Latest News from Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
22 minutes ago
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh residents say 'we need to leave troubled area' as riot police descend
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Edinburgh residents reacted in shock after police in riot gear were seen entering a block of flats. Several police vans - including a dog unit - and cars swooped on Clermiston's Birchwood View shortly before 9am on Thursday, May 29. A 22-year-old was subsequently arrested in connection with drug offences after a warrant was executed at a flat on the residential street. One carer in the area said they spotted police arriving at the street and witnessed officers carrying 'riot shields' as they went to enter the block of flats. Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "The street is always like this. It was getting better for a while but there are a number of troublesome characters here and it is starting to get worse. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. "It was a matter of time before something like this happened." Another explained the street became a lot worse in the 'past six months' with regular disturbances making life a 'nightmare' for those living in the area. A neighbour added: "I don't want to move but with everything going on, I need to get out of here." Officers were seen leaving the block and removing their padded riot gear while officers wearing blue gloves were visibly searching an SUV. They later filled up evidence bags with items from the vehicle which was parked over the pavement. One local was heard shouting from their window for police to also search a car on the street, only for another confused and worried neighbour from an adjacent block to scream it was their vehicle, pleading with police not to touch it. They said: "I don't live in that block, that is my car, I've nothing to do with this." Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Around 7.10am on Thursday, 29 May, 2025, officers executed a warrant at a property on Birchwood View, Edinburgh. A 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with drugs offences. 'Enquiries are ongoing and officers remain in the area. There is no risk to the public.'
Edinburgh Live
3 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh police 'in riot gear' swoop on quiet street in ongoing incident
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A huge police presence has descended on a quiet Edinburgh street in front of shocked neighbours. Several police vans and cars swooped on Clermiston's Birchwood View shortly before 9am on Thursday, May 29. An eye witness at the scene told Edinburgh Live how officers in 'riot gear' with shields and helmets have been spotted at the scene as well as a dog unit and CID. They said: "I was about to take the kids on the school run and seen them all in their riot gear going into the block. There were police dogs here as well. "I've been watching the flats and no one has been taken out by police. It was just police going in and out." Other images show officers wearing blue gloves appearing to search a vehicle on the street. Police Scotland has been approached for comment. We'll bring you more information and updates on this breaking news story as we get it. In the meantime, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X for the latest news, what's on, trending stories and sport.
Edinburgh Live
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Unexpected replacement for Amanda Owen's 'Our Farm' unveiled post show-end
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive, and Kids wrapped up last night, showcasing the Owen family's significant progress in their renovation of Anty John's. Amanda Owen admitted that there was still a long road ahead before the transformation would be fully realised. As the programme concluded, viewers learned that the renovation work was still underway, with Amanda affirming they were "forging ahead. "We're really on to the next stage," the mother of nine announced. Just before the credits rolled, a final image of the house, complete with all the workers standing outside, was shown. READ MORE - Friendless Rose West's life behind bars with unusual prison breakfast READ MORE - Highly infectious new Covid strain hits three holiday hotspots as WHO issues alert The text at the bottom of the screen read: 'To Be continued...,' according to Leeds Live. Although fans expressed disappointment at the series' end, they can look forward to another show hosted by Matt Baker. According to the TV schedule, Matt Baker's British Isles is set to fill the 9pm Tuesday slot on More4, previously held by Our Farm Next Door. The synopsis for the first episode reads: "Matt Baker explores the four nations of the UK. In this first episode, he heads to Kent to meet the Englishman teaming up with one of the world's most prestigious champagne houses to realise a dream of making the first true Anglo-French sparkling wine.", reports Gloucestershire Live. "In the Highlands, Matt meets two ex-farmers whose lives are entwined with the village of Crathie's church." The second series of Our Farm Next Door showcased Amanda and the Owen family as they navigated managing Ravenseat Farm and renovating Anty John's into their ideal home. Amanda looked back on the endeavour, saying: "I think we've developed quite a camaraderie, really. It's a huge learning curve, and every one of the people who worked on a project has their own speciality in what they do." Bringing it all together, she observed, had been "amazing", especially for the children, who could follow the project's progress and learn from it. Summing up her thoughts, she said: "No, it's not your average project. The fact is that you can't even get here half the time with your vehicle, and you have to walk in!". "We've had all these horrible weather conditions, no amenities. You can't even scroll on your phone at dinnertime! Nothing works, that's a big ask."
