:00:00. > :00:07.Tonight, on Reporting Scotland: The so called bedroom tax - more
:00:08. > :00:12.pressure on politicians at Westminster and Holyrood from
:00:13. > :00:15.campaigners. Clearing up after the mining
:00:16. > :00:19.companies have cleared out - how one council dug a whole for itself and
:00:20. > :00:21.its taxpayers. It's dubbed Scotland's deadliest
:00:22. > :00:32.road by some - could average speed cameras be the answer to making the
:00:33. > :00:37.A9 safer? It is impatient that causes a lot of problems. Everyone
:00:38. > :00:39.needs to know where the jewel carriageways are.
:00:40. > :00:42.And also - brightening up the long dark winter. Shetland's spectacular
:00:43. > :00:45.Up Helly Aa fire festival gets underway.
:00:46. > :01:03.And a tall tale or a matter of fact - can dogs really tell the time?
:01:04. > :01:06.Good Evening. The row over the so-called bedroom tax north of the
:01:07. > :01:10.border is intensifying. It's emerged that a loophole in the legislation
:01:11. > :01:12.means some long term council tenants shouldn't have had the housing
:01:13. > :01:17.benefit removed, but it's unclear how many Scots tenants are affected.
:01:18. > :01:21.Meanwhile, campaigners want more money from Holyrood to tackle the
:01:22. > :01:29.impact of the change. Steven Godden reports.
:01:30. > :01:35.It is very name provokes argument but to Angela it is the bedroom
:01:36. > :01:41.tax. Last April she was given a year-long reprieve but as the months
:01:42. > :01:49.passed by, her anxiety increases. I do not like being in debt so I would
:01:50. > :01:53.probably cut down my food bills. I cannot cut them down any more than I
:01:54. > :02:02.have done. I will be really worse off. Hopefully I don't end up on the
:02:03. > :02:06.street. She did not know it when fighting eviction but according to
:02:07. > :02:13.an Earth legislation, living in the same house and claiming benefit for
:02:14. > :02:17.more than 17 years were alternative grounds for exemption. Thousands
:02:18. > :02:26.more were overcharged. Fewer than 5000 is. Others estimate 40,000 UK
:02:27. > :02:32.wide. People need to make claims and councils need to check their records
:02:33. > :02:39.which has not happened across all authorities. Somewhere in between
:02:40. > :02:45.ten - 12,000 people. Scotland's Housing Minister met with her UK
:02:46. > :02:49.counterpart. It is unclear what the numbers are in Scotland. We do not
:02:50. > :02:56.know how many have been affected by this error and I am disappointed. As
:02:57. > :03:01.ministers were preparing to meet, a Holyrood committee was taking
:03:02. > :03:05.evidence on the bedroom tax. The Scottish government has pledged 20
:03:06. > :03:10.million a year to support those affected but campaigners argue that
:03:11. > :03:16.figure must be higher. 50 million they are due to deal with an
:03:17. > :03:24.emergency situation. I do not want to live in a society where the
:03:25. > :03:30.poorest are forced to pay for politicians mistakes. Councils have
:03:31. > :03:35.been advised about reimbursing those overcharged but in March, this
:03:36. > :03:40.loophole will be closed. A fresh strand in an ongoing controversy.
