An independent review of the legal aid system has been announced by the Scottish Government.

Legal aid provides publicly-funded legal advice and representation in court for those most in need the year-long review will explore how best it can contribute to improving people’s lives now and in the future.

The review will be chaired by Martyn Evans, chief executive of the Carnegie Trust, who will be backed an expert advisory group including legal aid board chief Colin Lancaster, members of the Law Society and the Faculty of Advocates and representatives from Police Scotland and Citizens Advice Scotland.

Legal affairs Minister Annabelle Ewing said that the current approach is based on legislation dating back almost 30 years and that Scotland needs a “flexible and progressive system”.

She said: “I am proud we have a legal aid system that enforces people’s rights and upholds social justice. Our guiding principle is to focus legal aid on those who need it most and we have maintained access to publicly funded legal aid in both civil and criminal cases.

“With legislation that dates back to the 1980s, change is needed and the time is right to conduct a comprehensive review of legal aid. This is about ensuring we have a flexible and progressive system that is sustainable and cost effective.

“Martyn Evans brings a wealth of experience as a champion for the rights of Scotland’s most vulnerable citizens. I am delighted he has agreed to chair the review and look forward to receiving his report.”

Mr Evans said: “The provision of timely and effective legal assistance is a necessary part of a fair and equitable society. It’s important therefore that Scotland has a system that delivers the best possible support to those who rely on it.

“I am pleased to be asked to chair the review of legal aid and, over the coming months, I look forward to engaging with and hearing from the widest range of people with an interest in this area.”

A Hawick man has been jailed for eight months for stabbing a former friend after they fell out over comments on Facebook.

Aarron Atkinson, 24, had posted a message about his late father on his social networking site, but took exception to a comment by Stuart Ogilvie and an argument flared between the pair. It ended with Mr Ogilvie going round to Atkinson’s house in Allars Bank for a confrontation on January 31 last year.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told that Atkinson rushed out of his home with a Stanley knife and stabbed his victim on the chest and in his back.

Prosecutor Graham Fraser said Mr Ogilvie required three stitches to one of the wounds, adding that he broke his hand hitting Atkinson.

Atkinson pleaded guilty to punching Mr Ogilvie in the face and repeatedly striking him on the body with a knife to his injury and permanent disfigurement, but under provocation.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said: “It was only pure luck that there were not more serious injuries.” He reduced the prison sentence from a year to eight months because of the guilty plea.

MAN STOLE CASH FROM HIS MUM

A 35-year-old man has been put on a home night-time curfew after admitting withdrawing £250 from his mother’s bank account without permission.

Michael Dodds stole the bank card from his mother’s home in Gorse Lane, Galashiels, last month.

He then went to the Spar shop in Langlee and withdrew sums of £40 and £50 from its cashpoint before heading to the Asda store in Galashiels town centre at 3am to take out another £160.

Dodds has since repaid the money, the court heard.

He was given a restriction-of-liberty order keeping him in his Gun Road, Earlston, home between 8pm and 5.30am for the next nine months.

CASE AGAINST PAIR DESERTED

Two Jedburgh men accused of repeatedly asking two women to perform sexual acts during the course of a car journey have had the case against them deserted at the town’s sheriff court.

Stuart Spence, 25, of Hartrigge Crescent, and Craig Hall, 19, of Howden Road, were due to stand trial on a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause a reasonable person fear and alarm.

The offence was alleged to have been committed in a vehicle on the Jedburgh-Oxnam road on Sunday, October 23.

Before the trial could get under way, however, the crown announced that the case against the pair would be deserted for the time being.

No opposition was expressed by the pair’s lawyers.

JAIL LOOMS FOR REPEAT OFFENDER

A woman responsible for two disturbances at the Borders General Hospital within the space of four days has been warned she faces the prospect of a prison sentence.

Karen Turner, 31, pleaded guilty to shouting and swearing and acting in an aggressive manner in the Melrose hospital’s accident-and-emergency unit on Sunday, August 21.

She also admitted threatening or abusive behaviour in an ambulance and at the hospital on Thursday, August 25, when she struggled with police and kicked a female officer to the leg.

Turner also pleaded guilty to struggling violently with three people and kicking a door during another incident in Howegate, Hawick, on Saturday, August 13.

Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentence on Turner, said to be in the process of moving address from Hawick to Galashiels, for the production of a criminal justice social work report until Monday, February 20, but he warned her: “You should be well aware that, given the nature of the offences, a custodial sentence is the most likely outcome in this matter.”

ACCUSED FACES THEFT CHARGES

A third man has made a court appearance in connection with a series of vehicle thefts in Berwickshire last month.

Jamie Shaw, 24, of Edinburgh, is charged with two counts of stealing from locked vehicles and also obstructing police.

It follows thefts from vehicles in Duns and Reston overnight on Monday, December 12.

Shaw made no plea or declaration during a private hearing at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, and his case was continued for further examination.

He was bailed.

His co-accused – John Garden, 29, and Alan Halcrow, 38, both also of Edinburgh – have already appeared in court charged with thefts from vehicles.

EMBEZZLEMENT ALLEGATION

A woman’s trial on an embezzlement charge will now take place in April.

Catherine Knight, 23, of Scott Crescent, Hawick, has already pleaded not guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to embezzling money and vouchers from clients to the value of £355 while working as an agent for Merseyside-based Park Retail between November 2014 and October 2015, but more time was requested to prepare for the case.

The trial will now go ahead on Monday, April 24, with an intermediate hearing on Monday, March 20.

DOG OWNER FINED £400

A horse dealer has been criticised for a “cavalier attitude” which resulted in his dogs killing a lamb on a farm.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told that Mark Ashe, 37, had neen warned about his lurcher and hound running loose on farmland and worrying sheep belonging to a farmer living nearby.

Matters came to a head at Whisgills, near Newcastleton, on Saturday, June 18, when the farmer again spotted the dogs in the field, with all his sheep huddled into one corner.

Prosecutor Tessa Bradley said the lurcher and the hound were tearing a lamb to pieces, and there was blood from the lamb all over the hound’s back.

When Ashe was quizzed by police, he asked if the matter would be dropped by the procurator fiscal if he got the dogs destroyed.

Ashe pleaded guilty to allowing his dogs to worry a lamb, resulting in it being killed near his Whisgills home on June 18.

His solicitor, Natalie Paterson, told the court that after the farmer had spoken to him, Ashe said he had built a kennel for the dogs, but they must have got loose.

