A controversial bid to build a wind farm near Bonchester Bridge is being recommended for approval by planners next week.

More than 60 objections have been lodged against plans to erect the 12-turbine Pines Burn wind farm development on the Harlow Estate, but Scottish Borders Council planning officers are recommending it is shown the green light by the authority’s planning and building standards committee on Monday.

Leeds-based EnergieKontor UK’s proposals for a dozen turbines, seven of them 149.9m tall and the other five 20m shorter, have split opinion since they were unveiled last year.

They have sparked 60 letters of objection and 52 in support, but Hobkirk, Jed Valley, Denholm, Hawick, Upper Teviotdale and Borthwick Water, Newcastleton and Southdean community councils have been unanimous in their opposition.

EnergieKontor held two rounds of public exhibitions, in July and November last year, before submitting a revised application, including a reduction in height of seven of the proposed turbines and the repositioning of three, in January this year.

However, Philip Kerr, chairman of both Southdean Community Council and Chesters Wind Farm Action Group, still has reservations about the scheme.

He says the recommendation to approve it has caused consternation among objectors concerned about the height of the turbines and their visual impact.

However, stakeholders and supporters backing the proposals have welcomed the potential they offer for job creation and boosting the local economy.

EnergieKontor says it would run a local procurement policy, giving preference to companies that employ local people and source materials within the Borders.

The firm has also committed to a £1.2m funding programme with the Borders Further Education Trust, and if the project gets the go-ahead, the trust will receive £50,000 annually over the 25-year lifetime of the wind farm.

Project manager Duncan Taylor said: “We are really looking forward to bringing our funding programmes forward should Pines Burn receive approval at committee.

“These programmes, along with our procurement policy, will help to boost the Scottish Borders’ economy by creating work opportunities and jobs for local people.

“The decision to recommend approval not only reflects the planning compliance of the application but also recognises the project’s important contribution to the regional economy, as well as the local support for the project.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the community, who have constructively engaged with us throughout the application process, allowing us to propose a project that will deliver significant benefits.”

Chief planning officer Ian Aikman’s report states: “The construction phase would last for 12 to 18 months, and the development would have a 25-year operational phase.

“The wind farm would provide 36mw of installed capacity. It is accepted that the proposal would make a moderate contribution towards energy targets.”

He concludes: “It is considered that the detrimental impacts of the proposal are not so significant as to warrant refusal.”

An Earlston-based timber group is the only business in the Borders to become finalists at this year’s Scottish Apprenticeship Awards.

Family-0wned BSW Timber Group, set up by James Waddell in 1848, is now Britain’s biggest saw-milling business, consisting of a 510-strong staff including 19 apprentices in Scotland.

Members of that team will head to Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery in two weeks’s time for the awards ceremony organised by Skills Development Scotland in partnership with Arnold Clark.

There they will be up against Arnold Clark and BAE Systems Naval Ships, both based in Glasgow, and an Edinburgh engineering company, Leonardo MW Ltd.

All four businesses are vying for the Large Employer of the Year award, which showcases the commitment of businesses with more than 250 employees to the apprenticeship programme.

Group learning and development manager Tony Lockey believes apprenticeship brings local communities into BSW Timber Group’s workplaces in the Borders, Dumfries and in the Highlands.

He said: “We feel we feel we are training our own ready-built people who are encouraged to get their qualifications and we offer good quality jobs in rural areas, which are sometimes challenging to find.”

Skills Development Scotland chief executive Damien Yeates also said: “This year we had a record number of entries for the awards and the calibre of the finalists is quite simply outstanding.

“Employers like BSW Timber Group are tremendous examples of the success of apprenticeship training and it is great to see their personal and professional commitment to work-based learning being recognised in this way.

“I want to wish the company the very best for the awards.”

The company, which can be credited for employing Scotland’s first female saw doctor, last won an award at the 2016 Highlight Business Awards for its work with young people.

In this latest accolade shortlist, the company will join 30 other hopefuls from across Scotland looking to win awards from 10 categories.

Arnold Clark apprentice recruitment manager Suzanne Sherry added: “Arnold Clark has always understood the value of apprenticeships and the importance of nurturing young talent.

“This year our apprenticeship programme is bigger than ever, with over 300 vacancies in the company.

“As part of that commitment, we’re delighted to sponsor the Scottish Apprenticeship Awards.

“It’s so inspiring to see how dedicated employers are to apprenticeships and how many hardworking young people benefit from the apprenticeship journey, going on to have long and successful careers in a variety of different industries.

“They really are the future workforce of Scotland.”

There are currently more than 37,000 young people working, learning and earning as modern apprentices.

Managed by Skills Development Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, the scheme allows employees to learn on the job developing their skills through experience.

An online campaign rallying against the Union Flag replacing the saltire on Scottish produce has been launched.

Fed up supermarket customer Ruth Watson started the #KeepScotlandTheBrand campaign after repeatedly seeing Scottish products packaged under a Union flag.

Ruth’s social media page, ‘Aye, Have a Voice’, has grown a large following from other angered Scots who have been sharing their pictures showing the labelling.

She has complained to supermarkets about the branding, and has been told by one that they have changed the branding to “provide consistency for customers”.

Now she hopes supermarkets will reverse this re-branding which Ruth claims is damaging the reputation of Scottish producers.

Ruth from Kirriemuir, Angus, said: “I started the hashtag because it seemed like it was time for it. There is this creeping, insidious rebranding of everything to British.

“I have seen the number of conversations I have had with people about this re-branding of Scottish products the last few years increase.

“There are all of these voices crying out in the darkness. Let’s find an avenue for these voices so we can show supermarkets this is what Scottish people want.

“I then realised there was a real response to the movement when the Facebook page reaches quadrupled overnight.”

Brand awareness

And she insists that you do not have to be a supporter of Scottish independence to be against the branding.

She added: “I have spoken to supermarket managers who say that’s what they have been doing - they have been told to rebrand things as British.

“This is not a nationalist thing. This is about the British nationalist movement - it’s not me stomping my tartan foot for independence.

“The Scottish branding identity is worth millions to our economy - Scottish meat and lamb, for example, have a global cache.

“People abroad think of the clean water, and good quality produce, when they hear Scotland.

“If we move away from that Scottish brand identity, which we have spent decades building, then we will lose our footfall here.”

Union packs

Ruth pointed to fruit and veg stocked in Tesco which is branded with a Union flag but was made in Scotland.

The change in packaging, which Tesco introduced last year, caused quite a storm on social media at the time.

