More than 1,500 people attended Business Gateway events in the Borders during 2015/16, and last year’s popular Masterclass events will be run again.

The Business Gateway service is provided by Scottish Borders Council and offers information, advice and guidance to people who are considering starting a business or growing their existing business.

The Business Gateway service offers clients a ‘one-stop shop’ for business support enquiries as well as providing direct support and a conduit to other business support services provided by the Council and its partners, such as Scottish Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland.

The service reached 219 start-up customers during the financial year of 2015/16, and also performed well in respect of assisting higher value start-up customers and growth advisory services.

There will be an increase in the number of events delivered across the whole of the Scottish Borders and there will be an emphasis on the areas of exporting and innovation. A series of retail workshops will also be provided to assist local High Street traders and those interested in setting up business in town centres.

A Business Week will also be organised in November, tying in with the Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

Councillor Stuart Bell, SBC’s executive member for economic development, said: “I am pleased that the Business Gateway service is adjusting the way it works and the services provided to meet the dynamic needs of local businesses in the area.

“Once again, the Business Gateway team has successfully engaged with a significant number of businesses and entrepreneurs and has set them on the road to growing or establishing their business and the survival figures for businesses accessing Business Gateway services continues to show the value of this service to firms in the Scottish Borders.”

The latest round of free workshops offered to new and existing businesses will take place later this month at Ettrick Riverside, Selkirk.

On Tuesday, May 24, the event is ‘Marketing Your Business’ 9.30am -12.30pm, and the session on Wednesday, June 22 (also .30am-12.30pm) focuses on business start-up finance.

May’s events conclude with a class on bookkeeping on Wednesday, June 29 from 9.30am to 12.30pm, which is designed to equip businesses with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage finances and comply with regulatory legal requirements.

A historic Borders hotel has re-opened for business after what has been described as a “quirky upcyled facelift” paying homage to its former life.

The Park, in Peebles, which is part of the Crieff Hydro chain of hotels, has re-opened following an unusual transformation which celebrates its historic connection with the local community and the recently closed March Street Mills.

Paying homage to the Borders’ industrial past, The Park has undergone an exciting programme of investment, resulting in “a quirky upcycled facelift which weaves together Peebles’ past and present”.

An array of businesses, previous Mill employees and dignitaries from the local community were welcomed by Stephen Leckie, CEO of Crieff Hydro Ltd, at a re-opening launch event on Thursday, May 12.

The guests were treated to tasty bites from The Park’s new bakery and beef inspired menus and a first look at the textiles and memorabilia saved from the Mill, as well as a tour of the upcycled public spaces.

Stephen Leckie, CEO of Crieff Hydro Ltd, said this week:“We’re delighted to finally open our doors and invite people in to experience the new Park.

“We’ve worked hand-in-hand with the March Street Mills to create an upcycled interior which we hope will surprise and inspire.

“Having recognised the fantastic opportunity to really celebrate The Park’s connection with the local community, and investing significantly at both the Hydro and The Park, we’re determined to keep the memories of the March Street Mills alive through our upcycled refurbishment project.”

Both The Park and the March Street Mills were purchased in the late 18th century. Henry Ballantyne bought The Park, whilst the March Street Mills was established by Henry’s brother David Ballantyne in 1884, and remained a fixture of the Borders textile industry until it unfortunately failed to find a buyer last summer.

Jen Thomson, Chef Patron at The Park, added: “It’s been a hugely exciting time for the team here at The Park, and we can’t wait to show-off our new bakery and beef inspired menus.

“With an emphasis on great food, sourced in part from local suppliers, we’ve created a relaxed atmosphere with lots of places for customers to get comfy and enjoy our new upcycled look and feel.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming many people through our doors, both from the local area and further afield, to enjoy the new surroundings and sample our food.”

Rural transport challenges in the Cheviot area will be tackled at an event at Jedburgh Grammar School on Tuesday, June 7, organised by the Community Planning Partnership’s Strategic Transport Board.

Rural transport can be a problem for residents, from children unable to access after-school clubs to people unable to take up jobs or apprenticeships because they cannot get to or from the place of work on time.

Speakers will include Lyndsay S Wilson from the British Red Cross who will discuss the Borders Community Transport Network Hub and Richard Armitage, an independent transport consultant.

Councillor Gordon Edgar, SBC’s Executive Member for Roads and Infrastructure, said: “Innovative ideas are needed to tackle this issue in the Cheviot area, with public transport simply unable to meet everyone’s needs.”

The event at Jedburgh Grammar School takes place from 9am to 1pm on Tuesday 7 June. Booking is essential and lunch will be provided.

Anyone interested in attending this event but unable to get to the location by their own means can request a lift when they book.

Visit www.scotborders.gov.uk/cheviottransport for details and to book a place.

Three Borders General Hospital workers have been reaching for the sky in aid of charity.

Samantha Moffat, Skye Brown and Katrina Lennon, all domestics at the Melrose hospital, have raised almost £1,500 for its charity the Difference by doing a skydive at Peterlee Parachuting at Shotton Colliery in County Durham.

Samantha, 24, of Hawick; Skye, 20, of Selkirk; and Katrina, also 20, of Tweedbank, were joined on the 10,000ft jump by their friend Jamie Ritson, 23, of Hawick, a worker at Selkirk’s HGS call centre.

“My hat came off and our instructor caught it with his mouth after we had jumped into thin air,” said Samantha. “It was completely amazing.”

The four friends were inspired to undertake the skydive by the plight of another pal currently battling cancer, Elaine Stevens, a former colleague of Samantha’s at Hawick Care Company.

A mural created by a group of Peebles High School students has been given pride of place in the office of Scottish Borders Council’s Convener, Councillor Graham Garvie at Council headquarters in Newtown St Boswells.

Border Life is the result of a collaborative project between 12 students working within the school’s art and design department, thoughtfully designed to represent the rich heritage of the Borders and its people.

The mural embraces some of the area’s most recognisable and ancient buildings such as Traquair House, Melrose Abbey and Abbotsford while images of the ride-outs stretching across the bottom reflect the region’s distinctive local culture. The exciting return of the rail link to Edinburgh is also depicted.

The artwork was created using mixed media, such as acrylic paint, inks, photo transfers and tartan textiles. The vibrant colours used were chosen to signify the ever changing hues of the Borders’ rolling landscape through the seasons.

Pupils involved in the project were Niamh Shaw, Rosie Donnelly, Lauren Watson, Anita Halliwell, Grace Blissitt, Ruaridh Brunton, Maisie Farrer, Rachael Gemmell, Daragh Ramage, Martha O’Donnell, Kirsten Rodwell and Lily Carvalho. They were supported by art teacher, Mary Tweedie.

