31/10/2013 Reporting Scotland

the News of the World. That's all from the News at Six.

Tonight on Reporting Scotland: Personal protests.

The Unite union defends its demonstration outside the home of a

Grangemouth executive, as the Prime Minister describes it as

threatening. Nobody has a right to intimidate, nobody has a right to

league, nobody has a right to threaten people's families, nobody

has a right to threaten people in their homes. Tonight, the union says

their actions are legal and legitimate.

Also on the programme: The former Rangers captain Fernando Ricksen

reveals he's been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

From swimming pools to social care - Scottish councils are asked to

explain why they're all charging different amounts for their

services. Classes cancelled at universities

across Scotland as lecturers strike over pay.

And Hearts win the Edinburgh derby - next they'll face Caley Thistle in

the League Cup semifinal. The Prime Minister has described as

shocking allegations that union members made a threatening visit to

the home of one of the executives involved in the Grangemouth dispute.

David Cameron said the claims needed a full investigation. But Unite has

defended its targeting of managers at the plant as legal and

legitimate. Here's our business and economy editor Douglas Fraser.

Its industrial action but not as we know it. These pictures, put online

by campaigners, RA message to employers that employees won't just

withdraw their labour but set out to embarrass, pressurise and deploy the

inflatable rat. We won't take our members but to work until you stop

the blacklist. We will be here when you try to celebrate. We will be

outside your clients' offices and your suppliers' offices. While

protesting at Grangemouth, the Unite union used these tactics not at the

plant but targeting directors at their homes. That has stoked

controversy. Mariella of course people have a right to protest, of

course trade unions have a right to represent their members and take

industrial action. Those rights, important rights. But nobody has a

right to intimidate, to bully, to threaten people's families, to

threaten people in their homes. Since the picketing of the 1970s was

limited by legal constraints in the 1980s, unions have learnt

alternative tactics. The legislation so tightly restricts what is

possible for them to do that very often the only way they can get a

reaction from the company is too, if you like, provoke and cajole

shareholders or people further down the supply chain. Responding to the

Prime Minister, the union's general secretary insists the tactics are

legal. We'll use everything in our power to use every weapon in our

disposal, within the law, to make certain that our members are

listened to and that directors, these faceless individuals who

dominate our life, are made to understand that they've got to

account for their actions to everybody. The Grangemouth dispute

is not over yet. Any size been claiming it has been defamed. The

case continues and so does the fallout. -- the company that owns

the plant has been claiming it has been defamed.

This is uncomfortable territory for labour and that's why the Tories are

making as much political capital out of this as possible. The latest

allegations simply add fuel to the firestorms surrounding Grangemouth

and the Falkirk selection battle, which are both inextricably linked.

Unite provides ?9 million in funding and is Labour's biggest backer. It

stands accused by some of using tactics which may have cost 800

workers at Grangemouth their jobs. It's also accused of perhaps

undermining the Falkirk selection battle inquiry which Ed Miliband has

launched and which he is now under immense pressure to reopen. For that

reason, it's perhaps understandable that Ed Miliband's office has said

very little. We have had not an interview but a statement from his

office in the last hour, in which he condemns the prime minister's

comments as inflammatory. He says they are irresponsible. It also says

Labour would condemn any intimidatory tactics on any side in

an industrial dispute. What the statement does not do, however, is

address the core issues of what went wrong both in Grangemouth on the

union's side and also in the Falkirk selection battle. I think on that

there will be many difficult questions to come for Labour and the

union, but also the Tories will continue to accuse Mr Miliband of

having his strings pulled by Len McCluskey.

And Newsnight Scotland tonight will be looking at role of the unions,

and asking how effective they've been in recent times. That's 11

o'clock on BBC Two. The former Rangers captain Fernando

Ricksen has revealed that he's been diagnosed with motor neurone

disease. The 37-year old made the announcement on a Dutch television

show last night. Our health correspondent Eleanor Bradford

reports. It began like any other interview.

Fernando Ricksen was on a Dutch TV programme to talk about his new

autobiography. Then he was asked why he was having difficulty speaking.