Sheriff Peter Paterson told father-of-four Ashe: “You have shown a pretty cavalier attitude towards the ownership of the two dogs who have a well-known propensity to chase sheep.”

He added that Ashe had been well warned by his extremely patient neighbours, but he had simply paid lip service in his attempt to control the dogs properly.

The sheriff said it was unfortunate that he did not have any powers to control Ashe’s ownership of dogs in the future and was restricted to imposing a financial penalty under the terms of the 1953 Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act.

He fined Ashe £400 and ordered him to pay £200 compensation to the farmer whose lamb was killed.

The court was told that the hound had been given to the Buccleuch Hunt and had since been destroyed, but it was unclear what had become of the lurcher.

FLASHING CHARGES

A 37-year-old man will stand trial later this month accused of three indecent exposure incidents in Selkirk.

William Brown is charged with exposing his genitals in a sexual manner by opening his dressing gown to a woman and a seven-year-old girl in Station Road on Saturday, October 15.

He is also said to have exposed his genitals in a sexual manner to two 16-year-old girls by lying on the ground and lifting his legs in the grounds of Philiphaugh Primary School on Friday, March 25.

Brown, of Laidlaw Court, Galashiels, pleaded not guilty to a total of three charges at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

A trial date has been fixed for Tuesday, February 28.

His bail conditions ban him from entering Philiphaugh Primary School’s grounds and having contact with any child under 16 years of age unless supervised by an adult.

DRIVER NEARLY SIX TIMES LIMIT

A man appeared from custody at Selkirk Sheriff Court and admitted driving while almost six times the legal alcohol limit.

Paul Ramage, 40, of Beech Avenue, Galashiels, had a breath-alcohol count of 126 microgrammes, the legal limit being 22, when he was pulled over in his works van by police on the A7 on Sunday.

The court heard Ramage was only a provisional licence holder, was not displaying L-plates and had no insurance.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said the vehicle was owned by his employer, a local farm contractor, but Ramage had not been working and was visiting a friend.

He was first spotted by an off-duty police officer who noticed the “van was all over the road”, so the police went looking for Ramage, eventually stopping him in Selkirk.

Mat Patrick, defending, said the father of two had a serious problem with alcohol and last March had a heart attack as a direct result of his alcoholism.

He added that Ramage was going to lose his employment because of the offence.

Sheriff Peter Paterson disqualified Ramage from driving for 21 months and fined him £100. He also imposed a fine of £100 for having no insurance and another £100 for not displaying L-plates.

KNIFE OFFENDER MUST BEHAVE

A man found in possession of a knife on the Langlee housing estate has been ordered to be of good behaviour for a year.

Gordon Ward, 35, of Hawthorn Road, Galashiels, pleaded guilty to committing the offence in Woodstock Avenue.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told police received a call shortly before midnight on Hogmanay telling them that Ward was depressed and was carrying a knife in his pocket.

It was described in court as a kitchen knife around 20 centimetres in length.

Defence lawyer Ed Hulme said the father of three had no recollection of the incident, adding: “This was due to a combination of alcohol and painkillers for an artificial hip. He apologises for his behaviour.”

STRUGGLING ALLEGATION

A Galashiels man will stand trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court on February 28 on a charge of struggling with others in his home street of Langlee Drive.

Grant Garment, 25, also pleads not guilty to assaulting a former partner on December 17.

EX-NURSE OWNS UP TO FRACAS

A former nurse has been ordered to carry out 120 hours’ unpaid work for causing a disturbance in the accident-and-emergency department at Borders General Hospital.

Philip Skey, 56, of Carlin Court, Tweedbank, pleaded guilty at Selkirk Sheriff Court to shouting and swearing and making offensive remarks on July 31.

GALA WOMAN DENIES CHARGES

Sarah Scott, 24, of Woodstock Avenue, Galashiels, will stand trial on a charge of breaching her home curfew at a property in Melrose on New Year’s Day.

She also denies struggling violently with police.

A trial is due to take place at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday, February 16.

TEENAGER FACES ASSAULT TRIAL

A teenager has been accused of assaulting a woman to her severe injury at a house in Galashiels.

Beckie Baxter, 18, of Fenham, Newcastle, denies assaulting Donna Baxter by kicking and punching her on the head. A trial date has been set for March 2 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

LAST CHANCE FOR OFFENDER

A Peebles man who admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner in the town’s Kingsland Square in August has been given a final chance.

Raymond Thomson, 21, of Violet Bank, also pleaded guilty to being in possession of an offensive weapon, namely a broken table leg.

Sheriff Peter Paterson gave Thomson a community payback order with supervision, and a requirement to undergo drug treatment over the next 18 months.

He told Thomson: “This is the last chance.”

MAN DENIES AGGRESSION

A Hawick man will stand trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court next month on a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour.

Ross Wightman, 36, of Wilton Dean, denies acting in an aggressive manner towards Kelly Wightman and Glenn Smith, and challenging the latter to a fight, at the court building in Ettrick Terrace on January 4.

Assault allegation

Ross Morrison is charged with assaulting a staff nurse at East Brigg Hospital in Galashiels on September 21.

The 31-year-old, of St Andrew Street, Galashiels, is also accused of stealing a packet of cigarettes from the Co-op store in Gala Park, Galashiels, on October 30.

He pleaded not guilty, and a trial date was set for Selkirk Sheriff Court on March 13, with an intermediate hearing on February 27.

BACKGROUND REPORTS

Background reports have been ordered on a Jedburgh woman after she admitted assaulting a police officer at Borders General Hospital on June 20.

Stacey Tennant, 37, of Blair Avenue, will be sentenced at Selkirk Sheriff Court on February 27.

WOMAN DENIES BITING CONSTABLE

A 31-year-old woman has been accused of throwing a cup of water over a nurse who was treating her on Hogmanay.

Davinia Harrison is also charged with biting a female police constable’s arm and repeatedly kicking her legs during the disturbance at the Borders General Hospital.

She also faces a third charge of threatening behaviour by shouting, swearing and screaming loudly.

Harrison, of Ramsay Road, Hawick, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

On a separate complaint, she also denies finding £29.22 at the Almond Tree cafe in High Street, Hawick, on December 1, not trying to find its true owner, then stealing the cash.

SENTENCE DEFERRED

John Sherlow, 26, admitted a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour near his home in Hawthorn Road, Galashiels, on May 6.

He shouted and swore, uttered threats of violence and repeatedly struck a door with his hands while holding a knife.

Sentence has been deferred at Selkirk Sheriff Court until February 27 for reports.

