Greenock Telegraph
CARE FIRM CLOSURE FEARS
THE distraught boss of an Inverclyde care company fears he will have to close his business after suffering what he claims has been ‘unfair treatment’ at the hands of Inverclyde Council. Jim Steele, managing director of Karma Healthcare, told the...
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REDUCED CUSTODY CAPACITY AT NEW POLICE BASE EX-IBM SITE IS HAILED AS ‘MODERN’ AND ‘COST-EFFECTIVE’ DESPITE FEWER CELLS
POLICE chiefs have confirmed the new Greenock station will have a reduced custody provision as the longawaited plans are officially unveiled. The new facility will be based at the former IBM site on the A8, as revealed by the Telegraph last month.
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MORE THAN 15,000 PILLS CONFISCATED IN JAIL
DRUGS, injection kits, phones and weapons are among the thousands of illicit items confiscated at HMP Greenock in the last five years. More than 15,000 pills have been confiscated as a result of searches at Greenock prison since 2021, including...
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‘THIS IS OUR WAY OF LOOKING AFTER AUDREY’S MEMORY’
THE memory of a popular Greenock nurse who tragically died at the age of just 39 is being kept alive by her devoted sisters as they raise money to mark a decade since her passing. Leah Downie and Michelle McGowan are fundraising for Ardgowan Hospice...
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GOLDEN TICKET
A GREENOCK dad and devoted football fan who tragically lost his son to cancer earlier this year has been given a lovely boost thanks to the Telegraph. Ronnie Whyte, who has been following the Ton for 61 years, has won a season ticket to...
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PORT FEES TO HIT £3M
THE operator of the port of Greenock is on course to rake in millions of pounds this year from cruise ship charges. According to the Clydeport Schedule of Common User Charges, each of the 77 vessels expected is facing estimated fees of nearly £40,000...
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GREENOCK FIREBOMB GANGSTER COULD DIE IN JAIL
A GANGSTER serving a lengthy prison sentence for a series of horrific attacks in Greenock could be behind bars for the rest of his life. Crown representatives asked that Robert Warnock be considered suitable for an ‘order for lifelong restriction’ -...
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CLUB’S CHARITY DAY RAISES £1,600 IN MEMORY OF YVONNE NEW JAIL IS HIT BY ANOTHER DELAY
BUILDING work on a new prison for Inverclyde isn’t expected to begin until at least 2031 – more than 20 years after plans to replace the ageing HMP Greenock were first announced. The Telegraph has been told there will be no ground broken on a...
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LIFE-CHANGING £10M HUB OPENS ITS DOORS
A NEW £10 million hub in Greenock is set to transform the lives of adults with complex physical and learning needs by unlocking access to groundbreaking therapies in a state-of-the-art setting. The doors are now open at the Inverclyde Integrated...
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MURDER TRIAL DATE IS SET
A SUSPECT is to stand trial charged with the murder of a man in Wemyss Bay last year. Sean Ward, 22, allegedly killed Raymond Cosgrove (inset,right) in a knife attack at Wemyss Bay Holiday Park. Police were called to a report of a man having been...
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IT SYSTEMS CHAOS
DOCTORS and patients in Greenock have hit out after hundreds of desperate patients faced chaos trying to get access to their GP following a change to a new IT system. The Cochrane Medical Practice, at Greenock Health Centre, was swamped with long...
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FROM TRAGEDY TO LEGACY
A SUICIDE prevention charity set up after the tragic death of a 14-yearold girl while she was in care has saved more than 100 lives. Safe Harbour, based in Inverclyde, was founded by former residential support worker Duncan Shaw after the death of...
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CONCERNS OVER ‘DANGEROUS’ FLOODING ‘DAD DIED TWO DAYS AGO – NOW I’M RUNNING IN HIS MEMORY’
PORT Glasgow Juniors’ manager is set to take on one of the country’s toughest charity challenges in honour of his father – just two days after his dad’s passing. Tam Jamieson signed up for the 42-mile leg of the Great Glen Ultra Marathon with his...
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‘WE WILL NOT GET ANOTHER NATALIE’ .
THE parents of a much-loved woman have been left heartbroken after she passed away at the age of just 36 following a sudden cancer diagnosis. Greenock mum-ofone Natalie Murray was told she had cervical cancer on February 13 and the prognosis was...