In one complaint to the supermarket giant, Ruth said: “Scotland’s brand is worth many millions of pounds to our economy.

“If our brand is subsumed into some generic ‘Britain’ and has a Union flag draped over it, our premium disappears.

Flagged up

“This is an outrageous initiative and seems to be a relatively recent move. Why not take all flags of the packaging? We did very well without them before.

“Many thousands of Scots do not want a Union flag on our produce, and many hundreds of Scottish businesses will have decades of hard work ruined if our identity becomes one homogeneous blur.

“It is important to Scotland’s farmers, Scotland’s fishing industry, Scotland’s textiles, Scotland’s tourism, that we #keepScotlandtheBrand.”

But Tesco replied to Ruth saying the packaging was “to provide consistency for customers, we mark all of our homegrown fresh berries with a Union flag.”

The customer care member added: “The country of origin is also clearly displayed on the pack.”

A Tesco spokesman said: “We are proudly Scottish agriculture’s biggest customer.

“We regularly use the Saltire flag on Scottish products, wherever possible - and make clear the farm, grower or country of origin.

“Disappointing”

“To maintain supply to our customers, we will sometimes stock British produce in our Scottish stores to avoid disappointing customers.”

Other products that Scottish people have taken offence to being branded as British include haggis, whisky and even the famous painting the Monarch of the Glen.

Rab Mackenzie posted a picture of Bell’s Whisky covered in red, white and blue labelling and warned: “Remember where your loyalties lie @BellsWhisky #scotref”

Sha Wield was angered by an English hotel laying claim to the stag at the centre of the world famous Monarch of the Glen painting.

She wrote: “Seriously, the attempt to appropriate Scotland’s identity is getting more extreme by the day #keepScotlandtheBrand”.

A product called The Great British Haggis drew the ire of Twitter user Kenjeraktoa who objected to Scotland’s national dish being branded with the Union Flag.

Identity crisis

Ruth said she is trying to support Scottish farmers to ensure the Scottish identity on their products is maintained.

She said: “I am supporting Scottish farmers with this hashtag because this is about the security of our future. This is about the food on our plates.

“It won’t take long for farmers to lose their market share if this continues.

“I am doing this because it’s the right thing to do. It’s about standing up for the future of our country and our economy depends on brand identity.”

Ken Stahly of Stahly Quality Foods stood behind the branding of their Great British Haggis.

He said: “Stahly Quality Foods has been a proudly Scottish, family run butcher since 1923.

“Our haggis is created to our own special recipe and is loved in Scotland and across the world.

“The newest addition to our haggis range is of course essentially Scottish (made in Scotland with Scottish ingredients) but with packaging that aims to broaden the appeal of our classic national dish.

“We’re confident this haggis will be enjoyed by new and existing customers alike.”

More than 150 farmers and animal owners turned out at Kelso’s Galedin Veterinary surgery to mark the 200th anniversary of the town’s first veterinary surgeon.

Celebrations saw clients of Galedin Vets, which has 40 vets and eight practices across the Borders, gather at the Knowes-based branch last month to take part in an open day complete with drinks and a full hog roast.

The town now boasts a team of eight vets, two nurses and four clerical staff dedicated to helping injured and poorly animals.

However, that skill was first carried out in Kelso back in 1817, when Robert Glaister, of Wooler, Northumberland, accepted an invitation by the Border Agricultural Society move his practice there for a total sum of 50 guineas.

The society had been established just four years earlier, as a result of the Scottish agricultural revolution.

Over the years since, the practice developed and changed hands on various occasions before eventually becoming part of the Merlin Veterinary Group in 1997.

In 2015, that group teamed up with Berwick-upon-Tweed-based Renton Vets, collectively practicing as the current Galedin Vets.

Veterinary surgeon and equine director of Galedin Limited, Iain Lathangie, told the Southern: “I think we have remained as a successful business for so long as we have prided ourselves on our personal service to clients, many of whom are long-standing customers and in some cases friends, as well as always wanting to be a the forefront of trying new things in the veterinary field.

“We have also built on the great reputation that has been handed to us from the many great and well known vets before us that have worked from Kelso.”

MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh andSelkirk John Lamont was also in attendance at the open day. He told the Southern: “I was delighted to join in with the celebrations at Galedin’s in Kelso.

“It is remarkable that Kelso has had a vet for 200 years and just goes to show the importance of animals to the way of life in the Borders.

“Veterinary practice has certainly changed a lot from the days in which vets travelled on horseback to see their patients but it was great to hear about the modern service Galedin’s provides.”

Roxburgh Street in Kelso will be closed to traffic for a further six weeks at least to allow repairs to be made to a town centre building in dangerous condition.

The busy street was closed to traffic and pedestrians over six weeks ago after the discovery of a dangerous chimney at its corner with Horsemarket off the main square.

Pedestrian access was restored two weeks later after the removal of the chimney, but the road has remained closed to traffic since due to a dangerous gable wall on the same privately-owned building.

And now Scottish Borders Council has confirmed the scaffolding will remain in place for a further six weeks.

A spokesman said: “A structural engineer has investigated the gable wall of the building, which has brought to light that the extent of repairs needed to make the wall fully safe are greater than initially thought.

“This means a large section of the gable facing Roxburgh Street requires to be removed and rebuilt.

“The current scaffolding needs to be kept in place in order to keep the building safe, meaning the road remains closed to traffic, although pedestrian access will continue to be maintained.

“As soon as the structural engineer is satisfied that the building is stable following the repairs, the width of the scaffolding can be reduced, allowing traffic to once again use the road.

“The council is now directly undertaking the work under powers granted by the 2003 Building (Scotland) Act and is making every effort to resolve the situation as quickly as possible, while also making sure public safety is the priority.”

While the prospect of works continuing until mid-December is still worrying traders, they are hopeful that once the scaffolding is reduced, full access to the street could be restored long before six weeks are up.

Steve Fletcher, of Seasons Coffee Shop, said that he has seen a marked improvement in footfall along the street since shopkeepers launched a combined publicity push last month to highlight that they are still open for business.

“I do think a few people have made an extra effort to support the businesses up the street, and I think footfall has picked up,” he said.

“I think if people realise as well that they can still come down Union Street to the Co-op, they can get down that way.”

The one-way order in Union Street has been temporarily suspended to allow access while diversions direct traffic from the town centre through Woodmarket, Rose Lane, East Bowmont Street and Bowmont Street.

More than 300 of Jedburgh’s scariest little monsters took to the town’s streets on Tuesday for a spooky evening of Halloween fun.

