Communities across Scotland that have benefited from more than 1.3 million hours of work by people completing Community Payback Orders in 2014/15 are ’overwhelmingly positive’ about the scheme.

A new report published by the Scottish Government reveals that communities across the country appreciate the high standard of work - whether it is repairing fallen gravestones, cleaning graffiti, helping the elderly with their garden, repairing paths and adding improvements to path networks or working in charity shops.

Scottish Borders Council operates the Community Payback programme in the region and reports a positive reaction from towns and village across the region to the work the teams have completed.

A council spokesperson said: “The Criminal Justice Unpaid Work teams are really useful to get work done on countryside paths that would be really difficult to get done by other means.

“Recent work has included work in support of community councils including a woodland path at Towerburn in Jedburgh and pathwork in the St Boswells area and at Coldstream and Hawick.

“The supervisors ensure that the work is of a good quality. This is a valuable contribution to the work on core paths, Scotland’s Great Trails and the wider path network in the Scottish Borders.”

In Berwickshire, the Criminal Justice Unpaid work team is currently working on seats, steps and other pathworks on the Eye Water footpath. This work was organised through the Countryside Access team.

SBC has heard from a number of appreciative communities where work has been done.

“Melrose and District Community Council and Melrose in Bloom plus members of our community and the very many visitors to our town benefit from and appreciate the positive results of the work done by the “unpaid work” teams, and hope that the workers themselves derive some satisfaction from this too,” said Val Miller, vice-chair of both Melrose and District Community Council and Melrose in Bloom.

Leslie Mitchell from Lauder Tennis Club wrote to SBC to thank the team for “the fantastic work you have completed on the access path to, and around, the courts”.

“The team have been exemplary in their work ethic, application and communicating helpful advice.

“The fact that we now have safe access, especially for children from a quiet path instead of only getting to the courts via the A68 is a huge step forward for the club and something that we simply would not have been able to entertain without the huge effort and input of your Criminal Justice Team.”

Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Michael Matheson, said: “It is encouraging to see that the number of Community Payback Orders imposed by the courts continues to rise since their introduction five years ago.

“This report highlights the excellent work being done across local authorities to deliver robust and credible CPOs which are delivering real benefits for our communities and are helping to reduce reoffending.

“The evidence shows our approach is working. Recorded crime in Scotland is at a 41-year low.”

The Scottish Rotary National Grayling Fishing Competition, run by Jedburgh Rotarians, was held last Saturday on the River Teviot.

There were 21 entries, including three juniors from Earlston Grammar School Fishing Club.

With yet more rain than forecast, the river had risen on Friday evening, but was dropping fast on Saturday, so it was decided to go ahead with the event. Unfortunately there was quite a lot of colour to the water, so despite heroic efforts to catch some grayling, no fish were recorded as caught. A key part of Rotary is fellowship and during the day many new friendships were made, including one angler all the way from the United States of America.

Everyone finished at the Carters Rest in Jedburgh for soup and a roll. Event organiser Ian Davis thanked everyone for either taking part or helping with the organising, and was pleased to announce that £250 had been raised for the Rotary charity.

In the photograph (courtesy of Charlie Brownlow) Ian is seen briefing competitors before the start of fishing.

The Scottish Government-arranged meeting about Hawick was certainly a step in the right direction.

Around 30 local business owners attended, as did representatives from the public sector, so there were a range of ideas brought to the table about what needs to be done. My main contribution to the day was to suggest the creation of an enterprise zone for the town.

It has now become clear that because of the extent of pressure on the textile industry and closures elsewhere, something radical and co-ordinated needs to happen to reverse Hawick’s fortunes.

An enterprise zone is not a new idea, but it hasn’t happened in the Borders and there are none in Scotland which apply to all businesses in a particular town.

It would offer incentives to businesses to come to Hawick or for enterprises already here to expand by providing business tax relief, a fast-track planning process and by prioritising key services like superfast broadband and skills and development support.

Put simply, setting up an enterprise zone would send out a clear message that Hawick is open for business. Not only would this revive our town centre, but, crucially, it means more jobs and more investment.

It’s important to note that this idea wouldn’t cost an awful lot of money. Providing tax cuts for businesses does mean less coming in, but if these are businesses which would otherwise be elsewhere, then any tax receipts are a bonus.

