SCOTTISH hauliers will be hit by a £1,000 a year levy to use the rest of the UK’s road network and ordinary drivers left facing extra costs should voters back independence, the coalition government has claimed.

The warning in the latest paper on the consequences of independence produced by the UK government says that motorists generally could end up paying a higher cost through extra bureaucracy and charges.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills paper, due to be published tomorrow, sets out the consequences for road users, such as the administration of 3.7 million Scottish driving licences as well as MOTs. The report points out that Scottish HGVs using UK roads could face extra charges after independence, because the implementation of the HGV Road User Levy Act 2013.

This legislation introduces a charge of £10 a day or £1,000 a year to all HGVs weighing 12 tonnes or more using the UK road network from April 2014, and is designed to make HGV operators make a contribution to the wear and tear they cause to UK roads.

The paper also points out that non-commercial vehicles registered in a separate Scottish state and brought into the UK for more than six months would be liable for UK registration fees currently £55 for non-UK vehicles and the relevant UK Vehicle Excise Duty on top of whatever similar charges applied in Scotland.

It says there would be a need to set standard and safety provisions for vehicles and drivers which are currently set and monitored by UK agencies.

Scotland would also have to create new agencies with specialist skills – such as Air Accident Investigation teams, with the paper claiming this would be “disproportionately expensive” for a separate Scottish state given the smaller area to be covered.

Tory Scotland Office minister David Mundell said: “Every time we look under the bonnet of independence we find something else problematic. Scottish motorists just want to be able to drive on UK roads with the minimum of fuss. They don’t want new charges, new driving licences or new MOTs.

“The UK brings benefits to all parts of the UK. Independence would bring massive change to every aspect of Scottish life and it would not be a change for the better. Scotland, in the UK, is open for business.”

But pro-independence supporters described the document as “more scaremongering”.

A spokesman for Yes Scotland, the umbrella group leading the independence campaign, said: “The No campaign describe themselves as ‘Project Fear’ and this latest scare story fits into that category.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman added: “With independence, Scotland will gain full control of vehicle excise duty and fuel taxes. This will mean that an independent Scottish Government can set these measures in line with the needs of Scotland’s hauliers and motorists.

“The HGV road user scheme... being introduced by the UK government will already be in place ahead of independence. Scotland would therefore take on a share of revenues from the scheme and would have exactly the same powers as the UK government to put in place offsetting measures for Scottish hauliers.

“Scotland has a long-standing stake in UK institutions, such as the DVLA, DSA and VOSA, and these services are mostly paid for by fees paid by motorists. This means an independent Scotland would have a range of options for providing these services in an independent Scotland.”

SNP claims MoD suppressing information relevant to debate

THE SNP has produced a dossier which it claims shows that the Ministry of Defence is deliberately suppressing information it holds to prevent an informed debate ahead of next year’s independence referendum.

The dossier is expected to be raised by SNP veterans minister Keith Brown when he appears before the Commons defence select committee this week to answer questions on what the shape of an independent Scotland’s military would look like.

The SNP dossier highlights a number of parliamentary questions on defence assets and a regional breakdown of defence spending placed by the party’s Westminster leader and defence spokesman Angus Robertson. Each time the response from MoD ministers has been that the information is either no longer produced or is not held centrally.

The issue has been further clouded by the decision of the UK Government to not publish another National Asset Register (NAR) which contained individual values for each item held by the MoD and other departments.

Instead, the government has replaced it with the Whole Government Accounts which was recently criticised by the Public Accounts Select Committee for failing to provide enough detail.

On regional spending, despite saying that no figures are produced any more, a recent freedom of information request showed that items are given location of work codes.

Mr Robertson said: “The unco-operative approach of the MoD to Scotland is totally unacceptable. Their tactical efforts are focused on scaremongering about independence together with the rest of the Whitehall machine.

“Just because the facts don’t suit the anti-independence campaign they are using Whitehall to suppress information which is in the public interest.”

The accusation has been denied by the MoD.

An MoD spokesman said: “The accusation that the MoD has tried to withhold information on defence spending in Scotland is categorically untrue. The defence budget is for the whole of the UK and not apportioned on a regional basis. Scotland benefits from the full spectrum of UK defence capabilities and activities that are funded by the defence budget.”

CHILDREN as young as three are receiving hospital treatment on the NHS for obesity, The Scotsman can reveal.

Almost 200 youngsters have received treatment for one of the gravest health problems facing the country in recent years, amid warnings the problem is worsening.

In a damning example of the scale of the challenge faced by public health authorities, a three-year-old is among those who have recently been admitted due to obesity.

Leading researchers said the number of children being admitted was a “tragedy” that would only increase unless urgent action is taken to address the issue.

They said the figures highlighted a “vicious cycle of obesity” which is not being properly tackled by the Scottish Government or Westminster, and made the case for a “radical rethink” of how the country is dealing with the problem.

