Summary

  • PM 'would look at' power proposals

  • Andy Coulson perjury trial begins

  • Council staff bribed with lap dances

  • Death of woman in house 'suspicious'

  1. ...signing off for the weekend.published at 19:02 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    That's it from the Scotland Live team for today but we'll be back between 07:00 and 19:00 on Monday 18 May, bringing you the latest news, sport, weather and travel from across Scotland.

    Until then, you can keep up to date via the BBC Scotland News website.

    Thank you for joining us and we hope you have a lovely weekend.

    BBC Scotland News website
  2. Brora dispelling rumours - Kirkwoodpublished at 18:54 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    BBC Sport
    Scotland

    Brora Rangers manager Davie Kirkwood insists his side have dispelled talk about them not wanting promotion with their performances on the pitch.

    Rangers defender Lee Wallace (right) is kept in check by Brora Rangers' Colin Maclean.Image source, SNS

    The Highland League outfit travel to Montrose holding a 1-0 first leg lead in their SPFL pyramid play-off final.

    "These players are desperate to go up. These guys on Saturday will definitely give their all," said Kirkwood.

    "When you're a manager you want to play in as high a league as possible and you want to take your players with you."

  3. Councillors back 'grave re-use' planpublished at 18:51 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    Plans to re-use old graves have been backed by councillors in the Scottish Borders.

    headstonesImage source, Thinkstock

    Corpses would be exhumed and reburied at a deeper depth, under proposals put forward by the Scottish government.

    In a move which could ease pressure on cramped cemeteries, more bodies could then be added to the same grave.

    Lairs which are partially full could be dug up after 25 years while those which are full could be re-used 75 years after the last burial was made.

  4. Firearms and drugs seized in raidpublished at 18:49 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    Firearms and a quantity of cannabis have been seized by police from a property in Ayr.

    Police

    Police Scotland said their officers made the recovery after an "intelligence led" operation in the town on Thursday.

    Three people - two men aged 17 and 50 and a 38-year-old woman - were arrested in connection with the seizure.

    They were expected to appear at Ayr Sheriff Court on Monday.

  5. Council cleared of Lothian Buses rowpublished at 18:48 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    The City of Edinburgh Council has been cleared of any wrongdoing in an independent report into its handling of a row between Lothian Buses directors.

    Auditors at KPMG found the city's officials respected legislation governing public transport bodies, as well as shareholder rules.

    The row started in August, when chief executive Ian Craig's three deputies lodged a grievance against him.

    Lothian Buses said it was moving on from the incident.

  6. Bursary boost for poorest studentspublished at 18:40 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    University students from the poorest backgrounds are to be given more financial support, Education Secretary Angela Constance has said.

    Angela ConstanceImage source, Getty Images

    She said bursaries for students from a household with an income of up to £24,000 would increase by £125 a year.

    Ms Constance added that the threshold for receiving the maximum bursary of £7,625 would be raised to £19,000 next year. It was previously £17,000.

    She said widening access had long been a priority.

  7. DNA evidence led at 'Gerbil' trialpublished at 18:38 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    A DNA profile matching the man accused of murdering Kevin "Gerbil" Carroll was found on a carrier bag in which a gun was discovered, a court has heard.

    Kevin CarrollImage source, Empics

    Scientist Marie Campbell told the High Court in Glasgow she analysed the bag found in Coatbridge on 26 January 2010.

    She said the probability of the DNA being anyone other than William Paterson's was one in a billion.

    Mr Paterson, 35, denies fatally shooting 29-year-old gangland figure Mr Carroll in Glasgow on 13 January 2010.

    Mr Carroll was killed at the Asda car park in the city's Robroyston area.

  8. Live on BBC One Scotlandpublished at 18:30 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    BBC Scotland News

    The top stories on tonight's edition of Reporting Scotland:

    • Sturgeon meets Cameron

    • Jim Murphy's future as leader of Scottish Labour to be decided

    • The Andy Coulson perjury trial begins

    • Claims of doping in Scottish Rugby

    BBC Reporting Scotland webpage
  9. Dope claims by former Scotland rugby acepublished at 18:16 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    A former Scotland rugby union international has claimed that doping is still happening in Scottish Rugby.

    Craig Chalmers, whose son Sam was banned for two years after failing a doping test, has said that while the issue is not "rife", it is happening.

    Craig Chalmers - 1999 - East London, South Africa.Image source, Jamie McDonald/Allsport

    He has called on Scottish Rugby to "take more responsibility" over the issue and has claimed that drug testing is not as widespread as it should be at lower club level.

    Scottish Rugby has responded to the claims by saying that the organisation is "fully committed to the fight against doping in sport in order to protect the integrity of the game".

    A spokesperson said: "As a governing body, we continually endeavour to educate players at all levels of the game on the consequences and repercussions which come with taking banned substances, from both a health and a sporting perspective.

    "Any intelligence received by the governing body is assiduously followed up and reported to UK Anti-Doping.

    "We would urge anybody with information or suspicion on the use of doping in rugby to immediately report this to the Scottish Rugby Union."

  10. Friday night footballpublished at 18:08 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    BBC Sport
    Scotland

    Live commentary on @BBCRadioScot from 6.30pm as @St_Johnstone_FC face @celticfc.

