Perth FM News 24/12/10

Connect2 in doubt

The Connect2 foot and cycle bridge project has been dealt a potentially devastating blow. Perth and Kinross council revealed yesterday that one of the strategic landowners has advised that they wish to withdraw their support for the project, as they no longer want the bridge to cross their land. Council Leader Ian Miller spoke to Perth FM.

Flash Flood in City Centre

Devastated shop owners fought a desperate battle against rising water yesterday, after a dramatic flash flood forced the closure of Perth's New Row.A cordon was quickly thrown up around the street on the fringes of the town centre after the water began to accumulate at around two pm. The water was around two to three feet deep in places and representatives of Tayside Fire and Resuce quickly joined police officers at the scene. The water continued to flow for about an hour until the pipe responsible was identified and isolated.

Holiday Closures

Most Perth and Kinross council offices will close for the festive holidays today at three pm and will not reopen until Wednesday January fifth. Residents can contact their local office directly to find out about their own arrangements.Information on council services and opening hours over the holiday period can also be found on the councils website.

Perth FM News 23/12/10

Fatal Traffic Accident on A9

In the early hours of this morning the A9 has claimed yet another life.
Three heavy goods vehicles were involved in a collision this morning on the A9, 1 mile north of Dunkeld. The 57 year old driver of one of the vehicles has died, while a 23 male is in a critical condition at Ninewells hospital. The driver of the 3rd vehicle was unharmed. The collision has led to the A9 being closed in both directions for several hours.

Robbery at LocaL Supermarket

Perth police are appealing for witnesses to a robbery yesterday evening, in the car park of Morrison car park in Perth. At around 1840 hours yesterday, the victim had just got into her black coloured Saab motorcar when a male suspect also entered via the passenger door. The victim managed to escape and reported the incident. Tayside Police are increasing patrols in the area. The male suspect is described as mid 20s, slim build, about 5' 7" tall wearing a white coloured hoodie, hat and checked scarf.


Impact on Rural Communities

Councillor Alexander Stewart has expressed concerns for the uncertain economic future for rural communities throughout Perth and Kinross. The recent snowfall and plummeting temperatures are contributing to what has been a testing time for local towns and villages in the area. The town regeneration funds which were made available this year by the Scottish government have boosted and supported many local communities.This funding is, however, temporary and Councillor Stewart is concerned as to how rural communities will fair in the longer term.

Perth FM News 22/12/10

LPG Concerns

Families throughout Perthshire are facing a Christmas without any heating as temperatures show no signs of rising. Some properties are experiencing problems with their LPG despite orders being placed in some cases more than 3 weeks ago.
Several families have looked at trying to have fuel delivered by other suppliers but have been told that this would put them in breach of contract.As calls to some suppliers are increasing, levels of customer service seem to be decreasing with calls and emails not receiving any response.

Counterfeit Notes

Tayside Police is urgently appealing to retailers, businesses and members of the public to be on the guard against the use of counterfeit money. The force has received calls from shop keepers and staff over the past few days, that a range of counterfeit notes are being offered up as legal tender. Reports indicate that the forged notes are of various denominations and from various banking origins.
Officers are urging everyone in the Tayside community to be vigilant to contact the police if they receive a note they suspect to be counterfeit.


Annual Writing Prize

Perthshire wordsmiths are being urged to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, and enter their poems for the annual William Soutar Writing Prize. The competition, which awards poets and short story writers in alternate years, is run by Perth and Kinross Council's Library service in memory of Perth's most famous poet. Anyone over the age of 16, writing in English or Scots anywhere in the world, is eligible to enter. The first prize is a week's writing course at one of the prestigious Arvon writers' centres, worth around six hundred pounds.

Perth FM News 21/12/10

Perth Girl Young Song Writer of the Year

Perth Girl Stella Reilly has won The Young Song Writer of the Year Competition 2010.
Stella was one of four finalists who was chosen by judges to travel to Mark Knofflers studios in London to record her song with professional musicians and producers. Stellas' song, It's me it's you was available to down load with the other finalists, with the fees going to help Barnados. It's me its you was announced yesterday as being the track that received the most public downloads.

Increase in Emergency Calls Expected

Tayside Fire and Rescue are preparing themselves for another significant increase in emergency calls requesting their services with the onset of the latest severe weather to hit Scotland. They're asking the public to ensure they are also 'staying prepared' with prevention being the key to this. At some point these freezing conditions will be followed by a thaw which could see a return of the wide spread reports of burst pipes within homes and businesses. To reduce the impact of this householders and business owners are being urged to find out the location of their stop valve in advance so that they can promptly turn the water supply off should a burst pipe occur. If a pipe has burst then you should contact a registered plumber.

Community Council Changes

For a period of eight weeks, starting yesterday, Perth & Kinross Council will be seeking residents' views on proposed amendments to the arrangements for establishing Community Councils. This follows the Council's decision on 15th December 2010 to undertake public consultation on the changes being considered. The proposed amendments will be available to view at a number of locations throughout Perth and Kinross. The information will also be available on the Council website

Perth FM News 20/12/10

Big Lottery Funding

The Blair in Bloom, group has secured a significant cash award from the Big Lottery Funds Awards for All Schemes. The grant will enable members to carry out a series of environmental improvements in a bid to enhance the attractiveness of Blairgowrie and Rattray.Each year many hours of planning and hard work go into making the area a better place to live and visit. Boosting those efforts, the grant of seven and a half thousand pounds will contribute to turf lifting and the purchase and planting of bulbs.

Public Consultation on Alcohol

A public consultation on the provision of alcohol in pavement cafes is to be carried out by Perth and Kinross Licensing Board. The consultation follows an experimental period when alcohol was allowed to be sold and consumed in licensed outdoor pavement cafes on its own. The process is part of a Perth and Kinross Licensing Board review of its policy on the provision of alcohol in pavement cafes. The Board is now consulting upon either making that experiment permanent or retaining the original policy.

Journey to Excellence for Perth Primary

Staff, parents and pupils at Viewlands primary school have chosen a new school motto.
A new working group was formed to look at moving education forward at the school and to help them on their journey to excellence.A competition was launched for pupils to come up with an original and exciting idea for a school motto. Ben Jackson of P6 was the winner with his motto Grow through learning.

Perthfm News 17/12/10

Derby game postponed

Tomorrow's local derby between Saints and Dundee united has been postponed.
While the playing surface at McDiarmid Park would have been in good condition for the match local police and the spl share concerns about the weather at the weekend.
Particular consideration has been given to the expected very low temperatures and a Met Office weather forecast which indicates snowfall in Perth on Saturday morning.
The temperatures expected are so low as to make salting ineffective and it has been deemed that the most responsible course of action should be to make an early decision to postpone the match.

Golfers determind to have their say

Local golfers have claimed that the decision to build a footbridge over the River Tay will destroy one of Scotland's historic golf courses. The North Inch golf course's 15 clubs have come together to continue the fight against the position of the Connect2 Bridge. Planning permission will be sought next month for the bridge and should it be granted building work is expected to begin next November.
However, North Inch Users Group members insist the project is being pushed through against their wishes and with no consultation.

Plans to reduce polling day closures

In the past more than a dozen local schools have routinely been close on election days, a situation described as "very far from ideal".
However, the proposals had lead to some residents in more remote areas to claim they were disenfranchised as they could now face round trips of more than 20 miles to cast their vote. The plans were voted through by 29 votes to three.

Perth FM News 16/12/10

Police Appeal

Perth police are investigating after a young man exposed himself to a group of pupils at Craigie Primary School. The incident happened when the man was walking down Abbot Street with an other man on Tuesday between 2.30 and 2.40 pm.
The culprit is described as being between 15 to 20 years old , 5ft 9, of medium build with thick brown hair. He was wearing a light blue zip top and dark baggy trousers. Anyone with any information should contact Perth police.

Tay Footbridge

The green light has been give to the plans for the Tay footbridge on the north inch.
Despite passionate pleas from several councillors to defer the decision for several weeks, members of the common good fund committee voted eight to five in favour of approving the report. Councillors had expressed concerns that there was a need for a much wider consultation and asked for a delay of 8 weeks for further consultation.
This request was rejected.

Young Songwriter

Sixteen year old Perth girl Stella Reilly is one of four finalists in this year's young songwriter of the year. The public have until Friday to download their favourite song and the song with the most downloads will win the contest.
Stella told Perthfm how to go about downloading her entry.

Perth FM News

Costs of snow clearing

Council Chiefs in Perth and Kinross have agreed additional spending of up to thirty thousand pounds a day in a bid to keep the areas snow and ice covered roads clear.
They have had to admit, however, that this situation is not sustainable and that some minor routes may not be treated at all.With further snow set to bring fresh chaos to Scotland, Perth and Kinross council is struggling to keep some parts of the region moving. At times private contractors have been engaged in snow and ice clearing as well as gritting alongside council staff.

Telephone Scam

Perth & Kinross Council's Trading Standards are advising residents of a telephone scam asking for a fee to set up the TPS.
The Telephone Preference Scheme is an opt out register for anyone who does not want to receive unsolicited sales and marketing calls. Registering with TPS Service is free and they will not call you and ask you to subscribe. Anyone receiving a call should contact local trading standards.

Morale in a box

Morale in a box is currently taking place in the Tesco Extra on Crieff Road.
Shoppers are being asked to donate none perishable items to be sent out to our troops on the front line. Robert Handy, Group Customer Services Manager, spoke to Perthfm.