The condition can lead in later life to health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis.

The data, released to under Freedom of Information legislation, shows that last year, NHS Highland treated a three-year-old for obesity. Over the past five years, it says it has treated four children “aged four or under”, and 38 children in total. Twenty of them were teenagers at the time they were discharged.

The board said it was not appropriate to provide further information on the treatment the children received, citing confidentiality and data protection.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said at least 18 children under eight and 57 aged between nine and 15 had been dealt with in the same five-year period.

NHS Fife said it had had 32 instances of childhood obesity, plus 11 children admitted with obesity-related conditions.

In Lothian, 32 children were admitted to hospital. There were five with a “primary diagnosis” of obesity admitted in Dumfries and Galloway, while NHS Borders said “less than five” children had been discharged with a diagnosis of obesity.

Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: “It’s quite remarkable that children so young are being treated. The trend of obese children is going up, and it will continue to go up: it’s a tragedy.

“Although the numbers involved are small at the moment, there will be a far greater problem in the future unless there is a wake-up call.”

Dr Ian Campbell, a Scottish GP and honorary medical director of the Weight Concern charity, suggested that, in some cases, young children may be admitted for genetic hormonal problems or because their parents could be “unaware or unable to provide adequate care”.

He said: “It’s quite shocking that children of this age are being admitted. It highlights the complexity of a problem which is sometimes beyond parental control and which is not easily solvable, even by medics. It’s also about political will to change the environment and legislate against unhealthy practices.”

While health boards did not disclose the treatments they administered, national clinical guidelines state children with serious obesity-related diseases should be referred to hospital or specialist paediatric services.

Orlistat, a drug that blocks the absorption of fat in the body, can be prescribed for severely obese adolescents. The use of surgery is recommended only for adolescents past puberty.

But the health board responses highlight inconsistencies in how obese children are diagnosed and treated.

NHS Lanarkshire, for instance, said it “does not record obesity as a specific condition”, while NHS Ayrshire and Arran has “no record” of admissions and “would not routinely admit a child for treatment of obesity”. Similarly, NHS Tayside said it “does not admit children into hospital for childhood obesity”.

Mr Fry said: “What concerns me most is that doctors are in denial themselves. Parents don’t perceive obesity and need to be informed by the medical profession. The guidelines which exist are woefully lacking and there needs to much more concerted advice.”

Dr Campbell agreed, saying: “If there is unequal practice across different regions, there must be winners and losers, which is unacceptable.”

A spokeswoman for the British Medical Association in Scotland said: “It is of concern that so many young children have required specialist treatment for obesity-related conditions in Scottish hospitals.

“Childhood obesity is a ticking time-bomb which leads to ill-health in adulthood, so it is important that there is an opportunity to manage obesity at the earliest opportunity.”

Official statistics released last month by the Scottish Government showed 14.9 per cent of primary one children were classified as overweight, obese or severely obese in 2011-12.

In an attempt to reduce that figure, ministers set a target of having 14,910 children being offered “healthy weight intervention” between April 2011 and next March – an ambition described as “completely insufficient” by Mr Fry.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Tackling this issue requires engagement and participation right across Scottish society.

“That is why we are investing over £7.5m between 2012 and 2015 on projects to encourage healthy eating.

“We are focusing on community initiatives in deprived areas and early-years, where evidence suggests the greatest impact can be made.”

ALAN Bennett was born a lower-middle-class lad, in Leeds in 1934. Like many British people of a certain vintage, though, he can’t resist staring in fascination at Britain’s ruling class, and at one of the rare moments when its famous facade of unity splintered and cracked.

Single Spies - Pitlochry Festival Theatre

* * *

It’s no accident that his double bill of short plays about the famous group of Cambridge spies – recruited to communism in the hungry 1930s, and exposed as Soviet agents in the 1950s and 1970s – has been one of his most successful works.

Richard Baron’s Pitlochry production begins in fine style, with a cracking rendition of An Englishman Abroad, Bennett’s fine 1983 piece – first seen as a television play – based on a real-life encounter, in gloomy Moscow in 1958, between the exiled spy Guy Burgess, and the Australian-born actress Coral Browne. “It seemed the right thing to do at the time,” says Greg Wagland’s persuasive Burgess, of his decision to betray the British state, although not – he believes – the England he loves. The echoes of the current Edward Snowden case are obvious, and well worth pondering.

There’s a distinct loss of pace and energy in the second half, though, as the same company – led by a magnificent and highly amusing Basienka Blake, as Coral Browne and the Queen – launch themselves into A Question of Attribution, about the revelation in 1979 that the eminent art historian Sir Anthony Blunt was the fifth man in the Cambridge spy ring. The play revolves around an imagined encounter, in a Buckingham Palace corridor, between Blunt and the Queen, well sustained by Blake and Dougal Lee.

