The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
‘Heroic’ fire rescue brothers ran drug dealing crime gang
Two brothers once hailed as heroes for a life-saving rescue mission during a Kinross building blaze were in reality leading members of a crime mob planning to flood Fife and Central Scotland with drugs. Aaron and Kieran Miller, pictured, were praised...
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Nurse’ s ‘joke’ is not one of mine, insists Gervais
Ricky Gervais has denied ownership of an “inappropriate” joke after a St Andrews nurse was suspended for saying it. James Murray, then a senior nurse at St Andrews Community Hospital, appeared before a Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing for his...
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Teenager in hospital after scaffold accident
A teenage boy has been hospitalised after being injured by scaffolding at a block of flats in Fife. Emergency crews were called to Park View in Kirkcaldy just after 11.30am yesterday. A 16-year-old male was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for...
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Call to probe councillor conduct as he quits SNP
Fife Council is being asked to investigate complaints about a councillor’s conduct after he quit the SNP and pulled out of the upcoming Holyrood elections. The Courier revealed yesterday that Cupar representative Stefan Hoggan had been made aware...
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Fife teen ‘always smiling’ before his disappearance
The former boss of a Glenrothes man missing for nearly 28 years has remembered how the teenager was “always smiling” before his mystery disappearance. Kenneth Jones, pictured, was last seen at his Ancrum Court home on the morning of November 3 1998,...
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More than 150 quality pages packed with features, interviews, news and sport
Reaching his peak: Meet Jamie – Scotland’s last bespoke ski-maker Mac attack: Get ready to step out in style during the spring showers Returning to their roots: Aussie geologist couple settle in the Fit o’ the Toon Dealing with cancer: ‘Every...
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Parents hail ‘brave’ son as he loses cancer fight
The parents of an “amazing and brave” young boy from Fife have described the poignant final months they shared with him after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Charlie Melville, 11, pictured, died at his Tayport home on Monday. Football-mad...
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Terminally-ill gran in assisted dying protest
A terminally-ill gran from Fife has taken part in a “living statue” protest in support of plans to legalise assisted dying in Scotland. Tish McEwan, a 73-year-old grandmother from Glenrothes, was one of three women standing on plinths, with Tish...
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Fife leader backed in handling of sex scandal councillor
Fife Council handled staff complaints about a jailed ex-councillor “proportionately and appropriately”, an independent review has found. Former Labour councillor David Graham was jailed in August 2025 after he was convicted of sexual activity with a...
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Town BrewDog bar to shut as firm taken over
BrewDog will close 38 bars with immediate effect – including St Andrews – after the firm was sold to a US cannabis firm in a multi-million-pound deal. US brewer and cannabis firm Tilray Brands completed a deal to buy most of the north-east craft beer...
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Developer defends choice of site for Fife care home
A new luxury care home planned for a former school playing field in St Andrews would include a cinema room, hair salon and Champagne bar. Morrison Community Care Group believes its ambitious plans could provide much-needed accommodation for elderly...
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Fife residents fight care home bid at beauty spot
Residents are preparing to fight plans for a new luxury care home at a St Andrews beauty spot. A planning application for a 60-bed home on the playing fields of the former New Park School is expected to be lodged by Morrison Community Care Group this...
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Apology to villagers after six power cuts
An energy firm has apologised after six power cuts in a Fife village in just two months. Residents of New Gilston, near Largoward in north-east Fife, have been hit by power outages since December 30. Resident Neil Mckeown, pictured, says the...
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Police search Fife garden in historic missing man case
Detectives investigating the unsolved disappearance of a Fife teenager, pictured, yesterday descended on his family’s former home. Officers were at Kenneth Jones’s old house on Ancrum Court in Glenrothes. Kenneth was 18 when he went missing from the...
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Fife jobs charity unfairly sacked disabled workers
A Fife charity aimed at supporting people with mental health issues into work has been ordered to pay almost £100,000 to two former employees who were unfairly dismissed and discriminated against. Fife Employment Access Trust (FEAT) was ordered to pay...
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TRIAL:
A Fife church elder has been cleared of causing a serious crash with a professional racing driver on the A9. Shirley Nawrot, 66, had always insisted she was fully within the central reservation when her Mazda MX-5 and an Audi R8 being driven by Dundee...