PLACED ON SUPERVISION

A Galashiels man who struggled with police officers outside a pub has been placed on supervision for 15 months.

Simon Hadden, 39, of Hawthorn Road, also made threats to the officers, saying he knew where they lived, during the disturbance in Marigold Bank on March 17.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said the community payback order was an alternative to custody.

COUPLE DENY SHOPLIFTING

An Edinburgh couple are to face trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court on a shoplifting charge.

James McMillan, 42, and Farrah Black, 34, deny stealing alcohol at the Co-op store in Peebles Road, Innerleithen, on January 26.

Their trial is due to take place on February 2.

MAN THREW BIN AT TAXI

An Earlston man threw a refuse bin at a taxi, damaging its windscreen.

Harry Baillie, 28, of Queensway, pleaded guilty to the offence, committed in the town’s High Street on July 9.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser told Selkirk Sheriff Court: “The taxi came along the street, and the accused tried to get into it.

“The accused then approached it and threw a wheelie bin at it.

“There were five people in the taxi, including the driver.

“A new windscreen had to get fitted, and the vehicle was off the road pending repairs, which resulted in a substantial loss of earnings.”

The cost of damage to the winscreen was put at £300.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said he wanted to know how much earnings were lost when the case recalls on February 27.

He has also called for background reports to be produced.

ACCUSED DENIES DRINK-DRIVING

A Galashiels man has been accused of drinking and driving on Christmas Day.

Robert McAllister, 51, of Forest Gardens, pleaded not guilty to having a breath-alcohol count of 94 microgrammes, the legal limit being 22, while driving in various streets in Galashiels.

He also denied a charge of failing to co-operate with a breath test.

A trial date has been set at Selkirk Sheriff Court for March 30, with an intermediate hearing on Monday, February 27.

In last week’s article the sea birds at St Abbs Head were the main subject, and, important as they are, they are only a part of the fascinating selection of wildlife that finds a home and refuge at the Head.

The bedrock at St Abbs Head is very close to the surface over much of the reserve and the thin layer of soil is stony and dries out quickly, especially on the exposed slopes. A host of special small plants thrive in this harsh habitat, they cannot compete with large rank plants found on richer, moist soils.

Found at several sites along the Berwickshire coast, the Rock Rose is abundant on the Kirk Hill where for 40 years the sheep grazing has been managed for the advantage of this plant, with enough grazing to keep large plants under control without overgrazing the Rock Rose, although at the moment a plague of rabbits seem intent on undermining the hillside with their burrows.

The Rock Rose is not a true Rose but is a species of Helianthemum. It is a small sub-shrub growing only a few inches tall with evergreen leaves and bright yellow flowers. The Rock Rose is the host plant for the local and rather special Northern Brown Argus butterfly which is quite a small species. The upper side of its wings are dark brown with orange spots along the margin and a white spot in the centre of the wing. Its caterpillars eat the leaves of the Rock Rose but its numbers are small and do no damage to the plant.

Another special plant found in the short turf, often near the cliff edge, is Purple Milk-vetch (see photo), a small member of the pea family with rich purple flowers. It is found along much of the Berwickshire coast but the number of specimens at many sites is tiny whereas at St Abbs it is reasonably plentiful.

On the north facing cliffs near the lighthouse there is a large colony of Roseroot which is a type of Sedum. It is widespread on cliffs near the top of many of the mountains in the Highlands but here at St Abbs it is quite at home on the sea cliffs.

It is also not related to roses but it is said that its fleshy roots are rose scented if broken. It has yellowish flowers in early summer and the fleshy leaves often take on nice shades of yellow and red in the autumn.

Two other plants which grow in great abundance are the white flowered Sea Campion which has glaucous grey leaves and showy white flowers and of course the Thrift or Sea Pink which grows in great abundance and turns much of the Head pink when it is in flower and is a sight which is almost as amazing as the cliffs of sea birds.

The fourth Big Farmland Bird Count is underway (February 3-12) and farmers in the Borders are being urged to take part.

All you need to do is spend about 30 minutes recording the species and number of birds seen on one area of the farm.

Farmers, gamekeepers and landowners are crucial in the survival and protection of many farmland bird species. However, several of these birds are in decline and efforts to monitor their numbers varies across the country. This is your chance to find out what you have on your farm. This year is even easier. You can use an exciting new online tool to make it quicker for you to record your count and will enable you to plot trends and compare your farm with others in your region.

To take part visit www.gwct.org.uk/bfbc download a count sheet, count the birds on your farm and then submit your results online

Last year 130 different species were recorded, from fieldfare, which migrate from Scandinavia, and long-time resident, the yellowhammer. Other birds expected to be seen include skylarks, which can be found on most areas of open farmland, corn bunting which prefers open lowland farmland, the yellowhammer which favours winter stubbles, game cover and wild seed mixes.

Lapwings were one of the most abundant species last year, as they will live on all types of farmland, but prefer mixed farming systems and extensively managed wet grasslands.

Commenting on the count NFU Vice President Guy Smith said: “Citizen science seems very fashionable nowadays with initiatives such as the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch attracting plenty of media attention. So it’s great to see the farming community having its own version in the GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count.”

“I always choose a different spot on my own farm to see what species are attracted by certain locations. In 2015 it was the middle of the marsh, so it was dominated by species such as lapwing, golden plover and brent geese.”

Farmer Russell Mackay has been annouced as Melrosian elect for 2017.

The 21-year-old will take on the role as Melrose’s main man for the summer, and he was introduced at the Ex-Melrosians’ Association’s annual Burns Supper at the Greenyards on Saturday evening.

He was congratulated by festival chairman Michael Crawford, and he wished him well for the coming months and presented him with his official festival tie.

A keen follower of the festival since his school days at Melrose Grammar, Russell was in the court in 2007, but he admits that he never dreamt that two decades on, he would be taking on the duty of being Melrosian.

“I was a herald in the court and have been following the festival since I was at school, but in all honesty, I probably didn’t ever think I would be Melrosian 20 years later, but I am glad the opportunity is here to do it now.”

Born and raised in the town and a former Earlston High School pupil, Russell recently returned to the Borders following three years studying environmental geography at Stirling University.

He played rugby for Melrose Rugby Club growing up and is currently a member of Melrose Golf Club.

He now works full-time at Thornielaw Farm near St Boswells, but he should have no problems with securing time off work as the farm is owned by his stepdad Eric Marshall and mum Karen.

His dad Richie Mackay and stepmum Jane will also be supporting him, alongside his twin brother Cameron, elder sister Lauren and younger sister Lexie.

