08/12/2011 Reporting Scotland

Welcome to Thursday's Reporting Scotland. Tonight. Battered by 80

mile an hour gales. The worst storms in a decade bring Scotland

to a standstill. Roads and bridges are closed, schools are shut and

property is damaged across the country.

And the rail network's disrupted too. We have had a jam police,

garden sheds, all sorts of things on the rails at today.

This was the scene on the country's busiest motorway tonight as drivers

braved the worsening conditions. And this was the scene in Edinburgh

as the Hibs team tried to do the same.

We'll be live in the east and the west of the country with updates,

and Christopher will be here with a full forecast for tonight and

tomorrow. Also this evening.

The hospital car park free-for-all. As patients struggle to make

appointments, a call to let health boards bring back parking charges.

And Rangers winger Aluko is banned after a panel rules this was a dive.

Ally McCoist, though, is absolutely furious.

Good evening. Much of Scotland has been battered by storm-force winds

for most of the day, causing disruption to schools and travel.

Hundreds of schools have been closed and many businesses allowed

their staff to go home early. Police advised motorists not to

drive while the storm was at its height. And thousands of homes have

been left without electricity. Tonight there are reports of a

train with 64 passengers on board stranded on the West Highland Line

just south of Crianlarich. We have two reports. The first is from

Steven Godden on how the storm first hit landfall in the west.

It was given at the bigger build up and when the storm arrived, it did

not disappoint. In Helensburgh, they felt the full force of the

wind. It is quite frightening. I was at work in De Barton and there

was Debbie hitting the window. -- Dumbarton. It is quite frightening.

Be this is the reason at the Met Office issued the red warning.

Winds whipping up the 90 plied with 90 mph wind. I at least we had time

to get things organised. I start at nine in the morning. But I am used

to that. The closures meant no pupils were on board the school bus

and -- or blown over in Ayrshire. By lunchtime, motorists across

central Scotland had been warned not to travel. Those who did it

went out into worsening conditions. Today has been a very challenging

day. We have had disruption on the network. We have seen entries

coming down onto the roads and the M42 network. We have seen a land

slips and vehicles it being blown over. 68,000 homes have lost power

at some point. Argyll and the West Highlands are particularly affected.

The Scottish government's resilience group has met to assess

damage and disruption. This is all right the third time in 10 years

that we have seen went of this magnitude. -- wind. There has been

widespread disruption, particularly on the transport network. But

Scotland is coping well and will continue to do what needs to be

done. On the pavements, the threat of flying masonry made for nervous

passengers. This wind turbine spiting flames.

The worst of the storm has been tracking its way east and north

during the day. Most schools and businesses closed early but so far

there has been little significant damage. Our reporter in Edinburgh

Lisa Summers has been watching its impact.

So far in the East, it has been a tale of damage, disruption and near

misses. This house that bore the brunt of of voluntary. Fortunately,

no one was home. The strong winds began at this morning. As the force

of the storm blew in, the coast took a battering. Before the road

bridge had to close. That led to chaos elsewhere. Traffic was at a

standstill for miles outside Edinburgh. Trains were delayed or

cancelled. I am from Aberdeen, I want to go home. The train was

terrible, but we were able to get a taxi. Extra engineers were brought

in to clear rubbish. We have had drug believes, garden sheds, all

sorts of things on the rail today. We had been working quickly to get

things removed. Many businesses set their employees home early.

manager came round and said that if we were local, could we stay but if

we had a journey, we could leave up. In Aberdeen, cars were damaged when

this it Wall fell. I felt of the rumbling and the bang as the

building collapsed. Nothing could be done to save these decorations

in the Union Street. The worst of the weather was predicted to sweep

across in early afternoon. As we were driving, two of the panels of

dispense flew Over the Road to -- off this fence blew off. It just

missed a girl. Tonight, the carnival is closed. Is it all over

our is the worst yet to come. So, what's the situation tonight.

Andrew Anderson is at the Forth Road Bridge which has been closed

to traffic for much of the day. And Catriona Renton is on Buchanan

Street in Glasgow. First to Andrew. What's the latest there?

