Evening Times

Finance Chief Jailed for Theft of (Pounds) 100,000; Woman Weeps at 14-Month Prison Sentence

CRIED IN COURT: Tracy Marie McCluskey A FINANCE boss who embezzled (pounds) 100,000 - then claimed to have no idea what she'd done with it - has been jailed for 14 months. Tracy Marie McCluskey conned Nationwide Car Repair Centre in Glasgow, where she worked as a financial manager.

Johanna Wants to Get Kids Roped In

LEUKEMIA sufferer Johanna MacVicar is looking for youngsters willing to abseil 50ft off the roof of a building to raise money for the charity which has helped her battle her illness. The 26-year-old wants youngsters aged nine and above to take part in an event from furniture giant Ikea's store in Braehead, Renfrewshire, to help raise cash for the Anthony Nolan Trust.

Don't Cut Our Lifeline; They Left Their Hospital Beds and Came in Wheelchairs and On Crutches to Tell Health Chiefs..

DESPERATE patients arrived in wheelchairs and on crutches as they launched a final bid to save their unique hospital unit. More than 100 people - many having left their hospital beds - demanded that Glasgow health chiefs should shelve plans to axe in- patient facilities at the city's Homeopathic Hospital.

Downing St Walkout by Family of Scots Iraq Victim

THE mother and sister of Glasgow soldier Gordon Gentle, who was killed in Iraq, today stormed out of a Downing Street meeting with John Prescott. Rose Gentle, from Pollok, accused the Deputy Prime Minister of "talking rubbish" after walking out with her daughter Maxine.

Landslip Warning After 60 Rescued

POLICE today warned drivers to stay away after a torrent of mud blocked a main road, trapping almost 60 people in their vehicles - isolating an entire Scottish town. Superintendent Stewart Marshall said the landslide that saw aircrews lift children to safety was the worst of its kind he had seen in his 30-year career.

73 Years; Judge Hands Out Hardline Message to Gang Behind (Pounds) 2m Heroin Empire

AN evil gang which swamped Scotland's streets with (pounds) 1million of heroin was today jailed for 73 years. And caging the ringleader of the Glasgow operation for 21 years, the judge vowed to wage war on the dealers in death.

High-Flying Festival

BALLOONISTS from all over Britain are to take part in an annual hot air balloon festival. The event, held in Strathaven, Lanarkshire, takes place on August 28 and 29.

80 Hotel Jobs Saved After (Pounds) 6.5m Deal; Arthouse Is Snapped Up by Tycoon

A Glasgow hotel that ran up debts of more than (pounds) 8million has been bought for around (pounds) 6.5m. Andrew Brownsword, founder of the Forever Friends greeting cards, is thought to have outbid more than 20 other interested people to buy the four-star Arthouse Hotel in Bath Street.

Child Porn Man Given Probation

A SOCIAL worker who downloaded indecent images of children on his home computer has been put on probation for a year. Alexander Dowell, 48, was also put on the Sex Offenders' Register for a year at Paisley Sheriff Court.

Ibrox Player Admits Speeding

RANGERS and Scotland defender Maurice Ross was caught driving at more than double the speed limit through Glasgow. The 23-year-old was fined (pounds) 600 and had five points put on his licence after he pleaded guilty at Glasgow District Court.

Sir Tom Snaps Up Bike Firm

SIR Tom Farmer got on his bike today to promote his latest business venture. The Scots tycoon has snapped up a 17% stake in an Edinburgh firm which imports environment-friendly electric scooters.

Bogus Gas Man Warning

POLICE are warning householders to be on their guard for a bogus gas worker after a Transco jacket and calling card were stolen from a van. The vehicle was broken into in Ashley Street, Glasgow, and the jacket and cards bearing the Scottish Gas and Transco logos taken.

Canada Flights Boost

PASSENGERS heading for Canada have been boosted by a massive increase in flights from Glasgow. Zoom Airlines today announced flights to Calgary, Ottawa and Halifax - which now operate every fortnight - would go weekly from next summer.

(Pounds) 50,000 Drugs Haul

Drugs with a street value of about (pounds) 50,000 were seized by police in Glasgow. The drugs, believed to be cocaine, were discovered around 6pm yesterday when officers stopped a man in Aikenhead Road, King's Park.

Glasgow Will Tag Kids in Bid to Stop Trouble; City Targets Anti- Social Behaviour in (Pounds) 1.5m Trial Scheme

GLASGOW is to electronically tag under-16s who are guilty of persistent anti-social behaviour. It is one of seven areas targeted by the Scottish Executive to pilot the scheme as an alternative to secure care for young people.

Tragic Soldier's Sister in War Plea

The 14-year-old sister of a Royal Highland Fusilier who died when a roadside bomb exploded in Basra was today due to present a letter asking Tony Blair to withdraw troops from Iraq. Gordon Gentle, 19, who joined the 1st Battalion Royal Highland Fusiliers just three months before his deployment, died in an attack on a British military convoy on June 28.

Webster Backs Salmond for Leader

THE SNP leadership bid by Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon today won the backing of Govan union leader Jamie Webster. The shipyard workers' chief, who is not a member of any political party, said they were people who cared deeply about Scotland.

Store Roof Collapses After Rain

A GLASGOW supermarket was forced to close after torrential rain caused part of its roof to collapse. Shoppers fled from Sainsbury's at Great Western Retail Park, in the west end of the city, when roof panels in the storeroom caved in.

Villagers Count Cost of Flooding

Residents of the devastated village of Boscastle are counting the cost today of the damage - estimated at millions of pounds - caused by a Monday's flood. Small groups of residents were allowed to check their properties and to take away clothes and personal belongings, but it is still not known how long it will be before they can return to their homes permanently.

Bud, Have You Seen a Lorryload of Beer?

POLICE today appealed for help in tracing thirsty raiders who made off with a lorry loaded with 31,000 bottles of beer. The 30ft vehicle, packed with (pounds) 25,000 worth of Budweiser, was stolen after being parked in an industrial estate in East Kilbride.