Edinburgh Live
3 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
Friendless Rose West's life behind bars with unusual prison breakfast
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info New information has emerged about the daily life of infamous serial killer Rose West in prison. Now 71, West and her husband Fred committed horrific crimes at their Gloucester home between 1967 and 1987, raping, torturing, and murdering at least 12 women and girls. Their terrifying deeds didn't come to light until 1992 when their 13 year old daughter Louise accused Fred of rape and Rose of cruelty. The case fell apart after their eldest daughter Anne Marie, who had been abused since she was eight, refused to testify, but the children's accounts raised suspicions with the police. READ MORE - Scottish school worker who called little girl a 'slag' and offered to buy vapes struck off READ MORE - When to expect Edinburgh thunderstorms as rainy spell intensifies The authorities launched a major investigation after learning that the children were frequently threatened with being buried "under the patio like their sister Heather", who had disappeared five years prior. The full extent of the horror was soon revealed, with victims ranging from Rose's eight year old stepdaughter Charmaine to Fred's ex-wife Catherine 'Reno' Costello, aged 27. In 1995, Rose West was given a whole life order, meaning she will spend the rest of her life behind bars, after police found several mutilated bodies buried in the garden, under a patio, and even in a sex dungeon cellar. Fred never faced trial for the atrocities he helped perpetrate, reports the Mirror. He committed suicide while on remand in HMP Birmingham at the age of 53. (Image: (Image: Since ceasing her appeal attempts in 2001, she seems to have accepted the inevitability of dying behind bars, where she has already served nearly three decades. Regular transfers are a part of her life due to violence threats from fellow prisoners. Having spent six years at New Hall, she reputedly leads a comfortable existence. Yet, if things aren't to her liking, she's known to challenge staff members. An insider revealed to The Sun: "She's in a disabled room now because she can barely walk. She never really leaves the wing she's held on and is escorted all the time by prison officers if she goes anywhere. Sometimes she sits in the communal areas on her own. "No one talks to her because everyone knows who she is and what she did, even if she has changed her name. When I was there, she tried to make friends with the other women and gave them gifts, like vapes, but she was rejected. She likes to watch nature documentaries on the TV in her cell, especially ones about birds." Aiming to separate herself from her notorious past, West is believed to have forked out £36 to legally become Jennifer Jones. It's believed that she altered her name via deed poll last December, claiming to acquaintances that it symbolises a fresh start. Nonetheless, her notoriety precedes her at HMP New Hall, a female-only facility near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, where her true identity is no secret. Some prisoners snub her overtures of friendship, leaving her to dine solo on tomato soup in her cell for breakfast, followed by long days largely confined to knitting and chatting to her television set due to her limited mobility. West has been moved to a special section of New Hall prison called Rivendell House, where inmates enjoy the luxury of an en-suite cell and access to a laptop to order their groceries. Reports suggest that this part of the jail offers communal spaces that are "more inviting" than other areas. The gruesome legacy of Fred and Rose West is revisited in Netflix's recently released documentary, 'Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story', which aired earlier this month. This chilling three-part saga draws on over 50 hours of unearthed police interview footage from 107 interrogations and aims to shine a fresh light on the ghastly murders of at least a dozen women carried out by the couple from their ordinary-looking Gloucester home in the 1980s and 1990s.
Edinburgh Live
3 hours ago
- Health
- Edinburgh Live
Highly infectious new Covid strain hits three holiday hotspots as WHO issues alert
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning over a surge in Covid cases, with the new variant now accounting for more than 10 percent of all infections. The WHO has labelled the new strain NB. 1.8. 1 as a 'variant under monitoring' due to concerns about the sharp increase in cases. By the end of April 2025, NB. 1.8.1 made up approximately 10.7 percent of all submitted sequences – a significant rise from just 2.5% four weeks prior. It is already the dominant strain in Hong Kong and China. Lara Herrero, Associate Professor and Research Leader in Virology and Infectious Disease at Griffith University, stated that thanks to multiple mutations, the new strain 'may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains', reports the Mirror. The strain has been identified in several countries, including Australia, the US and potentially the UK. "But importantly, the WHO has not yet observed any evidence it causes more severe disease compared to other variants. Reports suggest symptoms of NB.1.8.1 should align closely with other Omicron subvariants. "Common symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases." According to a WHO report: "SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1. In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected." The region with the highest reported cases is the Eastern Mediterranean, including popular tourist spots like Egypt, as well as Southeast Asia, specifically in Thailand and the Maldives. However, The WHO said recent increases have also been observed in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong and Singapore. WHO officials recommend that countries remain vigilant, adapt to evolving epidemiological trends, and leverage COVID-19 management strategies to strengthen systems for all respiratory disease threats. Member States should continue offering COVID-19 vaccines in line with WHO recommendations." The recommendations also stated that "Based on the current risk assessment of this event, WHO advises against imposing travel or trade restrictions."
