The vice-chair of Eildon Housing Association’s board, Henry Coyle, has resigned his position following 17 years of dedicated voluntary service.

During his time with Selkirk-based Eildon, Henry, a practising housing professional, has served as chairman of the audit & risk committee, chairman of the remuneration committee and latterly as vice-chairman of the board.

Henry is moving to take up the role of director of assets & property services with Scottish Borders Housing Association (SBHA).

Paying tribute to his contribution, Eildon chairman Trevor Burrows said: “Henry has been a hugely valuable asset for Eildon and has been an important board member during a successful period of growth and development for the association.

“Henry’s personal commitment and thoughtful and insightful contributions have been valued by fellow board members and senior staff alike, and we will all greatly miss his involvement.

“However, we wish him well in his new role with SBHA and I am pleased that his knowledge and experience is not being lost to the housing association sector.”

Henry said: “I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time on the board at Eildon.

“I’ve made many fantastic friends and learned a great deal from each and every one of them.  

“While I’ll miss my Eildon colleagues, I’m really excited about the opportunities ahead with SBHA.  

Thanks to everyone at Eildon and I wish them good luck for the future.”

Henry said he was looking forward to working back in the Borders after a stint at Edinburgh City Council.

He commented: ““I started my career in social housing at Tweeddale District Council as a housing trainee in 1995 and I’m excited about working back in the Borders again.

“SBHA is very much a tenant-focussed organisation, innovative and forward-thinking, and it was very much this ethos which attracted me to this company and I’m delighted to be part of the team.

“I’m looking forward to leading my team to deliver improvements to tenants’ homes and our new build programme and re-furbishment programmes.

“SBHA has a strong track record of working with tenants and I look forward to working in partnership with Scottish Borders Tenants Organisation (SBTO) to improve repair and maintenance services and ensuring that we deliver great places to live.”

“This year we will develop new ways of working with tenants to address issues and priorities in their local areas through the SBHA Community Teams – with a strong emphasis on improving communal areas and open spaces, alongside delivering an investment programme for tenants’ homes.”

Police officers in the Borders are appealing for witnesses to trace a vehicle that was seen driving erratically in Hawick.

The black Renault Megane was spotted between 7.30pm and 8.25pm on the A7 as well as within the town and the manner in which the vehicle was being driven caused concern to members of the public.

Anyone who saw this car and can help identify the driver is asked to come forward.

Sergeant Andy Leigh said: “Fortunately no one was injured, however, the driver’s behaviour while behind the wheel could have put themselves and others at risk and we are eager to trace them as soon as possible.

“Anyone with information that can assist with our inquiries should contact police immediately.”

Those with details can contact Police Scotland on 101.

I have 15 employees and have received tax notifications from HMRC for 10 of them. The codes are S1100L – should they not all be the same?

The short answer is probably not! The personal allowance for 2016/17 rose to £11,000 on April 6, making a standard tax code of 1100L. However, on the same date, a Scottish income tax rate was introduced. That rate is 10 per cent, the same as the rest of the UK.

The Scottish income tax rate, is denoted by a prefix of “S” on the tax code, and applies to anyone having a main home in Scotland. This includes people who work in England but live in Scotland.

People who don’t have a home, and stay in Scotland regularly, for example for offshore work, may be considered as being Scottish Income Tax Payers depending on the number of days they physically spend in Scotland.

You will not pay more than the rest of the UK in income tax - rather your tax is split between the Scottish rate and the UK rate.

For example, a basic rate Scottish taxpayer would pay 10 per cent Scottish rate and 10 per cent UK rate, given a total of 20 per cent. This is the same rate as the rest of the UK. The split on higher rate tax payers is still 10 per cent Scottish income tax, but with 30 per cent of UK rate tax, a total of 40 per cent and again the same as the UK.

If you move to or from Scotland during a tax year, the length of time you spent in each country determines if you are a Scottish tax payer. For example, if you spent 150 days in England and 206 in Scotland, you would be classed as a Scottish tax payer.

