Scotland the Barely Believeable

And, as primary school girls keel over with a wee smoke of heroin, the Scottish Executive move to protect children, fearlessly tackling the chip van menace.

The education minister will consider whether to strengthen council powers to take action beyond the school gates.

Peter Peacock said: "We're going to look at whether the impact of chip vans or other vans around our schools is negative.

"If we have to strengthen the powers of local authorities to act, then we would want to do that."

Stabbed two elderly women ? Page and a half of previous convictions ?

Scots social worker he say probation.

Sheriff Graeme Buchanan issued the rebuke over the social worker's recommendation.

He told the court: "It just beggars belief that for an offence as serious as this, a social worker should recommend a probation order.

We have been here before.

He said that for a social worker to consider the options of fines, community service or probation was absurd. The only sentence available for murder, he insisted, was life imprisonment.