“They are all delighted,” he said. “They have all been very supportive and happy for me and are looking forward to the summer to come.”

Delighted at the prospect of representing the town across its own festival and those of the other surrounding towns this summer, Russell will be relying on his left and right- hand men Donald Crawford and Struan Hutchison.

Russell added: “I have been good friends with both of them for a long time, so it’s great that I have got them as left and right-hand men to support me.”

“My sister Lexie also rides, so she is planning to follow on horseback for some of the other common riding rideouts.

“It’s good to have her support, although she has been taking the mick out of me learning.”

Despite having followed the festival intently for most of his life, Russell is yet to follow on horseback and has begun an intense routine of riding lessons over the last few weeks and says he is looking forward to following as many rides as possible across the other festivals.

He added: “I am looking forward to the summer now and getting on with it.”

“We had a good night on Saturday, and it’s great to have it all out in the open now.”

His first official duty will be the picking night, to be held on Friday, May 5.

The Burns supper was chaired by Bryn Thom, with Michael Crawford addressing the haggis and Ian Crawford providing the immortal memory.

The toast to Melrose town and trade was delivered by Rory Murray and Ian Oliver gave the reply.

Last year’s Melrosian, Struan Hutchison, gave the toast to the lasses, replied to by Claire Nairn.

The vote of thanks was given by Donald Crawford.

Donald Swanson piped in the haggis, carried by Fraser Anderson, and Drew Scott entertained with songs.

More than 50 new jobs will be created in Galashiels over the next five years.

Pharmaceutical firm Kyowa Kirin International, formerly known as ProStrakan, has announced it plans to expand its headquarters within Galashiels Business Park following increased profits last year.

The company, reported a record turnover of £251m for 2016 - growth of 13% over the previous year’s revenues of £222m.

Kyowa Kirin International (KKI) has taken out a 10 year lease on the 10,000 square feet building beside its existing headquarters and has gained planning permission to build a link building between the two.

Creating a combined total footprint of 35,000 square feet, this is an increase of 40% over its existing building, in which almost 150 staff are based.

Lucy Alkin-Young, KKI’s office manager, who is project managing the development, said: “We’ve been growing so fast that we were simply running out of room in our existing head office, so the expansion is being welcomed by the whole team. Our extended facility will provide us with a headquarters that is appropriate for an international pharmaceutical company.”

Once construction of the link building has been completed, KKI plans to refurbish its existing headquarters building.

Work on the extension, which will create room for more than 50 new staff, is expected to be completed by Autumn this year.

President and CEO Dr Tom Stratford, said: “This development underlines our commitment to Galashiels and to Scotland as an excellent location from which to operate a truly international pharmaceutical business.

“The business is growing at pace and we are proud of what we have achieved since joining Kyowa Hakko Kirin in 2011. Our turnover has grown from £105m to £251m in that time, overall staff numbers have more than doubled to stand at almost 600 today and we recently filed for European approval of the first of Kyowa Hakko Kirin’s pipeline products.”

KKI’s property advisers for the project are Eric Young and Company, with design work being undertaken by design consultants, Cubit3D and project management by PMP.

Formerly known as ProStrakan, the firm was founded by Dr Stratford’s father Harry in Melrose nearly 22 years ago.

ProStrakan was taken over by the Japanese firm Kyowa Hakko Kirin in 2011 and rebranded as part of a move to become a global speciality pharmaceutical company.

KHK’s western pharmaceutical subsidiaries, including specialist divisions employing another 350 people outwith the Borders, also came under the Kyowa Kirin name, and since the takeover 20 new staff,including several qualified medics, have joined its Galashiels workforce.

The Scottish Parliament will have a vote on Tuesday on the triggering of Article 50 to begin the formal process of leaving the European Union

The debate, however, will not involve a formal legislative consent motion although it will allow the Parliament to give its clear view on the UK Government’s Bill.

This week’s vote in the House of Commons saw only one of Scotland’s 59 MPs vote for the Bill triggering of Article 50, while in the EU referendum 62 per cent of people across Scotland voted to remain in the EU.

The Supreme Court ruled that there is no legally enforceable need for devolved administrations to give consent to the Brexit trigger bill.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon argued, however, that there is still a political need to do so, and pledged to let MSPs vote.

The Scottish Government believes that given the fundamental change to constitutional arrangements involved by triggering formal withdrawal, and the direct effects on the devolved responsibilities, the Scottish Parliament should give its view before the Bill is passed, and that the UK Government should respect the views of the Parliament.

Michael Russell, Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe, said: “The people of Scotland did not vote for Brexit, and only one of the nation’s 59 MPs has now backed the UK Government by voting for the triggering Article 50.

“It is now essential that the Scottish Parliament’s views are heard prior to the end of the Committee Stage of the Article 50 Bill in the House of Commons, so we will lodge a motion to allow Parliament to express its view.

“A formal LCM would have to go through committee deliberation before Parliament as a whole was able to vote on it – a timetable incompatible with the accelerated timescale to which Westminster is now working.

“The Prime Minister has made numerous statements and commitments to Scotland that there would be an agreed UK-wide approach to Brexit. And the UK Government has now published a white paper which claims ‘The UK Government acts in the interests of the whole UK’.

“Those claims will only be meaningful if the voice of Scotland’s Parliament is respected. Triggering Article 50 will have profound impacts on devolved responsibilities and on the powers of the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government. It is therefore right that the Scottish Parliament expresses its view.

“When the motion is debated by MSPs next week it will be a chance for our national Parliament to send a powerful signal on behalf of the people we are elected to serve. And I believe that Parliament will send a resounding message that Scotland’s future is in Europe.”

Borders band Frightened Rabbit have added a third summer festival date to the two they announced last week.

As well as Kendal Calling in Cumbria in July and Electric Fields near Dumfries in September, the folk-rock act will be playing at the Victorious Festival on the south coast of England, at Portsmouth, in August.

Fans of theirs from their home town of Selkirk face a tougher test of their loyalty this time round, though, as the Hampshire port is an 800-mile round trip away, as opposed to 160 miles to Lowther Deer Park and back or 140 miles to and from Drumlanrig Castle.

Now in its sixth year, the seaside event offers a line-up many will consider good enough to merit 12 or more hours on the road, having secured pop veterans Madness, Welsh rockers Stereophonics and alternative rock act Elbow as headliners.