:03:41. > :03:42.Major and persistent failings at a Scottish council allowed mining
:03:43. > :03:45.companies to leave local people facing a legacy of environmental
:03:46. > :03:48.devastation. That's the main finding of a damning report into East
:03:49. > :03:53.Ayrshire Council's regulation of the opencast coal industry. Experts say
:03:54. > :03:58.?132 million will have to be found if 22 sites are to be restored to
:03:59. > :04:06.their original condition. Our environment correspondent, David
:04:07. > :04:11.Miller, reports. A dark day for East Ayrshire. Those
:04:12. > :04:17.were the words of the council leader here and this is the report which is
:04:18. > :04:24.causing so much thanks. In the words of its lead author, this report is
:04:25. > :04:28.as bad as it gets. The report highlights major and persistent
:04:29. > :04:34.feelings, procedures which were deficient and effective. The result,
:04:35. > :04:40.a scarred landscape without the money in place to pay for
:04:41. > :04:44.restoration work. Why? Because two mining companies collapsed without
:04:45. > :04:53.having enough money in place to play pay for clean-up. They did not
:04:54. > :04:58.follow through on the policies in that plan. They did not follow
:04:59. > :05:02.through in terms of conditions, the bonds for not with the companies and
:05:03. > :05:10.as a result, we have major environmental legacies that will
:05:11. > :05:14.cost a substantial amount of money. Tonight councillors backed an
:05:15. > :05:20.internal investigation which could lead to disciplinary action against
:05:21. > :05:22.individual members of staff. This is about responsibility and
:05:23. > :05:28.accountability. What the investigation will do will look at
:05:29. > :05:33.each of these failures cited in the report. The report has told us what
:05:34. > :05:42.has happened. What we need to establish is why? Is your own
:05:43. > :05:46.position secure? Yes. Campaigners say action is now needed at a
:05:47. > :05:50.national level to ensure similar problems do not arise if companies
:05:51. > :05:56.operate in landfill sites, wind farms or drilling for gas collapsing
:05:57. > :06:01.future. No one knows who will foot the bill here in East Ayrshire. The
:06:02. > :06:07.council insists it will not have to pay. The jobs the coal industry
:06:08. > :06:13.supports here are hugely valuable but they have come at a cost.
:06:14. > :06:16.The mother of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular has made her second appearance
:06:17. > :06:19.in private at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Rosdeep Adekoya is accused of
:06:20. > :06:26.murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice. Julie Peacock was
:06:27. > :06:31.in court. Rosdeep Adekoya arrived here at
:06:32. > :06:35.Edinburgh Sheriff Court in a prison van for her second court appearance
:06:36. > :06:41.since she was detained. Rosdeep Adekoya who is appearing under her
:06:42. > :06:44.married name made no plea or declaration at the private hearing
:06:45. > :06:49.this afternoon. She has been charged with the murder of her
:06:50. > :06:55.three-year-old son Mikaeel Kular and a second charge of attempting to
:06:56. > :06:59.defeat the ends of justice. Mikaeel Kular's disappearance sparked off a
:07:00. > :07:06.huge search by police and local people but his body was found just
:07:07. > :07:11.20 miles away two days later. Rosdeep Adekoya's next court hearing
:07:12. > :07:16.is expected to be in public before she faces a full trial.
:07:17. > :07:19.You're watching Reporting Scotland from the BBC. Still to come on
:07:20. > :07:22.tonight's programme:. From tee to sea - how coastal erosion is eating
:07:23. > :07:27.away one of the country's most historic golf courses.
:07:28. > :07:31.In sport, great expectations at Rugby Park as Kilmarnock make a new
:07:32. > :07:35.signing.. And on the home stretch for Sochi. It's all about making the
:07:36. > :07:38.tiny differences for Team GB. For the Scots, a home-grown medical team
:07:39. > :07:48.keeping them in familiar and safe hands.
:07:49. > :07:53.How best to make the A9 safer, sooner? It's a notorious route.
:07:54. > :07:58.Upgrading it to dual carriageway will cost ?3 billion and won't be
:07:59. > :08:01.completed till 2025. In the meantime, a system of average speed
:08:02. > :08:04.cameras is planned, but today, campaigners told MSPs that could
:08:05. > :08:15.make the road even more dangerous. Craig Anderson reports.
:08:16. > :08:20.It has attracted the unfortunate title of Scotland's most dangerous
:08:21. > :08:25.road, hardly a week goes by without an accident and in an attempt to
:08:26. > :08:30.reduce the carnage, the Scottish government announced it would
:08:31. > :08:36.install a average speed camera network stretching 145 miles. But
:08:37. > :08:42.today the road led one campaigner to argue against such a scheme in front
:08:43. > :08:48.of Holyrood's petitions committee. I hate driving that road. I know I am
:08:49. > :08:55.taking my life into my hands and that is seeing people and their hair
:08:56. > :09:03.raising manoeuvres. Campaigners say the cameras will slow down traffic.
