11/11/2011 Reporting Scotland

Welcome to Reporting Scotland. Tonight on your national news...

Police apologise for their mishandling of this convicted sex

offender, who later raped and murdered a mother and daughter in

Ayrshire. When we have got it wrong, we will say that we have got it

wrong and we will make sure we do things right for the future. That

is little consolation for the families.

Also in the programme... Scotland falls silent on the 93rd

anniversary of the Armistice. More than �6 million seized from

criminals in just 48 hours thanks to help from the public.

And later tonight... We will be staying late at the

National Museum of Scotland where the grown-ups are having all the

fun. Good evening. An independent report

into the murders of a woman and her ten-year-old daughter by a sex

offender has found that Strathclyde Police made a series of mistakes

before the crimes were committed. Today the police apologised to the

family of the victims, Diane and Holly Fallon. Registered sex

offender Thomas Smith befriended them in Cronberry, Ayrshire. He

raped ten-year-old Holly and murdering her and her mother in

2009. Julie Peacock has this report. It was a murder that shocked a tiny

village. Holly Fallon and Diane Fallon were murdered by someone

they considered a friend. What they did not know was that their

neighbour Thomas Smith was a convicted sex offender that

assaulted a ten-year-old girl. The family were in court last year to

see him sentenced to 32 years for rating and murdering holly Fallon

and killing her mother, Diane Fallon. There are no words to

describe the evil that stood in the dock today. He is evil personified.

He has taken up the lives of two innocent people in the most brutal

and horrific manner. We as a family have been satisfied by today's

outcome and believe that justice has been done. We can take some

comfort in the knowledge that he is going away for a very long time.

The today's produce said there were chances to stop him before the back

tax. It said the police failed to properly monitor Thomas Smith. It

revealed a catalogue of errors. Protection officers did not check

if he lived near children. The local police officer did not know

he lived there. Officers believed his lies. Crew should be, police

never searched the home and that Thomas Smith lived in. He would do

have discovered that he was living with the 16-year-old girl. After

the murders, she told police that he had held her captive in a house

and had repeatedly violently assaulted her. If police had known

this, he would have been in jail. Today, police made a full apology

for the mistakes they made. This is an uncomfortable day for us. The

report is very comprehensive and we believe that it is accurate. We

have accepted all of the findings and all of the recommendations.

policeman told the review there were times when one officer was

responsible for 80 sex offenders. Our reporter Julie Peacock is

outside Strathclyde Police Headquarters in Glasgow. The

inquiry has identified the mistakes made - what does it say should

happen now? It has made a number of

recommendations that would introduce big changes to the way

that sex offenders are dealt with. First of all, they call for better

communication. They say that lots of different agencies knew lots of

different things about Thomas Smith, but nobody put it together to paint

the picture of him being at a high risk offender. They have also

called for stricter guidelines in the way that sex offenders are

dealt with. They say that there should be a limit to 25 sex

offenders are being dealt with by each police officer - and not the

at, but we have seen. They have also seen it - like called for a

change in a loss. Why they say that the police make mistakes, they did

concede that they need more laws and more powers to deal with sex

offenders more stringently. So what are the wider lessons of

this case? What the review showed was that no

one a person was to blame for what happened. This was a systematic

breakdown. Lots of different agencies knew lots of different

things about Thomas Smith. Nobody was collecting that information and

putting it together. The police may have checked his police records.

They could have done a lot more. They had more powers to try to find

out what Thomas Smith was up to. They could have checked his mobile

phone records. They did not tell any of the families living nearby

Thomas Smith that he was a danger. They said that many of the families

did not know and if they did, perhaps they could have prevented

their children being anywhere near Thomas Smith.

A silence fell over Scotland today for two minutes at 11.00am, as

people marked the 93rd anniversary of the Armistice. Ceremonies large

and small were held all over the country, and by Scots soldiers

serving in Afghanistan, to remember those who died in two world wars

and later conflicts. Jamie McIvor reports.

As the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month approached.

Assemblies gathered. The anniversary of the moment the

firing stopped on the Western Front at the end of the Great War.

Perhaps fancifully, it was called at the were to end all wars. In

Afghanistan, Scots soldiers know all too well the reality of war are

today. Indeed remembrance commemorates all who have died in

conflicts since 1914 - professionals, volunteers,

conscripts. A third mural is an impressive structure. People that

have lost their lives have a big part to play in Scottish rugby.

Players, staff. Inner-London, at Tower Bridge was raised under

traffic haunted after a campaign by ex-servicemen from Aberdeen shares.

Back home, Ackroyd's paused. -- Ackroyd's paused. On Sunday, more

commemorative events will be held in every corner in Scotland.

Remembering that virtually every community has lost sons and

daughters. Lives given us so others can live in freedom.