Singer-songwriter Jake Bugg, rock trio Feeder, alt-rock outfit Sundara Karma, rapper Lady Leshurr, lo-fi quartet Palace, Scottish art rock act Franz Ferdinand, post-punk duo Slaves and singer-songwriter KT Tunstall are also among those announced as being on the bill so far, along with Frightened Rabbit, formed in Selkirk in 2003 but based in Glasgow since 2004.

Festival director Andy Marsh: “We are immensely proud of this year’s line-up.

“We’ve worked really hard to secure the very best acts – band and artists we personally love. We literally have the crown jewels of the British music industry night after night, and we still have so much more to announce.

“It’s going to be a legendary weekend, the best Victorious yet. We can’t wait until August. It’s going to be incredible.”

It’s on from Friday, August 25, to Sunday, August 27, and early-bird tickets, on sale now, cost £25 for the first day and £32 each for the other two.

For further details, go to www.victoriousfestival.co.uk

A pensioner was jailed for eight years yesterday after being convicted of repeated sex attacks on two young girls, one of them described as vulnerable, in the Borders in the 1990s.

William Wilkinson, now 79, targeted the girls at locations in Galashiels and Stow between 1993 and 2000, a court heard.

A judge sitting at the High Court in Edinburgh told Wilkinson: “I recognise that at the age of 79 you have not been sent to prison before for any significant length of time.”

Lord John Beckett said he took into account the pensioner’s age and that he was suffering from various medical conditions but said that a lengthy spell behind bars was unavoidable.

The judge told him: “You have been convicted of a serious course of criminal conduct, sexually abusing two young and vulnerable children.”

He added that one of Wilkinson’s victims was especially vulnerable because of her learning difficulties.

Lord Beckett said his crimes were so serious that it was necessary to impose a substantial prison sentence on the child sex offender to mark their gravity and to act as a deterrent to others.

He also told Wilkinson, of Ladyschaw Drive in Selkirk, that he would remain on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.

The pensioner had earlier denied two charges of indecency against a girl when she was between nine and 15 and raping her when she was aged between nine and 11.

He also pleaded not guilty to indecently assaulting the second girl when she was aged between 11 and 12.

Wilkinson was found guilty of all those charges after trial, however.

He locked the first victim in a portable cabin and took her to secluded areas to carry out sex acts on her and make her perform sexual activity on him, an ordeal she found so horrific it caused her to be sick, the court heard.

He also indecently assaulted the second girl at a golf range in the Borders, the hearing was told.

Defence counsel Victoria Dow told the court that Wilkinson still maintained he was innocent despite the findings against him, saying: “He continues to deny the offences.”

She accepted that he had a previous conviction for a similar offence and asked the judge to take account of his age and state of health when sentencing him for his crimes.

Two big-name fashion chains look set to quit Galashiels.

That blow for the town centre follows confirmation by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that it is to relocate its Galashiels JobCentre Plus from its current High Street home to the Channel Street premises currently occupied by Burton and Dorothy Perkins, both clothing brands owned by Philip Green’s Arcadia Group.

The adjacent retail outlets are just a stone’s throw from the former post office and Poundstretcher buildings set to become home to a £6.7m visitor centre for the Great Tapestry of Scotland due to open in 2020.

The DWP move from its decade-old home at New Reiver House is part of a streamlining of its underused built estate, reflecting customers’ increased use of the internet to access benefits.

A spokesperson for the department confirmed the impending move will go ahead but was unable to provide details of when it would take place.

The Arcadia Group did not respond to inquiries regarding possible relocation of the two shops and their staff elsewhere in the town or region.

However, in 2013, the group, also including the Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Wallis brands, announced a programme to close up to 260 stores, attributing a fall in profits to an increase in online retailing.

After the recent closure of another Dorothy Perkins shop elsewhere, a company spokesperson said: “We are constantly reviewing our store portfolio, and leases continually expire.

“When leases expire that we do not renew, we endeavour to redeploy staff to another store within the group as much as can.”

The Channel Street outlets were marketed by estate agents as being available for lease last year.

Tweeddale East councillor Stuart Bell, Scottish Borders Council’s executive member for economic development, said he believed the jobcentre move would require planning consent.

“While I would prefer to see retail businesses located on a thoroughfare like Channel Street, it’s also important to minimise the number of empty premises in our town centres,” said Mr Bell.

“I backed the move three years ago to dispense with the planning condition that some main streets should be designated as prime retail frontages and that we, as a planning authority, should view them instead less proscriptively as prime activity areas.

“Under the previous designation, a gym, for example, would not have been allowed in Channel Street, but now that would be permitted.

“The jobcentre is not just an office. It is a place where people go to access information about job opportunities.

“I would certainly rather see it located in Channel Street than see another empty frontage.”

Spending a penny is to cost 30 times that proverbial amount at most of the Borders’ public conveniences.

Scottish Borders Council is to introduce a 30p charge at 27 of its 41 public conveniences across the region in the hope of narrowing a revenue funding gap of £9m over the next financial year.

The selected facilities will be unstaffed, but they will be fitted with automated machines affording paying customers access via a paddle-gate entry system.

Charging is not deemed to be viable at the authority’s other 14 toilets because they are not used often enough, but they will continue to be maintained by the council.

The move, approved at this week’s meeting of the authority’s executive committee, is predicted to deliver annual revenue savings of £211,000.

The council spends £323,000 a year maintaining the current level of free provision, the meeting heard.

“Given the financial context, doing nothing is not an option,” stated Jason Hedley, the council’s area manager for neighbourhood services, in a report to the executive, stressing that the council had no statutory obligation to provide public conveniences.

He acknowledged that the possibility of the council closing down its entire network had been considered, but he said that would be potentially negative for the economic performance of the Borders and discriminatory against certain groups and places where no alternative provision in public buildings, pubs or restaurants could be identified.

He added: “Provision of public conveniences must change to ensure a financial and environmentally efficient service can be maintained.”

Having reviewed usage and researched how other Scottish local authorities operated, Mr Hedley recommended that a 30p charge be introduced at the authority’s public toilets in Eyemouth at the Bantry car park and harbour, at Coldstream’s courthouse car park, at St Abbs Harbour, at Coldingham Sands and in Duns at Briery Baulk.

Charges are also on the way at loos in Galashiels at its High Street car park, Bank Street gardens and transport interchange; in Hawick at the Common Haugh, Howegate and Volunteer Park; in Peebles at Kingsmeadows, the Eastgate car park and School Brae; in Jedburgh at Lothian Park and its tourist information centre; in Kelso at Shedden Park and Woodmarket; Selkirk Market Place; Innerleithen’s Hall Street; the Avenue in Lauder; Earlston bus station; St Boswells’ Main Street; Melrose’s Abbey Place; Newcastleton’s Langholm Street; and St Mary’s Loch in the Yarrow Valley.