Elsewhere, though, the play seems to lose itself in slightly over-elaborate scene-changes and in word-play with the ideas of concealment and fakery that seems clever enough at first, but soon dwindles into arch self-consciousness and a statement of the obvious.

Scots could face a £1,000 a year levy to use the rest of the UK’s road network should voters back independence, the coalition government has claimed.

Illustration: Iain Green

Twelve children’s charities have joined forces to urge the Scottish Government to raise the age of criminal responsibility from eight years old.

The organisations argue that the age should be lifted to 12, in line with changes agreed to the age at which children can be prosecuted.

In a letter to Children’s Minister Aileen Campbell, organisations including Children 1st and the Children’s Commissioner raised their concerns that children can still receive a criminal record which could affect their future.

Anne Houston, chief executive of Children 1st, said: “It’s the Scottish Government’s ambition to make Scotland the best place for children to grow up: a country where they are protected, their rights are respected and support given where needed. Our organisations view raising the age of criminal responsibility for children as one of the key actions needed to help make this vision reality.

Change

“In Scotland, we are rightly proud of the unique and progressive children’s hearings system which addresses children’s needs and deeds. Yet this approach is let down by legislation which effectively labels children as criminals.

“Scottish Ministers have pledged to consider raising the age of criminal responsibility and to bring forward any legislative change in the lifetime of this Parliament. We would like the Scottish Government to act on this commitment by including an appropriate measure in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill and are keen to discuss how this might be achieved.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We raised the minimum age of prosecution from eight to 12 in the Criminal Justice and Licensing Act 2010. We will consider calls for the minimum age of criminal responsibility to increase.”

Dating website operator Cupid says an independent review into its business launched following allegations about its marketing practices found “no evidence of a company organised practice of staff enticing registered members to subscribe through use of fake profiles”.

The Edinburgh-based firm said the findings supported the board’s previous statements to the market.

Nevertheless, the review highlighted that Cupid staff operating on its sites “were not clearly identified as such and that this could potentially lead to confusion in interactions with customers or subscribers”.

Aim-quoted Cupid, which saw its share price collapse following claims it had a team of staff using fake profiles to entice customers into signing up with the promise of a date, said it was making changes to its “motivation team” in terms of “structure and approach”.

“These will ensure that Cupid staff are clearly identified when interacting with customers and subscribers,” the group said.

Cupid is headquartered in the Scottish capital but employs most of its staff in the Ukraine.

Medical testing kit maker Omega Diagnostics said today that it was focusing on emerging markets after blaming the sluggish European economy for a 22 per cent slump in profits.

The Scottish company reported adjusted profit before tax of £780,000 in the 12 months to 31 March, down from £1 million the year before. Turnover was 1 per cent higher at £11.3m.

Chairman David Evans said: “More than half of group turnover is generated in the UK and Europe, predominantly through the food intolerance and allergy/autoimmune divisions. The economic uncertainty in this region has led to a slowdown in growth in European in vitro diagnostics markets and the ability to grow our own business is not immune from the broader landscape.

“To counter risk in these areas, we have a strategy to focus on the emerging BRIC markets and our success in growing revenue in the year ahead will be dependent on whether sales into these higher growth territories can compensate for the pressures being experienced in Europe and elsewhere.”

He added that new tests being developed by the company would be the main driver of growth in the longer term, and that the group had made “a significant amount of progress” on its research in recent months.

Housebuilder Cala said it plans to “significantly expand” in Britain’s most affluent areas following “a tangible shift in market momentum since the beginning of 2013”.

In the firm’s first update since its £210 million acquisition by Patron Capital Partners and Legal & General Group in March, it said private completions are up 4 per cent for the year to 695.

It added: “Cala plans to significantly expand its presence in the South of England and most affluent markets around the UK, and has appointed two regional chairmen specifically tasked with achieving this. Cala’s premium product in particular bodes well for success in these regions.”

The company expects to announce record profits in September, driven by “a significantly improved housebuilding gross margin” of about 19 per cent.

Mobile phone group Nokia is paying €1.7 billion (£1.4bn) to buy out partner Siemens from their network equipment joint venture.

The deal to take full control of profitable Nokia Siemens Networks will help the Finnish giant to diversify away from the smartphone market it once led. It has been struggling in the face of fierce competition from the likes of Apple and Samsung.

Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop said: “With its clear strategic focus and strong leadership team, Nokia Siemens Networks has structurally improved its operational and financial performance.

“Furthermore, Nokia Siemens Networks has established a clear leadership position in LTE [high speed wireless networks], which provides an attractive growth opportunity. Nokia is pleased with these developments and looks forward to continue supporting these efforts to create more shareholder value for the Nokia group.”

WELCOME to scotsman.com’s Scottish Business Briefing. Every morning we bring you a comprehensive round-up of all news affecting business in Scotland today.

