19/09/2013 Reporting Scotland

Tonight, on Reporting Scotland: Police investigate the deaths of

four elderly people at a private care home in Edinburgh. The son of

one resident says he's concerned. You expect somebody to look after

your relative. I have the responsibility to my mother, I put

into that care home and I have been let down.

Also in the programme. The privatisation of Royal Mail - Alex

Salmond says he'll renationalise it, if Scotland becomes independent.

Andy Murray's Wimbledon-winning season ends in injury - he's to have

surgery for a back problem. It was once the magazine of choice

for teenage girls. Now the Jackie is back as a musical.

And after defeat at the San Siro, what chance now for Celtic in the

Champions League? Police in Edinburgh are

investigating four deaths at a care home in the capital. Inquiries began

after the death of a 67-year-old woman at Bupa's Pentland Hill

nursing home in July. Our reporter is there for us this evening. It was

in July when we first became aware of the problems. Police were called

to investigate the death of a resident, but the care inspected it

at the same time issued the home with an ultimatum. It had to make

urgent improvements or face sanctions. I spoke to be applied

today who run the home and they say they have taken on extra staff and

they are working hard to achieving those changes. -- to Bupa. I spoke

to one man who thinks things are getting burst -- worse rather than

better. This woman has been bedridden since the start of the

summer. She developed her bed sore and was admitting to the family that

they had not looked after her properly. The home said things would

change. They have not addressed the problem. Last weekend she was rushed

to hospital, dehydrated and with an infection. An old lady, who is

dehydrated and feel. She is now on a drip she was owed dehydrated. -- and

surreal. They are having to use the drip really slowly because she's so

dehydrated and they cannot overlaid -- overload her body. The watchdog

says it has received four complaints since the summer about the home.

Lisa arrived yesterday and say they are now investigating four deaths.

The company says they regularly report cases to the authorities.

They gave a statement regarding the situation of Mrs Hunter. They say

she refused all food and drink. They say that is when a cauldron and

villains. This has prompted wider concerns about private care homes

and how they are run. It is essential that large care providers

make sure that is proper management and leadership, they have two invest

in staff development and training. This man feels let down. You expect

someone to look after your relative. I have a responsibility, I

put my mother into that care home and they have let us down. You will

be glad to hear that Mrs Hunter's health is improving in hospital.

Meanwhile, the Kia Romsey they are working to make the changes. If they

are not able to turn the home around, they could be facing

sanctions. # Andy Murray is very unlikely to play again this season,

after deciding to undergo minor back surgery. It's an attempt by the

Wimbledon champion to clear up a long-standing problem. Our reporter

is in Glasgow newsroom. What more do we know? This is a long-standing

problem. Andy Murray suffers from a disc problem in his lower back,

which seems to affect a nerve which can send pain shooting down his hip

and upper leg. He has been playing with it for nearly two years. He had

painkilling injections before last season's French Open and withdrew

from the Rome Masters. There were signs of discomfort at the US open,

but he only finally took the decision to have surgery after last

weekend's Davis cup tie in Croatia. This means he is unlikely to play

again this season. He was scheduled to play three events in Asia,

including the Shanghai Masters, before digging in the Paris Masters

and the world tour finals at the O2 arena. There is no suggestion that

next year's schedule will be affected. He's hoping to kick off

his regular pre-season training block in Miami in the middle of

November. The First Minister, Alex Salmond,

has promised to reverse the privatisation of the Royal Mail in

Scotland if the country becomes independent. But it's accuse him of

making up uncosted policy on the hoof. The Scottish Government insist

the announcement was planned. Online shopping means parcel delivery is

busier than ever. UK ministers say investment is best done by selling

off the majority of the business. Critics fear services could be

curbed in the future. The First Minister says, halt until after the

referendum to allow Scotland is safe. To retain postal services

within the public sector... Last night the Finance Secretary spotted

problems with such a precise pledge. It is impossible to give a

definitive answer. Question today, the First Minister again urged upon

us on the seal. We should make every possible endeavour to keep our Royal

Mail in public hands. Then a little further. Second, a moratorium and

then we will try to bring it back into public hands. Is there a clear

commitment from the First Minister to re-nationalise. I emphasise the

word renationalise Royal Mail. But the third time, an independent

Scottish Government thanks to a decision of the Scottish people will

bring the Royal Mail back into public ownership. Cheers and then a

row over potential costs. You would have an enormous amount of

investment to help it compete as well as running costs. You would

have to buy it back from shareholders. Nationalists the

Labour could stop the sale by matching the offer. Alex Salmond

appears to have had no conversations at all with Royal Mail. His aides

say this was a strategy designed to wrong-foot his opponents. The future

of the Royal Mail in Scotland will be debated on Newsnight Scotland

tonight. You're watching Reporting Scotland.