Others at the meeting seemed to like the proposal. This isn’t a particularly party-political idea, although reducing business tax and regulation is often seen as a Conservative policy.

I’ve written to the business minister to provide a little more detail of what I am proposing and to keep the pressure up. I hope the SNP government will support my idea.

As I’ve said before, warm words and meetings are just simply not going to cut it. Hawick needs a radical plan to get it back on track.

Teenage Smoking

Figures out recently show the percentage of 15-year-olds in the Borders regularly smoking is among the highest in Scotland.

It’s certainly encouraging that this figure has fallen, but it is still too high.

No 15-year-old should be regularly smoking now that the legal age for buying and selling cigarettes is 18, so for 10% to be doing so in the Borders shows we need to take action.

Efforts by schools and NHS Borders to make sure youngsters are not only aware of the risks associated with smoking, but also what help is available for those looking to kick the habit, need to be stepped up.

But we also need to ensure that the current law is properly enforced.

A few years ago, the Scottish Parliament increased the age at which youngsters can smoke from 16 to 18.

There seems hardly any point in changing the law, particularly when one in 10 15-year-olds, who were not even meant to be buying cigarettes under the old law, are currently smoking regularly.

The current law is meant to prevent retailers from selling tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18, but it seems these laws are not being enforced.

Well, a round of applause to all who campaigned for the return of the central Borders railway line – 500,000 and still rising.

I’m meeting Phil Verster, the charming MD of Scotrail (I do hope he reads this), to talk about a few issues.

The Stow matter has been resolved, though I do miss the collective chant as we corrected the automatic announcement.

However, what can be done to prettify the stations? Spring is round the corner and I want to see tubs bursting with daffies and tulips. Tubs and hanging baskets which shout “here is Stow, here is Gala” and “we are good places to stop”.

You know a front garden tells you a lot about the occupants. So do stations.

Anyway, if you want to be part of “Adopt a Station” and, yes, they do exist, let me know and I’ll point you in the right track.

Oops … as for a comfort zone – AKA toilet – at Tweedbank, I am pursuing, though no promises.

Buses

Of course, it’s not all about trains.

There are many still travelling by bus, so another meeting coming up is with Paul McGowan, chief of First Bus East. He’s a decent cove too (I do hope he is reading this), and we exchange views on the services Borders-wide.

Let me know any issues you wish to raise and I’ll do just that.

Policing

You may or may not know that I not only chair the justice committee, but the policing committee at the Scottish Parliament.

Next week I will be meeting up with the divisional commander for the Borders and Midlothian – and not just to talk about legislation we have passed which affects policing in Scotland.

We recently, at committee, discussed with the Solicitor General for Scotland what improvements had been made for detecting rural theft – sheep, tractors, diesel and so on – following an enquiry we had. Indeed, I met with local farmers myself and theft for them had been mainly of sheep.

I will be raising this with her and any other issues you want to bring to my attention.

Support local shops

I always say that the difference between a male and a female politician is that women shop.

It does mean when I’m in Melrose or Gala while on business, I also get the chance to browse and buy and not just for myself, but for family and friends.

I was at the opening of a new craft shop in Galashiels’ Channel Street – proprietor Alexis Shillinglaw. I have huge regard for our small businesses and for the effort which goes into them and wish her every success.

While I am on the topic, and while the transport hub and surroundings set a good tone, the empty shops in Bridge Street must deter the train traveller from wanting to venture further into Gala.

I know Energise Galashiels has heroically done its bit – but we do need radical moves to improve this gateway into Gala.

Your thoughts?

Rail services from Berwick have been disrupted due to a person being hit by a train.

Virgin East Coast cancelled the 9.30am Edinburgh to King’s Cross service and put on an extra train from Newcastle.

Buses are being run between Newcastle and Edinburgh, and disruption is now predicted to last until 11.45am

Harrison & Hetherington’s St Boswell’s mart will host an inaugural event about rural services on offer in the area.

Held on Thursday, February 25, it will see H&H Group’s chief executive, Brian Richardson, introduce H&H staff and the new range of services rural customers can access.

The event, which will include talks on rural business issues and supper, will start at 6.30 pm and is open to all farmers.

Mr Richardson said this week: “The aim is to provide an introduction to the Harrison &Hetherington’s Group of companies, and the services and products we can provide for our Borders’ customers.

