Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald
FUNDRAISER LAUNCHED AFTER TRAGIC DEATH OF DAD
A FUNDRAISER has been launched following the tragic death of a much-loved Ardrossan dad. The local community are now looking to rally around the family of Derek Russell after his passing last week. The 36-year-old died after being injured while...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HOW SHOULD £20M CASH POT BE SPENT?
FOLLOWING the announcement of a £20 million funding package for the Three Towns from the UK Government, we asked our readers - and local councillors - how they would like to see the money spent over the next decade. The Herald contacted elected...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SEX TEXTING TEACHER IS STRUCK OFF
A FORMER school teacher who sent messages of a “sexual nature” to an ex-pupil has been struck off.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Set to begin on latest sewer upgrade
SCOTTISH Water has revealed that a £5.5 million second phase of a major upgrade to a sewer main between Saltcoats and Stevenston will begin early next year. Running between a pumping station in Saltcoats to the treatment works in Stevenston, the...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
EX-POLICE OFFICER KILLED WIFE’S AUNT IN HEAD-ON CRASH
A FORMER police officer killed his wife’s aunt the day before his wedding when he crashed head-on into a van in North Ayrshire. 62, struck Carl Egerton’s vehicle on the A737 between Kilwinning and Dalry on January 9, 2024. Annie Sinclair, 88, who was...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
MAN PLEADS GUILTY AFTER 10-HOUR ARMED SIEGE
AN ARDROSSAN man has pleaded guilty over a 10-hour armed siege with police in Kilwinning while he was looking after a toddler. Ryan Martin barricaded himself inside a house while officers tried to get him to leave the property and check the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
WOMAN ADMITS KILLING DOG IN FRONT OF CHILDREN
A WOMAN who brutally assaulted and killed her own dog - while a group of playing children looked on - is awaiting sentence. Aija Cernevica, who is currently remanded in HMP Polmont, tried to blame the kids she put through this ordeal before escaping...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘I’M FINALLY FREE TO REBUILD LIFE AS ABUSIVE EX IS SENTENCED’
A BRAVE survivor says she finally feels free to rebuild her life after her abusive ex-husband was punished. David Gillan was sentenced at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week having previously pleaded guilty to engaging in a course of behaviour that was...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
You can have your say on council budget cuts
NORTH Ayrshire Council’s annual budget engagement with local residents is now live. People across North Ayrshire will get the chance to have their say on suggested savings, as the local authority faces a budget gap of around £12.5m to balance the...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
‘LACK OF STAFF IS PUTTING PATIENTS’ LIVES AT RISK’
A SURVEY of NHS Ayrshire and Arran union members has found more than three quarters felt they frequently or regularly had to work short-staffed, to the point where it put patient safety at risk. A poll of Unison members employed by the crisis-hit...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘IT’S SURREAL’: GEORGIE WINS A PRIDE OF BRITAIN AWARD
A TRULY inspirational Ardrossan teen has been recognised for her remarkable and selfless efforts. Georgie Hyslop enjoyed what was described as a “surreal” few days after being named a Pride of Britain award winner. The 17-year-old was named the Good...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘NO ONE SHOULD LIVE IN FEAR’: BUSINESSES HIT WITH SPATE OF BREAK-INS
A SPATE of break-ins has been causing havoc for residents and businesses in Stevenston. A number of incidents have been reported in the town at both commercial and private properties over the past month. One business owner, Leigh Paterson, has shared...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HARBOUR TAKEOVER ON THE ‘HOME STRETCH’
ARDROSSAN Harbour is set to return to public ownership, with a provisional price agreed between CMAL and Peel Ports. The deal will allow a longawaited redevelopment project to get underway, enabling the port to accommodate new ferries. Campaigners...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
TOWN CENTRE ROADWORKS ‘CHAOS’ HITS BUSINESSES
ARDROSSAN businesses say they’ve suffered major financial hits due to ongoing town centre roadworks which have caused “chaos”. And some are furious about the lack of warning that the work was about to begin. It’s now two weeks since the disruption...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HOAXER JAILED OVER THREATS TO BOMB UNI
A TWISTED crook who made notes about mass shootings told staff and police he was going to bomb the University of Glasgow. The sick threats were dubbed “a laugh” by Owen Ferguson, who made references to “beating Hamilton’s high score” in social media...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
MAN DENIES MURDER CHARGE
A MAN has denied a murder charge almost exactly a year after an alleged killing in Ardrossan. Terence Welsh is set to stand trial in August next year after pleading not guilty to murdering Stuart Kennedy. He also denied an allegation of attempted...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘OUR GARDENS ARE SWIMMING IN HUMAN WASTE’
RESIDENTS of a Saltcoats street have been left fuming after “human waste” flooded the area around their homes. Those living on Kilmory Road say that a lack of action from Scottish Water has amplified the issues caused by the “vile” mess. Parts of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘PROGRESS’ IN HARBOUR TAKEOVER TALKS
THE Scottish Government agency leading talks to nationalise Ardrossan Harbour has been given the green light to draw negotiations “towards conclusion”. It comes as Transport Scotland confirmed that Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) is actively...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
PENSIONER ON TRIAL FACING 25 CHARGES OF HISTORIC ABUSE
A TRIAL has begun for a pensioner facing 25 charges of historic abuse stretching back to 1985 at a former residential school in Stevenston. Michael Neil is accused of multiple assaults over almost 20 years at Kerelaw, with six of the alleged victims...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH’