Things are on the move here on the 4th at Woodbridge. It has opened

again. -- on the Forth Road Bridge. It was closed at this morning after

gusts of wind reached 80 mph. Thousands of commuters have spent

the last few hours wondering how they were going to get almost all

this is a great relief for them. It was not the only bridge that were

closed. Most of the bridges in Scotland have been closed it today.

The Tay Bridge as well. They were expecting the worst to be at its

worst between the three and 6 o'clock. But it feels are just as

bad at the moment. And we have got sleet coming in as well just now.

Bury bad weather predicted for the North of Scotland are tomorrow,

blizzards. We are in the city centre. 16

shopping days until Christmas. This is late night shopping and you

would expected to be very busy, but very few shoppers had been brave

enough to come out tonight. Many employers have set their staff home

during the day. The main road over there has been closed because of

the roof of a huge cinema complex is unsafe according to police. They

have close to the road -- they have closed the road. Most councils are

hoping to have their schools open tomorrow. We would do our best to

keep you up-to-date on that. Contact your local authority as

well. Trains, planes and buses are all hoping to be back to normal as

well. Thanks to a drookit Andrew Anderson

at the Forth Road Bridge and Catriona Renton in Glasgow.

And of course we'll have a full extended weather forecast at the

end of the programme. You're watching Reporting Scotland

from the BBC. Still to come on the programme.

A warning over the cost of meeting climate change targets. A report

says the bill could reach �11 billion.

In sport. The row over whether a Rangers player dived or didn't

continues as an angry Ally McCoist enters the debate. And can

Scotland's pro-rugby treams continue their charge in the

Heineken European cup? We'll take a look ahead. All that to come.

Robert Black, the serial child killer, has been given a life

sentence for the murder of 9-year- old Jennifer Cardy in Northern

Ireland 30 years ago. Black, who is already in prison for the murder of

three other girls in the 1980s, will serve at least 25 years.

Aileen Clarke reports. Jennifer Cardy was nine years old

and cycling to our friend's house in County Antrim when a paedophile

Robert Black abducted, assaulted and murdered her. 30 years later,

Robert Black was to date sentenced to a minimum of 25 years. We think

that just as has been done and we do not think that Robert Black will

ever be out of jail again to a sort we girls again. -- to attack.

I can remember exactly how I felt, exactly how everybody else in the

family reacted. In a 1994, Robert Black was sentenced to prison for

the murder of three schoolgirls. 11-year-old Susan Maxwell, five-

year-old Caroline Hogg and a 10- year-old Sarah Harper. Jennifer

Cardy's family have been sustained by their faith. If he were to

appeal to me for forgiveness, I would meet him face to face. But we

have never had it that cancerous a bitterness that takes away

everything from you. Robert Black will now have to reach 89 years old

before he will be considered for release.

A 25-year-old man has appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court charged with

the murder of James Simpson. The 76-year-old was killed last week

during the theft of his Landrover Discovery from outside his house in

Ashgill near Larkhall. Christopher Grenfell made no plea or

declaration and was remanded in custody. A 32-year-old man also

arrested in connection Mr Simpson's death has been released pending

A pupil has been taken to hospital after falling down a lift shaft at

his school in Edinburgh. The Fire Service was killed two -- called to

Liberton High School this morning. It is understood the Gulf felt

around five metres. She was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for

treatment. It could cost as much as �11

billion to meet Scotland's Climate Change targets, according to a

report. The scale of the challenge will grow as pressure on the public

finances increases. Tackling climate change is a global

priority, but governments around the world are under pressure to

explain how they will foot the bill in an age of austerity. The

Scottish government is no exception. Today's report has added to the

pressure by warning it will cost up to �11 billion for Scotland to meet

its target of cutting carbon emissions by 42% before the end of

the decade. Can the price be justified? That is a decision for

the government and for the politicians within Scotland.

