Hate crime probe launched after pride decorations removed in Scots town
Cops are urging anyone with information to get in touch
COPS have launched a hate crime probe after yobs ripped down Gay Pride decorations.
Officers were made aware that overnight rainbow coloured LGBT flags had been removed on the Isle of Arran.
Advertisement
1
Isle of Arran cops are hunting down yobs who 'commited a hate crime'
Credit: Alamy
One furious local said: "It's an absolute disgrace and so disrespectful, I hope they catch the people who are responsible."
Police are urging anyone with information to get in touch.
Sergeant Clare Neilson, Arran Police Office, said: "We are taking this very seriously and are following positive lines of enquiry.
"If anyone has any information or saw people acting suspiciously, get in touch.
Advertisement
"Anyone with private CCTV or dash-cam footage should check to see if they captured anything."
The Pride march kicks off from the Brodick Port Carpark and boasts a string of activities.
Revellers can enjoy food, drink and live music, plus a ceilidh and other local activities.
Michael Gettins, Chair of Arran Pride, said : "[Last year] was so fantastic that the Committee decided to do it all again.
Advertisement
"This year we will have even more noise, even more colour and much, much more fun.
"We look forward to welcoming family, friends and our allies to celebrate again with us."
Elsewhere cops have launched a mystery death probe after human remains were discovered.
Officers were summoned this morning to Motherwell, Lanarkshire following reports of a human corpse.
Advertisement
Cops are urging members of the public to avoid the scene as they comb the area for clues.
The town's Calder Road area has been locked down and a police presence will be visible.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "The death is being treated as unexplained and extensive enquiries are ongoing."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Woman's body pulled from water off Scots coast after major search
The grim discovery was made just hours after the woman was reported missing to police TRAGIC DISCOVERY Woman's body pulled from water off Scots coast after major search Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN'S body has been pulled from the water off a Scottish coast after police launched a frantic search for a missing person. Officers made the tragic discovery near Back, on the Isle of Lewis, at around 6.10pm this evening. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Officers launched a frantic search to find the missing woman Credit: Alamy Scores of emergency services raced to the scene near the village after the body was found. The grim discovery was made just hours after Alison MacDonald was reported missing to police. The force launched a desperate search to find the 58-year-old woman who was last seen between 10am and 11am. Before she disappeared, Alison was last spotted in the Lighthill area of Back. Earlier this afternoon, police issued an urgent appeal and asked for the public's help to find her. They said they were becoming "increasingly concerned" for her welfare as they carried out "extensive enquiries". Police urged the close-knit community to look out for Alison and get in touch with officers if they saw her. They also asked the public to check their sheds or outhouse areas if they had one. But the force issued a statement tonight confirming that the body was found hours after she was reported missing. Officers added that the death is not being treated as suspicious. Missing farmer Michael Gaine's wife in emotional plea to help find 'best friend & husband' They will also issue a report to the Procurator Fiscal. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 6.10pm on Sunday, 1 June, 2025, the body of a woman was recovered near to the village of Back, Isle of Lewis. "The family of 58-year-old Alison MacDonald, who had been reported missing on Sunday 1 June, has been informed. "There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal."
Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
My dad was wrongly jailed so now I fight for justice – at least 30 long-term inmates are innocent, says actor Tom Conti
Conti privately spends hours pouring over legal documents to try to identify potential real-life miscarriages of justice MISSION FOR JUSTICE My dad was wrongly jailed so now I fight for justice – at least 30 long-term inmates are innocent, says actor Tom Conti Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HE is one of our giants of stage and screen, starring in everything from Shirley Valentine to Oppenheimer. Stalwart actor Tom Conti has spent decades at the top of his game, most recently playing Einstein in Christopher Nolan's epic about the birth of the atomic bomb. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 14 Tom Conti believes there may be as many as 30 long-term inmates in the UK who have committed no crime Credit: Getty 14 After starring in Twelve Angry Men, Conti started tyring to identify potential real-life miscarriages of justice Credit: Supplied 14 Tom as Albert Einstein in Oppenheimer Credit: Alamy 14 Tom with Pauline Collins in Shirley Valentine Credit: Alamy But it was a stage role in Twelve Angry Men that led the Oscar-nominated actor to discover a passion that few movie fans know about. Conti privately spends hours poring over legal documents and court transcripts to try to identify potential real-life miscarriages of justice, with the hope of freeing those wrongly imprisoned. The actor — once described as the thinking woman's crumpet after starring in 1989 romantic comedy Shirley Valentine — believes there may be as many as 30 long-term inmates in the UK who have committed no crime. Conti says it does not take a rocket scientist to realise there is something seriously wrong with Britain's dangerously overcrowded jails. Read More on crime WOKE & BROKE Cops demand more taxpayer cash & spend millions on 'woke' ideas as crime soars And the actor blasted the notoriously slow Criminal Cases Review Commission for dragging its feet on cases such as 'Beast Of Birkenhead' Peter Sullivan, who spent 38 years protesting his innocence before his conviction was overturned earlier this month. Conti told The Sun: 'It's an absolutely shocking story. 