NORTH Ayrshire MP Irene Campbell says she has been left “massively disappointed” by the handling of the pool closure at Auchenharvie Leisure Centre. The facility has been shut since mid-January after a large section of the building’s roof was torn off...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
VANDAL’S £15K DAMAGE SPREE AT SCHOOL
A YOUNG vandal smashed up a secondary school and caused more than £10,000 worth of damage after a late-night breakin in Saltcoats. James Morrison damaged vending machines, a piano, computer monitors and the CCTV system at St Matthew’s Academy on July...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CAR SALE CONMAN AWAITS SENTENCE AFTER £12K SCAM
A FRAUDSTER who took £12,000 from a man for a car sale that never happened has been warned not to “pull the wool” over a sheriff ’s eyes after admitting his guilt. Gary Doherty pleaded guilty to forming a fraudulent scheme at TCC Cars in Factory...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
THUG JAILED AFTER PUSHING EX DOWN STAIRS
A MINDLESS thug pushed his former partner down a flight of stairs as her sister listened in on the phone. James Johnstone threatened to kill the woman at her home in Stevenston as the pair argued over missing pregabalin tablets. The 40-year-old was...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FOOTBALL COACH WHO ABUSED BOYS JAILED AGAIN
A SEXUAL predator locked up for grooming and abusing young boys in Ayrshire continues to plead his innocence - despite being jailed for further offences. Former Three Towns football coach Russell Conn “poses a significant danger”, prosecutors said,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
NURSE STRUCK OFF AFTER SCALDING PATIENT
A THREE Towns nurse who scalded a patient with boiling water then failed to report it for four years has been struck off the register. At a recent hearing, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) heard that Mark Gavienas left his patient with a large...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘RISK’ OF FURTHER CAMPUS DELAYS AS EXTRA FUNDS AGREED
NORTH Ayrshire Council chiefs have admitted that “risks” remain of further delays to the completion of the new Ardrossan Campus. It comes as officers were bombarded with questions over the development, with elected members agreeing to provide further...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FM BACKS ARDROSSAN AS KEY PORT AFTER PROTEST AT HOLYROOD
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to secure the future of Ardrossan Harbour made their voices heard last week with a demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament. The protest highlighted growing concern among islanders and mainland residents over the long-term...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
DELAYED AGAIN
THE long awaited return to service of MV Caledonian Isles has been pushed back yet again - this time due to a gearbox problem. Ferry operators CalMac have confirmed the vessel is not expected to be back on the Ardrossan-Brodick route until Saturday,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘I DON’T THINK I’LL EVER GET OVER IT’
A WOMAN left with lifelong scarring after she was assaulted in a pub has branded her attacker’s sentence “an absolute joke”. Diane McPhee was struck with a pint glass at the Abbey Gates bar in Kilwinning on October 14, 2023 - an incident she says...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘LOSS OF FERRY SERVICE IS KILLING BUSINESSES’
ARDROSSAN businesses say they’ve taken a huge financial hit since the last Arran ferry left the town in January - with some losing out on a quarter of their usual takings. Traders relying on business from the island and from the tourist trade revealed...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HARBOUR BUYOUT MUST BE GIVEN ‘HIGHER PRIORITY’
ARDROSSAN Harbour campaigners have been warned that Scottish Government negotiations to buy the port could take much longer than hoped. They met with Brian Fulton, head of business support at Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) last Friday, May 23,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
THUG JAILED FOR 10 YEARS OVER PUB KNIFE ATTACKS
A THREE Towns thug has been jailed for 10 years for slashing a musician performing on stage - while wearing his “Rolex” electronic tag. Craig Byers carried out the unprovoked attack at the Station Bar in Stevenston days before Christmas last...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
THREE ARRESTED AFTER ONE MILLION CIGARETTES SEIZED
THREE people have been arrested after nearly ONE MILLION cigarettes were seized in North Ayrshire. The haul, which totalled 960,000 cigarettes, was recovered amid a joint investigation by Police Scotland and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
PARTIES CLASH OVER ‘SCHOOL TRANSPORT CUTS’ CLAIMS
RIVAL North Ayrshire parties have clashed following claims that disadvantaged pupils have had their transport to school cut. The local Labour group condemned an alleged move made by the authority’s leading SNP administration. They stated that parents...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
TRAIN ATTACK THUG TO PAY THOUSANDS IN COMPENSATION
A THUG who broke a man’s ankle following an attack on an Ayrshire train has been ordered to pay thousands of pounds in compensation. Dylan Russell broke the victim’s ankle from the sustained assault which saw him repeatedly punch the man in the head...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
MUM’S PRIDE AS DAUGHTER BATTLES BACK FROM BRAIN TUMOUR
A THREE Towns mum has told of her pride after watching her daughter battle back from a potentially fatal brain tumour diagnosis. Mia Carr, 21, now hopes to return to work within weeks after being given the all-clear. Last year, the Stevenston woman...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘SCARED FOR OUR LIVES’
RESIDENTS living next to a fire-ravaged former battery recycling plant have described their terror after watching the site erupt “like a warzone” for the second time in a year. Kilwinning councillors branded the second fire that erupted within the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘HOW MANY CHANCES ARE ENOUGH FOR RAPIST?’