Presumably the five employees you have not received an HMRC notice for do not have a main home in Scotland. Anyone who thinks they should be registered for Scottish income tax should let HMRC know if they have not received a letter advising them that they are being included as a Scottish Tax Payer.

Gail Kristiansen is a Book Keeping Manager for Rennie Welch LLP and can be contacted on 01573 224931 or via email gail.kristiansen@renniewelch.co.uk

Eildon Housing Association vice chairman Henry Coyle has stepped down after 17 years of voluntary service to take up a senior position with Scottish Borders Housing Association.

During his time with the board, Henry, a practising housing professional, has served as chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee and of the Remuneration Committee.

Paying tribute to Henry’s contribution, Eildon chairman Trevor Burrows said: “Henry has been a hugely valuable asset for Eildon and has been an important Board member during a successful period of growth and development for the Association.

“Henry’s personal commitment and thoughtful and insightful contributions have been valued by fellow Board members and senior staff alike and we will all greatly miss his involvement.

“However, we wish him well in his new role with SBHA and I am pleased that his knowledge and experience is not being lost to the housing association sector.”

Henry said: “I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time on the board at Eildon. I’ve made many fantastic friends and learned a great deal from each and every one of them.

“While I’ll miss my Eildon colleagues, I’m really excited about the opportunities ahead with SBHA. Thanks to everyone at Eildon and I wish them good luck for the future.”

A farming business has extended its reach from St Boswells into the north east of England by opening a new office in Hexham.

SAC Consulting has consolidated its services for local famers and rural businesses by forging a new working relationship with a leading veterinary practice and, as one of the main providers of agricultural and rural support in the Borders, now covers down to Hexham and Kendal.

“We identified the potential to use office space at Scott Mitchell Associates over 12 months ago,” explained Neil Carter, SAC Consulting regional manager.

“Its office at the thriving Tyne Green Mart in Hexham is ideally placed for us to meet clients. The potential it offers for a closer working relationship between them and our SAC Vet Services colleagues is quite exciting.”

Scott Mitchell Associates is a large, successful veterinary practice providing care to domestic pets as well as farm animals and equine.

Established in 2001, the practice has grown and now boasts a purpose-built facility on the site with 11 vets plus 25 support staff, operating 24-hours a day, seven-days a week.

This latest development is in line with a programme broadening the geographic coverage of SAC Consulting and opening services to an area extending from the St Boswells office.

Neil Carter added: “We see the Hexham mart site as a support hub for the local farming community, where farmers can get any and all support needed, and SAC Consulting working alongside Scott Mitchell Associates can supply a large proportion of that support.”

The signs of spring are so numerous at the moment that it’s hard to know where to start.

Firstly, as promised a few weeks ago, I am pleased to report that my garden pond, installed two years ago, has now got its first frog spawn, complete with solitary frog, which spends hours just sitting beside it, croaking for all it is worth.

It is so satisfying that this has come about naturally, with no help from me.

I have resisted the temptation to put in fancy fish and non-native plants and so far it has paid dividends, with my first newt moving in last year.

You can’t hurry Nature. Things will happen in their own good time.

As well as the many singing chiffchaffs, first reported last week, they have been joined by sand martins which I have seen flying up and down the Tweed in several locations.

Some species are well into nest building already and I have a blackbird feeding young in a nest in my ivy-covered garden archway.

So far my nest boxes have had a lot of attention from both great and blue tits and for the first time I have seen house sparrows popping in and out, but so far I haven’t seen any nesting material being taken in.

March was a slow month on the moth trapping front with several blank nights but April got off to a better start with two quite different species turning up.

One was the second most common species recorded in the Borders called the Hebrew Character, so-called because the wing marking resembles one of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

The other was a beautiful moth, which is much rarer, called the Herald. It overwinters as an adult and as a result, can be one of the last species to be seen in one year and one of the first in the next.

It is also sometimes found hibernating inside barns and outbuildings, where its shape and colouring helps to conceal its presence amongst dead leaves.

There is some dispute about where the name comes from.

The purists think that it comes from the moth’s shape and colouration resembling a ceremonial heraldic robe of old.

I much prefer the notion that is one of the heralds of spring.