BANKING

Investors mull bank share sale boycott

AN INVESTOR boycott of government-owned bank shares could frustrate efforts to return Lloyds Banking Group back to the private sector, sources have warned ({http://www.scotsman.com/business/banking/investors-mull-bank-share-sale-boycott-1-2984072|Scotsman|scotsman}).

{http://www.scotsman.com/business/banking|Read all today’s banking news from scotsman.com|Read all today’s banking news from scotsman.com}

ECONOMICS

Big job losses expected in financial services, says CBI

About 10,000 jobs may have been lost from the financial services sector in the last quarter, according to the CBI ({http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-23110361|BBC|BBC}).

{http://www.scotsman.com/business/economics|Read all today’s economics news from scotsman.com|Read all today’s economics news from scotsman.com}

ENERGY & UTILITIES

Herkules boost for Petroleum Technology Company

Oil services firm Petroleum Technology Company (PTC), which has an operating base in Aberdeen, has been sold to a Norwegian private equity group ({http://www.scotsman.com/business/energy-and-utilities/herkules-boost-for-petroleum-technology-company-1-2984073|Scotsman|scotsman}).

{http://www.scotsman.com/business/energy-and-utilities|Read all today’s energy and utilities news from scotsman.com|Read all today’s energy and utilities news from scotsman.com}

FOOD, DRINK & AGRICULTURE

Farming: Building blocks there but plans under construction

Last week was tough. Marathon negotiating sessions in Europe are made no easier by their mangled use of the English language which seems to require the regular invention of new jargon to satisfy the complexities of the European Union ({http://www.scotsman.com/news/farming-building-blocks-there-but-plans-under-construction-1-2984081|Scotsman|scotsman}).

{http://www.scotsman.com/business/food-drink-and-agriculture|Read all today’s food, drink and agriculture news from scotsman.com|Read all today’s food, drink and agriculture news from scotsman.com}

INDUSTRY

Whirligro planter production starts after seed funding

A Scots champion of green business hopes to encourage people who live in urban areas to grow vegetables after winning £4000 crowdfunding to start production of a planter he developed ({http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/people/whirligro-planter-production-starts-after-seed-funding.21464578|Scotsman|scotsman}).

{http://www.scotsman.com/business/industry|Read all today’s industry news from scotsman.com|Read all today’s industry news from scotsman.com}

MANAGEMENT

Opencast taskforce to discuss restoration of mines

A taskforce set up after the collapse of a major Scottish coal-mining firm is set to discuss the restoration of opencast mines in Scotland. {http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-23118371|BBC|BBC})

{http://www.scotsman.com/business/management|Read all today’s management news from scotsman.com|Read all today’s management news from scotsman.com}

SCOTSMAN CONFERENCE

The Future of the UK Aerospace Industry – 5 September 2013, Prestwick

20% Early bird discount until 12 July

The UK Government signed up to a £2 billion partnership to keep the UK aerospace industry at the forefront of world aerospace manufacturing. Join us and hear the government explain its strategy to secure large numbers of high value jobs. Book your place today.

({http://scotsmanconferences.com|The Scotsman Conferences|TSC})

THE boyfriend of missing city student Yulia Solodyankina has said she was “very stressed” in the weeks before she 
disappeared.

Yulia, who was due to graduate today, has not been see since June 6. Boyfriend Antoine Dao said: “She had been very stressed during her exams. I don’t think she had any 
problems. Things were good and then boom, she had gone. She had finished her exams, she seemed happy.”

Meanwhile, Yulia’s flatmate has admitted she fears the worst. Alex Amon, 22, was on the same physics course at Edinburgh University as Yulia and the pair shared a flat in South Clerk Street. She said: “What has happened is very out of character. None of us can really understand or explain it. Yulia seemed very excited about her upcoming plans.

“I do not think she would leave of her own accord. I think something must have happened to her. She is very level-headed and responsible.”

Britain’s manufacturing sector grew at its fastest rate in more than two years last month, in the latest sign that the economic recovery is gathering pace.

The Markit/CIPS purchasing managers’ index (PMI) hit 52.5 in June, up from a revised reading of 51.5 in May.

It is the third month on the trot in which the manufacturing sector PMI has scored above the neutral mark of 50. The rate of improvement was the steepest for 25 months.

Rob Dobson, senior economist at Markit, said the recent readings suggested the sector expanded by about 0.5 per cent in the second quarter.

He said: “The UK manufacturing sector made positive strides on the recovery path during the second quarter of the year.

“June saw output and new order growth hit rates not seen since early 2011, as a brightening domestic market and resilient overseas demand led to a broad-based expansion across the sector.”

HUNDREDS of Hearts fans packed in to the Gorgie Suite at Tynecastle to raise funds for the ailing club.

Members of the current playing squad were joined by Hearts legends including Paul Hartley, Dave McPherson, Colin Cameron and 
Gordon Marshall.