What a goal from Fernando Ricksen! He made more than 180 appearances

for ranges between 2000 and 2006. At just 37 he is relatively young to be

diagnosed with motor neurone disease, a terminal illness. The

average survival is just 14 months. But some live far longer. Jamie

Lynch is nearly the same age as Fernando Ricksen and was diagnosed

five years ago. Today a former team-mate said

Fernando Ricksen was a fighter. I think he will do exactly the same

and fight until he's got the one tier of strength in his body. We're

going to try to support him as much as we can, as ex-players, but I'm

sure the Rangers supporters will do exactly the same. And even a former

rival, himself battling leukaemia, tweeted words of support. A

difficult path lies ahead at Fernando Ricksen can reflect on a

life lived to the full. You're watching Reporting Scotland

from the BBC. Still to come on the programme: How a team of students

are using genetically modified E.coli to mop up poisons in lochs

and reservoirs before the toxins reach our bodies.

In sport: The lowdown on the league cup semi final draw.

Andy Murray on his chances of playing on the Australian Open.

And news of another world cup win for Scotland's women. Well worth

watching. Scotland's spending watchdog says

councils need to get better at explaining how they charge for

services like social care and car parking. The Accounts Commission has

highlighted significant variations in costs between different local

authorities - which it says need to be clearly laid out for the public.

Catriona Renton is here with the details.

Charges for council services like car parking and sports and leisure

raise ?1.3 billion a year - that's equivalent to over 50% of the amount

raised through council tax last year. According to the Accounts

Commission's report, how much you pay for services can vary

significantly from one council to another. For example, an adult swim

can range from ?2.40 to ?4.80 depending on where you live. Extra

music tuition for children and young people can range from costing

nothing up to ?340 a year. And home care costs ?8.56 an hour in West

Lothian, but in Angus you would pay ?23.70 an hour. Now, of course,

what's included in home care can vary from council to council - so we

are not comparing apples with apples. And the Accounts Commission

says that's the issue - councils need to better explain what you get

for your money. I became disabled when I was 41. A tumour damaged by

spinal cord and left me paralysed. Jeff lives in Midlothian. He needs

round-the-clock support. His wife cares for him but he also pays for

an extra 80 hours of care a week. This costs ?627 a month. But he

lives -- if he lived in another council area, he says he wouldn't

have to pay at all. Fife just this year have scrapped all community

care charges and in Midlothian, I have to pay the excess income that

the council would say I would have, I have to pay 70% towards my care.

Of course Midlothian is not the only council to charge for this and Jeff

is involved in a national campaign to abolish charging for care like

his altogether. But this is not the only area where there are

discrepancies. For example, Western Isles Council reduced prices by more

than half for sports facilities like swimming pools across the islands.

As a result, more people used to facilities and more income was

generated for the council. The Accounts cut micro commission says

councils need to explain why there are differences. It's fair to say

that a lot of people are quite content to pay charges as long as

they understand why they are there in the first place. It is two

points, really. One, how is the charge made up, and how does it

compare with other council areas? And if it is significant be

different why is that the case? -- significantly. The umbrella body

that represents councils, COSLA, says local authorities are doing an

excellent job within very different local circumstances. And councils

are not complacent about the need to continually improve.

The ex-husband of a woman who died after a fire at a hair salon in

Stirling has appeared in court charged with her murder. 46-year old

Ahdie Khayatzadeh died in hospital, after the fire in the town's Maxwell

Place earlier this month. Today 61-year-old Ahmad Yazdanparast

appeared at Stirling Sheriff court. He made no plea or declaration and

was remanded in custody. There's been serious disruption at

some Scottish universities today, because of a 24-hour strike.

Lecturers and support staff from three separate unions took part in

the action over pay. Our education correspondent Jamie McIvor reports.

It was the most widespread strike at universities for several years.

Lecturers, technicians and administrative staff joined picket

lines across Scotland and beyond. Please come back to the negotiating

table. It's the first time the three Unions have gone on strike together.

Stafford been offered a pay rise of one present. Bid value of pay in the

sector has not why 13% in real terms. -- staff have been offered a

pay rise of 1%. It's vital that we value the people who work in our

universities. Universities said they tried to give the disruption to a

minimum though some lectures were cancelled. Very disappointing. I

came here this morning and can't get to the library. I think it was quite

childish. I compared it to the strike at Grangemouth where

workers' rights were being diminished, pay was being

diminished, they were asked to sign a new contract under less

preferential terms. Yet university staff have good, well-paid jobs,

pension schemes, and talking about their pay not going up in real terms

but still going up. But some other strikers argue they are trying to

help colleagues in other roles besides lecturing. We are trying to

use our position to help those people on the lowest paid jobs. This

is a UK wide dispute over a national pay officer. The dispute is not with

the individual universities. And employers Association said that the

pay would seem generous to some in other jobs.

