Plans for a £4m holiday lodge complex next to a Borders hotel are set to create more than a dozen jobs, it has been revealed.

Prestige Hotel Management (PHM) is seeking full planning consent to build 26 lodges in the grounds of its Barony Castle Hotel at Eddleston, north of Peebles, having been granted outline permission last year.

If its current application, submitted this week, is approved, work on the construction of the two-bed lodges could begin as early as May this year.

The lodges are being marketed as “an investment opportunity with guaranteed income return”.

“Expanding our offering in the Borders is an exciting prospect for our group,” said PHM director Richard Spanner.

“We believe investing such a significant sum not only highlights our commitment to the area but also our confidence in the region’s tourism trade.”

The company says the project will create a minimum of 25 jobs during its construction phase and 13 full-time jobs afterwards, taking its payroll from 60 to more than 70.

“This will take the number employed by the hotel to 73 by the end of 2018,” said Mr Spanner.

Also included in the group’s proposal is the refurbishment of a garden cottage in the hotel’s 10.5-hectare grounds and the conversion of a building formerly used as a training and conference centre by the Scottish Ambulance Service into accommodation for up to six hotel staff.

The three-star hotel, in Old Manse Road, was bought by Edinburgh-based PHM from the De Vere group in 2012 and has already undergone a £600,000 redevelopment.

Mr Spanner said the support his company had received from Scottish Borders Council’s Business Gateway service had been crucial in putting that revamp of the hotel, based around the remains of a 16th century tower house also known as Black Barony, into effect.

“The Business Gateway team has been very helpful, and its advice has shaped our business plan,” he said.

“Our adviser has helped us access support to develop our digital marketing strategy to ensure we have a strong online presence.

“Going forward, we will be accessing further guidance regarding staff retention and modern apprenticeships which will further strengthen our local offering.”

East Stirlingshire 3, Gala Fairydean Rovers 0

Back at the beginning of December, these two sides met in the league at Netherdale with the visitors racking up 10 goals in the Fairydean Rovers’ heaviest ever Lowland League defeat.

There was never a chance of a repeat of that scoreline on Saturday at Ochilview, as Steven Noble’s men produced a battling performance which pushed their high-scoring hosts all the way.

Ultimately, it was clinical finishing by the ‘Shire that proved to be the difference in an evenly-matched and entertaining affair. The game remained in the balance until late on, when a couple of contentious decisions went the way of the home side.

Heavy fog had covered Netherdale in that pre-Christmas meeting but it was a red mist that descended over the Gala bench when, late in the match and trailing 2-0, a superb 25-yard Darren Smith strike appeared to get the visitors back in the game.

However, referee David Munro consulted assistant David Doig and the goal was chalked off, as Stuart Noble was considered to be obstructing the goalkeeper’s view in an offside position. Gala’s misery was compounded just minutes later when a penalty on 87 minutes allowed the home side to put the game beyond Steven Noble’s men.

Darren Smith returned to the visitors’ line-up after serving a one-match suspension, while the home side welcomed back the prolific Andy Rodgers, who had missed Shire’s previous home game against Whitehill Wellfare.

The Fairydean Rovers came flying out of the blocks in a bid to regain some pride from the previous encounter. The visitors forced a series of corners with some neat passing play.

On four minutes, Stuart Noble fired narrowly past from a free kick just outside the box and then good link-up play between the former Fulham striker and Lee Stephen forced a corner, from which a Noble turn and shot was saved by home keeper Jamie Barclay.

On 17 minutes, a superb back-heel from Noble played in Sean Paliczka but the former Bonnyrigg man’s shot flew past the post. The home side always looked dangerous on the counter attack and on-loan Rangers keeper Keiran Wright had to be sharp to save from both Grant and Rodgers. As half-time approached, both teams had chances to open the scoring in an end to end encounter.

John Sludden’s side emerged from the break in determined fashion in a bid to score the Shire’s 100th competitive goal of the season. On 47 minutes, a corner from the left was headed across goal by Michael Oliver, knocked on by Brisbane, and then volleyed home in spectacular fashion by Andy Rodgers. It was the former Falkirk man’s 29th goal of the season.

