Nicholas Malizia

Former Forth Estuary Forum executive director Barry Shafe is pursuing an Employment Tribunal claim alleging that the charity discriminated against him because he took two months of sick leave and made him redundant after he threatened to raise governance concerns with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. The charity denies the claims and says his repeated delays, lateness and failure to provide documents have caused substantial legal costs. Judge Sally Cowen rejected the charity’s application to strike out the case, and evidence has begun.

Scottish Prison Service operational adviser John O’Connor told the Edinburgh Employment Tribunal that an officer team at HMP Edinburgh had been affected by a culture of “playground antics.” Former officer Agata Stankiewicz alleges colleagues were bullied in Ratho Hall and that she was later transferred after reporting the conduct. O’Connor defended his reliance on HR and his decision to reject disciplinary findings against two officers, but acknowledged he might now reach a different conclusion about one offensive whiteboard message. He also accepted that Stankiewicz’s disclosures were protected whistleblowing and that she should not have suffered detriment for reporting them. The tribunal hearing is ongoing.

Former HMP Edinburgh officer Agata Stankiewicz told an employment tribunal that a bullying culture at Ratho Hall caused colleagues to break down and undermined safety in the prison. She said officers were singled out, teamwork deteriorated, and abusive messages were displayed where prisoners could see them. After reporting the conduct, she alleged that the Scottish Prison Service failed to uphold her grievance, targeted her with a transfer and allowed intimidation to continue, prompting her to leave for a lower-paid role and later quit. Stankiewicz is seeking reinstatement; the tribunal hearing is continuing.

A wildfire broke out on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, prompting the deployment of four fire appliances as thick smoke became visible across the Firth of Forth. Police Scotland closed nearby roads while urging drivers to seek alternative routes, and the fire service asked residents not to call in about the incident. The blaze occurred amid an ongoing wildfire in the Cairngorms and follows a major fire on the hill the previous year.

Lucy Lawson, founder of Unicorn Markets CIC and organiser of the Bathgate Market and Car Boot Sale, received the 2026 Churchill Fellowship to study successful market models in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. She plans to apply the insights to support small traders, boost town centre regeneration and enhance local community benefits in West Lothian while sharing findings across Scotland. Her market, which began as a university project, has become a key community hub and platform for local microbusinesses.

A woodland fire broke out behind B&M on Whitburn Road in Bathgate, prompting a response from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The incident caused no injuries or permanent damage, though market founder Lucy Lawson received numerous calls from concerned locals. She confirmed the Bathgate Market would operate as normal and thanked firefighters for their swift action. Emergency crews extinguished the fire within an hour, and the market encouraged community support the following day.

A 62-year-old man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after police received a report of an injured man near the Co-op on Howden Road West in Livingston at about 6:50 p.m. on June 30, 2026. Emergency services taped off the area, and Police Scotland said inquiries remain ongoing.

A Police Scotland officer, PC David Brown, was convicted under the Domestic Abuse Act for repeatedly abusing his former partner over more than five years. Additional allegations were removed from the charge. Brown remains suspended as sentencing is set for late July. Chief Superintendent Helen Harrison condemned his actions, praised the victim for reporting the abuse, and reiterated that all such complaints are thoroughly investigated regardless of the officer’s status.

Nicholas Malizia recounts meeting David, a rough sleeper living in a bush in Edinburgh, who later died alone in a tent from a suspected overdose. The experience leads Malizia to argue strongly for safer drug consumption facilities, where people can use drugs under medical supervision with access to naloxone, clean needles and emergency care. He cites international experience and research associating such facilities with fewer overdose deaths, ambulance callouts, hospitalisations, public drug use and HIV infections. The article criticizes the stigma directed at drug users and rough sleepers, notes Scotland's exceptionally high drug-death rate and the growing threat of nitazenes, and calls for an Edinburgh facility despite objections that such sites encourage drug use or damage city-centre communities.

A duck known locally as Pancake was seriously injured and later euthanised after youths allegedly targeted wildlife at Lanthorn Pond in Livingston on May 3, 2026. Police Scotland is investigating and asking anyone with information to contact them. Local residents expressed distress and concern over the attack, describing the pond’s wildlife as important to the community.

Broxburn United Sports Club has launched Scotland’s East Coast’s first multi-sport activity club for children with physical disabilities who use frame walkers. The programme offers activities including football, curling and adapted tennis, with the first session attracting a strong turnout. Club manager Alan Chambers said the flexible programme aims to build confidence, friendships and activity levels while supporting families during transitions from youth to adult services and potentially easing pressure on health resources.

Bathgate Market and Car Boot Sale organiser Lucy Lawson said the site was left covered in smashed bottles, broken glass and rubbish after an overnight incident around April 10. Volunteers spent four hours cleaning before a hired sweeper was brought in. Repeated antisocial behaviour, including graffiti, fires and fly-tipping, is forcing the market to divert funds from community activities and threatening income for small businesses, while local residents say they are frustrated but continue to support the weekly market.

A 50-year-old man was found seriously injured on Wardlaw Street near Gorgie Road in Edinburgh on March 24, 2026, prompting a police cordon and traffic disruption. A 39-year-old man was arrested, while the circumstances of the incident remain under investigation. Police Scotland appealed for witnesses and information.

A woman escaped unharmed after her car caught fire on Hoseason Gardens in Edinburgh’s Clermiston area shortly after 6:30 p.m. on March 23, 2026. Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended, with one fire appliance deployed. Firefighters remained at the scene to extinguish the blaze and ensure public safety; no casualties were reported.

