9am briefing: lottery winners offer to pay for cerebral palsy girl’s operation

A young girl with cerebral palsy is to have a life-changing operation overseas after the couple who scooped the UK’s biggest lottery win offered to pay for the procedure.

Four-year-old Isabel Wallis, from Musselburgh, East Lothian, will have the surgery in America in November, after EuroMillions winners Chris and Colin Weir provided the funds to make it happen.

The youngster’s parents hope the procedure will give their daughter the chance to live without having to use a wheelchair.

Her mother, Kate Horne, said: “I have been at breaking point trying to look after Isabel, but the generosity of everyone around us has always kept me going.

“Receiving the donation from the Weirs was overwhelming, words cannot describe it. It means that Isabel gets the operation she needs almost immediately, and the care she needs afterwards.”

Canoeing tragedy claims third victim

THE Highland sea loch canoeing tragedy has claimed its third

victim, after a five-year-old girl lost her fight for life. Gracie

Mackay, from Muir of Ord, died at Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow

yesterday afternoon. Her father and sister are understood to be

the two survivors. One other person is missing.

Private schools record best ever results

Scotland’s private schools were today celebrating their best exam results ever, as figures showed 56 per cent of all Highers sat were awarded an A grade.

Four Edinburgh schools are among the top six of the 32 private schools whose pupils sat Highers.

George Heriot’s School scored 65 per cent A grades, putting it third in the league table behind the High School of Glasgow and St Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen.

It was followed by St Mary’s Music School, with 64 per cent, and St George’s School for Girls and The Mary Erskine School, both with 62 per cent.

Merchiston Castle School scored 60 per cent A grades, George Watson’s and Stewart’s Melville both scored 55 per cent and Edinburgh Academy 34 per cent.

The results came after it emerged the cost of private education in Scotland had soared by 63 per cent in a decade,

A report by Lloyds TSB Private Banking said average fees were almost £10,000 per child per year.