:09:04. > :09:08.Transport Scotland have a moral duty to introduce measures to stop the
:09:09. > :09:13.majority known cause of accidents which is overtaking manoeuvres and
:09:14. > :09:18.not speeding. Last year there was a muted welcome to the plan but public
:09:19. > :09:25.opinion now appears to have swung against it. It is impatience that
:09:26. > :09:33.causes problems. Everyone knows where the dual carriageways. I have
:09:34. > :09:37.seen dangerous occurrences caused by frustration by slow drivers.
:09:38. > :09:41.Transport Scotland said the cameras were part of a conferences safety
:09:42. > :09:44.plan for the route and insisted speed was a common factor in
:09:45. > :09:50.crashes. The government has pledged to dual VA nine but that will not
:09:51. > :09:54.happen for at least a decade and it is what to do in the litter to
:09:55. > :10:01.reduce the toll of death and serious injuries that is at the heart of
:10:02. > :10:04.this. A thousand bearded men parading
:10:05. > :10:07.through the streets - what's not to like about the Up Helly Aa
:10:08. > :10:09.celebrations in Shetland, which are underway this evening? However, the
:10:10. > :10:12.fearless Vikings face another adversary - winds lashing the
:10:13. > :10:16.islands. Hundreds of visitors are in Lerwick awaiting this evening's
:10:17. > :10:26.fiery climax. And our reporter John Johnston is there for us tonight.
:10:27. > :10:31.What are conditions like? It is storm Force winds. They are
:10:32. > :10:34.battering the Shetlands tonight but these hardy Vikings are up for the
:10:35. > :10:43.challenge. From first light this morning, they have been pounding the
:10:44. > :10:48.streets. On the March, Vikings with an ambition to have fun. The bearded
:10:49. > :10:55.warriors take to the streets building their axes and dragging a
:10:56. > :11:03.ship behind them. Everyone gets involved. A huge community event.
:11:04. > :11:09.1200 years ago the Vikings raided Shetland. Although the weather is as
:11:10. > :11:16.while now as it was then, the Norsemen are a bit tamer. It is a
:11:17. > :11:21.wonderful celebration of the history and culture of Shetland which is
:11:22. > :11:25.unique. The Vikings have worked all year to make their questions,
:11:26. > :11:34.shields, taxes and even growing their beards. It is worth all the
:11:35. > :11:39.effort to get to this stage. Tonight the real celebrations get underway.
:11:40. > :11:45.The usually dark skies will be ablaze with colour as the festival
:11:46. > :11:52.reaches its fiery climax. I joined by one of the squad leaders from the
:11:53. > :12:00.celebrations tonight. Has the stormy weather put you off today? Not at
:12:01. > :12:06.all. The squad are for it. The adrenaline is going. We have plenty
:12:07. > :12:13.of sustenance and we are all ready to roll. This suit you have on, how
:12:14. > :12:21.heavy is it? Three and a half pounds. Not too bad. What is the
:12:22. > :12:28.secret to surviving this? A good nights sleep does help and just keep
:12:29. > :12:33.the adrenaline going. Very excited, the guys are really proud of the
:12:34. > :12:47.squad and have done each other proud. I think we will give you a
:12:48. > :12:56.cheer from here this evening. Other stories now. Proposals to scrap the
:12:57. > :13:00.licensing of saunas in Adam Bratt will be considered by councillors.
:13:01. > :13:10.The number of licences involved in the sex trade was cut from 13 to
:13:11. > :13:16.six. Scotland's lifeboat rescued more than 1000 people last year and
:13:17. > :13:25.nearly 1000 call-outs. The ferry station was the busiest. 47 stations
:13:26. > :13:33.in Scotland and they carried out almost 1000 shouts, which equates to
:13:34. > :13:37.nearly three launches every day. Scotland's fire safety Minister
:13:38. > :13:44.insists local knowledge will not be lost if a control rooms are merged.
:13:45. > :13:50.She says it is the firefighters on the ground that hold the knowledge
:13:51. > :13:54.and not those answering the phones. All of the knowledge is knowledge
:13:55. > :13:59.that is held in the fire stations and none of the impact of what is
:14:00. > :14:04.being discussed at the board will affect the fire stations. Nine
:14:05. > :14:10.people were evacuated after fire broke out in a block of flats in the
:14:11. > :14:16.village near Kirkcudbright. The blaze destroyed one property and
:14:17. > :14:21.damaged another. A decline in fish in the North Sea could be linked to
:14:22. > :14:30.a decrease in water temperature. The maximum body length of species has
:14:31. > :14:34.decreased by as much as 29%. RSPB Scotland is urging Parliament to
:14:35. > :14:38.recognise the golden eagle as the national bird of Scotland.