Police have named the teenage girl who died after being knocked down by

a car on the canine road as Holly Mackay, the 15-year-old was from the

village of kill Dari. A new eco-ferry is being prepared

for service in the inner Hebrides. It can use both battery and diesel

power, meaning reduce CO2 emissions and fuel bills. What we are able to

do with the system, the hybrid system is then optimise the ship's

running plant so there will be a maximising of the energy efficiency

of the vessel. Business owners have six weeks to save the support

setting up of this did -- improvement districts. The aim is to

deliver key marketing and infrastructure projects. Opponents

say it is not focused enough. This is a great opportunity for us to

say, look at what is going on, be afraid, we are a destination to

drive with. This goddess -- Scottish book trust has put us a list of

Scotland's best book. The public are being asked to vote online for their

favourites with the top ten announced in November.

And there are more stories from your area and all the latest news 24

hours a day on BBC Scotland's website.

A team of students from Dundee University has come up with a new

idea to clean up the toxins caused by algae in lochs and reservoir.

ToxiMop uses E. Coli to mop up the poisons before they reach our

bodies. The team are taking the idea to America.

This reservoir just north of Dundee, a great place for recreation

but not if the water gets too warm. As it heats up, the algal bloom...

Some of them are harmless but the blue green algae can produce harmful

toxins. Step forward a group of students. We got involved in this

competition and the idea is want to take old problems and find new

solutions. The toxins bonds to proteins in our bodies. The idea is

to find something else to bind to that toxin before it gets to us.

What we have done is make E. Coli, make the protein and then when we

put it into water with this toxin, it binds the toxin in the same way

so you can take the sells out. And the problem is not just confined to

this reservoir. Lake Erie in the USA, this is a massive thing for the

tourist industry, and industry worth $11.5 billion. These floating robots

are part of the solution. They collect data from the lake and this

builds up a model of what is going on in the lake and we can predict

how algae blooms form and they can then analyse toxicity. Genetic

engineering and E. Coli... Even though the strain of the bacteria is

harmless. The public of scepticism towards these terms but we having

gauged them throughout our project and we have tailored our project to

the needs of the public. It has passed the idea stage but it will

take a lot more work before the solution is found.

Lets get all the sport now from David. Good evening. The Aberdeen

manager Derek McInnes as if his side cannot win the league cup, he once

St Johnstone to do it. His Dons team have been drawn against former

employers in the semifinals. Hearts will play Inverness after a win over

Hebburn in. Number three is Aberdeen. In the

draw thanks to last night's win at Motherwell, it came after the goals

by Johnny Hayes setting up a semifinal with one of the managers'

former teams. St Johnstone. If we will not win it, I would like to see

St Johnstone win it. We will both be doing our best to get there and I

have a lot of good memories here and connections and good people working

at Saint Johnstone but when it comes round, we are doing all we can to

get Aberdeen in that final. St Johnstone needed a controversial

late winner to see of Morton but are now dreaming of making history.

Would like to win the competition because St Johnstone have never won

the Scottish cup all the League Cup and it would be great if we could do

that. If Hearts can produce more goals like this, their fans will

fancy their chances as well. After the derby defeat of Hibs, they want

to be out of Administration before they play Inverness in the other

semifinal. It will be important so we can get out of Administration but

that is all, it is down to the administrators side to try to get

the thing approved and hopefully we can just do the work in the park.

For Hibs, some fans were calling for change.

Have made it four wins from their first four matches in the World Cup

qualifying campaign, they won 4-0 I way to Poland with striker Jane Ross

scoring three of the goals with the Scots ending the year at the top of

group four. This is fantastic, I do not know how many goals we scored

now but with two goals that we conceded against opponents, it

is... We could not have asked for more. We are delighted. Andy Murray

says he is desperate to play in the first major event of the New Year,

the Wimbledon champion is recovering from back injuries but holding a

tennis racket again. Only at conferences though. He will only

take part in the Australian Open if he is fit enough to win it. My back

is good, the rehab has gone well but I have not been back on the tennis

court yet or hit any balls and I will not know how long it will be

until I am back until I start doing that. And now I look at today's

sports news elsewhere. Rangers have placed newspaper ads for a new chief

executive. They are looking for candidates of exceptional quality

according to the advert. UEFA are unlikely to agree to any plans for

an away day for Celtic, Celtic Park will be unavailable because it is

being used at the couple while games.

