Council staff in firing line

EDINBURGH City Council fired more staff than any other Scottish local authority over the past five years, new figures reveal.

A total of 398 council employees were sacked, almost three per cent of the workforce, it was reported today.

A survey found more than 2000 council staff across Scotland were dismissed for a wide variety of reasons, including drunkenness, violence and bullying.

In East Lothian, council chiefs sacked two employees for fighting and one for persistent smoking.