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Trial told victim would have died ‘in minutes’
A pathologist has told the High Court how she escalated the post-mortem examination of Brian Low after spotting signs he had been shot. Dr Tamara McNamee of Dundee University gave evidence on the ninth day of David Campbell’s trial in Glasgow. She...
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Trans medic quits NHS Fife following tribunal
Trans doctor Beth Upton has quit NHS Fife following the major changing room row with nurse Sandie Peggie, the health board has revealed. Born male, Dr Upton, pictured, had been embroiled in a costly employment tribunal after an altercation with Ms...
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Inspectors criticise ‘chaotic’ care home
Inspectors have condemned a Dunfermline care home as “chaotic” and “disorganised”, revealing some residents were left wearing the same clothes for days. A new report by the Care Inspectorate has criticised Pitreavie Castle Care Home. The home,...
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Taxi drivers object as Uber seeks Fife licence
A taxi association has raised “serious concerns” after Uber revealed it has applied for a licence to operate a booking office in Fife. An application for a 24/7 licence for Unit 18 at Rosyth Business Centre by Uber Scot Limited was lodged on January...
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Man is charged over historic abuse at school
A man has been charged as part of a police probe into allegations of historic child abuse at a residential school in Fife. The 65-year-old is charged with assaulting children during his time as an employee at Ovenstone School. The alleged crimes...
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Teachers at risk due to ‘unsafe’ staffing levels
Budget cuts in Fife schools are so bad they can’t provide jotters or adequate classroom seating, teachers have claimed. Shocking results from a survey conducted by teachers’ union EIS also found a majority of staff do not think schools in Fife have...
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Raith chief rubbishes administration claim
Raith Rovers director Ruaridh Kilgour has rubbished speculation the club is on the brink of administration, insisting instead the board is “in control of the finances”. In a wide-ranging interview on the club’s TV channel, Kilgour, pictured,...
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Rare sighting of walrus off coast
A walrus made a visit to the coast of Fife in what marine experts have described as a rare sighting. The mammal, pictured, was spotted resting on rocks by a member of the public near Elie. Walruses are an occasional visitor to UK and European shores,...
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Village turning into winter ‘ghost town’
A popular East Neuk village is in danger of becoming a winter ghost town due to the high number of holiday lets, locals have warned. The communities of Elie and Earlsferry have 124 homes with short-term let licences, out of a population of 710...
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Head says sorry for sex offender book decision
The head teacher at the centre of a controversy over pupils being given a book written by a sex offender has apologised for her “poor decision”. Lucy Jess, pictured, faced criticism after a book authored by Eppie Sprung, who had a sexual relationship...
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Call for public input on Fife nuclear subs plan
A formal call for a public consultation on plans to dock nuclear submarines in Rosyth is being made by Fife councillors. Rosyth Dockyard will provide a contingency dock for HMS Dreadnought, the next generation of the UK’s independent nuclear...
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Fire chiefs accused of cover-up amid death probe delays
The widow of a Fife firefighter killed in the Jenners fire three years ago has revealed her children still talk about their dad daily. Barry Martin, of Rosyth, pictured, died on January 28 2023, four days after he was injured while fighting an inferno...
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Fife pupils offered book by teacher in school sex scandal
Fife school staff were “taken aback” after their head teacher, whose husband is a convicted sex attacker, offered a book to pupils written by a struck-off teacher who had sex with a pupil. Wormit and Balmerino primary school teachers have been given...
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Stirling Bull Sales 2026 Junior winner Jets off with champions award
SEE PAGES 32-34
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Ex-teacher guilty of abusing pupils
Saturday, January 31, 2026 Fife edition Rearing to go as bull sale season approaches A former Fife headmaster has been convicted of abusing pupils and causing them “years of hell” as he dished out punishment beatings. Alexander Cameron beat six boys...
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Study into growth of college campus ELMWOOD:
A new study will look into how a Fife college campus could benefit the local community and economy over the next decade. Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has commissioned Sir Ian Boyd to explore growth opportunities in north-east Fife, including at its...
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SNP win Fife by-election as Reform come second
The SNP has secured a third Fife Council by-election victory, with Reform again pushing Labour into third place. Zoe Hisbent took the Glenrothes West and Kinglassie seat, previously held by SNP councillor Julie Ford. It was the third Fife Council...
