9am Briefing: Man in hospital after house blaze

A MAN was taken to hospital today after fire broke out in a house in Barnton.

Firefighters were called to Barnton Gardens just before 4am. The man, who had already escaped the house, was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, suffering from smoke inhalation and burns.

Meanwhile, a chemical factory in West Lothian was badly damaged by fire last night. Extra precautions had to be taken because of the presence of asbestos at Barton Chemicals Greendykes Industrial Estate in Broxburn.

Residents were forced from their homes after a garage fire at Bell's Mill Terrace in Winchburgh on Saturday night.

Cash for fertility treatment

HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds have been set aside to improve fertility treatment waiting times in the Lothians.

The health board has allocated 300,000 to widen access and make inroads in the three-year wait for treatment.

NHS Lothian has one of the longest waits in Scotland for IVF, but it is hoped this investment will change that.

The age limit has also been increased from 37 to 40, allowing potentially thousands of women an extension on attempting to get pregnant.

Dr David Farquharson, clinical director of Women's Services, said: "We are committed to ensuring that as wide a range of women as possible can undergo treatment with shorter waiting times."

US threats to MacAskill

SECURITY has been stepped up around Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill after a series of threats from the United States over the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

Panic alarms and extra CCTV have been fitted at his Edinburgh constituency office following a flood of emails angry over the decision to allow Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi out of jail on compassionate grounds almost a year ago. He was suffering from prostate cancer and was estimated to have three months to live.