The Herald

Revealed: 4000 Rise in Public Sector Workers Number of Teachers Falls

THE number of civil servants in Scotland has risen by 1300 in three months, as the number of teachers fell by nearly 1000. Newly-published statistics also revealed that the overall size of the public sector, which many economists and analysts believe is too large, has grown by nearly 4000, to stand at a total of 577,000 staff in the second quarter.

Thanks Mum, You're Great

German Gp Flies in to Cover Holidays

AN emergency GP service hailed as a model for the rest of Scotland is turning to Germany for doctors to cover staff vacations and bank holidays. Glasgow Emergency Medical Services (Gems) , which has a pool of about 300 doctors, paid a German GP for shifts last month.

Met Police Chief Tried to Block Shooting Inquiry

SIR Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, suggested a change in the law after the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes so that he would not have to divulge information to an independent inquiry. On the day the Brazilian was mistakenly shot dead by police, Sir Ian wrote to Sir John Gieve, Home Office permanent secretary, saying he should be able to suspend as he saw fit a legal requirement to give material to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Fire and Prison Services Face Race Inquiry Minority Recruiting 'Too Slow'

THE Commission for Racial Equality is to investigate the Scottish fire brigade and prison service following concerns about alleged discrimination and failures to recruit sufficient officers from ethnic minorities. In a groundbreaking review of the police service earlier this year, the CRE discovered that just 0.7-per cent of Scotland's 15,000 officers are recorded as being black orAsian. Levels in the fire brigade and Scottish Prison Service are even lower. About 2-per cent of the Scottish po...

Generals Admit Iraqi Army Still Needs Us Backup

ONLY one of the new Iraqi army's 86 infantry battalions is capable of tackling insurgents without US military backup, senior American generals admitted yesterday. The admission throws plans for US or British troop withdrawals based on a handover to local security forces from next year into serious doubt as violence continues to rise in advance of next month's referendum vote on the Iraqi constitution.

'It Looked Like Something for Dressing Up . . . I Was Wrong' King George's Tartan Doublet Uncovered in Hanover Castle

AN historic tartan doublet which started the royal family tradition of going native when they visit Scotland has been unearthed in the attic of a German castle. A Sotheby's sleuth yesterday identified the jacket as the one worn by King George IV in 1822 when he became the first British monarch to visit Scotland in nearly 200 years.

Celebrities Line Up with Chancellor to Back Raith Rovers

GORDON Brown is lending a financial hand to help his beloved and beleaguered Raith Rovers. The chancellor has also helped to get celebrity investors on side, including Ian Rankin, the author, and Jack Vettriano, the artist, in the battle to save the struggling Kirkcaldy club.

Police Extradite Three Kriss Donald Suspects

POLICE visited a foreign country yesterday to make final arrangements to bring three people back to Scotland in connection with the murder of 15-year-old Kriss Donald. The boy was abducted near his home on the south side of Glasgow last March and his body was found the next day.

Labour Invites Evicted Heckler to Lunch

LABOUR high command last night sought to minimise still further the negative fallout from its party conference debacle by inviting the evicted peace activist and union official to have lunch with Ian McCartney, the party chairman. WalterWolfgang, 82, became the focus of nationwide attention when he was unceremoniously removed from the conference hall in Brighton after shouting "nonsense" at Jack Straw when the foreign secretary defended government policy on Iraq.

'These Are the Kind of Children We Love to Teach at Our School' Staff and Pupils Outraged at Deportation of Kosovan Family

A HEADMASTER yesterday described three teenage asylum seekers who were deported by the Home Office to Kosovo after being seized in a dawn raid as "model pupils". Wilson Blakey, the head teacher of Drumchapel High in Glasgow, said many of his pupils were shocked and saddened at the abrupt deportation of the family.

Sheriff Criticises Immigration System After Dungavel Suicide

A SHERIFF has made claims of failures in the immigration and asylum system after a Vietnamese man hanged himself in Dungavel detention centre. A fatal accident inquiry found that Tran Quang Tung concealed his intention to commit suicide, and there were no steps that could reasonably have been taken to prevent him from doing so.

Breast Cancer Is Not Inevitable and It's Time to Stop Blaming Women, Says Charity

WOMEN are being sold the myth that breast cancer is normal and inevitable, according to a report commissioned by a group working to prevent the disease. The study, part-funded by the Scottish Breast Cancer Campaign, demands an urgent shake-up of UK cancer policy, and accuses the government and what it calls "the cancer establishment" of being complicit in soaring rates of the disease.

Doctors Run Up Gbp1bn Charges On Patient Medicine

NON-hospital prescription drugs cost the health service GBP940m a year in Scotland. Figures released yesterday put the cost at GBP175 for each person registered with a GP.

Man Arrested Over Da Vinci Code Row

Policeman Accused of Murder Attempt

A POLICEMAN appeared in court yesterday, accused of attempted murder. Sergeant John Kelly, 44, of Dumfries, appeared in front of Sheriff Ken Ross at the town's sheriff court.

Man Dies After Fall at River Marina

Glittering Night for the Nation's Most Stylish Designers Honoured at Awards Ceremony

A SMALL designer textile and fabric shop with a distinctly Scottish name was honoured last night for its outstanding contribution to the country's style. Glasgow-based Timorous Beasties has become famous for fabric and wallpaper designs featuring over-scaled motifs of flora and fauna.

Tanker Drivers Strike Over Pay

Fuel tanker drivers yesterday began a four-day strike in a dispute over pay. About 26 employees at Elgin-based Gleaner Oils, which provides fuel to Shell garages, are striking across the north and north-east of Scotland, demanding that their pay is brought into line with employees at other companies. They are looking to secure GBP10 an hour.

Man Denies Raping Student

A man yesterday denied raping a Dutch student on a country road. Robert Greens, 28, pleaded not guilty to assaulting the 19-year- old to her severe injury and to the danger of her life and raping her on May 15 near Rosewell in Midlothian.