03/10/2012 Reporting Scotland

Welcome to Reporting Scotland. Tonight, the contract to run the

West Coast mainline comes off the rails.

The Scottish government warns it could cause problems for the

awarding of other franchises north of the Border.

How the increasing use of mobile phones by children in classrooms is

disrupting lessons. Hope on the horizon for people

blighted by their neighbours' nuisance hedges. Be it is

exhausting, it is emotionally draining. Ice have to leave my

house to get the sunshine somewhere else.

And I have gone all starstruck at Saint Andrews, where showbiz meets

sport at the Dunhill Golf Championship.

Scotland's Transport Secretary says there are "uncertain times ahead"

for some of the country's key rail routes. It comes after the UK

government scrapped a deal to let Aberdeen-based FirstGroup run the

West Coast Mainline. It had been due to take over the route from

Virgin in December. It is now unclear who will run the service.

Our Business Editor Douglas Fraser is here. What is going on?

future of the railways has been derailed.

Because the government had to admit flaws in the way it handles

franchises - the right to run part of the railway for several years.

Facing a legal challenge over the West Coast line between Glasgow and

London, the Transport Secretary is admitting to "deeply regrettable

and completely unacceptable mistakes made by my department".

This is a battle featuring Scotland's two big transport

companies. On one side, Virgin Trains, led by

Sir Richard Branson. He is in partnership with Stagecoach in

Perth, where Sir Brian Souter's in charge.

In the summer, the government said they had lost the competition to

run the West Coast route, beaten by FirstGroup. That was, until today's

astonishing reversal. Bad news for First Group. But what

does it mean for passengers? Linking Glasgow with the South, the

timetable will remain the same, but it remains unclear whose name will

be on the trains. We need to make sure the service pattern Sarin

plays for the likes of advance fares, his best and if people

bricking up for Christmas to go and visit family and friends. This has

to be put right as quickly as possible. To have confidence in the

rail services going for were, we need to have confidence in the

franchise system. The element of uncertainty is the view of the

franchise process. We have to see what that throws up. We are going

to throw up the service that started in Scotland. On the East

Course writ, the bidders have twice run out of steam. Could be

nationalisation be the answer a question mark? Evert was run well,

I do not see why private companies could not do it. It seems to me

that privatisation has Beanie disaster. -- been a disaster.

No huge impact on passengers just yet, but quite a change in fortunes

for those two big Scottish transport firms.

Stagecoach, as part of Virgin, saw shares up by 2% today. First Group

were down by more than one fifth. And the Whitehall government, its

stock has taken a big knock as well. Tim Reid joins us now from

Westminster. This is a pretty costly mistake, isn't it? And it

seems to have caused a bit of a rift between the UK and Scottish

governments. Yes, or this is going to not only cost �40 million, but

the share prices of companies involved in have been affected. The

Department has admitted making mistakes at suspended three

officials, but the pressure will undoubtedly come on the Ministers

who oversaw this process. The Labour Party says it shows the

government is incompetent. The Scottish National Party is very

upset about not been told about this before today and is seeking an

urgent meeting with the United Kingdom Transport Secretary. And if

Sir Richard Branson had not gone to the High Court to challenge this

franchise in the first place we may not have found out about the flaws

in the process and that casts a shadow over the ball rail franchise

procurement deals. Labour introduced as when they were in

power and this has come back to slap them in the face then stop.

The increasing use of mobile phones by children in school is having a

disruptive effect on teaching. Teachers says mobiles are becoming

a distraction for pupils and adding to problems they face in the

classroom. Out of order and out of control. The students here are just

acting out this scene, but it is a problem in schools. They are

Scottish government report says that violence or abuse affected

over one third of secondary staff. 26 % of classroom assistants are

also affected and 27 % of primary head teachers. Most of the

destruction is low-level, such as calling out and, more frequently,

mobile phones. The report confirms that most young people behave well

most of the time. So-called minor disruptions have become a minor

issue. In my class, at the was absolutely no work done. We had to

take a word work warm because we could not do any work in the

classroom. Just listening to other people simply doesn't happen.

you are going to swear in my classroom, you can go and stand

outside. If you try and take a mobile phone of the classroom that

means a confrontation. Back in lead to a build up of because up and

behaviour that impacts on every other child in the class. They're

learning is been impaired by that process. The Scottish government

says that bad behaviour is the declining problem and says they

will tackle it wherever it is found. Still to come on the programme...

25 years on, the Peterhead Prison siege, broken by the SAS.

