09/12/2013 Reporting Scotland

the north and west. That's all from the BBC news at six.

Tonight, on Reporting Scotland: the first report by air accident

investigators into the Glasgow halibut copter crash. -- Glasgow

helicopter crash. They've found no initial evidence of major mechanical

malfunction, and there was plenty of fuel on board.

Alcohol kills 20 people a week in Scotland. The NHS calls for more to

be done to tackle the problem. I would not just by one bottle of

cider, I would get three bottles of three litres. I would just start

drinking them. The Scottish Parliament's Presiding

Officer recommends halting a planned 11% pay rise for MSPs.

Celtic ban more than 100 fans, following scenes described as

shameful and embarrassing at Motherwell on Friday. And looking

for shelter at Christmas - the robin that's found an unlikely home. A

preliminary report into the Glasgow helicopter crash has found no

initial evidence of major mechanical malfunction. A special bulletin from

the Air Accidents Investigation Branch came on the day of the

funerals of two of the victims of the which claimed the lives of nine

people. Our report is at the crash site. What does this report tell us?

You can see that fresh flowers are still being made here. That is an

absolute sign that people here, it is still raw in their minds and they

have a thirst to find out information about what happened that

night. Today's report is an interim report so what it does is it does

not tell us what went wrong that night and why the helicopter

crashed. But what it does do is rule out some of the potential causes. We

have learned from the report that the weather was fine, that the

helicopter had about a fifth of a tank of fuel when it crashed.

Experts say that would have been plenty to land. And we learned there

is no evidence of major mechanical disruption to either engine. This

information is very helpful to the aviation industry but what the

families and those affected really want to know is what happened, and

it may take some time for investigators to find out what went

wrong with the helicopter that night.

It is ten days now since witnesses said they saw the police helicopter

dropped like a stone from the sky. The crew had started work at 8:45pm

that evening, flying from Glasgow to Dalkeith and then of the North and

South Lanarkshire. At 1018 PM the pilot requested clearance from air

traffic controllers to return to the heliport in Glasgow. This was the

last communication. Four minutes later, radar contact with the

helicopter was lost. Today's into Britain report said the helicopter

struck the flat roof of the Clutha with a high rate of descent and low

or negligible forward speed. A preliminary examination showed that

all the main rotor blades were attached at the time of impact. But

that neither the main nor the tail rotor were rotating. After the

initial examination, the helicopter was lifted clear of the building by

a crane. 95 litres of fuel were removed from its tanks. It was then

taken to Farnborough. There they found no evidence of major

mechanical disruption of either engine, and that the main rotor

gearbox was capable of providing drive. So far, extensive damage has

prevented similar checks on the other gearbox. Experts say what has

been ruled out leaves more questions than answers. I suspect they know

something that they cannot prove at the moment and therefore do not tell

us. I find it article two is matching what that might be. -- I

find it very difficult to imagine what that might be. Hundreds of

mourners turned out to the funerals of two victims, Mark O'Prey, 44, in

East Kilbride, and 48-year-old Gary Arthur, the first of the victims to

be named publicly. Nine people died in this tragedy. He funerals of

police constable Tony Collins and John McGarrigle will take place

tomorrow. Alcohol is still killing 20 people a

week on average in Scotland. Although there has been a fall in

drink related deaths, NHS Scotland says a further number of people per

week require hospital treatment. It is calling for more to be done to

tackle the problem. Scotland has a destructive and

disappointing relationship with Scotland. We have said that on this

programme time and time again and now can you figure is to quantify

that. Each week, 20 deaths can be attributed to alcohol related

courses. There are 500 hospital admissions a week. That gives a

total of 26,000 each year in hospital because of drink. Now look

at this graph. It shows the alcohol-related death rates in

Scotland. Compared to England. They rose steadily until the start of the

last decade and then they began to fall away. It shows that the number

of Scottish men who are dying remains about 70% higher than that

of English men. Affordability of drink remained a major issue.

Karen is a statistic, admitted to hospital because of alcohol. She has

liver damage. I would get three bottles of cider, three times three

litres, nine litres of cider. I would just start drinking them, but

I would not just super way. -- I would not just sit them slowly. Then

someone else would come to the door and it would be another two or

three. Now, at 26, she is in rehabilitation, trying to get her

life back together. For Karen and others, alcohol has never been more

affordable all available. And with Scots buying much more alcohol per

head than in England and Wales, that exacerbates the problem,

particularly for young women. Women 25 to 44, for then we have seen

alcohol-related discharges go up, because of alcoholic liver disease.

