Cold claims fewer lives

FEWER old people died last winter in the Lothians, despite it being the coldest in decades.

The Scottish Government said that pensioners were able to ride out the freezing temperatures better than many expected.

Although more elderly people attended hospital for slips and falls, deaths decreased.

Registrar General for Scotland Duncan Macniven said: "The long-term trend is downward. We have calculated these figures for the last 59 winters - and the most recent ten have had four of the six lowest numbers of additional deaths."