The all-day event sold out within days of tickets going on sale at £20 each.

Organisers said more than 350 fans had packed into the suite. Speakers included comedian Tam Cowan, QC Donald Findlay and former chairman George Faulkes. A video message from former manager Paulo Sergio was played to supporters.

Season ticket holder Craig Wilson, one of the organisers, said: “We did a similar event in November when the club needed money.

“The response has been unbelievable. There’s a sense of defiance amongst the fans, who are looking to make sure the club is still here.”

Fans hoped to raise more than £20,000 from the event, which will be used to buy season tickets, which will then be donated to Big Hearts and distributed to underpriviledged families and children in the community.

Shocked onlookers have told of their horror after a violent mass brawl broke out on the Royal Mile in broad daylight.

A group of around 20 men were involved in the melee, which saw bottles hurled, punches thrown and one combatant kicked in the face as he lay on the ground.

The shocking incident, which occurred at around 4.30pm in an area usually popular with tourists and families, began in the High Street before it spilled into Niddry Street.

It is understood that police are linking the disturbance to a loyalist march which took place earlier.

Neill Brotherston, manager at Hector Russell Kiltmaker, described the incident as a “running pitched battle” between the two groups.

He said: “There was a bunch of guys who ran into the pub next door and then came tearing out hurling things. Members of the public seemed to disperse pretty quickly. It looked semi-organised.

“I just pulled the doors to the shop shut. It’s not really something you expect at that time of day or in this part of town.”

It is believed that two men, aged 44 and 47, suffered minor injuries.

Police are continuing to investigate the incident and are pursuing a positive line of inquiry in identifying others who may have been involved.

Staff who worked in nearby bars and shops on Saturday said that they noticed a marked difference in the type of customers in the area.

Erin Hennessey, a barmaid who was on duty at The Royal Mile pub when the brawl occurred, said: “Normally it’s mainly tourists in here, but you could say we had some interesting customers on Saturday. You might use the term radge.

“I came in at noon and they were already here, drinking from early on. They had kids with them but they kept refusing to order a meal which is against the licence.

“They were tough customers, a lot of them were interested in the Orange march.”

Staff in the Ladbrokes bookmakers had to lock their 
customer toilets after louts repeatedly spilled into the shop and demanded to use them. The incident coincided with Armed Forces Day, which also took place on Saturday.

Hollie Croan, who started her shift at the Whiski bar and restaurant at 5pm, saw the aftermath of the fight, after police had arrived on the scene.

But she said she noticed an unusual level of drunkards in the area until the early hours of yesterday.

“All through the evening there was a very different tone,” she said. “We’re a tourist place really. But there were a lot more people who had been brought out by the marches. When I started my shift, the fighting had just finished. There were police all along the street. I think there were two or three scraps over the course of the day. It was bizarre, there were hundreds of people 
standing around.

“I would say people were quite drunk. We didn’t have too much trouble, but I think if we were a larger bar there would have been big trouble. There was a lot more drunk people than we’re used to.

“When I finished, there was drunk people sitting all up the street, spewing everywhere. It was pandemonium.”

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Four men have arrested and charged with alleged assaults following a disturbance in Niddry Street, Edinburgh on Saturday 29th June.

“The men aged 18, 18, 18 and 21 are scheduled to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday 2nd July.”

Responsible dog owners are being urged to take the lead on cleaning up dog dirt in Scotland’s Capital by fixing a fluorescent green collar to their beloved pets.

The collars are part of the Edinburgh’s new Green Dog programme which aims to change attitudes about dog fouling.

Call our hotline to report dog fouling: 0300 4563476

• {http://www2.jpscotland.co.uk/en/dirtposter.jpg|Click here to download our poster|click here}

• {http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/latest-news/midlothian-council-joins-dish-the-dirt-campaign-1-2972088|Midlothian Council joins Dish the Dirt campaign|click here}

• {http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/features/getting-dog-owners-to-clean-up-without-confrontation-1-2967226|Sighthill and Gorgie top dog mess complaints list|click here}

• {http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/features/getting-dog-owners-to-clean-up-without-confrontation-1-2967226|Getting dog owners to clean up without confrontation|click here}

• {http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/latest-news/anti-dog-dirt-campaign-backing-for-news-drive-1-2965136|Anti-dog dirt campaign: Backing for Evening News drive| Backing}

• {http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/latest-news/evening-news-launches-anti-dog-dirt-campaign-1-2963331|Evening News launches anti-dog dirt campaign|Launch}

Dogs can wear the new collars - available from the City Council - while neon armbands are also available for owners who want to display their green credentials.

The collars are the latest part of a campaign by the Evening News and the council to tackle the growing problem of dog dirt in the city.