Niamh Shaw said: “It was quite a journey to get it to this point but it is lovely to see it on display in such an important setting. It was started by another group of pupils so in the beginning we only had some line drawings to give us an idea of what they were trying to achieve. However, as more people became involved and brought their ideas and skills to the project, we started to get a better sense of what it was going to look like and realised it could actually turn out to be something quite special. Seeing it here today makes all our hard work and commitment worth it.”

The mural was presented to Councillor Garvie at an unveiling ceremony on 13 May. He said: “When I first moved into this office, I knew it needed some artwork on the walls. I began with a more traditional picture that I obtained from the Tweeddale Museum but really wanted something innovative and original that would showcase this wonderful region of Scotland that is the Scottish Borders. I approached Peebles High as my local high school but know that any of our other eight senior schools would have done an equally impressive job.

“What has been unveiled has exceeded all my expectations and everyone who has contributed should be extremely proud of the vision, creativity and hard work that has gone in making this outstanding mural, very aptly named Border Life. I have no doubt that it will be greatly admired by the many and varied visitors who come to this office and is certainly a legacy which I will be delighted to pass on to my successors in due course.”

Recently re-elected MSP John Lamont has welcomed news today that the UK Government views the extension of the Borders Rail to Hawick and on to Carlisle as a “realistic prospect.”

Speaking in Edinburgh today, David Mundell MP, Secretary of State for Scotland said everyone was “of a mind” that the line should go on to Carlisle and pledged to work closely with the Scottish Government on a feasibility study.

Hawick MSP John Lamont has welcomed the news and pledged to work closely with both the UK and Scottish Governments to ensure that the work to look at the effects of extending the railway is done quickly and accurately.

John Lamont MSP said: “Any extension of the railway onto Carlisle will require close cooperation between the UK and Scottish Governments and so this is a very welcome intervention from David Mundell MP.

“The extension of the railway has the potential to really benefit Hawick at a time when the town is struggling to attract investment and retain jobs.

“I am very supportive of extending the railway to Hawick and onto Carlisle, but it is really important that we properly explore the effects this may have on the Borders to ensure we get maximum return for the investment.

“We also need to do more to ensure that the transport system for the current railway and any extension is properly integrated so that everyone from the Borders reaps the benefit of this investment.

“I look forward to working with both Governments in Westminster and Holyrood to ensure this work is carried out as quickly as possible.”

Cleaning and detergent manufacturer RP Adam Ltd (Arpal Group) has opened a new £100,000 UK powder production plant at its manufacturing base in Selkirk.

The new facility has been designed to meet a growing demand for powdered detergent across the UK, and will initially handle 400,000 kilos of product per year, aiming to exceed the one million kilo mark by 2020.

The investment forms part of a wider £400,000 plant improvement and expansion programme delivered by RP Adam in 2016 which has included a major expansion of the factory and warehouse facilities, resulting in a 40 per-cent increase in storage capacity at the Selkirk site in line with increased business growth.

Martin Carroll, Group Technical Director at RP Adam said: “Our new in-house production plant has taken two years of planning, testing and implementation and now brings a new dimension to our UK manufacturing base. It will allow us to treble our production capacity of powder over the next five years, as well as giving us a security of supply of a product for which we have seen a steady increase in demand in recent years, especially across the UK healthcare and catering market.

“RP Adam is best known for its liquid detergents, but this strategic investment means we can now handle almost any pack size and any volume required - whether it is liquid or powder.”

RP Adam is set to use its new facility to capitalise on the to-own-label (TOL) market, as a complement its branded offering. For commercial kitchens, this includes tannin removing destainer, powder degreaser, heavy-duty de-carboniser, dish wash powder and a sanitising powder. For the licenced trade, there is a glass renovating powder and, for the on-premises laundry market, a range of laundry powder detergents and stain removal products.

A fourth-generation family-owned company, RP Adam is a leading manufacturer of cleaning and disinfection products which this year celebrates its 125th year in business. The company services customers across the UK as well as operating successful subsidiaries across the Middle East

The company currently employs nearly 100 people across the UK, and the Selkirk plant expansion comes as UK production volumes increase to match year-on-year sales growth. The 2014/15 financial year saw the manufacturing volume at Selkirk rise by 11 per-cent, and this year volumes are set to increase by a further 13 per-cent.

The recent expansion at Selkirk plant is a major part of RP Adam’s five year investment and growth programme, launched to mark the anniversary, which sets out a £20 million turnover target to be reached by 2020.

Group Sales & Marketing Director Max Adam, the fourth-generation Adam to be involved in the business added: “This is an exciting time for the company and this new investment at our factory further emphasises our desire to increase our manufacturing and logistics capabilities to match current and future growth.”

“The Group’s general UK and overseas production volumes have increased significantly year-on-year, with our manufacturing volume at Selkirk rising by 25% over a two-year period. Our business interests in the Middle East have also had a positive impact with production volumes up by 32% in the last three years.

“This means we can take a much broader view of strategic investment over the longer-term - especially in those key areas which can have a positive impact on our production capabilities.”

The Tweed Forum, who has looked after the River Tweed for the past 25 years, is celebrating its silver anniversary by introducing a special River Champion Award.

Over that time it has been responsible for the protection and enhancement of the River Tweed’s 5,000sqkm catchment area, working with farmers, foresters, landowners, ghillies and public and private sector bodies on both sides of the border.

This partnership approach has led to the planting of over 300,000 trees, created over 120 ponds and wetlands, enhanced around 300 km of river, restored over 20 listed buildings and scheduled ancient monuments and enabled the management over 10,000 hectares of woodland, wetland and heather moorland.

The benefits include cleaner, fresher water, an enhanced landscape, increased resilience against extreme events such as flooding and drought, the protection and enhancement of fish stocks, the capture and storage of greenhouse gases and increased tourism and recreation opportunities.

Tweed Forum’s partnership approach to the management of the river led to UNESCO recognition in 2009, the receipt of the first UK Rivers Prize in 2015, and invitations from across the world to explain how the partnership works in practice.

The new River Champion Award aims to showcase the diversity of ways that people are working to preserve one of the country’s most precious assets and reward an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the cause.

Luke Comins, director of Tweed Forum said: “The protection and enhancement of the Tweed’s land and waters relies on the collective efforts of a large and diverse range of people, all of whom share our aims and aspirations to conserve, enhance and raise awareness of the natural, built and cultural heritage of the Tweed.

