Latest news with #IanThomson
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Free Woolworths gift to solve annoying supermarket trend: 'How did I not know?'
Supermarkets and major retailers like Woolworths, Coles and Kmart are in a constant battle to ensure shopping trolleys stay where they are meant to be — in stores. However, a growing trend of locking them up in Australia to prevent them from being dumped is causing growing frustration among shoppers who rarely have a $1 or $2 coin required to operate them. Recently, regular Woolies shopper Stefan was fuming after his arm was hurting from having to lug a heavy basket around the store to do his weekly shop because he didn't have a coin on him to access a trolley. "My arm was killing me," he told Yahoo News of the ordeal, admitting that he "never" holds coins on him. However, after sharing his gripe online, Aussies informed Stefan of a little-known gift from staff at Woolies which solves the annoying problem — a keyring token which can be used to release the trolley without a gold coin. "I went up to the desk and asked, and they were like 'here you go' and gave it to me," he explained, asking, "how did I not know about that?" While the supermarket remained tight-lipped about the free item when approached by Yahoo News, it's understood customers who don't have a coin to use for the trolley locks are welcome to enquire about the tokens. Trolley dumping is a widespread issue, with supermarkets spending "significant amounts" on maintaining their fleets. Brisbane-based Ocean Crusaders' Ian Thomson recently told Yahoo it costs roughly $300 to replace a trolley, and stores "don't do much" to recover missing ones. "That's often being paid for with our groceries," he said, suggesting it's everyday Aussies who bear the brunt of the ultimate costs of the problem. Coles recently told Yahoo News they have teams of people collecting trolleys removed from the premises. "Abandoned trolleys are a nuisance to local communities and we are continually working to make this better across all our stores, including regular collections of abandoned trolleys with vehicles on the road frequently," a Coles spokesperson said. "We are always reassessing our trolley management and take local feedback into account when deciding what methods to employ at any of our stores, including the use of coin locks and electronic wheel lock systems." ‼️ Woolworths denies responsibility after pensioner slips and shatters wrist 🤖 Woolworths responds to bizarre robot footage, vows to roll out more 😲 Mum stunned by free $10 voucher from Woolworths staff member Aldi, well known for using coin-operated trolleys, told Yahoo News Australia they too use them to prevent trolleys being dumped, as well as to save money. "The Aldi trolley token system is a key preventative measure against trolleys being dumped in backstreets, waterways and public areas. As a result, we find almost all of our trolleys are returned to our stores," a spokesperson said. "By incentivising customers to return their own trolleys, we save money on trolley retrieval services and pass those savings on to customers in the form of our low prices. It's part of our Good Different operating model." The store sells a trolley token for 99 cents. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Press and Journal
23-04-2025
- Press and Journal
Police probe underway after protected bird of prey fatally shot in Inverness area
A police probe is underway after a protected bird of prey was blasted with a shotgun in the Highlands. Police and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) are appealing for information about the shooting, which took place in Inverness. The male bird was found by a member of the public in the Cradlehall area on Thursday, March 6. An investigations officer from the RSPB collected the bird the next day so it could be sent for testing. A post-mortem by a vet has revealed the sparrowhawk was shot in the chest with a shotgun. It was determined the bird could have died from starvation and infection some distance from where it was shot. Ian Thomson, head of investigations for RSPB Scotland, said: 'Sparrowhawks are one of the birds of prey you or I are most likely to encounter, as they live alongside us in parks and gardens. 'They hunt small birds by stealth and can be identified by their brilliantly piercing yellow eyes. 'The presence of sparrowhawks and other birds of prey is a good indicator of a healthy and balanced ecosystem. 'This bird was shot with a shotgun, resulting in a drawn-out and painful death. 'Few people have access to such weapons. 'Even fewer are motivated to shoot at protected birds of prey.' All wild birds are legally protected and anyone found to have killed or injured one faces an unlimited fine or even jail. Anyone who has information which could help identify a suspect is asked to call police on 101, quoting incident number CR/0132125/25. Any other suspicious deaths or injuries to birds of prey should be reported to police and the RSPB. Thomas Plant, of the Inverness Urban Sparrowhawk Project, added: 'We are absolutely devastated to hear that someone has shot one of these beautiful and majestic birds. 'He is one we may have been monitoring this year here in Inverness. 'As part of our voluntary monitoring we have been checking nest sites and colour-ringing Sparrowhawks. 'To do that we have had support and funding from the Highland Raptor Study Group. 'We hope that this will help to improve understanding of the local Sparrowhawk population, their movements, lifespans and the threats that they face.'