You're watching Reporting Scotland from the BBC. Still to come before

7.00pm... A campaign has begun to recognise

the work of the organisation which looks after 20,000 war graves in

Scotland. In sport, we'll have the latest

from Scotland's match in Cyprus. And is it time for an exiled

international to be recalled? Yes, according to his club boss. Details

to follow. We'll also be hearing from this man - Oscar Pistorius. He

wants to create athletics history in Glasgow. More later.

More than �6 million worth of cash, drugs and illicit goods have been

seized in the last 48 hours. The raids were part of a new initiative

by Lothian and Borders Police which encouraged members of the public to

tell them if they thought people were making money from crime. Our

reporter Cameron Buttle was with the police on one of the raids in

the Borders. It is midday. Officers work their

way through the backstreets of a housing estate. Go! Go! This is one

of three properties that has been hit by specialist teams this

morning. Senior officers say it is information that has come directly

from the public that brought them here. A police here say it shows

the public can help give criminals, who think they're hiding in a

community, a big shock. In these raids, officers recovered more than

�20,000 worth of cash and drugs through and illicit Algol and

tobacco. They have Mehdi been comfortable in previous weeks.

Complacent is a word I would use. That would not be the case in the

future. In the last two days, millions of pounds worth of goods

have been seized. The initiative has the backing of the Scottish

Government. We have an obligation to support the police and report

crime, whether directly or through crime stoppers. When that happens,

as with today, we see that we get results. Drugs are taken off our

streets, bad people were taken to account and communities are saved.

The officers say this is not the end of the operation - it is the

beginning. They are already planning a more raids.

The Chancellor George Osborne is to release �100 million from a

disputed fuel fund to allow the Scottish Government to invest in

marine renewable energy. The cash has been the subject of bitter

wrangling between Holyrood and Westminster but both sides say

today's move will help Scotland become a powerhouse in the

development of wave, tidal and offshore wind power. Craig Anderson

reports. The Treasury's two big-hitters came

here to pull his rabbit out of the hat. The former or yard has

recently been bought as a base for a renewable energy construction.

The fuel levies are tax on non- renewable energy and John -- George

Osborne and Danny Alexander said agreement had finally been reached

between London and Edinburgh to release half of the current fund.

We have worked together with the Scottish Government. We have not

had an argument. We resolved the problem and got the money out of

the door into the Scottish economy, into the green energy revolution,

so that places like this are going to be centres of employment and

growth in the years ahead. Scottish Government has welcomed

the deal to break their jam over the cash. The hope for the future

is the real industrialisation of the coastline of Scotland. Our

communities and our ports. There are gearing up for the Marine

revolution. There are going to be vast new systems which are going to

provide the power for the next century. They range of offshore

prototypes are already producing power, with the race now on to

scale the mob to commercial levels. The Industry reckons this move will

accelerate development. That could probably fast-forward where we want

to be in the marine sector. We're very prominent in or oil and gas at

the moment. Allowing us to make decisions on supporting the

renewable sector is the biggest benefit of the announcement today.

Here, you can see the evidence of the North Sea oil platforms and

rigs. Construction here employed thousands of people during the

heyday of that industry. The hope is that this �100 million could

transform this area into the engine of Marina renewable sectors for

decades. And there's an interview with the

Chancellor George Osborne on the Politics Show Scotland. That's this

Sunday, BBC 1 Scotland at 3.40pm. Some of the other stories across

Scotland this Friday... Police are treating a fire that

broke out in an Edinburgh tenement as suspicious. Eight people were

treated for smoke inhalation, one suffered spinal injuries after

jumping from the first floor window. The blaze broke out in the ground

floor of the property in the Tolcross area early this morning.

Up to 1,000 graduates in Glasgow are to be helped into jobs with as

much as half their wages paid by the city council. The �10 million

Graduate Fund is linked to the city's preparations for the

Commonwealth Games in 2014. Scotland's first national

conference opposed to windfarms has opened in Ayr. The organisers say

they want to raise awareness of what they describe as the huge

damage being done to the country's economy, landscape and health by

the Scottish Government's energy policy. The Scottish Government

insists it'll only approve the right wind farm applications in the

right places. Ever fancied a night at the museum?

Without the children? Many people apparently do. The first of a new

series of late night events in the National Museum of Scotland takes

place tonight. And all 1,200 tickets have been snapped up. Our

arts correspondent Pauline McLean Normally on a Friday night, this

place is closed up. The only staff would be security. Look at best.

Performances are going on behind me. There are a lot of events round the

galleries. If lot of different opportunities for adults. It is

clear that it is a very different place from the museum we know

landlubber in the daytime. The reopening of the National Museum of

Scotland drew a record crowd. Many families with children queued for

hours. The museum is keen to attract a different crowd, grown-

ups who would not normally consider coming here. These events are

designed for the young at heart. You can come in at No 8, without

Cairns. As well as exploring the galleries, visitors can listen to

music, drink, eat and enjoy the space. All the tickets have been

snapped up. Plenty of grown-ups happy to have a try at things. It

is the first of a number of events. The next one will be in February.