It was certainly a welcome visitor to my moth trap last Friday.

If you are a business owner or freelancer, you probably already know the importance of dynamic, innovative marketing strategies.

SEO (search engine optimisation) is a popular buzzword in the online world, and countless small businesses are investing in an SEO strategy. But are they missing out when it comes to video?
Simply put, SEO plans can have many different components but usually include regular content creation, an active social media presence, careful attention paid to keywords, an attempt to analyse Google rankings and regular guest posting or link building. While these strategies are indeed often part of a successful SEO plan, many people – even experts - fail to include one of the most important components: video marketing.

You are undoubtedly familiar with the prevalence of Google but did you know that the world’s second most popular search engine is none other than YouTube?

That’s right – this online video database processes more than three billion unique searches each month. Nearly one out of every two internet users regularly access YouTube – that is a lot of potential that you are squandering if you are not creating videos.

Facebook is increasingly becoming another video giant - over four billion videos are viewed on Facebook each and every day in countries around the world.

Live video streaming sites are changing the game yet again – watching your friends and perfect strangers live their lives on camera may seem like an episode of the Twilight Zone, but the future is here and users are clamouring for these apps. Periscope and Facebook Live are taking video to the next level for advertisers and video marketing.

With the advent of ever-increasing smartphone technology, we are all carrying around our own sophisticated video production cameras. While the ability to shoot cool videos is now in everyone’s hands, when it comes to creating a video for your company, hiring a professional is still your best bet. As Internet users, we are inundated with amateur content every single day – in order to make your video stand out, you need to create something special that provides value to your client.

Your video should be engaging, useful and have purpose, and should mesh with your brand and marketing strategy. Ideally it will help to introduce a new segment of your target demographic to your brand, product or service, and will hopefully leverage the other online marketing strategies that you have already implemented.

Remember, if you think that video is not well suited to your business, you couldn’t be further from the truth – brands and businesses of all types are utilising video. With some creative thinking, it’s amazing what video can do for you and your brand.

After the vernal equinox, then the clock change heralding British Summer Time and with the blessing of Easter, we should feel winter is behind us.

Certainly, days of fuller sun matching the golden daffodils along roadside verges and woody banks of illuminated primroses splashed within a tapestry of shadow add new life to the countryside.

Adding a real zest to the week was the clamour of rooks at their rookery in the woods.

It’s a noise one could perhaps get used to, a non-threatening deafening din (but not too close!) of incessant cawing – a soundscape of business and sociability associated with the countryside and nearby human settlement.

Perchance, it may be interpreted as a portent in country lore of a local calamity when a change in volume or indeed a silence occurs when the birds vacate the site, only to resettle in the future when they deem right.

The evening I was there, nothing would have disturbed them – hell-bent on establishing their nests high overhead- about 30 in all, even though I was talking with a local resident dog walker beneath.

Their noise, activity and gathering well documented and described collectively as a “building, parliament, clamour or storytelling” – so apt.

The nests can best be described as large witches’ brooms dotted atop the canopy.

Numerous twigs taken from the trees had fallen accidently to litter the road; their loss did little to diminish the energy of the builders and only to confuse the scents for the two dogs sniffing beneath.

Rooks ascribed with that Latin name of Frugilegus, meaning “food gathering”, denotes their concerted association with an almost manic relationship to eating; seen foraging in their flocks across agricultural land for beetles, wireworms, caterpillars, insects and other pests.

But we must not forget their ability to disturb newly-planted seed beds and pull up spring wheat and other crops to satisfy their omnivorous diet. Their value or otherwise to the farmer can still strongly be debated. They even have a food pouch to fly back with their spoils!

Straining one’s neck upwards to the mayhem, bustle and tree-top squabble, it was possible to pick out their dark – almost sinister – brooding wedge shapes among the branches when they settled between bouts of soaring, diving and swooping overhead.

They’ve a functional appearance – ragtag to say the least, as becomes a bird accustomed to roaming miles and foraging in all weathers.

It starts with that long, dark pointy bill with a conspicuous white bare patch at its base for probing deep into the ground, then “the flat forehead, peaked crown and short nape, flattened breast and ample belly with ruffled drooping feathers”, not forgetting the ragged thigh feathers likened to baggy breeches.