“Our new Tweed Forum River Champion Award is an opportunity for us to recognise the often unsung role they play. We will be inviting applications for the award in the coming months and announcing the winner towards the end of this, our special anniversary year.”

The Tweed Forum began in 1991 when the River Purification Board, Tweed Commissioner and Nature Conservancy Council met to discuss a single issue – removal of gravel in a river channel. Today it is a major player, advising government and environmental agencies on the implications of policies to improve wetland environments and to sustain farming.

James Hepburne Scott, chairman of Tweed Forum said; “An organisation formed to solve a single problem 25 years ago has grown to be one of the most recognised river trusts, not just in the UK, but globally.”

The world-famous Edinburgh Film Festival is ready to celebrate its 70th anniversary this year- and films with Borders connections will open and close the proceedings.

The Opening Night Gala on June 15 will be the world premiere of Jason Connery’s golf drama Tommy’s Honour, starring former Earlston High School pupil Jack Lowden (who recently featured in the BBC’ s adaptation of War and Peace) alongside Peter Mullan as the pioneering father and son duo Old Tom and Young Tommy Morris.

Filming for scenes took place in Peebles last year, with several shops in the Northgate and Bridgegate forming part of the set.

Lowden is making the move into feature films after impressing in TV and on stage, in producitions of Black Watch and Ibsen’s Ghosts, for which he won an Olivier Award.

The prestigious festival will close with more scenes shot in the Borders, this time from the coast.

The final film is Whisky Galore! a remake of the black and white classic, which shot some harbour scenes in the village of St Abbs.

Despite a cold north wind keeping temperatures down at the weekend, the sun shone and it was pleasant to be out and about.

My usual Ettrick riverside ramble is full of interest at the moment with almost too much to take in. All six warbler species usually encountered were singing their heads off and I am still struggling to tell the difference between garden warbler and blackcap by sound only. These are the only two species I really find difficult to separate by song, despite years of trying.

The tree leaves are now partially open and it is becoming harder to see the arboreal birds, but watching the river birds suffers no such impediment.

I like to find a nice comfy seat, partially hidden, with good views up and downstream and sit quietly to see what comes along. With the likes of waders, such as common sandpiper and oystercatcher, you will hear them long before you see them, their strident calls preceding their arrival. At least two pairs of oystercatcher have chosen to nest on huge shingle banks thrown up by winter floods and are quietly incubating eggs.

Amongst the partially submerged stones at the water’s edge, both pied and grey wagtails busily search for aquatic insects and hatching mayflies.

I even watched a pair of robins flying out from riverside rocks to hawk for flies above the river – behaviour I have never witnessed before.

A pair of dippers obviously has a nest near the new hydro-electric turbines on the cauld, as I often see one of the birds using a girder at the head of the fish ladder as a staging post.

On the water itself is the odd mallard drake, temporarily redundant while the female raises her brood and the usual occasional goosanders, swimming with their heads underwater, looking for unsuspecting fish to grab with their serrated bills.

There’s nothing more relaxing than sitting on a riverbank in May, with the sun on your back, watching the comings and goings.

A veteran from Galashiels was awarded the French Legion of Honour in a ceremony in his home town on Monday.

John Webster – known to all as Jackie – received the award from Emeline Javierre, the vice consul to France in Edinburgh, for his service during the Second World War.

Ninety-six-year-old Jackie and fellow 6th Battallion Kings Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB) veteran George Coltman (95) – whose application for the Legion of Honour is currently being processed – laid a wreath to their fallen comrades at the town’s war memorial before the presentation and lunch in Quins restaurant.

Two years ago, on the 70th anniversary of D-Day, French President Francois Hollande declared that the medal would be awarded to those British soldiers who helped in the liberation of France from the Nazi regime.

Mme. Javierre, who travelled from Edinburgh to pin the medal onto Jackie’s lapel, said: “The Légion d’honneur was established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte and it is the highest French award for military and civil merits.

“France will never forget the gallantry and bravery veterans showed when taking part in the liberation 72 years ago.

“This ceremony today is not only an expression of our gratitude to men who were ready to give their lives, it is also a message to each of us that we in Europe shall never forget what they did.

“It is a real honour for me today to present John Webster with the Legion of Honour.”

Jackie was in the Territorial Army before the war, and after that he and his brother signed up and joined 6KOSB – which took part in the Normandy landings on ‘D-Day plus six’ as part of the 44th Brigade in the 15th (Scottish) Division in June 1944, and saw action at the Battle for Caen later that month before progressing through France, Belgium, and Holland into northern Germany as the war ended.

Jackie and his wife Mae attended the presentation with their three children John, Dave and Lesley. The couple also have seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Asked how it felt to be receiving the award, Jackie said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. George and I were in the same unit ... but it was all such a long time ago.

“But it’s really good to be here and meet all these people.”

Eldest son John, 63, said: “We are hugely proud that dad is being given this award from the French people.

“We are extremely honoured that Emeline came down today to present him with the Légion d’honneur.

“And we are indebted to Michael Hall and the 6th Battallion Reunion Club for allowing this to happen.

“My dad said the award is for the whole of the battallion who fought through France ... he and George just happen to be the only ones left alive here.”

A Borders primary school is celebrating after being recognised for respecting and learning about childrens’ rights.

Priorsford Primary pupils join those of only 50 other Scottish schools with a Level 2 Rights Respecting School Award by UNICEF UK.

Unicef is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. A Rights Respecting School (RRS) is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted. Level 2 is the highest level of the award and is granted to schools that have fully embedded children’s rights throughout the school in its policies, practice and ethos.

There are only 50 schools in Scotland that have received the Level 2 Award and Priorsford is the first school in the Borders to achieve the recognition.

The award was presented by Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, Tam Baillie who travelled from Edinburgh to make the presentation.

Speaking after the presentation, Rights Respecting group member and Priorsford pupil, Keith Kitching (P7) said: “Being a RRS makes us more proud of our school because everyone talks together a lot more and we can discuss things so our behaviour and attitudes have really improved.”

Fellow group member and P7 pupil Erin Little added: “It gives us more freedom in what we want to do because we know about all the rights we have. It has also made us understand the worth of things a bit better, especially our rights and how they help us, and we now recognise that there are others who may not get their rights and it’s unfair.”

Councillor Iain Gillespie, Children’s Champion for Scottish Borders Council said: “Many congratulations to Priorsford on being awarded the Level 2 Rights Respecting Schools Award which is extremely well deserved. Children’s Rights underpin all the work that is carried out at Priorsford. This helps promote a respectful safe and challenging ethos that is reflected in the positive relationships to be found right across the school community.”

