28/01/2013 Reporting Scotland

Tonight on Reporting Scotland: The mother of a missing financial

adviser breaks down as she tells a murder trial of the last time she

saw her daughter. The UK Government reveals his plans

for a high-speed rail in the North of England, but what will they need

for us? I will be reporting from Edinburgh's Waverley Station.

Claims that a firm charged with helping the unemployed back into

work called its clients lying thieves.

The sudden fear to closure that has led to a drama on the streets of St

Andrews. And the gift of a lucky penny that

one little St Mirren fan believes Hoult the Buddies' weekend win over

Celtic. I thought I should give it to my teacher -- to them so that

they could win. The mother of a missing financial adviser has

broken down in court at the trial of four men accused of killing her.

She said, I keep hoping she is going to come back.

Financial adviser Lynda Spence has not been seen since April, 2011. It

was claimed by prosecutors she had been murdered. In May of that Lear,

she was reported missing at her mother and father made an emotional

appeal at a police news conference. If you are listening, please call

to let us know you are safe and well. Today in court, Lynda's

mother said she had a close relationship with her daughter, she

was more like a friend, she said. I was over-protected, I was a nutcase

mum, she admitted, saying she was in constant touch by telephone and

text message. Twice, she broke down in the witness box as she told the

solicitor general, who was prosecuting, I helmet had the one

Lassie, she was my life. I keep hoping she is going to come back.

She said that Lynda had come to her house on her birthday, on April

13th, but seemed tense. Normally, the family went for a meal, but

Lynda said she was busy. Later, takes messages suggested she was in

London. Mrs Spence will resume her evidence in the morning.

The UK Government has claimed its decision to push ahead with a new

high-speed rail murder can England will deliver a major benefits to

Scotland. There are no firm plans for a high-speed lines to be dealt

further north than Leeds or Manchester. David Mellor is at

Waverley Station in Edinburgh. David, Harwell Scotland benefit if

the lines will not cross the border? -- Harwell Scotland

benefit? There will be some practical and economic benefits,

but clearly these will be on a smaller scale than those delivered

by a UK wide high speed rail network, which did include Glasgow

and Edinburgh. HS2 will result in shorter journey times for Scots

travellers heading south. That is because cross-border services will

be able to pick up speed when they reached the. HS2 will connect with

the West Coast Main Line. High- speed trains can then continue at

regular speeds to places such as Preston, Carlisle, Glasgow and

Edinburgh. I am working with counterparts in Scotland on their

aspirations for a high-speed rail. I have already set out a long-term

ambition to get journeys to Scotland below the three hours.

Scottish Government and business organisations, what do they have to

say? The Scottish Chambers of Commerce say it is vital that

Glasgow and Edinburgh are included in this UK wide, high-speed rail

network. The Scottish Government says it is doing everything it can

to ensure that does indeed happen. For example, it is pushing ahead

with proposals for a high-speed line linking Edinburgh and Glasgow

on economic grounds. But ministers here say high-speed rail could

deliver other important benefits as well. We also understand, as does

the hall of the organisation behind us, the real benefits come when it

comes all the way to Scotland. It is important that we have that. I

think the Scottish Government is doing what it can to make sure we

have the basis for a high-speed rail network joined up with the

rest of the UK. High-speed rail will not reach the North of England

for another 20 years, it will be even longer before passengers here

at Waverley or indeed in Glasgow could bought a high-speed rail

service and travel to London, so I am afraid to say, I suspect you and

I will be using her senior citizens' railcards.

Staying with transport, one of the two passenger airlines operating

out of Prestwick Airport is pulling out. Wizz Air, which links Scotland

to Warsaw and Gdansk in Poland, has announced it is shifting from its

Ayrshire base to use Glasgow Airport instead. That leaves

Ryanair as the on my schedule passenger airline using Prestwick.

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

programme: The prehistoric crocodile that has been discovered

in Glasgow, even though it has been in a museum for a century.

In sport, Kelly Brown is named as Scotland's captain for the Calcutta

Cup clash at Twickenham but he is warned that performances must be

good enough. And we will reveal the real reason some men and managed to

hold their luck again Celtic. -- St Mirren managed.

A BBC investigation has found that a Scottish company delivering the

UK Government's flagship welfare- to-work programme has been accused

of referring to clients as lying thieves. Triage Central admits the

term was used in a training session, but says it was a one-off.

