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Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Scots Physics teacher accused of sexual offence against underage pupil including ‘touching and kissing'
The man is also accused of stalking the same complainer SIR IN DOCK Scots Physics teacher accused of sexual offence against underage pupil including 'touching and kissing' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A PHYSICS teacher has been accused of sexual offences against an underage pupil. David Vincent, 57, is alleged to have targeted the youngster at a school in Inverness. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up It's alleged that he told the girl, who it is claimed was under the age of 18, that he loved her and gave her a Valentine's Day card. Further charges against Vincent allege that he discussed sex and contraception before ordering her to delete text messages. The alleged incidents reportedly happened over a 17 month period amid allegations the secondary school teacher touched the girl and kissed her. It further alleged that he told her that he loved her, took her for dinner and invited her to his home. It's alleged that the educator gave the schoolgirl a necklace and drove her in his car. The physics teacher is also accused of stalking the same complainer when she was an adult, reports the Press and Journal. The charge reportedly alleges: 'You did comment and compliment her on her appearance, tell her that you loved her, drive her in your car, telephone her and exchange text messages of a sexual and intimate nature with her.' It's understood that the case is due to call again in August. Elsewhere a shamed English teacher who groomed a pupil and was sexually inappropriate to two other girls in his class has avoided jail. David Davidson, 49, preyed on his victims at a school in the north of Glasgow between August 2008 and April 2023. A teenage girl told a court she skipped lessons to be alone with Davidson in his classroom. She said she fell in love with Davidson and that he had told her that he loved her back. Davidson told her he would take her to his house and out for dinner once she was old enough to leave school. Davidson went on to stroke the girl on the face and called her "pretty."
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Girlfriend of Brit who died in Ibiza hotel fall 'disgusted' by 'lack of respect'
Ibiza Rocks Hotel just wanted tragic Evan Thomson's friend out so they could 'start the party again' hours after the 26-year-old's death, his furious pals have claimed The grieving girlfriend of a Brit who fell to his death from an Ibiza hotel claims staff jet-washed away his blood little over an hour after his death as friends allege management wanted them gone so they could 'start the party again'. Evan Thomson was on the island celebrating his 26th birthday with pals when he hit the ground after falling from his sixth-floor balcony. His devastated loved ones are now are demanding answers following concerns over safety at the raucous Ibiza Rocks Hotel, where he was staying earlier this month. The man, from Aberdeen, Scotland, was pronounced dead at the scene after medics rushed to the hotel at 6am on July 7. Friends and family have blasted bosses over how the aftermath of Evan's death was handled, and have claimed the hotel resumed normal operations less than 90 minutes after his traumatic death. They are enraged by social media posts uploaded hours later pushing their next pool party. They claimed they sat in an office 'without answers' for an hour after they were informed of Evan's death before they were allowed back to their rooms. The tragic Brit's pals say they were told to pack up their belongings before being transferred to another nearby hotel. Angry friend Blair Robertson, 25, told the Press and Journal: "We heard the jet washes from the ground cleaning the area where Evan died and it had only been 90 minutes or so since he was found. That was the worst thing for us to hear – how fast they tried to get things back to normal. "They took us out of the hotel at around 9am and put us in a new hotel down the road. It was like they wanted to get back to business as usual as soon as possible. It was just a very traumatic experience. They just wanted us out – and to start the party again. It was a disregard of life. It was hard hearing the cleaners coming into the room in the morning, as though nothing had happened." Evan's girlfriend Remi Duncan, 23, also hit out at the staff and added: 'It was disgusting. There was minimal respect for the situation, considering the music went back on soon after Evan had died. It puts a pit in your stomach.' Another friend, James Shan, claimed that the hotel looked at Evan's death from a 'business perspective' and claimed they posted on so 'are you ready for the next event?' within hours his death. He called the upload "sickening". MirrorOnline have contacted Ibiza Rocks Hotel for their response. In an earlier statement, a spokesperson said: 'This is a truly tragic and extremely sad situation. Our senior management team onsite did everything possible to help the police with their investigation into events leading up to Evan's death, and to provide constant support from our customer services manager to Evan's friends. 'That has included them having 24-hour access to our senior manager for any help or questions and giving them permission to pass on her mobile number to Evan's family should they wish to call us direct. They were very appreciative of all the help and support at such a difficult time. We are deeply saddened by Evan's death and our thoughts continue to be with his family and friends at this truly difficult time." Evan's mother Lel Kellighan spoke of her agony of social media. "'I'm absolutely heartbroken to write and tell you all, earlier this week my son Evan was in a tragic accident whilst on holiday with his friends in Ibiza and sadly passed away. We are all absolutely broken. Please allow us some time." His death came days after another British holidaymaker died in hospital on the island after plunging from a supermarket carpark. The 25-year-old, not yet named, fell from the Mercadona outlet in the resort of San Antonio. He was taken to the private Nuestra Senora del Rosario Polyclinic in Ibiza, but didn't survive.
