, artists have a brilliant opportunity to reach audiences and communities all over the world. I look forward to seeing how our Fringe creatives use these platforms in 2021 and beyond.”
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe will take place from 06 – 30 August 2021.
SEPA issues further update on cyber-attack, data theft, service delivery and recovery.
Ransomware attack remains ongoing as SEPA reiterates it will not engage with criminals intent on disrupting public services and extorting public funds.
Data likely to be stolen by international serious and organised cyber-crime groups has been illegally published online.
SEPA working to recover and analyse data then contact and support affected organisations and individuals over coming days and weeks as quickly as identifications confirmed.
Dedicated data loss support website, Police Scotland guidance, enquiry form and support line available for regulated business and supply chain partners.
Priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services continuing to adapt and operate.
Broader update on service delivery and recovery to be confirmed early next week.
SEPA continuing to work with Scottish Government, Police Scotland, the National Cyber Security Centre and cyber-security specialists to respond to what remains complex and sophisticated criminality. Subject of a live criminal investigation.
The latest information on the cyber-attack, limited data loss and how to contact the agency is available at sepa.org.uk/cyberattack
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has provided a further update on the ongoing ransomware cyber-attack which has significantly impacted the organisation since Christmas Eve.
The organisation reiterated that it will not engage with criminals intent on disrupting public services and extorting public funds.
As part of a broad update on data theft, service delivery and recovery, the environmental regulator confirmed that data stolen by what was likely to be international serious and organised cyber-crime groups has now been illegally published online.
In a previous update on 14 January (one of a series since the attack on Christmas Eve), SEPA confirmed the theft of circa 1.2 GB of data across four broad categories. To provide some context, by comparison the theft was the equivalent to a fraction of the contents of an average laptop hard drive. Nevertheless, it still means that at least 4,000 files may have been stolen by criminals.
“Supported by Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre, we continue to respond to what remains a significant and sophisticated cyber-attack and a serious crime against SEPA” said SEPA Chief Executive, Terry A’Hearn.
“We’ve been clear that we won’t use public finance to pay serious and organised criminals intent on disrupting public services and extorting public funds”, he added.
“We have made our legal obligations and duty of care on the sensitive handling of data a high priority and, following Police Scotland advice, are confirming that data stolen has been illegally published online. We’re working quickly with multi-agency partners to recover and analyse data then, as identifications are confirmed, contact and support affected organisations and individuals.”
The agency reiterated that whilst stolen data had now been illegally published and work was underway to analyse the data set, it does not yet know, and may never know the full detail of the 1.2 GB of information stolen.
Some of the information stolen will have been publicly available, whilst some will not have been. It confirmed that staff had been contacted based on the information available, were being supported and that a dedicated data loss support website, Police Scotland guidance, enquiry form and support line was available for regulated business and supply chain partners.
The agency also confirmed that priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services were continuing to adapt and operate and that a broader update on service delivery and recovery would be confirmed next week.
Mr. A’Hearn added: “Sadly we’re not the first and won’t be the last national organisation targeted by likely international crime groups. We’ve said that whilst for the time being we’ve lost access to most of our systems, including things as basic as our email system, what we haven’t lost is our 1,200 expert staff.
“Through their knowledge, skills and experience we’ve adapted and since day one continued to provide priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services. Whilst some systems and services may be badly affected for some time, step-by-step we’re working to assess and consider how we recover.
“We’ll issue a broader update on service delivery and recovery early next week, with weekly updates to be clear on what those we work with can expect and how we’ll prioritise progress.”
The agency stressed firm Police Scotland advice that organisations and individuals should not seek to search for the stolen information, as accessing the host site may place organisations, individuals and their computer infrastructure at risk.
Detective Inspector Michael McCullagh of Police Scotland’s Cybercrime Investigations Unit said: “This remains an ongoing investigation. Police Scotland are working closely with SEPA and our partners at Scottish Government and the wider UK law enforcement community to investigate and provide support in response to this incident.
“Enquiries remain at an early stage and continue to progress including deployment of specialist cybercrime resources to support this response.
“It would be inappropriate to provide more specific detail of investigations at this time.”
Jude McCorry, Chief Executive of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, added: “There are many ways including ransomware a business can experience a cyber security incident, with varying levels of complexity and disruption. Cyber incidents can occur through deliberate targeting like we have seen with SEPA, or even human error, the end result is the same, a disruptive effect on business operations.
