9am Briefing: Ricky Gervais attacks £200 touts ahead of Fringe show

COMEDIAN Ricky Gervais has attacked touts who he says are selling tickets for his show on this year's Fringe for £200.

The star of The Office and Extras, who will perform a one-off gig at the Playhouse in August, wrote on his blog: "Tickets for my Edinburgh show are changing hands for 200. Please don't buy them. The people selling them are scum. I have tried to stop this happening but I can't.

"I've tried holding tickets back for sale on the night. I'm flattered that anyone would want to see me that much but it breaks my heart that people spend their hard-earned money because of someone's greed."

Tickets for the show cost 15 to 30.

Brown and Salmond clash over dinner

GORDON Brown and Alex Salmond clashed over Scotland's block grant from Westminster when they held talks over dinner at the Prime Minister's North Queensferry home.

Mr Salmond is said to have called for extra cash to allow the Scottish Government to support the economy, while Mr Brown pointed out the 34 billion grant was bigger than it had ever been.

But the talks last night, which also included other Scottish political leaders, were otherwise described as "amicable".

Two charged with rape

TWO men have been charged in connection with an alleged rape in the Bingham area.

The victim was allegedly attacked in Bingham Place on Tuesday night.

A 17-year-old and an 18-year-old have now been charged by police in connection with the incident.

Hunt for witness after racial abuse

POLICE are appealing for a possible witness to an unprovoked verbal racial attack on a woman in the Capital.

The victim was walking in Union Street off Leith Walk, when the incident happened at around 2.10pm on Tuesday.

It is believed a female passerby may have witnessed it.

The suspect is described as male, white, 5ft 9 ins tall, with a local accent, wearing a hearing aid in his left ear, sunglasses, long beige jacket, black trousers and black shoes.

Boyle doesn't know Demi

BRITAIN'S Got Talent star Susan Boyle today admitted she did not know who Hollywood superstar Demi Moore was despite impressing the actress with her singing.

Superstar Demi and husband Ashton Kutcher watched Susan's rendition of West End song, I Dreamed A Dream, on YouTube, but Susan reportedly said she did not know who they were.