9am Briefing: Princes Street tramwork repairs 'will damage transport infrastructure'

THE new ten-month closure of Princes Street will leave Edinburgh's public transport infrastructure irreparably damaged if track repairs go ahead, the Confederation of Passenger Transport has warned.

The group, which represents more than 1000 bus and coach firms in the UK, said passengers could permanently walk away from public transport due to the delays and hassle caused by the disruption.

CPT spokesman Paul White said: "There is no point pursuing a public transport project like the trams if in doing so you irreparably damage the existing public transport network."

• SHOPPERS across the Lothians descended on Tesco stores in a "beer rush" last night after a pricing error offered three boxes of various beers and ciders at three for 11.

There were reports of people flooding into supermarkets across Scotland, including one incident where police were called to Tesco in Greenock after heavy congestion was caused in the car park as customers rushed to get the deal.

At around 7pm the message quickly spread on the microblogging site Twitter.

It is understood the offer was supposed to be "buy three boxes of beer and save 11".

• THE former mistress of Sir Fred Goodwin has denied her affair had any link to the Royal Bank of Scotland crisis, her lawyer insisted.

The woman cannot be named due to a legal ruling which was challenged at the High Court in London yesterday, with lawyers for News Group Newspapers claiming: "If she was having an affair with the chief executive of the company then a conflict of interest arises."

Her lawyer insisted there was no evidence the relationship had anything to do with the collapse of the Royal Bank of Scotland, and said there was no public interest in revealing the woman's name.

The judge reserved judgement until a later date.

• A CITY rock band are to release their new single in a unique way – a playable and edible chocolate record.

Edinburgh three-piece FOUND are releasing 50 of the novelty seven-inch records to promote their new single, Anti-Climb Paint.

The unique slabs of music – which can be played on a normal turntable – are being produced by friends of the group at bakers Fisher and Donaldson in Cupar, Fife, where the band have just shot the song's video.