A Lilliesleaf farmer made a rather macabre find this week as he was going about his daily business in one of his cow fields.

Alistair Forster, who farms out of Chapel Farm on the outskirts of the village, was quarrying stone from the field for a new shed on Wednesday, when he spotted what appeared to be human remains.

His wife Sally told us he stopped what he was doing immediately and contacted the council and the police.

The police visited the site, and determined that no police action was required due to the apparent age of the remains, and Historic Environment Scotland sent down a team to exhume the skeleton.

We paid a visit to the farm today and spoke to the AOC Archaeology members .

The team’s Rob Engl said: “It’s an extended inhumation ... it’s a guy or a girl stretched out on their back, not in a foetal position, as in the majority of medieval burials.

“We have been excavating the remains and they will be sent to be tested.”

Also visiting the site today was Dr Chris Bowles, Scottish Borders Council’s archaeologist, who said: “I’ll be putting a marker down in our local historic environment record, held by the council, saying there has been a burial here.

“We can keep an eye on it. It could be just a single burial, but there could easily be others around us, particularly if it is a Christian burial.

“It could be there was a chapel on this site, but we don’t have any record of there being one.

“However, it is called Chapel Farm, and as somebody who studies placenames once told me, if it looks like a duck and smells like a duck ...”

Local historian George Burns, who stays in Ashkirk, heard about the find and came along for a look.

He said: “There is what looks like a building of some kind, a tower or a chapel, on the 18th Century Roy’s Military Map.

“At one point there were many towers all around Lilliesleaf.”

There is an online version of the map (pictured) which does indeed show some kind of structure, although the area was then called “Chaple”.

Dr Bowles added: “It’s pretty exciting. We don’t get many of these situations.

“Although I did go out to one recently and it just turned out to be pig bones.

“This isn’t, but we won’t know how old it is until it is carbon dated. We’ll also be able to tell how old it is by the type of burial.

“If it comes back 12th Century, we’ll have a better idea, but if it comes back 1950, we’ve got a murder on our hands!

“You never know until all the tests are done.”

Borders College students had their day in the limelight earlier today as they graduated in front of family, friends, college staff and local rugby legend Doddie Weir.

The annual ceremony at Kelso’s Springwood Park was bursting with academic talent as, one by one, the students picked up their scrolls as just rewards for their hard graft in their various courses.

Students from the business development unit, care and access, construction, engineering and land-based courses, creative industries, sport and business, and learning and teaching development dressed up for the occasion in their robes, were thoroughly inspired along the way.

Stories of the year’s most outstanding students were read out, and they were rewarded for their efforts with nine special awards.

They were as follows:

○ Exceptional Achievement award: Rory Darge (HND coaching and developing sport.

○ Best Higher Education Student: Sophie Gibson (HNC childhood practice).

○ Best Further Education Student: Joanne Renwick (SVQ3 parks, gardens and green space).

○ Superior performance in the workplace: Melissa Mullin (HNC care and administrative practice).

○ Creativity award: Morag Grant (NC art and design).

○ Best access student: Emma Lees (skills for learning and work 2).

○ Citizenship award: HNC Administration and IT.

○ Special recognition award: Joe Devlin (for services to the students’ association).

○ Wilkie Memorial Trophy and SMTA apprentice of the year: Robert Andrew Anderson (level3 diploma in light vehicle maintenance and repair principles).

Weir, former Melrose, Newcastle Falcons, Border Reivers, Scotland and British Lions forward, said he was delighted to be made an honorary fellow of the college.

He was diagnosed with MND 19 months ago, and the charity and foundation My Name’5 Doddie built around his name, has garnered over £900,000 for MND research.

In a typically inspiring speech, Weir congratulated the students on all their hard work and thanked the college for the honour, granted in recognition of his sport, business and charitable work.

He said: “This is and honour, and it is a massive surprise, I have to say, especially coming from Melrose, when so many people from Gala have won it before.