Mr Hedley said stakeholders including community councils, would be advised of the decision “during the first half of 2017” and implementation would be phased in thereafter.

Councillors heard that the cost of adapting the 27 toilets would be £200,000 and that annual gross income is estimated at £357,000.

The council’s annual manpower costs will remain the same at around £151,000.

Tweeddale West councillor Catriona Bhatia asked for a final decision to be delayed until the council’s budget meeting next Thursday to give elected members time to consider the list of facilities where charging would be introduced, but the executive voted 7-5 to approve Mr Hedley’s recommendation for implementation.

This will not be the first time the council has charged the public to use its toilets.

Up until 2008, a 25p charge was levied at eight staffed locations – in Hawick, Selkirk Galashiels, Melrose, Jedburgh, Kelso, St Boswells and Peebles – but the scheme was abandoned as its annual staffing costs of £177,000 outstripped its income of £65,000.

The council-run toilets that will remain free to use are those at Chirnside, Greenlaw, Burnmouth, Cockburnspath, Jedburgh’s Lothian car park, Kelso’s Croft Park, Yetholm, Morebattle, Greenyards in Melrose, Selkirk’s Scotts Place, Denholm, West Linton and Broughton.

Two Hawick councillors have been cleared of acting unethically by writing a letter to the press taking issue with a report by a senior Scottish Borders Council officer.

Watson McAteer and Stuart Marshall, both independents representing the council’s Hawick and Denholm ward, welcomed that decision by Bill Thomson, commissioner for ethical standards in public life in Scotland.

“This has been hanging over us for six months, and I’m relieved we have been cleared of any wrongdoing,” said Mr Marshall, also honorary provost for Hawick.

Mr Thomson’s ruling was in response to a complaint submitted by the council on behalf of Bryan McGrath, its chief economic development officer, alleging that the pair had breached its elected members’ code of conduct.

That protocol demands that councillors “must respect all council employees and the role they play and treat them with courtesy at all times” and “should not raise matters relating to the conduct and capability of employees in public”.

The case relates to a written update on the progress of the Hawick action plan discussed at a full council meeting in June last year.

The paper, written by Mr McGrath, stated: “There is a risk that a self-fulfilling negativity is becoming entrenched in the community.”

On July 22, the Hawick News published a letter by the two councillors saying Mr McGrath’s report was “unwelcome and unwarranted” and alleged the officer had “taken it upon himself to issue a hollow and irrelevant warning to councillors of a self-fulfilling negativity becoming entrenched in Hawick”.

“Our call is for less words and more direct and meaningful action, with council officers doing their job by sticking to the facts and not engaging in political or emotional debate,” they concluded.

In his determination of the complaint, Mr Thomson states: “The letter included phrases which, in the opinion of the complainer, showed disrespect towards Mr McGrath and could have been regarded as criticism.

“However, the letter from the respondents was effectively in response to political comments made by officers who had approved the content of a report under the authorship of Mr McGrath.

“I was satisfied that the comments made by the respondents could be regarded as fair and, as such, did constitute unwarranted and specific criticism of Mr McGrath.”

Mr McAteer told us: “Stuart and I have been subjected to quite unnecessary uncertainty simply because we responded to something we believed had political implications and was potentially damaging to Hawick.

“It is reassuring that the commissioner has clarified the position regarding the right of councillors to appropriately challenge the local authority and express views on behalf of constituents.”

A council spokesperson said: “The council raised the alleged breach with the commissioner and notes his decision.”

Tragic Borders youngster Rihanna Johnstone died this week at the age of just five, but her parents say they will always be grateful for the precious time they were able to spend with their “feisty wee girl” rather than lamenting that she was denied the chance of a longer life.

Little Rihanna faced a fight for her life from the moment she was born 15 weeks premature and quadriplegic in 2011 and had to contend with complex conditions including cerebral palsy and chronic lung disease, and it was only her spirit and determination that kept her going that long, say her parents, Brian and Shona Johnstone, of Galashiels.

She died suddenly on Wednesday, just weeks after a charity appeal was launched to buy potentially life-prolonging equipment for her.

Mrs Johnstone said: “We knew that we wouldn’t have long with her. She has beaten all the odds.

“Her feistiness and her stamina had kept her alive this long, but she just couldn’t fight it this time.

“If it wasn’t for her feistiness, she could never have lived so long. She proved them all wrong.

“Whoever met Rihanna, she touched them.”

Looking ahead to the future that they hoped they might be able to enjoy with her despite the odds against that, Rihanna’s parents had contacted Newlife, a charity for disabled children, seeking help to pay for a special walker aimed at keeping her limbs moving more freely as that, they were told, would offer her a chance of defying expectations and possibly even reaching her teens.

The couple have now thanked Borderers for their generosity in backing that appeal and, even though Rihanna can no longer benefit from it, they hope her legacy will live on in the form of continued support for Newlife, so that it can keep up its good work on behalf of other children facing similar ordeals.

Mrs Johnstone said: “We appreciate what everybody has done to help fundraise for Rihanna, but sadly she doesn’t need it now.

“But if people would still like to donate to the charity, we would urge them to that.

“We had to fight for everything for Rihanna and relied on charities for equipment for her, but these charities need donations from others. Even 20p will help somebody.

“We really just want to thank everyone for getting behind Rihanna and for supporting us.”

Their appeal for money for a walking frame for Rihanna had already raised £145, with a further pledge of £1,000, towards the £2,388 needed, and the charity says donors will now be updated and asked how they wish that funding to be used.

Newlife senior care services manager Carrick Brown said: “We were all so terribly sad to learn that Rihanna had passed away, and our thoughts are with her family. “The fragility of Rihanna’s health highlights why it is so important for disabled children to get the right equipment at the right time.”

The charity has previously funded £72,194 of equipment for 18 children in the area.

No date has yet been set for Rihanna’s funeral.

Hawick and Hermitage councillor Davie Paterson has defended this week’s decision by Scottish Borders Council to hike the charges it levies on businesses for collection of trade waste.

“The fact is that, compared to other parts of Scotland, our trade customers have been getting an excellent service on the cheap,” Mr Paterson told the Hawick News.

He was commenting on Tuesday after Scottish Borders Council’s executive committee agreed that a hike of 15% should be imposed from Saturday, April 1, this year for the collection of bins of various sizes.

