Edinburgh and Prestwick criticised over airport disabled services
Edinburgh Airport - which has more than 15 million passengers a year - "did not meet the standards for the provision of assistance in a timely manner", according to the report.It said the problems were "primarily due to operational issues caused by a change of contractor for its service provider".This happened earlier in 2024/25 but "now appears to be resolved."The report added Scotland's busiest airport was now providing a "very good" standard since the operational issues ended.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport, which has more than 2 million passengers a year, was criticised for failing to meet the standards to consult with disabled groups and individuals.The regulator added Prestwick had now committed to putting in place an access forum.Selina Chadha, group director for consumers and markets at the regulator, said: "It is welcome that most airports scored positively, but there is clearly more to do from those found to be needing improvement. "With demand for these services rising dramatically in recent years, all airports have a huge challenge ahead to ensure they continue to offer the assistance services their passengers deserve."
'Significant improvements'
A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said the rating came during "a particularly challenging time for our PRM operation, due to a change of provider, staff shortages, and a surge in demand for the service."He added: "We have increased our investment in the service to more than £6m and have worked closely with our provider to implement new and improved processes and oversight. "These efforts have led to significant improvements, and our goal remains to return to and maintain a good or very good rating."A spokesperson for Glasgow Prestwick said the Ayrshire airport was working to address the issues from the report.They said: "While we are naturally disappointed to have fallen in the ratings after maintaining top tier status for six consecutive reports."We want to reassure passengers that this rating does not reflect operational issues, or the quality of assistance delivered on the ground."The downgrade related to engagement with specific accessibility and disability groups which we recognise is an important part of continuous improvement."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
2 minutes ago
- Times
All back to Balmoral! The royals are up to their Highland games
There are three things that reliably happen every August: bank holiday travel chaos; scorching temperatures in the Med; and the great Scottish migration of the royal family — an event similar in scale to that of the wildebeest in the Serengeti, but with fewer crocodiles. Things have been bubbling under on the tartan front for a couple of weeks now, with the King and Queen making brief raids north of the border. There's been a church service here, a heritage centre to open there: the bread and butter of royal life. On Monday, however, the migration went Instagram Official at the gates of Balmoral, where the King, wearing a kilt, inspected a guard of honour and a Shetland pony. Last week Prince Andrew arrived; this week it's the prime minister. Any day now it'll be the Prince and Princess of Wales. Let the Highland games begin. The royals can, and do, travel anywhere in the world. For better, for worse, they always go back to Balmoral where, surrounded by hills and cut off from the world, they have 50,000 acres, the size of a small city, in which to shoot things in privacy. The estate was bought by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria in 1848; she loved its remoteness, finding it a place 'to breathe freedom and peace and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils'. After another year of torrid headlines, Andrew, ensconced with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, in a seven-bedroom lodge on the estate, may reflect that little has changed since then. Apart from Christmas at Sandringham in Norfolk, summer at Balmoral is the only time the whole royal family gathers together. Alas for Andrew, he was NFI to Norfolk and it was turkey for two for him and Fergie at Christmas, after his association with an alleged Chinese spy was exposed. That the King has invited him now may be a show of support, or a reflection of the fact the King is fond of his nieces, Beatrice and Eugenie. • How Kate became queen of the cape It's no coincidence that he's been billeted under a different roof from Prince William, who is hyper-aware of the reputational damage Andrew is apparently endlessly capable of inflicting. Traditionally Balmoral has been the place where the royals can be most 'themselves'. A new book portrays Andrew as the sex-mad useful idiot for a paedophile, so William and the King may perhaps pray that he doesn't lean into that tradition