“I’m a wee bit out of my comfort zone as I have never won anything like this before.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever felt like a full-back, a winger or a scrum half ... they take all the glory and accolades for all the forwards’s hard work.

“And that’s a bit like myself because the team behind me have done amazing work, and thanks to that I’m taking the glory here today.”

He talked about his life, saying that he was only 13 stone when he first played for Scotland: “That just shows that you don’t have to be any great size ir great magnitude to play for your country.

He talked about his various jobs over the years, including professional rugby player, beer rep and farmer, and for the last 15 years, working in the waste water industry, as commercial director for Hutchison Environmental Solutions.

He joked: “One minute, I was playing in front of 85,000 at Twickenham, the next minute, I’m looking after your number twos.”

He also spoke of the outstanding success of his charitable foundation.

He said: “The generosity and support my family anf foundation have received has been toally unbelievable.

“Mu foundation has given me a bit of spirit. It’s run by Jill Douglas [former Southern Reporter journalist and now television broadcaster] who won this accolade in 2004. She has done an amazing and outstanding job ... there is a lot other people have done behind the scenes as well.

“Our goal is to donate £1,000,000 to research and care packages by November, when the foundation is a year old.

“So far, we are up to just over £900,000.”

He ended his speech by saying: “If I can offer you all one piece of advice, it’s that ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ go a long way, and a smile as well, to opening many doors.”

College principal Angela Cox told the graduates: “I hope it is with some pride that you graduate from Borders College today, and as an alumni, continue to be an ambassador for us, no matter where you end up in the world.

“Remember this is where it all began.

“I hope you don’t consider today to be the end of your learning journey, but rather the start of an exciting life, where you are curious and continue to learn.

“In too many countries, access to education, unfortunately, remains the right of the privilieged few, so I urge you not to waste the opportunity you have been given.

“Go on, and be the best you can be. Take every opportunity that comes your way.

“Be the future generation that changes our world for the better and make us proud.

“On behalf of everyone at Borders College, we wish you every future success.

The owner of Newtown St Boswells mart, Carlisle-based H&H Group, has announced the appointment of Will Hamilton as non-executive company director.

Mr Hamilton lives at Bee Edge Farm, Coldingham.

H&H Group is a holding company for the UK’s largest livestock trading firm, Harrison & Hetherington, which operates nine auction marts, including Newtown and Wooler.

Mr Hamilton farms, with his wife, Carol, and father as W. B. Hamilton & Sons. Together they work 2,000 acres based at Bee Edge.

He is the third generation of Hamiltons to use the Newtown auction mart, which he first attended as a young child. Will has been using the mart to sell cattle since the early 1980s, and he also sold finished ewe lambs through both Wooler and Newtown marts when he ran a breeding sheep enterprise.

Demonstrating his commitment to the mart system, Will finishes 350 head of store cattle which he purchases at a number of Harrison and Hetherington’s auction marts, including Carlisle and Wooler. He aims to sell most of these cattle at Newtown, weekly throughout the year, to supply local butchers.

A highly-respected farmer and businessman, Will is also currently UK chairman of the AHDB Wheat Recommended List Committee, and in taking his place on the board as non-executive director with H&H Group, he said: “H&H Group are a very well-respected organisation and I am honoured to be invited to join the board.

“I am understandably excited about the proposed investment and development in the livestock auction mart facilities at Newtown St Boswells as this demonstrates Harrison and Hetherington’s commitment to livestock farmers in the Borders for the future.

“I intend to support our livestock trading teams, to make more farmers aware of the extensive range of services which we offer, and to ensure that Wooler and St Boswells continue to be vibrant livestock trading centres.”

The H&H Group operates as a holding company with its seven operating firms, encompassing livestock, machinery and auctioneers, brokers and valuers, estate agents, auction rooms, commercial printers in addition to chartered surveyors and insurance brokers.

Founded originally as farmstock auctioneers and today with nine Harrison & Hetherington auction marts, auctioneering is still very much a part of their business.