Still to come. Councils say they now have fewer supply teachers on their

books, the biggest union says it is a crisis. In sport - how common is

the use of illegal steroids in Scottish rugby?

We will have a special report. A year from the Celtic manager on his

side's defeat in Milan. The first two years of Scottish

independence could see a deeper cut in public spending or higher tax

increases that even Westminster intends. That is the view of the

leading authority on government finance, the Institute of Fiscal

Studies. Our business editor is here. What does the report

contained? It looks that spending on taxation and looks ahead at what may

be the case if we choose independence from 2016. Spending per

head is higher in Scotland. Scots get £111 for every £100 spent in the

UK. Much of that is covered by taxation. If you count the revenue

from Oil and Gas UK, that revenue has been strong recently but it is

in long-term decline. It is very volatile as well. That is why the

Institute of Fiscal Studies is warning that an independent Scottish

Government cannot depend on oil and gas revenue to pay for the higher

public spending. Public spending in Scotland is more than 10% per head

higher in Scotland than the rest of the UK. Incomes are the same and tax

revenues are the same. Unless North Sea revenues keep up or get bigger,

there will be a big hole in Scotland. The report highlights a

forecast which came from the office of budget responsibility which sees

oil revenues flowing fast. There will be a shortfall of £2.5

billion. Add to that, if the Office for Budget Responsibility is

correct, a further 3.4 billion shortfall if oil and gas revenues

come in under what we currently have. That is a 15% cut in spending

or tax increases. The Scottish Government says that is only one

forecast and it is pessimistic. It says there are more positive

scenarios and emphasises the recent figures or Scottish public finances

have been better or less bad than the UK as a whole. Thank you very

much. Experts recommend that warning labels be put on bags of compost

because of the risk of further cases of legionnaires disease.

There have been five cases linked to compost and August, bringing the

number of cases in Scotland over the last five years to 15. Experts say

that the risk remains small but further infections are likely.

The summer may hardly be over but for gardeners it is already time to

look ahead for next year. But a bug connected to this activity has

claimed two lives and left 12 people seriously ill over the last five

years. The Janel is a form of legionnaires disease which is still

baffling the experts. -- Legionella. White is still appealing? -- why is

it still appealing. Why have all the cases been in Scotland? 15 were in

Scotland. Perhaps we have different testing methods here. How is it

transmitted? Using compost indoors seems to increase the risk. How does

it survive the heat treatment at all compost goes through? Until there

are more Anders, a panel of experts recommended that the Scottish

Government look at warning labels. -- more and servers. When we looked

at labelling. We did make a recommendation that the government

should examine this. This form of disease is the most common form of

legionnaires disease in Australia and New Zealand and the authorities

they took steps to make sure that warning labels about good hygiene

practices are on the backs of compost. Manufacturers say safe

handling instructions are already printed. Legionella is probably here

to stay and the public may have to be warned to take precautions.

Councils across Scotland have told BBC Scotland they now have fewer

supply teachers on their books to cover when regular teachers are

away. The largest teaching union says it is a crisis. It has been a

major issue for a few years since the rate of pay was changed for

major issue for a few years since short-term supply teachers. We

estimate that over one third of requests are a net. People are not

being taught by specialists. No teachers will be available at times.

The difficulty arises from the success of increasing teacher

employment. Secondly, we did make changes with the union and the local

authority employers to conditions to supply teachers are a few years ago

with the agreement of the trade unions. We will now revisit that

agreement and a revised offer will help alleviate this problem we're it

exists. Our educational correspondent is here. How much of

the problem is this across Scotland? headteachers and liberties

can be spending time covering classes. There may not be specialist

subject teachers available. In Stirling, there are problems finding

supply teachers the home economic 's, physics and maths. Here is one

example of what this can mean for children in practice. At this

school, there should be eight English teachers but three are away

long term. So peoples are not getting enough time with an English

teacher that they normally would. There have been attempts to find

supply teachers without success. We have got 15 people on our books, in

our bank, who are qualified English teachers.