In his report, Gerry McMurtrie, Senior Professional Advisor for the Rights Respecting Schools Awards commented on the school’s commitment to children’s rights, the confident, respectful pupils and the supportive parent network.

The school will now continue promoting rights and encouraging children to be active Global Citizens as well as being an ambassador for children’s rights, supporting other schools in their ambition to become rights respecting.

Police have charged two teenage boys following an act of wilful fireraising in Peebles.

Around 1.30pm on Saturday, May 14, cardboard and other combustible materials were set alight in the Alexander Lucas Stand at Whitestone Park.

PC Barry Taylor of Peebles said: “This was an extremely disrespectful act which risked the safety of everyone within the grounds.

“I want to thank the public for their support during our enquiries and reassure the local community that behaviour such as this will not be tolerated.”

Local Senior Officer David Farries of the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service said: “Deliberately set fires are dangerous; they waste time and money, and keep our crews away from real emergencies.

“Those who start these fires deliberately are not only wasting time and resources, they must remember it could be someone they know who may be in serious danger elsewhere, but firefighters have been delayed due to their actions.

“Whether the reason for starting fires deliberately is boredom, bravado or wanting to see the fire engine go past with its lights on, it doesn’t matter, their actions could ultimately put lives in danger.”

The 13 and 14-year-old will be reported Children’s Reporter.

More than 1,500 Primary 5 school children from across the Scottish Borders learned about how their food was produced on farms, and why agriculture is a great future career at the Border Union Agricultural Society country education day in Kelso.

The fourth annual schools day to be held at the showground for Primary 5 pupils was sponsored this year by Bayer Crop Science.

Border Union Agricultural Society chairman Douglas Stephen said: ‘It’s really important that companies such as Bayer are here to support the good work that the Border Union Agricultural Society is doing and we are pleased that they have become one of our key sponsors.

“The fourth annual schools day will mark in excess of 5,000 school kids through our gates for this event which is the first of its kind to run in Scotland and is now a core event in the societies’ calendar. It is quite remarkable.’

The day was hailed again as a success.

Kerry Barr, the NFU Scotland Regional Manager for the Lothians and Borders, Tweeted: “Another great Schools’ Countryside Day. Well done all organisers & exhibitors. Great to see kids learning about the countryside!”

Helping promote agriculture as a career of choice, and reconnecting children with how food is produced are key goals within the Bayer Agricultural Educational Programme, said Alice Turnbull, who helped organise Bayer’s participation.

“This was a fantastic opportunity to talk to children about the importance of the countryside around them, and to their teachers about the huge variety of career opportunities that the wider agricultural industry is able to offer.

“Too often we hear people talking about agriculture as a career of last resort. But today’s farmers need to be businessmen, engineers, IT experts, agronomists or animal scientists.

“Tomorrow’s future farmers will need all of those skills plus more – it’s a job for skilled, talented young men and women, with drive, determination and passion.”

Neil Thomson, Bayer’s commercial technical manager in the region, said it was great to see a lot of excited but inquisitive children getting to know more about agriculture and farming.

“The next generation has such an important role in helping to produce the food that will feed an ever growing population.

“We also need people that can help farmers do that, whether it is through advice, machinery or agronomic innovations, or, for example through plant and agricultural research.

“To feed 9 billion people by 2050, we will need bright, innovative people to shape our agriculture in the future.

“Hopefully some of these children will have been inspired to follow this career path.”

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Parish church

Pentecost Sunday was celebrated when the service was conducted by the Reverend Elspeth Harley. The Bible reading was delivered by Catriona Bird, and music played by Margaret Blyth and Anne Grieve. Sunday also marked the church census and the kirk session was reminded of the session meeting on May 26. As this is Christian Aid Week, collectors will be making the usual visits.

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Wine and cheese

Darnick Village Trust (DVT) held a wine and cheese evening in the Smith Memorial Hall last Thursday. Almost 40 local residents gathered to combine a little business coupled with an enjoyable social event. Additionally, those present were able to see the recent upgrading to the premises carried out by hall trustees. The business focused on seeking approval to convert the existing organisation to a new format and structure known as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). This was approved unanimously and an application will now be made to the Scottish Charity Regulator for approval. One of the aims of the new organisation will be to promote social activity within the village, along with advancing education, the arts, heritage, science and environmental protection. The social aspect of the occasion provided an opportunity for residents old and new to have a chat, while enjoying a selection of Fairtrade wines supplied by the Melrose Co-op, tasty seaweed and plain oatcakes (Breadworks of Tweedbank), and also a variety of cheeses (Melrose Country Kitchen Deli, who also donated a tin of shortbread for the raffle). The raffle also included prizes given by the DVT directors, featuring a bottle of malt whisky and a meal for six in the Darnick Pop–up Restaurant. The May draw for the 100 club was made and those present had the opportunity to sign-up for the regular “E – What’s on Newsletter” that advertises future village events.

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Flower arranging

In conjunction with the annual flower show, a flower-arranging workshop will be held in the village hall on Wednesday, May 25, at 7pm. Anyone interested should come along with some flowers and a container.

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Lunch club

Members enjoyed a game of indoor golf, Anne Thomson emerging the winner. After the meal, John Burns spoke about his time as a flying doctor. Another gathering began with a game of bingo, followed by a hilarious quiz with Harry after lunch.

Parish church

The Vocal Zone Concert on Saturday, May 21, is in the church at 7.30pm. Donations at the door and proceeds will go to Christian Aid. Refreshments will be served after the concert. The service on Sunday, May 22, at 10.15am will be conducted by the Reverend Julie Woods.

Women’s group

Saturday, May 28, sees the outing to the mining museum. Members will leave from The Square at 1.45pm.

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SWI

At the open evening on May 11, members entertained an appreciative audience to readings of poems by Pam Ayres. During supper guests were encouraged to write a limerick and take part in a quiz. The next meeting will be an outing by rail to the National Mining Museum at Newtongrange on June 8 – contact 01835 863625 for details.

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Probus

Elaine Henderson was guest speaker last Thursday when her subject was ‘Managing Stress’. She explained that she was a driven type of person and had enjoyed success in athletics, going on to a career in banking before starting her own motivational business – Border Hypnotherapy Centre – where she has a team of four providing personal and corporate hypnotherapy, and mindfulness techniques to assist people in dealing with their problems and helping to achieve their goals in life. They provide this both locally and all over Scotland. Elaine’s talk was thought-provoking and gave rise to many questions from members to clarify some of the principles and methodology behind her techniques. She was accorded a warm vote of thanks by Murray Thom. The final meeting of the club before the summer break is on Thursday, May 26, at the Kingsknowes Hotel when Derek Phillips’ subject will be the American Civil War.