An additional increase of 13% for such contracted collections will be introduced in 2018-19

Also from April 1, the cost of the special sacks provided to trade clients by the council will rocket by 39%, and the size of those bags will be reduced from 120 litres to 70 litres.

For an average business putting out three sacks of general trade waste for collection each week, the cost will go up by 17% from £104 to £122 over the coming financial year.

The raft of increases was criticised at the meeting by Gordon Henderson, the east of Scotland’s development manager for the Federation of Small Businesses.

Mr Henderson, a non-voting member of the committee, described the rises as “staggering” and he questioned how wise it was to impose them without any assessment of their projected impact on local businesses.

He took particular issue with the recommendation of council waste manager Ross Sharp-Dent that the colour of general waste sacks should be changed every year to ensure “robust control of what is essentially a currency”.

“The requirement for businesses to buy new sacks at prohibitive prices every year begs the question of what is reasonable and what is profiteering,” said Mr Henderson.

“It seems you are holding local businesses to ransom.”

Councillors heard the rises had been recommended in a review of the service, a non-statutory function of the council, carried out by a firm of private consultants.

“The review outlined that the majority of current fees and charges are well below the Scottish local authority average and require amending,” said Mr Paterson in his role as executive member for environmental services.

“The proposed fees and charges will ensure the council is making a reasonable charge and recovering its costs.

“A new post of trade waste officer will be created to liaise with customers, minimise costs and ensure regulatory compliance.”

Chief financial officer David Robertson said the trade waste service is currently subsidised by the council to the tune of £1.2m a year.

The increases agreed this week are expected to defray that subsidy by £226,000 over the next two years.

Other Hawick councillors have voiced disquiet about the proposed price rise, however.

Fellow Hawick and Hermitage councillor Ron Smith, the authority’s executive member for planning and environment, voted for the move, but said he did so only reluctantly and after raising concerns.

He said: “It is essential that the collection and disposal of trade waste by the council does not run at a loss.

“We were informed that it currently does make a loss.

“Charges therefore must be set at a level which recovers these costs.

“Much is made in the accompanying reports that Borders charges are below the national average. I do not accept this as a reason for increase.

“Full cost recovery is always defensible, but chasing a market-average return is not, as it does not recognise our own particular situation.

“I am also concerned by the combination of increased price and reduced size of trade waste sacks. This will be a heavy burden for traders.

“Once again, I can only support this as it helps the council break even on the associated costs.”

An outright critic of the decision is Hawick and Denholm councillor Stuart Marshall.

He added: “This is a huge percentage hike for these businesses, and to add insult to injury, the proposals to reduce the size of both trade waste bags and bins will only add to that burden.

“While I fully appreciate that the council has to recover costs for the services that it provides, my concerns are that such measures may only add to an increase in fly-tipping within my ward and our region.”

A plea is going out for the road surface at Bonchester Bridge to be relaid over fears it is unsafe.

That call is being made by Hawick and Denholm councillor Stuart Marshall following two recent road accidents in the village.

Concerns were raised at a recent site visit to the area, attended by council and community representatives, and now it is hoped the work can be included in Scottish Border Council’s planned roadworks for the next financial year.

Mr Marshall has pledged to continue to press for the work to be carried out on the road, used by scores of heavy goods vehicles daily.

He said: “The issue over the safety of the bridge at Bonchester is one that has been raised by several residents in recent weeks, and the matter is also frequently high on the agenda at meetings of Hobkirk Community Council.

“The main issue is the fact that the anti-skid surface has all but disappeared, and the approach from the south is very steep indeed.

“I am told that to replace this type of surface is quite complex and expensive and, if approved, the bridge would require a total resurface .

“With several accidents on the bridge in recent months and two where vehicles have allegedly struck a wooden fence adjacent to the bridge, then, for me, such statistics speak for themselves, and we really do need to see how we as a council can get this issue moved higher up the priority list.

“I was delighted when a recent site visit took place with residents, community councillors and Scottish Borders Council roads officials, and it was revealed that this matter will now be put forward for consideration to be included in the council’s planned works for 2017-18.

“While there are no guarantees and no timescales set, I, for one, will continue to press that this bridge receives the attention it deserves.”

A council spokesman said: “Officers recently met with Mr Marshall and a representative of the local community council to discuss concerns relating to the carriageway surface at Bonchester Bridge.

“No decision was taken at the meeting, but it was confirmed that the section of the carriageway concerned is being considered for inclusion within further planned work programmes.”

A man and woman have been rescued from a top floor flat in Galashiels after a fire broke out during the early hours of Saturday morning.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were called to the property at Beech Avenue at 3.39 am where it is understood that the fire started in the kitchen.

An ambulance crew treated the two at the scene after firefighters helped them through the building using breathing apparatus.

A spokesperson from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was called at 3.39am on Saturday, 4 February to reports of a fire at a flat in Beech Avenue, Galashiels. Two fire appliances from Galashiels fire station attended and put out the fire.

“Two casualties were checked over at the scene by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

“Crews left the scene at 4am ensuring the area was safe.”

Poor mobile phone coverage in parts of Hawick and beyond was raised at the latest meeting of Scottish Borders Council’s executive committee.

The issue was highlighted by Hawick and Hermitage councillor Davie Paterson.

He identified particular problems in more rural areas of his ward, particularly at Newcastleton.

Mr Paterson said: “There is some really poor coverage in parts of the ward.

“Myself and other councillors regularly get it in the neck about the poor coverage from constituents, and it is almost certainly having a detrimental effect on business start-ups in the most rural areas we represent, like Newcastleton.”

Townsfolk at Newcastleton are tackling the problem of poor phone coverage themselves in the meanwhile.

Newcastleton Community Trust calculates that only 10% of its geographical catchment has mobile coverage.

A spokesman said: “More and more of our day-to-day tasks rely on mobile technology. Those who cannot access mobile are being penalised for having to use traditional methods to manage their businesses and lifestyles.

“We are encouraged by the recent announcement for the new emergency services contracts for police, ambulance and fire service, which will mean new masts can host commercial platforms within not-spot areas.

“When this happens in December of this year, our hope is that mobile cover will be delivered throughout the area via a commercial operator, and all households and businesses will have access.”

In addition, the trust is establishing a connectivity hub at the heart of the village.

It is designed to be a place where people can go and plug in their laptops to gain access to superfast broadband.

The spokesman added: “Depending on usage, the facility will be free to anyone, enabling access to superfast broadband to all.

