NFU Scotland is using Farm Safety Week to highlight measures farmers and those working within the industry can take to ensure safety.

The union, working in conjunction with Farm Safety Partnership Scotland, will be issuing case studies throughout Farm Safety Week of well-known farmers within the industry who have survived accidents on farm and the impact this has had on their own health and that of their family and business.

The partnership – a collaboration between NFU Scotland, Health and Safety Executive, Scottish Government and NFU Mutual – is working to significantly reduce the tragic toll of people who are killed or seriously injured on Scotland’s farms and crofts each year.

Figures published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have revealed that over the past decade almost 80 men, women and children have died on Scottish farms and significantly more have been badly injured as a result of farming activities.

That brings a catalogue of heartbreak and misery to numerous Scottish families and rural communities each year.

During Farm Safety Week, the initiative will use case studies to highlight the following dangers:

○Falls – Aberdeenshire farmer Andrew Moir and Peter Stewart of Dunfermline;

○Equipment/Machinery – Ayrshire farmer Tony Miller of Stewarton;

○Transport – Johnny Mackey of Perthshire;

○Animals – Carmen Wood of Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire;

○A special feature on child safety on farms.

NFU Scotland chief executive, and member of Farm Safety Partnership Scotland, Scott Walker, commented: “Farms can be dangerous places so it is important that everyone takes the necessary steps to stay safe while working.

“One death within the industry is far too many, and it is not just the initial impact but the long-term effect it has on family and on the farm business.

“The Farm Safety Partnership intends to change behaviours and attitudes by promoting the steps to reduce the risks of common farm jobs.

“Most people will be able to recall a close call situation that could so easily have resulted in serious injury or even fatality.

“By adopting some 
simple steps as part of everyday working practices we can reduce the number of accidents and deaths on Scotland’s farms.

“We are grateful to those who have given the time to tell their story in the hope that others will take note and not make the same mistakes they did.”

Farm Safety Week was first launched in 2013 and aims to cut the toll of accidents which give agriculture the poorest record of any occupation in the UK and Ireland.

June was an “astonishing” month for wind power in Scotland as output more than doubled compared to the same period last year, according to environmentalists.

Wind turbines provided enough electricity last month to supply power equivalent to the average electrical needs of 1.7 million homes, WWF Scotland said.

In its analysis of wind and solar data provided by WeatherEnergy for June, the organisation said wind power generated the equivalent of 33% of Scotland’s entire electricity needs for the month.

The data also showed wind output was enough to supply 100% or more of Scottish homes on six out of the 30 days of the month.

Sunshine generated more than four-fifths of the electricity and hot water needs of homes fitted with solar panel, WWF Scotland added.

Director Lang Banks said: “While much of the attention may have been focused on the summer sunshine, June also turned out to be an astonishing month for wind power. Thanks to a combination of increased capacity and stronger winds, output from turbines more than doubled compared to the same period last year.

“These figures show just how much wind power has gone from strength to strength. However, wind power in Scotland could and should be playing an even bigger role in helping to reduce climate emissions from the power sector.”

He added that he hoped the Scottish Government’s onshore wind summit taking place on Thursday can find ways “to help ensure this clean energy source can meet its true potential.”

Karen Robinson, of WeatherEnergy, said: “While good for generating power from the sun, the summer months often see a dip in the output from wind turbines. And, while output was certainly lower than the month of May, this June saw a massive jump in output when compared to last year.

“While the data confirms Scotland is knocking out of the park on wind power, it also confirms it’s no slouch when it comes to solar power too.”

Last month Energy Secretary Amber Rudd unveiled proposals to close the existing subsidies payment schemes a year early for new onshore wind projects, to fulfil a Conservation election manifesto promise.

SNP MSP Mike Mackenzie said the figures released today showed Scotland had a “real opportunity to be a world leader on renewable energy”.

“This excellent progress must not be put at risk by the reckless approach of a Tory government with scant regard for Scotland’s interests,” he added.

Mr Mackenzie said: “These outstanding new figures are a welcome demonstration of the strength of Scotland’s renewables industry, with a 120% boost on the previous year’s figure showing the incredible strides Scotland is making in producing clean, sustainable energy - and showing the vital role green energy can play in meeting our energy needs.

“This is exactly why the UK Government’s decision to cut onshore wind subsidies funded through the Renewables Obligation is so dangerous - which could see a loss of investment of up to £3 billion, put more than 5,000 jobs at risk and put at risk the excellent progress Scotland has made on renewables in recent years.

A new-look Newtown Community Council will meet for the first time on Tuesday 21 July after a successful election.

The election was held on Thursday 2 July, with Returning Officer, Councillor Gordon Edgar, declaring the following people has having been successfully elected:

· Gavin Dickson

· Daryl du Bois

· Raymond du Bois

· Roger French

· Barbara Graham

· Veronica Lenartowicz

· George Luke

· Frances Mayes

· Henry McLean

· Elaine Thornton-Nicol.