Trinity Church

Sunday was Pentecost Sunday and the service was taken by minister Elspeth Harley. Dorothy Howden led music and Bill Cheyne read the lessons. Sunday was also Church Census Day and congregation members were given a form to fill in. This census is for all denominations and every one of the 4,000 local churches in Scotland has been invited to take part. It will measure

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trends in churchgoing, and also explore certain factors which are thought to lie behind some of the recent changes in churchgoing patterns. This is Christian Aid Week and there will be house-to-house collections during the week with a joint guild coffee morning in Trinity Church hall on Saturday morning, from 10am to noon.

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Whist

Whist drive prize winners – ladies – 1, Betty Fleming; 2, Sandra Jeffrey; 3, Hannah Wilson; booby, Chrissy Paterson; gents – 1, Sheena Nelson; 2, Ralph Ramskir; 3, George Amos; booby, Angus Cameron. Bingo, Christine Ballantyne. Sweep, Ella Young, Betty Fleming and Mrs Amos.

Lunch club

The latest gathering of the Wednesday lunch club was very busy and went well – with the exception of a slight mishap with a pan of carrot and coriander.

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Probus

Gordon Webber, events manager for the Wilton Lodge Park Regeneration Project, gave an enlighting talk on the current position of the venture. With his assistant, Lisa Brydon, they are at the half-way stage with the bandstand finished and the walled garden well advanced. There will be no catering or toilet facilities in the park this year as, along with the planned new wooden bridge, they are all in the second phase. There is a new section in the museum featuring the history of Wilton Lodge. Giles Passmore gave a vote of thanks.

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Games committee

There will be a meeting of St Ronan’s Border Games committee to be held on Wednesday, May 25, in the council chamber, Memorial Hall, at 7pm.

Photo plea

If anyone has any photographs of Games Week 1966 – for use in this year’s programme – please contact Keith Belleville on 07775 557156 or email KJBelleville@aol.com. Organisers are particularly looking for pictures of Sash Girls and the Standard Bearer.

Ball tickets

The Standard Bearer’s Ball will take place on Saturday, July 9, in the marquee at St Ronan’s School. Tickets will be on sale at 8am on Saturday, May 28, from The Foresters, Wells Brae, at £35 per person. Payment must be made in full on the day.

Service

There will be a short service held in the Hall of Friendship, starting at 9am on May 22.

Fun day

Innerleithen Family Fun Day will take place on Sunday, May 29, from 1-5pm at St Ronan’s School. There will be a car boot sale and anyone who would like to book a place, or any local organisation wishes to have a stall, call 07775 557156 or email KJBelleville@aol.com.

Carnival

St Ronan’s Primary School will hold a new summer event – the Road to Rio Carnival – at the school on Thursday, June 9, from 6-8.pm.

Plant sale

Innerleithen Civic Association will hold its annual plant sale in the forecourt of the Memorial Hall in Leithen Road, from 7am till noon, on Saturday, May 21. The proceeds from the event will go towards this year’s Innerleithen Christmas lights.

kelso

Concert

On Sunday, May 22, Roxburgh Singers will perform Haydn’s Creation in St Andrew’s Church (7.30pm) in aid of Borders community radio station TD1. Conductor is Marion Dodd and soloists include Jim Letham, conductor of the Abbey Consort. A Melrose audience will be treated to the same concert the previous day.

Bridge club

May 11 – match-pointed pairs – N/S – 1, Val Johnstone & Mary Millar; 2, Dominic & Diana Alkin; 3, Alex Jeffrey & Vanessa Wilson; E/W – 1, Maureen Weightman & Helen Long; 2, Elinor Green & Caroline Sutherland; 3, (equal), Ian & Eliz Ross, Miles Browne & John Urquhart. May 12 – aggregate pairs – N/S – 1, Dominic & Diana Alkin; 2, Lesley Dick & Lynda Douglas; 3, John Urquhart & Vanessa Wilson; E/W – 1, Mary & Nigel Lindsay; 2, Brian Saywood & Sheila Urquhart; 3, Jean Henry & Myra Thomson.

Langholm

Awards

Hamish Odinson, of Half-Goat Leatherwork, based at Rowanburn a few miles from the town, has added to his list of achievements by winning another regional award. He was named young entrepreneur at the Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of Commerce awards in Dumfries. Hamish turned his passion for leatherwork into a business. Last year he received the champion young entrepreneur award at the Business Gateway Plus awards and another for most effective networker.

Boys’ night

Cornet Jamie Fletcher completed his final duty when presenting prizes at the Castle Craigs Boys’ Night in the Crown Hotel, accompanied by his Right and Left-Hand Men, Dale Irving and Alasdair Cavers. The function was attended by around 40 boys and the quiz for the R.E. Borthwick Shield was won again by Ryan Johnstone, with Hughie Donaldson second and Danny Tait was third. Winner of design a tie in the seven-and-under section was Caleb Maule, with Robin Graham and Jack Hotson runner-up and third respectively. Victorious in the nine-and-unders was Callum Ritchie, with Ryan Wood second and Danny Hotson third. Danny Hotson won the prize for best-dressed boy.

Rowing

Olympic rowing champion Kat Copeland, who has relatives in the town, and partner in the lightweight women’s double skulls, Charlotte Taylor, failed to make the ‘A’ final at the European Championships in Brandenburg, Germany. The pair are aiming to make the grade for the Rio Olympics and the next chance will be at the world cup at Lucerne at the end of the month.

lauder

Church

Worship was held last Sunday at Channelkirk and Lauder. Both services were led by the Reverend Rae Clark, who will also take charge at services on Sunday, May 22, at Channelkirk (10am) and Lauder (11.30am). The Christian Aid Week door-to-door collections continue until Sunday, May 22.

melrose

Trimontium

One old museum joke is that people come in when it’s raining. But earlier this month, in the sunny weather, one visitor said he had come in to get out of the heat. The 1st-2nd century hoard from Synton and the 3rd century hoard from Kippilaw, near Bowden, on loan from the National Museums, are main attractions. Last week was special in that three further volunteers were inducted into the museum staff to ease the rota situation. The organisers are grateful that people are willing to do their bit for this aspect of local history, which spreads the load and eases the preparation for the possible museum extension. The business plan for this is being drawn up by the trustees for submission to the Heritage Lottery Fund next month.

Parish church

It was sunshine all the way for the congregations at Bowden and Melrose where the theme was the Jewish Harvest Festival, or Pentecost. Activities – Saturday, May 21 – Roxburgh Singers’ “The Creation”, 7.30pm, £10 (for TD1 Radio); Vocal Zone concert, Earlston Parish Church, 7.30pm, entry by donation to Christian Aid; Monday, May 23, church magazine deadline.