Affordability is about setting priorities, so if it is a priority

for the government and parliament, it is affordable, but it is a

political decision. Global leaders of struggling to with continuing

financial turmoil. Tough-talking at the United Nations climate change

conference. Among the delegates, Scotland's climate change Minister.

We have committed �680 million, but the main source of finance for

dealing with climate change in Scotland will come from industry.

This is a good report, but it is alarming, because of the cost,

which could impact on at a great many Scottish firms and make them

uncompetitive. Environment of campaigners said the report fails

to highlight the social and economic benefits tackling climate

change could bring it. Among them, investment in public transport,

better insulated homes and the creation of jobs in the renewable

energy industry. Then, the environmental benefits of doing

what we can to limit the extreme weather conditions which scientists

tell us will be more commonplace as a result of climate change. As we

have been reminded today, severe The Libyan government has told the

foreign office it will allow police from Scotland to travel to the

country as part of their continuing investigation into the 1988

Lockerbie bombing. The Transitional National Government had already

made it clear it would co-operate with the Dumfries and Galloway

force. Scottish ministers have been urged

to consider new laws to soften the impact of planned changes to the UK

benefit system. Holyrood's health committee said the Bill could mean

cuts in payments to the most vulnerable people. It also warned

they might not be enough time to bring forward separate Scottish

legislation. The Edinburgh exploration company

Cairn Energy has announced it will distribute more than �2.2 billion

to its shareholders. The payout follows the sale of a controlling

stake in the company's Indian subsidiary to the metals company

Vedanta. There is a court to allow hospitals

the power to re introduce car- parking charges for staff and

patients to help manage traffic better. The situation at Aberdeen

has been described as critical, with some outpatients having to

risk parking fines to get to appointments.

You want to be there as quickly as you can, and it is so difficult to

try and find spaces. Kate Dean dropped her son at A&E with a hand

injury. Half-an-hour later, she eventually got to be with her son.

I started to think that there would be people not in that position,

people for whom this could be the last few minutes of somebody's life,

and that is what worries me, they are looking for a parking space

when they should be with their loved ones. Alice Urquhart has

lymphoma, her husband drove her to her first appointment. It was

horrific. She had an appointment with a cancer specialist, and we

went up half-an-hour early, knowing the parking difficulties. We went

round and round both car parks, with no avail. You are scared you

will miss your appointment for a cancer treatment, and you cannot do

that. Unions say staff are angry, claiming existing problems have

become your worst since charges were removed. -- problems have

become worse. NHS Grampian have described this as a free fall. It

is proposing permits from next April, but it will cost. When we

had charges, there was revenue coming to the organisation. We were

told it all of our limited funding on patient care rather than car

parking. That income stream ended when the government abolished

parking charges. A Labour MP once the blanket policy lifted, allowing

it hospital to decide whether to charge an. The Scottish government

says abolishing the charges did not end a duty of NHS boards to manage

parking and balance the needs of patients, visitors and staff.

They dive? That is the question. I will not answer it! The Rangers

manager Ally McCoist a shocked and angry because the SFA's panel has

banned Sone Aluko for two games. Rangers contested the finding that

he conned a referee into awarding a penalty at the weekend. The panel

thought that he did it. Sone Aluko, Ally McCoist and Andrew

Dixon sneaked in the side entrance at Hampden Park in fast cars for

the hearing. The case was top of the agenda at the National Stadium,

but there was to be no early Christmas present. This was the

moment that has caused much debate since the weekend. Sone Aluko goes

down in the box against Dunfermline, and the referee gives a penalty.

But the SFA's officer, on viewing the incident, called it a dive, or

an act of simulation, by the Rangers player. But the panel

decided he had dived, and the ban sanctioned by the SFA should stand.

The Rangers manager Ally McCoist was so angered by the decision, he

even criticised Jim McCluskey, who chaired the hearing. He told the

He also criticised the consistency of disciplinary decisions, pointing

to the incident earlier in the season when Debbie O'Connor was

cleared of diving to win a penalty against St Johnstone. Sone Aluko's

band begins immediately, he will miss the games with Hibernian and

Inverness. Hearts players have enlisted the

help of the eight unions over their failure to be paid. The players

have given it -- been given no indication when they will be paid.