Perth FM News 14/12/10

Bid for City Status

The closing date for Perth's City status bid has been set for may 27th.
Guide line for the entries have been drawn up and the Queen and a team of key political advisors will decide which settlement is to be bestowed with city status as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012.Perth and Kinross council have advised that a steering group will be establish to progress Perth's entry.

A977 Concerns

Terrified Perthshire villagers are again demanding action to stop hundreds of lorries roaring along their narrow road. Residents of Balado and Crook of Devon have seen a significant increase in traffic along the A977 since the opening of the Clackmannanshire Bridge at Kincardine. An estimated one million pounds is need to bring the road up to the standard being sought by local residents but their petition to the Scottish government has been dismissed as a council matter.
Local MSP Liz Smith has written to Perth and Kinross Council for an update regarding the situation.

Saints hopes for Saturday

Saints are looking forward to their home game this weekend against Dundee United.
Their main hope is that the weather will hold as confidence is currently running high. Boss Derek McInnes spoke to Perthfm

Perth FM News 13/12/10

Council Savings

Savings of over 20 million pounds will still have to be made by Perth and Kinross council over the next 3 years. This is despite a better than expected settlement from the Scottish Government that was unveiled last week. Before the announcement last week, it had been feared a massive 38 million pounds would have to be sheared off the council budget. The figure has been tentatively revised downward to a still sizeable but more manageable 22 million pounds.

Friarton Hall

A mothballed perth prison should be reopened so more criminals can be locked up, according to a Perthshire MSP. Friarton Hall, which housed young offenders was shut in March of this year becaused it was poorly used and its facilities were deemed to be inadequate. MSP Murdo Fraser wanst to see it brought back into the prison estate to ease the overwhelmed system. He raised the issue in parliament last week and was told the future of Friarton hall is under consideration.

Three Points for Saints

Saints came home from St Mirren on Saturday with a well deserved 3 points.
Despite the threat of an other cold spell the team are still training hard.
Boss Derek McInnes spoke to Perthfm

Perth FM News 10/12/10

Reduction in Evictions

Evictions in Perth and Kinross have reduced by 40 percent in the last year according to new analysis by Shelter Scotland. In total, there were 6 evictions during 2009 to2010. Over the last three years, since Shelter Scotland started publishing its annual analysis of the figures, evictions in Perth and Kinross have reduced by 40 percent. Gordon McCrae Head of Communication and Policy for Shelter Scotland spoke to Perthfm.

Email Scam

Perthshire residents are being warned of an email scan after a Perth woman's email account was hacked while she was on holiday in America. A hoax email was send from her account claiming she had been robbed and required financial assistance from friends and family to get home. It went as far to say that the authorites where not being supportive and that she was in a distressed state.
A spokeswoman for Tayside police said, "It's important that before you respond to any email like this that you check the authenticity an validity of the claims being made."

Refuse Bags

Perth and Kinross Council is currently collecting only green lidded bins, general waste, from residents and businesses. This arrangement has now been extended to Sunday 19 December to allow as much waste to be collected as possible before the festive arrangements begin. Residents and businesses should not present their blue and brown lidded bins during this time as they will not be collected.
In addition, the Council will collect bagged waste during this period. This move is aimed at helping residents to take their waste to a suitable collection point when it is not possible to put out their green lidded bin.

Perthfm News 09/12/10

Pitlochry Store Given Green Light

Councillors have agreed that building a supermarket in Pitlochry would turn the town into the 'hub' of highland Perthshire. The application, lodged by Sainsburys for 15,000 sqf store and 187 space car park on bridge road, was unanimously approved.
The retailer hopes to provide the local economy with between 150 and 200 part and full time jobs and to source dairy and meat products from local producers.

Ice Breaker

The cold weather has seen a desperado criminal logged a large block of ice at a parked car's window to gain entry to steal a cd player and some loose change.
While most petty criminals seem to be taking a break in the face of extreme weather conditions, the thief who smashed a VW people carrier in Perth's Appin Terrace at the weekend used the frozen deposits to their advantage. Anyone who has any information regarding the theft of the Sony cd play should contact Tayside police or crime stoppers

Appeal for Winter Woollies

Staff at Barnado's shops in Perth and Kinross are filling their rails with winter woollies and are appealing for more donations at the same time. Stocks of jumpers and coats are flying off the rails as the arctic weather continues. The charity's Area Business Manager Viv Miller said, "we really need people to look in their wardrobes and dig out any good quality coats, jumpers and boots, any winter warmers they haven't worn for a while and bring them down to their local store. Not only does the money raised from the sale of these items fund our work with disadvantaged children and families in the area, but our shops offer local families the opportunity to buy vital clothes at an affordable price.

Perthfm News 08/12/10

New treatment for heart disease

Today the European Medicines Agency has authorised the first in a new class of antiplatelet medicine, ticagrelor, for adult heart attack and unstable angina patients. Last year there were approximately 162,000 hospital admissions for heart attacks and angina, which cost the NHS 1.3 billion pounds. The new breakthrough medication, available to UK sufferers, could see the mortality rate after a heart attack drop from the current 15 percent. Dr Sarah Jarvis, a GP who specialises in cardiovascular medicine. Spoke to Perthfm


Quit4u in Perth

Shoppers in Perth were given the opportunity to sign up to NHS Tayside’s quit4u scheme yesterday at an event held in ASDA Dunkeld Road.
Smokers were invited to take a break from their shopping to hear about the smoking cessation scheme and to find out if they were eligible to join.
Members of NHS Tayside’s Smoke Free Services, along with Big Cig, were on hand to give out information about quit4u and other support available, including stop smoking groups and pharmacy support. Eligible potential quitters were also able to sign up for the scheme and take the first step towards kicking the habit.
There is an estimated 23,000 adult smokers in Perth & Kinross, 22% of the region’s population.

Dig it Dish it

Inspired by their time spent digging and learning at the Cultybraggan allotments, Comrie Primary’s P6 P7 class have created a seasonal cookbook called Dig It! Dish It!. The 42 recipes are sorted by season so it is easy to find recipes to use what is growing locally at the time. The children also helped to design the book which is priced at 6 pounds and the class will be selling it at the Crieff Christmas Market in James Square, this Saturday All proceeds from the sale of the book are going to help build the new 'Green Leaf' community outdoor classroom due to be completed by September 2011.

Perthfm News 07/12/10

Local road assessment

The impact of the severe weather on roads and footways across Perth and Kinross will be assessed once conditions improve the council have said. Work was nearly complete on the damage caused during last winter,the worst for 30 years, when the big freeze struck. A spokesperson for the council said we will assess in due course when the conditions improve, what, if any, damage has been caused as a result of the winter weather and prioritise any repairs required.

Festive Road Safety Campaign

Tayside Police, along with all seven other Scottish forces, yesterday launched this year's Festive Road Safety Campaign. The four week campaign will predominantly focus on tackling drink and drug drivers, with officers seeking to remove irresponsible drivers from the road and place them before the courts and the earliest opportunity.
This year's campaign will also see officers enforce the Vehicle Forfeiture Initiative where courts can order the seizure and forfeiture of a drink driver's vehicle when they have had a previous conviction within the last 5 years for a drink or drug driving related offence or have a similar case pending.

Refuse Collections

The council has been making efforts for green lidded bin collections to carry on this week but the unexpected snowfall on Monday means that some properties were not reached yesterday.Every effort is being made to collect as much refuse and get to as many areas as possible, but the Council also needs the public's support in this by giving collection crews and their vehicles plenty of room to manoeuvre while they are out working, and by being prepared for frequent stops as they pick up bins.

Perthfm News 05/12/10

Postal Dates

Despite the poor weather conditions and the challenges facing the Royal Mail, they are keen to remind us of the need to post our Christmas mail early. The last dates for posting are already looming with today being the last date for posting to friends and family in Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Central America, the Middle and Far East and Asia. Ian McKay, Royal Mails Director of Scottish affairs spoke to Perth fm.

SITA Application

Plans to extend the life of a controversial Perthshire landfill site have been submitted. SITA UK, which operates the Binn Farm landfill near Perth, has submitted a proposal of application notice to Perth and Kinross Council. It outlines its proposal to change the closure date of the landfill. Present regulations would see the tipping stop in June 2014 but SITA has applied to continue for a further four years, to June 2018.

Support for the Elderly

Perth and Kinross council has been taking special steps to ensure elderly and vulnerable residents receive the support they need in the severe weather. It has deployed six 4 x 4 vehicles with drivers to help care staff reach service users in rural areas. The community meals service provider also delivered a two week supply of meals earlier this week to all residents who receive this service. Additionally they have had a very positive response to an appeal to staff with 4 x 4 vehicles to volunteer their services.

Perthfm News 03/12/10

Council Late Night Working

Perth and Kinross Council have advised that they and Tayside Contracts staff continue to work around the clock to clear the area's roads and pathways of snow and ice. Staff, some of whom have been deployed from their normal duties, have been working up until midnight in recent nights to clear as many paths and footways as they can, and weather permitting, this will continue. Up to 40 diggers and 200 staff are available to the Council in the clear-up operation. It is still hoped that snowfall will become less frequent over the next few days, allowing more non priority routes to be cleared.

Village Internet Protest

Desperate campaigners in the picturesque village of Muthill have turned to Youtube, as they fight proposals for the hugely controversial Beauly to Denny power line.
Locals of the Strathearn village have posted a 6 minute video on the sight outlining their opposition to the pylons, as they were previously led to believe their section of the line would be buried underground to mitigate any effect on the conservation area. They are urging Internet users to protest to the energy minister Jim Mather.
A spokesman for Muthill and Tullibardine Community council said locals lack funds to mount any kind of legal challenge against the proposals, and this has led to their aim to raise awareness of the situation over the Internet.

