Tram chief's apology over Tripoli gaffe

THE chairman of tram firm TIE has apologised after comparing Edinburgh to the war-torn Libyan capital of Tripoli. Vic Emery said the tram works had left the Capital looking "like a bomb site". But he today withdrew the comparison, accepting it was "inappropriate."

In a letter to the Evening News, he said: "I categorically withdraw this remark and realise that I may have caused offence without intending to do so.

"My remark was made with reference to the frustration that I have felt witnessing worksites where, at times, holes in the ground have been left for months with no work taking place. I accept this was an inappropriate statement."