The harm caused by alcohol is a reason the Scottish Government is

determined to press ahead with its plans to introduce a minimum price

for alcohol, 50p per unit, forcing up the price of cheap cider and

spirits, drinks which cause the most damage. The key issue to breaking

the back of this problem is to deal with the price of alcohol. If the

price is out with the range of people to buy out Dell wallet

alcohol, -- to buy alcohol, consumption will go down. Today the

Association launched an action fund to offer cash for organisations

working to reduce the impact of alcohol-related harm. Today's

reports from managers Scotland suggest one reason by alcohol

consumption is falling maybe the recession, but researchers warn that

if the economy improves conception may go back up, and ministers said

this suggests their minimum alcohol pricing policy is desperately

needed. Still to come: A resurgence for

Scotland's small harbours. In sport, Celtic have banned 128 fans

after scenes at Motherwell which have been described as shameful and

an embarrassment. And Lynsey Sharp has still not received the European

medal that is rightfully hers. A Russian drinks sheet denied her hers

but officials are slow off the mark to correct things.

The Scottish Parliament's Presiding Officer has recommended that in the

formal link between MSPs' and MPs but not pay. The move is designed to

avoid the MSPs being given the same 11% pay rise as their Westminster

counterparts. Report is at Holyrood. What being proposed? Since 2002,

there has been that formal link between MSPs' pay here at Holyrood

and at Westminster MPs' pay. What they are looking to do is to avoid

that in 11% proposed rise that would go ahead here at Holyrood if nothing

changed. Today politicians in here are acutely aware of just how

unpopular such a rise would be among the population as a whole, and so

today the Presiding Officer put forward a fresh proposal, the idea

to cut this link twin Holyrood and Westminster, and instead to link any

future rise in MSPs' basic salary directly to public sector pay more

generally. She says it is the right thing to do. I think it would be

totally unacceptable for MSPs to take a rise of that magnitude.

Particularly when we are in a period of economic restraint where the

public sector wages have been held down, where people are struggling to

make ends meet. People who are struggling our own constituents.

These proposals have been settled on following cross-party discussions.

They have the support of the party leader. More widely, the Presiding

Officer says she believes they have the support of the MSPs in general

across the chamber. The true test of that is expected to come early next

year when a resolution is put before the parliament and MSPs have a

chance to debate on it and ultimately to vote on it.

Some of Scotland's small harbours are enjoying a resurgence after

decades of bandages. Efforts to... Our business correspondent reports

from Kircaldy. For decades, Kircaldy Harbour was out of business. Now it

is thriving once more. This coastal freighter at steam in of the North

Sea with a vital cargo in its hold. Enough wheat for most of Scotland's

bread. On board, the captain is glad to be back here after many years

away. I always like to look at the walls as I go in and out because

these were obviously built a long time ago and that gives you some

sort of feeling of maybe the different ships coming here and

probably sailing ships, that you are still doing it feels rather nice.

Every ten days or so, a ship like this ties up alongside the port here

in Kircaldy. And then the unloading begins. 2000 tonnes of wheat every

time from as far afield as Russia and Canada. The wheat is brought in

to Carr's Flour Mills. This place is brand-new and it is

state-of-the-art. Here the wheat is ground up and sifted, each day it

makes enough flour for 750,000 loaves of bread. And it has been

built here by the harbour for a very good reason. There is good wheat

growing in Scotland at not necessarily for bread. It does a

great job for biscuits and pastries and that kind of thing. The bread

wheat needs more sunshine and a more reliable harvest, so the ability to

bring it directly into the mill by ship is incredibly important. The

tide has turned reporter Cordy thanks to the new flour mill and the

people who operate the sport think there is a chance for other

harbours, too. I think that over the next 12 months or so we will see

more freight building in and calling into the likes of Kircaldy or

Grangemouth. Sub is growing pressure to keep heavy goods off our roads

these new ports provide extra options. -- soap with growing

pressure. Final preparations are being made to

pull the first giant sections of the new Queensferry Crossing into place.

The work is under budget and on schedule. The entire project will

cost up to ?1.45 billion and the new crossing is due to open in 2016.