The treats came courtesy of the majority of the town’s shopkeepers and traders as they opened their doors late at night, donned their own fancy dress and dished out spooks and sweets of their own to deserving youngsters who impressed them with their fancy-dress efforts.

Now in its fourth year, the event saw High Street closed to traffic for almost two hours, during which time it was overrun by little witches, werewolves and ghoulish creatures for an evening of organised guising.

Alan Learmonth, owner of Learmonth’s Butchers was in on the act, donning a mad professor cap and bloodied butcher’s coat. He said: “It’s starting to get bigger and bigger every year, and we have kids from other towns coming along to join in, which is great.

“It’s a good thing for the town as it’s safe for the kids and just really good fun for them.

“They all made the effort to dress up and some of the costumes were first class.

“The effort they put in was brilliant, and some were really quite scary actually.”

He added: “There were a lot of shops supporting the idea again, which is pretty encouraging, but people are not opening for business – they are just doing it for the kids.”

The future of post office services in Melrose looks uncertain after plans to relocate the town’s post office to Abbey Mill were scrapped this week.

Proposals to move the post office 350 metres from Buccleuch Street to the Annay Road site back in August were met with objections during a six-week consultation period, so postal bosses have now abandoned them.

Post Office regional network manager Suzanne Richardson said: “We received 31 individual responses from customers regarding the proposal.

“In the main, comments focussed on the location of the proposed new premises on the outskirts of the town.

“Local views were that the proposed location would be difficult to access, particularly for elderly residents, as it was not within easy walking distance, poor car parking and that there was a busy road to cross.

“The branch will therefore continue to operate from its existing location for the time being.”

Melrose’s postmaster of the last 28 years, John Collins, had expected to complete his final shift this month in order to retire and relocate closer to family near Falkirk.

Although eager to make the move, he has vowed to stay in place until a suitable home for the post office is found.

He said: “There is another interested party in the offing, and I will have my fingers and toes crossed that I don’t have to see my 69th birthday here.

“I could walk away tomorrow, but I don’t want to do that.

“I have been here a long time, and the public has been good to me, so I want to see something in place before I go.

“The Post Office does appreciate my situation and is pulling out all the stops to get this resolved quickly.”

Melrose Community Council treasurer Graham Barker added: “We don’t want to lose the post office.

“We were of the opinion that the Abbey Mill maybe was not the correct place due to the accessibility issues, but it was better than not having it at all or having a van one day a week.

“I suppose the worry is that if John decides he can’t wait any longer and retires, if they don’t find somewhere else, do we get it back again?”

Borders MSP Christine Grahame added: “I am pleased to see that common sense has prevailed here.

“Many of my constituents were concerned that the Abbey Mill site was out of the way and would have been less accessible for people with limited mobility. I agree.

“I am calling on the Post Office to make a long-term commitment to Melrose. It is essential that a full range of postal services remain available in the town.”

Farmers throughout the Borders are staging a show of support for disease-stricken rugby legend Doddie Weir this weekend.

More than 100 tractors are expected to be driven through Lauder this coming Sunday, November 5, to help raise money for a charity set up by the former Scottish international following his diagnosis with motor neurone disease (MND).

The parade is being organised by farmers, other tractor drivers and vintage vehicle enthusiasts to raise money for My Name’5 Doddie, a foundation the 47-year-old is setting up to fund research into MND.

Its organisers are encouraging Borderers to turn out to support the parade as it passes along Lauder High Street at around 11.15am and returns to nearby Thirlestane Castle at about 1pm.

One of its organisers, Ross Montague, of Blackburn Farm, Lauder, said: “2017 has been marred by the loss of Peter Fullerton, a retired local farmer to MND.

“We also learned earlier in the summer of the news that another local farmer, Doddie Weir, is suffering from MND.

“The grand parade of tractors is a way for the farming community and local people to show our support for those affected by MND, including their families, and hopefully also to raise funds to help combat this horrific disease.

“I am hugely encouraged by the number of tractors registered to take part, and I am sure there will be more turning up on the day.

“Edward and Sarah Maitland-Carew have been extremely supportive of the event and are very kindly allowing the tractors to meet at Thirlestane Castle, from which they will leave, in parade formation before travelling through Lauder and doing a circuit of the area.

“This promises to be quite a spectacle for the public, so I hope we will see a good crowd on the street as the parade passes through the town.

“There will be tractors from vintage right through to brand new top-of-the-range giants paraded by the local agricultural machinery dealers.

“Afterwards, when the parade returns to Thirlestane Castle and the tractors are all safely parked up, there will be a chance for the public to see them and support our fundraising raffle.

“We were blown away last week by the generosity of a local farmer who has donated a vintage John Deere Model A, which will be auctioned after the parade and hopefully give a great boost to the fundraising.”

The event, being sponsored by rural insurance firm NFU Mutual, will see temporary diversions in place on the A68 from around 10.30am to noon on Sunday and then again around 1pm.

There might also be delays in and around Lauder, Langshaw and Blainslie from 9am until 4pm, with tractors arriving, the parade taking place and then tractors leaving from Thirlestane at the close of the event.

“I would like to thank Police Scotland, Scottish Borders Council and Amey Highways,” added Mr Montague.

“They are all working with us to make sure that we can stage this parade with minimum disruption to the public.

“I would also like to apologise in advance for any delays.

“However, we hope that the public will forgive us as our efforts are all for a very worthwhile cause.”

Father-of-three Weir, of Stow, revealed he had MND in June, and since then the former Melrose and Newcastle Falcons lock, capped 61 times for Scotland, has pledged to raise money for others affected by the disease.

Borders MP John Lamont has launched a verbal broadside at a Hawick councillor over claims the rollout of universal credit could be forcing Teries to rake through bins for food.

Those claims were made by Hawick and Hermitage councillor Davie Paterson after a resident reported seeing people delving in bins for food at the town’s Howegate.

That assertion has been rubbished by Mr Lamont, MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, however.

He said Mr Paterson had made the exact same claims three years ago, well before universal credit was introduced.

The Conservative MP has called on Mr Paterson, an independent, to apologise for his “unfounded claims” and for “trying to make a cheap political point”, adding: “Sadly, there have been cases of people begging or looking for discarded food long before universal credit existed, and any examples of this are deeply concerning.

“However, even by Mr Paterson’s standards, these comments are shoddy.

“Either he has conveniently forgotten that three years ago, he commented on exactly the same issue, or he is trying to make a cheap political point out of struggling Teries?