Pet owners who take part in the scheme will be highlighting the problem and hopefully encouraging a change in attitude about dog fouling in a “non-confrontational, friendly way”, the council believe.

Dubbed the Green Dog Walkers Scheme, the concept was pioneered by Falkirk Council and deemed so successful it was adopted by several local authorities who noted a drop in dog fouling complaints, an increase in local cleanliness scores and positive reactions from the public. And it is opening a new front in the war on dog mess blighting the Capital’s streets.

Armband-sporting owners will be expected to carry extra waste bags to give to other dog walkers if approached.

Betty Milton, chairwoman of Sighthill, Broomhouse and Parkhead community council, said she hoped the project would raise awareness and remind dog owners to pick up after their pets.

She said: “I admire this and hope it has an effect, but I watch what goes on and can be a bit cynical sometimes.

“Ultimately dog dirt can blind children and I wish the Evening News all the best with this and really hope it works.”

Councillor Steve Cardownie, deputy council leader, backed the move and joked that the green armband and collar could unwittingly deter Hearts supporters.

He added: “This makes sense because picking up after your dog should be second nature. I welcome this scheme, though it’s important no stigma is attached to dog owners who don’t want to use the collar. People shouldn’t assume that if others don’t have the accessories they are not responsible dog owners.

“With that in mind it seems to be a good approach to increase visibility and public awareness of the campaign to clean up dog mess.

“Anything to get people to pick up after their dog is a good thing. If this helps it’s a welcome development.”

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport and Environment convenor, said the concept had a proven track record of 
success. She said: “Evidence from other local authorities which have adopted the Green Dog Walkers Scheme shows it has had a lot of success in tackling the anti-social issue of fouling. I would like to thank the many responsible dog walkers who do care about the environment and pick up waste. If anyone has any concerns about dog fouling, I urge them to call the Dish the Dirt hotline on 0300 456 3476.”

Green dog collars and 
armbands can be obtained though local environment wardens at the local neighbourhood office. The scheme will be rolled out through community groups, starting in the south.

BLITZ THE BLIGHT OF MESS MORONS

RESPONDING to a deluge of phone calls, emails and letters, the Evening News launched a new front in the war on dog mess with our Dish The Dirt campaign.

We have teamed up with the city council to target irresponsible owners who are leaving their pet’s dog mess behind.

Perpetrators caught by enforcement officers can be hit with £40 on-the-spot fines.

Dog fouling is one of the single biggest complaints raised by residents and the council is keen to encourage all dog owners to be responsible, and stop problems being experienced by pedestrians on city pavements and children in local parks blighted by dog dirt.

FURIOUS parents forced to send their children to different primaries after they were denied P1 places at a city school are launching a legal action against the council.

A group of five families is to file an appeal at Edinburgh Sheriff Court this week to challenge the grounds on which their children were refused entry to Buckstone Primary following unsuccessful out-of-catchment placing requests.

The families decided to launch the action after a “shambolic” and “farcical” council appeals hearing in May, where they claim officials did not have access to key information, could not answer questions and even managed to mix up children’s names.

The row is the latest indication of growing pressure on primaries across the Capital – brought on by a spike in the population.

Dr Michael Edwards, a lecturer and researcher at Edinburgh University, whose son was refused a P1 place at Buckstone even though his sister attends the school, said: “The hearing was just shambolic.

“It would have been a laughable farce were it not for the fact that the future of our children is at stake.”

Dr Edwards, 41, said education officers seemed unable to present even basic data in support of their arguments that offering places to the appellants’ children would compromise the welfare of existing pupils, cause the school to incur extra cost and force the council to hire another teacher.

While the parents were able to defeat the council on the first two points, they were beaten on the third after the appeal panel refused to accept that lack of existing teaching capacity, and a nearby housing development by Cala, meant another member of staff would be needed.

“It was an embarrassing display of lack of knowledge and preparation,” said Dr Edwards.

“Having children at different schools is unimaginable. There’s no way you can get around having one child coming to school half an hour late or being taken out of school half an hour early. The child quickly becomes an outcast and it dramatically affects learning.”

Another appellant, who did not want to be named, said: “The process we had to go through was a farce . . . the people responsible for running it should be held accountable.”

Education officials rejected claims that parents were ill-served. A council spokesman said: “Parents are entitled to make appeals if their request for a non-catchment place is unsuccessful. Appeal panel members are totally independent of the council and all receive extensive training in the appeals process. Chairpersons have an extensive background in education and this panel was very experienced. The law categorically states that only one ground for refusal has to be met and, as with any unsuccessful appeal, parents have the right to go to the Sheriff Court for a further hearing.”

We revealed last week that education chiefs plan to spend £15m on 63 new classrooms to alleviate pressure on primaries.

LEGAL ACTION

PARENTS desperate to get their children into Buckstone Primary said the legal action would be phased.