Another ?6 million is to be spent on increasing the amount of PE taught

in schools. The Sports Minister made the announcement during a visit to a

Dundee primary. The Government wants all primary schools to offer at

least two hours of PE a week by June next year. The last figures showed

that 89% of all schools were delivering that target. We want to

complete that journey and the money is helping with some of the

practical barriers making sure that staff are able to be trained,

particularly classroom teachers. Islanders in Coll are celebrating

being awarded dark skies status for being a perfect spot for stargazers.

The Hebridean island now joins the Galloway forest as Scotland's second

dark skies location. The nearest lamp post is 20 miles away on the

neighbouring island of Mull. Sightings of a rare mountain bird

have almost halved in the last 25 years. The RSPB says just 423

breeding male dotterels were found in 2011, down from nearly a thousand

in 1988. Two thirds of the British population of the birds are found in

the Cairngorms. And there are more stories from your

area, and all the latest news on BBC Scotland's website.

Tomorrow in Stockholm, Professor Peter Higgs of Edinburgh University

will receive the Nobel Prize for Physics. It's almost 50 years since

he proposed the fundamental particle which now bears his name. But it's

just two years since the Higgs Boson was found. Tonight on BBC Two

Scotland, a documentary will bring the story up to date. Our science

correspondent Kenneth Macdonald has been hearing from Peter Higgs and

from some of the Swedes behind the prize.

He has come a long way. From a brilliant idea in Edinburgh to the

Swedish capital and the Nobel prize. Here we have the Royal Swedish

Academy of scientists. That is the exact desk.

Professor Peter Higgs, the University of Edinburgh.

So, what does the Nobel Prize say about Peter Higgs?

It says that he is definitely one of the most important figures in

physics and, of course, his discovery of this brilliant particle

named after him, that is a very interesting theory. It wasn't proven

until last year, when they found the article.

This is Nobel prize week. Exhibitions leading up until the

ceremony. You feel as if you are at a wedding.

It is a life altering day. You get a real feel for that.

Peter Higgs will receive his Nobel Prize here. Almost 50 years ago, he

described how the blocks of matter acquired their mass. It took him

years to prove that, and his ideas dried science forward.

But, just for a moment, everything will pause as Peter Higgs goes to

this stage to receive this accolade. What will he be thinking?

I will probably remember a Swedish film that I saw back in the 1950s

that I found very moving. It was about an elderly Swedish professor

who was travelling to the capital to receive an award and remembering

things from his youth. I will probably feel the same way.

And you can see more on that tonight on Peter Higgs: Scotland's Nobel

Winner, 10pm tonight on BBC Two Scotland.

Now, here is the sports news. Celtic have banned 128 fans after

the trouble at Motherwell on Friday night. It follows scenes described

by the League as "shameful" and by Celtic themselves as an

"embarrassment". Thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused by Celtic

fans, who also threw fireworks and smoke bombs.

Friday night football up in smoke. On an evening Celtic's reputation

and Motherwell's ground were damaged. Over 100 fans did not sit

where they were supposed to, breaking seats and costing thousands

of pounds worth of damage. Motherwell have denounced -- denied

permission to show pictures of the scene, because it is now a crime

scene. But fireworks and a smoke flare was set off. Significant

damage has been done and a full investigation is now under way.

Motherwell have to comment. What about Celtic?

Here, the action has been swift and decisive. Celtic have banned 128

supporters from home and away matches. They have split up the

section of the home support by relocating 250 season-ticket

holders. They have issued a statement saying that the events of

Friday night were an embarrassment and totally indefensible. Some fans

who were there agree with the strong action.

It was shocking. You cannot have that at football. There were people

leaving with their children, because it was not safe.

Celtic is one of the best clubs to support, and its knees look after

its reputation. There could be a European punishment

brought to. European 800 metres Champion Lynsey

Sharp has told BBC Scotland that she's still waiting to receive her

Gold medal from the Championships. Sharp was upgraded from silver after

the Russian winner was found to have been a drugs cheat. The Scot feels

European Athletics may be trying to 'deal with the situation quietly.

Our Commonwealth Games Reporter Jane Lewis has more.

And Lynsey Sharp is finishing incredibly quickly?

The results were declared in June, but I have heard nothing. I think it

is the athletics body who have decided.

Lynsey Sharp is playing the waiting game. After finishing second, the

Russian was subsequently banned for doping, so the gold went to Lynsey

Sharp. I have heard about people getting

their medals delivered in an envelope through the door. I don't

know if the sport is not proud about it, so they are trying to do it

quietly, or whether it is Administration. I don't know.