Saints still Training

Although this weekends Saints match against Hamilton Accies has been postponed, the players aren't being allowed to put their feet up. Boss Derek McInnes spoke to Perthfm about the current training regime.

Perthfm News 02/12/10

Drink Driver Banned and Fined

A local woman who was found to be three times over the drink drive limit was fined £800 and disqualified for 24 months at Perth Sheriff court yesterday. Susan Dodd of Auchterarder was involved in a road accident on November 2nd in Perth’s Glasgow Road and was found to have driven her car with excess alcohol. Sheriff William Summers said this was a serious incident with had been exacerbated by being involved in an accident.

Abandoned Car Appeal

Tayside police are urging motorists who have abandoned their vehicles on snow-covered roads to collect them as soon as possible. A number of vehicles have been abandoned in the severe weather, some of which are causing obstruction and are hampering attempts to make roads safe and passable. Abandoned cars that are sticking out too far in the street are making snow ploughing difficult in some areas and in some cases making ploughing impossible.Until these are removed local authorities cannot ensure the roads are properly ploughed and gritted and made safe for all road users.

Weather sees Football Postponed

Saturday's match against Hamilton Academical, along with all other SPL fixtures this weekend, has been postponed. In a statement the Scottish Premier League has said: “In light of the severe weather conditions across Scotland, which are forecast to continue for some time, all Clydesdale Bank Premier League games have been postponed on Saturday 4 December. Saints boss Derek McInnes spoke to perthfm at about the decision

Perthfm News 01/12/10

House Fire at St Fillans

Tayside Fire and Rescue attended a house fire this morning at St Fillans, despite the poor weather conditions. Four appliances were dispatched and although there was extensive damage to the property no one was hurt. Fraser Scott, Station Manager at Perth Fire Station spoke to Perthfm.

Weather Conditions

After 3 days of snowfall and no signs of the weather improving, Perthfm spoke to the people of Perth to find out how they felt about the poor weather conditions and the state of the local roads.

McDiarmid Snow Disruption

With Saturday’s home match against Hamilton Accies hanging by a thread, a further four inches of snow fell overnight at Mcdiarmid Park leaving the pitch and car parks with over twelve inches of snow. Officials at Saints are in dialogue with the Scottish Premier League in an effort to make a decision on the fixture as early as possible. Keen to ensure that training does not suffer Derek McInnes today arranged for the players to attend one of four training centres in Glasgow, Dundee, Stirling and Edinburgh. The squad is due to get together tomorrow at the indoor centre at Toryglen in Glasgow but with yet more snow forecast this is weather dependent.

Perthfm News 30/11/10

Perth Cut Off by Snow

Last night saw more snow fall and road closures.
The M90 south of perth was closed for several hours due to vehicles being stuck in snow and an other vehicle catching fire. The A9 was closed to traffic north and southbound between Broxden roundabout in Perth and Keir roundabout at Dunblane.
It is appreciated that delays were caused, however Tayside Police would like to thank all drivers for their patience whilst the problems were resolved

Perthshire Memories

Perthshire residents will be able to take a stroll down memory lane at the AK Bell Library later on this week. Old photographs, music, soundbites and other memorabilia will be on show at Perthshire memories which will run from Friday until the end of December.The exhibition is supported by Perth and Kinross Council, the Gannochy Trust and Hertitage lottery funds.


Perth Eatery Short-listed

Perth eatery 63 Tay Street has been short listed in the 2011 Scottish Restaurant of the year awards. It is one of three finalists in the urban restaurant category. Judges will visit the finalists anonymously and rate them against a set list of criteria.The results will be announced in February of next year.

Perthfm News 29/11/10

Lightning Strikes Perthshire Home

Yesterday's rare weather phenomenon, thunder snow, took out Tayside polices non emergency telephone line and severely damaged a house at Guildtown. The couple who live in the property had a lucky escape as they had been at a friends house around about mid day when the lightening struck. The force of the direct hit caused significant structural damage and blew the electricity supply and the phone line.
Despite the poor conditions, Perth Fire Fighters attended immediately and were able to secure the building.


Motorist Drop In Centre

Many motorists travelling on the A9, M90 and A90 were left stranded when police eventually had to close roads yesterday evening due to the bad weather. Perth and Kinross Council had planned for such an eventuality and opened a drop in centre at the North Inch Community Campus. At it's peak the centre gave shelter to 669 motorists, providing them with hot drinks and snacks. The local ambulance service supplied blankets. Councillor Ian Miller spoke to Perthfm.

Stay Safe Advice

With the bad weather upon us, Perth and Kinross residents are being urged to do all they can to stay safe at this time. There are a number of simple steps that can be taken to ensure that you and your family keep warm and safe when severe weather strikes. Make sure you know how to turn off your water at source should pipes burst by identifying where the stopcock is in your house. This cuts the main water supply to your property. Leaving your heating on a low setting overnight will help to prevent you pipes from freezing.

Perthfm News 26/11/10

Anti-Violence Campaign

A high profile poster and postcard campaign aimed at ending violence towards woman has been launched. The initiative will see Tayside Police, the Woman's Rape and sexual abuse centre and Perth and Kinross Community Partnership work together to highlight the issue. The message featured on the posters and postcards is "drinking is not a crime, rape is". Chief Superintendent Craig Suttie said they hoped to give a "clear, unambiguous message that while drinking is not a crime, sexual abuse is."

Free Bus to avoid Traffic Chaos

Tonight sees Perth Light Night take place and families are being urged to leave the car at home and take the bus to avoid traffic chaos. Tens of thousands of people are expected to descend on the city centre tonight to take in the light show and firework display and parking spaces will definitely be few and far between.
A free bus service is being put on to help, it will run from Broxden Park through to Mill Street all evening. The event, which will see many of the city's landmarks lit up, marks an end to the Perth 800 celebrations

Network of Co-operation

Those living in the more remote corners of Highland Perthshire are trying to cut costs. They’ve started a "network of co-operation" to try and reduce the high price of rural living. A report by the Commission for Rural Communities has highlighted how expensive rural living can be compared to urban dwelling, sometimes as much as 20% more. However, the research also found communities have taken practical steps, which have slashed their expenses and brought neighbours closer together.For example, ordering items together online instead of doing a 40 mile round trip is just one of the ways.

Perthfm News 25/11/10

Connect2 Bridge

The preferred design for the Connect2 Bridge has been approved. Earlier this year 700 locals were asked which structure out of two they would prefer to go over the River Tay. The majority voted in favour of a three arch design as oppose to a flat bridge.

More Jobs

Hundreds of jobs could be coming to Perth if a multi-million pound project gets the go-ahead. Plans to revamp St Catherine's Retail Park Have Been Unveiled. Proposals Have already been sent to the council and its thought a larger planning application will be submitted in the new year.

Robbery

Detectives are investigating a robbery at a building site in Perth. It's thought around 180 pounds worth of electrical cable was stolen from the property on Ainslie Terrace. Police are urging those who noticed anything happening between Tuesday evening and yesterday morning to come forward.

Best Bar None

Bars, Restaurants, Pubs and Clubs in Perth have been recognised for their good work. It's as the winners of this year's Best Bar None Awards are announced. Almost twenty premises received gold, silver or bronze accolades for their safety policy and professional management. The scheme aims to make sure the city centre is a fun and safe place to be.

Lightnight Weekend

A display of fireworks is to be launched from the River Tay, to get the city's Lightnight weekend underway. The festivities are the grand finale to the Perth 800 celebrations. A host of landmarks are also expected to by lit up to mark the occasion. It starts at 9pm and the show will go on for half hour altogether so make sure you wrap up warm.

Perthfm News 24/11/10

Cittaslow International Event

This weekend Perth will welcome guests from fellow Cittaslow towns across the world and the rest of the UK. Perth is Scotland’s first Cittaslow city will host the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Cittaslow UK and a meeting of the Cittaslow International Coordinating Committee. The Cittaslow UK AGM will attract delegates from other Cittaslow towns in England, Scotland and Wales, while the International Coordinating Committee meeting will welcome delegates from 9 countries stretching from USA to South Korea.While they are in Perth, Cittaslow guests will join in the Perth 800 celebrations by visiting the medieval Andermass Market and Perth Lightnight celebrations, as well as local amenities such as Friarton Civic Amenity Site.

Digital Advice

Perth and Kinross Council's Trading Standards is ready to give advice to anybody thinking of buying new digital TV equipment in the run-up to Christmas. With Christmas approaching, as well as an impending VAT rise, many people will be thinking of buying a new TV or upgrading their digital box to one which is able to record as well as receive digital TV services. To ensure that people in Perth and Kinross have information available to them to make the right choice of equipment and digital service the Council’s Trading Standards Service has produced a leaflet explaining issues around the digital switchover and what equipment is available.
The leaflet is available for download from the Trading Standards page of Perth & Kinross Council website, or by phoning 476476 and asking for Trading Standards.

'A' Frame Boards

The issue of advertising 'A-frame' boards that are placed in shopping streets by businesses will be debated by the Enterprise and Infrastructure Committee today.
Members will be asked to approve a number of conditions for the use of A-frame boards in a bid to balance the access needs of disabled people and other pedestrians with the desire of local businesses to use this method of advertising. Members will now hear that a consultation was carried out earlier this year on the issue of A-frames following the submission of a petition by Perth and Kinross Access Group, asking that they be banned. However, the results of the consultation were inconclusive as to whether A-frames should be banned or not.The Committee will therefore be asked to approve an updated set of guidelines.

