logo
Scots firefighter found dead one week after going missing

Scots firefighter found dead one week after going missing

Daily Record9 hours ago

Richard Scott, from Oban, was sadly discovered dead on Tuesday, June 24
A Scots firefighter has tragically been found dead one week after going missing.
Richard Scott, from Oban, was discovered dead on Tuesday, June 24. The 56-year-old was reported missing on Thursday, June 19 and was last seen leaving Chesterfield Hospital in Derbyshire that day.

Derbyshire Constabulary confirmed the tragic news.

There are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.
Tributes have poured in for the popular firefighter and former RAF serviceman who worked at fire bases in Oban and Dalmally in Argyll and Bute.
Many fire stations lowered their flags to half mast in his honour.
A statement from Guernsey Fire and Rescue Service reads: "It is with great sadness that we share the news that firefighter Richard Scott, who was previously reported missing, has tragically been found deceased.
"As a mark of respect, we have lowered our station flag.

"Our heartfelt thoughts and deepest condolences are with Richard's family, friends, and colleagues at this difficult time."
A statement from Firefighters Charity reads: "Our thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of firefighter and RAF veteran Richard Scott and we send our heartfelt condolences during this difficult time.
"While our flags will fly at half-mast in tribute, please know we are here if you need to talk – our confidential Crisis Line is open 24/7."

"His family are aware and our thoughts are with them at this time.
"A formal ID has taken place.
"There are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances."

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Revealed: Where Palestine Action plans to strike next
Revealed: Where Palestine Action plans to strike next