“At SBRC we are working in partnership with Police Scotland and Scottish government running the UK’s first collaborative cyber incident response helpline for organisations in Scotland.
“If you feel that you are a victim of a cyber attack your first call should be to Police Scotland on 101 to report the crime (whilst respecting your IT systems as a crime scene) and our incident response helpline on 01786 437472, we will assist you with immediate support and expert guidance, and ensure you are speaking to the correct agencies and organisations to help you feel supported and get you back in operation securely.”
SEPA will provide further updates as quickly as possible at www.sepa.org.uk/cyberattack as more information becomes available.
Whilst the agency continues to work hard to understand and resolve the issues, members of the public, regulated businesses and suppliers can find additional information and contact options via:
Both words are important in answering that question.
This 20 day Update is always about where we are now. It is not about where we hope to be one day when the keys are delivered and, like any prospective purchaser, we move in to see what state the previous owner has left us to clear up before we can move our own things in.
Don’t worry: that is not being neglected, but it would be boring to describe all the steps that are being taken to get us to that point. You can safely leave the tedious things to the SCIO board, who will make sure all the necessary tasks are done in the right way. There are much more exciting things to share now, not least because we know that moving-in day could be around a year away.
So what? What about now? What can you be expected to do other than to wait patiently? Is there a child in your house – or can you imagine a child after being cooped up with nothing to do – saying, “I’m bored! I don’t know what to do.” Well be bored no longer: There is something to do. It really will make a difference to the future and it will make it better.
There are two things that fit together: What troubles you as you cope with Covid 19? What ideas do you have that are worth sharing in order to help others cope?
As simple as that. Here is how we propose to match the need with the thought. It’s about sharing, which is the hallmark of community.
This Community, as you know by now, has a HEART. ❤️
Not merely a lot of boxes called houses or flats, in which we all keep ourselves to ourselves and suffer in silence.
We are about to launch an interactive programme of questions and suggestions, ideas and activities, encouraging you to become involved NOW with other people like you, helping each other create a better normal around our three themes you may know by heart:
Health Business Leisure Sport Puzzles Gardening Entertainment Advice
You can add to the list which is as long as you want to make it, because above all it is about YOU – which is US, ALL TOGETHER, helping each other.
Invite your friends to join in as well. Look out for details about to appear on our website and social media channels.
And don’t forget: if you have not already responded to the invitation to become a member of our Charity Heart of Newhaven Community SCIO making all this possible, do that NOW too, using the link here and following instructions.
Also keep checking the website and socials! In another 20 days we’ll tell you more precisely what we are going to do next.
Rodney Matthews Chair and Vision Facilitator The Heart of Newhaven Community
An STV item about our plans went out on the 6 O’Clock news bulletin on Friday (11th September). It included an on-site interview filmed outside Victoria primary School and was very upbeat.
Please pass the word around so that those who haven’t seen it can watch it on whatever catch-up services they have available.
We need you! Now the Hard Work Begins !
Anyone under the impression that it’s all over bar the shouting must think again. We’ve barely started!
In my last Update I was delighted to confirm that the City of Edinburgh Council had agreed to our request for the Community Asset Transfer of Victoria Primary School. But that word request is crucial. Without the Council’s agreement under the Community Empowerment (2015) Scotland Act no one could do anything.
Now no one can prevent us succeeding unless we ourselves fail – and we certainly don’t intend to fail. The important word here is WE because that includes YOU.
Why has the Council granted our request? The official statement on their website says:The community benefit is substantial compared to the value of the asset.The request will make a significant positive contribution to The City of Edinburgh Council’s aspirations and values.
We can now reveal “the value of the asset” – £785,000. But the Council can’t give it away. They need money from its sale to build the new school in Western Harbour. However, before they could put it on the open market they were required by the 2015 Act to offer it first to “the community”.
If we could show we would use it to meet their aims they would give us a discount. So they reduced the price by £85,000.
The £700,000 we will pay will help build the best Primary School in the Edinburgh whilst we go on to create Scotland’s first specifically dedicated Multigenerational Community Hub. That should make YOU feel very proudand very determined to succeed in the huge challenge ahead.
We’ve already started fundraising. We had to begin our Business Plan long before we succeeded in our CAT application – and before the challenge of a global pandemic.