The first meeting is in the Community Wing in Newtown St Boswells at 7pm on Tuesday 21 July.

Members of a Melrose-based syndicate of so-called “angel” investors are set to take a financial hit after a Kelso engineering firm went into liquidation last week.

Borders Precision Engineering Ltd ceased trading at its Pinnaclehill plant with the loss of 79 skilled jobs following the collapse, during the previous week, of a large order with an aerospace company.

The firm, founded as Border Precision Ltd in 1976, has had a difficult recent trading history, having been forced into administration in January 2013.

In the spring of that year it was announced by administrator Grant Thornton that the business had been sold to a new company – Border Precision Engineering Ltd - in a management buy-out thanks to “six figure” investment by Tweed Renaissance Investors Capital (TRI Cap).

The portfolio page of the TRI Cap website reveals that over 20 members of the syndicate were persuaded to invest in the buy out.

A report by Grant Thornton shows that Border Precision Ltd was actually sold for £500,000 in 2013 and still faces claims from unsecured creditors of £1.8m.

Meanwhile, the latest list of shareholders and their holdings for Border Precision Engineering Ltd, filed at Company’s House as recently as April this year, reveals the names of those who invested in the ill-fated management buy-out.

These include Patrick Campbell-Fraser 15,000 £1 shares; Rupert Wailes-Fairbairn 18,500; Patrick Scott Plummer, Kelso 27,500; David Sturrock (solicitor and former company secretary of Border Precision Ltd) 5,000; Andrew Lubbock of Harwood 20,000; Walter Gervase Riddell-Carre (recently joined the TRI Cap board) 23,000; Robert Dick (chairman of TRI Cap) 8,556; Gavin Stevenson (vice chairman of TRI Cap) 10,000; Andy Purves (secretary of TRI Cap) 5,000; David John Dalglish 17,111; Jules Livingston 15,000; and Ranworth Capital Ltd (whose Jamie Andrew replaced Gavin Stevenson as a director of Border Precision Engineering Ltd in May 2015) 55,000.

The amount of household waste recycled in the Borders fell to just 36.03% in the final three months of 2014.

This compares to the 39.27% in the corresponding quarter of the previous year and reflects the decision of Scottish Borders Council to abandon urban kerbside collections of garden waste in April last year.

According to SBC’s unaudited accounts for 2014/15, the reduction was “in line with predictions”.

But it places the council well adrift of meeting the Scottish Government Zero Waste target for local authorities to recycle 70% of all waste by 2025.

Hitting that deadline is just one of the challenges facing the small group of council officers and elected members set up last month to develop a new waste management strategy.

The green bin withdrawal was a key component of a previous strategy, launched at the end of 2013 and predicated on a 2012 deal with New Earth Solutions (NES) to provide an advanced thermal treatment facility (ATT) at Easter Langlee in Galashiels.

That contract was scrapped in February this year, forcing SBC to write off the £2m it had spent on the abortive procurement process and go back to the drawing board.

Around £300,000 of that money went to consultant Barry Phelps, whose company D & P Management was engaged by the council from 2008 until 2011 to procure a solution for the estimated 65,000 tonnes of waste generated annually in the region.

Mr Phelps had, in 2011, brokered a contract for the council with NES for a giant composting plant at Easter Langlee which, he claimed, would prevent 80% of waste going to landfill and meet recycling commitments.

It was in October, 2012 that the council made the ill-fated decision to agree a deed of variation for NES to simultaneously provide the incinerator-based energy generating ATT.

Mr Phelps said this week that the council had “in effect, wasted seven years” in finding a way to not only hit recycling targets but also meet the impending deadline of 2021 for a ban on all biodegradable waste going to landfill.

He predicted that, whatever option the council now chooses, it will be much more expensive.

Mr Phelps said only three practical choices faced the council – constructing and operating its own facility which would be financially prohibitive; re-tendering for a new provider with the risk of failing to attract any commercial interest; or transporting all waste out of the Borders.

“The cost of such transport could be in the region of £1m a year based on previous estimates for using sites in Edinburgh and Dunbar in East Lothian, where the gate fees are much higher than agreed under the original NES deal,” he said.

Bowden

Fete

Bowden church fete will be held on August 15.

Cafe

The next community cafe will be held on July 15 in the village hall from 11am-noon.

CADDONFOOT

Church

The churches of Trinity in Galashiels and Caddonfoot came together for a joint service on Sunday to hear Amy Ward, from Selkirk, speak – illustrated with a video – about her ministry work with boy and girl prisoners in Guatemala. The service was planned by Amy herself. Amy was thanked for the talk by minister Elspeth Harley. Shelagh Martin read a section from the Bible while James Macfarlane, from Caddonfoot, led the Prayer of Approach. Music was played by Dorothy Howden. Next week’s services at Caddonfoot and Trinity will hear Margaret Blyth speak about her visit to Malawi.

CANONBIE

Clean-up

The residents’ association held a clean-up around the village, and a group of volunteers turned up at the church vestry where they were issued with hi-vis vests and gloves, litter picks and bin bags.