Children have to be left at home. And the world of football, Jackie

McNamara has been... He has seen so much, he has decided to write about

his experiences. He is not publishing a book, he is taking a

different route. A return pass. Jackie McNamara scores! You only

need to look at their images from his career to see it lasted a long

time. In 20 years, he has done virtually everything. Instead of

writing a book, he is letting television tell the tale. For a

while, I have been applying the principles of ancient Greek

philosophers -- also the. When you see that will also be translated

onto the pitch, you will understand. He has co-written and adult sitcom

about his experiences in the game. I have always enjoyed comedies. It

was my way of putting it across. Some players right bricks. This is

my way of doing things. His co- writer is a Scottish actor he met

in a superstore car-park. It was the next day, we had a chat. It is

hard to believe we went from that and now we are here. Every big name

was a we mean that some point. Rome was not built in a day. The screen

the pilot's last night in Edinburgh and have already penned seven

episodes. He says if the show was a success, he will not change --

exchange the game for a laugh. I hope they have come knocking at

your door. Not yet. Not many laughs in today's

sport. It is approaching half-time. So far, it is good news. Craig

Levein's side leading a goal to nil. The hosts came close, an equaliser

a short time later. You can watch the rest of the match on BBC Two or

BBC Radio Scotland. Stay with us all. This gent behind me is the

Wolverhampton Wanderers striker at Stephen Fletcher. He text and the

Scottish FA to polite of a previous squad and has not been selected

sense. His manager says it is time Craig Levein and Fletcher worked it

out. I have spoken to him this week. He should play for Scotland. It

makes him a better player. If there is no movement, nobody moves. It

can be sorted out. Scotland's two professional rugby teams in the

Heineken rugby Cup this weekend. It is like the Champions League. They

will be hoping for European success. These Glasgow youngsters will be

delighted to get their hands on the Heineken Cup. Scotland's man in

charge police may have a chance. one will enjoy going to for help.

The guys have had a lot of success. It is important to win those home

game is. Edinburgh is in the grip We have to make some up front. On a

Sunday afternoon, we must make that count. There have been four good

wins. In Borat have had flashes of brilliance this season but lacked

consistency. The players are more than ready. It is a competition we

want to Het -- test yourself. It is exciting for everyone. Tries like

this one in Glasgow were in good form for the league.

One of world's sport's most controversial... Oscar Pistorius

won gold at the Beijing Paralympics and became the first Paralympic in

to compete and medal at the World Athletics Championships. He is now

hoping to make history again by running at next year's London

Olympics and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. It will be very

special. Last call costs are phenomenal event. Bringing it here

will be special. It will be nice for me to come here. Andy Murray's

impressive unbeaten one has come to an end. He was going for his 18th

and sector it -- consecutive win. He lost to Tomas Berdych and the

Czech Republic. It was his first defeat since August. Some good news.

On the day we remember the dead of two world wars, a campaign has

begun to raise awareness in Scotland of the Commonwealth War

Graves Commission. It is best known for the military cemeteries it and

maintains abroad. As a social affairs Correspondent --... Most

people are not aware of its work. A military ceremony -- cemetery in

France. At this cemetery, and Usain is erected saying that though war

dead why you to. In Britain, we have a huge number of war graves,

scattered in place like here. This plot is typical, 10 or 20

headstones in the Senate -- cemetery it people have the time to

investigate, they will find some interesting stories. The final

grass cutting on Orkney. 700 men lie here. The date of his death his

1919. Those who died of their wins qualify for a Commonwealth War

Graves. Some may have died in training accidents. Veterans

organisations say it is important for children to war -- learned

about the world wars to see the graves clustered together. When

they are together in this way, it is symbolic of the way the died.

They fought and died together. have welcomed the Wargrave's

commission. Not too bad. During the second part

of the day, we saw rain in the West. It will stay mild. That band of

rain will push northwards. There will be some heavy bursts. But will

move quickly and will be confined to Shetland. It will stay windier

round the coast. Tomorrow, it will start cloudy. Through the day, the

showers will clear. There will be some sunny spells. It will be

cooler than today. It will be cloudier in the north-west who has

seen some cracking sunshine in the last few days. If you are heading

out into the hills, in the east of the country, temperatures will be

lower. In the west of the country, it will be windy. Those winds will

decrease as we go through the afternoon. Tomorrow evening,

staying dry. Some clear spells developing and turning chilly.

Sunday, on the pressure chart, there is this high pressure chart.

Sunday will be mild. Very mild for this time of year. Next week, it

will stay settled because of that high pressure. Possibly cooler.

A summary of tonight's stories, an independent report into the murders

in Ayrshire by a sex offender has found that Strathclyde Police made

some mistakes before the crimes were committed. The police

apologised to the family. Communities across Scotland and the

UK marked Armistice Day with two minutes' silence this morning.

British troops in Afghanistan held their own ceremonies.

More than �6 million worth of cash, drugs and illicit goods have been