Perthfm News 23/11/10

Dental Treatment Centre Opens to Public

NHS Tayside's Integrated Dental Treatment and Training Centre at Broxden Business Park in Perth will see it's first patients today as the Community Dental Service moved to the new site from its premises at Drumhar Health Centre. All clinical services, other than emergency weekend clinics, were transferred to the new centre today. The Emergency Dental Service will run at Drumhar Health Centre on the weekend of 27/28 November before transferring to Broxden and patients requiring emergency care out of hours should continue to contact NHS24 on 08454 24 24 24 as normal.
Those who are not registered with an NHS dentist can arrange for NHS dental care at Broxden by calling 01738 450550.

Copy-Cat website warning

Perth and Kinross Councils Trading Standards is warning residents to be on the look-out for "copy-cat" websites when shopping online this Christmas. In December 2009 over 1,200 web sites were closed down by experts at Scotland Yards e-crime unit because they were trading fraudulently, most of these web sites were run from Asia but with a British domain name. When consumers purchased goods from these web sites they either did not receive any goods or the goods they did receive were counterfeit. At the time online experts warned that these web sites could be back up and running within hours. Community Safety Convener, Councillor Willie Robertson, said: "Many of these were 'copy-cat' web sites - copies of high street stores. These sites have a domain name very similar to legitimate web sites with perhaps a slight spelling mistake, but are scam web sites. These web sites seem to be even more prolific this year therefore we want to urge people to be on their guard when shopping online."

Grouse in residence at Broxden

The weekend saw Perth's latest land mark arrive. The 50 foot tall grouse is positioned on a plinth and looks as if it is taking flight from the trees on the Broxden round about. The statue was has been gifted to Perth by the Edrington Group and was commissioned as part of the Perth 800 celebrations. Gerry O'Donnell, director of The Famous Grouse at the Edrington Group said, "We are very proud of our Perth roots, and we hope people agree that this creates a truly spectacular gateway to Perthshire and the Highlands of Scotland."

Perthfm News 22/11/10

Perth Man in Mine Explosion

The Scottish National Party's Perth parliamentarians, Mr Pete Wishart MP, Member of Parliament for Perth & North Perthshire and Ms Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Perth constituency, have expressed their concern for the safety of Mr Pete Rodgers, originally from Perth, one of the miners involved in the New Zealand mine explosion. Speaking today Ms Cunningham said: "I was shocked to learn that one of the miners trapped in the New Zealand mine explosion was from Perth. News like that brings an incident on the other side of the world right onto your own doorstep. My prayers are with Mr Rodgers and his friends and family at this very anxious time."

Council Employees 40% Salary Increase

It would appear that, despite the recession, Perth and Kinross Council parking attendants had benefited from an amazing 40% salary increase. Figures obtained show that the publicly-funded wage bill for the local authoritys 16 attendants has risen from just under £184 thousand in 2007/08 to just over £257 thousand in 2009/10.
The amount of income generated from parking over the same period has fallen by almost £100,000. This reduction in revenue means that for the first time in 3 years it has cost more to employ the parking attendants than they have collected.

Bridge Design Approval

The preferred design for the Connect2 Bridge over the River Tay will be approved by a meeting of the Enterprise and Infrastructure Committee this Wednesday. The Sustrans Connect2 project will include a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the River Tay as well as improvements to a range of footpaths and cycleways throughout the Perth area, linking them to the bridge. Earlier this year members of the public were asked to vote on two different designs for the bridge - a three arch design or a flat bridge. The results show that the three-arch design was preferred by the majority of the 700 people who responded, and members of the Committee will be asked to approve that choice.

Perthfm News 19/11/10

Mountain Rescue National Conference

This weekend will see Aberfeldy host mountain rescue teams and partner agencies from across Scotland as they attend the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland’s national conference sponsored by the Order of St John. This is the first time that the conference has been held in the Perthshire area, with the theme this year focussing on partnership working. Workshops will include Tayside Fire and Rescue, Tayside Police Search and Rescue Unit and local civilian volunteers from Tayside Mountain Rescue Team demonstrating how they can work together and enhance their collective strengths. Superintendent David Tonks, Co-ordinator for Mountain Rescue in Tayside, said, "I am pleased to see this conference coming to Tayside. The local rescue services including Fire, Police and civilian volunteers from Tayside Mountain Rescue Team work well together, which makes it an excellent opportunity to demonstrate how this combination can be very effective".

Dementia Drop-ins

Residents of Strathmore are being invited to come along to drop-in information sessions to learn more about a new local service for people living with dementia and their families. The new service which, has been developed by NHS Tayside in association with Perth & Kinross Council, will see locally based integrated, multi-disciplinary teams providing a single point of contact for Strathmore residents who need to access services, reducing the need for inappropriate admission to hospitals or care homes. A series of drop-in sessions are currently underway where staff from the Strathmore Dementia Services will be on hand to chat to local people about the improvements. The remaining sessions will take place at Kinloch Hall, Meigle on Monday, 22 November from 1.30 - 3pm, and at Guildtown Village Hall on Tuesday, 23 November from 1.30 - 3pm.

Care Village Propsal

Detailed plans to convert Perth's former Station Hotel into a "five-star care village" have been place with the local authority planning department.
The current owners, Supportico, have ambitious plans for the building, which include housing, and services for the elderly and a "centre of excellence" for retirement care. The hotel's ballroom and conference rooms would be preserved and would hose activities such as concerts, tea dances, arts and painting. The landscaped gardens would also be retained as the developers feel this is a unique feature for a town centre facility.

Perthfm News 18/11/10

Closing Date Near for Public Consultation

Perth & Kinross residents are reminded that they have until Friday 26 November to have their say on the future provision of Council services. The Council faces major financial challenges as a result of national budget cuts. Work has been ongoing for many months to explore options, which will help find savings of around £38 million in the next 4 years. Savings outlined in a report to full Council on Thursday 4 November amount to £9.4 million. A report on further savings required will go before a Special meeting of Council on Budget Day in February 2011. To inform the decision-making process and to ensure that residents have the opportunity to air their opinions on what they see as priorities in terms of service provision, the Council has launched a range of public consultation and engagement activities. All residents have been invited to have their say by completing an online questionnaire available on the Council website at www.pkc.gov/budget until Friday 26 November.

Community RePaint Perth

As part of the European Week for Waste Reduction, Community RePaint Perth will be in the playground of Balhousie Primary School between 9.15am and 10.30am on next Wednesday to collect reusable paint from the public. Often people buy too much paint for their decorating jobs and it is usually either left in a shed or disposed of at landfill. This can be harmful to the environment and is a waste of resources, so the charity Community RePaint Perth works across Perth and Kinross to collect reusable paint and find new homes for it where it can be reused. Householders, new businesses, charities and artists (both from schools and art projects) can all benefit from this leftover, good quality paint. The paint can be reused if there is at least a litre left in the tin and the lid is on securely so that it has not dried out.

Census Recruitment

With the final preparations taking place for Scotland's biggest population survey recruitment for over 200 temporary census takers in the area has started. Successful applicants will form part of a team of 5800 enumerators across the country, which will deliver questionnaires to 2.5 million households ahead of census day next year on March 27th. Census takers will also deal with questions from members of the public and follow up on any questionnaires that have not been returned. Participation in the census is required by law and census takers play a key role in helping the public take part in the survey.

Perthfm News 17/11/10

Incinerator Appeal Rejected

Last night local people were delighted to hear that an appeal against the refusal for a £100 million incinerator just a few hundred yards from the city centre was dismissed by a Scottish Government reporter.Controversy has raged for several years over plans for the development which was set to feature a 260 foot chimney stack.
Thousands of people objected to the proposal after it was revealed that council officials has granted outline planning consent for the Shore Road facility in 2006.
In a statement released this morning, applicant Grundon waste management have advised that they will be evaluating the full report in detail and review their options – which may include an assessment of alternative technologies and plant designs for use on the Shore Road site.
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New Council Housing

Housing and Health Convener Councillor Peter Barrett yesterday saw how work was progressing on the first Council accommodation to be built in Perth and Kinross for over 20 years. He visited the construction site at Fortingall Place, Letham, where six new units are under construction and are due to be completed by the end of December. The build is part of Perth & Kinross Council's plans to build 81 affordable housing units around Perth and Kinross. The ambitious new build programme will cost a approximately £10million. The Council has successfully bid for a total of £2m from a Scottish Government fund to assist with delivering new-build affordable local authority housing.


Andermass Fair

A colourful, noisy and bustling Medieval Fair will take place later this month to celebrate Perth’s historic past, and to mark St Andrew's Day.The Andermass Fair is a recreation of an event which traditionally took place in medieval times in Perth to celebrate the Feast of St Andrew (or Andermass), the first major Christian festival of Advent. The event will be held in King Edward Street on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 November, and will tie in with the Lightnight celebrations which will bring Perth 800 festivities to a close while also being a feature of Scotland’s Winter Festivals.

Perth FM News 16/11/10

Changes to vocational training scheme

A new partnership between Council and a local training provider is offering funds to help people improve their work skills and opportunities for gaining employment.
The Council has linked up with Life Skills Central Perth, which provides innovative employability and vocational training to both individuals already in work and those seeking a job. Via the national Training for Work initiative, Life Skills Central also currently manages the Perth Individual Initiative Fund (PIIF). This successful Skills Development Scotland funded project offers eligible unemployed adults aged 18 and over grants of up to £1,000 for industry specific training. As a direct result of these grants awards, many individuals have been able to gain sustainable employment which would otherwise be inaccessible to them. As such funds will now be made available to not only enhance this offer to the current eligible client group, but also to young people aged 16 and over not in mainstream education, and those in low paid employment.