And in sport, Celtic manager Neil Lennon is pinching himself after

the Scottish champions' dramatic Champions League victory and not

sure if it has got anything to do with Europe's win over the USA in

the Ryder Cup, but Holywood star Bill Murray vents his spleen at St

Is one of these casting a giant shadow across your garden? Battles

between neighbours over hedges and trees are difficult to sort out and

often end up in the courts without resolution. But that might be about

to change. Audrey Alexander used to brought vegetables in her garden,

but the neighbour its hedge now stands at 50 ft tall and there is

not enough light for her plants to grow. Now her last what is the

change in the law. It is exhausting, it is training. To have a winter

where there is a sunny day and you are in darkness. It is very

demoralising. I have got to lead my own house to go somewhere else to

get the sunshine. I should have that here. He ages like these can

go up to 80 ft tall. If you are in dispute with a neighbour, under

current law there is little you can do about it. Scotland is really

part of the United Kingdom that does not have legislation to tackle

this issue. Under the proposed lot, when mediation fails, the local

council can be called in. If they Hedges team to be too high and very

owner refuses to act, the council will move in and cut it down and

send the Bill to the order. There are other ways of the dispute been

resolved, but if they cannot, at this is the resort. I think having

a bill which will result that will make it better for all concerned.

With government backing, the Bill is likely to become law by spring

next year. At Holyrood, Labour is accusing

ministers of being dishonest with voters about the cost of key

services, in order to gather support for independence.

But the SNP insist they are working within a tight budget in order to

help hard-pressed families. Labour's Johann Lamont says Colin

may not be able to afford three tuition fees and three

prescriptions and said it was dishonest of Ministers to pretend

that we could. It said more money should go to college places and

care services. If you are a care worker and a person worried about

your child's education, it is not funny, it is the real world. They

claim that Labour politicians are worried about potential damage in

the future. Nicola Sturgeon sought to deny that. Stand-up those at the

Labour benches who think we should take away the bus pass? How many

think we should re- introduce tuition fees? She said they were

designed to make things easier for Scotland's people to court. It

beggars belief that the Labour leader's best response to

Conservative cuts is to take away benefits from pensioners, the SEC

and families already struggling to make ends meet. As always in

Scottish politics, the underpinning of this is the independence

referendum. Labour accuses Ministers of ducking the top

choices now, in order to keep people sweet before that referendum.

Now the other stories from around Scotland this Wednesday.

The mother of a young boy left wth serious health conditions after an

E.coli outbreak involving an Aberdeenshire nursery has hit out

at a report into the incident. The mother says her child lost his

sight and too many questions remained about the outbreak,

centred around the Rose Lodge Nursery School in Aboyne. She is

angry because she believes the report does not answer the

questions about how her child became affected.

The brother of a Scottish Christian missionary, who vanished two years

ago while looking for Noah's Ark, has been assured by Turkish

prosecutors the case is "still open". Derick Mackenzie has

travelled from Stornoway to Turkey in a bid to solve the disappearance

of his brother Donald. An early image of Jesus has been

uncovered on one of Scotland's most famous Pictish symbol stones.

Carvings on the Hilton of Cadboll stone had been interpreted as a

Pictish princess riding a horse. It is just one of these things. You

inherit that ID and that is what a lot of people think. But a lot of

these objects can be looked at in a different way, especially when you

are looking at Christiane meanings. The Harris Tweed industry is

continuing its recovery, with over one million metres of the fabric

set to be produced this year, more than double the figure for 2009.

The increase is being put down to a marketing campaign in Japan, which

now accounts for 40% of tweed exports from the Western Isles.

A workbook to help stroke survivors has been launched. The patients use

the workbook with the help of a trained professional and their

families to set goals for their recovery and trials of the system

suggest positive outcomes. It you imagine having something that you

can call your own and you can work with another person to gauge you,

that Caerphilly supports people, motivates them, to want to move

forward. And there are more stories from

your area and all the latest news, 24 hours a day, on BBC Scotland's

website. 25 years ago today, the SAS were

used to end a siege at a Scottish prison. The operation at Peterhead

jail was ordered by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, where prisoners

were threatening to kill one of the two officers they had taken hostage.