“As Mr Paterson himself said three years ago, help is available for people who are struggling.

“Anyone facing a delay to their universal credit payment is eligible to emergency payments, which can be fast-tracked to the same day in the most serious cases.

“The one thing I agree with Mr Paterson about is that any case of people raking through a bin is terrible.

“Rather than trying to make cheap political points out of other people’s plight, I’m focused on improving the lives of Teries who are struggling.

“That is why I support universal credit, because it will simplify the benefits system and make work pay.”

An unrepentant Mr Paterson responded: “I certainly don’t need any lectures from a Tory that is so out of touch with reality.

“Mr Lamont had his chance last week to vote against universal credit but refused.”

A foul-mouthed outburst in the dock at Jedburgh Sheriff Court resulted in a Hawick man being jailed for 60 days.

Gary Crossett appeared from custody on Monday to face several motoring charges, but the 25-year-old lost his temper after being told his various pleas to certain allegations were not going to be accepted by the crown, so a trial date was set.

Crossett made a rude finger gesture towards procurator fiscal Graham Fraser, followed by a flurry of offensive and abusive phrases, including ‘get it up you’, all overheard by sheriff Peter Paterson.

The sheriff immediately ruled that Crossett, of Hillend Drive, was in contempt of court, and after discussion with his client, defence lawyer Ed Hulme said Crossett accepted that he had committed that offence.

Mr Hulme explained: “It should not have been said. It was not appropriate to say it in court, however he feels.

“He has mental health difficulties ongoing, and he was heavily intoxicated when he was arrested on Friday, and the after-effects may still be apparent.”

In addition to being jailed, Crossett was remanded in custody pending trial on a handful of motoring allegations.

He is accused of stealing a set of car keys from his home on Friday and taking away a car without the consent of its owner. Crossett is also alleged to have driven while disqualified and uninsured in Hillend Drive, Hawick, and on various roads en route to Selkirk.

A trial date was set for Thursday, November 30, at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, with an intermediate hearing on Monday, November 13.

SEX OFFENDER ON SUPERVISION

A 35-year-old man found with scores of disturbing child porn images on his computer has been given a three-year supervision order.

Andrew Devine has also had his name placed on the sex offenders’ register and is not allowed any contact with children under 18 or access to the internet without the permission of a supervising officer.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told that, acting on information, police raided a house in Gattonside in September last year and found Devine had sorted images into folders and categorised them.

His behaviour was described as obsessive, with many of the images being in the most serious category A, featuring children aged between five and 14 having penetrative sex with adults or other youngsters.

Devine, now living in Edzell in Angus, pleaded guilty to possessing indecent photographs of children at the Gattonside property between April 2013 and September 2016.

He also admitted a second charge of taking, or permitting to be taken, indecent photos of children.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said police arrived with a search warrant at 8am on September 19 last year saying someone in the property was suspected of being involved in uploading or downloading child pornographic material.

He said: “There is considerable evidence of sorting and categorising them.

“It was a fairly organised accessing of material.

“It was thought through and, I would say, rather obsessive.”

He added: “It was not an enormous amount of images but certainly more than a few.

The court was told Devine had lived in Aberdeen until he was 22 but then moved with his family to Crete.

On their return to Scotland, they had stayed at a property in Gattonside, but he has since moved back north.

Sheriff Peter Paterson told Devine that because some of the images were at the serious level, it did call into question what the appropriate disposal would be in the case, with a custodial term having been under consideration.

However, after considering all the factors, he was able to impose a community-based sentence instead, he said.

PAIR ON BOOZE THEFT CHARGES

A Hawick couple have been accused of alcohol thefts from a supermarket in the town.

Tracey Groat, 46, and Shaun Trott, 49, both of Beattie Court, are charged with stealing four bottles of vodka from Sainsbury’s on August 17 and August 22. They are also said to have stolen four bottles of brandy and two bottles of vodka later that month.

The case was continued without plea at Jedburgh Sheriff Court until November 13.

MAN TOLD TO PAY COMPENSATION

A Berwickshire man has been ordered to pay £400 compensation to a woman after admitting engaging in a course of conduct causing her fear and alarm.

Michael Oliver, 41, previously pleaded guilty to approaching the woman at Gordon Bowling Club on June 12 last year and laying his head on her chest, seizing her by the buttocks, following her into the toilets and attempting to enter the cubicle she had gone into.

Oliver, who lives near Gordon, also admitted calling at the woman’s address and repeatedly attempting to gain entry despite being uninvited and refusing to leave when asked to do so.

After hearing that Oliver had been of good behaviour for the past year while on deferred sentence, he was admonished by sheriff Derrick McIntyre and told to pay his victim £400 in compensation.

MEN ACCUSED OF SPATE OF THEFTS

Three Edinburgh men have been charged with thefts from vehicles in the Borders.

They face a total of 16 charges relating to thefts from vehicles in Duns, Jedburgh and St Boswells in December.

Alan Halcrow, 39, of Firhill Drive, and John Garden, 30, of Fernieside Crescent, both pleaded not guilty.

A third accused, Jamie Shaw, 25, of Fernieside Avenue, failed to show up at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, and a warrant was granted for his arrest.

MAN REMANDED IN CUSTODY

A man has been remanded in custody after failing to comply with background reports being prepared.

Ricky Lee, 38, had previously admitted wasting police time by falsely claiming he was severely injured by unknown males.

That offence happened at a house in Beaconsfield Terrace, Hawick, on January 24.

Lee, now ofBoonraw Road, Hawick, admitted at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to making the false representation that he had been stabbed by others to a detective constable.

Sentence was previously deferred for background reports, but after hearing that they were not available, sheriff Derrick McIntyre told Lee he had “tested the patience of the court” and remanded him in custody until next month.

DRIVER BLAMES MEMORY LOSS

A banned motorist claimed that, because he suffers from short-term memory loss, he could not recall driving when he was not supposed to.

Daniel Purvis, 21, had previously denied driving while disqualified and with no insurance in Shedden Park Road, Kelso, on September 10, but at Jedburgh Sheriff Court he changed his plea to guilty.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said Purvis was seen driving at 8.30am by someone who suspected he was disqualified, and it was later confirmed that he was banned from October 2016 to February 2018.

His girlfriend said Purvis had been driving the car and now he accepted it. Mr Fraser added: “He says he suffers from short-term memory loss and could not remember he was driving. Hopefully, he will remember he is disqualified.”

Purvis, of Horsemarket, Kelso, had sentence deferred until November 28 for background reports.