His strike partner David Grant went one better on 62 minutes when he scored his 30th of the campaign following a Jamie Glasgow cross. Grant is the first East Stirlingshire player to reach that milestone since Jackie Cockburn achieved the feat in the 1962-63 season.

Gala continued to create chances and home keeper Barclay made two tremendous saves to deny Ross Aitchison – the first from a back post header and the second from a volley inside the area.

The other loan Ranger at the Netherdale club, Jason Krones, was a stand-out as the visitors tried their best to get back into the game. Smith’s long-range volley on 85 minutes looked to have given Gala a lifeline only for the stand side assistant to rule Noble offside.

Just seconds later, referee Munro pointed to the spot when he judged that either Ross Aitchison or George Windram had fouled Brisbane in the area. Windram appeared to take the ball cleanly, but up stepped Rodgers to complete the scoring.

Steven Noble was proud of his players’ battling performance and bemoaned the two decisions that went against his side.

“I think 3-0 was harsh on us. We matched a very good team and created a number of good chances. When Darren hit the net with five minutes to go, I thought we might have a chance to grab something from the game.

“Fair play to them for taking their chances. They have been the Lowland League’s highest scoring team this season and their quality in front of goal showed. If we can play like that in our remaining league games, I’m sure we will get the results we deserve.”

Gala Fairydean Rovers: K. Wright, S. Bonnington, L. Stephen, J. Krones, G. Windram, B. Miller, S. Pringle, S. Noble, S. Paliczka, R. Aitchison.

Get the lemons, sugar and chocolate sauce in - because pancake day is almost here!

For foodies, it’s undoubtedly one of the best days of the year for a decadent treat - and whether you like them sweet or savoury, we have plenty ideas for you.

This year’s Pancake Day will be celebrated on February 28 – tomorrow! – so make sure you’re ready for action with all of your ingredients, and a spatula at the ready.

Lemon and sugar: A classic combination. Who can fault it?

Chocolate sauce: The perfect choice for a chocoholic - and don’t be skimpy with the portions!

Pizza pancakes: A lighter base, but still packed full of flavour.

Blueberry: Fluff them up with self-raising flour and drown them in syrup.

Red berries and whipped cream: Great for breakfast - or pudding!

Maple syrup and crispy bacon: Get the best of sweet and savoury with this American favourite.

Cinnamon sugar and golden syrup: A sugar overload, maybe. But a good choice? Definitely.

Ham and melted cheese: No sweet tooth? No problem! Make a meal of it with smoked ham and your favourite melty cheese.

Hoisin duck pancakes: Dine out for Shrove Tuesday with this oriental classic.

Crunchy peanut butter and raspberry jam: Pack it full of fillings, fold it over and enjoy!

Chocolate orange: A favourite at Christmas in your stocking - but a great flavour too! Squeeze in some fresh orange juice and you could even top it with chocolate segments.

Cream cheese and red onion: A proper adult pancake. Enjoy!

The £31.4 million pound Selkirk Flood Protection Scheme was officially opened this week, ten years after planning first began.

Scottish environment minister Roseanna Cunningham and Scottish Borders Council leader, David Parker, unveiled the scheme on Monday, February 27 at 11am at the town’s Bannerfield Plaza next to the new Bridge Street footpath.

They were joined by primary school pupils from across Selkirk who opened the ceremony with a rendition of Singing in the Rain. The schoolchildren later buried a time capsule at the site.

The £31.4m scheme will protect 600 properties and will include 3.4km of walls and embankments from the Ettrick and Yarrow confluence all the way up to the Oregon Timber building at Dunsdalehaugh.

Ms Cunningham said: “Flooding can have devastating consequences for individuals, businesses and communities and that is why we are working with partners and investing in schemes to protect against flooding.

“The opening of this new scheme is good news for Selkirk and will provide lasting protection for around 600 properties against the sort of flooding that has affected this area.

“We are committed to reducing flood risk across Scotland. We will continue to make available £42million a year to fund important new projects to protect communities most at risk from flooding.”

More than 150 people worked on the scheme at its peak, with around half being Borders residents.