too much. Back in the day, Balmoral was where Prince Philip was 'master of the barbecue', as Prince Harry put it, paying tribute to his grandfather after his death. Queen Elizabeth marked his passing with a photograph (taken by Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh) of her relaxing with Prince Philip on the hills around the castle. It was to Balmoral that Lady Diana Spencer was sent to be 'vetted' before her marriage — a test she passed with flying colours. It was from Balmoral that Fergie was banished, after the repose of the royal breakfast table was ruined by front-page pictures of her toes being sucked. The castle is well stocked with wellies, walking sticks, fishing rods and waterproofs, its heavy wooden front door invariably propped open with a curling stone and attended by a footman in a scarlet uniform. Dogs and children run wild. The interiors are a carpeted riot of flock wallpaper, tartan curtains, ornaments, stags' heads and oil paintings, creating an effect much as Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen might design after too many Tunnock's teacakes. And while Keir Starmer may view his invitation as an honour or an ordeal, he will at least be spared having to join in with 'kick the can', a royal form of hide and seek that prime ministers were required to play when the King was a boy. 'Nothing has the same meaning and soul-refreshing quality that Balmoral has,' the King wrote more than 50 years ago of the place described by one of his biographers as 'the closest approximation to a normal family life that he could conceivably experience. This was the home where he played ping-pong and football … or cycled to the village shop.' His first engagements as King were in Scotland and since then he's established his own tradition of spending three weeks a year at the castle, preceded by a short stay at the Castle of Mey and followed by a longer sojourn at Birkhall, his own home eight miles from Balmoral. His first instruction on arriving at Balmoral as King was to open the windows; he has also ordered a rehang of the pictures, a refresh of the tartan drapes and the creation of a thistle-shaped maze. 'His habit during these visits has been to spend his mornings reading documents and to set aside some afternoons for fishing,' says his biographer Sally Bedell Smith, noting that he also enjoys driving himself around and stopping to chat to farmers. According to a former adviser to Queen Elizabeth, the King's love for Scotland is also tied up with concern for the future of the United Kingdom. 'It's not just about shortbread, pipers and kilts, and the family need to reflect that,' the adviser told the journalist Robert Hardman. William has not always seen eye to eye with his father, but on Scotland they agree. Having started their summer holidays this year on a yacht in Greece, the Wales family will end them, as is tradition, in Scotland. 'My childhood was full of holidays having fun in the fresh air, swimming in lochs, family barbecues with my grandfather in command — and yes, the odd midge,' he has said, adding that 'a big part' of him would always be in Scotland. While his mother hated the place, his wife loves it and his grandmother bequeathed him his own home on the estate, a three-bedroom cottage called Tam-Na-Ghar on the banks of the River Muick, not far from Birkhall, where the couple retreated for complete privacy during the early days of their romance, when they were students at St Andrews. It was to Scotland that William invited Kate's parents when he wanted permission to marry her, borrowing the much larger Birkhall from his father for the occasion. Formalities complete, his future in-laws were photographed being taught how to stalk deer. • Riding a polo pony — how hard can it be? 'George, Charlotte and Louis already know how dear Scotland is to both of us,' William has said, 'and they're starting to build their own happy memories here too.' Both George and Louis have been seen on shoots at the estate. As for their errant uncle, Harry's memoir, Spare, begins at Balmoral with the brothers' annual two-week stay. Harry was happy there, he writes, fishing, shooting and running around with his brother; he describes it as 'simply a paradise, a cross between Disneyworld and some sacred druid grove'. Nevertheless, while his children have been to Disneyworld, they have not been to Balmoral, which by 2019 had evidently lost its charm. Harry and Meghan turned down Queen Elizabeth's invitation to journey north with baby Archie in favour of crisscrossing Europe on private jets. In an uncanny coincidence, William and Kate were photographed that year with their children catching a budget flight to Aberdeen. Soon they'll be heading north again to play happy families in the Highlands. It's a fair bet that whoever is master of the barbecue these days, it won't be Andrew.