School fete

Wet weather forced the removal of stalls at the annual school fete from outdoors to inside. However, there was still excellent public support and £1,125 was raised. It was dry by the time the fete got under way and depute head Leona Wallace introduced Lesley Hall, who had worked in the school office for the past 25 years. Lesley officially opened the event, and thanked people for the many gifts she had received.

Cogsmill

SWI

Members were tempted by Mrs Howieson’s baking display at their latest meeting. The cakes tasted as good as they looked and recipes were provided. There will be cream teas at the hall on July 12 (2-4pm).

EARLSTON

Parish church

The July 12 service at 10.15am will be conducted by the Reverend Julie Woods.

AGM

Earlston Community Development Trust AGM will be held in the church hall on July 27 at 7.30pm.

Hawick

Bridge club

June 30 – N/S – 1, John and Marian Miller; 2, Valerie Johnstone and Richard Von Slicher; E/W – 1, Ken Auckland and Dave King; 2, Valerie MacPherson and Bob Francombe.

Rotary

President Mairhi Trickett welcomed members to last Thursday’s meeting to hear a talk from artist Emma Jolly. Emma was trained at Dundee University after attending Hawick High School. She was awarded the Peacock Visual Arts Award for the Moving Image at the Royal Scottish Academy in March 2014. Emma works in many media such as pen, pencil, charcoal, oils and photography, and specialises in portraits of pets, animals and people. She showed members a selection of her portraits of animals. Emma has four exhibits in the local art club exhibition in the Scott Gallery.

Hownam

Coffee morning

The kirk coffee morning was delayed due to a tree falling across the road at Sharplaw, bringing down telephone pole and wires. Despite the hold-up, £457 was raised.

Innerleithen

Service

The Games Week Service will be at 11.30am on July 12.

Jedburgh

Bridge club

June 29 – 1, A. Stewart and R. Stewart; 2, V. Johnstone and M. Miller; 3, J. Bridger and G. Eglinton.

kelso

Farmers’ market

A farmers’ market will be held in The Square on July 11 (9.30am-1.30pm).

Bridge club

July 1 – aggregate pairs – N/S – 1, Val Johnstone and Mary Millar; 2, Alex Jeffrey and Lee Leeson; 3, John Urquhart and Miles Browne; E/W – 1, Dominic and Diana Alkin; 2, Annie Mitchell and Bob Stevenson 3, Maureen Weightman and Helen Long. July 2 – aggregate pairs – 1, Shirley Armstrong and Moira Ayton; 2, Michael Horwood and Alison Ireland; 3, Ian Watson and Georgina Hall; 4, David Harris-Burland and Sheila Urquhart; 5, Janet Kyle and John Urquhart; 6, Alison Darling and Mary Logan.

Museum friends

An exhibition on Kelso’s First World War, curated by the Friends of Kelso Museum, will be open during Civic Week (July 13-18) in the Ednam Rooms of Ednam House Hotel (entrance from Havannah Court) – Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday, 10am-6pm; late night opening on the Wednesday, 6-9pm. As well as the war itself, the exhibition covers how it affected life back home.

Balloon race

On the last day of term, Edenside Primary School, Kelso, held a Red Balloon Race in the neighbouring playing field. The children (and grown-ups) were very excited and couldn’t wait to release their tagged balloons. How far will they travel? Only time will tell. All the balloons and tags used were biodegradable and recycled, so as to ensure no harm comes to the environment.

Langholm

Church fete

After a rather wet morning, it dried out into a fine sunny afternoon for the Langholm, Eskdalemuir, Westerkirk and Ewes church fete in the parish church grounds – £2,535 was raised. The majority of the stalls and games were held outside, and “Baptise the Minister” saw the Reverend Scott McCarthy get soaked with wet sponges. There was a barbecue in the grounds and cream teas were served in the church. Music was provided by the town and pipe bands. Duck race winner was Kathleen Coates, with the Day Centre bagging second prize and Ryan Johnstone coming third.

melrose

Prostate cancer

Scottish Borders Prostate Cancer Support Group’s latest meeting was held at the Macmillan Centre, Borders General Hospital. Speakers were Tom Wood and Alison Hore of Relationship Scotland (Borders branch). They gave an insight into how their organisation worked and how they counselled either individuals or couples on all aspects of life. This was followed by a question-and-answer session. There is no meeting in August – the next one is at the same venue on September 2 at 7pm.

Parish church

July 12 services – Bowden (9.30am), Melrose (11am).

Trimontium

With the arrival of July, and August on its heels, the Trimontium walks jump from one per week (Thursday) to three (Tuesday and Thursday at 1.30pm, and the short 2pm outing on Sunday afternoons from the Newstead Milestone – details from the museum leaflet or phone 01896 822651).

Brian Stobbs, of Whitley Bay, who made for the trust, from the originals, the replica brass sports helmet and the replica horse chamfron (horse face harness with leather, Medusa head and countless brass studs) has died.