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Fife villagers’ homes sold cheap as ‘job lot’ WEST WEMYSS:
A tenant facing eviction from his home in a Fife village has revealed the property was sold to private landlords for around a quarter of its value. Gavin Harrower is among dozens in West Wemyss and Denbeath who have been told to leave their homes by...
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Scotscraig challenged by R&A over ‘ancient’ name
The R&A is embroiled in a naming row with the new owners of a Fife golf course over the word “ancient”. St Andrews-based Royal and Ancient has formally opposed the new owners of Tayport’s Scotscraig golf course from registering the company name, The...
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Villagers facing mass eviction ‘nightmare’ Residents informed they must leave by July with landlord selling up
Fife villagers have spoken of their “living nightmare” as they face mass eviction from their homes. Many devastated neighbours in West Wemyss and Denbeath have been told they must leave their homes by July after their private landlord announced it is...
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‘Mad’ rise to rates bills sees businesses suffer FIFE:
Fife business owners have joined forces in a bid to overturn “mad” rates bills that could impact their futures. Gregor Hannah, of Dalgety Bay-based Hannah Whisky Merchants, is fearful he may have to downsize after an “astronomical” rise following a...
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Woman lost 10 stone despite crash injury
A woman who underwent five spinal surgeries after she was left disabled by a car crash has shared her remarkable 10-stone weight-loss journey. Kelly Mcgregor was 23 stone when she started losing weight, but shed more than 63kg over three years and is...
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Landmark contract win for giant Fife wind farm
A giant wind farm off the coast of Fife is closer to becoming a reality after a landmark contract win. Berwick Bank will sit in the outer Firth of Forth and has the potential to create 4,650 jobs and power six million homes through clean energy,...
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Police probe racist posts after MP’ s mosque visit
Police are investigating after racist and threatening posts were left on a Fife MP’s Facebook page following her visit to a mosque. Melanie Ward, pictured, was at Kirkcaldy Islamic Centre on January 2 to show support for the Muslim community after two...
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Rector in vow to ‘fight’ her removal from Fife uni court
St Andrews University’s rector has vowed to “fight” a decision to remove her from the university court after it found she had not followed its governance rules. Stella Maris, pictured, has been removed from her role as court president after the...
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Paramedic injured by teen gang as she helped their friend
A Fife ambulance worker spent months undergoing physiotherapy after being attacked by three teenagers as she attended to their unconscious friend in the street. Gillian Sommerville, a technician at Leven ambulance station, was on a nightshift when she...
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Hockey players enjoy frosty fun on frozen pond
As freezing temperatures hit Tayside people headed out to make the most of the winter weather. Some took advantage of the conditions to have an impromptu game of ice hockey on the Swannie Ponds in Dundee, while others in Kirriemuir and Pitlochry dug...
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Bakery’s £50m turnover gives rise to extra stores
Fife bakery chain Bayne’s has revealed plans to open dozens of new stores over the next decade after taking more than £50 million in sales last year. Bayne’s the Family Bakers, headquartered in Lochore, has expanded its reach across Tayside, Fife and...
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Van driver dies after Fife rural road crash
A 47-year-old man has died after a van crash in north-east Fife. Police were called to the collision involving a white Mercedes Sprinter van and a parked Skoda Fabia on a rural road near Stonywynd, Boarhills, at 5.55pm on New Year’s Day. Emergency...
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Anti-violence plea from ex-hooligan ‘Once you step over into the other side, it never leaves you’
A former football hooligan has warned young fans against getting involved in violence at matches. Andy Blance, pictured, served a five-year jail sentence for mobbing and violence involving Dunfermline casuals in 1990 and a prison term for assaulting...
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Ex-journalist, athlete and MSP dies aged 81
Tributes have been paid to a former Fife MSP, athletics stalwart and Courier journalist following his death aged 81. Andrew Arbuckle MBE passed away peacefully on Christmas Day. Describing him as a fantastic brother, his sister, Gina Logan, said:...
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Council boss’ s tribute to wife after flu death
The leader of Perth and Kinross Council has paid tribute to “the wind beneath his wings” after the death of his wife, aged 62. Following complications brought on by a bout of flu, Elizabeth Drysdale died in Ninewells Hospital on Boxing Day. The...
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Two hospitalised after ‘meat cleaver’ incident
Two men were hospitalised and later charged after an alleged incident involving a meat cleaver at Kirkcaldy Islamic Centre. Police were called around 3pm on Friday to the mosque car park on St Mary’s Road. It is understood that officers recovered a...