One player who asked was told it could not be guaranteed before

Christmas. The union wants the Scottish FA and Premier League to

get involved. Rory Lamont is being thrown in at

the deep end at the start of his second stint with Glasgow. His

first game will be in the Heineken Cup match against Montpellier.

Glasgow and Edinburgh could take a step nearer qualifying for the

knockout stage of the competition if they win their matches this

weekend. This is not Edinburgh's version of

the hacker, whatever they are doing, it is working. They are unbeaten at

the top of their European Cup group. Tomorrow, they play their closest

rivals, Cardiff, in Wales. Welsh rugby is on a huge birds, very

positive, there is a good feel factor -- age huge birds. You

cannot let that over renewed. Far as, it will be critical that we can

get involved in the physical battle and get an edge on them. Class: Not

sitting quite as prettily as Edinburgh, with one win -- Glasgow

are not sitting quite as prettily. They are at home to Montpellier.

They are looking for this man to power his way through the French

defence, Rory Lamont is back after four years away. He is straight

back into the team. A lot of pressure to perform. I have only

played two games since the end of last season, so I will be feeling

pressure. They would have taken a seven-match winning streak into the

game if Newport Gwent Dragons had not scored this last-gasp penalty

to draw on Sunday. Glasgow or still hurting, but a win against the

French will ease their pain. Paul Lawrie has made a fine start

to the Dubai World Golf Championship. He is second after

his opening round, 65. He trails Peter Hanson, who equalled the

The Scottish domination of British tennis continues. Andy Murray's

mother is the captain of the Federation Cup team, the women's

team. She tweeted to say she is thrilled, thrilled, thrilled at

getting the job. She will take charge for the first time in

Back to the storm-force winds that have been battering Scotland all

day. What is the latest? There is a lot of continuing disruption across

the country. If you look at the problems in turn, first,

electricity, 50,000 homes are still without power in areas including

the Western Isles, Albarn and Fort William. There are power cuts in

the central belt of the south of the country as well, but the

situation there is not as severe. 18,000 customers have had their

power restored. Public transport. ScotRail has an emergency timetable

in operation tonight, as have the main bus companies in Glasgow and

Edinburgh. For the latest information, didn't

go to the website. -- you can go to We have seen some very strong wind

through the central part of the country today and elsewhere. In the

populated areas, 91 miles per hour. We continue to have the red warning

in force for the next couple of hours from the Met Office for

storm-force winds through the central belt. Across the country,

the amber warning for 70 miles an hour wins. But we have the red

warning for the central belt. Into the evening and overnight, the low

pressure that has brought a high wind starts to pull away towards

the north-east of the country, but the stink in its tail will be

storm-force winds transferring to the north-east, and the rain will

turn to snow over the Highlands and Grampian region. We will see some

blizzard conditions for North Aberdeen should, right down to

lower levels, treacherous conditions on the road. We have

another ample warning, combined for the storm force wind and the snow.

-- another amber warning. Blizzard conditions in the reds. -- on the

roads. An ice risk for the northern half of Scotland. Across the south-

west, this will feature. Sleet and snow. There will be a risk here as

well. Further inland, south and east, dry and clear, and cold. On

Friday, the low pressure continues to move away to board Scandinavia,

but we open the floodgates to the very cold northerly wind. A very

cold day for Friday. Across Orkney and Shetland, have the showers, and

gale-force wind across the North- East. Elsewhere, the wind is much

lighter, compared with today. One or two smellers -- snow showers.

Further south, dry, bright, say, but cold. -- sunny, but cold. A

widespread hard frost. More heavy snow showers. As we go into

Saturday daytime, we have some snow showers clearing away. Some

uncertainty for the South, but it will be an improving story. The

temperatures are starting to creep up. The focus is the storm-force

wind in the north and north-east. We finish with images and sounds

from today as the wind swept across This is the reason the Met Office

issued the red warning, 90 miles It has been a long time since I

have seen it so bad. We are getting reports of some structural damage