Garden party

Melrose in Bloom’s annual summer garden party will be held on Sunday, July 26, at Tweedsyde, Tweedmount Road, from 2.30- 4.30pm. Music will accompany the champagne afternoon tea. Tickets are available from Melrose in Bloom members or by phoning 01896 822024.

Glitz and Glam

A Glitz and Glam night will be held at Melrose Rugby Club on Saturday, July 25, from 7.30pm to raise funds for six Borders General Hospital maternity unit staff members – Dr Magowan, Kerrie Blake, Lorraine Wilson, Margaret Davison, Morag Beavon and Dr Murray – who are volunteering to travel to Zambia in October to provide training and other help to their counterparts in the African nation. Tickets for the event are available by phoning 07463 737165 or 07753 269925.

morebattle

Marathon

Graeme Lang completed the Edinburgh Marathon in 4 hours, 25 minutes, realising £1,733.90 for the Brain Tumour Charity.

Fishing

Caverton Mill fishing competition – 1, Drew Gibson; 2, Jeannie McNulty; 3, Jim McNulty; heavy 3, Jeannie McNulty; heavy trout, I. Borthwick; heavy 6, Drew Gibson.

Games Queen

The Games Queen is chosen annually by Morebattle Primary School and this year’s incumbent is Kym Cessford who will be sashed at a church service on July 26. Games Festival Week begins on August 1.

MSP’s surgery

John Lamont MSP will hold a summer surgery in Morebattle Institute on July 21 (3.30-4pm).

Queen’s Garden Party

Morebattle and district was well represented at the Queen’s Garden Party at Holyroodhouse last Wednesday when Mr and Mrs G. Aitchison, Mr and Mrs R. Dick, Mr and Mrs J. Mabon and Mr and Mrs D. Warren attended.

Newcastleton

Coffee morning

There was good support for the Liddesdale Ladies’ Amenities Group coffee morning 
in the village hall. The sum of £637 was realised for the 
Nepal earthquake disaster appeal.

oxnam

Gallipoli service

Oxnam Kirk is holding a special service at 10.30am on July 19 to remember five soldiers who lost their lives at Gallipoli during the First World War. The service will ask how the war affected the valley,

Turn to page 38

From page 37

sharing memories, and learning how the young men coped at the front, as part of an ongoing four-year project to mark the war’s 100th anniversary. Inside Oxnam Kirk there are 22 wooden crosses – one each for the men from Oxnam valley who died during the 1914-18 conflict and who are remembered on the memorial plaque near the entrance door to the kirk. Everyone is welcome to attend the service and bring along treasured family items from this time, such as letters, medals and mementoes. Anyone who has information about those named on the plaque should contact the session clerk either by phoning 01835 850394 or emailing colin.hogg25@btconnect.com, or speak to any church elder.

Walkerburn

Service

The next service in Walkerburn Public Hall will be on July 19 at 10.30am.

yetholm

Gardens

Village gardens are open to the public on July 12 (2-5.30pm), with cream teas in the Youth Hall.

Church

Sunday services for the rest of this month will be in Morebattle Church only at 11.15am.

A drunken man, said to have an “appalling record for violence”, was jailed for eight months at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday.

Forty-nine-year-old John Davidson, of Scott Street, Galashiels, appeared from custody and admitted assaulting a man by repeatedly punching him to the head to his injury at a house at Langlee Road, Galashiels, on July 4.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said Davidson had a lengthy list of previous convictions and 10 weeks of outstanding custodial sentence.

He said the victim of the assault was the current partner of the accused’s ex-wife’s daughter.

The 35-year-old had been with his girlfriend at the house, visiting her mother, at around 3pm last Friday. Davidson, who remains friends with his former wife, was also at the house.

“Drink had been taken,” explained Mr Fraser.

In the early hours of the morning, around 2am, the victim came out of the toilet to be confronted by the accused in the hallway.

Davidson told the man: “You can go home to your own address now.”

The man said he wasn’t going to leave his girlfriend behind, but the accused punched him and continued to punch him while he was on the floor.

Mr Fraser said the two women had to intervene and they all then went into the livingroom and sat down.

“A neighbour was disturbed by the noise and the police were called,” continued Mr Fraser.

The victim was taken to Borders General Hospital, suffering from two black eyes, swelling to his cheek and to his nose, but was found to have no fractures.

Iain Burke, defending, said his client often drank with his former wife.

The solicitor said Davidson claimed the man had been belligerent throughout the evening, and by the early hours of the morning the accused “had had enough of him, and confronted him in the hallway and told him to go home”.

Mr Burke added: “He refutes that he punched him 10 times, although it was more than once.”

Sheriff Peter Paterson sentenced Davidson to eight months’ imprisonment.

“You have an appalling record for violence, and seem quite unable to control yourself,” the sheriff told the accused, whose former wife was sitting in the public gallery of the courtroom.

A Selkirk woman dragged a two-year-old along the ground while shouting and swearing at her, Falkirk Sheriff Court heard last week.