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Fife police launch probe after body is found on beach
Police have launched an investigation after a body was found on Kirkcaldy beach. Emergency services, including firefighters and an ambulance, were called to the incident at 11am yesterday. Initially part of the Esplanade was taped off by police, but...
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Fife charity hiker in blizzard drama
A Fife estate agent has battled through a “huge blizzard” to make it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro for charity. Leven-based property expert Jim Parker, 59, pictured, spent seven days climbing Africa’s highest peak for Parkinson’s UK. He “finally...
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Man and dog die in Fife flat fire tragedy
A man and a dog have died after a fire at a flat in Glenrothes. Three fire crews, along with multiple police vehicles and an ambulance, raced to Brodie Court in the Stenton area shortly after 1am on Christmas Eve. The block’s entrance was taped off...
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Judge has to correct 11 mistakes in trans row tribunal ruling
An astonishing 11 new amendments have been made to the ruling in the Sandie Peggie tribunal case, less than two weeks after a bogus quote was removed from it. The Courier exclusively revealed on December 11 how a change had been issued to the 300-page...
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Links trust boss to quit job for new role abroad
St Andrews Links Trust chief executive Neil Coulson has announced his resignation. He will leave the charity in charge of the iconic Old Course next year to take up a role overseas. Mr Coulson, pictured, joined the trust in October 2021 at a...
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Woman arrested after two dead in Fife crash
A second person has died after a twovehicle crash in Fife. Emergency services were called to the B981 between Cluny and the roundabout at Chapel Junction after 11pm on Friday. The collision involved a black Nissan Qashqai and a white Volkswagen...
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Golf degree is world first for Fife college
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) will launch a “world-first” degree in sustainable golf management next year, as the principal seeks to quash “persistent misconceptions” about the campus’s future. Fears the Elmwood campus in Cupar could close have...
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Fife racing prospect is disqualified for 117mph stint on A92
A promising teenage racing driver has been banned from the road after being clocked travelling at almost 120mph through a notorious accident black spot. Jensen Bell, 18, hit 117mph as he drove on the A92 dual carriageway outside Kirkcaldy – almost...
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Rebuke for NHS over lack of transparency in trans row tribunal
Scotland’s information commissioner has stepped in to address “serious, significant, and persistent concerns” over NHS Fife’s transparency procedures. The health board has been placed under a level 4 intervention, the highest available, by Scotland’s...
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Holyrood accused of ‘bulldozing’ Fife planning decisions
The Scottish Government has been accused of “bulldozing” local decision-making in Fife by repeatedly overturning the refusal of planning applications. St Andrews councillor Al Clark spoke out after Kinnettles Hotel set up four 8ft pergolas and a...
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New college campus is ‘tremendous moment’
The opening of a new college campus in Dunfermline has been hailed as a “tremendous” moment for Fife. First Minister John Swinney officially opened Fife College’s £155 million complex yesterday, which is part of the new Dunfermline Learning Campus...
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Tensions rise between university and rector
The rector of St Andrews University spent a meeting wearing earphones and checking her phone in protest over plans she believes diminishes her position, new records show. Stella Maris had her senior powers taken away after backlash to her claims...
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£40m UK cash for Fife communities
Two Fife communities are set to benefit from a UK Government £40 million cash injection. Neighbourhood boards in Methil and Buckhaven and West Fife Villages will decide how to spend the new cash. Both areas will receive £20m over the next 10 years to...
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Nurse to appeal as tribunal decision blunder revealed
Nurse Sandie Peggie broke her silence yesterday as she revealed why she is appealing the judgment in her trans row with NHS Fife – on the day the document was amended to remove a bogus quote. The tribunal judgment, published on Monday, had found that...
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Fife town at war with MoD after footpath refusal
A Fife town has gone to war with the Ministry of Defence over a “petty” decision to refuse permission for a footpath connecting the community with a new high school. Defence bosses are refusing to allow Fife Council to complete a new pedestrian route...
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Woman tried to murder toddler with adult drugs
An “utterly wicked” woman from Fife tried to murder a little girl by feeding her antidepressants and painkillers intended for adults, leaving her on a ventilator. Laura Docherty, 35, is behind bars after being unanimously found guilty of attempted...
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