Our charity, The Heart of Newhaven Community SCIO, has already applied to the Scottish Land Fund for the entirecost of purchase and fees. This Fund is provided by the Scottish Government to make grants for exactly the kind of thing we are doing.
But it is not a bottomless purse and there are many applications. We will know the degree of our success before the end of November but in addition to buying the site we need money for changes – including a lift to make the imaginative Heritage Suite more accessible.
We are working NOW so that if by next March the purchase is complete, an arrangement can be made for the children to continue to use it until their new school is ready.
Every stage needs planning, so we are preparing ways for the Heart of Newhaven Community to grow together, supporting each other to create that Better Normal that is going to characterise life after Covid19.
You will shortly receive a personal invitation to become closely associated as a MEMBER of our dedicated SCIO SC04419. But you needn’t even wait for that. A growing number of people are volunteering and asking “Is there anything I can do now?” You won’t be left waiting for long for an answer!
In fact, you could answer the question for yourself and tell us what you would like to do. Look at our developing website heartofnewhaven.co.uk to get a bright idea and tell us what you think.
Rodney Matthews
Chair and Vision Facilitator, The Heart of Newhaven Community
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a statement on coronavirus this morning:
Good morning,
In the two weeks since I last addressed you from this podium, I am pleased to report that we have continued to make steady progress in our collective effort to beat the coronavirus.
For 3 weeks now, the number of new cases identified through testing each day has been below 1,000.
The latest SAGE advice is that, across the UK, the R rate remains between 0.7 and 0.9.
SAGE also assess that the number of infections is shrinking by between 5 and 1 per cent every day.
The latest ONS data shows prevalence and new infections to be stable and low.
The number of patients newly admitted to hospital with coronavirus each day, and the number of coronavirus patients in mechanical ventilation beds, have both fallen by more than 90% from their peak in early April.
And while we mourn every death, the average daily death rate continues, steadily, to fall.
This progress is testament to the phenomenal efforts of our NHS and social care staff working tirelessly on the frontline.
And it has only been possible thanks to the character and fortitude with which you, the British people, have made fundamental changes to the way you all live and work.
When we set out our plan to rebuild on 11 May, we said our goal was to return life to as close to normal as possible, for as many people as possible, as fast and as fairly as possible, in a way that is safe and continues to protect our NHS.
That goal remains the same – but the tools we use to achieve it are changing.
At the start of the pandemic, when we knew far less about the nature and spread of the virus, we had to take blanket, national measures.
National lockdown was undoubtedly the right thing to do and has saved many thousands of lives.
Now however, we know more about the virus – we understand the epidemiology better and our intelligence on where it is spreading is vastly improved. That means we can control it through targeted, local action instead.
In England, this work is led by NHS Test and Trace and within it the Joint Biosecurity Centre. My sincere thanks go to Dido Harding who oversees this work and who joins me today.
This approach is already working.
In Weston-super-Mare and Kirklees, we took swift and successful action to contain outbreaks at specific premises.
In Bradford and Blackburn with Darwen, we identified troubling trends in the data and worked closely with the respective local authorities to increase testing and take targeted action. That work continues.
And in Leicester, we instituted a local lockdown in order to bear down on stubborn rates of infection. As the Health Secretary announced last night, we will begin to relax the restrictions there next week. We can do so because the data is improving – with the percentage of people testing positive falling from a weekly rate of 12.2% on 29 June to 4.8% yesterday.
The approach varies in different parts of the UK, but all parts of the UK benefit from the support of our armed forces, additional testing facilities, and billions of pounds of support provided by this Government.
Today we are publishing our framework for containing and controlling future outbreaks in England, which will enable national and local government to work closely together.
From tomorrow, local authorities will have new powers in their areas. They will be able to close specific premises, shut public outdoor spaces, and cancel events. These powers will enable local authorities to act more quickly in response to outbreaks, where speed is paramount.
Action by local councils will not always be sufficient. So next week we will publish draft regulations which clearly set out how central government can intervene more effectively at a local level.
Where justified by the evidence, ministers will be able to close whole sectors or types of premises in an area, introduce local “stay at home” orders, prevent people entering or leaving defined areas, reduce the maximum size of gatherings beyond national rules, or restrict transport systems serving local areas.