BBC News
2 minutes ago
- BBC News
How a cowboy builder ripped off his customers – and got away with it
When the BBC exposed Russell McMaster as a cowboy builder last year, angry clients demanded he be 64-year-old had accepted about £220,000 from seven customers to complete home improvements over a two-year he left his customers tens of thousands out of pocket with half-built extensions and week, Ayrshire-based McMaster was due to face trial over an allegation he had defrauded a customer by pretending he would carry out construction work at his home four years he was acquitted on Wednesday when the Crown dropped the case. McMaster, it emerged, had handed back £3,000 he was alleged to have taken by did this happen – and what remedies do customers really have when left at the mercy of rogue traders? Retired social worker Jim McGinley reported McMaster to police in late 2022 after waiting more than a year for work to start at his home in Uddingston, North had paid the builder £3,000 to "secure his services" for internal a months-long wait for planning consent, Jim says that McMaster became "evasive" and stopped returning pair eventually fell out after Jim left a negative online review about his business, VJL that he had been "the victim of a con", he contacted said: "Police were very diligent and seemed very keen to present it at court… They felt that he was a fraudster, a bogus builder."McMaster – full name Alexander Russell McMaster – was charged with fraud, accused of obtaining the £3,000 by pretending he would carry out construction work at Jim's when the case called for trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court, prosecutors announced the case would be discontinued because McMaster had repaid the money in the weeks before said he had agreed to drop the case after discussions with the Crown."The reason we went to court was because we wanted to stop this happening to other people," he said."On discussion with the procurator fiscal, it became clear that perhaps taking the money was the best option. But in truth we felt, and it seems crazy, that we'd let people down." Customers left out of pocket This wasn't the first time McMaster, from Irvine, had been reported to least two of his former customers contacted Police Scotland in were among seven clients who contacted the BBC about McMaster, who traded under the company names VJL Builders and Alex McMaster those cases, customers who had contacted police were told their complaints were a "civil matter" and directed to trading Ayrshire trading standards confirmed it had received seven complaints about McMaster's businesses in of those complaints came from Chris we first interviewed him in the autumn of 2023, his loft space was a building site with exposed beams and tarpaulin covering roof we went back to his house in Bridge of Weir last week, not much had changed. Chris said McMaster was paid more than £30,000 for a loft conversion but abandoned the job midway through, leaving the Jardine family with a hole in the he also reported the matter to police and trading standards. He also had assurances from McMaster via his lawyer that he would be repaid £15, payment was made, and the loft remains as it – who is married with two children – took out extra loans to try and finish the work and said the affair had "crippled" his family's finances."It's hard to quantify how much money he owes us, because of the extra damage he did," he said."He has taken food out my kids' mouths. That's what really annoys me. It will affect us long-term because everything I do will be to pay back the debt he has left us with."Another customer, Grant Kilpatrick, told BBC Scotland News that McMaster left him with a half-finished extension and was owed between £15,000 and £20, said he reported McMaster to police and was also told it was a civil Scotland said each case was assessed on its own merits and that it provided "suitable advice" to both the Jardines and the Kilpatricks.A spokesperson said that in Grant Kilpatrick's case, inquiries had been carried out and no criminality was established. Civil action 'not always easy' The Jardines and Kilpatricks had both hired a company called VJL Builders in July 2022. The business was registered at Companies House a month both were pursuing the company, VJL was dissolved in January 2024. It had never filed Knowles, senior project lead for Advice Direct Scotland, said tackling rogue trade was challenging and that "civil action is not always easy"."Rogue traders frequently dissolve their companies to avoid liability leaving consumers with little recourse," she said."Consumers do have rights, including the ability to cancel contracts and claim refunds if they've been misled or pressured."They may also be entitled to compensation for distress - but these rights are only effective if consumers act quickly and seek advice."We urge anyone affected to report rogue trading to us and to contact their bank if money has been lost."Dr Nick McKerrell, senior law lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University, said there was a greater chance of a successful prosecution where it could be shown that there was no intention or ability to carry out the work, something which could be seen as a "dishonest misrepresentation".However, it was more complicated if some work was done, because it becomes more difficult to show that the builder was never going to finish the said it was not a fair fight in many of the legal cases."It's an individual against a business organisation which can adopt a number of tactics to avoid private law actions," he said. McMaster has a string of businesses listed on Companies House under different variations of his name – most of them reporting by the Daily Record newspaper in 2006 and 2013 revealed how his old businesses left customers in debt after closing Alex McMaster Builders remains active. A note on the Companies House website states that a strike-off action had been temporarily suspended after someone objected to the attempt to dissolve the BBC attempted to contact the builder between December 2023 and February to answer allegations he was a rogue did not respond until he sent a text messages stating that he was "unavailable".However, we managed to approach McMaster in person outside court this asked whether he planned reimburse his other customers and whether he shut VJL Builders down to avoid paying them away with a friend, he made no comment.