They said a Sheriff Court case – listing the three statutory grounds on which the council denied their children P1 places – would be filed by the end of next week. A detailed case on why they were challenging the “adequacy and legal robustness” of these grounds will be presented in formal court papers.

Meanwhile, the group will also offer to cease action if education chiefs agree to re-run the original appeal.

A DIABETIC who has been banned from the roads after suffering severe hypoglycemic attacks has vowed to take the DVLA to court in a bid to win a landmark victory and get her licence back.

Maggie Smith, of Barnton, branded European rules “Draconian” and accused authorities of “complete discrimination” after her driving licence was stripped earlier this month.

She had two severe hypoglycemic attacks, which are caused when glucose levels in blood fall dangerously low, in her sleep last winter. But due to DVLA rules, she had to declare the incidents recently – several months after they occurred.

Despite an appeal to the body and a letter of support from her expert consultant, the 43-year-old’s pleas fell on deaf ears.

Maggie, who has type one diabetes, had vowed to challenge the ruling in the courts in a bid to set a precedent for other diabetics. However, she has been warned that she could be left with a bill of thousands of pounds if the ruling goes against her and the DVLA claims back its costs.

She said: “I believe it’s going to be the first case of its kind in Scotland, but I feel that I have to do it. I haven’t done anything wrong. I understand why these rules are in place, but I was sleeping in my bed when I had my hypos. Imagine what this will do to diabetics. It means they will stop phoning for help and they might die. It’s horrendous.”

Maggie said the ban was already having a devastating effect on her life. Her eight-year-old son, Bodie, and parents, Isabel and Bill, both in their 70s, rely on her for transport.

The ban will remain in place until 12 months has passed since her first attack.

In his supporting letter for her appeal, consultant Dr Mark Strachan wrote that Maggie was an “extremely responsible individual when it comes to the management of type one diabetes” and checked blood glucose levels before and during breaks in driving. He warned that a ban would create an enormous burden for Maggie and her family and the fact that the attacks came when she was sleeping was important.

Diabetes UK Scotland said it was consulting with its legal advisors to find out more about the Scottish appeals mechanism.

A DVLA spokesman said: “The DVLA must apply European medical standards but we consider every case individually and only refuse licences where absolutely necessary.

“We contacted the 
European Commission to ensure our understanding of the minimum standards required by the Directive were correct and received clarification that no distinction can be made between severe hypoglycaemic episodes needing the assistance of a third party that occur in the night to episodes that occur in the day.”

ScottishPower has this morning unveiled its largest investment plan for its distribution network, spending £5.2 billion to reduce the risk of power cuts in rural areas.

The Glasgow-based utility firm, which is owned by Spanish giant Iberdrola, will reinforce cables and substations across the Central Belt, Merseyside and North Wales, including some infrastructure that dates back to the 1950s and 1970s.

If the company is given the green light to invest the cash by energy regulator Ofgem then it has confirmed that it will create about 2,500 jobs in its supply chain, as revealed in April.

Frank Mitchell, chief executive at ScottishPower Energy Networks, said: “This £5.2bn investment will create thousands of highly skilled jobs, as we will need a new generation of engineers and technicians to deliver the upgrades. We have already started recruiting and we are also investing in partnerships with educational establishments to encourage more people to benefit from the opportunities in our industry.”

The investment, which will be made between 2015 and 2023, comes on top of £2.6n being pumped into the high-voltage transmission network between now and 2021.

A MAN on his way to a funeral convention cheated death – after his car smashed into a deer.

David Macdonald, 55, ended up seeing the inside of a resuscitation room and enduring a six-day hospital stint after colliding with the wild animal – just two days after being sent home from a previous two-week hospital stay with an e-coli infection.

David, who drives the departed across the UK, and was on his way to a funeral convention when the smash happened, said: “What an amazing amount of aggro that deer caused.”

He believes he is lucky to be alive after hearing of an incident in the north of Scotland in which a huge stag killed a driver after smashing through a windscreen.

David, who was driving to Coventry in his Ford Focus when the 70mph accident occurred on the A1 near Dunbar, said: “There wasn’t a soul on the road, then boom. I don’t know where it came from. It felt like a rock. I thought I’d hit something that had dropped out of a lorry. But the police found the dead deer.”

Fortunately his 60-year-old wife, Angela, was uninjured in the June 7 collision.

Nuclear defence police, patrolling Torness Power Station, were first on the scene, followed by an ambulance and conventional police. With chest pain and in shock, he was 
taken to the Royal Infirmary and checked into a resuscitation room, after his bloodied shirt was cut from his body. But David’s ordeal was far from over.

The crash exacerbated symptoms of multiple sclerosis, affecting David’s mobility and leading to a near week-long stint as an inpatient. While there he received a call from an ambulance-chasing insurance company which abruptly ended when he said he “couldn’t claim from a deer”.

He added: “I went to a combined assessment unit and it was like watching a war film with more and more people coming in on trolleys.”