Mr Parker told the crowd: “It is a real pleasure and honour to be here along with the minister Roseanna Cunningham to open the long awaited Flood Protection Scheme. Just to give you and idea of how important the scheme is, on Saturday the scheme stopped the Long Philip Burn from flooding.

“I must say thank you to RJ McLeod who have worked tremendously hard. Thanks to our design team CH2M, who are a very important team which has been with us from the start and who did some tremendous design work.”

He added: “This is a momentous day for Selkirk.

“Around 600 homes and businesses now have protection from major flood events thanks to the Selkirk Flood Protection Scheme, the largest project of its kind delivered by Scottish Borders Council.

“We must thank the Scottish Government for their support of this project, which we believe will encourage business growth and employment, as well as provide protection to people’s homes from major flood events.

“The Council will continue to take forward the Hawick Flood Protection Scheme with the aim of providing similar protection to its residents and businesses.”

“The opening of this new scheme is good news for Selkirk and will provide lasting protection for around 600 properties against the sort of flooding that has affected this area.

“We are committed to reducing flood risk across Scotland. We will continue to make available £42 million a year to fund important new projects to protect communities most at risk from flooding.”

Calum Kerr, MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, also attended the event. He told The Southern: “There’s been a fantastic turn out here today.

“These projects cost a huge amount of money and the difference they make to a town is massive. As we heard, just this weekend we know parts of Selkirk would have flooded and we know that would have caused massive damage.

Councillor Gordon Edgar, the council’s executive member for roads and infrastructure, added: “Selkirk’s history is entwined with the rivers, burns and waters which surround it.

“They have provided the town with work through the mills but also created havoc, from the flood of 1977 which brought down the Auld Stane Brig, to the floods of 2003 and 2004 which devastated Bannerfield and Philiphaugh in particular.

“All flood schemes take a long time to plan, design and then build, but I am delighted Selkirk now has a completed scheme which will protect homes and make it easier for businesses in the Riverside area to secure flood insurance.

“We hope this will lead to the regeneration of the area and encourage the creation of jobs.”

“It’s fantastic to see it all finished and now we hope to see something like this soon for Hawick.”

A public art exhibition was also held to coincide with the opening as part of the scheme’s community benefits programme.

13 proposals were on display at Philiphaugh Community Centre between 1pm and 5pm on Monday, Febuary 27, and on Tuesday, February 28 between 11am and 5pm.

11 artists have been competing to secure a commission of more than £30,000 for one of three being installations at spots close to the Riverside and Long Philip Burn footpath network.

The Southern Reporter’s Facebook page has a collection of short videos about some of the proposed artworks. These can be viewed at www.facebook.com/TheSouthernReporter.

Two sections of the A7 route through the Borders are to be closed for a total of five days for roadworks near Heriot later this month.

A three-day closure at Crookston, south of Heriot, will begin on Monday, March 20, and last until until Wednesday of that week.

That will be followed by a two-day closure south of the village at Falahill on Thursday, March 23, and Friday, March 24.

Both closures will run from 9am to 4pm daily, with no access available to local traffic for along the stretches of road affected, although buses will be allowed through the Falahill works.

The closure at Crookston, from the B6358 junction at Gilston south to Hazelbank Quarry at Fountainhall, is to allow resurfacing works to be carried out.

During the three-day closure, the X95 bus service will operate via the A68, with a shuttle bus taking passengers from Heriot to Tynehead and Fountainhall to Galashiels.

X95 buses will be allowed through the later improvement works south of Heriot, from the bus stop at Falahill to the Midlothian boundary, however.

A speed limit of 30mph will be in force along a one-mile stretch of the A7 at Crookston from Monday, March 6, to Wednesday, March 22, to accommodate preparatory works ahead of the resurfacing scheme.

There will be further improvements to the A7 at Torsonce, south of Stow, in early May, with more details to follow nearer the time.

Selkirkshire councillor Gordon Edgar, Scottish Borders Council’s executive member for roads and infrastructure, said: “The A7 is one of the busiest roads in the Borders, with around 5,400 vehicles passing this section daily.

