9am briefing: Campaign to save Christmas for house fire family | Gail Porter: Rehab patients taught me how lucky I was

Kind-hearted neighbours are attempting to salvage Christmas for a family who lost everything in a house fire.

Emergency services were called to the property in Denholm Road, Musselburgh, after a blaze broke out in the attic, eventually causing the roof of the house to collapse.

It is understood the family living in the house were unhurt in Friday’s fire, but have now been left facing a bleak festive season after seeing their belongings go up in smoke.

However, a campaign to get Christmas back on track for the family has garnered a lot of support online and in the community. Fellow Musselburgh resident Andy Gray posted a message on his Facebook page saying he was starting a collection “to try and salvage some kind of Christmas for the family”.

The cause of the fire is yet to be established.

Gail Porter: Rehab patients taught me how lucky I was

FORMER TV personality Gail Porter today spoke of how hearing the harrowing stories of fellow patients in a rehab clinic made her realise how lucky she was.

The Edinburgh-born former Blue Peter presenter has just spent three months in a clinic in South Africa, trying to overcome her problems with depression and alcohol.

And she said the experiences of other people she met there had helped her put her own troubles in perspective.

She said: “I learned about how stupid I am and how selfish I’ve been in the past, thinking about myself more than other people. I realised that I had lost control of my life. My mum died of lung cancer aged 60 and I missed her terribly. And when I lost all my hair due to alopecia, I started asking myself questions like, ‘Did I do something terrible in a past life? Did I do something really awful?’

“Part of the problem was whenever I had white wine, I started crying and crying and in the end everyone got bored with me. Drinking did make my depression worse.

“But everything changed during my three months in South Africa where I was in rehab with drug addicts, people who had been through trauma and people who were also depressed.”

Police identify body found in Broxburn

POLICE in West Lothian have identified the body of a man found dead in Broxburn on Saturday.

The man was discovered lying in a burn next to Holmes Road, near to the bridge at Holmes Court at around 9am by a member of the public out walking their dog.

Officers working on the case have thanked those who came forward after seeing the public appeal for information to identify the man.

Officers have yet to establish the circumstances surrounding the man’s death, and are appealing for anyone with information about this to come forward immediately.

In particular, police are keen to hear from anyone who thinks they may have heard a disturbance or seen anyone in the water near to where he was found between Friday afternoon and the time he was found on Saturday morning.

The name of the man, described as being white,

middle-aged, with short/balding hair, is yet to be released. When he was found he was wearing a tan/brown jacket, royal blue T-shirt, jeans, and distinctive grey over-the-ankle boots with buckles on them. He was also wearing a gold chain.

Anyone with any information should contact Lothian and Borders Police immediately on 0131-311 3131 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.