Lochnagar

Lochnagar
Originally uploaded by fitaloon.

Busy this weekend so a picture from earlier this week to enjoy for the moment.

Macavity Brown

What more need I say. Hat Tip to 18DS

Brown confident of Scots victory

Go on admit it when you saw the title you thought this was a Politics entry about the May elections in Scotland.

Well sorry about that but it was just to wish Scotland well this weekend on their trip to The World Cup Finals.

Group B: Scotland v Georgia
Date: Saturday 24 March
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Venue: Hampden Park
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio Scotland,
updates on the BBC Sport website,
highlights on BBC 1 Scotland at 2220 GMT


BBC SPORT Football Internationals Brown confident of Scots victory

A Budget Brainteaser

What about this for Smoke and Mirrors from our esteemed Chancellor.

Gordon Brown's promise that four in five households would be better off because of his budget was impossible to prove, leading accountants said yesterday. The missing information includes:

* The level of income at which basic-rate tax will become payable from 2008-10

* The level of salary above which NI is payable for that time

* Increases in personal allowances for people under the age of 65 from 2008-10

* When higher-rate tax becomes payable in 2008-09

* Details on who is able to claim working tax credits or child tax credits and how much

* Levels of inflation Treasury has assumed for its figures

* No commitment to provide this information in next week's Finance Bill, which will only cover tax changes in 2007-08

So basically Gordo can say whatever he wants and we can't prove or disprove it. Real Macavity at work.

A Budget Brainteaser

Blair finally admits full scale of war casualties

Tony Blair has been for a long time embarrassed by his decision to take the country into war in Iraq. No more telling example of this is in the article above. Extracts below:

The Independent has learned the figures will show that 114 British soldiers were seriously hurt in Iraq from 2004, compared to 46 during the invasion of 2003.

In Afghanistan, the figures reveal that the casualty rate rose last year to 30 seriously hurt, compared to two for the previous year. The rise was caused by a Taliban offensive last summer, and raised fears that it could rise sharply again when the next, expected, offensive gets underway.

Last night, MPs on all sides called for figures on the wounded to initiate a debate about how British casualties are treated at home. Some MPs contrasted how UK casualties returned home with little publicity whereas in America returning casualties are treated as war heroes.

The refusal to publish casualty figures has helped the impact of both conflicts on communities across the country to be underestimated. In many cases, seriously injured soldiers have had to cope with loss of limbs.

One final point on the article is the following:

The publication of the figures next week is unlikely to end the row. Some campaigners believe they are suspiciously low, but the MoD will insist they are as accurate as possible. They have been processed by the Defence Analytical Services Agency. "It has been a massive job," said one source.

The only bit of this that has been massive has been getting Mr Blair to acknowledge these figures, he would still rather have them covered up. He cannot admit he was wrong.

I also note that he has come out in favour of the Falkland War, which has it's 25th anniversary this year. Speaking to the historian Simon Schama on a website interview he said:

(Mr Blair) agreed it had been a "scary gamble". "But when I look back, yes, I have got no doubt it was the right thing to do," he said."But for reasons, not simply to do with British sovereignty, but also because I think there was a principle at stake which is that... a land shouldn't be annexed in that way and people shouldn't be put under a different rule in that way." He noted that the British casualty figures were higher than those for the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. When you look back on it and you talk to the people who were there at the time, and as I say I wasn't even in Parliament at the time, but I think it took a lot of political courage actually to do that."

You should note the the line in bold where Mr Blair tries to justify his invasion of Iraq, This man is unbelievable!

It is well to remember that in 1982 Mr Blair was a member of CND and would have called the Islands Malvinas and demanded United Nations authority etc etc.

In addition we have the following again from the Independent:

Wives of serving soldiers being made to 'feel like second-class citizens':
The wives of British servicemen feel they are treated like "second-class citizens" and regarded as an "irritation" by the military establishment while being left to cope alone with the constant fear of their partner being killed.

Just one more embarrassment for Mr Blair.

Wives of serving soldiers being made to 'feel like second-class citizens'

Ministers finally admit full scale of war casualties

North Sea tax falls £5bn short of Chancellor's expectations

Apparently

The one group of companies which will not benefit at all from the Chancellor's largesse in cutting the main rate of corporation tax by 2p in the pound is the UK's North Sea industry.

Gordon Brown decided to exclude the offshore oil and gas sector from the tax cut entirely. The decision was presumably taken on the grounds that North Sea tax receipts are already forecast to fall sharply over the next three years and would otherwise have declined even further.

Now I wonder why that might be, would it have anything to do with the following:

Nevertheless, the industry must be starting to think it is personal when it comes to the Chancellor and the North Sea. He has twice increased offshore taxation - first in 2002 and again in 2005 - despite the howls of protest from the industry that this will deter investment and lead to an even more rapid decline in production.

The Chancellor has as usual gone for a quick fix and is now paying the price as just a the time the UK required extra production, and therefore increased take by the Chancellor there is less production and less revenue for him. The Energy companies are investing abroad where they can make better returns on Investment. Have a look a the details below and see what the Chancellor has caused to happen.

Although capital investment in the North Sea reached £5.6bn last year - its highest level since 1998 - UKOAA says this was partly due to the sharp rise in offshore inflation for services such as rigs. For this year, it forecasts a decline in investment of £1bn-£1.5bn.

Although output is expected to rise to 3.1 million barrels a day, this is largely because of a delay in the scheduled start of production last year from the Buzzard field. By 2010, output is projected to have fallen to 2.6 million barrels.

These figures reinforce how far the North Sea sector has declined from its high point. But as UKOAA points out, it still supports as many as half a million jobs and is capable, given the right business climate and a favourable tax regime, of providing 40 per cent of the UK's primary energy needs in 2020. It can only hope for a more sympathetic hearing next year from Mr Brown's successor.

I must declare an interest here as I work for one of the larger Energy companies.

North Sea tax falls £5bn short of Chancellor's expectations

Eat your Greens kids

Mmm Tasty.


Hat Tip to the man himself Guido.

On a lighter note this is Mr Bremner at his best.

Guy News TV: The Bogey Man Cometh

Savage Killers' minimum jail terms cut

Here are three stories of savage killers having their sentences reduced for unbelievable reasons.

In the first case a killer who had previously murdered,and then went onto to savagely murder his brother with an axe, has had his sentence reduced. Apparently he has been a good boy since then and should be released to murder someone else. The only saving grace is that this guy is now getting on a bit (he is 66)which is not unusual for someone who has murdered on two separate occasions and lived through both sentences!

The second killer has had his 20 year minimum term cut by 3 years after he shot dead a tourist, tried to murder the rest of the man's family and robbed them. Why has he had his sentence reduced you wonder, well this time apparently the sentence was "excessive", and "he has influenced for the better the lives of fellow prisoners by his own conduct". I joke not! This is absolute b***ocks.

The third scroat, who murdered a security guard horrifically by kicking and stampimg on him, leaving only three ribs undamaged, as this didn't seem to be enough he then slashed his victims face and boiling water was poured over the mans head, so not too much violence there then. Apparently his sentence has been cut because the appeal judges thought it was a good idea.

So there you go even after murdering someone savagely and in some cases going on to to do it again, if you are good in prison, you'll be out double quick.

And just remember don't worry life will, in any case, be better for these poor scroats in prison as they now will get all the benefits of normal life as it will be against their "Human Rights" to deny them anything available outside prison.


BBC NEWS | Scotland | Killers' minimum jail terms cut

More Power Please - Labour plays down Holyrood powers gaffe

Apparently

EMBARRASSED Labour leaders at Holyrood were yesterday forced to withdraw a parliamentary motion that mistakenly called for more powers for the Scottish Parliament.

The motion was published by Margaret Curran, the Labour chief whip and the minister for parliamentary business, ahead of today's debate on Scotland's place within the United Kingdom.

The motion praised the Union but noted that devolution was "a process not an event". It went on to state: "Scotland should retain the benefits of being part of the UK while, where appropriate, increasing the powers available to the Scottish Parliament."

Increasing the parliament's powers is not Labour Party policy. Indeed, Labour is the only one of the main parties going into this year's election which does not call for at least a debate on the powers of the Scottish Parliament.

The motion was withdrawn hurriedly after the mistake was spotted.

Perhaps the Chancellor might like to use this kind of mistake to change his budget so it doesn't affect the low paid.
The Scotsman - Politics - Labour plays down Holyrood powers gaffe

Police play the Moulin Rouge

Nice work if you can get it. Any Dancing with the girls after?

If you would like to try this out perhaps now is the time to join the Local Police Pipe band.

Apparently

The group had been traveling to perform at the Stade de France for the Scotland vs France match on Saturday when they received the unusual request.

A police spokeswoman said they

"received an excellent reception."

She added:

"The invite came about after the theatre's management heard the pipe band were in town and of course they couldn't refuse."

Of course they couldn't pass up the opportunity. Videos of the Can-Can being performed are awaited.

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Edinburgh and East | Police band play the Moulin Rouge

Kicked in the teeth

I put up this post with no changes as it's from my big bro', Thanks loon for saying it better than I could.
Having been brought up as a Dependant, I take a keen interest in most things military. It is achingly clear that the various agencies involved in dealing officially with servicemen and servicewomen (and their Dependants) injured and killed in the line of duty are failing lamentably both in their duty of care and levels of empathy.

I usually leave Rogue Gunner to highlight these issues admirably, but here's one he missed.

The local paper reports that;

The mum of an Aberdeen soldier killed in Iraq today hit out over demands to make her pay for inquest papers.

Diane Douglas says she has been told she can get the transcript of the court probe - at a cost of £1.10p per page.

And she branded the request "a damn disgrace".

Lance Corporal Allan Douglas was on the roof of a police station when he was hit by a sniper in Iraq last year. The 22-year-old, of the 1st Battalion Highlanders, had been planning to leave the army.

In November an inquest in Oxford, attended by his mum and dad Walter, returned a verdict of unlawful killing.

His mum said today it was "very important" that she have all the papers from the inquest but felt the authorities were "just not bothered".

Bloody beancounters.

If I sound bitter then tough. I try my level best to deal with compassion in my job, but penny pinching bureaucrats bite my arse.

I've sworn twice already...not my usual way. I apologise, but I recall that when my father, having served 40 years in the RAF and then as a SSAFA Welfare Officer for 2 years, died having succumbed to cancer and suddenly the bookkeepers at RAF Hendon were on to me after a scant few weeks to reclaim 11 days of his pension as it was paid in advance!

They got a letter expressing my feelings. I was polite. Did I get a reply? You have a guess.

Tears are welling.....see what those bastards have done to me after all these years. I'm off to weep quietly. Missing you old man!

Welcome to Toy Town
The Home of Noddy (& Mr Plod): Kicked in the teeth

Gordon Brown, Robbin’ Hoody

A quick link and hat-tip to the always funny Beau Bo D'or

Beau Bo D’Or » Blog Archive » Gordon Brown, Robbin’ Hoody

Brown's Final Con Trick?

Tomorrow's papers will no doubt have the headline of "2p cut in Income Tax". However behind the headline will be the usual smoke and mirrors that the con artist Gordon Brown always employs at his Budgets.

By saving till the end his declaration on an income tax cut he will make the headlines and appear at first sight to be a beneficial man delivering gifts to all and sundry, but behind all the words is the real truth.

• The overall impact of income tax /NIC changes will cost working families £340m a year.
• A single person without children earning £16,000, like an NHS maternity care assistant or a police community support officer, will pay more a year in tax, and not gain from tax credits.
• Everyone earning between around £5,000 and £18,000 will pay more income tax, and many will become more dependant on the complex tax credits system. Half of all tax credit payments are wrong, and over £2bn has been lost to fraud and error.
• The tax burden is set to rise from 39.2% last year to 40.4% in 2008/9. That’s a rise of over £17bn.

The great Tax credit scheme will have to be used to attempt to claw back the money that Gordon has taken away from the lower paid. Anyone who has been through the nightmare it is, will not be expecting much apart from when it is totally wrong and billed once more to us the taxpayer.

This is all before the fine details (hidden taxes on us) of this con trick of a budget are exposed for what they are.

Independent Online Edition > UK Politics

Airhead backs Scroat over jail phone message

Apparently an airhead of a judge has issued a ruling on the legal challenge on recorded messages on phone calls from jail and that they are an unlawful invasion of a convicted scroat's privacy.

Lord Glennie said people were not stripped of their basic rights simply because they had been jailed, and he held that the Scottish Prison Service did not have the authority of parliament for its policy of attaching the warning to all telephone calls.

So the scroats who have, by definition, removed the basic rights of other people, in this case by repeated jailing for assault and armed robbery are being "victimised".

Perhaps we should just set them free, just in case, we deny them anymore rights.

Annabel Goldie, the Scottish Tory leader, claimed the rights of prisoners were being promoted above those of the law-abiding and said the ruling had made Scotland

"a laughing stock".

She also said:

"Prisoners forfeit a number of rights when they go to jail, which should include the ability to dictate on what terms they make a phone call."

Ken MacAskill, the SNP's justice spokesman, said:

"This is outrageous. People who breach the law must pay the price. Taxpayers' money is being used to fund these legal aid cases, money which could be going to help vulnerable people in need of legal representation. A line needs to be drawn now."

More on this here

Stealing Your BallsMoney

Via Croydonian we find the story of how Ed Balls and his Master Gordon(Joe to my enemies) Brown will not only be Burning our Money, but also Stealing our Money.

Now I'm sure that amongst these accounts untouched for 15 years there will be some genuinely "dead" accounts, and much better than going to the banks, the money is used sensibly, but think on the following.

If at the birth of your son/daughter you drop a quick £1000 in an account for the wee sprog and Grannies and Grandad then chuck in a few bob to help it along (Those Tuition Fees are so expensive nowadays).
Now at 21 the slightly larger sprog discovers that forgotten account book hiding in the back of the drawers that he's been using for furniture in his first flat and thinks, oh wow, money to pay off that large overdraft from going through University, what happens?

He pops along to the local bank, hands over his account book and says give me the money. Then the sad tale unfolds. Unfortunately your nice Mr Balls has snaffled it to pay for that nice Olympic Games back in 2012, (Interest on £30 billion is a lot you know).

According to that nice Mr Balls it will all be simple to "reclaim" the money, but if you've ever tried to get money out of a bank or the government you'll know that the words simple do not apply. Mix the two together and in two shakes you'll have written your will and passed the account onto your kids.


Ed Balls publishes consultation document on unclaimed asset scheme

Little Joe Stalin

As the Labour NEC puts out the timetable for the CrowningElection of the next Labour Leader and, lest we forget, our next Prime Minister the following article shows a little of what we might expect from the current Chancellor.

A few snippets from the document might whet your appetite for how he will "govern" this country.

The documents confirm Mr Brown's ferocious appetite for what others may regard as tedious detail.

One of his first actions as Rector was to write sternly to university officials, arguing that "I must have all the business of the Court on hand, in order to fulfil my function as Chairman", and so he had to receive the minutes of all Court committees.

At this young age, Mr Brown seems to have been worried whether he was getting enough publicity. In one internal memo the university's information officer wrote:

"The Rector appears to be sensitive to the fact that the BBC did not contact him yesterday to appear on television. I told him this was a matter for the BBC to decide whether or not they should follow up any story. In confidence I have warned the BBC News Editor in Edinburgh about the Rector's attitude."

When it came to the end of his three year term Brown clearly hoped to go out in style. He planned to give a valedictory address and get the University authorities to declare the day a special academic holiday, with no lectures or classes. This was derisively rejected. The Secretary wrote that Brown's suggested date was

"singularly inappropriate", suggesting instead that he give his address on a Wednesday afternoon, a time normally free from classes anyway.

BBC NEWS | Politics | Brown's first taste of power

Military Inquests- More delays

Because of our archaic laws and Government and MOD inertia inquests for Service Personnel killed overseas will be even more delayed as a result of a change in location of the Inquests. The reason for this change is that Brize Norton, in Oxfordshire, where all flights used to end is being redeveloped and so the Military Transport aircraft will now have to land a RAF Lyneham which is in Wiltshire. This means the Wiltshire Coroner now has to lead all proceedings.

Geraldine McCool, the solicitor who represented the family of Matty Hull, who was killed near Basra in March 2003 when a US pilot fired on his tank convoy, said she was "appalled" to learn of the decision.

"We have at least got now established in Oxford a centre of excellence for army deaths - and to hear that that is going to change for no good reason whatsoever is very disturbing," she told the BBC.

She added that spreading the workload around the country looked "initially quite attractive" but was actually "foolhardy".

Coroner Andrew Walker and two others were brought into Oxfordshire last May to clear a backlog of 85 cases of dead service personnel awaiting hearings.

Shadow Defence Minister Liam Fox said:

"There's a lot of hardship and a lot of heartache that's being endured by service families here, and the government needs to address this a little more thoroughly than they've been willing to do up 'til now."

The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) said that no new resources had been allocated to Wiltshire, but this was under review.

A spokesman said Oxfordshire had done a "fantastic" job, but that relatives of service personnel had found travelling long distances difficult.

He added:

"We are confident that any coroner can build up the same level of expertise on military inquests as Mr Walker and his colleagues did."

Considering it took over 3 years to "build up" that expertise in Oxfordshire, it will take a while before this will happen.

BBC NEWS | UK | Military inquest venue to change

Death by 1,000 cuts: NHS budgeting laid bare

Tales of the destruction of the NHS by Patricia (Best Year so Far)Hewitt continue with this article in the Independent written by a doctor at an NHS hospital in the south of England.

In the article the doctor writes how the relentless pursuit of the false targets set by Patricia to make the NHS break even to some sort of mythological target are affecting an A&E department. One particular bit got my attention in particular and shows how the short term thinking of this budget is possibly causing lives to be lost

Training budgets have been cut back, or simply suspended. As a direct consequence, when our new defibrillator appeared, nobody had been trained in its use the first time a patient needed it. On another recent shift, of the three qualified nursing staff present, one was dealing with a man who had bled into his brain. Another was helping control seizures in a three-year-old, and the third one was transferring a patient to theatre whose thigh bone was poking out through his jeans.

Which left two unqualified assistants with three months' A&E experience between them, to temporarily look after 10 or so "trolley" cases, from backache to threatened miscarriage. They also had to make sure the department was clean to prevent the spread of MRSA, answer the phones that never stop and keep an eye on the junior doctors.

We must get rid of this women before she kills us all.

Death by 1,000 cuts: NHS budgeting laid bare

Ex-Whitehall chief slams ‘Stalinist’ Brown

I've read all the pieces on this bit of news that say this was "gossip" or "off the record" or whatever, but it was all said by a man who should know pretty well how Mr Brown works. The fact the it was "off the record" or should I say, unguarded, makes it more likely to be the truth rather than carefully thought out story.

This man was at some point a highly respected Civil Servant and for him to speak out like this, is out of the normal for former Mandarins, who tend to be fairly close-mouthed about their opinions of current Political figures.

I would suspect that this is a message from Turnbull as payback for many years of the destruction of the Civil Service as he sees it. You might argue that this destruction is a good thing, but I would say that the bypassing of the controls of traditional government, with the use of Cabinet, Civil Servants and Ministers in concert, that we are destroying this country.

Mr Brown is at heart a Control Freak and believes that Knowledge is Power, this is a poor way to run a department far less a country.

FT.com / World / UK - Ex-Whitehall chief slams ‘Stalinist’ Brown

Fame at last - Scottish Blogging Roundup

Fame?

SBR 23: Whoops « Scottish Blogging Roundup

Nae Langer Tae Lie Hodden In a Pauper's Grave

Peter Milne - Fiddler
Originally uploaded by fitaloon.

Taken from the Press and Journal on the 17th March 2007

Riches denied, thy boon was purer joys What wealth could never give nor take

Inscription on Monument to Peter Milne

AS A LAD that lo'es the traditional fiddle music o wir ain country an specially fae oor North-East neuk, I hae dauchl't in reverence eence or twice at the monument tae Scott Skinner (1843-1927) in Allenvale Cemetery and the een tae Peter Milne (1824-1908) oot in Tarland bearin the inscription as abeen.

Dash't tho, I wis nivver sae touch't as at the unveilin at Nellfield Cemetery on Sunday efterneen, o a granite heidsteen tae Milne, dubbit in's day, the Tarland Minstrel.

That the Lord Lieutenant o Aiberdeenshire saw fit tae be there made it aa the mair impressive bit fin young Eilidh Anderson, aa spruc't up in her clan tartan kilt, gaed forrit tae lay a posy in front o the heidsteen, it got till's - maist o ye wid o seen the photo in Monday's P &J.

Eilidh is the niece o the lad that bears the accolade o the modern day "Tarland Minstrel", Paul Anderson, an it wis aa throwe him that at last Milne wis nae langer tae lie hodden in a pauper's grave.

PAUL, jist noo, a research Fellow at Elphinstone Institute cwidna lat things abee as his myn wis set tae find far Peter Milne wis beerit haein deet in the Aiberdeen Peerhoose an dumptit wi ithers somewye in the toon.

The ootcome wis that Paul's researchin pyntit tae es spot in Nellfield cemetery and raisin siller throwe concerts an donations wis able tae mark, in a fittin wye, the contribution Peter Milne made tae oor music.

Ere's links wi the self-styl't Strathspey King, James Scott Skinner, fa started oot as an aucht-eer-aal playin in Milne's band at dances roon aboot Don an Dee.

Skinner wis tae reca in articles for the People's Journal those days o yore far the barns the dances were held in hid earthen fleers, plunks laid on tap o secks o corn wis the seatin an myn transport wis shank's meer or the bike.

Aboot fower in the mornin, they aa made for hame an Skinner wis tae write 'I often wonder how I, a boy of eight or nine years, survived the physical strain and the loss of sleep . . . it was nothing for Peter and me to trudge eight or 10 weary miles on a slushy wet night in order to fulfil a barn engagement'.

Weel they were tae gyang their ain roadies an Scott Skinner's career his been weel documentit bit lang overdue his been the acknowledgement o the debt we owe tae Peter Milne for pittin his mark on oor unique fiddle music, describit as 'perhaps the very best interpreter of Highland Strathspey Deeside could ever boast till the after days of the vastly popular Scott Skinner'.

Foo than did sic a talent fa on hard times? Weel apparently Milne wis said tae tak tae opium as a cure for rheumatism fin workin doon in Manchester an syne a daft caper in a pub fin somebody ruggit a cheer fae oot aneth him cripl't him, spennin the hinmaist ten eer o's life in hospital.

HE DIDNA write aa that mony tunes bit the eens he did were toppers. Een that comes tae myn is 'John McNeil's Reel', composed for a celebratit heilan dancer an still play't ower an ower the day, a tune that fun its wye ower the Atlantic far the French Canadians claim't it as their ain, bit they jist ca'd it 'Big John'.

Ay, nae only dae we owe a debt tae Peter Milne bit tae Paul Anderson for the valuable darg an gran tae see the name Elphinstone Institute on the gravesteen at Nellfield.

Noo fae greats o the past, lat's get richt up tae date wi the news es wikk o twa freens o mine that hae made their mark in their ain lifetime an for that, richtly honourit in their ain circles.

First, congratulations tae that gentle giant o the hivvywechts o the Heilan Games scene, Bill Anderson, on bein inductit inta the Scottish Sports Hall o Fame anent sic like as Ally McCoist an Yvonne Murray.

WELL deserv't and acknowledgin the Heilan Games scene at last - toorist billies tak note.

Syne there wis Jim McColl bein recognis't at the Royal Television Society Awards as bein best Nations an Regions presenter, es efter the eident darg ower 30 eers in front o the cameras.

That they be MBE's afore jist rubber-stamps their achievments athoot ony cash-for-honours capers.

Lost in the Brave New World of NHS

Push for Personalised Services

Lost in the Brave New World of NHS

Have a look at the two posts above and contrast the difference between the Imaginary that Mr Blair thinks exists, because he would never have to do this himself, and the Reality that people are finding.

This is a minor example of what happens out there in the "real" world, not what the politicians think happens. In the Independent article Jemima Lewis says

Luddite though I may be, I am far more computer (and consumer)-literate than many of my parents' generation. It is the most fundamental principle of the NHS that it should be accessible to all, yet these well-meaning, sloppily executed reforms may create a two-tier system of access. The young, determined and scientifically minded will be able to find their way to the best care. The old-fashioned, impatient or technologically inept will give up in despair - myself included.

Whilst in the BBC article Mr Blair called for

"truly personalised" services with people given the information and power needed to choose a school or hospital.

This is typical of this government who thinks that everything is rosy out there as they regard us from their High Towers.

And as for the comment from Patricia (Best year so far) Hewitt that

Technology is really expanding what is possible.

She wouldn't know what "Technology" was if it slapped her round the chops. As the shadow Health Secretary put it

Rather than more warm words, what people want is for the government to trust the professionals.

Push for Personalised Services

Lost in the Brave New World of NHS

Jack Flash - Passer-by bowled over by nude OAP

Couldn't resist this story from Perth.

A pensioner is being sought by police after he was spotted driving naked around a bowling green in Perth on a motorised scooter.

The man, thought to be in his 70s, was seen in South Inch by a passer-by at about 1000 GMT on Thursday.

The witness was concerned he would be seen by children at a nearby park.

A Tayside Police spokesman said the man put his clothes back on and drove off. The man's scooter is believed to have a top speed of 3mph.

The sheer speed of his getaway obviously dissuaded any pursuers.

Apparently several officers were dispatched to the bowling club to investigate but the fugitive had gone - leaving tyre tracks as the only clue to his identity.

A spokeswoman for Tayside Police confirmed they were looking for the fugitive. She said:

"At 10.10am, a naked man was seen on a disability motorised scooter at the South Inch.

"The area was searched and there was no trace of the male involved. We are still actively looking for him."

Lucky he wasn't out today or he would have been frozen to his saddle!

BBC NEWS Scotland Tayside and Central Passer-by bowled over by nude OAP