'I don't know how this guy is going to manage now. He's been completely institutionalised. 'He's been told what to do every minute of the day for 38 years.' 'Damaged my father' Conti became interested in forensics while researching a book he wanted to write in 2014, and got in touch with Tracy Alexander, an expert in cold cases. As a thank you for the advice, he left her tickets for his latest play at the time, Twelve Angry Men, in London's West End. Man jailed 38yrs ago for beating florist to death CLEARED after DNA bombshell They later went for dinner, where Tracy told Conti about UK charity Inside Justice, which campaigns to resolve major miscarriages of justice. It was a conversation that struck a personal chord. Conti's father Alfonso was one of 4,000 Italians interned by Britain during World War Two. They were sent to camps on the Isle of Man in 1940 after Italy's Benito Mussolini declared war on Britain and France. Almost overnight, ordinary Italians were considered the enemy. Conti said: 'Winston Churchill famously said, 'Collar the lot'. 'Collar the lot' 'It must have damaged my father a bit, but he got over it and never resented the British because it was a time of war. 'So, I kind of had knowledge, second-hand, of what it was like to be locked up having committed no sin.' The actor soon found himself on Inside Justice's advisory board, giving guidance on cases to a panel of blood spatter, fingerprint, fibre and DNA experts. It might be easy to dismiss Conti as another do-gooder with too much time on his hands, but he is clearly no pushover. While he worries about the state of the UK's overcrowded jails and questions whether rehabilitation programmes might be the answer, he also says 'we need to take violent people off the streets'. A bear of a man, a charmer with twinkling eyes and an aura of mischief, the actor caused a stir in 2015 when he publicly switched political allegiance from Labour to the Tories. 14 Peter Sullivan, branded 'Beast of Birkenhead', was wrongly convicted of killing 21-year-old Diane Sindall in 1986 14 After serving 38 years, Sullivan was acquitted of killing Diane Credit: Mercury Press Agency 14 Inside Justice is also battling for Roger Kearney, whose case was featured on BBC investigation Conviction: Murder At The Station Credit: Solent News 14 Kearney remains in prison for Paula Poolton's murder Credit: Hampshire Police The Tony Award winner said that socialism was becoming 'a religion of hatred' and even considered running for London Mayor after Boris Johnson. Conti acknowledges there are a huge number of prisoners who apply to Inside Justice 'because they are bored and it gives them something to do', but insists there is a vigorous vetting process. He said: 'It's fairly easy to weed out the ones who are doing that, but there are genuine cases — maybe between 20 and 30 individuals — who are serving long sentences.' The charity is currently working on several high-profile cases, including that of killer nurse Colin Campbell, formerly known as Colin Norris, who was jailed for life for killing elderly patients in two Leeds hospitals in 2008. Originally from Glasgow, Campbell was convicted of murdering Doris Ludlam, 80, Bridget Bourke, 88, Irene Crookes, 79, and 86-year-old Ethel Hall. His case is currently being heard at the Court of Appeal, where his barrister argued that the evidence against Campbell, 49, was circumstantial, and medical advances could now provide other reasons for the women's deaths. 14 Colin Campbell was jailed for life for killing elderly patients in two Leeds hospitals in 2008 Credit: PA:Press Association 14 Ethel Hall, 86, was one of Campbell's victims Credit: Handout 14 Bridget Bourke, 88, was another of his victims Credit: Ross Parry 14 Doris Ludlam, 80, was also murdered by Campbell Credit: Collect 14 Irene Crookes, 79, was also a victim of killer nurse Campbell 14 Forensics expert Tracy Alexander Credit: Inside Justice is also battling for Roger Kearney, whose case was featured on 2016 BBC investigation Conviction: Murder At The Station, which later streamed on Netflix in 2023. Viewers were left 'flabbergasted' after Hampshire police destroyed evidence that Kearney, 67, hoped would prove his innocence after lover Paula Poolton, 40, was found stabbed to death in the boot of her car. The case against him was mainly circumstantial. Paula's family remain convinced the cops got the right man, while police claim an officer destroyed the items without first consulting his senior. Conti said: 'Our fibre expert went to get the exhibits but, when she arrived, the police said they had been destroyed. I find that jaw-dropping. 