Michael Scott, chairman of H&H Group, said: “Looking ahead, these are exciting times for the group and in his role as a director, I know that Will will be integral to the continued growth and structured development of both Newtown St Boswells and Wooler auction marts.

“Building on their reputation and supporting the existing team, he will help realise the company’s continued growth, and his own ambition, of seeing a new market facility developed at Newtown St Boswells.”

The Royal Bank of Scotland’s is to press ahead with controversial plans to close its Melrose branch, sparking anger in the town.

The High Street bank was one of 62 nationwide, including six in the Borders, earmarked for closure by RBS bosses in December last year, but the outcry sparked by that announcement prompted a rethink resulting in a stay of execution until the end of this year.

It was one of 10 branches given a reprieve in February, but all but two of them, including Melrose’s, now face the axe after all following a review by accountancy firm Johnston Carmichael, RBS has confirmed.

Melrose’s RBS, originally due to shut in June, is the last bank serving the town’s population of 2,510 since the closure of its Bank of Scotland rival in Market Square in October 2016, the nearest alternatives being four miles away in Galashiels.

RBS had agreed to be bound by the findings of Johnston Carmichael’s review and now plans to shut the Melrose bank and seven others in mid-January after its report was published yesterday.

That move, though not unexpected, has prompted an angry response in the town and further afield.

Borders MP John Lamont has described it as “quite simply absurd” and has issued an 11th-hour plea for a further rethink to RBS.

“These recommendations are quite simply absurd,” said the Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP.

“The report recognises that customers are not happy with the mobile branch alternative, that telephone banking is largely unpopular and that digital banking is impossible for many due to poor broadband.

“It then goes on to set out how customer numbers at the Melrose branch are actually increasing and have rocketed since the possibility of the branch staying open was first announced, yet they still recommend the last bank in Melrose closes.

“That makes absolutely no sense.

“What this review does demonstrate is that Borderers have stepped up to the plate, used their branch in numbers and told Johnston Carmichael exactly what they think of the loss of yet another bank.

“RBS should look closely at the figures and consider keeping the branch open anyway, but frankly, given the way they have treated communities in the Borders so far, I won’t hold my breath.

“At the very least, the bank needs to keep the ATM open and look at both moving and increasing its mobile branch visits.

“We have already seen the impact of these branch closures on other communities across the Borders, with businesses and residents struggling to do their banking and problems with the replacement mobile bank service.”

Leaderdale and Melrose councillor David Parker agrees, saying: “It’s disappointing that RBS has decided ultimately to close the branch as it’s the only bank left in Melrose.

“There’s a real feeling of bitterness and upset about it and about the ingratitude being shown by RBS as this isn’t really a private-sector business. It’s had tens of billions of pounds of public money spent on keeping it afloat.

“There’s a feeling the review was a box-ticking exercise and this closure was going to happen anyway.

“It’s also a real own goal as many RBS customers have already taken their business elsewhere, and more will follow.”

South Scotland Labour list MSP Colin Smyth added: “This is the last act of betrayal from RBS as they will leave much of the Borders with no RBS branch.

“RBS bosses have shown absolutely no care and consideration for the local communities they serve, and many people here locally will now rightly see this so-called independent review as nothing other than sham as only one bank branch in the south of Scotland has been saved.

“The closure of the Melrose RBS branch will have a negative impact on the local community and local businesses who rely on its services and advice.

“I am appalled that the UK Government, the owners of RBS, failed to take any action to stop these closures.

“The savings made by closing these branches will save RBS pennies compared to the huge profits that they have been posting.

“When RBS collapsed, it was hard-pressed taxpayers who saved them with a huge bailout, and the way they repay the public is to walk away from communities across our region.”

The two branches to remain open following this year’s review are those at Biggar in South Lanarkshire and Barra in the Outer Hebrides.

The other seven branches shutting, besides Melrose’s, are those at Comrie, Beauly, Douglas, Gretna, Inverary, Kyle and Tongue.

The five Borders branches already shut by RBS this year were those at Jedburgh, Hawick, Eyemouth, Duns and Selkirk.