:14:39. > :14:44.Conservationists argue such a move would raise the profile of the bird.
:14:45. > :14:52.An investigation is underway after a freak ship collided with a port in
:14:53. > :14:54.Stornoway. No one was hurt. It's one of Scotland's most historic
:14:55. > :14:58.golf courses but the 450-year-old links at Montrose is being eaten
:14:59. > :15:01.away by unstoppable forces of nature. Efforts to save the Greens
:15:02. > :15:04.from coastal erosion are now being stepped up after the storms of
:15:05. > :15:13.recent weeks blew away more of the course. Andrew Anderson reports.
:15:14. > :15:17.A wet and windy day at Montrose, but it takes more than this to keep
:15:18. > :15:20.golfers from their game. It is conditions like these that seem
:15:21. > :15:27.meter after metre of this course disappear. -- C.
:15:28. > :15:35.Over the dunes, the damage is clear, tonnes of sand washed into the sea.
:15:36. > :15:40.From the beach, you can see the posts, the sand was almost at the
:15:41. > :15:44.top of the posts. Because the westerly winds have allowed the sand
:15:45. > :15:49.to build up, since then we bad storms from the east and the
:15:50. > :15:55.south-east which the worst scenario. This fence was put in five or so
:15:56. > :16:00.years ago in an attempt to halt the erosion. It has suffered damage.
:16:01. > :16:03.These posts Mark Webber new fence will go, but every time it is
:16:04. > :16:07.encroaching further and further onto golf course.
:16:08. > :16:16.This course is the fifth oldest in the world. It is an important source
:16:17. > :16:23.of income for the town. The golf has been here for 450 years. It is an
:16:24. > :16:28.important part of the town. Golf is hugely important to the Angus
:16:29. > :16:32.economy and to our tourism offering. In one of the clubhouses, a portrait
:16:33. > :16:37.of Tom Morris, the legendary golf course designer. He created the
:16:38. > :16:43.course here, it is now threatened by the elements. We will try to
:16:44. > :16:51.reinstall the fencing. Will Trent prop it up by using sand. Hopefully
:16:52. > :16:56.it will slow down the erosion. Those determined to save the course are in
:16:57. > :16:59.it for the long game. Extra tickets are being made
:17:00. > :17:02.available for this summer's Commonwealth Games after the venue
:17:03. > :17:05.for one of the sports was switched. Glasgow 2014 organisers are moving
:17:06. > :17:09.the Netball final to the Hydro and are busy working out how many extra
:17:10. > :17:13.tickets will be up for grabs. Our Commonwealth Games reporter Jane
:17:14. > :17:18.Lewis has more. 12 hours to make sure the same venue
:17:19. > :17:23.is ready to host a different sports. Overnight on the 2nd of August, out
:17:24. > :17:28.will go the boxing ring and end will come a netball court. Organisers had
:17:29. > :17:33.to be satisfied it could be done, so they employed a keen to carry out a
:17:34. > :17:40.dress rehearsal. Eddie Mack the boxing finishes at Saturday night.
:17:41. > :17:43.-- the boxing. We need to make sure that the players have enough time to
:17:44. > :17:48.familiarise themselves with the court. Do the tests we did last
:17:49. > :17:54.week, we can achieve everything we need to do. The Hydro has almost
:17:55. > :17:59.doubled the capacity of the SECC where the earlier rounds of netball
:18:00. > :18:04.will be. It could mean that 4000 extra tickets are made available for
:18:05. > :18:08.a final battles originally sold out. One of our ambitions is to make sure
:18:09. > :18:18.that these games are as open to as many people as possible. The finals
:18:19. > :18:22.in particular. It is being established how many extra tickets
:18:23. > :18:31.will be available and how they will go about selling them.
:18:32. > :18:43.I was wing attack. A bit of netball trapped there.
