News briefing: Parking fines double amid public holiday confusion

MOTORISTS in the city were hit with twice the normal number of parking tickets in a single day over Christmas amid confusion over which day counted as Boxing Day.

Parking wardens issued 1,273 fines on Monday 28 December, compared with an average daily total of between 600 and 700, after many people wrongly assumed parking charges and restrictions had been waived for the day.

Because 26 December fell on a Saturday, the official public holiday was given on the following Monday.

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A FARMER had a narrow escape when his tractor overturned and almost left him trapped.

The 54-year-old was working on a field at Kidlaw Farm, in Longyester, just south of Haddington, when the vehicle overturned.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene amid fears he was trapped.

But on arrival, they found he had freed himself – completely unscathed.

AN artist is pushing ahead with plans to transform Arthur's Seat into a light installation to mark the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Despite losing out on 500,000 funding, Angus Farquhar said he has won enough support through fundraising to make his "Speed of Light" project a reality.

The Glasgow artist plans to light up the attraction by recruiting thousands of volunteers to power the lighting system.

Each would be fitted with equipment to create patterns in light around

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the extinct volcano, with different colours for the speed of participants.

The installation would be in place for the 2012 Festival as the Olympics climaxes.

EDINBURGH Airport has ended an eight-month period of growth owing to recent bad weather and the demise of the budget airline Flyglobespan.

But the gap between the airport and its Glasgow rival has now grown to almost two million passengers, as more than one in ten customers deserted the west coast airport last year.

Edinburgh Airport handled 580,100 travellers in December - 4.4 per cent fewer than 2008.

Glasgow lost 8.8 per cent, with only 424,800 travelling last month.

Overall, 7.2 million people passed through the doors at Glasgow, yet 9 million took flights from Edinburgh.