“The mart will also provide direct access to H&H Land and Property and H&H Insurance Brokers, whose businesses will have a local base there.”

He continued: “These events really are looking to the future.

“We are committed to building a livestock-focused rural business enterprise at St Boswells.

“With rural insurance, property and livestock expertise on hand, the hope is that the mart will be a mecca for rural business and the rural community.”

Anyone wishing to attend should make contact with Carolyn Charlton, on 01228 406232, or e-mail carolync@borderway.com.

The first woman other than the queen to appear on a banknote will be a trailblazing polymath who hailed from Jedburgh.

Mary Somerville, who is credited with predicting the existence of the planet Neptune and for whom the term ‘scientist’ was coined, was the most popular candidate in a Facebook campaign to appear on the new Royal Bank of Scotland £10 notes.

The mathematician and astronomer known as ‘The Rose of Jedburgh’ was voted in with help from writer Jules Horne, of Hawick, who contacted Somerville College, Oxford (named after Mary) to support the campaign.

“I’m a massive fan of Mary Somerville, and helped Scottish Borders Council Museums to develop their scientist and engineer display at Jedburgh Castle Jail,” said Jules.

“I saw that she was on the shortlist and sent the link on Facebook to Somerville College, and also to Women in Science.

“They spread the word to their alumni, and over 4,000 people voted for Mary.

“I’m doubly delighted because she’s a fantastic role model for women in science, and a Borderer who’s not that well known. She also appears in the Mike Leigh film, Mr Turner, so maybe her moment has come!”

Mary is the first woman other than the Queen ever to appear on an RBS banknote.

The announcement followed a week-long public vote to choose between three historical Scottish figures – Mary Somerville, James Clerk Maxwell and Thomas Telford – judged to have made significant contributions to the field of science and innovation.

And, as with a similar proposal south of the border to have Jane Austen on bank notes, the voting was not without its controversies

Following concerns over a huge influx of last minute votes for Thomas Telford from outside the UK, RBS decided to choose Mary Somerville as the winner.

Somerville had been the clear leader throughout the process with the vast majority of her votes coming from the UK.

Born at Jedburgh in 1780, at a time when women’s participation in science was discouraged, Mary took part in her brothers’ lessons, and was only able to fully commit to her own education after the death of her first husband.

Eventually she was jointly nominated to be the first female member of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1835.

Somerville’s writing influenced fellow thinkers James Clerk Maxwell and John Couch Adams with her discussion of a hypothetical planet, leading Adams to look for and discover Neptune. In fact, in a review by William Whewell of Somerville’s treatise, On The Connexion of the Sciences, she was the first person to be described as a “scientist”.

She also counted novelists such as Maria Edgeworth among her correspondents, and remained active in society until her old age. At the age of 87, she put her name to an unsuccessful call for women’s sufferage.

She died at Naples in 1872, where she is buried in the English Cemetery.

In the years since her death she has been commemorated in many different ways, a testimony to her wide-ranging interests in the sciences.

An island in the Arctic Sea and a crater on the moon have both been named after her, as well as an asteroid belt and a committee room at the Scottish Parliament.

Commenting on the announcement earlier this week, Malcolm Buchanan, chair of RBS’s Scotland board, said: “I was overwhelmed by the response to this initiative – a first for the Royal Bank of Scotland - and would like to thank all those who took the time to vote.

“Having the opportunity to choose the face of our new £10 notes obviously meant a great deal to a great number of people.

“Any of our final nominees would have been worthy winners and we wanted to make sure that our choice properly reflected the wishes of those who took part. Mary Somerville’s immense contribution to science and her determination to succeed against all the odds clearly resonate as much today as they did during her lifetime.”

The new banknotes, which will appear in the second half of 2017, will be printed on a plymer material, harder-wearing than the traditional cotton.

RBS has been issuing bank notes since 1727, and has an average of £1.5bn worth of notes in circulation every day.

Johnston Press, which owns this title, has today confirmed its intention to buy award-winning national newspaper i.

The deal - with Independent Print Limited - will position Johnston Press as the UK’s fourth largest print publisher, selling more than 600,000 copies of its titles a day.

Johnston Press - which owns more than 200 local and regional newspapers and websites - plans to launch a website and app for i once the deal, worth £24m, is finalised in around eight weeks.