Press and Journal
16-07-2025
- General
- Press and Journal
Wildlife quango admits it's ‘difficult' to say if Inverness gull numbers falling - despite stricter culling licenses
The wildlife boss of Scotland's nature quango has admitted the number of gulls in Inverness may actually be increasing – even though culling licenses have been massively restricted. Donald Fraser spoke exclusively to the Press and Journal as he responded to outrage over the government agency's controversial approach to managing bird numbers. NatureScot has stopped regularly giving licenses to remove gull eggs before chicks are born, angering residents and businesses across the Highlands and Moray. The wildlife quango says this has been done due to fears over a 'serious decline' in the population across Scotland. But Mr Fraser confessed it's 'difficult' to say exactly whether this fall in gull numbers has been replicated in places like Inverness and Elgin. 'In national terms, we know there's decline,' he told the P&J. 'Drilling that down into particular areas and localities is quite difficult. 'It's wildlife we're dealing with, they're a transient species as well. Getting precise and accurate data is difficult. 'Getting absolute populations can be difficult.' Mr Fraser said NatureScot is actively working with Highland Council to get a 'better handle' on 'issues' in Inverness and Nairn. Those concerns led to a full debate in Holyrood in June. MSPs warn members of the public have been seriously injured due to the dive-bombing gulls. Last July, a hockey club in Inverness shut after it was plagued by the swooping birds. Signs in the city urge residents not to feed gulls and a falcon has even been deployed to scare them away. Given all that, is Inverness bucking the trend of national decline? 'It is possible, in terms of increase in some localities,' Mr Fraser said. In 2023, just two culling applications to preserve public safety were knocked back by NatureScot. A year later that shot up to 143 refusals. Mr Fraser believes licensing should not be the priority, saying it is a 'sticking plaster'. The NatureScot wildlife boss said: 'Controlling the population via licenses is probably not the endgame in itself. 'We find ourselves in a difficult place trying to balance conservation and the needs and demands of people.' That will be unpopular with campaigning MSPs who say NatureScot must reverse course. 'For the first time NatureScot admit they just don't know what the real numbers are,' said Fergus Ewing, who represents Inverness and Nairn. 'They have repeatedly asserted that numbers are in decline.' But Mr Ewing said they had been forced to admit it's 'untrue' to say this is definitely the case, especially in his own constituency. The independent MSP claimed SNP agriculture minister Jim Fairlie had been 'duped'. 'He must now rein in this unaccountable quango,' Mr Ewing said. 'The chair of Nature Scotland should apologise for their long-standing false statements. 'They've been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Are they big enough to apologise?' The Scottish Government has promised to hold a summit on the gulls crisis later this year. Mr Ewing said this must ensure 'people's views and concerns are acted on', and that 'simple, inexpensive, humane control measures are guaranteed'. Highlands and Islands Tory MSP Douglas Ross said: 'NatureScot are a law unto themselves, making it up as they go. 'If this doesn't make ministers sit up and get a grip of the situation, nothing will.' Responding, a NatureScot spokesperson said: 'National population data shows clear evidence of declines in gull species. 'The scientific evidence is robust, and no false statements have been made about population trends. We recognise that local experiences can differ from national patterns. 'Wild bird populations naturally fluctuate in response to changes in food sources and breeding areas, which can lead to higher concentrations in urban areas at certain times, even within an overall declining trend.' SNP agriculture minister Mr Fairlie said: 'I sympathise with communities suffering from disruption and aggressive behaviour from gulls. 'In most cases, deterring seagulls from nesting outwith their natural habitat and removing food sources in urban areas is the most effective route to avoiding issues. 'In cases where it is justified NatureScot provides licences for control when public health and safety is at risk.' Given local anger, does Mr Fraser feel like gulls get a bad reputation? 'Some of the language that's been used is quite emotive,' he said. 'I can see it from all perspectives. One person's menace is one person's joy.'