Telegraph

timean hour ago

  • Telegraph

Revealed: Where Palestine Action plans to strike next

Palestine Action is preparing to launch a wave of attacks on RAF bases across the United Kingdom. In a meeting recorded by Telegraph reporters, the group outlined a list of new targets after its members damaged planes during a break-in at RAF Brize Norton last week. Palestine Action has launched a major recruitment drive just days before it is officially proscribed as a terrorist organisation, putting it on par with Hamas, al-Qaeda and Islamic State. This publication was able to access one of its online meetings and can, for the first time, disclose details about the group's secretive structure, its new focus on covert action, and advice given to members on exploiting the legal aid system following any arrest. The meeting's organiser boasted that its activists ranged from 'nursery teachers to surgeons', aged from 18 to 80. Tactics discussed included breaking into factories and hitting 'everything you can find with a sledgehammer', as well as how to set up autonomous cells able to target military bases without detection. A slide in the call identified three specific RAF bases most suitable for attack: RAF Cranwell and RAF Barkston Heath, both in Lincolnshire, and RAF Valley, in Anglesey, North Wales. It also recommended action against defence companies believed to be supplying arms to Israel. The Telegraph has shared details of the plans with police and the Ministry of Defence. Palestine Action triggered a major security review of military bases after breaking into Brize Norton, where it sprayed red paint on two military planes and potentially caused millions of pounds of damage. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, called the attack 'disgraceful' and vowed to proscribe the group, a decision which Palestine Action said it would mount a legal challenge against. In the wake of the announcement, Palestine Action has been carrying out an intensive series of recruitment workshops in an attempt to build a network of autonomous cells across the country that will target military bases. RAF Cranwell was the world's first Air Academy and it continues to select and train the next generation of RAF officers. RAF Barkston Heath is a relief landing ground for RAF Cranwell and is the home of 57 Sqn's B Flight of No 3 Flying Training School. RAF Valley on Anglesey is home to No 4 Flying Training School, responsible for training the UK's next generation of fighter pilots. All three bases are said by Palestine Action to have links to Elbit Systems UK, a military manufacturer which has been repeatedly targeted by the group. At the start of the online 'direct action workshop', an unidentified female activist told the group of around 50 potential recruits that they would be required to make 'sacrifices' for the cause. The participants were told they would be part of a new, sustained wave of attacks targeting military bases. The organiser, standing in front of a flag associated with one of the factions in the Syrian civil war, said that the proposed proscription was 'draconian and dangerous' and Palestine Action would 'continue to operate' even if designated as a terror group. New members were asked to download the encrypted messaging app Signal and were told they would be messaged by anonymous organisers at some point after the workshop. After being contacted, the new recruits would be divided into cells which could then plot their own actions. Among those said to be in the meeting were university lecturers and a reverend. Instructions to download Signal, create a unique username and send it discreetly to a member of Palestine Action proved a struggle for some of the older participants. The division of the groups into individual autonomous units is a deliberate strategy to prevent leaders of the organisation being arrested in connection with various plots, as has happened in the case of other protest groups, such as Extinction Rebellion. In an article published in April, Huda Ammori, the group's co-founder, said it had deliberately been structured to prevent those in leadership roles from being detained. She said: 'By being security-conscious and working in small groups, we can make it difficult for the authorities to respond to individual actions by targeting the movement as a whole – such that Palestine Action can continue to grow, even in hostile conditions.' Ms Ammori, a former campaigner at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, found ed the group alongside Richard Barnard, 51, a former member of Extinction Rebellion, in 2020. The 31-year-old was born in Bolton to a Palestinian father, a surgeon, and an Iraqi mother. She later went on to graduate from the University of Manchester with an international business and finance degree. Legal warnings The recruits were told that they must be aware of the legal ramifications of their actions, but were advised they could benefit from a free lawyer under government rules if arrested. The group was shown a list of the potential punishments they could receive for specific actions. For a 'locking offence', where one locks themselves onto property and refuses to move, they could expect up to six months in prison. Aggravated trespass would lead to three months and a £2,500 fine, as would causing criminal damage under £5,000. Criminal damage that was over £5,000 could lead to a 10-year sentence, while burglary charges would lead to a similar sentence. The organiser said: 'The conviction and courage it takes to take this action in the first place is accepting that level of sacrifice.' She said there were currently 19 members of the group in prison and boasted that activists consisted of everyone from 'nursery teachers to surgeons' and 'from 18 to 80-year-olds'. She added: 'As much as we can stand by our morals and our ethics, we have to know for a fact we have to be well informed that there are risks that we are taking – that is both legal consequences especially as time has gone on, things have gotten worse in the legal framework and what results we are getting in the courtrooms, but also psychologically and financially.' The organiser did not mention the fact that if Palestine Action is proscribed, anyone who is a member of the group or expresses support for it would face prison sentences of up to 14 years in prison. All of the recruits were read out an 'actions agreement', in which it was stated: 'Each individual takes part in the movement from their own free will. 'We encourage all to join but we do not pressure people into doing things that make them uncomfortable.' Recruits were warned that if they were arrested, Palestine Action would not pay their legal fees but would offer 'support'. An 'arrest support group' would be on hand to help those detained and recruits were told that if they did not have enough money to pay legal costs, they could rely on legal aid. The organiser said: 'We do not use duty solicitors. [Our lawyers] will apply for legal aid on your behalf if eligible. 'And everybody, as I said, even if you're a millionaire, you get free legal advice in the police station.' Covert action Outlining the various strategies for attacking targets, the organiser said that the plan was to carry out sustained, serious disruption. In the past the group had focused on carrying out 'accountable' attacks with the aim of getting caught and raising publicity. The focus for the new recruits is on carrying out covert actions and escaping undetected. They were told not to take phones on raids and to hand over their belongings to neighbours in case their homes were searched if they were arrested. The organiser said: 'There is obviously a risk of getting arrested but the aim is not to get arrested. 'It means covering up anything that might make you identifiable, doing the action at a certain time, making sure it is as quick as possible, and essentially trying to get away at the end of it.' She said that the actions could be categorised as low risk, mid risk, high risk and extra high risk. She added: 'Essentially, whether it's locking yourself on, whether it's getting up on a factory and, starting to hit everything that you can find with the sledgehammer and everything in between, whether it's being in front of the gates... we've seen so many examples of this, there are so many different ways of disrupting.' The recruits were told not to speak about actions to anyone outside the group or to share the identity of anyone participating in attacks. 'We do not provide police with any information that may compromise activists, actions or the movement… cause comes first', the organiser added. The Ministry of Defence, Lincolnshire Police and North Wales Police have been contacted for comment.

Our New Gods by Thomas Vowles review – debut queer thriller dares to wade into the muck of modern desire
Our New Gods by Thomas Vowles review – debut queer thriller dares to wade into the muck of modern desire

The Guardian

time2 hours ago

  • The Guardian

Our New Gods by Thomas Vowles review – debut queer thriller dares to wade into the muck of modern desire

