9am news briefing

NHS LOTHIAN has spent more than £10 million on compensation claims over the last year, according to new figures.

Statistics obtained under Freedom of Information laws revealed that the NHS in Scotland is spending record amounts on compensation claims, with almost 50 million handed out last year alone.

NHS Lothian awarded 10,329,148 million in 2009-2010, with 2,000 awarded so far for 2010-2011.

• LAST-DITCH talks to save a private school in the Capital are set to be held today after a task force of parents failed to raise at least 2 million for a rescue package.

A consortium of 10 families hoping to take over the running of St Margaret's in Newington admitted it had failed to attract any major investors by the time a deadline they had set passed at 5pm yesterday.

However, the campaigners insisted they were not giving up hope that some parts of the school could remain open after the last day of term on 29 June.

• GREEK police have been accused of preventing a medic from helping an Edinburgh teenager as he lay dying after a holiday quad bike crash, it was reported today.

Friends of James Waddell reportedly said police formed a cordon to prevent anyone getting near the 18-year-old after he fell off and was hit by a taxi in Zante on Sunday.

A police officer in Zante denied the claims.

• SIR SEAN Connery had to call in the police after he was tailed by fans in the Capital at the weekend.

The Hollywood superstar's security team raised the alarm when they realised a black Mercedes had followed them from the city centre towards the airport, where his private jet was waiting.

Lothian and Borders Police responded to the call on Sunday and the fans drove away.