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SEX ATTACKER IS FACING LIFE IN PRISON OVER HIS 5-YEAR REIGN OF TERROR BODY FOUND IN SEARCH FOR MISSING ANDREW
A BODY has been recovered in the search for Andrew Cochrane, who was reported missing from Greenock last week. Police Scotland said a man’s body was discovered in a wooded area near Bridgend Road.
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SPIKING LEFT TEEN FEARING . FOR HER LIFE
A TALENTED teenager has told how she feared for her life after a sick criminal used a needle to spike her with a date-rape drug while she was on holiday with her friends. Former Rangers and current Morton women’s footballer Taylor Coulter was so ill...
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DAUGHTER KEEPS DAD’S MEMORY ALIVE
A DEVOTED daughter whose dad died in a tugboat tragedy when she was just eight months old is raising cash for the charity that helped her family through their darkest days. Nina Humphreys’ father Stephen was one of three men who tragically lost their...
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FLOODING CHAOS AT HOSPITAL
URGENT calls for action to address water ingress at Inverclyde Royal have been made after shocking footage showed rainwater flooding into key areas of the hospital during Friday’s thunderstorms.
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RCH ORDERED TO IMPROVE BY WATCHDOG
RIVER Clyde Homes has fallen short of safety standards in key areas such as fire safety and damp and mould management - and has been ordered to take action by the nation’s housing watchdog. A new report from the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR)...
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LEAKS ARE FOUND ON FIVE IRH FLOORS
UNDER-FIRE health chiefs have admitted that there is water pouring into busy wards across FIVE floors in Inverclyde Royal Hospital. The Greater Glasgow Susan Lochrie [email protected] and Clyde health board has revealed the scale of...
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‘OVERRUN WITH RATS’
A GREENOCK man has hit out after being placed with his family in a ‘run down’ homeless flat he says is plagued with rats and covered in mould. Outraged Gary Taggart, his wife and two sons were moved into the temporary accommodation in Finneston Street...
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COUNCIL SET TO GIVE WAY ON PARKING
ANGRY traders who raised concerns about the impact of West Blackhall Street’s cycle lane on their businesses look to have won concessions from council bosses. In a letter sent to traders and seen by the Telegraph, Inverclyde Council has outlined...
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‘TRAPPED AT HOME’
ELDERLY and disabled residents living in a Greenock housing complex are ‘trapped’ in their flats after being plagued by lift problems for NINE months. Residents Netta Fletcher, Joe Cooney, Margaret Sweeney and Anne Cowdens have all spoken out about...
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EXCLUSIVE
A FORMER IBM site on the A8 is set to be the location for the police’s new headquarters in Inverclyde as force chiefs finally close in on a deal to replace the existing station.
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TOP MARKS FOR SOPHIE DESPITE SEVERE SEIZURES
AN INSPIRATIONAL teenager who was diagnosed with epilepsy after biting a chunk out of her tongue in her sleep and collapsing during an important exam has spoken about her battle with the condition. Severe seizures put Sophie McLaughlin’s education in...
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HAMMER HEIST AT SALON
A SHOCKED salon owner whose shop was targeted in a ‘horrible’ early-morning raid has hit out at the hammer-wielding thief who inflicted hundreds of pounds of damage on her business. Jill Harley, who runs The Salon on Argyle Street, arrived at the...
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FIRE CUTS SET TO GO AHEAD
CONTROVERSIAL proposals to axe firefighter posts in Greenock are set to be approved at a meeting of service chiefs next week. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board is set to meet on Monday, June 22, to consider the outcomes of its nationwide...
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DAUGHTER’S TRIBUTE AFTER DAD’S DEATH
THE family of a beloved dad who collapsed and died outside the Oak Mall earlier this month have thanked the incredible members of the public that did everything they could to save him. Robert Magee took unwell outside Greenock’s main shopping centre...
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FAMILY FIGHTS ON FOR EILIDH
THE father of a brave Greenock teenager who was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder around 12 years ago has spoken of the challenges faced by his family as his daughter fights to lead a normal life. Eilidh Birney, 16, was diagnosed with Kabuki...