All 15 of them are deployed either within this authority or in other

authorities. Our bank was effectively empty.

Is this simply down to the way supply teachers are paid, or are

there other factors too? It is certainly a big factor. Supply

teachers had been paid far less for the first five days. The proposal is

to cut that time down to three days. More new teachers are now getting

permanent jobs. Good news in itself. But the consequence means fewer new

teachers are available for supply work. All the teachers may have

dropped out because of changes to the curriculum. There should be

three extra English teachers in South Ayrshire to help at the

college we saw in the report. Other stories from across Scotland.

Police say a sum of money was stolen in the latest raid on a cash machine

in the north east. The robbery overnight at a shop in Bieldside in

Aberdeen is the fourth involving a cash machine since the weekend.

Yesterday, a bank was targeted in the village of New Deer. Police are

linking the crimes, but are not commenting on claims the robbers

have been using explosives. An elderly motorist had a lucky

escape after driving his car into the river Ness this morning.

Emergency services rushed to the scene, after the vehicle crashed

through metal railings before careering into the fast flowing

Waters. The car mounted a pavement in a busy

part of the town. Thankfully, no one else was there. The flow of the

water is relatively fast but shallow. The car could have been

swept downstream. 600 workers are out on strike at the

Alexander Dennis bus factory in Falkirk. Unite Union members

rejected a 3.5% pay offer, saying it's below expectations. The

company's calling on staff to end their 48-hour stoppage.

Councillors and officials from the Western Isles are meeting with their

counterparts to hear from both sides in the independence debate. They are

hoping to reassure people they can offer the best option for the

islands. There are more stories from your

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

website. Time now for the sports news.

Good evening. It's been claimed at least two

players at each of Scotland's top amateur rugby clubs are taking

banned substances. The accusation comes from a player from a Scottish

National League side. He says he refused steroids offered to him, and

decided to speak out after the Melrose player Sam Chalmers was

banned for two years. Jane Lewis reports.

Rugby is a hard-hitting sport. But recently the Scottish game received

a body blow. Steroid use. But, was that a one-off? In an interview with

BBC Scotland, another young Scottish player claims not, saying other

players are using banned substances. How widespread would you

say it is in the lower leagues of Scottish rugby?

I would say roughly two people per team on something.

It could be a fat stripping supplement or box supplement. From

penmanship, down two championships. Where is your evidence? People will

go off-season, they will bulk up. You hear people chatting. There are

tell-tale signs. The Scottish Rugby union has responded to these claims,

saying: Why do you think a lot of players

will feel the need to do this? It is to bulk up quickly, a quick fix idea

because they want to be a professional and get there as

quickly as they can. They don't care what they do to their health, they

want to be the best. If you see someone who, all of a sudden over

six-month changes dramatically, I have no doubt. It might be natural.

If the player knows it is going to be a targeted test, then it has to

be done. And if there is foundation to these claims, surely that would

act as a deterrent? Neil Lennon praised his Celtic side,

following their 2-0 defeat in their opening Champions League match away

to AC Milan. Despite a good performance, the Scottish champions

failed to take their chances. But, with just the one game played, hope

remains of reaching the last 16 of the tournament for a second season

running. A night which had promised much.

This shot deflected into the Celtic net, a hard goal to take after a

strong performance from the Scottish champions. For long periods of the

game we were the better team and we played really good football. We had

good chances tonight. That will be the one regret coming away. There

was an assuredness about Celtic and this shot hit the target. If the

free kick had been just a few inches lower... We tried to create chances

and get at them, without any intention of sitting back.

We showed that in the way we played. If we don't score, then they might

do it. Terrible for us. The strike came in the 82nd minute knocking the

life out of Celtic. Three minutes later, this goal made the game safe.

We have got to believe in ourselves for the next match.

And hopefully get as many points to get through this group. We are here

to compete and play well. That next game is at home to Barcelona.

Celtic beat them last season and the performance last night will raise

hopes that that feat can be repeated.