Recognition for local teacher

A teacher at Perth High School has been recognaised at a prestigious awards ceremony after being described as inspirational.Chemistry teacher Gordon Thorburn received the SQA champion accolade, which recognises those who support pupils and help them reach their full potential.He impressed judges with his commitment to training new staff, for being such a popular teacher and for having collated every SQA chemistry exam paper sinc e the 1960s.Mr Thorburn has been a teacher at perth high school since 1976.

Mouth Cancer Action Month

NHS Tayside’s Community Dental Service is urging people in Perth & Kinross to come along and have a free mouth cancer check during Mouth Cancer Action Month.
Running for the duration of November, Mouth Cancer Action Month highlights that in the UK it kills almost 2,000 people each year, This is the equivalent of one death every five hours. Professional check-ups and regular self-examinations are the best way to detect mouth cancer as soon as possible. Early diagnosis saves lives, improving survival chances from just half of cases to more than 90%.
All members of the public are invited along to these events. The mouth cancer check is quick, painless and could save your life.

Perth FM News 15/11/10

Fire on Crieff Road

A farm building near McDiarmid Park went up in flames last night.Emergency services rushed to Newton of Huntingtower on Crieff Road after receiving reports of a fire.
Fire appliances from Perth and Dundee were scrambled, as there were concerns that diesel tanks were within the affected area. Fire-fighters had the blaze under control and extinguished within the hour and advised that a further inspection would be made in daylight hours

Universal Home Insulation Scheme
Residents of Highland Perthshire will have a chance to get their homes insulated free under a new initiative being launched by the Council and its partners. The Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) will begin following a successful bid for £590,000 of Scottish Government funding. The UHIS project will cover 6,000 homes in Aberfeldy, Blair Atholl, Dunkeld, Kenmore, Kinloch Rannoch and Pitlochry. Homeowners and private tenants in Highland Perthshire can get loft and/or cavity wall insulation installed through the scheme free of charge. Council tenants, or those living in a property owned by a housing association, can also be helped.
Any residents who think they are eligible can apply for free insulation. The scheme will end on March 31st 2011


Purse Bells

A new initiative in Perth that will use special bells to alert shoppers to bag and purse thefts will be launched on Friday. Funding from Perth Common Good Fund and St John's Shopping Centre has been used to buy a quantity of 'purse bells'. The bells can be attached to the purse of city centre shoppers, and any attempt to steal a purse will result in the bells ringing and attracting the attention of the purse owner and people nearby. Perth Safer Cities Initiative, in partnership with St John's Shopping Centre and Tayside Police will hand out the bells on Friday.

Perth FM News 12/11/10

Housing Development Approved

Councillors have approved a major housing development on the outskirts of Methven this week. Members of the development control committee unanimously approved consent for 103 houses on a Greenfield site on the eastern edge of the village. The housing will be a mix of detached, semi-detached, terraced and flats. Twenty-four of the houses have been delegated as affordable.

Free Green Conference

Businesses are invited to a free green conference hosted by the Centre for Enterprise at Perth College UHI. The programme offers delegates the chance to learn about renewable technologies and opportunities for renewable energies within business. There will be the option of choosing two specialised workshops from a choice of solar thermal panels, wind turbines, biomass energy and heat pumps.
Registrations for the conference next Thursday must be made by Monday by calling 877207.

Lack of Disabled Access

Councillors have hit out at the disabled access at Perth and Kinross Council's old chambers on High Street for being completely unsuitable. After being alerted to the problem by a couple in her ward, Councillor Ann Cowan inspected a lift in the building, along with Councillor Heather Stewart and found it to be "inadequate".
A spokes person for the council admitted that it was a challenge to comply with legislation due to the layout of the old chambers. However, the lift is compliant with disabled access laws, although the council does recognise that it has limitations and that to date members of the public have raised no complaints about the issue.

Perth FM News 11/11/10

Drug Dealer Jailed

A Perth Drug Dealer described by police as "head of a local crime group" was yesterday jailed for almost five years after he was spotted selling heroin from a stash near a school. Christopher Crowder hid wraps of the Class A drug in a plastic tub in bushes at Bute Drive – the road on which Perth Grammar and the St John’s Campus stand. He was snared by police surveillance soon after leaving prison early after conviction for a similar offence. Gang member Murray Christie was also caught with drugs and jailed yesterday.

Longer Hours for Parking Attendants

New shifts are to be introduced for Perth & Kinross Council's Parking Attendants in November. The new shifts are designed to maximise traffic flow during the busiest times of the day, and to enable fair and consistent use of the parking bays by visitors to Perth. This will ensure that people will be able to access local businesses more freely. The Council receives numerous complaints about parking including vehicles being parked indiscriminately on yellow lines and the misuse of disabled parking bays. It is hoped the new shift pattern will help to alleviate these problems. The move has been criticised by The Association of British Drivers who believe the move will deter shoppers from coming to Perth.

Give it up for Baby Scheme

A young Coupar Angus mum-to-be is giving her unborn baby the best start in life by successfully giving up smoking through NHS Tayside’s Give It Up For Baby (GIUFB) scheme. Eighteen-year-old Shannyn Nicoll has been smoke-free since signing up to the scheme around four months ago. She is due her first child in January, and began smoking when she was 14 and would smoke around 15-20 cigarettes a day.
When she discovered she was pregnant, Shannyn's midwife recommended she try the GIUFB scheme. Shannyn signed up at her local pharmacy, Davidson in Coupar Angus, and has passed her carbon monoxide test every week. "The first few weeks were difficult but the pharmacist really helped by offering me patches to stop the cravings," Shannyn explained.

Perth FM News 10/11/10

Housing Benefit Cuts

Households across Perth and Kinross are set to be hit hard by planned housing benefit cuts, a leading charity has claimed. Figures released by Shelter Scotland showed that those living in the private rented sector could lose £56 per month on average. Perth and Kinross Council will not be drawn to comment on these forthcoming reductions as they are awaiting the outcome of yesterday's parliamentary debate. Changes to housing benefit and legislation are the first round of cuts that are expected to happen this month.

Real Nappy Project

New parents across Perth and Kinross have been taking part in a project celebrating Perth 800. Over 400 real nappy starter packs have already been handed out to residents in a bid to publicise the economic and environmental benefits of ditching disposables for terry towelling. The time to change your nappy project is collaboration between Perth and Kinross Real Nappy Network, NHS Tayside, Perth and Kinross Council and Stagecoach Group. The starter packs, which also include a week’s free bus travel, are being offered to the parents of every new baby born in the area this year.

Roadside Littering Crack Down

A major crack down on road littering aims to save Perth and Kinross Council thousands of pounds each year. Littering from vehicles has been identified as a major problem throughout the country with 53,000 bags of rubbish cleared from motorways in central Scotland every year.Perth and Kinross Council is working with the Scottish Transport Litter Group and their litter enforcement officers will be joining ranks with Tayside Police to carry out educational and enforcement activities.

Perth FM News 09/11/10

Leisure Centre Up for Auction

A Perth Leisure Centre, which closed amid controversy two years ago, is set to go under the hammer. The Healthworks complex at Pitheavlis closed it's doors in 2008 after operators Norwich Union declared it was no longer financially viable. Now the Pitheavlis centre is to be auction by Edinburgh Firms SVA Property Auctions Ltd.
No guide price is listed for the auction, which is set to take place in Glasgow on November 23rd.

Locals Views Sought

Proposals that could see a third traffic crossing over the River Tay have been published for consultation as part of Perth & Kinross Council's strategy for shaping Perth's transport future. The strategy sets out the issues that must be addressed for the transport infrastructure to be fit to meet the future needs of residents, visitors and the local economy. Both local and through traffic is expected to increase in line with the future development of Perth and the wider region.
The consultation is seeking residents' views on the principal and location of the third crossing, and on their priorities for enhancements to the public transport, walking and cycling networks which would be included to support sustainable travel and the environment.

Air Quality Advice

Perth & Kinross Council has launched new web pages to outline what we can all do to improve the quality of air in the area. The pages at pkc.gov.uk/airquality are a way for the public to access information about air quality locally, and nationally, and get real-time data from our three monitoring stations. Two are in Perth and one is in Crieff. The pages also explain what the Council is doing to help reduce pollution, and also outline lifestyle changes that residents can make to do their bit. There is also a section for children. The aim is to allow people to make informed choices with regard to the kind of transport they use.

Perth FM News 08/11/10

Improvement in Property Market
Perthshire's Property Market is in a significantly healthier state than it was 12 months ago, according to local property specialists.There has been no sign of an early freeze on the market as winter approaches, as house sales appear to be booming across the area.Approximately £123 million worth of homes have been sold in the last 3 quarters of this year, a rise of 28% on the previous year.There are also indications of confidence in the house-building sector with a flood of new development proposals being submitted to Perth and Kinross Councils planning department.

Help for Smokers
NHS Tayside is holding a free information evening for smokers in Perth to find out more about the support available to help them kick the habit. Anyone wanting to give up smoking is invited to come along to the drop-in event in the Sandeman Meeting Room in AK Bell Library between 5pm and 7.30pm tomorrow evening. Members of staff from Tayside Smoke Free Services will be on hand to give advice and information on giving up smoking and the various schemes run by NHS Tayside.