Their closures followed those of the bank’s branches in Chirnside, Greenlaw and Newtown four years ago.

After January, the only RBS branches left in the Borders will be those at Kelso, Galashiels and Peebles.

Simon Watson, managing director of personal banking at RBS, said: “We would like to thank Johnston Carmichael for their review of 10 Royal Bank of Scotland branches that were due to close.

“These branches were selected because, unlike the other branches that were closed, they were nearly all the last bank in town and more than nine miles to the nearest alternative Royal Bank branch.

“We accept Johnston Carmichael’s recommendations in full.

“Johnston Carmichael has judged that there are exceptional circumstances in Biggar and Barra and has recommended that these branches remain open, so they will.

“We also note the further recommendations for enhancements that can be made in six of the branch locations and can confirm we will be accepting these recommendations in full.

“The report highlights the difficult nature of branch closure decisions.

“We know branches are important to many communities, but equally we know that fewer and fewer people are using them as more people bank online.

“In every case of a branch closing, we are committed to providing the best possible range of banking alternatives, including mobile branches, banking in the local post office, community bankers and remote services such as telephone banking.

“With today’s report, we are able to say for the first time with certainty that there will be no further reviews of our branch network in the immediate future – until at least 2020.”

Johnston Carmichael’s report can be seen at johnstoncarmichael.com/rbsbranchreview.

It recommends that a free-to-use, 24-hour cashpoint be retained either at the same site site or elsewhere in the town and that more mobile branch visits are made during the summer and especially for the Melrose Sevens rugby tournament in April and Borders Book Festival in June.

A Borders sheep farmer has swapped the fields for the aisles to support a campaign promoting Scotch Lamb.

Alec Telfer, who has over 40 years of experience as a sheep breeder and currently serves as vice-president of the Blackface Sheep Breeders’ Association, was in Morrisons in Hawick to tempt shoppers with a taste of the versatile meat as part of the Scotch Lamb PGI sampling roadshow, delivered by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). The Scotch Lamb roadshow comes as new research carried out by YouGov on behalf of QMS revealed over a third (36%) of people in the south of Scotland never eat lamb midweek – despite the region hosting the greatest concentration of sheep farms in Scotland.

“These sampling events are an excellent opportunity to talk to consumers not only about the versatility of Scotch Lamb, but also about what goes in to putting fresh, tasty Scotch Lamb on their plates,” said Mr Telfer. “Farmers work hard to produce a fantastic product which is produced on Scottish farms. At this time of year Scotch Lamb is at its most plentiful, so there is a huge scope for more people to routinely enjoy it by adding it to their midweek mealtime repertoire.”

Police are appealing for witness following a serious collision on the A1 near Burnmouth.

A 34-year-old man was rushed to hospital with serious injuries following the incident, which happened around 11.10pm on Sunday night, when a silver Audi A6 and a silver Nissan Micra were involved in a collision.

The 34-year-old driver of the Nissan suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

A 33-year-old man has been charged with road traffic offences and is expected to appear at Jedburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow (Tuesday).

Sergeant Iain Blain of the road policing unit in Dalkeith, said: “Officers are currently pursuing various lines of enquiry to establish the full circumstances surrounding this collision.

“I’d urge anyone who can help with our investigation to come forward. In particular we would like to speak to anyone who may have seen the Audi driving north on the A1 from the English side of the border, or who has any dash cam footage showing the collision or the silver Audi A6 prior to the collision.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting Incident Number 4416 of September 30, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

A man has been sent back to jail for another seven months after committing a series of offences shortly after last being released from prison.

Rory Morrison was described at Selkirk Sheriff Court as having been institutionalised since the age of 16 and unable to cope in the community despite the best efforts of others to stop him from further offending.

The 31-year-old, of Galashiels, was released from prison in July but days later he was involved in an incident at the Borders General Hospital at Melrose.

After being asked to leave the hospital, he headed over to its staff accommodation area and started throwing items at windows and demanding entry.