'This was this man's last hope of getting a conviction overturned and this is what happened.' The actor is hugely frustrated at the pace of the Criminal Cases Review Commission which, he says, does not act quickly enough to refer cases to the Court of Appeal — or force the police to hand over exhibits. Conti revealed that Inside Justice has even offered to loan its experts to the CCRC to speed things up, but were rebuffed. He said: 'The CCRC is just not fit for purpose. Most of them work from home when they really should be in the office to discuss cases face to face. 'A real travesty' 'They resolutely refuse to pass cases to the Court of Appeal. They decide whether or not there's a chance of success. 'They don't have any scientists examining evidence and our experts have offered their services for nothing. 'Our scientists have said, 'If you want to send us exhibits, our people will examine them free of charge'. Instead they send them to a lab for 'presumptive' substance tests, whereas we would test for everything.' The CCRC refers around 3.5 per cent of its cases to the Court of Appeal — and around seven in ten of those cases succeed. In 2008, Peter Sullivan, now 68, asked the CCRC to look for DNA evidence that could exonerate him from the murder of 21-year-old barmaid Diane Sindall in 1986 — evidence that eventually pointed to an another suspect. The technique that ended Peter's ordeal this year was available back then — but the CCRC says it was told by forensic scientists that they were unlikely to uncover any useful DNA. There have been absolutely massive advances in science that can reveal new things... the Criminal Cases Review Commission is not fit for purpose Conti says: 'It's a real travesty. There have been huge advances in science over the past ten or 15 years, absolutely massive, that can reveal new things about cases. 'We need the CCRC to move quicker.' Conti might be earnest about the issues close to his heart, but he is also entertaining and fun, with a sharp sense of humour. He's very proud of his daughter Nina, a comic ventriloquist, who he calls a genius for going on stage without a script, and his actor grandson Arthur, who starred in last year's hit Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Conti, who lives in Hampstead, also retains a sense of childlike wonder, talking about how excited he was when he got the chance to sit in Einstein's actual chair while filming Oppenheimer at Princeton University. He avoided early starts on set by insisting the make-up artist left his wild Einstein hair on for the duration of filming, shocking locals. He said: 'The first morning, I was in the make-up chair at about 5am because the hair had to be done and the moustache curled properly. 'Later that day, I went back into make-up and they said, 'Right okay, we'll get you cleaned up'. 'I said, 'Wait, we're doing four days of shooting, so why don't we just leave it?'.' Conti laughs: 'There were definitely double-takes when I went out for supper those nights.' The star might not be the real Einstein, but he is hoping that, with a handful of clever experts, he can make a genuine difference.
Scottish Sun
15 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Former Celtic star Kyogo has court case from his time in Glasgow thrown out
LET OFF Former Celtic star Kyogo has court case from his time in Glasgow thrown out Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FORMER Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi has had his court case for repeated speeding offences thrown out by prosecutors. The Japanese international, 30, was stated to have committed the crimes in Glasgow's Springburn between October 3 and 8 2024. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 2 Kyogo Furuhashi's speeding case has been thrown out Credit: Alamy 2 The Japanese international moved from Celtic to Rennes this year Credit: Reuters Court papers stated Furuhashi drove at 44 miles per hour in a 30-limit zone during the first alleged matter. He was then accused of driving at 43 miles per hour on the same road the next day. Lastly, Furuhashi was said to have gone at the same speed four days later. Furuhashi, who is now with French outfit Rennes, was initially on the rolls for a hearing at Glasgow's Justice of the Peace court. Furuhashi himself was not present. However, prosecutors decided to treat the matter as "not called." A Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service spokesperson said: "The Procurator Fiscal received a report relating to a 29-year-old male and an incident said to have occurred on 03 October 2024. 'After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the available admissible evidence, the Procurator Fiscal decided that there should be no further proceedings at this time. "The Crown reserves the right to proceed in the future should further evidence become available." Recent reports have suggested that the ex-Celt could land a move back to the UK, but south of the border this time. His time in France has been a nightmare as he's struggled for playing time and looked like he might have been heading quickly for the exit door. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has STRONGER transfer case after final defeat But now English Premier League side Bournemouth are reportedly interested in a swoop for the Japanese international despite having two years left on his Rennes contract. Though the forward has hinted that he is preparing for pre-season with his current club regardless. He was spotted catching up with former Vissel Kobe teammate Hotaru Yamaguchi during the off-season. After which, he said: "I was happy to get to meet someone I wanted to see while on the off-season and I was looking forward to seeing him play. "I'll do my best, too, when I am back playing in pre-season." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