Injury blow for St Johnstone
After losing Saturday's home game against Kilmarnock, St Johnstone has faced an other blow.It has been confirmed that Marcus Haber has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament and will be out of action for the rest of the season.Boss Derek McInnes spoke to Perth FM

Perth FM News 05/11/10

MIR Consultions

Residents of Perth and Kinross are being given the opportunity to have their say on the future provision of Council services in the face of unprecedented budget pressures. Perth & Kinross Council faces major financial challenges as a result of national budget cuts. Work has been ongoing for many months to explore options which will help find savings of around £38 million by 2013/14. To inform the decision-making process and to ensure that residents have the opportunity to air their opinions on what they see as priorities in terms of service provision, the Council has planned a range of public consultation and engagement activities. All residents will be invited to have their say from today, when an online questionnaire will be available on the Council website at www.pkc.gov/budget for a period of three weeks. Printed copies of the questionnaire will also be available on request.

Free Carer Training

The Princess Royal Trust Carers Centre (Perth & Kinross) is holding a free training session next Tuesday for unpaid carers who are looking after loved ones with Dementia. The session, running from 10.30am to 12.30pm at The Gateway in North Methven Street, will offer information on what dementia is and practical help and advice for caring. Speakers include Valerie Nelson from Perth & Kinross Council. The Princess Royal Trust Carers Centre, part of the local charity PKAVS, is in contact with over 500 adult carers across the Big County and the training session is open to any carer living in Perth & Kinross.

Miraculating Machine
Keep your eyes peeled on the 26th and 27th November, for a clanking tinkling spectacle of dysfunctional design may be coming your way. This is the Miraculating Machine. Here to provide the people of Perth with their very own free Stamping Service to commemorate the 800 year history of the city.
Artist Jessica Ramm is artist in residence for Perth 800. Her aim is to build an impossible looking stamping press to capture the imagination of the city and she is inviting the people of Perth to get involved by finding objects to be made into the machine. She is looking for alls sorts of things small, big. flat, round, vintage, made of metal, spiky or shiny any thing that you think might look good as part of a travelling machine. Jessica will be in the Garbologists shed at Friarton Depot Recycling Centre between 11 and 5 on Saturday ready to receive your donations. If you would prefer to bring a donation along at another time there is a recycling bin especially for the Miraculating Machine.

Perth FM News 04/11/10

Main Issues Report Consultation

A major public consultation on future development in Perth and Kinross will continue this month. The Main Issues Report consultation gives local residents and businesses the chance to help shape the future of the area. A series of drop-in information sessions are being held around Perth and Kinross to ensure that as many people as possible take part. The findings of the consultation will help shape the area’s new Local Development Plan. At the drop-in sessions the public can view exhibitions displaying ideas and chat informally to Council officers and other members of the community. With the latest edition of the Yellow Pages beginning to drop onto local doorsteps, Perth & Kinross Council is encouraging residents to recycle their old copies.

Telephone Directory Recycling

For the first time, householders on the kerbside recycling service can now put the directories in their blue-lidded kerbside bins, as well as in paper banks at local Recycling Centres and Points, which are available all year round to recycle old and unwanted phone books. The Council would like to advise residents using Recycling Centres and Points that they should disregard signs on paper banks stating "No Telephone Directories". These signs are out of date and will be replaced in the near future, and old directories can be put into the paper banks along with other paper waste for recycling. Environment Convener, Councillor Alan Grant said: "This is an excellent opportunity to recycle your old Yellow Pages, as well as any other telephone directories and paper products that people are looking to dispose of. With around 70,000 new directories due to be delivered over the next few weeks, the old versions will create a substantial volume of waste within a relatively short time period. The more that are recycled means less will go to landfill, and instead the Yellow Pages will be recycled into new paper products."

Cadet Success

Cadets from Perth beat off competition from several teams to be named champion detachment at their final training weekend of the year.More than 40 members of the Alma Company Blackwatch Battalion Army Cadet Force attended the event at the Dunkeld training centre. Detachments from Perth, Viewlands, Auchterarder and Dunkeld competed in various activities, including mapwork, first aid, shooting and field craft. After beating their rivals from Auchterarder, the perth viewlands detachment walked away with the top accolade.

Perth FM News 03/11/10

Parking Sensors in Town Centre

Perth residents have hit out at Perth and Kinross Council for installing parking sensors in George Street with no warning to drivers. A council spokes person has said that the temporary installation of parking sensors in George St and West Mill street is to demonstrate the sensors capabilities. The council has advised that they are not using the sensors to target drivers using these locations and that any information they produce after the trial period with give a snap shot of the park bays usage.

Remembrance Sunday Plea

As Remembrance Sunday draws near the Perth branch of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) is asking people to dig deep. In 2009, the charity raised more than £50,000 for 100 local services mean and women and their families – and supporters hope the total will be even higher this year to mark its 125th anniversary. Anyone who has served, even briefly, could be eligible, including past and present members, TA members, Reserve Forces and those who did National Service.

Support for Local Businesses

Business Gateway, which offers advice and support for new companies has been approached by local business owners in recent months seeking help with issues relating to the day to day running of their organizations.A workshop on employing staff will be held at Business Gateways Perth office in Whitefriars Crescent next Thursday.It is aimed at businesses with limited knowledge of the subject and will provide information on issues including the changing terms and conditions of employment

Perth FM News 02/11/10

Proposed Head Teacher Share Scheme

More schools in Perth and Kinross could share head teachers in the future after a pilot project was described as "very positive". A report to go before the life long learning committee suggests introducing a cluster headship in local schools "where appropriate". After detailed evaluation of the pilot, councilors will be asked to approve proposals for a cluster model of headship which would be tailored to fit circumstances as they arise.It is being stressed that any decision to introduce such models would be taken forward in consultation with school staff, parents and other key stake holders.

Drop-off Rip-off

Mid-Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser has criticised Edinburgh Airport for introducing the £1 drop-off charge, which came into effect over the weekend, as it will hit Perthshire residents who use the airport. The Scottish Conservatives are leading the campaign to stop the drop-off charge being brought in, with a petition set up at www.dropoffripoff.com, which has attracted over 9,000 supporters.
Murdo Fraser MSP said: "Edinburgh Airport is frequently used by many people from Perth and Perthshire and I believe that this charge is just plain wrong. There is every chance that this charge is the thin end of the wedge as there is nothing to stop BAA increasing the drop-off charge in the future. Indeed, they have already refused to rule out an increase. I urge Perth and Perthshire residents who use Edinburgh Airport to sign and support the Scottish Conservatives petition as we continue the fight against the drop-off rip off".


Local and Family History Open Day

A range of records, newspapers, photographs, maps and advice will be available for anybody wanting to find out more about their family history or local history at Blairgowrie Library. A Local and Family History Open Day will be held on Saturday from 10am to 1pm. Library staff and volunteers from the Local History Trust's Genealogy Centre will be able to give assistance in searching websites such as Ancestry as well as Old Parish Records and back copies of The Blairgowrie Advertiser on microfilm and microfiche. A member of staff will also be available to give specialist advice on researching military aspects of family history.

Perth FM News 01/11/10

Change in Social Security Legislation

Perth & Kinross Council is set to expand a scheme that disregards war pensions when assessing and calculating housing benefit and council tax benefits. Currently in Perth and Kinross, war pensions, including war disablement pension, war widow’s pension or a war widower’s pension, are disregarded from a person's income when housing benefit and council tax benefits are being calculated. Social security legislation was amended earlier this year so that Service Attributable Pensions can also now be disregarded. Service Attributable Pensions are afforded under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme as a result of injury or illness, attributable to length of service.A meeting of the Housing and Health Committee on Wednesday will be asked to approve the expansion of our local discretionary scheme so that Service Attributable Pensions are disregarded in Perth and Kinross, along with all other types of war pension.

Local Care Commission Report

A care commission report on the high quality of care being provided by the Council's community care services and establishments will be presented this week.
15 Care Commission inspections were carried out between March 2009 and June 2010 at establishments which included Lewis Place Resource Centre, Dalweem Care Homes, Blairgowrie ARC, Gleneagles ARC, Beechgrove House and Rannoch Road Day Centre. Services such as Home Care were also inspected. The Care Commission reported on various aspects of the services using a grading service on four quality themes: Care & Support; Environment; Staffing; Management & Leadership. These are graded as either Very Good, Good or Adequate. During the inspections Perth & Kinross Council services received a total of 28 gradings of Very Good (53% of the overall total) 22 gradings of Good (42%) and three Adequate gradings (5%).

Respect on Rural Roads

Representatives of the National Farmers Union Scotland have urged all drivers to show common courtesy after local tractor drivers were slammed for failing to pull over when traffic builds up.

Long queues regularly form on some of Perthshires busiest routes as frustrated car drivers struggle to make their way past heavy agricultural vehicles.

The spokes person for the NFU asked for all drivers to show respect for other road users.

PerthFM News 29/10/10

Council Spending Review

On November 4th, a Special Council Meeting will be held to consider the ‘Medium Term Financial Plan, Implications for Workforce Planning' report on savings proposals in Perth and Kinross for the next 3 years. Work has been ongoing for several months now to explore the options, which will help the council to find savings of around £38 million by 2013/14.A range of work force management measures have bee in place since November 2009 and the council are working on gaining approval for two categories of proposals. Leader of Perth and Kinross Council, Ian Miller said "Perth and Kinross is not immune to these cuts, but we are confident that we are well prepared to find these savings. Central to our approach has been a commitment to take all reasonable steps to avoid compulsory redundancies."