Eildon Singers

The spring concert last Sunday was a melodious balance of choral songs, a small mass by Haydn, pieces by Mendelssohn and Gounod, fine instrumental playing by a string quintet, with James Letham at the keyboard, and Melrose’s own splendid soprano soloist, Claire Taylor. The enjoyable atmosphere for audience and musicians alike was due in no small measure to the hard work and ingenuity of conductor James Young who is bringing out the best in the voices under his leadership.

Morebattle

Coffee morning

The coffee morning in aid of Blood Bikes realised the sum of £342. Competition winners – hamper, Linda Tap; magnum of champagne, Linda Fox; second champagne prize, Marie France Taylor; lucky number for dog soft toy, Linda Fox; 50/50 draw, Linda Fox; sweets, Chang.

SWI

Mary Pringle, president, welcomed Fiona Dumma from Selkirk. She brought along examples of her craftwork and told many stories of connections with the materials she had used in producing her work. Then the members had a hands-on demonstration of decoupage, pompom-making, etc. Catherine Mabon gave an appreciative vote of thanks. Competitions: Hand-made bookmark – 1, Brenda Dixon, 2, Nancy Anderson, 3, Margaret Blackmore; Covered coathanger – 1, Marie France Taylor, 2, Margaret Blackmore, 3, Nancy Anderson. Lucky syllabus winner – Nettie Fleming.

Cheviot Churches

One only morning service on Sunday, May 22 – at Shotton Farm at 11am to celebrate the Harvest of the Lambs.

St Boswells

SWI

Members enjoyed a workshop led by Lesley Rosher, of Beadilicious, Kelso. The ladies were introduced to beadwork by being invited to make a bracelet. Competitions: Piece of jewellery using buttons – 1, Elaine Reid, 2, Wilma Morris; Idea for a show schedule – 1, Marilyn McCall, 2, Jean Blackwood, 3, Rose Cameron. The June meeting is the summer outing. The annual St Boswells SWI whist drive will be held on Friday, May 27, at 7.30pm in the village hall, all are welcome.

Traquair

Service

There will be a service to mark the bicentenary of the communion goblets in Traquair Kirk at 10.30am on Sunday, May 22.

Walkerburn

Service

The next service in Walkerburn Public Hall will be on Sunday, May 29, at 10am.

Last weekend, the Saturday Polish School based in Hawick held an open day – and for the third year invited the Polish community, as well as Scottish friends and supporters.

The event was an opportunity for six local councillors to pay a visit, including Provost Stuart Marshall, Watson McAteer, Sandy Aitchison, John Greenwell, John Mitchell and Ron Smith.

Provost Marshall said: “I was delighted to attend the Polish project at Hawick High School on Saturday morning to see first hand the excellent work that is being done to teach the many Polish children within my ward. It is quite clear that in order to continue with this important initiative we must do all we can to look at increasing financial support.

“It was great to meet many of the parents and I thought that the entire event was a complete success.”

Councillor Aitchison added: “It was wonderful to see the community encouraging their children to remember, enjoy and be proud of their own culture, which is rich in history, music, art and architecture.

“This will, along with the other communities who now live together with us, enrich our own Borders lives.”

The approximately 60-children-strong school is going to grow again in September as many new parents came to the open day and asked for enrolment forms.

Kasia Gajewska-Devlin, project co-ordinator, said: “The Polish School started with 32 children three years ago – now we work with nearly 60.”

The event allowed a visit to each class during lesson time, followed by open activities, a Poland quiz for adults, Polish cake stalls, and an opportunity to chat to children, parents and staff.

An estimated 100 people turned up on the day to the event held at Hawick High School, where the project is based.

The Polish School offers services to children from all over the Borders, with many travelling from Galashiels, Kelso and Jedburgh to attend lessons in their heritage language.

Councillor Greenwell said: “As the equalities and diversity champion at Scottish Borders Council, it gave me great pleasure to attend the Polish Saturday School in Hawick. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, especially sitting in on the speech therapy lesson.”

He added: “SBC’s engagement with this very worthwhile cause will allow parents and children to understand what services are available to them and help ensure their quality of life due to possible language barriers is no less than anyone else living in the Borders.”

A Rangers fan has become the first passenger on the new Borders Railway to be convicted of a criminal offence after admitting singing sectarian songs.

John Johnstone was shouting and swearing and making offensive remarks towards the conductor after being involved in an angry exchange with two Hibs supporters getting off the train.

The 43-year-old, of Eildon Road, Hawick, and his friends refused to desist, and eventually police were called and were waiting for him when the train arrived in Galashiels on Saturday, January 30.

Prosecutor Tessa Bradley told Selkirk Sheriff Court: “The accused was sitting on the 21.56 service from Edinburgh to Tweedbank with three other males.

“When the train stopped at Eskbank, two other males were getting off, and one of them made a comment about a Rangers logo someone was wearing. At this point, Johnstone and one of his friends became rowdy by shouting and swearing, being particularly offensive and singing sectarian songs.”

Ms Bradley went on: “The conductor came along and asked them to calm down, but they refused to stop, particularly Johnstone, who continued to sing songs and being abusive, using swear words and saying ‘he is a f*****g Tim’, possibly directed towards the conductor.

“This caused distress to other passengers in the carriage.

“The conductor and another gentleman had a discussion about the behaviour and whether the police should be called. During this, Johnstone took a photo of the other passenger.

“The British Transport Police were contacted, but they did not have the resources to get there. As a result, police officers met the train at Galashiels when it arrived at 22.49.”

Defence lawyer Ed Hulme said Johnstone, two friends and his 15-year-old son had been returning from the Rangers v Falkirk game at Ibrox, which the home side won 1-0.

He claimed it was the two Hibs fans who started the angry exchange, with “unfortunate consequences”.

Mr Hulme added: “He has been attending Rangers games since he was 15 years old and recently attended the Old Firm game without any difficulties.”

Sheriff Derrick McIntyre was told that Johnstone was unfit for work as he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as well as anxiety and depression. He relies onemployment support allowance and disability living allowance for income.

Sheriff McIntyre fined him £200, pointing out this was a serious matter as it was an aggravated offence.

A not-guilty plea from Deryk Fox, 40, of Lorraine Court, Camberley, Sussex, to the same charge was accepted by the Crown.

SHOPLIFTERS FACING JAIL

A man and woman from Galashiels who walked out of a Kelso supermarket with a trolley packed with goods without paying have been warned they face the prospect of a custodial sentence.

