Berwickshire News September 7th

Last week SBC were welcoming eastern european migrant workers with open arms, now they're scaring them off with massive council tax bills and summary warrants for non-payment. It all stems from adjudication that a flat let by a pub landlord is being considered as separate dwellings because the bedrooms have locks on the doors so each one becomes liable to council tax. Faced with the demands for band A council tax, the migrants are choosing to do a flit instead so the council gets no money at all, whereas previously the landlord paid the council tax for the whole flat from the rent.....

East Lothian Council is stopping litter picking patrols from Saturday in a bid to highlight to the residents and users of it's commercial centres how much litter is being dropped. In the first week only broken glass will be removed and bins emptied. The next week a high-profile patrol by litter wardens will start re-educating and carrying out various activities aimed at enforcing litter legislation. The PaperBoy believes that the current £50 fixed penalty system is not enough - hit them hard - £250 for starters and move on up with each subsequent offence.

The SBC community bus hire charges are being reduced after the previous rise of 250% lead to a massive drop off in usage. Originally £13.66, subsequently £47.08 and now around £30, it's hoped that the usage will rise once more. The charges won't be revisited until August 2007.

The official unveiling by the 1513 Club (no original members surviving one assumes) of the new Flodden monument is to be held on Saturday September 9th at the Royal British Legion Club. Members of the public are welcome but must remain behind the cordoned off area.

The imminent construction of Dalkeith bypass has been welcomed by Borders MSPs. The bypass will pass to the east of Dalkeith town and involves a new junction on the A720 City of Edinburgh bypass between Sheriffhall and Newcraighall. It ought to be complete by summer 2008 and will remove 1.35 million vehicle movements from Dalkeith each year. The Paperboy is of the opinion that serious consideration needs to be made of the roundabout at Sheriffhall because everytime he passes by it there are long queues and the traffic lights, whilst helpful, do not disguise the fact that the junction is woefully inadequate.

A busy week at Sir Kevin's this week - nine cases reported from Duns, one from Jedburgh - and the magic number seems to be either £225 or £150:

• Breach of the peace through drink at Chirnside Civic Week. Sentence deferred for nine months to allow for good behaviour after the accused acknowledged he'd done wrong.
• a 58 year old man from Stirling pleaded guilty to a charge of meeting a girl aged under 16 with the intention of engaging in unlawful sexual activity - remanded in custody and sentence deferred 3 weeks pending reports.
• Two youths appearing on charges of assault and breach of the peace at Beachcomber Amusements, Eyemouth. Both pleaded guilty. One fined £275 (no assault) the other released from custody pending reports.
• 80 year old driver from Haddington on a careless driving charge having pulled out in front of someone in Co'path. Fined £225 and slapped with 6 points.
• Apprentice brickie from Duns who called the police after being in a single vehicle accident fined £225 and banned for 12 months for being over the drink drive limit.
• A 9th time offence for the Eyemouth man who was growing a cannabis plant in his window which attracted the attention of HM Constabulary. Fined £150
• An Eyemouth man spotted by abovementioned HM Constabulary leaving a hostelry and hopping in his car - fined £225 and banned for a year.
• A fine of £150 for a Duns man who damaged his own property causing distress to his family.
• A pair of Lithuanians appeared on a charge of contravening the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act - they left their child 'home alone' for 30 minutes whilst the mother went to the Post Office and the father was out at work. Sentence deferred for six months to allow for good behaviour.
• An offshore worker from Dundee, making his 44th court appearance, appeared at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on a charge of breaking into the White Swan Hotel in Duns and stealing alcohol. 60 days porridge from Sir Kev who told him that "the public are entitled to protection and, having regard to the fact that you were on bail for a similar offence and this is your 44th court appearance, you will go to prison for 60 days" (you will not pass "Go" and you will not collect £200)

Picture of Duns Sheriff Court courtesy of the Scottish Courts website