Lennon Attack Men Found Guilty

Two Rangers fans have been found guilty of attacking Celtic coach Neil Lennon after an Old Firm game. David Whitelaw, 47, and 43-year-old Jeffrey Carrigan were charged with assault due to religious prejudice over the attack on 1 September last year. The assault took place in Ashton Lane in Glasgow’s west end. Both were found guilty of assault by a majority verdict at Glasgow Sheriff Court. They were cleared of the allegation of religious prejudice.

Sir John Mortimer Dies

Dramatist and author Sir John Mortimer, who created the famous character Rumpole of the Bailey, has died aged 85, following a long illness. Sir John, who began working as a barrister in the 1940s, went on to become one of the most prolific writers of books and screenplays. He wrote his first radio play in 1957, and later wrote a TV adaptation of Laurie Lee's Cider With Rosie. Sir John, father of actress Emily Mortimer, was knighted in 1998.

Local Firms Set To Benefit From Carrier Contracts

Contracts valued at nearly £90M have been announced for steel work, modular cabins, galley equipment and other components for the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers, HM Ships Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales. Key contracts were announced today, and are expected to sustain some 190 jobs nationwide at peak production. Early steel work for the bow unit of HMS Queen Elizabeth commenced in Appledore in December. Today's announcements form part of the £3Bn manufacture contract, which was awarded by MoD to the Aircraft Carrier Alliance in July 2008.

New A9 Corridor Town Plans Submitted

Moray Estates have submitted a planning application to build a new town including 5,000 homes at Tornagrain near Inverness to the Highland Council. Andres Duany of planning consultancy DPZ will oversee the design of the site at the A6 corridor between Inverness and Nairn. MD of Moray Estates, Andrew Howard, said: "We aim to create a very special place - somewhere people want to live and work and which is sustainable in the long-term. "We were very impressed from the outset by Andres Duany and his firm, who are leading advocates of a return to traditional town planning and who have moved away from the approach which has led to sprawling suburbs with few facilities."

New Measure For Personal Health Care

New measures that will permit for the first time, direct payments for healthcare to patients, were published in the Health Bill today. The Bill sets out proposals that will give patients more choice, greater control over the care they receive, and improve the quality of health services. It will also place a legal duty on the NHS and its providers to have regard to the NHS Constitution, which will safeguard the principles and values of the NHS for the future, and sets out the rights and responsibilities of patients and staff.

(JM)