“i is a highly regarded, award-winning national title which has established a unique market position by combining high-quality journalism with a concise, popular format,” said Johnston Press Chief Executive Office Ashley Highfield.

“Having i – the industry’s Newspaper of the Year 2015 - in our family of titles will enable us to offer advertisers national advertising opportunities across the whole country.”

The proposed acquisition was announced to the London Stock Exchange this morning and welcomed by i Editor Oliver Duff, who will stay on in his role following completion of the deal.

“Since launching five years ago, i has been an insurgent force in the national quality newspaper market, defying sceptics and overtaking established rivals through innovation and bold, independent journalism.

“Ownership by Johnston Press will propel i into the next exciting chapter in its short history. JP’s heritage, national network of journalists, retail clout and commitment to digital development mean the group is ideally placed to continue i’s circulation and revenue growth.

“i is already a punchy, trusted digest that cuts through the noise of daily life. Our readers around the UK subscribe to its ethos of brevity, quality and impartiality. Yet many more people are short on time and hungry for knowledge. With JP’s help, we can reach this untapped audience – and build on a British media success story.”

Neither retailers nor subscribers will be affected by the proposed acquisition.

Clovenfords has joined the Borders walking trails with a new leaflet tracing the history of the village.

Local residents Roddy Beatson and James Macfarlane have put together “Clovenfords Historical Trail”, an encyclopaedia of 19 attractions in the area, as part of a Clovenfords and District Community Council initiative involved working with P4/5 pupils from the local primary school during 2012-13.

The authors are grateful for the contributions of historical information and photographs from Tom Quayle and Joan Mundell, present-day photographs by Suzanne Hume and financial support from Scottish Borders Council’s Community Grant Scheme.

The history of the village in the leaflet, which includes a map, follows a route via the hotel and continues past the old staging house, village shop, the Vineries, the Luggie School, the new school, railway station, Green Road, church, the hall, and many other places in between.

“Monkeying around with culture…” was how my youngest son described my Immortal Memory at the Chinese British Business Council Burns Night last week.

I contrasted Burns with China’s famous 7th century poet Li Bai.

What is noticeable is that Chinese business leaders have far more insight into Burns than we have into Li Bai.

This was less important in recent times when China’s growth was over 10% but with a drop to 7%, we, in the West have to work harder. It is no longer enough to just sell, we now have to work out ways our products and services relate to their overall market and culture.

This was emphasised when a recent business problem caused a Chinese customer to pull together all the participants of a deal, insisting on face to face meetings. The meeting included one of my Chinese clients. For a chartered accountant, January is not the time of year for international trips and I was “excused”. Worrying that this was to be to my client’s detriment I was reassured: “Of course not…. we have worked and laughed with you for over two decades, we know what your words mean; unlike with our American partners where we don’t know if the eyes and the words match.” The message was clear, in times of boom the ‘American way’ is great but when things go wrong the Chinese revert to Confucianism and its abhorrence of chaos.

These thoughts were emphasised by Lord Green in Edinburgh last week questioning whether China is in chaos. He concluded that it wasn’t and that was reassuring given the massive foreign reserve flows which are occurring just now. Whilst I doubt this robustness considering the unsophisticated nature of individual stock market investments, a comment resonated; the Chinese need to double and redouble growth to reach western levels within two decades and this seems to be a clear unified national goal.

Its relevance to the Borders?

With significant levels of Chinese students in Scotland there are massive tourist opportunities for both students and their parents, so perhaps some level of ‘mandarin on marketing’ and ‘tourist signs’ with some mandarin in our schools might be useful. The Chinese themselves achieved levels of this in the years before the Olympics with most taxi drivers in metropolitan areas speaking basic English.

Given the level of knowledge and enthusiasm for Scotland and Burns that I encounter time and time again – half the marketing job has been done.

Let’s build on it.

Borders businesses are invited to a forum showcasing plans for an investment package involving Edinburgh and southern Scotland.

Scottish Borders Business Forum will hold an open meeting on Friday, February at 9am in the Council Chamber at Scottish Borders Council.

Its aim is to enable business people from all sectors to hear about the plans for the major investment package involving Scottish Borders, City of Edinburgh, Fife, and Mid-, East and West Lothian councils.

Bryan McGrath, Scottish Borders Council’s chief officer for economic development, will talk through the City Region Deal proposal and how it could benefit the Scottish Borders.

