9am briefing: Shutters to come down on Blindcraft

DISABLED workers were today coming to terms with the "devastating" decision to close their factory permanently in 30 days' time after council leaders said they had no option but to wield the axe.

The decision to close the BlindCraft factory in Craigmillar came at a council meeting that saw the Liberal Democrat/SNP budget, which includes 32 million of cuts, approved on the casting vote of the Lord Provost, after all opposition councillors voted against it.

The move to close BlindCraft, which employs dozens of blind and disabled people among its 53 staff, happened as a result of workers rejecting a rescue deal last week that would have seen them work a three-day week.

Name set for new road bridge

THE Scottish Government has snubbed calls for a competition to name the new Forth road bridge, insisting it will be known as the Forth Replacement Crossing.

The decision on what the 2.3 billion structure will be called was revealed in a letter from the SNP's Transport Minister Keith Brown to Mid Scotland and Fife Labour MSP John Park.

Mr Park had urged the government to launch a public consultation to help name the crossing.

But Mr Brown told him: "The project has been named Forth Replacement Crossing since 2006, when the Forth Replacement Crossing Study was carried out to investigate the various crossing options available to replace the existing Forth Road Bridge."

Mr Park described the decision as "just plain daft".

Prisoners buy pony for brave youngster

A WEST Lothian youngster who is recovering from a brain tumour has been given a pony by prisoners.

The inmates from Addiewell Prison in West Calder collected more than 750 for nine-year-old Zoe Donaldson, who was diagnosed last year.

Zoe, from Addiewell, was left blind following an operation to remove the medulloblastoma tumour and also underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Audrey Park, director at HMP Addiewell, added: "Many of the prisoners were eager to help Zoe when they heard about everything she had been through."