Jodie Mitchell, 26, admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner towards the child at the town’s Central Retail Park earlier this year.

Mitchell, who lives at 
Laurieston Gardens, was originally alleged to have assaulted the child.

But instead she pleaded guilty to an alternative charge that on February 6 she “behaved in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm”.

She admitted that she did drag the child “along the ground, shout and swear at her, and behave in an aggressive manner towards her”.

Sheriff Craig Caldwell deferred sentencing Mitchell until July 30 in order to obtain a report.

He said: “I think, in the circumstances, I am going to call for a background report.”

Motorists caught driving at just over the speed limit are to be targeted in a new police crackdown.

Police Scotland has secured legal powers to issue formal warnings to drivers who are clocked at just a few mph over the limit.

Chief Superintendent Iain Murray said: “You will get a warning that you are committing an offence.

“If you then go away and do it again, I don’t think many people would have sympathy if you got a fine.”

Traditionally, those drivers would not face any action because police only ticket speeders who are 10 per cent plus 2mph above the formal speed limit.

The police warnings are part of a drive by Chief Constable Steven House to make road deaths a top three priority for the force along with violence and anti-social behaviour.

Traffic officers will start to issue the warnings - which will not result in a conviction, fine or penalty points - later this year under a six-month pilot scheme with a clear focus on accident blackspots.

Senior officers believe that the early use of formal warnings for drivers who are driving at just over the legal limit could be more effective than existing informal warnings.

Although traffic officers will still have discretion to adopt the disposal they see as most fitting, a driver who already has a formal warning on his record would be more likely to be fined than one who did not.

Chief Superintendent Iain Murray, head of road policing at Police Scotland, said: “We have an agreement to run a pilot of adult formal warnings, which starts in the autumn. You will get a warning that you are committing an offence.”

Entries for the 2015 Alastair Watson Memorial Award are being sought.

The trophy, for a photograph by a primary school pupil, was launched in Alastair’s memory last year by colleagues of the Borders photographer, who died in 2013.

Alastair, who was 60 and lived in Coldstream, worked for the Tweeddale Press Group, publishers of The Southern Reporter and Berwickshire News, for almost four decades. He was head of the Tweeddale Press Group branch of the National Union of Journalists at the time of his death from cancer.

Covering Borders common ridings and festivals was a major part of his work and colleagues felt this topic should be the subject of the award, which is aimed at recognising the work of young photographers.

It is open to anyone who was at primary school at the end of summer term this year and who lives in the Borders.

Entries (one photograph per entrant), including caption, should be of a 2015 common riding or festival activity and emailed, in Jpeg format, to watsonaward@jpress.co.uk no later than September 1. The entrant’s name, full address, contact telephone number and date of birth must also be submitted.

Entries will be judged by a panel of Borders-based National Union of Journalists members and Alastair’s wife, Meg. As well as the award trophy to keep for a year, there will be a £50 cash prize for the winner.

Police found heroin worth about £1,000 at a house in Galashiels.

Stewart McCudden, 47, of Gala Park, admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin at Gala Park Gardens on April 15.

Sentence was deferred until August 3 for reports.

Patient equipment was “visibly contaminated with blood, dust and removable marks” during an operating theatre inspection at Borders General Hospital, pictured.

That was one of several health hazards discovered during an unannounced visit by health inspectors.

The Health Environment Inspectorate (HMI), which monitors cleanliness and hygiene to minimise the risk of infection in Scotland’s hospitals, has made seven “requirements” of NHS Borders in its report.

These include improvements in hand decontamination and the use of personal protective equipment by staff, the management of contaminated mop heads and the management of blood spillages.

The health authority is also required to ensure correct cleaning methods are employed, that theatre equipment is cleaned following each use and that all damaged equipment is replaced.

In its report published on Monday, the HEI states: “We saw numerous examples where staff were not using the correct dilution strength of chlorine-releasing disinfectant and detergent for cleaning blood and body fluid spillages.

“We observed that the method used to mop the floor was not consistent and resulted in blood being smeared around a greater area than was originally contaminated. The mop poles used by nursing staff between patients were significantly contaminated with blood and body fluids. We did not observe the mop poles being decontaminated between uses.

“We found that a significant number of items of patient equipment were visibly contaminated with blood, dust and removable marks.

“These included the base of a theatre bed, the underside of a theatre bed, the foot pedals used by surgeons during surgical procedures, an image intensifier and the cover and internal foam of a positioning piece.

“On the second day of our inspection … we continued to observe items of equipment being cleaned between patients or at the end of a case using a process that was incorrect. This resulted in recontamination of some areas of the equipment.”

On the issue of personal protection equipment (PPE), such as gloves, facemasks and aprons, inspectors said staff were “not disposing of these items appropriately”.

The report states: “For example, we saw staff moving from dirty to clean tasks without changing their PPE and without cleaning their hands, and staff walking out of – and returning to – the operating theatre wearing the same PPE.