BOTTLE-ATTACK CLAIM DENIED

A Galashiels man has been accused of severely injuring another man by hitting him on the head with a bottle.

Jordan Wood, 28, of Tweed Terrace, appeared on indictment at Jedburgh Sheriff Court and denied the offence.

He pleaded not guilty to assaulting Lochlan Webb to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement in Roxburgh Street, Galashiels, on October 23 last year.

The intermediate trial hearing was continued until November 28.

TEENAGER WILL FACE JURY TRIAL

A teenager will stand trial by jury on a charge of breaking into a house in Selkirk and stealing various items.

The 17-year-old, from Edinburgh, who cannot be named because of his age, denies the offence, alleged to have been committed in Russell Place on January 3.

He also denies allowing himself to be driven in a car taken without the consent of its owner.

The case was continued until November 30.

HEROIN OFFENDER

A Galashiels man has appeared from custody at Selkirk Sheriff Court and admitted being in possession of heroin.

Daniel Thwaites was spotted by police officers in the Wilderhaugh area of Galashiels last Wednesday and appeared to be under the influence of drink or drugs.

The 27-year-old, of High Tweed Mill, King Street, was searched, and a bag of brown powder was recovered.

It was later found to contained a quantity of the class A drug with a value of around £50.

Defending, Ed Hulme said the drug was for his client’s own personal use.

Thwaites had sentence deferred for four months for good behaviour.

WOMAN FACES FRAUD TRIAL

A Greenlaw woman has denied a £10,000 benefits fraud.

Lorraine Baxter, 47, of Blackadder Crescent, pleaded not guilty to receiving £5,044 in employment support allowance and £4,853 in housing beenfits she was not entitled to.

It is alleged she stated that she had separated from her husband, but it is claimed they were living together as a married couple between September 2015 and January this year.

A trial date has been fixed for January 25 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, with an intermediate hearing on December 11.

PEEBLES STALKER FINED £500

A man has been fined £500 at Selkirk Sheriff Court after admitting stalking his ex-partner after the break-up of their two-year relationship.

Steven Wilson, 44, pleaded guilty to engaging in a course of conduct likely to cause the woman fear and alarm by repeatedly sending her messages by text, WhatsApp and social media between April 30 and June 25, despite being told not to contact her.

Wilson, of Edinburgh Road, Peebles, also admitted a second complaint of breaching his bail conditions by repeatedly texting her and sending her flowers between August 23 and September 26, defying a court order not to contact her.

Ross Dow, defending, accepted his client had crossed the line with the number of calls he made to her in spite of being warned not to.

INDECENT CHILD IMAGES FOUND

A 59-year-old man has admitted being in possession of more than 1,600 indecent images of children at his Cardrona home.

William Bruce pleaded guilty to committing that offence at Mains Farm Steading between March 2013 and January 2017.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told a total of 1,608 images and 216 movies were recovered from three devices, mostly falling into the category C section deemed to be the least serious.

When interviewed by police, Bruce, now living in Dunfermline in Fife, refused to comment.

Sentence was deferred until December 11, and his name was placed on the sex offenders’ register.

SOLDIER LASHED OUT AT WOMAN

A soldier has been found guilty of assaulting a woman during a disturbance in Galashiels town centre.

Paul Edwards, 28, of Tweed Road, Galashiels, had denied punching the woman in the town’s Tesco car park on December 28, but witnesses described how he lashed out at her during a confrontation between two groups of people.

Edwards was fined £300 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

There was found to be no case to answer on charges alleging assaults on two men during the same incident.

Co-accused Alistair Munro, 27, of Newton Mearns in Glasgow, was also found not guilty of assaulting the two men after sheriff Peter Paterson ruled there was no case to answer.

MAN DIDN’T TELL ABOUT NEEDLE

A man has been jailed for a total of 250 days after admitting putting police officers in danger by failing to tell them he was in possession of a hypodermic needle as they searched him.

Stephen Palmer pleaded guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to a charge of culpable and reckless conduct in Earl Street, Hawick, on May 26.

The 39-year-old, of Wellfield Road, Hawick, was also in possession of an offensive weapon, namely a metal pole, at the same time and location.

He admitted two further counts of breaching his bail conditions.

Consecutive jail terms of 120 days, 100 days and 30 days were imposed.

MAN, 54, ADMITS LEWD PRACTICES

A man has been placed on the sex offenders’ registerafter he admitted lewd and libidinous practices towards a teenage girl at a house in Peebles.

Allan Nelson, 54, now living in Galashiels, also pleaded guilty to inducing the girl to take part in sexual activity by giving her a camera so she could take indecent images of herself.

He admitted a third charge of having indecent images of the girl on his computer.

Sentence was deferred at Jedburgh Sheriff Court for background reports until December 11.

GLENDOUGLAS MAN FACES TRIAL

A 50-year-old man has been accused of touching a woman on her body under her clothing while she was sleeping and photographing her almost 20 years ago.

David Blair, of Jedwater Cottage, Glendouglas, is also charged with lewd and libidinous practices towards two youngsters at a house in Jedburgh between January 2001 and January 2002. He pleaded not guilty to both charges.

A trial date has been set for Jedburgh Sheriff Court on January 25, with an intermediate hearing on December 11.

25-YEAR-OLD ADMONISHED

A 25-year-old man convicted of assaulting a pensioner has been admonished after being of good behaviour during a three-month period of deferred sentence.

Jamie Pratley, 25, of Oakfield Court, Kelso, pleaded guilty to pushing the 77-year-old man and causing him to fall to the ground to his injury.

That offence was committed in Angraflat Road, Kelso, on September 29 last year.

NIGHT-TIME CURFEW ORDER

A man has been ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work after admitting three offences at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

Connor Jackson, 20, was also ordered to stay in his Queens Drive home in Hawick between 7pm and 7am for the next six months and ordered to pay £475 for the damage he caused.

That follows a disturbance in the Duke Street area of Hawick on July 12.

He admitted threatening or abusive behaviour involving the police and also wilful damage.

SENTENCE DEFERRED

A Hawick man will be sentenced later this month for causing a disturbance.

Christopher Rodgers, 21, of Eildon Road, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on October 3.

He shouted and swore, struggled and fought with others and threw items around a flat in Allars Cresent.

Sentence was deferred until November 13 when he has other matters calling.

29-YEAR-OLD’S CASE CONTINUED

Scott Winterburn, 29, of Silverbuthall Road, Hawick, has been accused of stealing razor blades from the town’s Sainsbury’s store on August 25.