Daily Record
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Hollywood A-listers spotted in Inverness for filming delighting cafe owner
Tom Holland and Zendaya were spotted in Inverness as local coffee shop owners confirmed the pair popped in amid their busy schedules. Hollywood stars Tom Holland and Zendaya have reportedly been spotted in Inverness over the weekend. The pair had been snapped strolling along Church street. Fans soon became excited after the sightings quickly circulated on social media. Taking to social media, Scots fans had sighted the Spider-Man actor and his partner wandering around the city as its believed they have been busy filming. The pair popped in for coffee to the delight of owners at XOKO on Bridge street. "Spider-Man marvels at his XOKO Flat White, whilst in Inverness," they captioned a photo of Tom and Zendaya. Tristan Aitchison, owner of XOKO, confirmed they had been in on Sunday, telling the Press and Journal: 'Tom Holland and Zendaya came in in the late afternoon, around 3pm, for a round of coffee for themselves and the people they were with. 'We don't do selfies with our customers, and we treat everyone the same — so we were delighted to see someone had taken their photo on Church Street, and our cup is in the frame.' It's not the only star-studded visitor they have had in recent months. Scottish actor Alan Cumming also visited recently for a plant-based pain au chocolat. An image shared on social media appears to show the couple walking along Church Street. A TikTok clip reads: 'Tomdaya in Inverness?' while a widely-shared Twitter post said: 'Pretty sure I just passed Tom Holland on Church Street – what is going on??' It appears the pair are in the area filming of Christopher Nolan's latest project The Odyssey, which also stars Matt Damon. The filming is taking place shooting scenes around Moray. Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan himself was spotted in Aberdeenshire as he popped in for dinner to a local pizzeria. He delighted staff on Saturday, July 12, at Pizzeria Planta. Sharing the VIP guest on social media, the pizzeria said: "A Star-Studded Night at Pizzeria Planta! "We couldn't be more proud to share that this evening we had a very special guest at Pizzeria Planta. "After hosting many people from the Odyssey production team and various actors over the past few weeks, today we had the honour of welcoming none other than Mr. Christopher Nolan!" And staff even gave us an insight into the Oppenheimer director's taste in pizza, confirming that he opted for a classic pepperoni Neapolitan style pie. Scotland is no stranger to big-screen productions, with Glasgow due to stand in for New York City in Spider-Man 4, with filming set to commence this summer. Glasgow was also used for London-based scenes in Fast and Furious 6, particularly around the Broomielaw, Wellington Street, and Cadogan Street. In The Batman, the film's gothic architecture was a key factor in choosing Glasgow as a location, with the Necropolis and other areas featured.
The Herald Scotland
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Scots Word of the Week: heard any diddling lately?
Another kind of diddling is noted by Charles Murray in his Sough o' War (1917): 'A mither's diddlin till her bairn can bring the sleep that flees fae fussle, trumpe or string'. A mother's soothing voice is preferrable to any musical instrument! Later in the 20th century, Betsy Whyte commented on the conviviality of Traveller life in Red Rowans and Wild Honey (1990): 'We would have our friends and relations there with their musical instruments, their diddling, canterach and singing'. In March 2002, the Press and Journal reported on a local competition: 'Mr Easton ended up winning the Scots verse, bothy ballads and diddling sections, while nine-year-old Natalie Chalmers of Fraserburgh became the first winner of the junior verse and singing competitions'. One might think that, with instant access to music now the norm, diddling competitions could be a thing of the past. Luckily not. The following report from the Dundee Courier in November 2022 covers what is reputed to be the UK's longest running mountain film festival: 'It kicks off on Thursday with former Lochaber Mountain Rescue guide, Royal Marine and rock climber Mick Tighe presenting a selection of archival films from his Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection, accompanied by live music and 'diddling' from Steven Gellatly and Denis Shepherd'. Scots Word of the Week comes from Dictionaries of the Scots Language. Visit DSL Online at