“We observed that the majority of staff did not take the opportunity to decontaminate their hands between tasks.”

OAP faces sex abuse charges

Seventy-seven-year-old William Wilkinson, of Ladyschaw Drive, made no plea or declaration during a brief private appearance before Sheriff Peter Paterson on Monday.

The offences are alleged to have happened in the Borders between 1990 and 2001.

Wilkinson made no plea or declaration and the case was continued for further examination of the evidence.

He was released on bail meantime.

DRIVER FIVE TIMES LIMIT

A wedding guest who crashed her car into parked vehicles in Peebles was found to be more than five times the drink-drive limit.

Susan Jackson, 45, of Middlesex Gardens, Glasgow, admitted driving a car at Old Town on Saturday with a breath/alcohol reading of 118mcgs – the legal limit being 22.

Jackson, who appeared from custody, had been attending a friend’s wedding at Neidpath Castle prior to the offence.

The first offender, who works as a financial services manager, had booked a room for the night at the Tontine Hotel in Peebles.

“Police received a call at 11.30pm that an ambulance was attending an accident, and found a car had collided with three parked vehicles,” said procurator fiscal Graham Fraser.

Jackson was still in the driver’s seat.

“She was very upset and smelling strongly of alcohol,” added Mr Fraser.

Mr Fraser, who asked Sheriff Peter Paterson to consider forfeiture of Jackson’s £4,500 vehicle, said it was likely to be written off.

Defence solicitor Iain Burke told the sheriff his client had spent two nights in custody, and suffered anxiety and depression.

He said Jackson was unfamiliar with the road and had hit the parked cars.

“It has been a traumatic weekend for her,” he concluded.

Sheriff Paterson said he was not granting forfeiture of the car.

He fined Jackson £500 and banned her from driving for 16 months.

HOMOPHOBIC COMMENTS

A Galashiels man made homophobic comments.

Jarloslaw Strawczynski was sentenced to a 12-month community payback order with 120 hours of unpaid work.

The 52-year-old, of Gala Park Gardens, admitted threatening or abusive behaviour, slamming doors, and making sexually offensive and homophobic comments at Gala Park Gardens on September 13.

He denied assaulting two officers at Galashiels police station on the same date by spitting at them, but was found guilty after trial.

Defence solicitor Mat Patrick told the court: “He does not consider himself an alcoholic, but accepts that when he drinks to excess, it can lead to bad behaviour.

“To that extent, he has a problem with alcohol.”

ASSAULT TO SEVERE INJURY

A drunken man who assaulted another for attacking his sister has been warned he cannot take justice into his own hands.

Joshua Simpson, 23, of Priors Meadow, Jedburgh, appeared on indictment and admitted assaulting a man to his severe injury at Castlegate, Jedburgh, on August 10 last year.

His lawyer, Iain Burke, said: “It was a retaliatory strike, as the complainer had assaulted his sister. He knows is it not for him to administer justice and accepts full responsibility. He had been drinking and that impaired his judgement”.

Sheriff Peter Paterson sentenced Simpson to a 15-month community payback order.

“When people take violence into their own hands, they have to accept the consequences,” he told Simpson, warning him the sentence was a direct alternative to custody.

TEENAGER DAMAGED DOOR

Recklessly damaging a door resulted in Brandon Elliot being sentenced to a 12-month community payback order, with 120 hours of unpaid work.

Elliot, 18, of Laurel Grove, Galashiels, was ordered to do 60 hours of unpaid work after he admitted recklessly damaging a door at Croft Street, Galashiels, on April 4, causing £80 damage.

He received a further 60 hours after he also admitted breaching a 7pm to 7am bail curfew at Melrose Sevens on April 11, when seen sitting on a street bench at 7.40pm.

MOVED CAR ‘FOR A LAUGH’

Sean Sutherland has been fined £260 and banned from driving for 12 months.

The 21-year-old, of Duns Road, Coldstream, was fined £70 after he admitted taking away a car without the owner’s consent at Livingston Place, Galashiels, on June 13. He was fined a further £70 for driving the vehicle without insurance – a charge to which he also pleaded guilty.

Sutherland was fined £120, and banned from driving for 12 months, after he admitted driving the car with a breath/alcohol reading of 37 mcgs – the legal limit being 22.

The court heard how the first offender had been drinking after a football tournament and moved the car “for a laugh”.

Defence solicitor Iain Burke said: “It was a moment of madness. He drove it about 30 metres, as he thought it would be a good idea to hide the car round the corner.”

SPEEDING AT OVER 100MPH

A driver was clocked at 101mph on the A68 at Soutra Hill.

David Hay, 55, of Hyvot Grove, Edinburgh, was fined £350 and his licence endorsed with five penalty points.

He admitted speeding in a 60mph limit near the entrance to Dunlaw wind farm on January 8.

DISQUALIFIED DRIVER FINED

A disqualified driver has been fined £170 and banned from the roads for 12 months.

David Robertson, 25, of Birk View, Galashiels, was fined £100 and disqualified after he admitted driving while disqualified at Manse Street, Galashiels, on June 6.