Like many young people, Ash has left his small country town for the big city. As a gay man, it's a relief to be in Melbourne, where he can be himself. Through Grindr he has met James, once a hookup and now a friend, though Ash still desires him. So he's on edge when he meets James's mysterious new boyfriend, Raf – an intimidatingly beautiful Brazilian man who looks like 'Jesus in an old oil painting'. Then Ash witnesses Raf committing a violent act at a house party. When tragedy strikes later at a bush doof, it seems this is Raf's doing, too. Ash tasks himself with investigating all the clues to uncover the truth – a pursuit that becomes his undoing. Thomas Vowles' debut is a propulsive and gripping psychological thriller that unfurls at first painfully slowly, then begins to quickly unravel, taking readers into truly deranged places. This book left me feeling physically unwell at times but I couldn't help but peer between my fingers to read on. The author's background as a screenwriter is evident in the delicious, addictive way his story unfolds, and its taut narrative tension. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Ash is a pitiable character from the outset. When the novel opens, he is anxiously hovering outside a house party. Though he has learned 'certain aspects' of how to fit in with the cool, cosmopolitan crowd, such as wearing a silver chain over a plain white T-shirt, he still worries that he will be spotted as an impostor. In the friendly and charismatic James Ash finds someone with whom he can be intimate, even if only emotionally. Through this nebulous friendship, Vowles demonstrates a deep understanding of the knottiness of Melbourne's queer scene and how platonic, romantic and sexual relationships can blur. Much of Our New Gods takes place in steamy saunas, claustrophobic and highly charged spaces where anonymous sex offers an escape, and becomes another clue in Ash's growing arsenal of evidence against Raf. The sauna is a site for communication and miscommunication; sex is both a pleasurable act and a tool. Ash's narration becomes more unreliable as the story progresses and he sinks deeper into this thorny situation. In one scene, his reality blurs with James's dreams; in others, his speech becomes erratic and difficult to parse. Vowles develops the character carefully over time, revealing snatches of Ash's life and backstory, in particular his complicated family relationship – in the sauna, at a point of panic, Ash sees 'leering lecherous faces, all of them suddenly my father'. James, too, shares his traumatic father-son memories, in what first seems like bonding between friends or lovers but takes on a more nefarious air as the two men become dangerously intertwined. Though Raf is ostensibly the villain in the story, Vowles cleverly and subtly twists the narrative to cast doubt on all of his characters. James shows a terrifying duplicity that is difficult to pin down; he knows Ash will do anything for him and seems willing to take advantage of that. Ash's slow descent into madness manifests as a series of delusions – or illusions – which are indistinguishable from reality. Our pity for the character remains steadfast, even when his actions become more unforgivable – he is increasingly desperate and frantic to hold on to what he believes might be the love he's been waiting for, at any cost. It all makes for a spectacular car crash of a novel that is as compelling as it is challenging, as sickening as it is seductive. Vowles has announced himself with a bang (or many bangs, in every sense of the word) as an audacious new voice in Australian literature – a rare writer who dares to wade deep into the muck to explore the grimy underbelly of modern desire. In his transgression of social and moral niceties, Vowles reveals the ugliness of human nature, with a few flashes of tormented beauty, too. Our New Gods by Thomas Vowles is out now (UQP, $34.99)

Tributes to 'dedicated' Scots firefighter found dead days after disappearance
Tributes to 'dedicated' Scots firefighter found dead days after disappearance

STV News

time3 hours ago

  • STV News

Tributes to 'dedicated' Scots firefighter found dead days after disappearance

Tributes have been paid to a 'dedicated' Scots firefighter who was found dead after going missing in England. The body of Richard Scott from Oban was discovered by police in Derbyshire on June 24. The 56-year-old had been reported missing on June 19, after leaving Chesterfield Hospital. Formal identification has taken his place, and there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances. Scott joined the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) in 2016 after serving nearly ten years as a firefighter in Humberside. He transferred to the wholetime crew at Oban Community Fire Station and in 2018 became a volunteer firefighter at Dalmally Community Fire Station. In 2022, he also served in East and West Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute as part of the service's community action team. He was described as a 'professional and dedicated' firefighter and was well-liked and highly respected amongst his colleagues and friends. Flags are flying at half-mast at all SFRS sites as a mark of respect. Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service said on Facebook: 'It is with great sadness that we share the news that firefighter Richard Scott, who was previously reported missing, has tragically been found deceased. 'As a mark of respect, we have lowered our station flag. 'Our heartfelt thoughts and deepest condolences are with Richard's family, friends, and colleagues at this difficult time.' The Derbyshire Constabulary said: 'Officers searching for Richard, who was reported missing from Chesterfield, have found a body. 'His family are aware and our thoughts are with them at this time. 'A formal ID has taken place. There are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances.' Another tribute read: 'It is with great sadness that we share, alongside our firefighter colleagues, the tragic news that Firefighter Richard Scott — previously reported missing — has been found deceased. 'Richard was not only a valued firefighter but also a proud former RAF serviceman. His dedication, bravery, and service to others will never be forgotten. 'Our hearts go out to Richard's family, friends, and colleagues at this incredibly difficult time. We stand together in grief and remembrance.' Scottish Fire and Rescue Service area commander Joe McKay said: 'Firefighter Richard Scott was a friend and valued colleague who served and protected communities across East and West Dunbartonshire, Argyll and Bute area for around six years. 'We are profoundly sad at the news of his passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.' The Fire Fighters Charity said: 'Our thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of Firefighter and RAF veteran Richard Scott and we send our heartfelt condolences during this difficult time. 'While our flags will fly at half-mast in tribute, please know we are here if you need to talk – our confidential Crisis Line is open 24/7.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store