Dundee United's player faces two charges of excessive misconduct

during their match at Inverness, one for grabbing an opponent and the

other which you cannot see here for seizing hold of an assistant referee

by the throat. Nico has been cleared by biting an opponent during a match

against Munster, that is after a 3.5 hour disciplinary hearing.

Double Commonwealth gold medallist Jen McIntosh is one of eight

shooters named as the Scotland team for Glasgow 2014, giving up her

studies to prepare. People say you have sacrificed going to get a job

or university, that is not the case, I am putting it on hold, that is

all. Glasgow is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I might as well do

it right. Scotland will play England in a one-day international next

year, the match scheduled for the 9th of May will be played in

Aberdeen. And there are more stories on our

website. And that is all the sport to light,

no tricks for me, just treats! On this Halloween night, how would

you fancy venturing onto the most haunted highway in Scotland's the

A75 in Dumfriesshire is said to have more reports of supernatural

activity than any other road in the country. This report from Willie

Johnston is not for the faint-hearted, he assures us.

Busy daytime traffic on the A75, much of it consists of lorries bound

for Ireland. But it is a bit more fright at night. Especially on this,

the notorious straight, the hotspot. A quick search of the

internet would bring up the A75 as the most haunted road in Scotland

and some say Britain. There are so many things happening on this road

that had been seen by so many people as well. All manner of strange

things here, screaming hags, phantoms and this menagerie of

creatures. It began with a large group of lines towards the

windscreen of a car, they then witness cats and then witnessed a

phantom furniture van which is unusual. That is the place where all

the apparitions were seen in people get frightened. Bob Sturgeon ran a

snack bar at the side of the road, a frequent early-morning refuge for

drivers who had parked overnight in lay-by is. A common sight in those

groups of June rejected, bedraggled people pulling handcarts or carrying

bundles like some kind of medieval camp followers. It was very rare

without somebody telling me they had some experience. One person was so

affected, he gave up driving altogether. He was in a state, his

hands were shaking. So the chap was badly affected. Documented reports

of ghosts on this road go back at least 50 years. As well as seeing

assorted animals, horsemen and carriages, some drivers have even

been convinced they have run over people. Phantom figures of men,

women and children. But can any of it be true? I have been using this

road all of my life and I've never seen anything remotely... Spooky!

Now to look at the weather. We'll would be getting any guisers? --

will we be getting. Some torrential downpours and high

winds as well, this is the rainfall wader, you can seen the bulk of the

showers but still a rash of them behind so if you are out , we hope

the showers will fade. Still windy as well with gusting winds up to 50

mph and elsewhere, dry, clear and cold. Temperatures in towns or

cities around five or six Celsius. Under clear skies you could see the

aurora borealis. Tomorrow morning it will be a cold start, wet and

windy. Plenty of sunshine for central, southern and eastern parts

of the country, they rush rush hours in the north and breezy here as

well. By mid-afternoon tomorrow, plenty of sunshine across the south

of the country, between nine and 10 Celsius. Winds far lighter than

today but Argyll Northwoods, plenty of showers. Further east, some

sunshine. Showers continuing towards Orkney and Shetland. Into the

evening and overnight, we hold onto the showers across the north-west,

they could be wintry over the highest of the mountains and

elsewhere it is dry, clear and cold for central, southern and eastern

Scotland. Towards the weekend, all eyes towards the Atlantic towards

this area of low pressure giving us some trouble with the forecast

because it's track is unknown at the moment. Rather chilly where the rain

is as well. Sunday is a better day, sunshine and showers and the winds

run from the Northwest so if you're exposed to that, it will feel cool.

If you are heading out tonight, stay safe and have fun.

A reminder of the main news, the Prime Minister has described a

shocking allegations that union members made a threatening visit to

the home of one of the executives involved in the Grangemouth dispute.

Unite says it's legal and legitimate.

Davies accusing big energy companies of trying to make it difficult for

customers to switch suppliers. And the former Rangers captain

Fernando Ricksen has revealed he has been diagnosed with motor neurone

disease. That is B, I will be back with the

headlines at eight o'clock and the late bulletin -- that is Reporting

Scotland. We will leave you with a closer look at the Hydro arena which

has taken on a Halloween theme.