He was fined a further £70 for using the car without insurance – Robertson also pleaded guilty to this.

COMPENSATION FOR PARTNER

An Eyemouth man who made derogatory remarks about his partner has been ordered to pay her £100 compensation.

Stuart Patterson, of Stebbing Rise, was also fined £150.

The 29-year-old appeared from custody and admitted threatening or abusive behaviour at Killies Green, Eyemouth, on Saturday.

The court heard how Patterson referred to her as “a slut and a slag”.

His lawyer, Mat Patrick, said: “He accepts that the relationship is now over, and is not proud of his behaviour.”

PRODUCED ILLEGAL DRUG

A Walkerburn woman who produced cannabis at her home was sentenced to a 12-month community payback order with 70 hours of unpaid work.

Andrea Stewart, 41, of Peebles Road, admitted committing the offence on September 12 last year.

Defending, Iain Burke said his client had been “self-medicating” for ongoing health problems, adding: “It was not a commercial enterprise. It was to save her money.”

TEENAGE DRINK-DRIVER

A teenage driver was more than twice the alcohol limit.

Rebecca Pringle, 18, of Balmoral Avenue, Galashiels, was fined a total of £240 and banned from driving for 14 months.

She was fined £100 and banned from driving for 14 months after she admitted driving with a breath/alcohol reading of 55mcgs – the legal limit being 22 – at Park Crescent, Newtown St Boswells, on June 13.

Pringle was fined £70 for taking away a car without the owner’s consent, and a further £70 for using it without insurance. She was admonished for using the vehicle without L plates.

Police stopped the vehicle and found Pringle “clearly intoxicated and slurring her words”.

ASSAULTED POLICE OFFICERS

A man who assaulted two police officers has been ordered to pay each £100 compensation.

Joshua Pegg, 35, of Winston Place, Galashiels, admitted head-butting a police officer to his injury and kicking another on the leg at Winston Road, Galashiels, on June 9.

He was admonished on a further charge after he admitted shouting and swearing, and threatening violence on the same day.

Ross Dow, defending, said his client had been binge drinking.

A drunken man who spat at a nurse trying to treat him in Borders General Hospital has been warned his behaviour was “utterly unacceptable”.

First-offender Reece Burton was said to be highly embarrassed by his behaviour.

The 21-year-old, of Riverside Drive, Kelso, admitted threatening or abusive behaviour at the hospital on May 9, struggling with and spitting at staff who were trying to treat him.

“He was found in Kelso, in such a state that he was removed to Borders General Hospital,” explained procurator fiscal Graham Fraser.

“He was very intoxicated, and staff tried to treat him, but he began throwing his arms about.

“He sat up and his head came into contact with one of the staff, and there was a clash of heads,” continued Mr Fraser. At around 1am, Burton calmed down, but by 2.15am he was throwing his arms around and kicking his legs, and started to spit towards staff.

Other staff had to intervene and try to assist their colleagues.

Burton was shouting and swearing, telling nurses to “f**k off”.

The fiscal added: “This went on for about half-an-hour, until police were called and intervened.”

Defence solicitor Stephanie Clinkscale said her client was “highly embarrassed by his behaviour”, adding: “He has little memory as he was heavily intoxicated. He is terrified of needles and that is the only other explanation he can offer for his behaviour.”

Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentence for reports until August 3, warning Burton: “Spitting at members of hospital staff is completely and utterly unacceptable, and I am calling for reports to see if there is an alternative to custody.”

A man who tried to photograph people in a supermarket toilet has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register, pending sentence on August 17.

Charles Clamp, 20, of Huddersfield Street, Galashiels, admitted the offence at Tesco, on April 24 last year.

A cider thief has been banned from Spar stores in the Borders, and sentence deferred until August 3 for reports.

Daniel Hamilton, 26, of Gala Park, Galashiels, appeared from custody and admitted three charges of stealing cider from Spar shops in Galashiels and Melrose between June 22 and July 3. (More Court News, Pages 24-25)

Dressed in a black gown, John Kevan pretended to be a solicitor in a bid to get access to the court cells.

The 48-year-old told a police officer at Selkirk Sheriff Court he was a solicitor.

Kevan, of Balmoral Place, Galashiels, denied falsely pretending to be a solicitor at Selkirk Sheriff Court on June 23 last year, but was found guilty after trial.

He also denied attempting to obtain £120 for loss of earnings at the procurator fiscal’s office in Jedburgh Sheriff Court on June 13 last year, having been cited as a witness, and was again found guilty after trial.

Kevan denied threatening or abusive behaviour at Turning Point, High Street, Galashiels, on April 16 last year and was found guilty after trial.

Representing himself, Kevan told Sheriff Peter Paterson he had never caused any harm to anyone.

Kevan said he had started an alternative addiction group, and was keen to help the community.

“I brought my secateurs with me today, and have been tidying the bushes outside while I have been waiting,” he said.