    Listen to the programme, here.

    BBC website
  11. Biker dies in crash with campervanpublished at 17:56 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    A man has died after his motorcycle was involved in a collision with a campervan in the Highlands.

    The emergency services were alerted to the accident on the A832 Aultbea to Gairloch road at 12:55. An air ambulance has been sent to the scene.

    The crash happened about two miles (3km) south of Aultbea.

  12. BLOG: Caution on both sides at first meetingpublished at 17:44 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    Brian Taylor
    Political editor, Scotland

    David Cameron has long since learned, like other prime ministers before him, to tread warily in dealing with the miasma of constitutional, electoral and strategic issues which comprise the body politic in Scotland.

    cameron sturgeonImage source, Getty Images

    So it was again today when he met Nicola Sturgeon in Bute House. And yet there is caution too on the first minister's side.

    Why so? Competing mandates - and sundry thoughts as to how those mandates are most effectively exercised.

    Both leaders took pains to describe today's talks as constructive. Yet both leaders retain distinctly different visions as to the final constitutional construct which could emerge.

    Read on.

  13. Travel update - One for the commuters...published at 17:43 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    On the roads:

    • From @trafficscotland: Network is VERY busy, please check ahead to avoid delays: #FridayPeak #BeAware #StaySafe

    • From @trafficscotland: #A87 Skye Bridge - Caution High Winds #WindyBridges #StaySafe

    On the water:

    • From @CalMacFerries: #Mallaig - #SmallIsles 16/5 Due to adverse weather sailings may be liable to disruption, delay or cancellation at short notice.

  14. Woman gave man's baby to gay friendpublished at 17:25 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    A mother has been found guilty of duping her former partner into thinking she had an abortion in order to give his child to her gay friend.

    A jury at Perth Sheriff Court found the woman and her male friend guilty of an elaborate fraud.

    Perth sheriff courtImage source, David Hawgood

    The court heard the pair hatched a "cynical and calculated" plot to cover up who the child's real father was.

    The woman, aged 29, and her 35-year-old male friend were warned they could face up to five years in prison.

    Sheriff William Wood described the offence as "very serious" and paid tribute to the child's father for his efforts to obtain justice for himself and his daughter.

  15. Troubled Arches club to close earlypublished at 17:13 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    Glasgow Licensing Board has told The Arches nightclub it will have to close early following complaints by police.

    arches logoImage source, other

    The city council confirmed the board had "varied the licence", meaning the venue could no longer stay open until 03:00 and must close by midnight.

    Last month police made a bid to have the club closed after a woman was found unconscious and officers recorded 26 drug and alcohol-related incidents.

    It was rejected after a lawyer for The Arches argued this was inappropriate.

  16. Company puts care homes up for salepublished at 17:04 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    Care home operator HC-One has put two of its sites in Scotland up for sale following a financial restructuring of the company.

    The properties are Blar Buidhe in Stornoway on Lewis and The Birches in Crieff in Perthshire.

    Blar Buidhe had to stop taking new admissions amid concerns about the care being offered, but the temporary restriction was lifted last month.

    Residents of the two homes have been told of the sales.

  17. Captain Kellock gives Warriors a boostpublished at 16:55 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    BBC Sport
    Scotland

    Captain Al Kellock returns for Glasgow Warriors for Saturday's Pro12 tie at Scotstoun, while Ulster make 12 changes to the side that drew with Munster.

    Glasgow captain Al KellockImage source, SNS Group/SRU Gary Hutchison

    Kellock comes into the second row with fit-again Sean Lamont named on the wing for the sold-out clash.

    Both teams are already assured of places in next week's semi-finals.

    But Glasgow, who are currently sitting second, are looking to secure a home play-off tie and are presently level on points with Munster and leaders Ospreys going into the final round of games.

  18. ...and now for the weather forecastpublished at 16:49 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    BBC Weather

    BBC Weather TweetImage source, Twitter/BBC
  19. Davidson on SNP - Who is 'pulling the strings?'published at 16:37 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    Scottish Conservatives leader, Ruth Davidson, has called Nicola Sturgeon's SNP leadership into question, in the wake of the First Minister's meeting with David Cameron at Bute House today.

    Ruth Davidson and David CameronImage source, Reuters

    Ms Davidson said: "The question facing the SNP is whether Nicola Sturgeon is really in charge, or is it the foreign office with Alex Salmond pulling the strings.

    "In office, Mr Salmond said that last year's referendum was once in a lifetime - he needs to front up and tell us, on the record, whether that is something he still supports."

    Meanwhile, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, Willie Rennie, criticised the SNP following today's meeting.

    He said: "Only a week after the result the SNP have returned to business as usual, stoking up divisions in their drive for an unstable constitutional settlement."

  20. Island estate buyout finalisedpublished at 16:28 British Summer Time 15 May 2015

    People living on the Pairc Estate in Lewis have finalised a community buyout of the privately-owned estate.

    Residents launched Scotland's first hostile buyout four years ago, before an agreement was reached with landowner Barry Lomas, late in 2013.

    Last year, 166 residents voted for the buyout, with 77 against.

    It has cost the trust £500,000 to purchase the 26,775 acres (10,835ha).