True dicentra has paid to find jobs for people facing long-term

unemployment. One of many private companies delivering the

Government's Work programme. It claims to have achieved one of the

highest employment success rates in the country. Lynda Smith worked as

an employment adviser in Aberdeen. If some of the clients you were mad

were too difficult to put into employment, what would happen?

would be put on telephone interviews. So they did not have to

come into the centre. Just to make sure that there was this contact

made, so they could tick a box to say that they are still on the work

programme. They would call it parking, that was the word that was

used. Triage is Tony Wilson's work provider. After 11 months of the

programme, Tony says he has only seen his adviser three times.

adviser said, Harlow, just checking how you are doing. -- hello. We

will see you next year. Was this an unusual phone call? Had you have

one like this before? No, it was bizarre. Former employee it Lynda

Smith also Tommy something more shocking. -- told me. LTVs. That is

how they were referred to. Lying, feeding... T these were clients buy

you had been employed to help. help back into employment. We have

spoken to a number of former Triage Central employees who claim they

also heard this term been used. In A Select Committee inquiry into how

well the programme is going will report back in April.

You can see more on that tonight on BBC One Scotland at 8:30pm.

People who live or work along parts of the East Coast, including the

firths of Forth and Tay, can get precise warnings of potential

flooding in their area. There is concern that major industrial sites

like the Grange Road oil refinery remain under threat of flood. Fiona

Walker reports. Today, they have taken the sitting

room to the water, by what the Government is really concerned

about is when the water reaches the sitting room. Leaving destruction

in its wake. They want everyone to know about the new tidal flood

warnings which are now in place on the East Coast. Warnings help save

lives and property. They are no barrier to the sea. An expert has

said there are major concerns about the Forth estuary. The greatest

being drained her. 40% of the UK's oil goes through the refinery.

know the Grangemouth does need flood defences. Not just the

flooding of Grangemouth, it is the contamination prospect from damage

to tankers, which might resultant oil being spread over the river.

a day like this, it may seem unthinkable that a storm could

cause water to come right up the Firth of Forth and cause

catastrophic flood damage. We have been warned, perhaps we should be

thinking the unthinkable. 60 years ago, there was a three-metre surf

which hit the Age UK, killing around 500 people. And even more on

mainland Europe. In 1999, a five metre surge was also recorded in

the North Sea. It hit Denmark. So, do we need to plan for this in

Scotland? We need to understand that risk to a greater degree. So

we will be running those scenarios, of a major coastal search, what

would it look like, what areas would get flooded? We have seen the

devastation that flooding causes. The Scottish Government is having

to prioritise. We are not protecting strategically important

sites and people's homes. The SNP has called for talks to

start now on how defence and security would operate in Scotland

was to become independent. The Deputy First Minister, Nicola

Sturgeon, was giving evidence to the UK Government's Foreign Affairs

Committee in Edinburgh. They are investigating the foreign policy in

the -- implications of independence. Niall O'Gallagher was there for us.

What questions to the committee have? They were in Edinburgh today

to look at the implications of foreign policy and independence,

not just the Scotland, but the UK as a whole. Nicola Sturgeon was

quizzed on the practicalities and costs of setting up intelligence-

gathering services for an independent Scotland. She said they

would hope to work closely with London in the event of independence

on those issues. They would also have to be talks on Trident, the

Scottish Government is committed to getting rid of nuclear weapons on

the Clyde. Nicola Sturgeon said that could be done within two years.

Well, I have already cited the CND work as a strident could be safely

decommissioned and moved over a three-year period. We will have

sensible discussions about that time scale with the UK,. On the

basis that it is about speedy and safe removal. There is no reason

that we could not start at this stage having sensible discussions

about what the options were. Whether on the issue of Trident or

wider security issues, the Europe Minister in the UK Government told

the committee today there were been all talks ahead of next year's

referendum vote, that members of this committee come from parties

that do not support independence possibly expect the report will be

full of questions, the Scottish Government says they will published

their answers to those questions in the run-up to the independence

white paper. I am the independence referendum will be the summit of

the discussion tonight in a special debate on Newsnight Scotland.

Here is Glenn Campbell to tell us more.

I will be here with politicians, pundits and the multicultural cross

section of Scottish society, to debate Scotland's future on the

road to the independence referendum. That is a special edition of

Newsnight Scotland, over on BBC Two from 10:30pm.