Steven Duff has been speaking to Care labels of the morning in

October 1987 under SAS end the siege in which a prison officer had

been taken hostage. He had an gas mask, I said, I am the officer, and

he took me away. Five days earlier and the start of what should have

been a routine shaft for Jackie who is now 81. But he was in the wrong

place at the wrong time in Scotland's toughest jail. Prisoners

started stabbing another officer. I went to his aid. That is when I was

taken hostage. A second prison officer had also been taken hostage

but was released. It left Jackie to be effectively tortured by his

captors in full view of the nation's media. I had a punching

every now and again, different things like that. Margaret Thatcher

take the go-ahead to the operation to save him which was over in

minutes. SAS soldiers melted into the night and the government would

neither confirm nor deny their involvement. This siege was the

beginning of the end of Peterhead's status as Scotland's maximum

security status. These Victorian cell blocks will soon disappear.

HMP Grampian is nearing completion and will be a world away from HMP

Peter Head of old. But in all the Let's turn our attention to sport.

David has been keeping abreast of I have. Let's start with the

Champions' League. Neil Lennon said he had to pinch himself after

Celtic's 3 - 2 victory over Spartak Moscow last night. This 90th minute

goal from a Georgios Samaras meant so much. The last time Celtic won a

way from home in the European Cup proper was in 1986. His still

sinking in. I kept pinching myself on the plane. It was a very special

occasion. It had been a very special start when Gary Hooper

opened the scoring but Spartak Moscow answered back with goals

either side of half-time. But when Gary Hooper was fouled Spartak

Moscow were reduced to 10 men and substitute James Forrest made an

immediate impact. Then, a dramatic late winner from a Georgios Samaras.

Celtic are second in Group G, now they face a dramatic double header

against Barcelona. We play the greatest club side in the world

over the next two games so if we can get anything out of that it

would be fantastic. The victory is one of Neil Lennon's best moments

as Celtic manager and the Scottish champions now have a real chance of

I am here at St Andrews along with the world's top golfers and a host

of celebrities. This is the Dunhill Championship, a unique event. There

is a prize for the top professional and a prize for the top pro-

celebrity team. As a hard-bitten reporter you're not supposed to get

star-struck. But I don't care, I have got my autograph book here.

Let's go pro-celebrity hunting. Thank you very much, sir.

Absolutely. Professional golfer, Greg Kinnear. The crowd is ready,

the action is about to happen. We're going to have a great day.

And here is an Olympic legend. what other sport can you be

involved, playing with the best guys around, actually being in the

competition? The second-biggest earner on the European tour and you

are actually walking the fairways? And one of the biggest attractions

this week is Scotland's ferry on the Ryder Cup here off. -- very own

Ryder Cup hero. Can gradually oceans, Paul. You have got a friend

with you. -- and gradual nations. What is going through your mind

going into this tournament? I am a little tired as you can imagine.

But I will have a nap in the afternoon, sleep well tonight, be

raring to go to more. A host of celebrities here, too many to

Two of Edinburgh possmac oldest rivals are back in action. After

more than a century the clocks at the railway hotels have helped

insulate passengers do not miss their trains. The Caley ticket

office clock back in action. Part of a multi-million-pound refit of

the grand old railway hotel. started as a pageboy in 1963. In

the main hall. My boss was a sergeant major. I thought I had

joined the Army! In the golden age of steam at rival rail companies

competed. The old Grand stations with massive hotels and in

Edinburgh a became landmarks at each end Princes Street. Their

iconic clocks were set by minutes fast so that passengers were less

likely to miss trains. Will the original pieces were found in a

dusty store room the original clock was retained. You just have to be

careful you do not remove any important pieces. The after be very

careful. The restored clock is still keeping time five minutes

We are looking at other showers this evening but they will direly

during the next couple powers. -- they will die away during the next

couple of hours. Across the mainland we're looking at long

clear spells developing with very little wind across the mainland. If

that means we could see frost tonight in many parts with

temperatures below freezing. Minus two, minus three possible. Across

the Northern Isles it will stay rather breezy. Tomorrow starts do I

but cold. Actress and lovely autumn morning. -- a crisper and lovely.

We're looking at a lot of dry weather for the Outer Hebrides,

sunshine and fewer showers. Fewer showers towards Glasgow and the

south-west with temperatures generally around 12 or 13 Celsius.

Plenty of sunny weather for the bottles and the Edinburgh at area.

-- for the Borders and the Edinburgh A rare. The rest of the

day, at the showers will start to gather force on Thursday. Winds on

the light side at keeping a fresh westerly wind across northern

Scotland. The outlook, the low pressure that has been responsible

for those showers will move away and take them with it. On Thursday,

and Rainey start, especially across the north and west, gradually

The top stories: transport secretary says they are uncertain

times ahead for key rail routes after the UK Government scrapped a