Police are appealing for witnesses and CCTV, doorbell or dash-cam footage after a housebreaking at a property on Five Sisters View in Polbeth on March 13, 2026. Intruders forced entry by smashing patio doors, but nothing was stolen. Police Constable Mark Kerr urged anyone with information to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting reference 1593 of March 15, or report anonymously to Crimestoppers.

A white Audi S5 was stolen from the driveway of a property on Margaret Avenue in Bathgate, West Lothian, after entry was gained to the home between 1:10am and 2:30am on March 12, 2026. Police Scotland is seeking witnesses, dashcam footage and private CCTV, noting the car’s black wing mirrors, trim and badge as distinguishing features. Information should be provided to police on 101 using reference 0399 of 12 March 2026.

Four vans and a lorry were destroyed by fire at Thistle Business Park on East Main Street in Broxburn, West Lothian, on March 7, 2026. Police Scotland is treating the blaze as wilful and has opened an investigation. Four fire appliances attended, and no injuries or casualties were reported.

Skye Watson discovered an eight-minute Super 8 film of a 1985 Whitburn wedding in a charity shop and used social media and online research to identify the couple as Elaine and Walter Harvey. She eventually connected with their daughter Keren, who now lives in Canada after the family moved there in 2003. Elaine died of cancer in 2017, and the recovered footage has brought comfort to Walter and renewed family connections by preserving memories of Elaine and the family’s life in West Lothian.

HomeAid West Lothian is closing its charity shop on Gideon Street in Broxburn after the premises was sold and the new owner decided to use it for other services. The charity could not find an affordable replacement in Broxburn, so staff will transfer to its Livingston venue, preserving their jobs. HomeAid also plans to open a new thrift and furniture shop in Craigshill by the end of January, while donations will temporarily be accepted at its Bathgate shops. Local customers expressed sadness and praised the staff and shop’s contribution to the community.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam or CCTV footage after three flatbed Ford Transit vans were stolen from a compound at Blaeberry Cemetery in Whitburn around 10:25 p.m. on January 2, 2026. Two vans have been recovered, but a white Ford Transit 350 Leader ECO Tipper, registration BJ73 ORT, remains missing and may have been driven along the B718 Harthill Road. Information can be reported to Police Scotland via 101, quoting reference 0698 of January 3, or anonymously to Crimestoppers.

Kerry Gentle, a 34-year-old tattoo artist and RNLI volunteer from East Lothian, has died suddenly. RNLI Dunbar colleagues described her as an enthusiastic, dedicated and highly valued member who had recently completed shore-crew training and begun preparing to join the lifeboat crew. Tributes also came from Scotland's tattoo community, including the Scottish Tattoo Convention, which remembered her as a talented and much-loved artist. Lifeboat stations across the UK, Ireland and beyond lowered their flags in her memory.

Craig Mackenzie, a 33-year-old man from Uphall, worked for nearly three months while suffering severe pain before an X-ray revealed a fractured C-3 vertebra. He underwent spinal surgery and further operations after an infection, then was diagnosed with the rare blood and bone-marrow cancer multiple myeloma. Now receiving treatment, Mackenzie is using TikTok and fundraising for Myeloma UK to support younger people with the condition and encourage others facing illness to seek help. He has also highlighted the danger of delayed diagnosis, saying he was fortunate to avoid paralysis.

Stephanie Ireland says rats have become an escalating problem on Riddochhill Crescent in Blackburn, alleging that large rats are entering homes, damaging walls and breeding among waste and hedges. She says the infestation is affecting her sleep and health and is especially concerned because her partner, Hayley Doherty, has multiple sclerosis. West Lothian Council says it is treating one active local infestation, has found no evidence of an extensive or worsening problem, and disputes that inert garden waste or fly-tipping is responsible. The council cites legal restrictions on poisoning rats in open spaces and advises residents to limit access to food, water and shelter while seeking pest-control assistance.

West Lothian musician Kyle Wood discovered that his prized guitar and car logbook had been stolen from his vehicle outside Bloc+ on Wellington Street in Glasgow shortly after he performed in support of American band Dim Wizard. The theft left him shaken because the guitar was a Christmas gift from his partner and had been taken only minutes before he returned. Police Scotland received a report of the theft, while members of Glasgow’s DIY music community launched a GoFundMe campaign to help him replace the instrument.

Lisa O'Hara, a former Edinburgh Zoo keeper, is suing the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, alleging degrading treatment and a failure to provide reasonable adjustments related to her ADHD. Former colleague and capuchin-monkey head trainer Kenna Valles testified that O'Hara repeatedly missed training and identification sessions, carried out unauthorised primate training, failed to complete enclosure-cleaning duties, worked slowly, and behaved aggressively toward colleagues. Valles said these issues were related to performance and conduct rather than ADHD, while O'Hara maintains that the organisation lacked understanding of her disability. The employment tribunal hearing, overseen by Employment Judge B Campbell, is continuing.

Nine-year-old Nathan Elliott from Niddrie, Edinburgh, was diagnosed with leukaemia after developing fatigue, pallor and unexplained bruises shortly after his birthday. His parents, Paul and Nathan’s mother, sought medical help, leading to the discovery of swollen lymph nodes and a referral to Edinburgh’s Sick Kids Hospital. A fundraiser has been launched to ease the family’s emotional and financial burden during treatment and help fulfil Nathan’s dream of meeting Celtic players or receiving a special experience, as he is a devoted fan.

Kayleigh Gordon and her mother, Liane, who run Marchmont Hardware in Edinburgh, say objects including a chef’s knife, hammers, chisels and a tape measure have repeatedly moved or flown from shop shelves. They believe the incidents may be linked to Stewart Munro, their late grandfather and father figure, who died in 2018 and was known for playing pranks. Although the events unsettle them, Kayleigh says she is reassured by the idea that Stewart’s presence is harmless and affectionate.