UK Athletics are aware of the situation and say they are working

to resolve it. They say that they have had positive discussions to

make sure that she recovers the metal at the appropriate time and

place. European athletics have made no

comment about this today, but Lynsey Sharp is remaining hopeful.

To hear about people being banned and people being upgraded is one

thing, but it will feel different when I have the medal. I will be

able to tell the story. And here is more sport.

The unbeaten American Terence Crawford will challenge Ricky Burns

for the world title in February. Burns had hoped for a rematch

against Raymundo Beltran for the WBO lightweight belt, but authorities

insisted on Crawford, the mandatory challenger.

Scottish trio Callum Hawkins, Rhona Auckland and Steph Twell all claimed

gold medals in the Team event at the European Cross Country Championships

in Belgrade. Hawkins and Auckland were in Team GB under 23s and Twell

in the senior event. The Under-20 Ice Hockey World

Championships opened in Dumfries today with Kazakhstan versus

Ukraine. Six nations are competing in the division with promotion and

relegation at stake. Team GB, with Rod Stewart's son Liam in the ranks,

play Italy tonight. Scotland's Daniel Purvis has shown

his Commonwealth Games preparations are flying high. He narrowly missed

out on the gold medal for the Mens All Around Title against world class

opposition at the Glasgow World Cup. He can't wait for Glasgow 2014.

Competing in the Hydro will be unreal. I saw it yesterday, and I

think it will be like the Olympic Games all over again, with the whole

crowd. I can't wait. And there are more sports stories,

plus all the latest news, 24 hours a18:50 09/12/2013 day on BBC Sport

Scotland's website. Now, a heart-warming Christmas tale.

A business on Speyside has opened its doors to provide food and

shelter to a homeless local resident, who is fast becoming a bit

of a celebrity. Craig Anderson has been to meet him.

It is the ideal Christmas story to bring festive cheer. Robin decides

to make his home amongst the seasonal display at this shop. And

he is in fine voice. He moved in two weeks ago.

He used to come in every day, and then he stopped overnight and he has

been here every sense. He has his own little birdbath and we feed him.

He is in every night. He used to sit outside on our sign and the flowers,

singing to customers, and then, one day, she came through the door.

Batman's now become a site in the store, and with plenty of purchases

to choose from, he has become a hit with customers as well. He seems

quite happy. He sings in the window. People come

and take photographs of him. He is a celebrity. We have to show people

that we have a Robin here. Robins are fiercely territorial, so

he would not want another bird coming into his patch. Now having

found his free accommodation, he won't be tweeting about it.

It is Christmas, isn't it? But not Christmas like whether?

Yes, it is very mild today. It is quite a settled picture, but there

is also a breeze. This air pressure across the continent is exerting

this weather, and it is pouring this over the country. That is why we

have mild temperatures. It will be quite a cloudy night, though there

will be some breaks over eastern Scotland. There will be some rain in

the West, but quite a breezy night, a strong winds on the West coach --

coast, with temperatures on the mild side.

Tomorrow, a mild, breezy start of the day. The cloud will continue to

break up in the breeze. We will see some rain across the West. In the

afternoon, there will be some dry conditions, or with sunshine coming

through here. I am hopeful for some sunshine in

the Ayrshire coast. There will be brightness in the Glasgow area.

Potentially some patchy rain for Argyle. It will be drier for the

Northwest Highlands. It will be quite mild on the islands. I think

we will see some sunny spells for Inverness and Fife, Edinburgh, down

towards the Borders. The temperatures are very much on the

mild side. As far as the rest of the afternoon

is concerned, we will see some of the rain in the West. It will stay

on the breezy side. On Wednesday, a lot of dry weather. Quite a sunny

day, especially in central Scotland, but also on the breezy side. We will

start to see a change, rain crossing the country, but it does stay mild.

A reminder of tonight's menus. A preliminary report into the

helicopter accident in Glasgow has started. And the funerals of some of

the people who died. One of the men accused of murdering

Fusilier Lee Rigby on the streets of London in May has been describing

how he chose his victim and then killed him. 28-year-old Michael

Adebolajo, a Muslim convert from Essex and a father of six, told the

Old Bailey he was a soldier of Allah and blamed Lee Rigby's death on UK

foreign policy. Alcohol is still killing 20 people a

week on average in Scotland. Although there has been a fall in

drink related deaths. A further 700 people a week require hospital

treatment. That is all from us for now. I will

be back with the headlines at eight me for that. From everyone on the

team, goodbye.