A question and answer session will follow, during which the audience will be invited to give their comments and ideas about the projects they would like to see in the City Region Deal.

Mike Wilson, chairman of Scottish Borders Business Forum, commented this week: “The Forum is keen to help spread the word about this important opportunity for the Scottish Borders and engage more local businesses in the process.

“This open meeting is a chance for businesspeople across the Scottish Borders to find out more about the City Region Deal, ask questions and give their views.”

The proposed City Region Deal envisages investment, intellect and culture fusing together to create new ways of doing things.

The aim is that within the next 20 years the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region will become the most connected, creative, inclusive and entrepreneurial place in Europe.

The City Region Deal foresees the building of a network of businesses, universities, technical and creative skills, with participants attracted by a great lifestyle and the culture on offer. Should it be approved, funding for the City Region Deal will come from both the UK and Scottish Governments.

Implementation of projects will take up to 10 years and successful projects are set to be frequently monitored to ensure that their expected outcomes are achieved.

If businesses would like to attend they are invited to call 01835 826505 or email stuart.kinross@scotborders.gov.uk.

The Scottish Borders Business Forum represents over forty associations, enabling industry to speak with one voice within and outwith the region, at Newtown St Boswells, Holyrood, Westminster, and in other quarters.

The Scottish Labour party has announced Barrie Cunning has been selected to stand as the Scottish Labour Parliamentary candidate for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire.

In his acceptance speech he said: “I know the scale of the challenge we face is substantial but Scotland now more than ever needs a strong Labour voice and I intend to make sure that voice is heard across this region.

“In today’s climate of SNP led austerity which has left councils having to find unnecessary savings, it is important to remember that this was the party who said they were the only party in Scotland who could stop further Tory austerity cuts and only last week they were standing shoulder to shoulder with the Tories.”

Fiona Dugdale was selected as Scottish Labour parliamentary candidate for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale.

Adult harm isn’t always easy to identify but it’s crucial that people with concerns speak out if they think someone is being mistreated, neglected or exploited.

The ‘Seen Something? Say Something’ campaign has been launched to highlight the forms adult harm can take, in a bid to help people spot the signs that might indicate a person is at risk.

There are many cases of adult harm every day in Scotland.

One such case saw a 75-old woman being physically harmed by her son, who had a problem with substance misuse.

The son, who lived with his mum, began to stop his siblings from visiting.

After a relative reported their concerns to social work, an adult support and protection plan was set up for her which resulted in the son being treated for his addiction and being re-homed.

This protected the woman from harm and allowed her to once again welcome visitors into her home.

Adult harm can take place in a range of settings, not just the family home and it can happen at the hands of anyone – a relative, spouse or partner, neighbour, volunteer or a complete stranger.

Warning signs that could indicate an adult is at risk include unexplained cuts and bruises, or refusal to talk about injuries, confusion about where their money has gone, or nervousness around certain people.

The campaign is urging people to trust their gut instinct if they see or hear something that doesn’t feel quite right.

One anonymous phone call or email to social work can result in your worries being addressed and investigated.

Paul Comley, of With-Scotland, a national resource for professionals working with adults at risk, said: “Sometimes people don’t want to get involved, for fear of being seen to intrude in other people’s lives.

“But it is vital to raise concerns and it is safe to do so; the local social work department will check the situation sensitively.”

If you think an adult is at risk, call your local social work department for advice.

NFU Scotland has welcomed the announcement of £70,000 which will fund a full-time post within Police Scotland to move rural and agricultural crime policy forward.

At NFU Scotland’s AGM today (Friday 12 February), the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC) announced the funding from leading rural insurer NFU Mutual for a year’s post to take forward the initiative.

NFU Scotland has worked closely with Police Scotland over the last 18 months to influence an increased focus on rural and agricultural crime in its remit.

As well as inputting into national SPARC meetings, NFU Scotland has been active at a regional level with local Rural Watch initiatives set up in many areas in conjunction with Police Scotland as well as on farm events with members.

In addition, the Union has been working closely with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service on a refresh of agricultural crime prosecution policy.

NFU Scotland’s President Allan Bowie commented: “NFU Scotland has been extremely encouraged by the work undertaken by SPARC to this point.

“The Union has been instrumental in re-focussing rural crime within Police Scotland’s remit and positive change has taken place in recent times.