:18:44. > :18:53.-- chat. Kilmarnock believe the signing of
:18:54. > :18:57.Alexei Eremenko can propel them towards the top six in the
:18:58. > :18:59.Premiership, not just avoid a relegation play-off. The Finnish
:19:00. > :19:03.international has signed up for a second spell at Rugby Park, and he
:19:04. > :19:05.hopes to bring out the best in Killie's promising youngsters.
:19:06. > :19:07.Here's our senior football reporter, Alasdair Lamont. The name brings
:19:08. > :19:14.back fond memories down Rugby Park away. What about that? What a finish
:19:15. > :19:21.from Alexei Eremenko. Today's side is a different one, but one he is
:19:22. > :19:28.keen to be involved in. It is a young team, that is always good. I
:19:29. > :19:34.feel a bit like a veteran now. I hope I can teach them something.
:19:35. > :19:39.This young team has already begun to put some good results together, but
:19:40. > :19:43.are still just four points off the relegation play-off spot. Steering
:19:44. > :19:48.clear of that is the least of their ambitions. That is a concern, but
:19:49. > :19:53.we're more interested in fighting for the top six. We think that is
:19:54. > :20:00.achievable. We feel we can close the gap. By bringing in Alexei
:20:01. > :20:06.Eremenko, we are hoping to show that commitment to move up the table.
:20:07. > :20:11.Alexei Eremenko wouldn't be fit in time to go into Alan Johnston's team
:20:12. > :20:17.for tomorrow against Celtic, but should prove a great addition in the
:20:18. > :20:21.coming months. There is a stronger than ever Scots
:20:22. > :20:24.presence in Team GB for the Sochi Olympic Games. Over 30% of the
:20:25. > :20:27.athletes and the Chef de Mission are Scots. In addition, the Chief
:20:28. > :20:29.Medical Officer and Head Physiotherapist have been supplied
:20:30. > :20:31.by the Scottish Institute of Sport. Both medical and skiing skills are
:20:32. > :20:45.required! In Scotland, Doctor Nigel Elliot
:20:46. > :20:50.walks to meet his patients. In such she, he will scheme.
:20:51. > :20:58.Part of the role will be to be on the slope with the athletes. There
:20:59. > :21:05.may be a training run and they need somebody to have a look at them. You
:21:06. > :21:10.are wired in with the coaching staff and form part of the team. Michael
:21:11. > :21:20.Goodfellow is going to suck cheap with Team GB curlers. -- Sochi.
:21:21. > :21:28.We have the opportunity to work with them through the Institute. We know
:21:29. > :21:35.them well. It is important that they feel they are in a familiar
:21:36. > :21:42.environment. Does that make a difference to you, Michael? Fast,
:21:43. > :21:49.we're Trent treats the Olympic site any other championships. -- for us,
:21:50. > :21:56.we are trying. It lets us concentrate on our games. One less
:21:57. > :22:00.concern for the Scottish athletes. A huge positive in a world where
:22:01. > :22:07.medals are won and lost in the smallest of margins.
:22:08. > :22:10.Now, a look at what else is happening across Scottish sport.
:22:11. > :22:17.Russell is up and running as Caledonian Thistle's manager. He did
:22:18. > :22:23.not think twice about swapping the Portuguese heat for the Highlands. I
:22:24. > :22:27.played here the best part of 13 or 14 years and it was always this
:22:28. > :22:34.weather. You get used to it. You get on with it. You feel privileged that
:22:35. > :22:40.you can be here and enjoy a profession such as this.
:22:41. > :22:44.Scotland are confident they can progress to the 2015 Cricket World
:22:45. > :22:48.Cup. They sit joint top of their qualifying group after beating Papa
:22:49. > :22:54.New Guinea. A win over Kenya guarantees that they qualify.
:22:55. > :22:57.Scotland forward Tim Swinson has signed a new three-year deal with
:22:58. > :23:02.Glasgow Warriors. He is currently with the national squad preparing
:23:03. > :23:07.for this weekend's Six Nations opener against Ireland.
:23:08. > :23:14.Scots's top squash players are in action at the British Doubles Open
:23:15. > :23:18.in Scotstoun. It is valuable opportunity for them to practice on
:23:19. > :23:23.the Commonwealth Games courts. It is great to be playing in this venue.