Now let's take a look at some other stories from across Scotland this

Monday: The Fisheries Secretary, Richard

Lochhead, has called for an independent mediator to be drafted

in to help end the long-running dispute over mackerel quotas.

couple of years, this stock will be in dangers. We have Europe putting

in place sanctions, but we also have to look at the negotiations. I

think by inviting an international, neutral, independent mediator, it

might help move things forward. Two teenagers have been reported to

the Procurator Fiscal after claims that boys on bicycles held onto a

passenger train as it pulled out of a Highlands station. British

Transport Police described the alleged behaviour in Kingussie as

"surfing". Restoring a rail link for towns in

Aberdeenshire is to be investigated. Local councillors are keen to

explore options for a rail line taking in Ellon, Peterhead and

Fraserburgh. This is what remains of the old railway line which

closed to passengers in the 1960s as part of the Dr Beeching cuts.

But now councillors are asking the transport authority to look at the

feasibility and costs of reopening the line.

Tributes have been paid to a leading Scottish farmer who died

after falling from a shed roof at the weekend. Willie Davidson from

Poldean Farm, near Moffat, was a respected cattle breeder and show

exhibitor. Mr Davidson rebuilt his herd after it was wiped out in the

2001 foot and mouth outbreak. A six-week-old seal pup,

disorientated during a a storm, is recovering after workers at

Cairnryan ferry terminal found him in the harbour car park. He was put

in the boot of a car while they waited for the SSPCA, but by the

time animal welfare officers arrived, he'd somehow lodged

himself on the dashboard. The seal pup is now being looked after in a

special pen, and when he's strong enough, he'll be returned to the

sea. And there are more stories from

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

Tobermory lifeboat has towed a stricken fishing vessel to safety

after a dramatic 11-hour rescue in gale force winds and heavy seas.

During the operation, which started off the isle of Coll, the tow line

snapped twice and the fishing boat ran onto rocks. The lifeboat crew

re-established the tow and guided the fishing vessel back to

Tobermory. The show must go on. Campaigners have taken to the

streets of St Andrews to protest about the closure of the town's

Byre Theatre. The theatre closed on Friday when its board decided

voluntary liquidation was the only option to its financial woes. Our

arts correspondent Pauline Mclean reports.

It was the biggest lottery grant for theatre at the time and the

Byre Theatre promised big things but a loss of revenue funding to

make years ago let things strained despite a healthy box-office and

cutbacks, it was struggling to cover costs. Today, its chairman

said they had explored or the options. We did everything we could

to restructure, more use of volunteers, franchising and the

catering side and various things, but it hasn't been enough.

public's estate -- subsidy is unsustainable? Mayor. -- no. It has

left many organisations in the lurch, not least for the jazz

festival which has had to relocate concerts. 7:30am on Saturday, I had

an e-mail from the lady who runs the Poetry Festival, in the same

predicament. Lots of people in the same predicament but we are in the

shop and because our event is this weekend. The theatre was weeks away

from becoming part of the trust run by Fife council and people took to

the streets to show their support. It is impossible to imagine St

Andrews without the theatre. The new building is such a fantastic

place to go. We will have no venue to go into. There are so many shows

bringing money in. What shocked people most is the speed with which

this has happened. This than a week ago, it was host a major award

ceremony for Creative Scotland. Now Let's get the latest sports news

now and Dougie has our round-up. Kelly Brown has been retained as

captain of the Scotland rugby team for their opening match of this

year's Six Nations competition against England at Twickenham but

maybe not for the full campaign. The interim head coach, Scott

Johnson, says he wants his captain for the Six Nations to be picked on

merit. It was monsoon conditions and a

light hurricane thrown in for the good measure. The man tasked with

leading Scotland through the impending stormy waters of

Twickenham this Saturday it is Kelly Brown. There is no doubt that

when I go out of that tunnel, it is going to be exciting but when the

anthems are over, we will get down to business. He was captain of the

autumn's series which ended in the departure of the coach. The code

has warned that if performances are not up to scratch, somebody else

will get the call. The captaincy, he is the captain at the time. I'm

not going to be held so tightly to that. Going forward, we want

captain see for merit. England are the holders of the Calcutta Cup and

Scotland have and won at Twickenham for 30 years so Johnson has a big

job on his hands. How would he measure of success at the end of

the campaign? Let's stop talking about it. I can't sit there and

tell you win, win, win. I just went! The question of who is strong

enough to feature in the starting 15 to face England will be answered

tomorrow. Sport Nation returns tomorrow

evening. The programme is devoted entirely to Scotland's preparations

for the Six Nations championship with exclusive behind the scenes

access. Sport Nation - Six Nations Special, tomorrow at seven o'clock

BBC Two Scotland. Scottish football clubs could have

the all clear by Thursday to radically alter their league set up.