Scotsman
23-04-2025
- Scotsman
Appeal after bird of prey killed by shotgun in the Scottish Highlands
The bird was found in a residential area of a city in the Highlands. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... An appeal has been launched after a bird of prey was killed illegally in the Scottish Highlands. RSPB Scotland said a male sparrowhawk had been found dead by a member of the public in the Cradlehall area of Inverness. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The charity said a post-mortem revealed a pellet lodged within the bird's chest and concluded the bird had been shot with a shotgun. The sparrowhawk was found dead in a residential area of Inverness | RSPB Scotland It remains unclear as to where exactly the bird was shot before its death was reported to the RSPB in the first week of March. All wild birds are legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Anyone found to have killed or injured a bird of prey faces an unlimited fine or even jail. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Police Scotland are appealing to anyone with information in connection with this incident to come forward. Ian Thomson, RSPB Scotland's head of investigations, said: 'Sparrowhawks are one of the birds of prey you or I are most likely to encounter, as they live alongside us in parks and gardens. 'They hunt small birds by stealth and can be identified by their brilliantly piercing yellow eyes. 'The presence of sparrowhawks and other birds of prey is a good indicator of a healthy and balanced eco-system. This bird was shot with a shotgun, resulting in a drawn-out and painful death. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Daily Record
23-04-2025
- Daily Record
Sparrowhawk shot dead in Inverness as police launch probe
Animal welfare officers said the protected bird suffered a "painful" and "drawn-out" death. A wildlife probe is underway after a Sparrowhawk was fatally shot in Inverness. The grim discovery was made by a member of the public in the Cradlehall area of the city on March 6. A report was made to RSPB Scotland after the male bird of prey was found lying dead on the ground. Officers from Police Scotland and RSPB collected the bird's body before sending it for testing to establish its cause of death. A post-mortem was carried out and a bullet was discovered lodged in the bird's chest. It was concluded that the animal had been shot with a shotgun. It added that the bird could have died some distance from where it was shot, before later dying from an infection and starvation as a result of the shooting. Animal welfare officers said the bird would have had a "drawn-out" and "painful" death. The illegal shooting of the bird is the latest in a spree of cruel wildlife crimes in Scotland. In May last year, a buzzard was found to have endured 'significant unnecessary suffering' after being shot near an estate in Perthshire. The shotgun blast 'caused fracture of the lower leg bone' meaning the buzzard 'died slowly as a result of the leg wound and secondary infection', post-mortem analysis found. Two months later, a dead golden eagle was found in a bag with body parts cut off close to Loch Rusky, near Stirling. And in April, a red kite was found dead in Sutherland poisoned with lethal banned pesticide Carbofuran, a quarter-teaspoonful of which can kill a person. All incidents occurred after MSPs passed new wildlife legislation supposed to tackle the persecution of birds of prey. The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Act 2024 was aimed at regulating grouse moors and stopping rogue gamekeepers from killing birds of prey to boost numbers of gamebirds for shooting on estates. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, all wild birds are legally protected in the UK. It means anyone found to have killed or injured a bird of prey faces an unlimited fine or even jail. Police Scotland are appealing to anyone with information in connection with this shooting to come forward. Ian Thomson, RSPB Scotland's Head of Investigations, said: 'Sparrowhawks are one of the birds of prey you or I are most likely to encounter, as they live alongside us in parks and gardens. They hunt small birds by stealth and can be identified by their brilliantly piercing yellow eyes. "The presence of Sparrowhawks and other birds of prey is a good indicator of a healthy and balanced ecosystem. This bird was shot with a shotgun, resulting in a drawn-out and painful death. Few people have access to such weapons, with even fewer motivated to shoot at protected birds of prey. We ask that if anyone has information about this incident, to please get in touch with Police Scotland or ourselves.' Teams at Thomas Plant, Bea Ayling and Shona Rüesch of the Inverness Urban Sparrowhawk Project, have been studying the Sparrowhawk population in Inverness since 2020. They said: 'We are absolutely devastated to hear that someone has shot one of these beautiful and majestic birds: one we may have been monitoring this year here in Inverness. As part of our voluntary monitoring we have been checking nest sites and colour-ringing Sparrowhawks (with support and funding from the Highland Raptor Study Group (HRSG)). We hope that this will help to improve understanding of the local Sparrowhawk population, their movements, lifespans and the threats that they face.' If you have any information relating to this incident, call Police Scotland on 101 quoting reference number CR/0132125/25.
The National
23-04-2025
- The National
Police investigate Sparrowhawk illegally shot in Scottish Highlands
RSPB Scotland was alerted to the incident after the bird of prey was found dead on the ground by a member of the public on March 6 in the Cradlehall area of Inverness. Police were also notified and officers from the force collected the bird's body and sent it for testing to establish the cause of death. Following a post-mortem by a vet, a pellet was found lodged within the bird's chest, and it has been concluded that the Sparrowhawk had been shot with a shotgun. READ MORE: Aid workers describe Gaza as 'stuff of nightmares' as vital supplies denied by Israel The report added that the bird could have died some distance from where it was shot, before later dying from an infection and starvation because of the shooting. Police are appealing for anyone with any information in connection with this incident to come forward. Ian Thomson, RSPB Scotland's head of investigations, said that the bird likely suffered a 'drawn-out' and painful death. (Image: RSPB Scotland) He said: 'Sparrowhawks are one of the birds of prey you or I are most likely to encounter, as they live alongside us in parks and gardens. They hunt small birds by stealth and can be identified by their brilliantly piercing yellow eyes. 'The presence of Sparrowhawks and other birds of prey is a good indicator of a healthy and balanced ecosystem. This bird was shot with a shotgun, resulting in a drawn-out and painful death. 'Few people have access to such weapons, with even fewer motivated to shoot at protected birds of prey. We ask that if anyone has information about this incident, to please get in touch with Police Scotland or ourselves.' All wild birds are legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and anyone found to have killed or injured a bird of prey faces an unlimited fine or even jail. Thomas Plant, Bea Ayling and Shona Rüesch of the Inverness Urban Sparrowhawk Project have been studying the Sparrowhawk population in Inverness since 2020. They added: 'We are absolutely devastated to hear that someone has shot one of these beautiful and majestic birds: one we may have been monitoring this year here in Inverness. 'As part of our voluntary monitoring we have been checking nest sites and colour-ringing Sparrowhawks (with support and funding from the Highland Raptor Study Group (HRSG)). 'We hope that this will help to improve understanding of the local Sparrowhawk population, their movements, lifespans and the threats that they face.'