He is also charged with driving away a car without the consent of its owner in Silverbuthall Road on September 17 and driving with no L-plates while a provisional licence holder and no insurance.

The case was continued without plea at Jedburgh Sheriff Court until November 13.

BENEFIT FRAUD TRIAL DATES SET

New dates have been fixed for the trial of a woman accused of a £10,000 benefit fraud.

Tara Morris, 23, of Priors Court, Jedburgh, is alleged to have received £6,641 of income support she was not entitled to between December 2014 and September 2016.

She also denies receiving £3,409 in housing benefit she was not entitled to by failing to specify that her partner was living in the household.

A Jedburgh Sheriff Court, trial has been scheduled for January 23, with an intermediate hearing on December 11.

WOMAN ACCUSED OF VEHICLE FIRE

A Galashiels woman appeared in private at Jedburgh Sheriff Court accused of setting a vehicle on fire last Saturday.

Linsay Kerr, 35, of Queen Elizabeth Square, faces charges of malicious damage, wilful fire-raising and threatening or abusive behaviour.

Those offences are alleged to have been committed in the Langlee Road area of Galashiels. She made no plea, and the case was continued for further examination. Kerr was bailed with special conditions.

Hawick’s £44m-plus flood protection scheme is set to move a step closer to becoming a reality today, November 2.

Members of Scottish Borders Council will be asked to make a preliminary decision at their full meeting today to agree to give the go-ahead to the project to protect the town from future flooding.

Committee members will be told that of the original 48 objections to the scheme, 12 have been withdrawn following consultations, although there remains a risk of the plans going to a public inquiry.

If no inquiry proves necessary, it would be hoped to start work on the project in the early part of 2019, with completion expected at the end of 2021.

A report to the committee says: “The project team believe that they have considered all the objections robustly and provided appropriate responses and evidence to the objectors to answer their concerns, and have demonstrated that the proposed scheme is the best solution for the town, taking into account of all the constraints and objectives of the project.”

The estimated cost of the proposed River Teviot defences has risen from £40.7m to £44.3m, but the council would only have to pick up an extra £710,000 of that additional bill.

Most of that £3.5m extra cost is down to investigations having established that the wall along the south side of Commercial Road would have to be replaced completely to keep the Teviot at bay, bumping up the bill for that part of the works from £2.3m to £4.6m.

A series of public meetings have been staged to help address concerns expressed by townsfolk.

The report adds: “The most poignant moment at the event held at the town hall was when a resident from Duke Street reminded the audience in the room of the emotional and mental trauma when your home has been devastated by flooding and still remains unprotected.”

At the end of the meeting, a ballot was held, with 58 people in support of the scheme, four undecided and three against it.

The project team also had the chance to defend the work proposed at two public walks.

A Conservative party peer from the Borders has defended his £12,279 expenses claim over the past parliamentary year, saying he has volunteered his services many times in his career.

Lord Sanderson of Bowden is one of 17 lords slammed by the Electoral Reform Society for claiming more than £10,000 despite failing to speak in any debate, submit written questions or sit on a committee.

The 84-year-old did vote on 25 occasions –each time voting “not content” on the various bills put before the house.

He told the Southern this week: “As a volunteer, I served my party since 1965 in many jobs including chairman of the main committee of the UK party and chairman of the Scottish Party, all voluntarily.”

He also cited chairing the Sanderson Commission in 2011 which “brought about the major reforms leading to Ruth Davidson’s appointment to be in sole charge of the Scottish Party”.

He added: “I think you should realise that some people at their own expense give their talents for free and you would do well to study what is involved over the whole period of service before drawing conclusions.”

Darren Hughes, chief exexecutive of the Electoral Reform Society – an independent campaigning organisation working to champion the rights of voters – said that lords who claim expenses without contributing “leaves a nasty taste when a significant chunk of those are claiming more than the average worker takes home in a year”.

“While many peers do work hard, it does our democracy a huge disservice when dozens of unelected peers are taking advantage of the lack of scrutiny, and appear to be gaming the system.

“To the public – and indeed to some lords – the upper chamber has become simply a members’ club, rather than an essential revising chamber.

“This is no fit state for the Mother of all Parliaments. Voters are sick of scandal after scandal – ones which stem from a total lack of accountability.”

Lord Sanderson – who is a board member of the Hawick Cashmere Company and the Abbotsford Trust, having chaired both organisations for several years – said that while he had been an extremely active member of the House of Lords in the past, he was thinking about standing down.

He told us: “I live in Scotland, am now 84, and have played a full part in the past on front and back benches.

“I am considering whether to retire in the near future and you can expect to see me out within a short time.

“I am very interested in Brexit with my industrial connections and you may find me entering the debate once the trade talks develop.”

Meanwhile, a report set up in December last year by the Speaker of the Lords, Norman Fowler, has recommended that the house be reduced by a quarter, with new peers limited to 15-year terms, “in order to maintain confidence in the chamber”.

Plans to relocate Hawick’s Burnfoot Post Office to a supermarket a short distance away will now not go ahead, it has been confirmed.

The proposal drawn up to shift the facility from 5 Kenilworth Avenue to McColl’s convenience store, formerly a Co-operative food outlet, a short distance away in the same street has been withdrawn, a spokesperson for the store has confirmed.

It had been proposed the move would lead to the post office increasing its opening hours to seven days a week, from 6am to 10pm daily, almost twice the 59 hours a week currently offered.

It was part of major modernisation programme across the Post Office network designed to “make it easier for customers to do business, through longer opening hours and modern open-plan environments”.

Now, however, Burnfoot Post Office is to be remain at its current location after all.

That decision has been welcomed by Hawick and Denholm councillor Stuart Marshall. He said: “McColl’s will be disappointed, but the feedback I have been getting is that people are happy the post office is to be retained.

“It’s a well-used facility.”

Scottish Government employability and training minister Jamie Hepburn paid a visit to Borders College in Galashiels last week to find out more about how its apprenticeship programmes are helping young people build up their career prospects.

The Cumbernauld and Kilsyth MSP was given a tour of the college’s construction workshops, meeting lecturer Colin Waddell and carpentry and joinery apprentices, as well as Bill Zawadeckyj, owner of Galashiels firm WSZ Joiners.

Mr Hepburn said: “It was fantastic to meet apprentices and staff at Borders College and hear how these opportunities are helping young people gain a qualification while they work.

“Apprenticeships will help employers in the area meet their current and future workforce needs by responding to skills gaps, which can boost the local economy.  

