By NEIL RIDDELL

SHETLAND Charitable Trust looks set to be forced to radically alter its £1 million Christmas bonus scheme for pensioners in the isles, it emerged this week.

Under the trust’s budget for 2008/9, a payment of £321 is due to be made to all pensioner and dis­abled person households in Shetland which choose to apply for the bonus, at a total estimated cost of £1,125,500.

The trust currently pays £60,000 in tax on the scheme but, although no final decision has been taken, the Inland Revenue is likely to force it to pay a substantial amount of additional …

By NEIL RIDDELL

THE UK government has insisted that Sullom Voe remains “in the mix” as it continues to examine how best to bring new oil and gas discoveries ashore.

It has been suggested that Labour is keen to bypass Scotland with the new finds to protect the UK’s future revenue in the event that Scotland became independent but, speaking to The Shetland Times on a visit to the isles this week, Scotland Office minister David Cairns said he could “categorically quash” that notion.

Mr Cairns said no decision had yet been taken on how best to maximise the UK’s …

By ROSALIND GRIFFITHS

A NEW head teacher has been appointed for Bell’s Brae Primary School in Lerwick.

Jennifer Wadley, 38, will take the helm of Shetland’s largest primary school after the October break. She is currently head teacher at Whiteness Primary School, and will take up her new post on the retiral of Margaret Rorie, who has been head teacher at Bell’s Brae for almost 14 years.

Mrs Wadley began her career as a teacher in Dunrossness Primary School in August 1992. She moved to the post of education officer in Hayfield House in August 1999 before taking up the …

By RYAN TAYLOR

LOGANAIR chiefs have moved to reassure passengers that its imminent switch from BA to the Flybe franchise will help improve airline services.

Bosses were in the isles this week to stress the company was well placed to look after customers flying from Shetland when the change-over takes place on 26th October.

Acting chief executive David Harrison and sales and marketing manager Susan Blacklaw met members of Shetland Islands Council’s external transport forum on Tuesday.

The two put up a robust defence of the change-over plans amid fears services could suffer.

Questions ranged from baggage charges and online …

By LISA WARD

THE REPORT which placed Shetland at the top of the UK’s “obesity map” came in for more criticism this week after it became clear that it was sponsored by a pharmaceutical company which manufactures the anti-obesity drug Xenical (Orlistat).

The report, created by Dr Foster Research, shows that more than one in 10 patients registered with GPs in some parts of the country are obese. Shetland is said to have the highest proportion, with 15.5 per cent of patients desribed as obese, closely followed by parts of Wales.

The accepted prevalence for obesity is in the UK …

SOME Shetland people have reacted with anger at the obesity report.

Laura Johnson, 19, from Weis­dale, described it as very unfair.

She said: “BMI isn’t really the best way for measuring how healthy someone is.”

Ms Johnson’s BMI is 22, which is considered a medically healthy BMI. However, she claims that she eats “rubbish” and is actually “incredibly unhealthy”.

“For a while I used to be really really bad with my diet. I used to eat anything I wanted and never put on any weight. I just stayed a size eight no matter what. People used to look at me …

COUNCIL services could grind to a halt again if plans to step up industrial action are given the go ahead today.

Members of the public services union Unison will discuss staging an “aggressively extended” series of strikes, following this week’s breakdown in pay negotiations for public sector workers.

The new and potentially fierce bout of industrial action follows on from last month’s 24-hour council strike.

Ferry services came to a halt and the majority of schools closed their doors as an estimated 1,200 workers walked out on August 20th in protest over a below-inflation annual wage increase of 2.5 per …

PACKETS of heroin were thrown from a speeding car as police chased it along winding Shetland roads, the High Court in Edinburgh heard last Thursday.

The driver, Terry Robert Charles Thomson, 33, of Sandveien, Ler­wick (who is now known as Terence Charles), now faces the possibility of a long jail sentence – because he has a record for drug trafficking.

Plain-clothed officers ap­proached Thomson after a tip-off when they saw his Vauxhall Corsa parked in a single track road at the Loch of Vatster, Tingwall, on a Sunday afternoon.

Thomson told them everything was okay, then accelerated away.

Pursuing police …

By ROSALIND GRIFFITHS

A SERVICE to help people dissatisfied about NHS treatment is now available at the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) offices in Lerwick.

The Independent Advice and Support Service (IASS) will tell people how to complain about services from local GPs, dentists and from doctors and nurses in hospitals, including services commissioned from other health boards such as NHS Grampian. Complaints can be made about staff or treatment.

The free service is being provided by dedicated health support worker Dorothy Jamieson, whose post is funded by the NHS but who is completely independent.

Ms Jamieson, who took up this …

SHETLAND Soap Company is to launch four new product lines in a bid to rapidly expand its existing operation.

The new ranges will see the company diversify its current operation by targeting new consumer markets through the development of products designed specifically for men and babies.

Black Ice, the first men’s skincare range to be launched, will include body wash, soap bars, traditional shaving soap and foam wash created for men in fragrance and strength. Honey Baby, a range of products enriched with aloe vera and organic honey, will see the company promote soothing natural products for sensitive baby skin.…