A RAPE survivor attacked by a serial predator when she was a teenager has demanded tougher punishments for repeat offenders - and warned that her abuser’s next victim could be killed. Vicky Maclean, who has waived her right to anonymity, says she has...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘HUGELY CONCERNING’: 3,000 INCIDENTS OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE
MORE than 3,000 incidents of physical violence, threatening behaviour or verbal abuse have been reported in North Ayrshire’s schools over the last seven years, with politicians now calling for a crosscampus strategy to tackle the “hugely concerning”...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
MAN JAILED OVER MURDER BID
A SALTCOATS man who had originally faced a murder bid charge along with his father has been jailed for seven years. Kristoffer McDowall was given an extended prison sentence at the High Court sitting in Paisley after a hearing was told that a “feud”...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘PAIN, BRAIN FOG AND INSOMNIA’
A NORTH Ayrshire gran has spoken of her four-year battle with Long Covid and how she is helping scientists and academics find a possible cure. Supermarket checkout worker Debbie Jones, 56, from Dalry went down with the virus in September, 2021, and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BOY, 14, CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER
A 14-YEAR-OLD boy has been charged with attempted murder after a man was injured in an alleged serious assault. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had previously been arrested in connection with an incident in the Newhouse Drive area...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HARBOUR OWNERS MADE £1M PROFIT FROM CRISIS-HIT PORT
THE firm which owns crisis-hit Ardrossan Harbour made profits of more than £1 million last year, the Herald can reveal. Ardrossan Harbour Company Ltd - part of the Liverpool-based Peel Ports Group - also saw its turnover increase by 9.9 per cent to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING IN HARBOUR FIGHT’
KEY questions remain in the battle to Save Our Harbour, despite an announcement that talks are ongoing to nationalise the port. That confirmation has been widely welcomed by most, however, campaigners – rightly so – are still concerned that Ardrossan...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
MISSING
SEVEN years on, four Transport Secretaries later, with millions of pounds in its private owners’ pockets, Ardrossan Harbour’s longawaited redevelopment, first promised in April 2018 by Humza Yousaf, has still – inexplicably – yet to be completed, or...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
JILTED BRIDE STALKED EX FOR A YEAR
A JILTED Stevenston bride who stalked her ex-partner for more than a year urinated in a plant pot and left it on his doorstep. Home Office immigration worker Chloe Bennett acted out when her groom-to-be suddenly called off the wedding leaving her with...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
YOUNG FEMALE FOOTBALLERS ‘BEING PRICED OUT THE GAME’
FEMALE footballers could be priced out of the game in North Ayrshire as cash-strapped clubs continue to tackle “exorbitant” costs and a lack of pitch availability. Fears have been raised over the future of girls’ football in the area, with one...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
THUGS ADMIT TO MURDER BID
TWO thugs who left a man unconscious and brain damaged after a brutal street attack in Ardrossan have admitted attempted murder. Brian McQueen, 37, and William Murdoch, 31, were caught on CCTV pouncing on Stuart Paul having been in his company just...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
JAIL SENTENCE FOR ‘PLAGUE ON SOCIETY’
A BRAZEN thug described by a sheriff as a “plague on society” has been jailed after punching a pensioner going through chemotherapy during a spree of break-ins and assaults. Christopher Archibald committed the attack amid a campaign of theft-related...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CALLS TO RESTORE HARBOUR AS GLEN SANNOX SETS SAIL
NORTH Ayrshire MSPs have joined a campaign group in demanding that Ardrossan Harbour be restored as the main ferry route to Arran - after the delay-hit Glen Sannox finally began carrying passengers. The new vessel is unable to safely dock at Ardrossan...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Retired police officer recognised with KPM
A RETIRED Ayrshire police officer has been recognised in the King’s New Year honours list. Superintendent Shaheen Baber, who retired from Police Scotland, has been awarded the King’s Police Medal (KPM) for his significant contribution to...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
NURSE HONOURED WITH AWARD FROM KING