Morrison pleaded guilty to a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner when he appeared in court the following day.

He was given an opportunity to show that he could behave himself and was placed on a high-tariff deferred sentence.

Morrison was then caught shoplifting at the Spar shop in Marigold Bank, Galashiels, on September 2, however.

CCTV footage showed him stealing food and toiletries valued at £25.45, and none of the items he stole was recovered.

Five days later, he was involved in another incident in Queen Elizabeth Square in Galashiels while intoxicated, and he pleaded guilty to a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

Defence lawyer Ross Dow admitted his client “does not cope on the outside” and is virtually institutionalised.

He said: “Everybody is trying everything they can to stop him from further offending.”

Mr Dow said Morrison found it difficult to adapt when released from prison without any benefits or accommodation of his own.

Sheriff Kevin Drummond told Morrison: “Everybody tries through the system to try and change you from the course which you have adopted from the age of 16, but there is only one person that can bring about that change and it is you. No one can force you to change.

“You have spent the majority of your young life in custody, but sadly you do not know how to cope in the community. That is sad, truly sad.”

Sheriff Drummond imposed various prison sentences for the offences but made them all concurrent, meaning Morrison will serve a total of seven months.

A teenager has been ordered to carry out 120 hours’ unpaid work after he admitted possession of ecstasy with intent to supply.

Finlay Christie, 18, pleaded guilty at Selkirk Sheriff Court to committing that offence at his home in William Law Gardens, Galashiels, on December 21.

He also admitted importing cocaine and methamphetamine.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said HM Customs and Excise officers intercepted a parcel sent from Holland containing white powder, later found to be four grammes of cocaine and seven grammes of methamphetamine.

A subsequent police search of Christie’s home yielded a bag containing 133 ecstasy tablets valued at around £1,300.

Sheriff Kevin Drummond told the teenager his sentence was an alternative to custody.

A man made threatening comments towards neighbours after they complained to the police about him being noisy.

Jordan Cunningham, 23, pleaded guilty to a statutory breach of the peace in Gala Park, Galashiels, on April 25.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser told Selkirk Sheriff Court that the 23-year-old had moved in with his brother and complaints were made about noise coming from the flat.

When Cunningham, now of Church Square in Galashiels, saw the neighbours, both in their teens, walking along the street, he approached them swearing and pointing and asking why they had phoned the police.

Mr Fraser said the couple were “visibly shaken” by Cunningham’s behaviour.

Sentencing was deferred until March 11 for good behaviour.

A woman has appeared from custody at Jedburgh Sheriff Court and admitted assaulting her husband.

Shauna Pirie, 50, pleaded guilty to committing that offence at the family home at Kirklands in Innerleithen on Monday, September 3.

She repeatedly punched him to the head and kicked him to the body.

Sentence has been deferred until October 22 for the production of a criminal justice social work report, and Pirie was released on bail until then.

A 28-year-old man has admitted dealing drugs in Peebles.

Mark MacDonald, now living in Blyth Bridge, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis between March 8, 2016, and January 19, 2017, at a house in Cademuir Drive.

He also admitted possession of cocaine on January 19, 2017.

Sentence was deferred at Selkirk Sheriff Court until October 11.

A man convicted of two motoring offences has been banned from the road for 12 months and fined a total of £450 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

Grant Clarke, 37, of Queens Way, Earlston, admitted driving while unfit through drink or drugs following an accident in Selkirk on January 16.

He was driving his pregnant wife home during bad weather, the court heard.

Tests revealed quantities of diazepam in his system after he was involved in a collision with another vehicle.

Clarke also pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving in Earlston on March 20 and driving into the path of a bus, causing an accident which left both vehicles damaged.

A man has admitted assaulting three police constables during an incident in Hawick’s Branxholme Road on August 1.

Kevin Cook, 28, of Silverbuthall Road, Hawick, pleaded guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by playing, or allowing to be played, music at an excessive volume.