But nature did bequeath rooks with a good set of wings, that strong voice to be heard and a sociability where sticking together has ensured their survival – classed as an abundant resident breeder in the current Borders Bird Report.

More than 1400 people in the Borders joined the 36,000 across Scotland in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwath during the last weekend in January.

The results are now in and while the house sparrow was the most commonly seen bird in Scotland’s gardens, in the Borders it was the chaffinch which took first spot, counted in over 86% of gardens of residents taking part in the count.

Participants counted 626,335 feathered visitors during the birdwatch weekend and there was a rise in the number of smaller garden birds such as coal tits and great tits.

Keith Morton, species policy officer at RSPB Scotland, said: “The increase in smaller garden birds recorded, such as long-tailed tits, suggests that the lack of sustained cold weather helps these species survive in far greater numbers over the winter months. The food these birds rely on, such as insects, would have been easier to find, helping to boost the numbers of them spotted in Big Garden Birdwatch hour.”

In Scotland sightings of well-known species such as starlings and song thrushes experienced another drop during Big Garden Birdwatch this year.

Police across the Borders are urging people to act responsibly around new born calves and their mothers during calving.

The warning has been given across the region after police received reports of a group of youths causing distress to some animals in a field near Hawick.

Police Scotland also stressed that animals are very protective of their new offspring.

This can lead them to act aggressively towards anyone who approaches them.

Police are urging people not to be tempted to get a closer look at the new born animals as it can be dangerous and cause undue distress to the livestock at a very sensitive time.

PC Suzanne Kay, who is based in Jedburgh, said this week: “Scotland has some wonderful outdoor trails and under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 everyone has statutory access rights to most parts [of the countryside].

“Although the vast majority of people do so in a responsible manner there are occasions when this is not always the case.”

Constable Kay added: “Unfortunately, we have 
received a recent report
 relating to a group of around six youths who were seen within a field near Hawick causing distress to cows and their young calves.”

Scottish Borders Council has been asked by the Scottish Government for all schools in the region to be checked following the decision by Edinburgh City Council to close 17 Private Finance Initiative (PFI) schools on safety grounds.

Following the Liberton High School tragedy in 2014, all schools in the Scottish Borders were inspected.

Following these inspections, some minor remedial works were carried out at the region’s three Public Private Partnership (PPP) schools – Berwickshire, Earlston and Eyemouth high schools – but no significant issues were identified.

In addition, further inspections were carried out in January this year at Borders PPP schools following the damage to Oxgangs Primary School in Edinburgh caused by high winds.

No areas of concerns at any of the sites were found during these inspections.

In response to the decision on Friday 9 April around Edinburgh’s PFI schools, the Council will engage with the Scottish Government and Edinburgh City Council to seek further information. We will also work with our partner Scottish Borders Education Partnership (SBEP) to consider if further assessments are required.

SBEP is committed to working in partnership with SBC to ensure the safety of the pupils and safe operation of its buildings.

At this time, there is no information which indicates there are any issues at the Borders’ three PPP schools.

SBC expects all schools to open as normal following the Easter holidays on Monday 18 April.

Galashiels’ local Volvo dealership Cleland of the Borders has played its part in the Swedish manufacturer’s strong first-quarter sales, helping to grow the UK market sales by 12.4% from the 2015 figures.

The United Kingdom was Volvo Cars’ biggest and fastest-growing European market in March. It recorded sales of 7,488 cars, up 12.4 per cent on March 2015. The XC60 was the best-selling model in the UK for the month, followed by the V40 and the XC90.

The XC60 was launched in 2008 and has recorded steadily improving sales figures every year since – sales were up 38% in the UK alone in 2015. Now in its ninth year of production, the XC60 remains relentlessly popular among Galashiels car buyers, contributing to the 750,000 units that have been sold since its introduction.

Available to test drive at all UK dealerships, the Volvo XC60 was also named the highest-selling mid-size SUV in Europe in 2015.