“It was also great to hear how the college is working to deliver the flexible workforce development fund, which offers opportunities to up-skill and re-skill existing employees.”

College principal Angela Cox added: “Borders College is currently delivering 278 apprenticeships, with this number set to grow.

“Our success in this area is based on the relationships we have built with employers over a long period of time.

“With 97% of our local employers being small or medium enterprises, they trust us to develop our apprentices to the highest quality, and that, in turn, ensures that they are able to sustain a more skilled and qualified workforce in the long term.”

A consultation is to be held over the planned closure of a Hawick school as part of a Borders-wide review by education chiefs.

When members of Scottish Borders Council’s executive committee meet next week, they will be asked to approve the launch of a statutory consultation on plans to shut St Margaret’s RC Primary School.

A review of denominational schools has highlighted that the Buccleuch Road primary has seen a significant fall in pupil numbers over the past 20 years, down from 56 in 1997 to 14 now – said to be just 14% of its capacity.

It is proposed that if it closes, existing pupils will be offered places at other primaries in the town.

The authority’s service director for children and young people, Donna Manson, said: “We are making this recommendation based on the evidence gathered as part of our reviews which raised a number of issues that we would like to address so that the full range of educational and social benefits that we aspire to for all our children and young people can be available for these pupils.

“While we have already held initial discussions with parents, staff and the Roman Catholic Church to brief them on the proposal, setting out our reasons for making this recommendation, the implications that it will have for everyone involved and the support that will be available, we are asking executive members for agreement to engage with them on a formal basis.”

The consultation will propose that if St Margaret’s is to close, existing pupils will be offered a place at their local catchment primary school. Discussions will also be held with parents and the Roman Catholic Church regarding arrangements for denominational instruction to continue to be provided.

East Berwickshire councillor Carol Hamilton, the authority’s executive member for children and young people, added: “While the decision to consult on the closure of a school is always a difficult one, there has been a significant amount of work undertaken to reach this point, with strong evidence available to support the proposal.

“Discussions will continue with parents and staff throughout the consultation as it will be important to hear their thoughts and support them through the process.

“However, I am confident that whatever is decided, it will be because it is in the best interests of these 14 pupils, particularly if a move to a new school within Hawick provides them with all the social and learning opportunities that being in a larger setting with children of their own age could give them.”

The executive is also being asked to approve an update on progress made on a school estate review and proposals to be taken forward over the next year.

The report requests consent to undertake detailed assessments of Galashiels Academy, Hawick High, Peebles High and Selkirk High.

Each will have their condition, suitability and capacity examined in order to prioritise the order of investment in the region’s secondary schools over the next 10 to 15 years.

Assessment of the primary school estate already undertaken has identified that Earlston and Eyemouth’s schools are priorities for investment.

Agreement is also sought to progress with the closure of three mothballed primaries, at Eccles/Leitholm, Ettrickbridge and Hobkirk.

A separate paper will recommend the establishment of a new inter-generational campus in Jedburgh.

The executive committee meets next Tuesday, November 7, at 10am at the council’s Newtown headquarters.

Plans have been unveiled for Kelso Men’s Shed to take over the former Somerfield supermarket building in the town’s Roxburgh Street.

The group plans to turn part of the old shop, closed in 2005, into hobby workshops, leisure rooms and an office.

A spokesman for the shed said: “It will provide a much-needed facility in the town.

“It will not impinge on adjoining neighbours and the provision of the shed will bring a long-standing vacant building to use.”

The charity group, founded to improve wellbeing among the town’s menfolk, currently meets at Roxburgh Street’s Cafe U.

Another part of the building accommodates a Co-op store.

Police have launched an investigation after five members of staff at a Hawick nursing home were suspended over what are described as serious allegations.

It has emerged that the probe centres on what are said to be “inappropriate communications” by staff at St Margaret’s Care Centre, off Myreslaw Green, although the exact nature of those communications has not been disclosed.

Scottish Borders Council is working with St Philips Care Group, the home’s owner, to provide support to staff and residents.

The home, built in the early 1900s as a Dominican convent, provides both nursing and residential care for some of the region’s most vulnerable adults.

A council spokesperson said: “We are aware that St Philips Care Group is carrying out an investigation into a number of serious allegations at St Margaret’s Care Centre.

“We are working closely with them as this is undertaken, providing support to staff and residents as required, and will continue to do so as due process is followed.”

A statement issued by the care company states that the “safety of staff and residents remained its priority”.

It adds: “We can confirm that five members of staff have been suspended pending further investigation.

“The police and the regulatory bodies have been notified and are currently investigating the allegations.

“As this is a police matter, we are unable to comment any further.

“We are working with and co-operating with all authorities. A senior manager is available to discuss concerns from family members.”

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We have been made aware of a report to partners regarding inappropriate communications involving staff within a nursing home in Hawick.

“This matter was reported to the police on Tuesday, October 24.

“Officers are currently working with our partners to ensure that any criminality that may be identified is investigated robustly and that the needs of the residents are addressed.”

Borders police are appealing for witnesses to an alleged serious assault by a woman on a 20-year-old man in Galashiels early on Sunday morning.

The incident took place in the town’s Overhaugh Street, shortly before 1am on Sunday, October 22.

A 20-year-old man was allegedly pushed by a woman as he left a nearby business premises, which caused him to fall and sustain serious leg injuries.

He was taken to Borders General Hospital by the Scottish Ambulance Service for treatment.

Officers are now urging anyone who may have information which can help to get in touch.

Detective Sergeant Stevie Halls of Galashiels CID said: “Our enquiries continue and we’re urging anyone who may have witnessed the assault, or has information which could be of relevance, to get in touch with us.

“We’re particurly eager to trace two women and a man, who may have been a local doorman, that offered help to the man shortly after this incident, and who may have witnessed the assault take place.”

Those with information can contact Galashiels Police Station via 101, quoting incident number 0853 of October 30, or report this anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A bid by a Hawick councillor to have Scottish Borders Council write to the UK Government expressing concerns over cuts in funding was narrowly beaten today in a full council meeting at Newtown.

Hawick and Hermitage councillor David Paterson (Ind) said he was acting after receipt of a letter from Holyrood transport minister Humza Yousaf, who had said any funding shortfall from the UK Government “may impact on plans for the rising demand for Scotland’s railways and could adversely impact any proposals for extending beyond Tweedbank”.

Mr Paterson’s motion asked that SBC leader Shona Haslam write to the UK Government “expressing the council’s concerns” over reports that changes being introduced by the UK Government in 2019 will see a £600million cut in funding to the Scottish Government, which, he said, “could almost certainly be the death knell for any future extensions to the Borders Railway.”