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TURNING THE TIDE
A MAJOR milestone in the development of the new CalMac ferry Glen Rosa was reached this week at Ferguson Marine as one of its engines sparked into life for the first time. The Telegraph visited the yard on Thursday for an exclusive look inside the...
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‘APPALLING’
POLICE officers were injured and arrests were made amid disorder in Greenock on Wednesday night when protesters gathered outside a migrant hotel. Three officers sustained minor injuries after items were thrown at them, and two police vehicles were...
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£100M TO IMPROVE HOUSING
INVERCLYDE’S biggest landlord has outlined plans to invest £100 million in modernising and improving its housing stock in Inverclyde over the next 10 years. But the area’s MSP says he wants to see more detail on how River Clyde Homes (RCH) will spend...
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BEST FRIEND HELPS MUM FIGHT FOR GOODBYES
A DETERMINED mother who lost two beautiful babies has teamed up with her devoted friend to help grieving families spend more time with their little ones after they have passed away. Danielle Wilson is raising money to buy cuddle cots - specialised,...
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‘OUR GARDEN HAS BECOME A SWAMP’
A GREENOCK couple have spent hundreds of pounds trying to fix a drainage problem that has plagued their home for more than a decade and turned their garden into a swamp. Jim and Janice MacDiarmid, both 61, spent years trying to find a solution to the...
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‘TERRIFYING LEVELS’ OF ABUSE FOR 18 MONTHS
A THUG who subjected his partner to ‘terrifying levels’ of abuse over an 18-month period has been jailed after a sheriff described his actions as some of the worst she had ever heard. Brian Craig tormented his victim between February 2024 and July...
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ABANDONED HOUSING TO BE REVIVED
AN abandoned social housing scheme in Greenock’s east end could be resurrected after a major developer expressed interest in taking it on. homes in Strone Farm on Glenbrae Road, unravelled four years ago.
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MAN ACCUSED OF MURDER BID AND ABDUCTION FULL STORY
A MAN is to stand trial charged with the attempted murder of a woman who allegedly climbed out of a window and hung from a ledge in a bid to escape him. Michael Glancy, denies the charges.
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‘UNACCEPTABLE’
WEST College Scotland’s principal has warned that the Greenock campus is in an ‘unacceptable’ situation and says ‘nothing is off the table’ as she looks to secure its future. In an exclusive interview with the Telegraph, principal Anne Campbell said...
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‘THEY LIVED THE SWEETEST LOVE STORY’
THE heartbroken daughters of a devoted Greenock couple who passed away within days of each other have told of their comfort at their parents now being together again. Myra and Dunky Thompson were two very well-known faces in the town and friends and...
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FROM CIVIL WAR TO THE BEACON
A BRAVE Syrian refugee forced to flee after his father was killed in front of him has made Greenock his home and is now starring in a smashhit musical in the town. Mohammed (Mo) Almalarashid was only seven years old when civil war broke out and in his...
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‘CYCLE PATH HAS COST US SIX FIGURES’
BUSINESS owners on West Blackhall Street say they are sustaining heavy losses due to cycle lanes. he lost more than £100,000 in turnover last year.
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BABY KILLER SHOWS NO REMORSE
A KILLER mum has been jailed for a minimum of 19 years for the murder of her 19-dayold daughter in an act of ‘catastrophic deadly violence’.
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PERVERT DODGES PRISON AFTER SENDING SEXUAL MESSAGES TO ‘GIRL’ CREEP TARGETED ‘13-YEAR-OLD’ BEFORE BEING CAUGHT IN STING
A GREENOCK sex offender who told police he was ‘more confident’ talking to children has been spared jail time for sending sexual messages to a ‘13-year-old’ online. Gordon Gray was snared after he sent explicit messages to the ‘girl’ over a six-week...
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HOMES SET FOR GREEN LIGHT
MAJOR plans to regenerate Port Glasgow by building 135 new homes on the rundown Clune Park estate are set to go before councillors at a crunch meeting next week. The proposed development is the next step in Inverclyde Council’s masterplan to...
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DRUG GANG BOSS JAILED
AN INVERCLYDE gangster has been jailed for his role in importing cocaine worth more than £1 million into Scotland hidden in dog food.
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SCAMMER TIME
CRUEL crooks have swindled locals out of almost £1 million using bogus concert ticket sales, sophisticated social media schemes, and cyber scams, a Telegraph investigation has revealed. Scammers have posed as pet sellers, traders and even their...