Sheriff Paterson deferred sentence for six months, until January 18, for good behaviour.

He told Kevan: “On the one hand, you are someone who appears to want to help people, and on the other you have no insight into how you appear to others. As for this nonsense of going around in a gown, it just makes you look stupid.”

A champion clay pigeon shot who was stripped of his firearms certificates by police because of an online posting is fighting a legal battle to overturn the decision.

Jed Burn from Jedburgh has already won an appeal before a sheriff after police lawyers did not turn up for hearings.

But a judge has now ruled that it should be sent back to the sheriff court for reconsideration following a judicial review brought by Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House. Lord Glennie said at the Court of Session in Edinburgh: “The problems lay with a difficulty in internal communications within Police Scotland. I think that’s why we are here.”

It came to police attention last year that Mr Burn had posted a video on his Facebook page of him undertaking a “neck nomination”.

Police alleged that he was standing in a wooded area dressed in underpants, Wellington boots and a flat cap, and holding a shotgun. They maintained he pointed the gun at the sky before stating he was shooting pigeons, and then broke open the gun and put it on the ground.

They claimed that he picked up a litre bottle of vodka, broke open the seal and drank about half of it very quickly before nominating others. But Mr Burn said he was drinking water – not vodka.

It is said on his behalf: “The making of a Facebook video, even if it is of questionable humour or in questionable taste, is freedom of expression and does not make the respondent (Mr Burn) a danger to public safety or the peace.”

He says he’s an experienced shooter and champion clay pigeon shot, requiring the certificates for lawful interests.

Mr Burn successfully challenged the police decision at Jedburgh Sheriff Court – but Sir Stephen went to court to have the orders pronounced set aside and the case reconsidered in the judicial review.

Lord Glennie was satisfied the sheriff made proper inquiries into the circumstances before allowing the appeal, but added: “He did so in circumstances when he was not addressed on behalf of the chief constable.”

The judge disclosed at the hearing’s outset that he has a shotgun licence. He said of the case: “I suppose this a matter of general public importance, the issue of firearms and shotgun certificates – a matter of public importance which should not be influenced by mishaps that occur from time to time.”

Paul Davies, for the chief constable, said: “There is a dispute as to what the video shows or what the respondent was actually doing in the video.” But he maintained the sheriff had erred in disposing of the matter “in effect on the basis of non-appearance of the petitioner (the chief constable) when he should have had a hearing on the merits”.

But Greg Sanders, for Mr Burn, said Sir Stephen’s position was put before the court at the earlier hearing.

Robert Burns would be disappointed by the violence that still exists in the world, but would be pleased by the example set by Jedburgh’s citizens.

So said this year’s Redeswire speaker, Jane Brown, immediate past president of the Robert Burns World Federation, when she addressed the large crowd which made the misty trek on Saturday, on horseback and car, to the Carter Bar for the traditional mounted gathering which forms part of the Jethart Callant’s Festival.

A total of 87 riders, with 28 of those being first timers gaining their coveted Redeswire badges, followed Jethart Callant Grant Raeburn to the Redeswire stane.

The ‘Raid of the Redeswire’ was a skirmish between England and Scotland that took place on July 7, 1575, and is often cited as the last battle between the two nations.

“Everyone here today are just ordinary people, celebrating this great historic gathering” the guest speaker told the gathering.

“Your wonderful town, Jedburgh, has always had precious freedoms and was the first to honour Burns with the freedom of your burgh.

“In doing so, expressing his spirit and philosophy by combining pride in local tradition with wider friendliness and love of humanity.”

She went on to say the 16th century forefathers of those assembled at Redeswire had to eke out a meagre existence from an inhospitable country more beautiful than bountiful.

“A people that down through the turbulent years would be the first line of defence against the ‘Auld Enemy’,” she added, saying she felt extremely proud to have been invited to salute the heroes of Redeswire.

And she went on to say that there was no longer a bloody frontier between Scotland and England: “We are setting an example to the rest of the world in these troubled times in how to live together in peace, making an advance towards fulfilment of the dream of the immortal Robert Burns.

“I think he would have been very disappointed in Mankind today, with all the atrocities happening around the world, but today I wish all success to the Callant, continued success to Jedburgh in holding up this historic tradition – you should be very proud of yourselves.”

l Tomorrow (Friday) sees the Jethart Callant’s Festival main day, with horses and riders assembling in the town’s Back Bongate at 8.30am. There will be a full colour special round-up of this year’s festival in next week’s issue of The Southern Reporter.

Stu Harkness of Selkirk finds much-needed relief on arrival at Wimbledon to see his hero Andy Murray.

Tennis fans queuing in London have had the opportunity to use the portable toilets while they wait.

The so-called QLoo is a purpose-built bathroom complete with artificial turf.

The fully-functioning device gives fans the opportunity to relieve themselves in tennis-themed luxury – all without losing their hard-earned space in the queue.

As the QLoo meandered its way up and down the queue, it was Selkirk’s Stu who was happy to pose for this PR shot.