He also admitted kicking a police officer to the body and attempting to headbutt another male officer, as well as pushing a female constable to the body.

Sentence was deferred until November 12 for background reports.

A 39-year-old has admitted assaulting another man in a Jedburgh pub.

Richard Lee, of Blair Avenue, Jedburgh, pleaded guilty to punching a man in the face, rendering him unconscious, to his injury at the Carter’s Rest, in Abbey Place, on February 8.

Sentence was deferred at Jedburgh Sheriff Court until later this month for background reports.

A building firm tasked with the construction of hundreds of homes across the Borders is seeking to recruit tradespeople and suppliers.

Hart Builders is inviting potential partners to a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event at Borders College next week, as it embarks on a programme to deliver around 500 new homes with Eildon Housing Association and Berwickshire Housing Association.

To do this, Hart Builders is keen to extend its base of suppliers and speak to directly employed tradespeople and local sub-contractors.

The company is hosting a local Meet the Buyer event on Thursday (October 4) in the Main Hall at Borders College from 8.30am to 10.30am.

Those attending will find out about what services and trades are needed to support the delivery of building these new homes and how they can help shape their local community. Hart Builders is currently on site in several locations throughout the Borders and east of Scotland and representatives will also be on hand to offer information about staff recruitment and apprentice opportunities available within the company.

Andy Mallice, managing director of Hart Builders, said: “We are committed to providing local jobs for local people as we carry out this exciting new housing programme.

“We’re looking forward to meeting new and existing suppliers and individuals as we expand our network in the Borders and are keen to discuss the many construction opportunities available to them, now and in the future.”

A pensioner has been accused of sexually assaulting two young girls.

Ronald Anderson denies touching a nine-year-old girl’s buttocks at his home in St Clairs, Eyemouth, between April 2001 and April 2003.

The 67-year-old also pleaded not guilty to touching a 13-year-old girl’s breasts at a house in Selkirk between December 2003 and May 2005.

A trial date has been fixed for November 1 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

A man has appeared in private at Jedburgh Sheriff Court charged with raping a 20-year-old woman at the weekend.

Christopher Davidson, 23, is accused of committing that offence at a house in Galashiels on Sunday.

He made no plea, and the case was continued for further examination.

Davidson, of Hollybush Road, Galashiels, was granted bail by sheriff Valerie Johnston in the meantime.

Council chiefs are refusing to pick up the bill for a proposed taxi service for villagers left isolated by cuts to rural bus routes.

The two evening services of the 101/102 Stagecoach bus route linking Dumfries and Edinburgh via Carlops and West Linton have been scrapped due to Scottish Borders Council withdrawing £100,000 in funding.

However, following a protest campaign which saw more than 120 West Linton residents attend an emergency meeting, an alternative taxi-shuttle idea offering a scheduled collection from the 9.30pm, 10.30pm and 11.30pm buses from Edinburgh to Penicuik was suggested.

Such a taxi could carry up to eight passengers and provide three return trips six evenings a week.

At last week’s full council meeting, Tweeddale West councillor Heather Anderson asked the administration’s member for roads and infrastructure, Selkirkshire councillor Gordon Edgar, to look into that taxi option, saying: “There continues to be a high level of dissatisfaction in West Linton, Carlops and Dolphinton at the complete loss of any public transport provision after 7.35pm.

“Can you specify what steps the council are taking to explore and provide an alternative evening transport provision for this part of Tweeddale West?”

Mr Edgar replied: “Prior to the meeting held in West Linton, council officers contacted the three main bus companies in the area to see if any arrangements or connections could be made using existing services from Penicuik.

“Borders Buses and Lothian Buses rejected this suggestion to extend any services.

“Stagecoach offered to put back their new service out of Edinburgh to 8.30pm Monday to Saturday at a cost of approximately £15,000 per annum.

“Alternatively, just extending the service on Friday and Saturday would cost £5,000 per annum.

“There was a caveat that the other partners – SWestrans, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Midlothian Council and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport – would need to agree to the change.