Jon Wakefield, Sales Director at Volvo Car UK, said: “This is a tremendous result for Volvo in the UK. For the UK to be the biggest market in Europe in March is testament to the incredible work done by our dealer network – and, of course, to the desirability of our products. With double-digit sales growth secured for the crucial new registration month of March, we’re well on track for another record-breaking year for Volvo in the UK.”

John Cleland at Cleland of the Borders comments: “With these figures in mind, we welcome customers to simply come in and have a chat with us and we can recommend the right model that best matches their lifestyle and driving needs.”

The country’s biggest celebration of gardening will be in full bloom this week and the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN) is encouraging Borders residents to take part in National Gardening Week by growing their own food.

There has been a significant increase in community growing activity across southern Scotland between 2010 and 2015 according to new research from the Central Scotland Green Network Trust (CSGNT).

The study gathered data on the number of sites and area of land used for community growing. The results estimate that there are more than 300 sites spread over 230 hectares of land in the CSGN area, with around 72% of the space used for allotments, 16% for community orchards and 12% for community gardens.

The average community growing space was found to be around 0.6 hectares, depending on site usage, with allotment sites tending to be the largest, averaging around 1 hectare, followed by community orchards (0.7 hectares) and community gardens being much smaller at 0.3 hectares.

The findings indicate that the number of sites and area of land used for allotments in central Scotland has grown by 7% since 2010 to approximately 6,700 individual plots across more than 160 allotment sites which equates to over half (53%) of the region’s community growing sites.

According to the research, there has been a 39% increase in the number of new community orchards to 50, with an associated 28% increase in land coverage to 37 hectares, resulting in this type of land usage now making up 15% of the mix.

Community gardens have experienced the fastest growth both in terms of number of sites and land coverage between 2010 and 2015 with numbers increasing by 79% over the period to 84 and land coverage increasing by 44% to 29 hectares. The research reveals that community gardens now equate to 28% of community growing sites.

Now in its fifth year, National Gardening Week provides an opportunity for people to recognise the many advantages of growing their own food, as community growing has a positive role to play in eating well, good health and wellbeing and fostering community spirit by encouraging people to get together.

Growing your own food can also positively impact on the local environment through a reduction in food mileage as participants reduce their fuel consumption and supermarkets face a reduced demand for products sourced from further afield.

Keith Geddes, Chair of the CSGNT, which drives forward delivery of the CSGN, said: “As Europe’s largest greenspace initiative, we are working to increase the area of land used for growing plants, fruit and vegetables across the region and what better way for locals to get involved than by taking part in National Gardening Week.

“Our research highlights a significant increase in the number of sites and area of land used for community growing since 2010 and interestingly, it is community gardens, which tend to be the smallest sites, which are experiencing the fastest growth, demonstrating that even very small community growing initiatives at a local level can contribute to the wider goal.”

A group of parents who came together to raise awareness of how autism affects individuals and families have had a boost for their first public event.

Retired doctor Alfred Wild read about the ‘Meeting of Minds’ event at Coldstream Primary School on Saturday, April 23, in the town’s local newsletter and contacted one of the organisers, Lauren Aitken, to offer his help.

Dr Wild’s brother Patrick lived with severe autism during the early part of the 20th century when there was no treatment and little understanding. After Patrick’s death the University of Edinburgh established a medical research centre of autism, Fragile X Syndrome and intellectual disabilities in his memory.

When he heard about the local event Dr Wild organised for a professor and a consultant from the centre to meet the families and children.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us,” said Lauren. “We will do a casual question and answer session within the school on the day. The centre is very keen to get on board with us and work with the group in the future.”

The Patrick Wild Centre brings together individuals from different areas of neuroscience research, to work with affected individuals and families to further understanding of autism and intellectual disabilities and accelerate development of new therapeutic options for people affected.

Community life-saving equipment is the legacy that Avril Brown’s family chose to remember the young Borders mum who died of sudden cardiac arrest, aged 35.

Since losing Avril, a mother of two, in April 2013 her family have held fundraisers and events to purchase and install life-saving equipment, such as defibrillators, into Borders communities. Their latest purchase, an AutoPulse machine, which provides high-quality CPR to victims of sudden cardiac arrest, was handed over to Dr Paul Neary, consultant cardiologist at Borders General Hospital.