An amendment to the motion was proposed by Councillor Helen Laing, which added that “It could also threaten plans to re-open Reston Station.” Mr Paterson was happy with the ammendment.

However, Mid Berwickshire councillor Mark Rowley (Con) submitted a counter proposal, that the leader instead writes to Mr Yousaf, “requesting confirmation of his recent ‘unwavering’ commitment” to building a station at Reston, and reaffirming that the council has the “strongest possible commitment to ensuring the economic and social benefits of the Borders Railway are extended through to Hawick, Newcastleton and on to Carlisle, so that the leader will ask the minister to make clear that current East Coast main line projects and budgets have no connection to future proposals for extension of the Borders Railway.”

Mr Rowley accused Mr Paterson of “political mischief”, adding: “Reston is absolutely vital, and we should not be playing politics with it.”

And Mr Paterson’s fellow Hawick coumcillor Watson McAteer said Mr Paterson’s motion was “misconceived” and said he was concerned that the motion “has the serious potential to impede any plan to extend the Borders Railway through Hawick and Newcastleton and on to Carlisle”.

But councillor Heather Anderson insisted: “All we are asking you to do is to write to your colleagues in the UK Government to get that money back.”

Kelso and district councillor Euan Robson (Lib Dem) supported Mr Paterson’s motion, but said it was important to talk to both governments as it was a cross-border project.

He added: “It is important to talk to the UK government about the opportunities that rail development in the Borders will bring.”

When it went to vote, Councillor Rowley’s counter proposal won over Mr Paterson’s motion by 17 votes to 12.

After the meeting, Mr Paterson said: “I’m extremely disappointed.

“I felt [the cuts] were going to have a detrimental effect to future projects that are not already financially committed.

“And I don’t think the Borders Railway project is financially committed yet.

“I felt there were real problems there.

“I thought I would get 100% backing from the other councillors and unfortunately I didn’t.

“They tried to twist it and said I was being political, but I wasn’t ... I was looking after the people I represent.”

Selkirk is set to become a blackspot for traffic jams over the next few weeks as roadworks come thick and fast.

The biggest set of works will be the resurfacing of the A7 Edinburgh-Carlisle road at Ettrick Terrace from Monday, November 13, to Friday, November 24, by trunk road operator Amey.

The A7 will be closed at Tower Street too from the Monday after, November 20, also to November 24, for a flurry of co-ordinated works by Scottish Borders Council, Scottish Gas Networks and Scottish Power.

They have been scheduled to take place at the same time as Amey’s resurfacing works in an effort to confine disruption for drivers and traders to a shorter period of time, rather than having one set of roadworks end only for others to follow, potentially prolonging motorists’ misery for weeks.

In Ettrick Terrace, a convoy system will operate from November 13 to Friday, November 17, from 9am to 4pm.

It will reopen on Saturday and Sunday, November 18 and 19, but will then be shut fully the following week, from November 20 to 24 between 9am and 4pm daily to allow the resurfacing works to be completed.

That second week of roadworks in Ettrick Terrace will coincide with further works in nearby Tower Street.

It will be closed round the clock from its junction with High Street to its junction with Back Row from November 20 to 24.

Tower Street’s five-day closure will be closed 24 hours each day to allow the council to carry out work as part of the £450,000 Selkirk streetscape project, Scottish Gas Networks to replace a gas main and Scottish Power to carry out maintenance on its network, all at the same time.

The pedestrian crossing in High Street will be switched off but an additional crossing will be provided alongside temporary traffic lights.

There will also be manual control of the temporary traffic lights between 7am and 7pm daily to try to help traffic flow as freely as possible and keep pedestrians safe.

From November 20 to 24, all northbound traffic will be diverted via the A699, A68 and A6091 to rejoin the A7 at the Kingsknowes roundabout, with southbound traffic being diverted in reverse by Kingsknowes Roundabout via the A6091, A68 and A699 to rejoin the A7.

From November 20 to 24, the X95 northbound bus service will be diverted via Back Row, Scott’s Place, Bleachfield Road, Raeburn Lane, Shawburn Road and Raeburn Place to rejoin the A7 at the Toll, with the X95 southbound service following the same diversion in reverse.

Buses to and from Bannerfield will be unaffected.

Electronic signs will be put in place prior to the works to warn motorists, and letters will be sent to residents and businesses to warn them of the disruption ahead.

Amey is also carrying out patching works on the A7 at Hillside Terrace from Wednesday, November 8, to Friday, November 10, and it will be shut between 9am and 4pm on all three of those days.

Motorists will be diverted via the A699, A68 and A6091 to rejoin the A7 at Kingsknowes roundabout, and buses will go via the Loan and Back Row.

Those works follow the closure of Kirk Wynd on Monday, October 23, for six weeks for streetscape works. It is due to reopen on Friday, December 1.

Further disruption will follow, at a date yet to be confirmed, at the junction of High Street and Chapel Street while the old Selkirk Co-op store is demolished to make way for 10 flats.

That work is expected to take nine months to complete, and temporary traffic lights will be in operation during that time.

Traders in the town are fearful of their takings being hit by that disruption, as has been the case during previous rounds of roadworks, so Selkirkshire’s three regional councillors are urging shoppers to support them during the no-doubt testing times ahead.

In a joint statement, Michelle Ballantyne, Gordon Edgar and Elaine Thornton-Nicol say: “Selkirk remains open for business during these works, and we would encourage local people to continue to support our local shops.

“In the short term, there is no doubt there will be significant disruption to the town.

“However, the alternative to this co-ordinated approach was a series of closures which would have caused greater issues.

“We would also ask drivers to please follow the diversion signs and be patient during the works.

“In the longer term, the town will be provided with better services by these various works.

“These include the building improvements being carried out by Selkirk conservation area regeneration scheme including the refurbishment of the courthouse steeple, the streetscape works, which will drastically improve Market Place, and the removal of the former Co-op building eyesore, which will be replaced by 10 modern town-centre flats.”

Tom Wallace, account manager for Amey’s Scottish south-east trunk roads unit, added: “Scottish Borders Council and Amey have worked closely to reduce the impact of a number of essential road maintenance schemes around Selkirk.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused, but we hope that this approach will reduce the period of disruption overall.

“These works will result in improvements to the road surfaces, and reduce the need for further more extensive maintenance in the future.

“With winter approaching, it seems sensible for Amey and the council to work together to ensure these routes are ready for the colder weather ahead.”