“At the meeting in West Linton, this suggestion was broadly rejected by the attendees. There was no visible support for this option.

“When councillor Anderson asked attendees to mark a chart if they were in favour, it remained blank.

“At the same meeting, officers asked that the community considers a taxi service.

“It was explained that a similar service already existed in Midlothian and was a good alternative to a registered bus service.

“It was clearly explained that there was no council budget available for this and that the community would need to find their own funding of approximately £18,000 per annum.

After the meeting, Ms Anderson commented: “I am absolutely exasperated.

“Ever since the consequences of this budget cut to the 101/102 bus service became apparent, the people in West Linton, Carlops and Dolphinton area have been up in arms.

“Over 3,500 people signed a petition, and we managed to save the daytime service, but now there is absolutely no public service to this side of Tweeddale after 7.35pm at night.

“The beauty of the taxi model is its simplicity. It doesn’t require the local community to raise funds to buy, service and insure a bus; it doesn’t involve a complicated advance booking system; and it doesn’t rely on volunteers to provide the service at pretty unsocial hours.

“This is no-brainer, and I am completely frustrated by the council’s lack of vision here.

“The people of Tweeddale West have met 50% of the total savings in public transport this year – a £100,000 cut equivalent to 74% of the previous level of support.”

“I’m not giving up. Everyone who thinks the shuttle service would work should contact the administration to make them aware of their views.”

Education chiefs at Scottish Borders Council have assured councillors that what they describe as a holistic approach to the ongoing problems facing Hawick High School is making progress.

Last year, anti-social and threatening behaviour from some pupils worsened to the extent that the council was forced to call in the police to patrol the corridors of the Buccleuch Road school.

Education bosses also sent some unruly pupils to work in nearby primary schools as punishment and drafted in four new youth workers and a deputy headteacher to stem the tide of anti-social behaviour.

At a meeting of Scottish Borders Council’s executive today, Donna Manson, the authority’s outgoing service director for children and young people, told councillors that since then multi-agency meetings have taken place to explore the issue saying: “We’ve had our challenges, but I know there’s a difference now as I see these schools day by day.

“I was delighted to be at a meeting last night at Hawick High School and to see the progress that has been made there. I literally phoned home I was so pleased with the progress.

“I was delighted that we had a range of partners around the table at the meeting last night, and we were talking together, not just about what we are doing in the school but how we’re working in the community.

“Sitting with the head of the community action team, we were talking about what we need to do next and our whole holistic approach.

“There were social workers at the table and education workers at the table, and that’s what it’s all about – getting everybody around the table.”

Reacting to that news, Hawick and Hermitage councillor Watson McAteer said he was pleased to see progress being made at the school, adding: “I was reassured to hear the council’s service director for children and young people confirm that a positive multi-agency meeting has taken place at Hawick High School this week.

“This approach has been called for, and if recent exposure of the problems impacting on students, teachers and parents has been instrumental in bringing these key professionals together, then I believe we are taking a positive step in the right direction.

“It is only a very small number of pupils who are at the heart of the current problems, and this joint approach is the way to effectively tackle the disproportionate problems they cause.”

A motorist has been accused of causing serious injury by dangerous driving while unfit to be on the road through drink or drugs.

That charge follows a crash on the A1 at Burnmouth in Berwickshire on Sunday night involving an Audi A6 and Nissan Micra.

The Micra’s driver, a 34-year-old man, was rushed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with what were described as serious injuries after the two cars, both silver in colour, collided at around 11.10pm.

Andrew McGale, 33, of Stenhousemuir, near Falkirk, appeared in private at Jedburgh Sheriff Court today to face several motoring charges.

They include causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving while unfit through drink or drugs, failing to stop or report an accident and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

McGale made no plea, and the case was continued for further examination.

He was granted bail in the meantime by sheriff Peter Paterson.

Police are appealing for any witnesses to Sunday night’s accident to come forward.

Anyone able to oblige is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 4,416 of September 30.