After their devastating loss Avril’s partner Ross and her parents and sister opened a charity in her name in the hopes of benefiting the community and preventing another family enduring the pain they have experienced every day since. The charity was established in September 2014 and was named ‘Avril’s Trust’.

Since this time the family have been able to install numerous defibrillators into the local community due to the fund raising events and the amazing generosity of the public. The trust also provides one-day emergency first aid courses led by Rod McIntosh, resuscitation officer at NHS Borders. to educate people in the importance of good first responses in devastating circumstances – including defibrillator training, CPR and much more.

Explaining the benefits of the AutoPulse, Rod said: “It provides high-quality automated CPR to victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Easy to use and battery operated, the AutoPulse squeezes the patient’s entire chest to improve blood flow to the heart and brain”

Expressing his gratitude, Dr Paul Neary, Consultant Cardiologist for NHS Borders said: “The AutoPulse is a fantastic piece of equipment which provides high quality chest compressions to patients in prolonged cardiac arrest. This increases the chances of patients surviving and can reduce long term complications of cardiac arrest.”

“We are very grateful to Avril’s Trust and to the local community for raising the funds for this equipment. This is one of the many community initiatives in the Borders that is helping to save lives by promoting the importance of emergency treatment in cardiac arrest.”

A Selkirk family firm is marking its 125th anniversary with a prestigious new brewery contract.

RP Adam Ltd (Arpal Group) has secured a new long-term deal with Young & Co.’s Brewery plc, extending the existing contract to 2020.

RP Adam is a leading manufacturer of cleaning and disinfection products.

The contract extension will include the provision of cleaning and disinfection products to Young’s, including their Geronimo Inns, at 170 sites across London and the south-east. Central to the contract win was the implementation of RP Adam’s Duotek system which introduces unrivalled safety levels for the use of liquid dish and glass washing detergents.

The system uses a revolutionary safety mechanism to prevent the accidental spillage or splashing of hazardous chemical on the machine user.

Max Adam, RP Adam marketing director and the fourth generation to be involved in the business, welcomed the move. He said: “Young’s is one of the UK’s leading quality food pub chains, with 30 per-cent of turnover represented by its food offer. We have over the years shown the value of a reliable long-term partnership in supporting their expanding food offer and this deal now cements Young’s as RP Adam’s marquee pub client with increasing food sales. Helping to ensure food safety and staff safety are key areas of focus for us and our clients’ businesses.

“I am especially pleased that Duotek will be part of the contract extension, which brings a genuine ultra-safe innovation to the UK’s pub market, providing unrivalled user safety. ”

The extension deal is a real boost to RP Adam’s five year investment and growth programme, launched recently, which sets out a £20 million turnover target to be reached by 2020.

Max Adam added: “The next phase in the company’s expansion story promises to be an extremely exciting time, and the Young’s business forms a part of that journey.”

A Hawick man whose dangerous driving resulted in a motorist being seriously injured has been banned from the road for 14 months at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

Several witnesses expressed concern at the manner of Tristan McCuaig’s driving on the A7 road between Galashiels and Hawick on the evening of Monday, November 9.

Eventually the 32-year-old – who is currently serving a prison sentence – ploughed into the back of a vehicle driven by Stuart Nicoll, who suffered head injury and a fractured rib.

Depute fiscal Tessa Bradley said: “It was dark and the weather was poor with torrential rain.

“At about 5pm the accused and three friends who were passengers left McDonald’s in Galashiels and were travelling south to Hawick.

“At the Boleside section of the A7 there are a series of bends where it is not safe to overtake, but the accused was weaving in and out of the line of traffic before going out of sight.

“Approaching Ashkirk another witness estimated the accused was speeding between 90mph and 100mph and continued to overtake in front of him and he even said to his partner at the time who is this idiot that is still overtaking on the bend?”

The court heard how Mr Nicoll thought McCuaig was going to overtake him in the face of on-coming traffic and slammed on the brakes only for McCuaig’s vehicle to smash into the back of his car.