Times
2 minutes ago
- Times
Patatino at the Hoxton: where Baroque meets buon appetito
Let me begin with an existential question: does Edinburgh need another Italian restaurant? This, after all, is the city of Scotland's oldest delicatessen and Italian wine merchant (Valvona & Crolla, established in 1934), where the eateries range from family-run trattorias proudly delivering nonna's lasagne al forno to tables draped in unironic red chequered cloths to Italian-ish small plates hotspots where the negronis are made with artisan vermouth and the focaccia is pocked with 'nduja and hot honey. Into this vivace scene comes Patatino, striding into the capital with the braggadocio of an Italian word inserting itself into a restaurant review. • Little Capo, Edinburgh restaurant review — buzzing and bossing it Patatino is located in Scotland's first Hoxton hotel, highly anticipated, years in the making, elegantly cast across 11 sublime West End Georgian townhouses. (We simply don't have time here to pose the existential question of whether Edinburgh needs another boutique hotel chain.) The name is a term of endearment, meaning 'little potato' in Italian, bringing to mind Little Capo (diminutives must be in just now), which I love. Herein lies my appetite-driven answer: you can never have enough of any kind of restaurant. As long as it's good. The concept is promising: 'A modern trattoria inspired by Sorrento's lemon groves and long, lazy meals on the Amalfi coast.' Frankly, who doesn't want a bit of that on this eternally chilly coastline where, despite the annual purchase of a little Lidl lemon tree, citrus fruits fail to grow? Patatino's aim is to bring 'the warmth of Italy to Haymarket', and my sincere apologies to denizens of the West End, but the Palmerston aside, this is an area of Edinburgh that in culinary terms really could benefit from the warmth of Italy. Patatino has its own street entrance, though you can come through the hotel and admire the signature Hoxton design flair married to Scottish storytelling. It's all very grown up and beautifully judged. Then comes Patatino. I'm talking pure baroque maximalism: all striped awnings, fake foliage tumbling down every vertical surface, mirrors, blue velvet banquettes, vibrant Amalfi style hand-painted crockery, dusky pink walls, and, at its heart … a little Italian water fountain. Think of Lena Dunham's Too Much expressed through interior design and you're halfway there. It's ostentatious, absurd, not remotely my thing, and I love it. Our server informs my dining companion, Francis, and me that at 7pm the lighting automatically goes down, the music goes up, and the rest you can imagine. But we're here at lunchtime on a Sunday and Patatino is quiet, though for all I know a bacchanalian knees-up is unfolding behind those reams of fake flowers. We begin with expertly made drinks — a negroni on draught for me, a no-alcohol pink grapefruit spritz for Francis — and a single antipasto because wow, the prices are as OTT as the interiors. The Orkney scallop (Patatino's sourcing is excellent), sliced and served in the shell, doused in a sauce of seaweed butter and the mollusc's own roe, is sweet and meaty, but lacks acidity, which is a shame considering Patatino's identity is built around the southwest Italian coast's bountiful lemon groves. Pastas are made in-house. We share a small portion of tagliolini, nicely thin and chewy, in a shellfish bisque anointed with Eyemouth crab and Amalfi lemon. (The large costs an eye-watering £46.) The bisque is rich, glossy, rust-hued like a rouille, and abounds with an umami tang achieved only by long-simmered shells. Again, though, it's missing the brightness of lemon and a good sprinkle of salt. Pizza, made by Patatino's own Sicilian pizzaiolo, is fantastic. It tastes, genuinely, like southern Italian pizza, with a well-charred base, perfect rise on the dough, fresh red sugo, and plenty of pale, stretchy fior di latte. • Italian chefs accuse Good Food of bastardising cacio e pepe recipe The final section on Patatino's all-day menu comprises meat sourced from John Gilmour in East Lothian and fish from John Vallance in Glasgow simply cooked over coals. We go for sea bass with smoked butter, which arrives at the table whole — deboned and spectacularly butterflied. There's a half of charred Amalfi lemon so juicy we eat that whole too. Plus a dish of charred veg that's not charred enough and new potatoes, roasted, firmly smashed, and kissed with the aftertaste of charcoal. Lovely. The bass, despite not having the hoped-for level of blistering on the skin, is sensational in the simple, understated, approaching unreviewable way of great Italian cookery. The flesh is soft and gleaming as velvet. Or, according to Francis, 'melty' — a word too often attributed to land animals and not nearly enough to those of the sea. At which point Francis has to leave and I'm too full to go it alone for dessert. I ask if they would be willing to sell me a half portion of tiramisu. The answer is no. Oh well, next time. I still maintain that the best Italian food in Scotland is to be found 50 miles west, in Glasgow, but Patatino is a fun and flamboyant addition to the capital's longstanding Italian food scene. Patatino at the Hoxton, 5-21 Grosvenor Street, Edinburgh Follow @chitgrrlwriter on Instagram Follow @Chitgrrl on Bluesky