I know that it will be hard going for people affected by these local measures. It isn’t easy, and for some it may seem unjust that people just a short distance away can live their lives closer to normal.
But it has to be right that we take local action in response to local outbreaks – there is no point shutting down a city in one part of the country to contain an outbreak in another part of the country.
Now of course, this local approach relies on having an effective testing regime in place.
And here we have made substantial progress.
Antigen test capacity – that’s the test which tells you if you currently have the virus – has increased 100-fold since the start of March, from fewer than 2,000 tests a day to more than 200,000 tests a day now.
Publicly available data suggests we are now carrying out our tests more than anywhere else in Europe in total, and more tests than Germany, France, Italy and Spain per capita.
We have set up testing sites around the UK and now have 200 mobile units which can be rapidly deployed wherever they are needed.
It is now the case, and has been for some time, that anyone, anywhere in the UK with symptoms can get a test without delay. We are also testing increasing numbers of people who don’t have symptoms but who are at higher risk.
As we approach winter, we will need to go further – not least as many more people will show Covid-like symptoms as a result of seasonal illnesses, and therefore require a test.
So we will further increase testing capacity to at least half a million antigen tests a day – 3.5 million antigen tests a week – by the end of October.
Demand for testing is not the only challenge that winter will bring.
It is possible that the virus will be more virulent in the winter months – and it is certain that the NHS will face the usual, annual winter pressures.
We have taken a number of steps therefore to get the NHS ready for winter.
We have massively increased the number of ventilators available to patients across the UK – up from 9,000 before the pandemic to nearly 30,000 now.
We have substantially increased the pipeline of personal protective equipment for the NHS and social care -constituting over 30 billion items of PPE over the course of the pandemic.
We will be rolling out the biggest ever flu vaccination programme in the history of the U.K.
And we will also of course give the NHS the resources it needs.
And today, I can confirm that we are providing an additional £3 billion of funding to the NHS in England to get ready for winter. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also receive additional funds.
This will allow the NHS to continue to use the extra hospital capacity acquired from the independent sector and also to maintain the Nightingale hospitals until the end of March.
This new funding comes on top of the additional £30 billion of funding for health and social care that we have already announced this year.
So we are making sure we are ready for winter, and planning for the worst.
But even as we plan for the worst, I strongly believe we should also hope for the best.
That means looking ahead with optimism – now extending our plan to lift the remaining national measures which have restricted our lives since March so we can get back to something closer to normal life.
Now I must stress, the timetable I am about to set out is conditional. It is contingent on every one of us staying alert and acting responsibly. It relies on our continued success in controlling the virus. And we will not proceed if doing so risks a second peak that would overwhelm the NHS.
Nonetheless, it is important to give people hope and to give business confidence.
So in England, from today we are making clear that anybody may use public transport, while of course encouraging people to consider alternative means of transport where they are available.
From 25 July, we have already committed to reopening the indoor gyms, pools and other sports facilities.
From 1 August, we will update our advice on going to work. Instead of government telling people to work from home, we are going to give employers more discretion, and ask them to make decisions about how their staff can work safely.
That could mean of course continuing to work from home, which is one way of working safely and which has worked for many employers and employees.
Or it could mean making workplaces safe by following Covid Secure guidelines. Whatever employers decide, they should consult closely with their employees, and only ask people to return to their place of work if it is safe.
As we reopen our society and economy, it’s right that we give employers more discretion while continuing to ensure employees are kept safe.
Also from 1 August, we will reopen most remaining leisure settings, namely bowling, skating rinks and casinos, and we will enable all close contact services such as beauticians to resume.
Nightclubs and soft play areas will sadly need to remain closed for now – although this will be kept under review.
We will restart indoor performances to a live audience, subject to the success of pilots, and we will also pilot larger gatherings in venues like sports stadia, with a view to wider reopening in the Autumn.
We will also allow wedding receptions for up to 30 people.
All of these measures for 1 August should be done in a Covid Secure way.
In September, schools, nurseries and colleges will be open for all children and young people on a full-time basis, as planned.
And universities are also working to reopen as fully as possible.
From October, we intend to bring back audiences in stadia and to allow conferences and other business events to recommence – again, these changes must be done in a Covid Secure way, subject to the successful outcome of pilots.
Throughout this period, we will look to allow more close contact between friends and family when we can.