“The closures are unfortunately unavoidable for these works, but efforts have been made to minimise the disruption, and they will result in an improved road surface at these sections.”

“The council is committed to maintaining its road network as best as it can, with an additional £2.4m provided in September 2016 to spend on roads and bridges in 2016-17 and an extra £15.6m over 10 years for essential works to roads and key bridges announced as part of the council budget in February.”

More information is available at www.scotborders.gov.uk/roadworks

Transport chiefs and campaigners have defended the Borders Railway following criticism that short-term thinking during its planning could hamper its potential for future expansion.

Independent think-tank Reform Scotland has hit out at cost-cutting compromises made during the building of the £350m Edinburgh Tweedbank track, saying that they will either end up costing taxpayers more in the long run or making any extension to Hawick or further south to England unviable.

In written evidence submitted to Transport Scotland’s rail infrastructure strategy consultation, Reform Scotland advisory board member Tom Harris, a former UK Government transport minister, slams the infrastructure choices made during the creation of the Borders Railway as short-sighted because it is not electrified and is mostly single-track, with bridges not built to accommodate any expansion to double-track capacity in future.

Mr Harris, a Labour MP for Glasgow South from 2001 to 2015, said: “We are in danger of missing the bigger picture when it comes to discussing rail in Scotland.

“What we actually need is an injection of some creative, strategic thinking so that we can give the Scottish people a rail system built for the future and one to be proud of.

“Reform Scotland believes that the Scottish Government should create a Scottish rail infrastructure commission to examine what ambitious, transformational projects and new railway lines we need to boost the Scottish economy and transform our connectivity as a nation.

“The Borders Railway showed us that there is an appetite for new railways in Scotland, but it also showed us that our thinking is too small and our planning too short-term.

“That ship has now sailed, but we must learn the lessons from it – think big, and plan long – and that is why the need for a commission is now critical.”

South of Scotland Coservative list MSP Rachael Hamilton has backed up that criticism, saying: “The Borders Railway has proven to be a success, but that success should not be limited – it should be boundless.

“Unfortunately, it appears the Scottish Government’s short-sighted view will mean Borders Railway’s full opportunity won’t be fully realised.

“We need to give the Borders Railway the support it needs and ensure it spreads more positive benefits to the Borders and to Midlothian.”

A Scottish Government spokesman defended the new railway, however, saying: “We were always confident that, in time, it would deliver major economic opportunities and attract new investment, so it is pleasing to see strong evidence that visits and spending are up significantly as a direct result of the new railway.

“With more than 1.2m passenger journeys in its first year alone, additional seats on peak-time services and more improvements and initiatives in the pipeline, we look forward to seeing even more investment and interest in the months and years ahead.

“We are grateful to Reform Scotland for its comments, as we are to all respondents to our consultation on our future investment strategy for Scotland’s railways. The think-tank has raised issues about structure and vision.

“While there will be different views on structures to realise the vision for Scotland’s railways, it is clear that the ambitions for our railway to be a driver of economic growth and a positive, integral part of our social fabric is an ambition that is shared right across Scotland.”

The Campaign for Borders Rail also believes that the opening of the 30-mile track in September 2015 should be hailed as a success story rather than lamented as an opportunity not fully exploited.

Group chairman Allan McLean said: “The most important fact is that there is a Borders Railway, which was built in the face of opposition.

“That railway has successfully attracted large numbers of people.

“What needs to happen now is that this success is built on by enhancing the existing railway and by extending it to serve more communities directly.

“Taking trains back though Hawick to and from England by Carlisle for the first time since 1969 would be wonderful.

“Galashiels has had trains again since 2015. Hawick deserves trains too.”

The long trip north to Lossiemouth was well worth it for two Roxburgh Reivers Orienteering Club members who became Scottish Sprint champions in their age categories.

Douglas Henderson from Corbridge retained his M65 title from last year, while Ian Maxwell, of Jedburgh won back the M55 title that he held in 2015.

The championship consisted of two sprint races, both of which included urban and forest terrain, with the times added together to determine the winners.