Both vehicles were extensively damaged.

Ms Bradley said Mr Nicoll and his partner had no memory of the build-up to the accident.

McCuaig, formerly of Lothian Street, Hawick, pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving by driving at excessive speed for the road conditions, repeatedly overtake when not safe to do so and colliding with a car which resulted in serious injuries to the driver and his partner received a minor injury.

Defence lawyer Fiona Hamilton said McCuaig was appearing from custody as he was serving a prison sentence for assault and robbery and not due to be released until October.

She said Mr Nicoll braking sharply was a contributory factor towards the accident but accepted her client had been driving dangerously.

In addition to the disqualification period, Sheriff Peter Paterson told McCuaig he would be required to sit the advanced driving test and fined him £300.

No time was requested to pay the fine and McCuaig was given 14 days in jail which is to run concurrently with the sentence he is serving just now.

A streaker has been charged with a breach of the peace after running onto the pitch naked during the final of the Melrose Rugby Sevens at the weekend.

Police Scotland say a 27-year-old man will appear at Selkirk Sheriff Court at a later date.

The incident happened during the final which Edinburgh won 29-19 against Jedforest. Police say four other spectators were charged for minor assaults or disorder.

But they praised the general behaviour of the crowd with 12,000 people at the weekend flooding into the Borders town which has a population of 2,000.

Inspector Robbie Noble said: “We worked closely with event organisers, Scottish Borders Council and British Transport Police to ensure a safe and enjoyable tournament for all.

“I want to thank the vast majority of supporters and the local community for their exemplary behaviour and co-operation with staff, stewards and officers throughout.”

Police are appealing to the public to be vigilant after three vans were broken into in Tweedbank and Melrose, resulting in the theft of high value power tools.

A thief or thieves targeted two Ford Transits as they sat outside separate addresses on Honeylees Drive in Tweedbank sometime overnight between Thursday, April 7, and Friday, April 8.

A number of power tools were subsequently stolen.

Meanwhile, in similar circumstances in Melrose, a Ford Transit van parked on Eddy Road, was broken into between 10.30pm on Thursday, April 9, and 9am the following day. A significant amount of power tools were also stolen, said to be worth an estimated £5,500.

Police are now carrying out inquiries in an effort to trace those responsible and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward immediately.

Inspector Mike Bennett said: “Given the nature of these crimes and their close proximity it is highly likely that these incidents are linked. Today, I ask anyone with information that might help trace those responsible or who noticed any unusual behaviour around the time of these offences to come forward as soon as possible.

“Likewise, if you have been approached recently to buy second-hand power tools and are suspicious about where they came from then you should let us know.

“I would also ask all owners of Ford vans to review their security in light of these recent break-ins and make sure they have taken adequate steps to protect their vehicles.

“This includes parking in well-lit areas and removing any high value items from within. If this is not possible then ensure that any valuable items are hidden from view. Thieves are opportunistic by their nature and are always looking for soft targets. By taking some straightforward preventative measures you reduce your chances of becoming a victim of crime.”

Anyone with information can contact police on 101 or alternatively the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A pilgrimage to the Borders soldiers who fell at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 has been paid by a small team led by Coldstream’s Keith Cockburn.

Over a three day period Keith and his family, including his five year old grandson Leyton, plus members of RBLS Jedburgh/Riders Branch members travelled 534 miles and visited 61 memorials in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway which remember local soldiers who fell at the Somme during World War 1.

Fought between July and November 1916, it was one of the bloodiest battles in history with a casualty rate of over one million.

A century on, the local men were remembered and those taking part in the memorial challenge held their first act of remembrance at sunset at Stranraer War Memorial, finishing at the Afghanistan Stone at sunset in Henderson Park, Coldstream two days later.

As well as being an act of remembrance the memorial challenge also raised money to help send Berwickshire High School pupils on the Battlefields Tour to ensure that the sacrifice of so many is never forgotten. It is the second memorial challenge; last year’s visited memorials connected to the Battle of Gallipoli, raising £1000 for the school trip.