It is my strong and sincere hope that we will be able to review the outstanding restrictions and allow a more significant return to normality from November at the earliest – possibly in time for Christmas.
At all times, we will continue to work with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to support and care for those at risk, wherever they live in the UK.
We have said that the shielding programme for those most at risk in England, the clinically extremely vulnerable, will be paused at the end of this month. We will stay constantly vigilant and be sure to restart shielding at any point if required.
Now I know some will say this plan is too optimistic, that the risks are too great and that we won’t overcome the virus in time.
And of course, if they are right in saying that, and we cannot exclude that they are, let me reassure them, and reassure you: that we will not hesitate at any stage to put on the brakes.
From May 11 onwards, this plan has been conditional, and it remains conditional.
But if we continue to pull together as we have done so far, I know we can beat this virus.
Hoping for the best, but planning for the worst – and it’s in that spirit that we must carry on waging this long, hard fight against Coronavirus.
Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, speaking in response to the Prime Minister’s press conference today, said:“We all want society to reopen, we all want our economy to start growing again. So we’ll look at the details of this plan.
“But the key now is confidence. Do the public have confidence in the measures the Government have put in place? Do businesses have confidence in the advice that’s been given? And can we have confidence that the Government’s scientific advisers support these measures? This can’t be done on a wing and a prayer. It requires a credible plan, and national leadership.”
On local lockdowns:
“Labour has long been arguing that we need local control of lockdown. We need data to our local representatives, our local authorities. They need the powers to take the necessary measures. This is what will drive confidence, and this work with local authorities should have be done a long time ago.
“Mayors across the country, local authority leaders across the country, are saying what we need is the data so we know precisely what’s going on, on a day-to-day basis, on a street-by-street basis, or we need the power to take action, rapidly. That’s what they want most of all.”
On NHS winter funding:
“What I didn’t hear from the Prime Minister this morning was any extra money and funding for social care. And what we can’t do again is to leave social care out of the priorities as we go into the autumn and the winter. So where was the money for social care?”
Responding to Boris Johnson’s announcement today, allowing employers to start bringing home-working staff back to the workplace from next month, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We all want to get the economy up and running as quickly as possible. Returns to workplaces must happen in a phased and safe way.
“The government is passing the buck on this big decision to employers. Getting back to work safely requires a functioning NHS Test and Trace system. Yet progress on test and trace is still patchy, and the government is still refusing to support workers who have to self-isolate by raising statutory sick pay from just £95pw to a rate people can live on.
“A safe return to workplaces also requires much greater investment in public transport if people are to be able to commute to workplaces.
“Before reopening any workplace, every employer must complete a risk assessment, and make plans to reduce the risk to workers through enabling social distancing. They must consult their staff trade unions, and larger employers should publish the risk assessment on their website.
“Not everyone will be able to return to workplaces full-time or immediately. People who have been advised to shield and those without enough childcare may need to work fully from home for the foreseeable future.
“Many businesses have seen the benefits of flexible approaches to working during this pandemic. This progress must not be lost. All staff should have the right to work flexibly from their first day in the job.”
The TUC is calling on employers to do the following before asking staff to return to the workplace:
Complete their Covid-Secure risk assessments as required by law, in consultation with unions and their workforces
Publish their Covid-Secure risk assessment on their website, as the government expects. The TUC is collating links to published risk assessments at covidsecurecheck.uk
Take the actions from the risk assessment to enable safer working, such as requiring social distancing and supplying PPE if it is required
Show flexibility and consideration for workers’ individual circumstances, including considering caring responsibilities, those who are shielding, and those who have other health conditions, including mental health
Allow workers who rely on public transport to have staggered start times to prevent a rush hour crush.
Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust realise the spread of Coronavirus is a difficult and worrying time for everyone and can assure you that we are following all the current advice and information from Health Protection Scotland and the UK and Scottish Governments.
Due to the current Covid-19 situation all community activities have been suspended and our project delivery on the ground. Our staff are currently working from home.
However, we are keen to keep in contact with the communities that we work with and will be updating our website and social media once we have a clearer idea of timescales.
In addition we will endeavour to continue posting, on Facebook, activities that people can do at home to help them stay motivated.
We hope that this is of some reassurance to you and if there is anything else you think we could do, or if you would like to discuss things further, then please do not hesitate to get in touch through our contact page.