Kirsty Ritchie, 30, of St Andrew Street, and David Jeffrey, 36, of Laidlaw Court, had pre-planned the theft at Sainsbury’s on January 13.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told the couple had been speaking beforehand about going to the store to fill a trolley full of items and leave without paying.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said that was exactly what they did, filling the trolley with bedding, flowers and other goods, adding: “They set off a security alarm on leaving the store, but that did not alert staff.”

However, the police later received information about the incident from a member of the public, and the store’s CCTV was checked.

Ritchie estimated the goods in the trolley would have been to the value of around £300.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said it was a serious matter and warned the pair they faced going to jail. He called for background reports, and sentence was deferred until June 13.

FAN RED-CARDED FROM THE ROAD

A water engineer who drove home after watching an Old Firm football match in a pub was almost five times the legal alcohol limit, Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard.

Former soldier Steven Turnbull pleaded guilty to driving with a breath-alcohol count of 104 microgrammes, the legal limit being 22.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said the 33-year-old had watched the Rangers v Celtic game on television and then driven the short distance back to his home in Stonefield Place, Hawick, on the evening of April 17. But on the way, he collided with a parked vehicle and his car spun around, blocking the road in both directions.

Witnesses said Turnbull appeared to be stunned and unsteady on his feet.

There was extensive damage to both vehicles.

His solicitor, Ross Dow, said Turnbull faced the prospect of losing his job as a result of the conviction, adding: “His intention was to pick up the car the next again day, but he stupidly took a chance.”

Turnbull was fined £300 and banned from the road for 18 months.

NEIGHBOUR COMPENSATED

A Hawick man involved in a domestic bust-up with his partner has been fined £100 and ordered to pay £75 compensation to an elderly neighbour who was disturbed by the noise during the early hours of the morning.

Catalin Pantea, 24, pleaded guilty to a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner in Coopers Bar, Hawick, and at his home in Princes Street by acting in an aggressive manner towards his partner and struggling with her on March 6.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser told Jedburgh Sheriff Court that the couple had been together for six months and had been at Coopers Bar the previous night where they had an argument and were involved in a struggle.

He said: “The argument brewed up again at around 1.30am. He pushed his partner onto a bed on a number of occasions.

“A 78-year-old neighbour was woken up by the noise.

“This is not something which just affects them.

“The 78-year-old woman phoned the police because she was scared and was worried someone was at risk.”

INNERLEITHEN RAID CHARGE

A 20-year-old man was remanded in custody after being accused of taking part in a raid on an Innerleithen convenience store at the weekend.

Marques Munro, 20, is charged with assault and robbery following an incident at Caddon Court Mini Market on Saturday. He made no plea or declaration during a brief private hearing at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, and the case was continued for further examination.

Munro, from the Bulwell area of Nottingham, is expected to appear in court again next Tuesday.

A family feud resulted in an Ashkirk motorist being caught at the wheel while more than three times the legal alcohol limit.

Norman Bell, 55, pleaded guilty to driving with a breath-alcohol count of 74 microgrammes, the legal limit being 22, on a C-road in Ashkirk and the A7.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told that Bell shared the same driveway as a house occupied by his brother Nigel and his family.

Prosecutor Tessa Bradley explained there had been family difficulties between the two brothers. She said that on the day of the offence Bell had left his car in the driveway, blocking access, after driving to Hawick earlier.

When the brother went to Bell’s home to ask him to move the vehicle, it was apparent he had been drinking, was slurring his speech and unsteady on his feet. An argument developed between the pair, and Nigel Bell called the police.

A check on his CCTV showed Norman Bell driving at 1.05pm before returning to the property 12 minutes later, and then leaving his car on the driveway.

Norman Bell’s lawyer said he had left the car on the driveway as it had been snowing and it might have been difficult to move.

Sheriff Derrick McIntyre banned Norman Bell from driving for 12 months and imposed a £300 fine.

SENTENCE DEFERRED

A drugs search of a Hawick house found that the electricity meter had been bypassed.

Danielle Lazzari, 25, pleaded guilty to stealing £788 worth of electricity from her then home at Chay Blyth Place on June 30 last year. Cannabis and a class-C drug were also found during a search of the property.

Sentence had previously been deferred for nine months for good behaviour and to allow Lazzari to continue repaying the money back to the electricity supplier.

Sentence was deferred until June 27 for vouching to be produced showing that she was repaying the cash.

Thief ordered to cough up

A Jedburgh woman who stole £380 from her employer has been ordered to carry out 100 hours’ unpaid work.

Charlene Duff, 26, was also ordered to pay the money back to the Co-operative group, in High Street, Jedburgh.

Duff, of Howden Road, pleaded guilty to the offence, carried out at the store on December 13.

HUNTING ALLEGATION

Three men have been accused of deliberately hunting a brown hare with three dogs.

Jason Ellis, 27, from Copmere, near Stoke-on-Trent, and Anthony Bassford, 31, of Abbots Road, Stoke-on-Trent, both deny the offence, alleged to have happened at Killpallet Hill, near Longformacus, on April 6.

A warrant was issued for the arrest of a third man – John Wilson, 23, of Bedlington, Northumberland, but hefailed to appear in court to answer the charge.

A trial date was fixed for July 14, with an intermediate hearing on June 13.

Ellis and Bassford were both released on bail.

One of the bail conditions was they are not allowed to enter Scotland with a dog.

ASSAULTED HUSBAND

A woman who assaulted her husband will be sentenced next month.

Shauna Pirie, 48, pleaded guilty to punching and scratching Robert Pirie on the face, head and neck, as well as striking him on the head with a hairbrush to his injury.

The offence happened at the family home at Kirklands, Innerleithen, in April.

Pirie, who gave an alternative address in Crieff, Perthshire, had sentence deferred until June 13 for the production of a criminal justice social work report.

BACKGROUND REPORTS

A motorist refused to give two specimens of breath at a police station after being suspected of drink-driving.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard the offence happened seven months after Sean Coulter attempted to drive a car while under the influence of alcohol.

He pleaded guilty to the offence, which happened on the A698 near Kelso on August 1 last year.

The 44-year-old, of Abbey Road, Coldstream, also admitted failing to give specimens of breath at Kelso police station on March 13 this year.

Coulter – who has a previous conviction for drink-driving in 2010 – had sentence deferred for background reports until June 13.

BENEFITS FRAUD ALLEGATION

A Hawick woman has been accused of benefit fraud.

Lauren Cassidy, 35, of Atkinson Road, denies a charge of failing to give a prompt notification of an increase in her earnings and obtaining £3,767.54 in housing and council tax benefit to which she was not entitled.