“We have held a number of very successful events on farms for members at a regional level to encourage members to take simple precautions to protect their farms, but also how to correctly report a crime or suspicious activity.

“This work will continue over the coming year and we look forward to further collaboration with Police Scotland and other stakeholders.”

Assistant Chief Constable Kate Thomson said: “We have made significant progress in building partnerships across Scotland to more effectively tackle rural crime. This sponsorship consolidates and builds on activity over the last 12 months and is a real vote of confidence in the commitment of Police Scotland, SPARC and its members to tackling crime in rural communities.

“As outlined in our recent written submission to Justice Committee, SPARC partnership activity takes the form of prevention, investigation, intelligence gathering and enforcement, specifically targeting resources at the key rural crime issues affecting each local area.

“At the SPARC meeting on 26 January 2016, members were advised, by NFU Mutual, that its claims data showed that the partnership working driven and supported by SPARC is already showing what it described as “impressive results”.”

Martin Malone of leading rural insurer NFU Mutual stated: “NFU Mutual is delighted to be financially supporting SPARC. This is a key initiative in supporting our members’ concerns around rural crime, through our network of 34 offices across Scotland and we are working closely with Police Scotland to reduce the impact rural crime has on our members.”

New training workshops aimed at helping Scottish Borders’ small and medium enterprises (SMEs) adopt digital technology have been launched.

The DigitalBoost events have been developed by Business Gateway, Scottish Enterprise and Highland & Islands Enterprise on behalf of Digital Scotland. The free seminars, which take place in Ettrick Riverside, Selkirk, include: Digital Marketing Strategy – Tuesday, March 1, 1.30pm to 4.30pm; Data Analytics – Tuesday, March 15, 1.30pm to 4.20pm; Back Office Systems – Tuesday, March 29, 1.30pm to 4.30pm.

As well as the local workshop programme, one to one adviser sessions with digital specialists will also be available to eligible businesses who need extra support on digital topics.

Online guides to all of the workshop themes will be available. For more information, call 01835 818315 or visit www.bgateway.com/events

The Saltire Society has launched its search this week for Scotland’s next top engineering and construction projects for its annual Civil Engineering Awards.

And nominations are invited for the Borders’ most innovative projects completed in 2015/16.

The recently completed Borders railway line was commended at last year’s awards for demonstrating an exceptional commitment to collaboration, coordination and communication, while the overall winner was the £25million redevelopment of Haymarket Station in Edinburgh, which joined the ranks of previous winners such as The Helix Park and Kelpies at Falkirk, and the M80 Stepps to Haggs motorway.

The deadline for nominations is the end of April.

The awards aim to shine a light on the vital contribution civil engineers make to Scottish life, but are not only reserved for large-scale projects.

In this, the society’s 80th year, there are six brand new categories, including the project that most beneficially impacts the people of Scotland and an ‘infrastructure’ award which recognises excellence in the design and construction of transport, ground or water engineering, energy, waste or regeneration projects.

There is also the ability to confer special awards, which will be awarded at the discretion of the judging panel, recognising excellence in buildings, environmental improvements and projects designed by Scottish-based teams but constructed abroad.

As well as techical achievement, projects in each category are assessed on their contribution to the sustainable creation, improvement and nurturing of the physical and social environment.

Flooding, storm damage and road and bridge closures in recent months have hit the headlines, increasing public awareness of transport, flooding and energy networks and their importance to the Scottish economy and the quality of our daily lives. Many of the problems are resolved by civil engineers.

Saltire Society and Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) Presidents will join an audience of over 150 senior figures from Scotland’s construction and built environment industries at the awards ceremony in Edinburgh on the evening of Tuesday, October 25.

Saltire Society President Magnus Linklater said: “This is a special year for the Saltire Society as we celebrate our 80th year.

“It’s also an important year for the built environment in Scotland, being Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design.

“We look forward to a wide variety of civil engineering projects from across Scotland at our special awards ceremony in October.”

Following a weekend of “exceptional pressure on bed availability” at the Borders General Hospital (BGH), the public have responded well to requests to only use the A&E department for emergencies.

Susan Manion, chief officer for health and social care integration thanked the public, saying: “The public response to our reminder that you should only go to A&E if you are an emergency was extremely supportive and we were able to maintain our focus on the safe discharge of patients to give us as much space as possible.