The Premier League have finally, definitely, agreed on a new make-up

of two divisions of 12 which would split into three leagues of eight

during the season and one bottom tier of 18. If the plans are

ratified by the Scottish Football League on Thursday, it could be in

place next season. We are in a situation where the SPL

clubs they are unanimous about the way forward. It is down to the

Scottish Football League clubs to decide what they want.

Dundee United hope to announce Peter Houston's replacement as

manager within the next few days. Houston departed today despite the

club previously saying he'd leave at the end of the season. Falkirk's

Steven Pressley is favourite to follow in his footsteps.

I know it works on a continent very well. When the coach says he is

stepping down at the end of the season. It is may be different in

the UK. We are not used to that kind of thing so we've decided to

move on and that is what we will see, and we will see things

progress. It'll be Hearts against St Mirren

in the League Cup final. John McGlynn's men progressed on

penalties against Inverness while the Paisley side put three past

Celtic. A result which left one Lennon blaming his players and

another Lennon thanking a six-year- old girl. Chris McLaughlin reports.

Question - ever six year-olds lucky penny helps you into a final, what

you do? Answer - go back to school the next day to say thank you.

thought I should give my lucky penny to them so they could win.

And when they did but even with his lucky penny in his pocket, Danny

Lennon could not have dreamed up yesterday's Hampton drama. New boy

Gonzalez got the opener. Most expected a Celtic comeback. It

looked unlikely before the break. After Celtic fail to convert a

penalty, the Saints seized their chance. Stephen Thompson was the

To picture so many smiles and so happy, it is what they deserve. It

is for them, they've been through so much. So much hardship of late.

In terms of finances, and Investment, and it is great to give

them something back. The bodies will be back next month for a final

against Hearts. And match-up few would have predicted. The very few

adults anyway. If the Jambos odyssey of the saints, they might

need a lucky penny of Their Own. That has all the sport for this

evening. First the bad news. It's a type of

crododile that's been discovered in Glasgow and its Latin name

translates as "blood-biting tyrant swimmer." But the good news is the

beast is more than 100 million years old and even though it's been

in a museum collection for a century, it's just been confirmed

as a new species. Aileen Clarke has been along to find out more.

Meet Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos. That is blood biting tyrant swimmer

to you and me. It is a very strange kind of crocodile because it is one

that lived in the sea. Most crocodiles today are kind of living

on partly on land and partly on water. These ones had flippers.

This is one of the flippers here. It also had some in the front and

at her and her huge mouth and probably a very big bite as well.

How old is this? This is from the Middle Jurassic. That is 163

million years old. It has lived in the seas around Britain at that

time. This animal was in the sea and the dinosaurs were roaming the

earth. The dinosaurs were rolling around on the land, he has fought

up the Edinburgh University researchers who have studied the

specimen believe it is a missing link in the evolution of marine

reptiles. This is not just a new species but it is an you Jenice. It

is difficult to say how important that is but it is above a new

species. It is like finding a whole new type of human being and calling

them a different name. important, but this was not the

fiercest thing in the sea back then. There were larger animals. I've got

here a tooth of one animal for comparison. Probably one of the

largest predators in the sea at the time.

Weather now, and after a miserable day for most of us, Kirsteen, what

It has been a miserable day. Good evening to you. We can expect some

wet and windy weather across many parts of the country, accused for

the first part of the week. Tonight, we hold on for some -- to some

blustery showers for some time. During the overnight period, these

tend to fizzle out. Further East, largely dry with clear spells

particularly for North Eastern parts of the country so we could

see just a touch of frost. Temperatures tonight, though,

generally holding above freezing. We continue to see coastal gales

for a time all those these should ease slightly by morning. Tomorrow

morning, a largely dry stop the country with some good spells of

brightness, particularly in the East. Short-lived, though, as once

again, things begin to cloud over from the West Stand this band of

rain shows its hand across much of the country. Winds will strengthen

work -- once again and coming up to gale force across the West. Indeed

tell, we continue to see light rain for parts of the South West

tomorrow afternoon, perhaps some heavier pulses for the likes of

Argyll and some of the North West Highlands. What, to come across the

Northern Isles. Papa's of the Northern Isles, it remains trying.

Some patchy rain in the North East. Hires tomorrow of around nine. It

will feel very call in the wind and rain. Into the late afternoon and

evening, this rain moves away into the North Sea and the wind becoming

a feature of the weather tomorrow night. Gusting to around 80 miles

per hour for parts of the North West, 60 miles per hour further

South, and into the central belt, and that continues into Wednesday.

Now, a reminder of tonight's main news in brief.

The UK Government has claimed its decision to push ahead with a new

high speed rail network in England will deliver major benefits for