9am Briefing: Icy conditions close Lothians schools

ICY conditions gave hundreds of pupils an extra day's holiday today as schools stayed closed and some areas were said to be missing out on their bin collection for the third week running.

All schools in Midlothian and East Lothian were shut, while seven city schools were also affected.

The nursery class at Dalmeny Primary will be closed on due to a burst pipe. All primary pupils should attend as normal.

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Brunstane, Buckstone, Currie, Dean Park, Drum Brae, Duddingston, Gracemount, Newcraighall and St Catherine's Primaries are all also closed today.

Holyrood High is closed due to heating problems, while Redhall, Kaimes, Woodlands, Braidburn, Oaklands, St Crispins and Wellington special schools will all be closed today due to weather conditions.

With the cold snap expected to continue, refuse collections in Edinburgh are continuing to face disruption. The city council says only a "small number" of areas are affected by repeated missed collections.

The advice is to leave your bin out until it is collected.

Youth music festival cancelled

AN annual festival of youth music in the Capital has been cancelled because of a lack of funds.

The Festival of British Youth Orchestras, held each summer in Edinburgh and Glasgow, coinciding with the International Festival, cannot find 50,000 needed for this year's event.

Professor George Caird, chairman of organising body the National Association of Youth Orchestras (Nayo), said: "It is a sad story but there will be no festival this year – unless someone steps forward with the 50,000 we need."

Bid to stop drugs getting into jail

ADDIEWELL Prison has heightened its perimeter near the exercise yard to prevent drugs being thrown into the jail, it was reported today.

The redesign was reportedly prompted after prisoners were seen collecting drug packages in the exercise yard.

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Last year the privately-run jail had one of Scotland's worst records for illegal substance seizures, with 206 suspected finds.

A spokesman for Kalyx, which runs the private prison, said: "This is a further enhancement to what is an already secure perimeter."

Fire at student flats

A TEENAGER was given oxygen treatment after a small fire in Napier University's student accommodation this morning.

The 18-year-old escaped from a small kitchen fire at the Reigo Street apartments at around 5.20am this morning.

She was treated at the scene by fire crews, and declined to be taken to hospital.