AN AMAZING nurse from Stevenston has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the King’s New Year honours list. Maggie Clark, 55, a laparotomy nurse at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, was honoured for services to the NHS in Scotland. She was...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SERIAL OFFENDER JAILED AFTER LATEST CRIME SPREE
A SERIAL offender with a history of custodial sentences “running into the tens of years” has been locked up again. Saltcoats man James Philips was jailed following his latest appearance at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Friday, December 13. The...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CAMPAIGN RALLY TO SAVE HARBOUR
THE campaign to secure investment and assurances over the future of Ardrossan Harbour gathered pace at the weekend as more than 100 people joined a rally and march to the ferry terminal. The Save Ardrossan Harbour group officially launched their...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
New trauma recovery hub given £20k boost
THE development of a new trauma recovery hub in Ardrossan has taken a big leap forward thanks to a fantastic donation. Ayrshire-based charity Freedom Fighters has made it its mission to help individuals break free from the grip of trauma, addiction,...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
‘I’D RATHER DIE THAN GO TO CROSSHOUSE’
A RETIRED Ayrshire NHS worker who has been awaiting surgery for a painful back condition for four years has blasted her “ridiculous” lack of treatment and claimed she’s been left to feel like an “invalid”. Pensioner Joyce Saddington worked at...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘SANNOX BELONGS IN ARDROSSAN’
THE first of Arran’s two new ferries has finally been officially handed over - prompting fresh calls for upgrade work to begin at Ardrossan Harbour to secure its home in North Ayrshire. The long-delayed MV Glen Sannox will now begin weeks of crew...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
POST OFFICE CLOSURE WOULD BE ‘DEVASTATING’
A SALTCOATS businessman has warned the potential loss of the town’s main Post Office would be ‘devastating’ as public outcry over the prospect intensifies. Kandy Bar bakery boss Stephen McAllister told the Herald: “It is the lifeblood of the Three...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HOMICIDES AT JOINT-HIGHEST LEVEL IN 20 YEARS
THE number of homicide victims in North Ayrshire has hit its joint-highest rate for two decades, sparking a call for urgent action to address the “deeply-troubling” figures. The concerning statistics have been confirmed by the Scottish Government in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CHILD ABUSE PROBE DECLARED ‘CRITICAL INCIDENT’
AN INQUIRY into allegations of physical and sexual abuse at a former North Ayrshire residential school has been labelled a ‘critical incident’. Kerelaw School in Stevenston, which is at the centre of Police Scotland’s Operation Chalk, is currently...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
TEEN IN COURT ON MURDER CHARGE
A TEENAGER has been charged with murder following the death of Kilwinning man John Taylor, inset. Kieran Lindsay made no plea to a single charge of murder when he appeared for a private petition hearing at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Monday, October...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
MURDER PROBE AS MAN FOUND DEAD
POLICE are investigating murder after a man was found dead in Kilwinning last Friday. Shortly before 2pm on October 18, 44-yearold John Taylor, from the town, was found with serious injuries outside his home in Pollock Crescent. Emergency services...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SAFETY FAILURES LED TO WORKER’S ‘LIFE-CHANGING’ INJURIES
A DALRY-BASED construction firm has admitted a series of safety failures which led to a roofer suffering lifechanging injuries after falling from a cherry picker. Aedan Brown, then 27, landed on a car roof after falling 15 feet when the aerial...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING’
CAMPAIGN organisers demanding a prosperous future for Ardrossan Harbour say they have been ‘blown away’ by the support so far, after hundreds turned out for their inaugural public meeting. Members of the Save Ardrossan Harbour group gathered with more...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
COUNCIL RAPPED FOR FAILING ASN PUPIL
A THREE Towns mum has welcomed a tribunal’s finding that North Ayrshire Council neglected its duty of care for her daughter with additional support needs - and claimed that the conduct could have led to the youngster suffering kidney failure. Council...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
OPENING OF CAMPUS DELAYED UNTIL 2027
THE opening of the new Ardrossan Campus has been pushed back at least a year - to late 2027. North Ayrshire Council confirmed yesterday that construction work on the site next to the town’s North Shore would now begin next spring. The campus, which...
Read Full Story (Page 1)