:23:24. > :23:29.Previously, we have had not -- we have not had the opportunity as
:23:30. > :23:38.much. It gives us the home advantage. -- home-field advantage.
:23:39. > :23:45.That's the sport, finished right on time as our four-legged friends may
:23:46. > :23:48.know. Or do they? Because we want to know, can dogs tell the time? It's a
:23:49. > :23:52.question familiar to many dog owners, whose pets seem to be able
:23:53. > :23:55.to sense when someone special is due home. Well, Jazz, a Hungarian Viszla
:23:56. > :24:02.from Lesmahagow, might have the answer. A BBC documentary team have
:24:03. > :24:06.been keeping an eye on him, as our science correspondent Kenneth
:24:07. > :24:14.Macdonald reports. This is Jazz. He lives here in
:24:15. > :24:18.Lesmahagow with his humans. We think he may be able to tell the time. To
:24:19. > :24:28.find out, the BBC Radio the house with cameras. -- ringgit.
:24:29. > :24:38.Christine is back first, same time every day.
:24:39. > :24:42.Johnny is due back an hour later. But 20 minutes before, Jazz seems to
:24:43. > :24:49.be getting ready for his arrival, day after day. Can Jazz tell what
:24:50. > :24:54.time it is? One possibility is a dog's keen
:24:55. > :24:59.sense of smell. After Johnny leaves in the morning, his ascent fades
:25:00. > :25:10.from the house, can Jazz tell when it falls to a certain level? To find
:25:11. > :25:14.out, the programme makers asked Christine to change her routine and
:25:15. > :25:22.pick up some of Johnny's T-shirts and refresh Johnny's sent.
:25:23. > :25:29.This time, snoozing seems more attractive. When Johnny comes back
:25:30. > :25:33.in time, he seems to take Jazz by surprise. On the face of it, it
:25:34. > :25:42.looks like the T-shirt trek reset his smell clock. This was not a
:25:43. > :25:50.rigorous experiments. But it suggests that dogs cannot so much
:25:51. > :25:54.tell the time, but smell it. And there's more on Inside the
:25:55. > :26:01.Animal Mind tonight at 8pm on BBC Two Scotland. Thanks.
:26:02. > :26:12.The weather is getting a bit better. Things are set to settle down over
:26:13. > :26:17.the next few days. The area of low pressure that has been thrown out
:26:18. > :26:21.showers, it has moved away nicely. A ridge of high pressure builds in
:26:22. > :26:25.from Scandinavia. Come the end of the week, this deep area of low
:26:26. > :26:30.pressure comes bringing outbreaks of rain. We could see some snow on
:26:31. > :26:36.Friday. As far as tight is concerned, there are still some
:26:37. > :26:39.showers around. -- as tonight. Showers should be confined to
:26:40. > :26:45.eastern areas. There is a yellow warning for this part of the world.
:26:46. > :26:48.Few showers in the West, clear skies here and possibly an ice risk.
:26:49. > :26:54.Holding onto gales across the northern isles, but drier conditions
:26:55. > :26:59.should develop over Shetland. A better day to come. Showers at
:27:00. > :27:06.first, especially in the East, but as the day progresses showers become
:27:07. > :27:10.fewer. Dryer, crisp sunshine in the West tomorrow. Across the
:27:11. > :27:17.south-east, how the scales will be held on to. Some brokers coming
:27:18. > :27:22.through in Edinburgh and five. Showers pushing into the north-east.
:27:23. > :27:30.Elsewhere, looks like it will be dry. We should lose the gales across
:27:31. > :27:35.the Northern Isles. Temperatures around four or six Celsius. As we
:27:36. > :27:41.head into the evening, the showers become fewer and lighter and they
:27:42. > :27:46.winds is everywhere. A widespread frost and ice risk across eastern
:27:47. > :27:51.Scotland. A cold, bright start to Thursday. It will be called across
:27:52. > :27:55.the country. Some flurries in the East, but we will see a change
:27:56. > :28:00.coming for Friday. There is already an early warning for snow in inland
:28:01. > :28:12.parts of the country. The snow will be readily at this level is, too. --
:28:13. > :28:18.at lower levels. Enjoy your evening.