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

However, as wintry weather continues, that pressure on beds is not expected to ease any time soon.

Manion added: “We anticipate the continuation of high demand for beds in the BGH and Community Hospitals this week, with icy conditions making slips, trips and falls more likely.”

Also, ward 12 at the BGH is currently closed to admissions as a precaution due to a number of patients experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.

Manion stated: “Visitors to Ward 12 are strongly discouraged at this time, and relatives and carers are asked to carefully consider their visits to the hospital. The general advice is to stay away from any hospital ward if you or anyone in your family has experienced symptoms of diarrhoea and/or vomiting in the past 48 hours.

“Please remember that your community pharmacists are available to provide expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and ailments, and to give advice about your medicines.

“If you or someone you care for is unwell and your GP surgery is closed, contact the NHS 24 helpline on 111. If the condition is immediately life threatening, dial 999 for an emergency ambulance.”

For further updates please visit www.nhsborders.scot.nhs.uk

z Norovirus is one of the commonest causes of diarrhoea and vomiting illness and spreads through communities just like the flu does. Outbreaks can start abruptly and spread quickly, but the public can take action to help minimise the impact.

You should try to avoid going to hospital or any other healthcare facility if you or other members of your family have had diarrhoea or vomiting within the past 48 hours.

Hand washing with soap and water is essential after contact with people with diarrhoea symptoms in hospital and at home.

Common symptoms of Norovirus are diarrhoea and/or vomiting generally lasting for 12-72 hours.

Other symptoms can include headache, fever and muscle aches.

Treatment in most cases requires drinking more fluids than usual and resting to give your body a chance to fight the infection. Because it is a virus, antibiotics will not help.

If you are worried, you should call NHS 24 on 111 or your local health clinic or GP.

Police have confirmed that William Notley has been found in a rural area near his hometown of Jedburgh this afternoon (Monday, February 15).

They said: “The 58-year-old has been transferred to Borders General Hospital where he is currently being assessed.

“William was reported missing to police on Monday, February 8, after he left his home address in Bongate Gardens prompting an extensive search of the area.

“We thank everyone who assisted with our appeal.”

A 31-year-old man was found dead in a Galashiels retail park in the early hours of this morning.

The area was taped off and enquiries are continuing.

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “Police in the Scottish Borders were called to Gala Water Retail Park in Galashiels at 4.40am on Monday, February 15, following a report of concern for a man.

“The 31-year-old was taken to Borders General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

“The death is currently being treated as unexplained pending further enquiries.”

The Scottish Government is taking action to ease cash flow issues in Scottish agriculture after criticism of long waits for payments.

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has announced a scheme – backed by £20 million in Scottish Government funding - to enable more farmers and crofters to access loans while waiting for their Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments.

Speaking at the National Farmers Union of Scotland (NFUS) annual conference in St Andrews this week, Mr Lochhead confirmed more than 7,300 payments have now been authorised, which equates to about 40 per cent of the eligible claims.

He also stressed the Scottish Government continues to do everything in its power make payments as soon as possible against the challenge of difficult CAP reforms.

The Rural Affairs Secretary said: “I fully recognise the cash flow issues facing Scottish agriculture as a result of difficult market and weather conditions coinciding with the biggest CAP reform ever.

“The Scottish Government continues to do everything in our power to get first instalments out to as many people as we can by the end of March and the balance of payments as soon as possible after that.

“We are making progress. However the extreme complexity of the policy we agreed with industry in Scotland – which is being delivered by a brand new IT system that we are constantly working to improve - means it is taking longer than expected to process applications – and I am aware that as a result some farmers and crofters are facing hardship.

“We will work with NFUS, banks and others to finalise the detail of the scheme and ensure it is available as quickly as possible and simple to access.”

The news came after stinging criticism of the payment process, including calls from local Conservative MSP John Lamont for Mr Lochhead to “come clean” over the situation.

Mr Lamont said: “Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead should come clean to farmers about when they are going to receive this much needed money, which was of course due in full in December.

“In England and Wales, over 75% of farmers have received full payments, yet under the SNP the majority of farmers are yet to get a single penny.

“The Minister would have been better to hold his hands up from the beginning to say that payments would be late instead of constantly promising money would come on time and then being forced to delay the timetable.”