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SON’S WORLD CUP WISH FOR DAD
THE devoted son of a Port Glasgow footballing legend battling Alzheimer’s says it will be emotional to watch the World Cup together as his condition deteriorates. Record goalscorer Hugh McIlmoyle was diagnosed with the devastating condition believed...
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PLAN FOR 150 NEW HOMES REVEALED
PLANS for a major residential development which could see more than 150 houses built in Greenock are being considered by housing bosses, the Telegraph can exclusively reveal. Property developer Keepmoat is understood to be in talks with River Clyde...
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PERVERT EXPOSED HIMSELF TO KIDS
A PERVERT ‘blew kisses’ at two young children as he carried out a sexual act on himself while staring at them through a window at his Greenock home. Alasdair Higgins, 58, was this week found guilty of intentionally exposing himself in a sexual manner...
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‘DAD WAS ALWAYS IN MY CORNER’
A BRAVE young boxer has told how he fought through the tragedy of suddenly losing his beloved dad to lift a trophy just a fortnight later. Greenock fighter Maison Carter was crushed by the sudden death of his father, Willie Carter, who died aged...
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NEIGHBOUR ROW SPARKS FIREBOMB STAND-OFF
A CRAZED thug wielded an Irn-Bru bottle bomb in a Greenock flat following a neighbour spat - sparking a two-hour police stand-off and shutting down a street. Would-be firebomber Russell Hunter has been jailed for the terrifying stunt which drew a huge...
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MORE THAN 600 ATTACKS ON SCHOOL STAFF
SCHOOL staff in Inverclyde have been physically attacked more than 600 times in the last three years, the Telegraph can reveal. Shocking figures obtained via a freedom of information request to Inverclyde Council lift the lid on the scale of assaults...
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‘NASTY’ SHELTERED HOUSING CROOK JAILED
A HEARTLESS thief who preyed upon elderly and vulnerable residents in sheltered housing complexes across Greenock to fuel his drug habit has been jailed. Wicked Michael Dorrian targeted John Galt House, Jamaica Court, Seafield House, and MacLehose...
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‘SIMPLE BLOOD TEST SAVED MY LIFE’
A GREENOCK councillor who is fighting a brave battle against cancer says he owes his life to an unplanned blood test. John Crowther was diagnosed with prostate cancer in November 2024, despite having shown no symptoms. A trip to his GP and blood test...
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CIGNA SWINGS THE AXE
JOBS are set to be axed at a Greenock call centre as its bosses slash nearly 200 roles across the central belt. The Telegraph can reveal that around 193 roles are set to be affected across Cigna International Health’s sites in Glasgow and its local...
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A MIRACLE MUM WITH HALF A BRAIN DEFIES ODDS
COURAGEOUS mum who was born with half a brain has defied all of the odds to lead a normal life despite daily battles with her serious health conditions. Kimberley Johnstone began experiencing epileptic seizures when she started school, but it was not...
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‘YOU HELPED BRING DAD HOME’
THE devastated family of a popular Greenock man who passed away while he was on holiday in Spain have thanked the people of Inverclyde for helping them to bring their dad home. Heartfelt have been paid to Martin Docherty who died on May 1 while on a...
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Short-term let granted by mistake
INVERCLYDE planning officials have admitted they mistakenly approved the wrong property for a change of use to a short term let.
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NAT’S THE WAY TO DO IT
THE SNP’S Stuart McMillan has told of his pride after being re-elected to serve as Inverclyde’s MSP for a third time. There was jubilation from the party’s supporters as his victory was declared in Greenock Town Hall. His majority was reduced and...
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TRAINER DEFIED DOCTORS AND NOW CHANGES LIVES
A SPORTS fanatic who defied doctors after being told he would never recover from horrific football injuries is now helping a vital local charity change lives. Jordan Waldron hit rock bottom after suffering devastating damage to both knees and being...
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MANAGER ADMITS STEALING £13,000 FROM STORE
A DEVIOUS shop manager filled money bags with pieces of paper and fliers to cover up his theft of almost £13,000 from a Port Glasgow store. Ross Wilson, 44, has pledged to pay the money back in instalments, with help from his parents.