Time Capsule Buried

Today saw the Perth 800 time capsule will being buried on the North Inch, not to be opened until the year 2210 when Perth will celebrate its 1,000th anniversary.
The time capsule contains a wide variety of items from local residents, schoolchildren and organisations to provide future citizens with a snapshot of what life was like in early 21st century Perth. Perth & Kinross Council and the Royal Air Forces Association worked together on the time capsule idea to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and Perth 800. They asked local people, clubs, businesses and groups to come forward with items to put into it.

Healthy Eating Workshops

Staff from the Paediatric Overweight Service Tayside (POST) visited Crieff Primary School along with Active Schools co-ordinators to highlight the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. Primary 7 pupils took part in the workshops, which focused on key health and well-being messages.Pupils saw that it was as "easy as 1, 2, 3" to be active for at least 1 hour a day, to spend less time watching television or playing computer games and to eat 3 healthy, balanced meals per day.

Perth FM News 28/10/10

Council Food Audit

The Council's Food Law Enforcement Service has been given a positive report following an independent inspection, and this was presented to a meeting of the Council's Community Safety Committee yesterday. The Food Law Enforcement Service ensures that food safety, hygiene and quality standards are upheld by local food business operators. The audit found that the Council provided a high standard of food law enforcement, and provided a good service to both consumers and business owners.

Mountain Biking Conference

Mountain biking can be even more of a worldwide success story for Scotland – leading to additional health, economic and sporting benefits – but grass roots development is needed to sow the seeds of that growth.
That will be the strong message from leading speakers – including Scottish cycling star Mark Beaumont – at Scotland’s first ever national conference today in Perth.
It is being hosted to examine the development of mountain biking in Scotland.
Mountain biking has seen a massive rise in popularity in recent years, with Scotland now recognised as one of the best destinations in the world for mountain biking. Currently, the tourism market benefits by £119 million a year, with a potential for an extra £36 million a year.
Perthshire adventurer Mark Beaumont, will explain how his local cycling roots in Perthshire lead to the desire to cycle around the world – a journey which was watched by millions and captured in a BBC documentary.

Cat Protection Fund Raiser

Cats Protection are having a Coffee Morning this Saturday, at Scone Old Church Hall, Burnside, Scone from 10am to 1pm. There will be all the usual stalls including Cats Protection Christmas Cards, Calendars, Gifts, Tombola, Books, As New, Raffle and other gift stalls. Teas will be served. All monies raised will support cat rescue and rehoming work carried out by Cats Protection volunteers in the Perthshire area.
The Perth Branch of Cats Protection finds loving homes for around 250 cats and kittens each year. The Branch is run entirely by volunteers and depends on the generosity of the public to continue running its vital services for cats in the local area.

Perth FM News 27/10/10

Perthshire Tourism Partnership

A new multi-agency body, which will aim to provide a co-ordinated approach to promoting the Perthshire tourism, met for the first time yesterday.
Members of the Perthshire Tourism Partnership (PTP), gathered in Pitlochry for it's inaugural meeting. The PTP brings together players from both public and private sectors, with the purpose of driving forward tourism priorities, exploiting common strengths and developing an action based approach to tourism. The first task the organisation faces is to revisit the existing tourism strategy to bring it into line with the national framework for change, and create an action plan for delivery of the strategy.

Commonwealth Experienc for local woman

A Blairgowrie woman picked to perform in the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony is hoping to inspire local youngsters to follow in her footsteps. Jennifer Younger returned from Delhi keen to share her incredible experiences and encourage school children to pull on their dancing shoes. She will be teaching a new set of street dances at leisure venue live active Blairgowrie next month. She was fortunate to be selected to join the 352 volunteers who delivered a dance routine full of Scottish flavour.

CIS Action at McDiarmid Park

Saint Johnstone face Celtic tonight in the quarterfinals of the CIS Cup at McDiarmid Park.This is a big week for Saints as they then face Celtic again at home on Saturday in a league game. Boss Derek McInnes spoke to Perthfm

Perth FM News 26/10/10

Perthshire Potential for New World Heritage Site

Perthshire has been hailed as the perfect location for a new world heritage site, capable of attracting thousands of visitors.
The case for the creation of a National Roman Centre that would promote and protect the country's roman heritage was set out by Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser.
Mr Fraser was joined amid the remains of Ardoch Fort – part of the Gask Ridge Fronteir - by members of the living history re-enactment society the Antonine Guard as he call for the backing of the Scottish Government. A short document entitled Perthshire's Roman Past details the many locations with Roman links and presses the government to help make the centre a reality.

New Trading Standards Inspection Project

Perth & Kinross Council's Trading Standards Service regularly carries out area inspection projects which concentrate on a particular geographical area within the council boundary. The next area chosen is the Council Ward 2, Strathmore. For two weeks from Monday 8th November, Trading Standards officers will be visiting business premises, by prior appointment if requested beforehand, or otherwise in the course of their 'walking the beat' in the area. During the visits, traders will be able to raise any matters of concern to them and receive advice from the visiting officers. The aim of the inspection is to visit as many as possible, if not all businesses in the Strathmore ward.


Carbon Community Action Project

Saturday sees Guildtown and Wolfhill Carbon Community Action Project, supported by Perth & Kinross Council, host an art event for local children, to demonstrate how waste that would normally be recycled or go to landfill can be given a second life by being used to make something unique. Children at Guildtown Primary School are being encouraged to collect various unwanted household items that could be used in the art session. A local art project will be leading the event which will run between 10am and 4pm on at Guildtown Village Hall, on the village's Hall Road.
Children of all ages are welcome to attend and some of the activities include, making a plastic bag fence and making juice carton wallets

Perth FM News 25/10/10

Perth and Kinross in UK top 100

Council chiefs have been buoyed by figures showing Perth and Kinross is in the top 100 UK areas for economic resilience.Following the comprehensive spending reviews announcements of swingeing budget cuts and expected decimation of local authority budgets, the news is welcomed by beleaguered book balancers.The national analysis was carried out by experian and examined a total of 356 districts across the UK.
The councils enterprise and infra structure committee convener Councillor John Kellas said "In the current financial downturn this assessment makes for positive reading."

Fund Raising Cook Book

Images of injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan spurred Perth fundraiser Pat McDonald to produce a recipe book to support front line service men and women. Sales of the latest collection of the talented cooks sought after recipes will go to help for heroes after she was tempted from retirement for a good cause.
She said, "Few of us can be unmoved by the injuries being sustained by our forces and the amazing work being carried out to nurse and care for them. The money I raise will help provide a wide range of support and facilities for these remarkable young men and women."


Perth College Graduates

Perth College UHI has 'graduated' from the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme. Duncan White, Director of Resources received a certificate from John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, at the official ceremony in Edinburgh. The Carbon Management Programme is designed to help organisations develop a targeted framework to deliver carbon reduction practices by establishing their current baseline emissions, assessing the risks and opportunities posed by climate change, and developing a robust strategy to reduce carbon footprints over a five to ten year period. The College was one of 43 Scottish organisations to attend the Carbon Trust ceremony.

Perth FM News 22/10/10

Scanning Device Found

An illegal scanning devise has been discovered attached to a cash machine at a Perth High Street bank. Police are advising people to be diligent when using cash machines in the wake of the incident at the Santander Bank, involving what are popularly termed as skimming devices. The device is believed to have been placed on the atm between 9am on Monday and 4pm on Tuesday. Local police advise that it is vital to scrutinize any cash machine before accessing it, as there have been other incidents elsewhere in Scotland.

Local Man Given MBE

A Perth man who dedicated five decades to the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme was honoured at Buckingham Palace. Jim Murray, development officer for Perth and Kinross Duke of Edinburgh Association, was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Mr Murray started on his first Duke of Edinburgh award in 1960 and by the time he was 18 had achieved his gold award. He was instrumental in developing the award scheme in Perth and Kinross.

Paddle 2010

This weekend sees Paddle 2010 take place in Perth at Bell's sports centre.This is Scotland’s annual canoe and kayak show and the event is being held on Saturday and Sunday. This event has steadily grown in size over the last 15 years and attracts thousands of paddlers from far and wide, some who come for the varied selection of talks on all aspects of the sport. The major canoe manufacturers and retailers supporting this show reflect the significance of paddlesport in Scotland and particularly in Perth & Kinross

Perth FM News 21/10/10

Tay Descent Event

Four hundred canoeists from all over the UK will take part in a spectacular descent of the River Tay on Saturday 23 October to celebrate Perth 800. People in all kinds of craft will be taking to the river for the mass participation Tay Descent event.
There are three courses of varying difficulties for canoeists - one of five miles which starts from Luncarty, one of nine miles which begins at Burnmouth, and the longer 23-mile descent starting from Dunkeld. All the canoeists will end their official Tay Descent paddle between Smeaton Bridge and Queen's Bridge in Perth city centre.


Return of Enchanted Forest

Friday sees the Enchanted Forest return to Faskally Woods near Pitlochry. Using the forest as a natural backdrop, visitors experience a lighting show that is, quite simply, out of this world. The Enchanted Forest is renowned to be Scotland's premier sound and light experience and attracts around 20,000 visitors every year. This is the first year where there has been community involvement with the running of the show, and this has included a youth marquee in the town where you people can try their had at some of the skills involved with producing the event.