“Yes, you will need to visit the hub, but you will get online, it will be fast and will be an unbroken connection.”

Momentum is growing for the extension of the Borders Railway to Hawick now a new report has hailed the line’s positive impact on tourism in the parts of the region it serves.

Scottish Tourism Economic Assessment Monitor statistics released this week show a sizeable increase in visitor numbers in both the Borders and Midlothian in the first half of 2016 compared to the same period a year earlier.

In the Borders, the number of visitor days in hotels and bed-and-breakfasts rose by 27 per cent and there was a 20 per cent rise in visitor spend on food and drink.

Hawick’s councillors are convinced that positive impact would be replicated there were the £350m line to be extended to the town and then on to Carlisle.

Hawick and Denholm councillor Watson McAteer believes the data is proof positive that immediate action is needed to extend the 30-mile track from Edinburgh to Tweedbank further south.

He said: “The early success of the Borders Railway, particularly its impact in the Galashiel area, is all the evidence the Scottish Government requires to push ahead now rather than wait until November for the feasibility study to extend the line to Hawick and Carlisle.

“While areas like Hawick are seeing very little, if any, material economic benefit from the current position, extending the line would, I believe, change our fortunes and open all of the Borders to tourists and business from north and south.

“I would certainly call on the council and the Government to place this at the top of their agenda for the Borders and act as quickly as possible.”

Hawick and Hermitage councillor Davie Paterson also welcomed the rise in tourist visits, saying: “There is every a reason for extending the railway to Carlisle.

“Surely with these fantastic figures, even the railway knockers would have to agree that the railway has been a great success for Midlothian and the central Borders.

“Now, it’s time for us all to get behind bringing the railway to other parts of the Borders and then on to Carlisle.”

The report also identified a 16% increase in visitor spend across the Borders and an 8% rise in employment related to tourism.

Tweeddale East councillor Stuart Bell, the council’s executive member for economic development, added: “The introduction of the railway has undoubtedly contributed to these figures.”

Footfall in Hawick town centre fell by 42% over three years, worrying new statistics reveal.

According to Scottish Borders Council’s town centre resilience index, an average of 7,480 people a week visited High Street and the rest of the town centre back in 2012.

But that figure had fallen to 4,360 by 2015, a reduction of 3,120 over the period–- the biggest percentage fall among all towns in the Borders.

Hawick also has among the highest levels of vacant shop units, with 14% of the town’s 258 retail outlets empty.

Only Galashiels and Jedburgh have higher vacancy rates, both at 15%.

Further unwanted statistics include the highest proportion of its population being rated among the most deprived in Scotland at 28%, the highest level of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance and 39% of residents over the age of 16 having no qualifications at all.

It would appear that Hawick is still a town where people want to live despite its problems, however.

The data reveals that its population actually rose in the period from 2008 to 2014, going up from 13,787 to 14,003.

Hawick and Denholm councillor Watson McAteer believes the report “demonstrates a fundamental lack of economic and social investment in Hawick by Scottish Borders Council”.

The figures formed part of a report to the council’s executive committee this week, outlining the positive impact the Borders Railway was having on tourism in the rest of the region.

Mr McAteer said: “The town centre index report confirms what we all know in that Hawick sits firmly at the bottom of the league, sharing worst spot with our near neighbours Jedburgh.

“This report clearly demonstrates a fundamental lack of economic and social investment in Hawick by Scottish Borders Council.

“Hawick has many real positive changes taking place.”

Hawick and Hermitage councillor Davie Paterson disputted Mr McAteer’s assessment of the report as bad news, however, saying: “I can hardly believe that anyone is even attempting to rubbish what is quite simply great news for the Scottish Borders with the Scottish Tourism Economic Assessment Monitor, which has figures from both the Borders and Midlothian saying that statistics show a significant improvement in key tourism performance figures in the first half of 2016 compared to the first half of 2015.

“It is also the first time in 10 years that every category measured has improved. This is obviously due to the opening of the railway.

“It’s a shame that some councillors choose to be selective in what they pick from any data.

Fellow Hawick and Hermitage councillor Ron Smith also urged caution over the selective use of statistics, and he did see some reason for optimism within the data, in particular a reduction in the retail vacancy rate from 16% in 2012 to 14% last summer.

He said: “It’s always possible to be selective with statistics.

“I also notice positives such as the decline in retail vacancy rates and in the growth in population which the accompanying text states indicates this is a place where people want to live.

“There is a structural problem for Hawick which needs addressed – 39% of our population has no school qualifications and 41% are in semi-skilled and unskilled manual occupations.

“These are the highest figures for the 10 Borders towns.

“This affects spending potential. Perhaps it also is a factor in Hawick lying within the 20% of the most deprived communities in Scotland.

“This is a historic problem. The remedy has to be in continuing commitment to and investment in education.

“The overall figures, in identifying Hawick as the most needy of these 10 towns, highlight that this town must be a council and Scottish Government priority for investment.

“There is plenty of evidence that that has been happening.”

A train from Edinburgh to Tweedbank had to be stopped after a fight broke out between travellers on Saturday night, February 4.

British Transport Police were called to Brunstane station in the north east of the city not long after 9pm, and several men believed to have been involved in a brawl were removed from the train that left Edinburgh Waverley at 8.56pm.

A police spokeswoman said: “We were called at 9.09pm to Brunstane station, to reports that there had been an altercation on-board an Edinburgh to Tweedbank train.

“A number of men were escorted off the train at the station, and we are now investigating the circumstances of what happened.”

A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson added: “We do not tolerate violence and abuse towards our customers or staff, and we will assist British Transport Police in any way they require with the investigation.”

Earlier that day, commuters took to social media to complain about a lack of carriages and services on what was also the first day of the Six Nations rugby championships and saw Scotland playing against Ireland at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium.

One Facebook user said: “Today is the first game of the Six Nations rugby in Edinburgh, but on the Tweedbank-to-Edinburgh service, both the 10am and 10.30am trains only have two carriages.

“What a disgrace. If you didn’t get on at Tweedbank, there was no hope of a seat.

“The Borders is a massive supporter of rugby, so why no more carriages?”

ScotRail responded on the social media website saying: “We’ve strengthened services where we can. Even when we move capacity around for special events, services sare till invariably busy.

“We align capacity with expected demand as much as possible.”

The police spokeswoman added that there is currently no information to suggest that the altercation involved rugby fans from the Borders but the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding Saturday night’s incident is urged to contact police by calling 0800 405040 or texting 61016, quoting 596 of 4/2.