The six-time Olympic champion sprint champion Usain Bolt says he'd love

to be part of next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Speaking at a book signing for his new autobiography, Faster Than

Lightning, in London, the Jamaican said his coach will decide whether

he takes part. Surely he can make his own mind up!

It's 20 years since the Jackie magazine disappeared from the

shelves. In its day, it was the biggest selling teen magazine in the

UK. Now, its once dedicated readers can relive those times, as Jackie

The Musical opens in Dundee, the city that was home to the title.

Andrew Anderson reports. It could be one of the millions of

letters sent to the Jackie magazine. But this is a number from Jackie The

Musical opening tonight in Dundee. Home to the magazine for nearly 30

years. Jackie was the first place many teenage girls turn to for

advice on love, fashion and friends. It was there any contact

with their peers, no mobile phones, no text thing.

And just the magazine to find out what other people were thinking. It

hit the shelves just as the 60s began to swing, the top teenage

magazine for a decade. It launched in 1964. It would run to the next 30

years. At its peak in the mid-1970s, it was selling more than 600,000

copies every week. The new musical features the Jackie agony aunts,

although they never actually existed.

Many Scottish journalists cut their teeth at the Jackie, including one

who shares the magazine 's name. Few people today will have any idea

how important it was. It was the bible of every teenage girl. And not

only that, but their brothers as well who used to sneak a look at it

to get an idea as to how the female psyche worked. In the early 1990s,

sales dropped, the Jackie closed. Jackie folded at its most beautiful

and bright. No one can say Jackie is not as good

as it used to be, that's one reason why we do is look back on it with

such fondness. Those who bought their Jackie

loyally every week can relive those times over the next couple of weeks

as the story is retold on stage. Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo have

revealed they've succeeded in achieving the first birth of its

kind in the UK. Their female koala is carrying a joey in its pouch,

after giving birth earlier this summer. The new arrival has been

wriggling around, and is expected to poke its head out sometime next

month. Meanwhile, the zoo says it's still optimistic that its panda

could give birth within the next week.

Time now for the weather. It is pretty miserable at the moment

through central and southern parts of the country after a mucky day.

The rain cleared away but the legacy was light rain and drizzle from the

cloud. There were some brighter spells in the north-west. This

evening, the rain and drizzle away slowly. Those high winds across the

south West down to the Mull of Kintyre slowly easing down as that

centre pulls away to the east is to. As we head towards the rest of this

evening, most of that light rain and drizzle will slowly disappear to

leave things largely dry overnight. The cloud rebuilds in the North West

with a few showers but elsewhere clear skies. Temperatures around

eight Celsius but in the countryside it will be colder. Friday, not

looking too bad. Better than today, image of high pressure will settle

things nicely. Early sunshine in the east of the country. Like rain and

drizzle in the West. By mid afternoon, drier and brighter than

today with a light south-westerly. Those wins will be strong across the

Hebrides. Cloudy through the Highlands. Sunshine through parts of

Murray. Orkney and Shetland, breezy with passing showers. Into the

evening, those showers in north-west, the tell end of a

weather front. High pressure starts to build across the South at the

weekend, settling things down. Low pressure in the Atlantic will feed

in a rain band and cloud across the west of the country. Generally dry

to start the weekend, some cloud, 16 degrees. Fairly breezy. Sunday, more

sunshine for all of us, up to 21 degrees. Rain slowly leaving

Shetland. Good news for the next few days.

Now, a reminder of tonight's main news. Police in Edinburgh are

investigating four deaths at a care home in the capital.

A crackdown on pensions that offer poor value to millions of savers has

been ordered by the Office of Fair Trading. The watchdog says pensions

are so complicated that many employees, and even employers,

struggle to understand them. They've also called for a ban on some high

charges which eat into the value of people's savings.

Andy Murray is very unlikely to play again this season, after deciding to

undergo minor back surgery. It's an attempt by the Wimbledon champion to

clear up a long-standing problem. The UK government has called for a

review of whether NHS staff in England should be allowed to wear

full-face veils. Ministers say that face coverings can be a barrier to

communicating with patients. The Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says

it's not a matter that should be decided by politicians, but he does

understand people's concerns. That's Reporting Scotland. I'll be

back with the headlines at 8pm, and the late bulletin just after the ten

o'clock news. Until then, from everyone on the team here in Glasgow

and around the country, have a very good evening.