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EPILEPTIC TENANT ‘STUCK’ IN DOORLESS, FREEZING FLAT
AN EPILEPTIC man has told how he is ‘desperate’ to get out of his ‘uninhabitable’ home which does not have a secure front door or heating system. Ian Cunningham has run up £8,000 in debt trying to keep his flat in Dougliehill Terrace warm using...
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ANGER ON THE STREETS
OUTRAGED elderly residents living in a sheltered housing complex in Greenock have taken to the street in protest at the decision to axe their lifeline warden service. Residents of John Galt House have stepped up their campaign to keep their wardens,...
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HUGE TOLL OF BLAZES LAID BARE
RECKLESS firebugs have caused hundreds of thousands of pounds of damage across Inverclyde targeting scores of cars, bins and common closes. Police records uncovered by a Telegraph freedom of information request give details of 178 fire-raising...
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ASBESTOS AT NINE SCHOOLS
NINE Inverclyde primary schools are among 31 council buildings that contain asbestos. Inverclyde Council has insisted the cancer-causing substance is being ‘safely managed’. The figures have been released in a Freedom of Information request.
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JUSTICE FOR THEA: MOTHER GUILTY OF MURDER
A MOTHER has been found guilty of murdering her 19-day-old daughter by inflicting ‘catastrophic’ head and neck injuries on the baby – before creating a ‘false narrative’ in a bid to cover up her actions. Nicole Blain was convicted of killing Thea June...
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BRAZEN THIEVES RANSACK TOWN HUB
A ‘DESPICABLE’ thief scaled the gates of a Greenock community centre and smashed their way inside during a ‘brazen’ daylight break-in. Staff and volunteers at Broomhill Gardens and Community Hub told how they were left devastated.
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ACCUSED MUM SAYS TOT’S DEATH WAS ‘ACCIDENT’
A MUM accused of murdering her three-week-old baby in Greenock sobbed as she told a court the child’s death was a ‘tragic accident’ and claimed she never saw what happened. Nicole Blain, 30, took to the witness box at the High Court in Glasgow on...
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IS TWENTY PLENTY?
ROLLOUT of 20mph speed limits on more than 1,000 local roads begins today. In the lead-up to the initiative’s implementation, some residents and businesses have expressed their support for the measures. Others have criticised the plans, claiming they...
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WAR HERO FINALLY HONOURED
THE last surviving family member of a heroic Gourock Royal Marine killed while serving in Cyprus has been traced and presented with one of the highest military honours on the 70th anniversary of his death – thanks to the Greenock Telegraph. An appeal...
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SON’S EPIC TRIBUTE TO MUM
A DEVOTED son who watched his late mum’s ‘distressing’ two-year battle with a chronic lung disease is honouring her memory by taking on a gruelling endurance challenge. Ann Rice passed away in 2024. Her death devastated her son Allan Rice, who...
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MOTHER DENIES MURDERING WEEKS‑OLD DAUGHTER
A MOTHER has gone on trial charged with murdering her weeks-old baby daughter at a flat in Greenock almost three years ago. Nicole Blain, 30, denies repeatedly shaking Thea June Wilson and inflicting blunt force trauma upon her by means unknown to...
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SEWAGE MISERY MAKES HOME ‘UNLIVEABLE’
A DISGUSTED woman says parts of her home have become virtually unliveable thanks to weeks of human waste being released into her garden and damp spreading through its walls. Belle Deans told the Telegraph she has been cut off from using her back...
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HEROES RUSH TO RESCUE
HEROIC neighbours rushed to the rescue of a ‘seriously injured’ driver after a blaze erupted in his crashed car yesterday. Greenock residents grabbed water bottles from inside their homes and - with the assistance of a handy fire extinguisher - put...
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EPILEPTIC MAN FEARS FOR SAFETY IN HIGH‑RISE
A DISABLED Greenock man who suffers from debilitating epilepsy that leaves him unable to care for himself is pleading for housing bosses to help him move into sheltered accommodation. Alexander McLennan suffers from brain damage, cerebral palsy and...
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SURGE IN RECKLESS DRIVERS
THE number of reckless drivers caught speeding in Inverclyde has skyrocketed – with mindless motorists clocked going more than double the limit outside local schools. One irresponsible driver was caught travelling at almost 80mph on Inverkip Road,...
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