Tartan Launch

The new Pitlochry Tartan is to be officially launched on Sunday at Fisher's Hotel.
The Highland Fashion Fling will bring together business and community groups with local people to see the benefits of the new tartan which was unveiled earlier this year.The tartan has been incorporated into a range of goods and the economic benefits from tartan licences and royalties will be returned as benefits to the community.

Perth FM News 20/10/10

Jewel of Kinross-shire

Visitors and local people now have an extra incentive to explore the beautiful areas around Loch Leven in Kinross-shire thanks to a new special offers guide launched by Perth & Kinross Council today. 'Loch Leven - Jewel of Kinross-shire' is a 28-page guide featuring over 20 money-saving offers from a diverse variety of businesses around the loch - everything from hotels and coffee shops to bike hire, bird watching and hot air balloon trips. The guide will make it even easier to explore this beautiful area and make the most of its wide range of attractions and businesses. It is a partnership project between the Council and local businesses, and is part of the Developing Rural Tourism project which is being supported by the European Regional Development Fund. Copies of the special offers guide are available from local businesses around Loch Leven, from VisitScotland Information Centres throughout Perthshire and also from the VisitScotland iPoint at The Pier, Kinross.

Perth 800 Time Capsule

Perth and Kinross residents have only a few days left to ensure they can become a part of history by donating a personal item to be buried in the Perth 800 time capsule. The Royal Air Forces Association and Perth & Kinross Council are working together on the time capsule project. It will be buried on the North Inch during a public ceremony. The project is to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain and Perth 800, and aims to capture what life was like in the early 21st century. It will be filled with letters, school projects, photographs and details of local people and organisations. Anyone who wishes to donate an item - whether it be a wedding picture, a family photograph, a news article, a letter, a CD or any other personal item - should take it to the reception at Blackfriars Development Centre, North Port, Perth, marked for the attention of Paul Rosie before this Friday.

Live and Learn Activity Drop-in

Today saw the first free Live and Learn Activity Drop-in at the North Inch Community Campus for North Perth residents organized by Perth and Kinross Council.
The sessions which will be held from 10am to 12noon on Wednesdays are open to everyone and will run until November 17th.Art and crafts, cookery and other activities will be on offer at the drop-in, which will primarily be held in the North Inch Community Library on campus. Staff at the library will be more than happy to provide informal tours for people attending the sessions and talk about the range of facilities that are on offer.

Perth FM News 19/10/10

Traffic Commissioner Ruling

A Perthshire bus firm has been ordered to remove 20% of its fleet from the roads after a wheel detached from one of its vehicles on the A90. Smith and Sons of Coupar Angus were reported to the Traffic Commissioner following the incident at Kinfauns in December. Defects in other buses, which rendered them un road worthy, were also later uncovered out at the firm. In a ruling issued yesterday, Traffic Commissioner, Joan Aitken said "It is extremely lucky that no one was hurt in this incident and that the driver was able to pull into a lay by in the nick of time".


Waste Fortnight Success

At the end of September, Comrie Development Trust, in partnership with Perth & Kinross Council, hosted the Comrie Zero Waste Fortnight encouraging the community to reduce, reuse and recycle their waste as much as possible. The community's efforts have paid off with householders reducing the amount of waste put in the green-lidded household bin by 2080 kg, a reduction of 13% in just two weeks. As a result, Comrie Primary School will receive a cheque for £146 from the Council, equivalent to the approximate costs of sending this amount of waste to landfill. The school is planning to spend the money on their outdoor Green Classroom.

Money Management Course

Would you like some money management advice? A free and fun course is being run at Letham Community Learning Centre designed to give people useful tips on how to develop their money management skills. The course will be covering topics such as 'What kind of spender are you?’ interest rates and budgeting. The course starts on Wednesday 27 October and run each Wednesday until 1 December. Sessions will run from 10am - 12.00pm.

Perth FM News 18/10/10

Safety Cameras in Operation

Tayside Safety Camera Partnership are targeting danger zones on roads in Perth and Kinross. Until the twenty second of October, that's this Friday, there's going to be more cameras on sites with a history of collisions and evidence of speeding drivers.
Some of the routes affected include the A93 Old Scone to Blairgowrie Road at Meikleour, the A94 Scone to Coupar Angus Route and the A977 Kinross to Crook of Devon Road at Balado.

Glass Recycling Encouraged

The Perth and Kinross area has a high recycling rate thanks to residents support for services run by Perth & Kinross Council, which allow householders to recycle a wide range of their everyday waste. However, the Council has today reminded householders about the facilities available for recycling glass locally, to encourage more people to drop off their glass containers at Recycling Centres and Points instead of throwing them into their general waste bin, from where they will end up in landfill.
It is estimated by British Glass that the average UK household uses 331 glass bottles and jars every year. Unfortunately, only around half of these are recycled. In Perth and Kinross, this means that every year around 2700 tonnes of glass goes into general waste bins for disposal in landfill. The cost of this to the Council is estimated at £189,000, which in the present financial climate could be put to better use in other ways.

Future Development Consultation Ongoing

It's week two of the fourteen week consultation in Perth and Kinross about the areas future development. It's the biggest consultation ever to be undertaken by the planning authority. Events are being organized to allow locals the opportunity to talk to council officers about the local development plan. There's a drop in session being held today from 2pm till 8pm at Kinross Community Campus.

Perth FM News 15/10/10

Hardie moves from Saint's to Jag's

St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes has been telling us Martin Hardie's month loan with Partick Thistle will be good for the player. The saints midfielder is returning to Fairhill where he had a successful career from 2000 to 2003. McInnes says it was an easy move.

Perthshire pensioner on sex offender's register

A pensioner from Perthshire has been placed on the sex offender's register. The town's sheriff court heard how seventy seven year old Francis Coutts touched a sixteen year old the girl on the body and the leg when on the bus. Mr Coutts admitted he conducted himself in a disorderly manner by making inappropriate comments and committing a breach of the peace. Sheriff Micheal Fletcher called for a social enquiry before sentencing but has placed him on the sex offenders register in the short term.

Rally of Scotland comes to Pertshire

The Rally of Scotland's kicking off from Perth's Scone Palace tonight. Drivers will be racing on closed gravel roads in Perth and Kinross and Stirling. The race is part of Perth's eight hundred-anniversary celebration. The rally's closing at Stirling Castle on Sunday.

Perth FM News 15/10/10

Golfer's kept in dark about new bridge

Officials from Perth and Kinross council are being slated by a local organization for ignoring its concerns on the new cycle bridge in Perth. The North Inch user group say they weren't consulted on the location of the connect 2 bridge which will link the park with Isla road. The bridge's proposed position has now been moved six hundred yards, meaning it will now be on the golf course. Chairman Jack McLeish says it's going to ruin the course for a lot of golfers.

Murdo Fraser's making tracks for the fair city

Mid Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser's lodging parliamentary questions, asking the SNP Government what it's doing to improve train services between Perth and Edinburgh. Mr Fraser's been campaigning for improvement to the Perth train station and rail links between Perth and Edinburgh. Today he's been asking what action's been taken to improve train services between the two cities.
He's also been enquiring for a break down of the costs of improvements to train stations in Scotland over the last three years.

More job cuts in Perth

Workers at the Vector Aerospaces Perthshire plant are having to come to terms with news their workforce is being cut by ten percent. About thirty jobs are being axed at the Almondbank unit. Senior management there are calling it a "restructuring" exercise. Officials at the plant say they’re not releasing any statements on site.

Perth FM News 13/10/10

Council Consultation underway

It's day three of the biggest and most extensive consultation ever undertaken by Perth and Kinross council. A fourteen week programme concerning the future development in Perth and Kinross is currently underway. Drop in sessions and workshops are being held in the Perth and Kinross area to make sure locals can get involved in the consultation on the report for the local development plan. So far the sessions have been held in Perth, Coupar Angus, Scone and Stanley.

Driver survives horror crash

A driver narrowly escaped death yesterday when her car plunged thirty feet down a steep embankment in Perth. The woman, who hasn't been named, smashed into a tree at the bottom of the hill in the Strathtummel area. She's now reportedly in Ninewells hospital in a stable condition. An investigation into the accident began last night.


Revised bus times in Perth

We're being told a number of Stagecoach bus time tables across Perthshire are going to be revised from Monday the twenty fifth of October. It's mainly minor adjustments to improve the services reliability across the area. An information bus with details of all the services is going to be located on Perth's High Street from eleven am next Tuesday. For more information on the changes go to www.stagecoachbus.com or visit any local travel shop.

Perth FM News 12/10/10

A9 Crash victim named

The man who died in a car accident on the A9 yesterday in Perthshire has been named as forty one year old Roy Green from Kilsyth. The two vehicle collision caused massive tailbacks for drivers heading for Perth yesterday morning. It happened on the northbound carriageway about four miles from Auchterader. Mr Greene's passenger has suffered minor cuts to his leg and chest but the driver of the other vehicle wasn't injured.

Perthshire home trashed by teens

A dad from Perth has been warning other parents about house parties after his home was trashed by a group of teenagers. Murray Duncan's fifteen year old son had been allowed friends over at the weekend while his mum and dad were out. But the teen called his father in a panic when about fifty youths turned up to the house uninvited. The kids caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the property including the pulling doors from their hinges, breaking beds and pouring vodka and crisps into the aquarium which killed the families fish.


Scotland take on Spain

Scotland are facing Spain tonight at Hamden in the qualifying stages of Euro 2012.
The tartan army already have four points from their first three matches of the campaign while Spain sit top of Group one.