The Herald

Pensioners to Launch Sam Missile; Hbos in the Crosshairs As Victims of 'Shared Appreciation Mortgages' Fight Back

HBOS faces legal action by hundreds of pensioners who were sold "shared appreciation mortgages" (SAMs) by Bank of Scotland in the 1990s. The action is due to be raised within months by Bath-based law firm Withy King, which is advising the SAM Victims action group. It will claim that the bank breached the "unfair terms" provisions in consumer contract regulation,although advising solicitor Gareth Jones admitted this week: "There is no way this is an easy case to win - it will be borderline."

Wet and Wild; Sheep Outnumber People and the Elements Are Unforgiving - but You Don't Need Blue Skies and Soaring Temperatures to Make the Beaches of Sutherland Beautiful, Finds Victoria Brookes

When visitscotland.com describes Sutherland as "a vast wilderness", it's not joking. I thought I'd seen most of what Scotland has to offer: mountains, check. Lochs, check. Beaches, check. But the Northern Highlands are altogether different - miles and miles of barren moorland inhabited by sturdy sheep and not a lot else. In fact, the human population of Sutherland is tiny - fewer than 14,000 people live in an area of more than 2000 sq miles. Having never been further north than Aviemore, I de...

Bones Find Resurrects Legend of Scots Cannibal

HUMAN bones discovered during an archaeological dig in caves beneath Culzean Castle in Ayrshire could belong to a victim of the legendary Sawney Bean and his cannibal family, experts suggested yesterday. A team working for the Channel 4 show Extreme Archaeology (EXA), to be broadcast tomorrow night, found the remains during an exploration of the network of tunnels beneath the castle, the ancient seat of the Clan Kennedy and now a popular tourist attraction.

Boy, 7, Killed in Bus Accident

Blunkett Forces Suspension of Defiant Soham Police Chief; High Court Backs Home Secretary After Bichard Report

DAVID Blunkett yesterday succeeded in suspending the chief constable of Humberside, after the High Court over-ruled the local police authority and insisted David Westwood step aside from his duties pending a final decision on his future. Mr Justice Stanley Burnton criticised Humberside Police Authority for being "in default of its statutory duty" and instructed it to suspend the police chief forthwith. He also denied a leave to appeal.

Queen Ends Trip with Visit to Master Weavers

The Queen yesterday visited Scotland's only weavers' studio on the last day of her week-long trip north of the border. She toured the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, and expressed her hope that the company would continue to thrive after hitting a rocky patch which almost forced its closure.

Stomach-Churning Tale of 'Scotland's Hannibal Lecter'

NOBODY knows for sure whether Sawney Bean actually existed, but if even half of the legend is true he easily lives up to his inevitable modern nickname, Scotland's Hannibal Lecter. Alexander Bean was supposedly born in the late fourteenth century in East Lothian, the son of a hedger and ditcher. Too lazy to work with his father, he absconded to Ayrshire and fell in with an equally work-shy and dishonest woman, "Black" Agnes Douglas.

Schoolchildren's Award-Winning Art Is Displayed in Tate Modern

EXHIBITS by pupils from two Scottish primary schools are on display at the Tate Modern gallery in London after being ranked among the top entries in a national competition. Works by 32 schools, by children aged from four to 18, were selected for this year's Artworks young artists of the year awards, popularly known as the children's Turner. They will be exhibited until July 18.

Voyage of Discovery; After Swapping Suburban London for a Year in Rural France, Celia Brayfield Is Driven to Despair by the British Attitude to Food. By Cate Devine

When Celia Brayfield decided to spend a year in south-west France writing a new book, it was a brave move. The novelist had lived on the same page of the London A-Z for almost 30 years, and never more than a taxi ride away from Soho. Yet when she arrived at her new home in Orriule in the Bearn region, she didn't feel like a complete stranger - she started cooking her favourite French dishes using locally bought ingredients and immediately felt at home.

Youth in Court Over Plunge Incident

Doctors Get Incapacity Act Changes

A LAW affecting adults incapable of looking after their own affairs is to be overhauled after complaints by doctors. The move was announced yesterday by health minister Malcolm Chisholm, who said the changes would improve the operation of the legislation.

Plan to Help Bankrupt Firms Back On Their Feet

Law reforms aimed at helping bankrupt individuals and small businesses recover more quickly were unveiled yesterday by the Scottish Executive. The reforms include reducing the bankruptcy period from three years to one year, streamlining the process and reducing court involvement.

The West Highland Way Is Now Trail of Litter; Dumped Rubbish On Walk Raises Health Hazard Fears

STRETCHING from the outskirts of Glasgow to Fort William in the Highlands, it attracts more than 50,000 walkers and ramblers from all over the world every year. They come to the West Highland Way, Scotland's best-known walking trail to enjoy the scenery and wildlife.

Blunkett Praises Conditions at Dungavel As He Plays Down Rumours of Rift with Brown

David Blunkett, the home secretary, visited Dungavel asylum detention centre yesterday and described conditions there as "entirely satisfactory". After his private tour of the South Lanarkshire establishment, Mr Blunkett insisted the government did not treat the detention of families and children lightly. He also praised the "dedicated and caring staff" at the former prison.

Defence Chiefs Poised to Cut Forces; Budget Will Put the Future of Battalions and Rosyth at Risk

DEFENCE chiefs are poised to make swingeing cuts throughout the armed forces as the result of a derisory budget increase to be announced later this month in the comprehensive spending review. The future of individual battalions in the Royal Scots, the Highlanders, the Black Watch, and the King's Own Scottish Borderers hang in the balance, but defence sources have promised their names or identities will not be lost.

Showdown Looms Over Supreme Court Plan

TONY Blair is braced for another showdown in the House of Lords this month over the government's plans to abolish the office of lord chancellor and establish a supreme court in place of the law lords. Members of a cross-party House of Lords committee yesterday officially confirmed that they had failed to agree a way forward on the government's plans to transform the legal landscape, but they did accept that change was inevitable.

Candidates for the Snp Hot Seat Given Dirty Tricks Warning

ALL candidates in the SNP's leadership contest have been warned about the improper telephone canvassing of party members amid claims the contest has been hit by a dirty tricks campaign. Alasdair Allan, the party's national secretary, has been forced to remind all six declared candidates that party rules prohibit direct approaches to members, after a mysterious company telephoned past and present branch officials to ask their voting intentions.

Accused 'Hid Body Parts in Bin Bags'; Police Tell Jury of Grim Find

SEVERED body parts were discovered wrapped in bin bags in a city garden by police investigating a murder, a court heard yesterday. Ian Sutherland, 33, went on trial at the High Court in Edinburgh accused of murdering Alan Wilson and then dismembering his body in an effort to avoid being caught.

Fury As Number of Asians Stopped by Police Up by 300%

TERRORISM fears have led to police stop and searches of people from Asian backgrounds to soar by more than 300%, according to figures published yesterday. Muslim leaders described the figures for England and Wales as appalling and said they proved there was an increase in Islamophobia in the UK.

Quarrier's Rapist has Sentence Reduced

APPEAL judges yesterday cut the prison sentence of a former care worker who raped girls at a residential home, because of his worsening health. Samuel McBrearty, 73, was originally jailed for 12 years for abusing victims at Quarrier's Home, at Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire.