A motorist who allegedly drove at almost 140mph has been described as “reckless and irresponsible” by police.
Police Scotland said the driver had been travelling at an average speed of 139.8mph in the Tayside area.
Officers stopped the motorist on the A92 Dundee to Arbroath road near Hatton at about 8pm on Saturday August 27.
Road Policing Inspector Ray Cuthill said: “There is no excuse for travelling on our roads in such a reckless and irresponsible manner. I am relieved that this incident did not result in a collision, where the risk of death or serious injury to an innocent member of the public or to the driver themselves would have been significant.
“Despite our repeated message, driving in this way is not a minor offence but serious and dangerous. It is disappointing that someone placed themselves and others in danger by travelling at a completely inappropriate speed.”
A 23-year-old has been charged with dangerous driving and reported to the Procurator Fiscal.
A taxi driver was left injured after an attempted robbery.
Police have launched an investigation after the incident yesterday at 10.20pm.
The 61-year-old victim was assaulted in his Ford Mondeo taxi on Warddykes Avenue in Arbroath.
The culprit entered the cab and demanded money from the driver, however he fled the scene without any cash.
Officers are now looking to track down the man responsible. He is described as being between 20 and 30-years-old, wearing a dark coloured top or jacket and was last seen in Warddykes Avenue.
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland added: “Anyone with information that could assist officers with their inquiries into the incident is urged to contact Police Scotland on 101. Alternatively information can be passed anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
NEARLY £40,000 is owed to Dundee City Council by those who have used the city’s official Travellers’ site.
The Tele can reveal that the council is owed a total of £39,719 by people who have used the site located at Balmuir Wood since September 2000.
Councillor Fraser Macpherson, who has been vocal about the issue in the past, today called for every debt to be repaid to the council in full.
He said: “I would make the point that all sums owed to the council should be collected.
“I appreciate the challenges the council faces when pursuing debts where the tenure has been short — sometimes Travellers spend short periods of time there and it’s then a very difficult matter to trace those who owe the money.
“What the figures do show is that neighbourhood services should enforce the payment of outstanding debts across the board.
“The only fair way for the vast majority of those in Dundee who pay their taxes — as well as the rates for the services they use — is for the minority who don’t pay to do so.”
Gypsy Traveller liaison officers are responsible for conducting pre-occupancy checks after applications are made — which include checks for debts owed to the council.
The officer is also in regular contact with Travellers and offers advice to those using the site.
The Balmuir Wood site costs the Dundee taxpayer £60,000 per year to maintain, with the average amount paid by those using the site coming in at £67.74 per week.
From previous figures made available, income from the site rose from £65,000 in 2012-13 to £68,000 in 2013-14.
The site, which is operated by the city council but is surrounded by land which falls under the jurisdiction of Angus Council, has 20 places for caravans to pitch up.
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said: “The sum outstanding refers to the period from September 2000 to last month.
“The council works with Travellers who are experiencing difficulty in paying the rent for their pitch and we offer advice and signposting to services who may be able to help them.”
A PUPIL has been excluded from school following an incident involving a knife.
Parents of pupils at Montrose Academy were sent letters on Thursday notifying them of the incident which involved two “older pupils”.
Police are now investigating the incident, which happened outside the school grounds at lunchtime.
The letter read: “One incident, which may be causing some concern, is a lunchtime confrontation which nearly took place between two older boys during which a knife was shown.
“We are most anxious to assure parents that this encounter took place well away from the school premises, that the police were immediately involved, that the boy who had the knife is excluded from the school, that other pupils were not at risk, and that the whole incident is completely without precedent.
“Such a thing has never happened before and we certainly do not anticipate it happening again.
“We pride ourselves in ensuring the school is a very safe environment.”
One parent told the Tele today that the incident had left her scared to send her daughter back to the school.
The woman — who asked not to be named to protect her child’s identity — said: “The letter said it was something that’s been dealt with and we’ve not to worry.
“But I think that’s a crazy thing to say to parents.
“They also said it won’t happen again, but how can they know?
“I almost don’t want my child to go back there.”
Another parent said: “My daughter said that it didn’t happen in school but outside Farmfoods at lunchtime on Tuesday.
“There is a letter apparently, but I don’t have it yet as my daughter has been off school.
“But there was a text message from school to say that an important letter was being sent home with pupils — it’s scary stuff.”
A spokesman for Angus Council said: “The matter is subject to police inquiry and it is not appropriate to comment.”
Police Scotland were approached for comment but had not responded at the time of going to press.
Police say advances in technology are behind a huge rise in the number of motorists being caught without insurance or a valid MOT in Dundee.
New figures show an increase in vehicle crime in the city and also across Tayside between April 1 and June 30 this year.
Offences for driving without an MOT have risen by 153% — up from 62 to 157.
Meanwhile people driving without insurance in Dundee also jumped significantly, rising 70% compared to the same period last year.
But a top police chief said today that the rise was a result of “advances in technology” which make it easier for police to identify offenders.
Inspector Ray Cuthill, the head of road policing in Tayside, said police were continuing a “zero tolerance” approach.
Speaking to the Tele, he said: “Advances in technology have meant that detecting those driving without either a licence, insurance or an MOT has become easier for officers.
“This includes accessing the motoring insurance database.
“The technology has progressed a lot over the past five years or so, meaning we are able to tackle these offenders more easily — rather than them being caught by chance if they’re stopped.
“I’d say, broadly speaking, people who are involved in other offending are more likely to be committing driving offences.
“We, as other motorists, pay for people who don’t insure their cars as it pushes premiums up.
“I don’t think there has been an increase in these crimes, rather it just shows the zero-tolerance approach adopted by Police Scotland and that the technology is providing a higher detection rate.”
The Police Scotland figures also revealed there was a 32% spike in those driving without a licence in the city — rising from 105 to 139.
Dangerous driving offences also rose in Dundee, increasing to 1,444 compared to 1,147 for the same time period the year before.
Speeding also continued to be a problem on the area’s roads, with 282 offences recorded between April and June.
Meanwhile, regional figures paint a similar picture.
In Tayside there were 305 people caught by officers driving without an MOT in the last year, an 83% increase compared with 2015/16.
There were 270 people caught driving without a licence in Tayside, up from 228 — an 18% increase.
Driving without insurance was up 27% in the same period, from 454 to 578.
Ian Crowder, insurance expert for the AA, which provides insurance, breakdown cover and other services to motorists — said those committing the crimes showed disregard for other drivers.
He said: “Offences involving a lack of a licence, MOT and insurance tend to happen together.
“Many simply disregard the laws of the road and the consequences of what happens if they cause an accident.
“They don’t care if they cause an accident, and have no means of paying for any damage.
“There are others who forget about these things, and perhaps it is unintentional. But on the whole, it’s people trying to buck the system and don’t care about how their actions affect other road users.”
Police have launched an investigation after vandals damaged two cars.
A black Vauxhall Corsa and black Audi A5 suffered damage to their paintwork.
Officers believe some kind of ‘paint stripper’ was used in the attack.
The incident happened in Westfield Loan in Forfar sometime between 11pm on Tuesday August 23 and 7am the following day.
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “Police in Forfar are appealing for witnesses after two cars were vandalised.
“A black Vauxhall Corsa and a black Audi A5 were found with damage to the paintwork caused by paint stripper or a similar liquid.
“Anyone with information that could assist officers with their enquiries is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting reference number 23017/16.”
The owners of two cows are being sought after they were recovered by police.
Officers, who believe the cattle were stolen from a farm, found the pair in Forfar recently.
The cows are Limousine-cross heifers and are red in colour.
Angus Community Sergeant Grace Morrison said: “We are trying to trace the owners of these two Limousine-cross heifers, red in colour, as seen in the images provided, that were recovered recently near Forfar.
“We are asking farmers across Scotland to check their livestock and notify local police, by calling 101, of any suspected thefts. We urgently need to trace the owners of these animals.
“Police Scotland recognises that livestock theft can have devastating effects for the farmer and their business.”
Cud you help? The force is urging anyone who may have information to get a moo-ve on and contact Police Scotland on 101.
A DRIVER escaped prosecution despite driving at 126mph on the outskirts of Dundee.
Figures obtained through a Tele investigation show that a car was photographed going nearly twice the speed limit by a speed camera at Petterden, to the north of the city on the A90.
But 15 months on, “no action” has been taken against the offender, who was driving on the dual carriageway at 4.05am when they were snapped.
And the individual is just one of many who have got away with driving well over the speed limit.
Of the 20 top speeds captured by cameras in Tayside in the last 12 months, only nine of the incidents have resulted in a report being sent to the procurator fiscal for consideration on whether or not to prosecute.
Other drivers on the road between Dundee and Laurencekirk have reached speeds of 115mph and 105mph without being prosecuted.
The highest speed recorded was 129mph on the A9 between Tibbermore and Dunning in Perthshire.
The figures, released through Freedom of Information legislation, do not include speeds of vehicles operated by the emergency services.
Arron Duncan, North Safety Camera Unit manager, said: “Some of these incidents are linked to stolen vehicles and others are foreign cars or drivers that we can’t deal with.
“The issue with foreign vehicles is recognised as a problem and it’s being pursued at government level.
“Overall though, it’s extremely disappointing that people continue to drive at those speeds — these drivers are not only putting themselves at risk but also their passengers and other road users.”
Jack Kushner, a spokesman for road safety charity, Brake, said: “It is incredibly concerning to hear of so many drivers reaching such excessive speeds in the Tayside area.
“Drivers who break the speed limit by such shocking amounts show an appalling disregard for the safety of innocent road users.”
Neil Greig, policy and research director at the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), said the group is concerned that too many foreign-registered vehicles are getting away with speeding as it is not possible to trace their drivers.
He said: “It can be hard to identify a speeding vehicle if the number plate is unclear and there is no simple solution to this problem.
“IAM RoadSmart are concerned that too many foreign registered vehicles are getting away with speeding as it is not possible to trace their drivers.
“This was due to change in 2017, when the UK should become part of an EU cross-border enforcement system that will allow overseas drivers to be prosecuted in their home countries.
“As far as we are aware, this will still happen but with the Brexit vote it may not and that would be a negative move for road safety.
“In the meantime, we support Police Scotland initiatives, such as Operation Trivium, which targets foreign-registered vehicles. A continued high police presence is also a deterrent, as drivers stopped by the police cannot avoid prosecution.
“The information and times from your investigation show when and where they should be targeting their resources. Whilst it is disappointing that so many drivers continue to speed excessively the data shows that they will be caught and in most cases prosecuted.
“As long as a selfish minority continue with this behaviour we will still need speed cameras and traffic police on the main roads of Tayside.”
Key players in Dundee’s employment sector will gather for a special event at D&A College aimed at helping young people into the world of work.
Around 100 people from business and education, including school pupils, will attend the event which has been organised by the Dundee and Angus Developing Young Workforce (DYW) team.
The team includes some of the biggest supporters of the Tele’s Let’s Get Dundee Working campaign, including Skills Development Scotland, Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce and Dundee City Council.
The event is designed to encourage links between employers and education and to improve the skills needed by young people as they move into the world of work.
Speakers at the event will include Craig Nicol, chairman of Dundee and Angus DYW, Lord Provost Bob Duncan and Alex King, depute provost of Angus.
There will also be a discussion group from representatives of some of the region’s employers, including Michelin.
Angela Vettraino, manager of DYW in Dundee and Angus, said: “It’s good to see young people, still at school, taking an active role to ensure they have the skills to ensure they make a smooth transition to the workplace.
“Collaboration between educators and employers should lead to better informed youngsters gaining the skills needed for their future careers — a career to which they are committed.”
Karen Gunn, manager of the skills for learning and work team at Dundee City Council, also praised the partnership.
She said: “This helps to make sure our pupils have the chance to gain the skills they need to work in various industries.
“It also means we can ask employers to help us improve the curriculum by making sure we are providing the best possible range of skills.”
Skills Development Scotland’s head of region for the North East, Gordon MacDougall, said: “Our work to help support the aims of DYW includes supporting education and industry to engage more closely and promoting apprenticeships to employers and young people.”
The event takes place today at the Kingsway Campus.
A man has been charged in connection with several incidents where lone women were approached and asked for a piggyback while out running.
Police said the suspicious incidents involved a man claiming to be injured before asking the women to give him a piggyback, leaving them “extremely uncomfortable and alarmed”.
A 46-year-old man has been charged in connection with the incidents which took place in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, and Montrose in August and September.
Sergeant Andy Peerless said: “I would like to thank all those who responded to our appeal for assistance. The information provided to us from the public was vital.”
He said: “Inquiries into this investigation are still ongoing and I would ask anyone with information to contact Police on 101.”
A report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal.
A small ferret is recovering in an animal centre near Dundee after a rather unusual river rescue.
The furry creature is believed to have been stranded on a rock for up to three days in the middle of River North Esk in Angus.
The animal was initially sunbathing by the river, before having to be helped to safety.
Officers from the Scottish SPCA had to use a ladder and a net to rescue the ferret after it became stuck due to the fast-flowing water, just north of Edzell.
A concerned member of the public had contacted the animal welfare charity after initially spotting the ferret.
Animal Rescue Officer Coreen Hill is now hoping to reunite the ferret with its owner.
She said: “The ferret had been seen for three days prior to us being called out on the evening of Thursday September 1.
“At that time the ferret had been sunbathing and the area had a slight rock formation where he had been sleeping and looked to be under no stress.
“Since they can swim I decided to check back in the morning and assess the situation.
“When I returned the next day the area that the ferret had been on was in the middle of very fast flowing water.
“At that point I decided that, due to safety reasons, this would not be a rescue that could be carried out on my own.
“I asked my fellow Animal Rescue Officer Ben Soutar to assist to see if we could rescue the ferret together.
“By the time I returned with Ben the ferret had woken up and was furiously trying to escape from the rock, but was unable to do so due to the fast flowing water.
“We placed a ladder over the rocks and my colleague stretched over to try to encourage the ferret to pop into the net.
“After much persuasion the ferret hopped into the net and was moved to safety.
“He was very happy to be rescued and taken to our centre in Petterden for much-needed food and sleep.
“We will look after him until we can discover his original owner or find him a loving new home.”
Anyone with information is being asked to contact the Scottish SPCA’s animal helpline on 03000 999 999.
Commuters are being urged to take care as travel conditions may be affected by the rain.
A statement from the Met Office read: “A band of heavy rain will cross from the west today between mid-morning and late afternoon, before clearing to more scattered showers again by evening.
“Please be aware of the risk of some difficult travelling conditions and the possibility of some low level disruption due to surface water flooding.
“An active cold front will cross from the west today. Some heavy and possibly thundery outbreaks are likely with the chance of 10 mm in an hour in places and perhaps locally 20-30 mm within a six-hour period.”
A Tayside detective has warned sexual predators that the net is closing in on them.
Local Detective Inspector Graham Binnie said police know how and where they operate as the force looks to focus on child abuse.
The warning comes as Police Scotland look to act on the recent Your View Counts survey.
The results showed that child sexual exploitation was one of the top concerns in the area and now police are looking to act on the public’s response.
DI Binnie said: “Our warning to sexual predators is that we know how you operate, we know where you operate and we are aware of the methods that you use to exploit young people.
“This is happening to girls and boys of all ages. Sexual predators may groom, coerce, intimidate or use violent acts to get what they want. Any child or young person regardless of gender, ethnicity, background or sexual orientation may experience this form of child abuse. Young people may be offered gifts, food, drugs, alcohol or affection in return for engaging in sexual acts.
“In Tayside, we work with a number of partners including Social Work, Health and Education, Barnardo’s and Shelter Scotland. We share information and are focused on preventing children from becoming victims.
“We have been involved in a number of events to raise awareness of Child Sexual Exploitation so that everyone can recognise the warning signs. If you have any concerns for yourself, your friends or family or if you know someone who is exploiting a child or if you witness any concerning behaviour, tell us – we will listen, we will provide you with advice and support and we will take action.
“Call us on 101 or if you want to provide information anonymously, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
A TAYSIDE dad has died suddenly, just nine weeks after the birth of his fifth child.
Kerr Douglas, who grew up in the Clement Park area of Dundee, was found dead at his home in Carnoustie.
The 38-year-old had recently welcomed baby Blaine, his fifth son, into the world.
Along with Blaine, he is survived by twins Ramsay and Reece, who are 11, six-year-old Jack and 16-month-old Kerr.
His sister, Nicola Ogg, 26, paid tribute to her “prankster” brother and said that “his kids were his life”.
She said: “Kerr is going to leave a massive hole in our lives.
“He will be sorely missed, he was an amazing person.
Kerr with his sister Nicola
“Kerr was so kind and caring — he would help anyone who needed it.
“He loved spending time with family. His kids were his life — his world revolved around them.
“Kerr loved all his boys with all his heart.
“He just adored them all and he would spend most of his time with them.
“He and his partner, Morven, were always taking them away on trips or to the caravan.
“He was a family man at heart. He would always be popping in to see our mum and we would all go down and visit him and the kids too.
“If anyone asked him who his best friend was, he would always say that it was our mum.”
Kerr moved to Carnoustie from Clement Park with his family when he was 12 and attended Carnoustie High School.
When he left school he took up a joinery apprenticeship, before later moving to Aberdeen to work onshore in the oil industry.
He later returned south to Arbroath, before moving back to Carnoustie with Morven, 36, where he continued to ply his trade as a joiner.
Nicola said that she has countless memories of Kerr growing up, including him being an avid keyboard player.
She added: “I always remember him playing the keyboard when we were young —he was really good.
“Kerr had quite an unusual dress sense. Everything he wore was really baggy and he would wear a bandana or a cap. That is how everyone remembered him — he wore it all the time.
Kerr with partner Morven
“I used to annoy him when I was young and he would be in the house with his mates.
“He used to shout on my mum to get me out of his room.
“When we were older it was him that would annoy me.
“He was a bit of a prankster — he loved to annoy me about things.
“We really loved each other, though, and I am really going to miss him.
“One funny thing about Kerr was that he would always need to be the one who made cups of tea.
“It was just a thing that he always used to do. He would never let anyone else make him a cup of tea.”
Kerr enjoyed sports and was an avid fan of MotoGP motorbike racing and football.
His funeral took place last Friday at Carnoustie Church.
Nicola said that the “beautiful ceremony” was well attended by Kerr’s family and friends.
She added: “We want to thank everyone who came and paid their respects. The support we have had has been amazing.”
A police spokeswoman confirmed that officers attended Ravensby Road after Kerr’s sudden death.
She added: “There are no suspicious circumstances.”
An ungrateful moggy didn’t hang around long enough to thank his rescuers last night after they freed him from a “holy” distressing spot.
The hapless puss had got itself trapped in a vent at Gardiner Memorial Church in Brechin.
A passing member of the public heard the distressed feline’s cries for help and made a quick 999 call to the fire brigade.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said they received a call to the church just before 9pm telling them a cat was stuck in a vent at the church.
She added: “An appliance from Brechin with five firefighters attended.
“They used small equipment to prise open the vent to release the cat.
“It didn’t hang around long after it was released and quickly ran off before it could be checked out.”
Police have seized the phone of a Tayside man who disappeared two years ago in Portugal, as they bid to find more clues as to his whereabouts.
Jon Anderson Edwards, of Arbroath, went missing in Lagos at the age of 31 on September 15 2014, but despite a few false alarms, he hasn’t been seen since.
Just days before he vanished, Jon had been recovering in his apartment after falling and hitting his head at the Rockfood Cafe where he had been working as a chef.
But when his boss reported him missing from work a few days later, Jon was nowhere to be seen.
All his belongings, including his passport and mobile, were found in the room and only the clothes he was wearing and his flip flops had gone.
Lagos, Portugal, where Jon disappeared from.
Jon’s mum, Lesley Edwards, 55, also of Arbroath, said she hoped Police Scotland could find a breakthrough in the case.
She said: “They have taken his phone and they are going to look at various messages and things.
“Jon’s stuff had been collected and sent to the Portuguese police but we’ve never heard anything back. Now the police here have a new role in looking at old cases of missing people, so they’re looking into this one.
“I actually went to Portugal last October and got all of Jon’s stuff, so the police went to my daughter’s last week to collect his mobile to see what they can find.
“We couldn’t find anything on it but the police will have the tools to get right into the back of it.
“I had a look and I was able to see what films he was watching the night before he disappeared and looked to see who he had contacted before he disappeared.”
There have been a few suspected sightings of Jon since his disappearance, including one of a man at a Chelsea FC match in August 2015, but none have been concrete.
Jon had bumped his head just days before he vanished.
Lesley said: “When I look at that photograph at the football, it looks so much like him, even though I know it’s not.
“The girl who messaged me to say it was her brother and not Jon — she actually sent some other photos of her brother and he is Jon’s absolute double. There was another sighting as well from two people who had picked up a man in Spain who had been walking from Portugal and they said he looked like my son.
“The guy was German but you hear sometimes of people who get a knock on the head and then all of a sudden can start talking a new language, so you never know, and Jon had been to Germany before. So you think, did he just get that in his head? But I never heard anything more about that one.”
Despite the setbacks, Lesley and her family still hold out hope they will be reunited with Jon one day and they believe two distinctive Hebrew and Arabic tattoos on his inner arms will help trace him.
Detective Constable Richard Grieve, Police Scotland’s Tayside Division co-ordinator for missing people, said: “Whilst Portuguese police will continue to lead this inquiry, we are assisting in progressing all aspects that relate to the UK.
“We continue to liaise with police officers in Portugal, who have led the search to find Jon and will continue to share any information we have that can assist in this search.
“We’d encourage anyone with information about Jon’s whereabouts to come forward and contact police in Scotland or Portugal.”
Health chiefs are investigating “linked” cases of the potentially-fatal E.coli O157 bug involving Tayside children.
NHS Tayside Health Protection Team and Angus Council said they were aware of a small number of infected children in the county.
Possible sources and routes of transmission are being looked at and necessary control measures have been put in place to prevent further spread.
Those affected continue to be monitored and have received medical treatment and advice.
As a precautionary measure, a playgroup in Angus has voluntarily closed temporarily while further investigations continue.
NHS Tayside’s Health Protection Team has also issued information to parents at the playgroup and an Angus primary school, understood to be in Carnoustie, advising them of what action to take if they have concerns about their child’s health.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the name of a family of germs commonly found in farm animals and outdoor environments. Some strains of E. coli are harmless but others produce toxins that can cause illness in people.
Someone can become infected by consuming contaminated food or water, or by contact with other people who are infected, or with animals (e.g. at farms or zoos) carrying the bacteria.
Symptoms of E. coli O157 include diarrhoea – sometimes with blood, fever, stomach pain/cramps, nausea and/or vomiting and generally feeling/being unwell.
Consultant in public health medicine Dr Jackie Hyland said: “NHS Tayside and Angus Council are together investigating a small number of linked cases of E.coli O157 infection. The risk to the general public remains low and those affected have received appropriate medical treatment and advice.”
Further information can be obtained by calling the helpline number on 0800 028 2816. This is available every day between 8am and 10pm.