David left hospital on June 13, but is still waiting for his car to be mended. “The front of the car was a mess, but I’m hoping to get it back this week.

“Five hours after the crash someone told me they saw the deer still lying by the side of the road. It’s lucky it didn’t suffer.”

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) said that last month was the peak time for deer-related car accidents, as yearling animals disperse, looking for their own territories.

There are more than 7000 collisions between motor vehicles and deer every year in Scotland, with an average of 65 resulting in human injuries. The stretch of the A1 where David’s crash occurred is a deer accident hotspot.

Sinclair Coghill, SNH wildlife management officer, said: “We should all be aware of the risk of deer on the road when we’re driving, especially at this time of year. This is becoming more and more of an issue in the Central Belt. It’s not just a problem on remote Highland roads.”

THE poor professional standards of a minority of senior health care workers, acting as mentors for medical students, are contributing to a decline in patient care and dignity, according to a new report by researchers at Dundee and Cardiff universities.

The eight year study by the researchers at the two universities has uncovered evidence of senior healthcare practitioners, charged with teaching healthcare students across the NHS, talking about patients in their charge inappropriately, breaching confidentiality rules, and allowing students to practise on patients without valid consent.

The study has also revealed that medical students are suffering from “emotional stress” because they are are unable to challenge their superiors - caught in a conflict between the strong ethical code they are taught at healthcare schools and the “failing ethics” they occasionally witness in the workplace.

‘Professionalism dilemmas’

A spokesman for Dundee University explained: “

The research explored the professionalism dilemmas experienced by healthcare students from across five countries - England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Australia - and collected over 2,000 anonymous stories of professionalism lapses from more than 4,000 student participants..

“It finds that the professionalism lapses of a minority of senior healthcare practitioners, charged with teaching healthcare students across the NHS, are contributing to a decline in patient care and dignity.

“Students also complained of abuse from senior clinicians. Testimonies cited verbal abuse, humiliation in front of patients and students being made to do menial and unpleasant jobs as punishment.”

Dr Lynn Monrouxe, the study’s co-author and Director of Medical Education Research at Cardiff University, said: “Our research has highlighted that some senior healthcare practitioners across the UK fail to ensure proper patient care and dignity in the presence of students.

‘Role models’

“Healthcare students are explicitly taught what comprises professional values and behaviours, but a large part of learning to become a healthcare professional occurs within the NHS as students observe their seniors – who act as powerful role models – interacting with patients.”

She revealed: “During our research, common professionalism lapses reported by medical, dental, nursing, physiotherapy and pharmacy students included clinicians’ and students’ poor hygiene practices; talking to or about patients inappropriately; confidentiality breaches; students practising on patients without valid consent and going beyond the limits of their own competence.”

‘Different culture of medicine’

Dr Monrouxe suggested that some senior practitioners, having been trained many years ago, belonged to a different culture of medicine with different approaches to care. And she continued: “Many healthcare students, at some stage in their workplace learning, will find themselves witnessing or participating in a practice which falls short of the ethics and professionalism they’ve imbued in their own formal training.”

Professor Charlotte Rees, another leading member of the research team from Dundee University, said: “Confronted with these situations students often report experiencing distress. They are freshly instilled with the knowledge of correct practice but feel unable to challenge their superiors given the hierarchical culture of the workplace.

“Future healthcare professionals find themselves caught in a clash between the strong ethical code taught at healthcare schools and the sometimes failing ethics of the workplace.”

She added: “Students’ narratives tell us that these lapses in professionalism by some senior healthcare professionals, is sometimes reproduced by students themselves, contributing to a decline in patient care and dignity - and to the potential perpetuation of harsh practical training methods with the next generation of healthcare workers.”

‘Safe environment’

A Dundee University spokesman said: “The research programme identifies a need for healthcare schools to provide students with a safe environment to share their concerns and anxieties with ethical role models. In such an environment students could share best practice and resist bad practice. It also stresses that cultural change should occur from within clinical settings. Patients, patient advocates, students and healthcare professionals should engage in a constructive dialogue to examine how language, practices and values occurring within clinical settings can be developed to improve patient safety and dignity.

“As a result of Dr Monrouxe and Professor Rees’s work, medical schools across the UK are now beginning to change ethical guidelines around students’ interactions with patients. Newcastle School of Medicine confirmed the scale of the problem at their school and were moved to review their own policies and procedures, based on the study’s recommendations.”

Roger Barton, Professor of Clinical Medicine and Director of Medical Studies at Newcastle University, said lessons learned from the research were already being taken on board at the university.

He said: “The lessons from Lynn Monrouxe and Charlotte Rees’ research will be at the foundation of teaching, and students will have regular opportunities to share and discuss the dilemmas they have come across. This will support students to re-commit to the professionalism values taught during formal learning.”