The offence is alleged to have been committed between March 2012 and October 2014.

A trial date was set for July 12, with an intermediate hearing at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on June 13.

DUNS MAN ON RAPE CHARGES

A Duns man appeared in private at Selkirk Sheriff Court accused of two counts of rape.

David Birse, 35, has been charged under section one of the Sexual Offences Scotland Act 2009. He also faces charges of assault and possession of a controlled drug.

Birse made no plea or declaration and the case was continued for further examination. He was bailed.

£3,000 WATCH THIEF OWNS UP

A Galashiels man kept a watch worth almost £3,000 after a postal worker mistakenly delivered it to his home, Selkirk Sheriff Court has been told.

The timepiece was meant for a neighbour in the same block of flats in Roxburgh Street, Galashiels.

The watch owner was tracing delivery of the watch on the internet when he noticed it had been signed for by a James Muir. An investigation was then launched, and the police were alerted.

Muir, 49, admitted stealing a watch at his home on November 21.

Sentence was deferred until May 24 for a personal appearance.

DISTURBANCE IN HEALTH CENTRE

An Innerleithen man caused a disturbance in the town’s health centre.

William Byers pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing at St Ronan’s Medical Centre on November 26.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told the 39-year-old had drug addiction issues and on the day of the offence was seeking medication for epilepsy.

When his request was declined by a doctor, he went to the reception counter and demanded another appointment.

Prosecutor Tessa Bradley said that when Byers was told it would not be until the following day, matters became heated and he started shouting and swearing.

Sentence was deferred on Byers, of Horsburgh Street, until June 13 for the production of background reports.

TEXT NUISANCE TARGETED HIS EX

A Peebles man who bombarded his former partner with text messages after she ended their relationship has been shown mercy by a sheriff.

Norman Walter, 57, pleaded guilty to engaging in a course of conduct likely to cause fear or alarm by repeatedly sending unwanted text messages.

The offence happened at his Cross Street home in Peebles between January 3 and 9.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told that Walter now accepted the relationship was over and had moved on.

His lawyer explained that his licence to work in the security industry was currently suspended due to the case and a conviction would result in it being withdrawn.

Sheriff Derrick McIntyre granted the former army corporal an absolute discharge.

INTERIM DRIVING BAN

A motorist has admitted drinkdriving in Jedburgh.

Mark Hyland, 50, drove with a breath-alcohol count of 95 microgrammes – the legal limit being 22 – in Oxnam Road on March 14.

Sentence was deferred on Hyland, of Easter Langside Drive, Dalkeith, until June 13, and an interim driving ban was imposed.

A dog’s weight was allowed to balloon to 44kg – more than double its normal size – by overfeeding and a lack of exercise, Selkirk Sheriff Court was told.

Tyke, a cross-breed corgi, was so fat he could only take a couple of steps before becoming breathless and slumping to the ground.

Shocked vets and animal welfare officers said they had never seen a dog so obese, and four-year-old Tyke was immediately taken into care.

His owner, Denise Leitch, pleaded guilty to a charge of causing Tyke unnecessary suffering.

The court was told that the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals removed the dog from the home of the 59-year-old in Gunn Road, Earlston, after being tipped off by a neighbour.

Tessa Bradley, prosecuting, said: “The SSPCA officer said the dog was like a seal because it was so obese. It could only take a few steps before lying down. The vet who inspected it indicated he had never seen a dog as obese as that.

“It was immediately signed over to the SSPCA and it weighed an astonishing 44.5kg when the maximum weight should have been 20kg.”

The court heard that under SSPCA care, Tyke has since lost 12.9kg and is more mobile but is still overweight and cannot walk any distance.

There are plans to rehome him with another family.

Leitch – who bought the dog as a Christmas present for her husband but was the person charged as she was responsible for him – admitted failing to produce treatment for a morbidly-obese dog.

She admitted causing Tyke unnecessary suffering at her home between April 1 and October 13 last year.

Leitch failed to provide an appropriate diet for the dog, causing it to become moribdly obese, and failed to provide treatment for its mobility and respiratory conditions.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of 12 months’ imprisonment, a fine of £20,000 or a disqualification from owning animals, but Sheriff Derrick McIntyre accepted that this was not a normal case of maltreating an animal.

The court heard that an SSPCA officer told Leitch she had been “killing the dog with kindness”.

Claire Patterson, defending, described it as a “sad case” and pointed out that the Leitches also had a Jack Russell and a cat, and both are perfectly healthy.

She added that Tyke had been “freaked out” by a nearby firework display last year and rarely ventured out to exercise.

Ms Patterson said: “She has already been punished by losing custody of the dog.

“It was not intentional for the dog to reach that size, but it is accepted she did not seek the proper treatment.”

Sheriff McIntyre – who studied pictures of the dog and described it as “ginormous” – deferred sentence on Leitch for one year for good behaviour.

The Lothians and Scottish Borders Division has welcomed Chief Superintendent Ivor Marshall as its new Divisional Commander.

CS Marshall started his policing career with Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary where he worked in a range of roles and ranks across community policing, criminal investigations, local partnerships and the force control room.

He later transferred to Lothian and Borders Police where he carried out a number of senior roles. As the Deputy Divisional Commander in the City of Edinburgh he had responsibility for a variety of operational teams and was also the police representative on a number of partnership groups. He was chair of the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee for over three years and was a member of the Chief Officer Group.

In recent years he has undertaken lead roles in the delivery of the Commonwealth Games, working with partners on national leadership development and most recently was Head of Training, Leadership and Development for Police Scotland. CS Marshall has a wealth of urban and rural policing experience, specifically focusing on prevention and development through collaboration.

CS Marshall said: “It is a pleasure and a privilege to have been appointed as the Police Commander for The Lothians and Scottish Borders – my local division. From previous personal experience, I know that there are very strong partnerships right across the Division that have been developed over many years and I am looking forward to strengthening those close working relationships in the months and years ahead.

“Building upon all the good work of my predecessors and drawing upon the ongoing commitment and hard work of all officers and staff, I am confident that the Division will deliver positive outcomes in keeping with agreed local plans. We will be relentless in our prevention and detection of crime, we will be resolute in protecting citizens from harm, and we will be proactive in promoting the wellbeing of everyone who lives in or visits the Lothians and Scottish Borders.

“Having the support of local communities is vitally important to our work so we will ensure that our values of integrity, fairness and respect sit at the heart of all that we do so that we maintain the trust and confidence of the people we serve.”

CS Marshall replaces Chief Superintendent Gillian Imery, who has taken up a post seconded to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Scotland.