Douglas, pictured right, hopes to continue this good form when, along with several other Reivers, he travels to New Zealand in April to take part in the World Masters Orienteering Championships.

It is one of the largest film franchises to come out of Hollywood in modern times, encompassing 14 films and grossing more than $300m at the box office.

And now, some local budding acting talent is set to join the likes of Thor, Iron Man and Star Lord in the two new Avengers movies set to film in Edinburgh - with no superpowers required.

A casting call for the latest installment of the superhero franchise, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, as well as an “untitled Avengers sequel,” was sent out over the weekend with extras sought in the capital for filming later in the spring.

Producers are seeking potential extras aged between 16 and 90 who have “easy access to Edinburgh or the surrounding areas for filming.”

However with no experience necessary to land the role, the floodgates are open for any budding stars of the big screen to join the likes of Chris Hemsworth and Benedict Cumberbatch in the 15th installment of the Marvel cinematic universe.

Scenes are also set to be filmed in London, with male amputees aged 30-40 and men and women under 4’9 required for shoots in March and May.

Karen Aitcheson from West Linton has been named as the winner of a new ‘Young Sheep Dog Handler Award’.

She was presented with her award at a showcase event held at Carcant Farm, Heriot, and was chosen for the award because of her natural aptitude, insight and feel for dog handling.

Karen, aged 22, works as a veterinary nurse at Greenside Vets, St Boswells, and has always wanted to learn how to work a sheepdog having watched her father compete for many years at the Scottish National. Karen will continue to develop her skills with her dog Beth over the summer with a view to competing in the Lanark, Lothians and Peebles Novice League in the autumn and winter series.

Karen said: “I am delighted to have been given this award and I have also learnt so much from the training about how to handle the natural abilities of the dogs as well as gaining a great deal of confidence from the supportive atmosphere. One aspect I valued was learning how to use the dog’s initiative rather than training it to wait for a command.”

There were two runners-up for the Award - Fraser Murray and and Sion Morgan.

Fraser, originally from the Highlands, works as a stockman/shepherd for Hamish Dykes at South Slipperfield, West Linton. During the training he faced the challenge of learning how to train and develop his adolescent dog, Rex, on sheep, and considerably progressed his skills in a way that should enable him to compete in future.

Sion is originally from Wales, but after a year shepherding in New Zealand is now the shepherd working for Jim Logan at Pirntaton, Fountainhall, Galashiels. Sion started his trialling career this autumn and has been very successful, winning novice trials at Roslin and Abington with his bitch Jill, and at Walkerburn with his dog Fred.

Karen, Fraser and Sion each received a specially crafted and engraved whistle from Logan Whistles and a commemorative certificate and citation recording their talents and progress.

The new Young Handler Award has been created at the Lanark, Lothians and Peebles Sheep Dog Trials League thanks to the generosity of Suffolk farmer Stephen Cobbald. Mr Cobbald has donated £12,500 over a ten-year period to provide training for young handlers in the region in memory of his daughter, Charlotte, who died tragically at the age of 17 in 2014.

Charlotte and her father competed and trained in the Lanark, Lothians and Peebles Sheep Dog League and regarded the area as their second home.

Applications from youngsters in the Lanark, Lothians and Peebles area to take part in the 2017/18 training should be made to Julie Hill in an email detailing the applicant’s past experience and future goals.

Over 120 children in 20 teams turned up last Sunday morning for the Tweedbank Participation Centre Festival, run by Borders Hockey Development.

They were enthusiastically supported by their coaches, parent helpers, volunteers and many parents who braved the worsening weather conditions throughout the morning to ensure the event was a huge success.

Young enthusiasts aged eight to 12, from Fjordhus Reivers Earlston, Fjordhus Reivers Hawick, KYDS Berwickshire, Selkirk minis, Fjordhus Reivers Jedburgh, and Kelso minis, were playing in competitive matches and taking the opportunity to demonstrate the learning which has been going on in their respective Participation centres.

Borders hockey is currently thriving at all ages and stages, and Borders Hockey Development officer Janet Jack explained: “It is an exciting time for hockey in the region and I feel privileged to be involved in this upsurge and regeneration in the sport at every level.”

Some excellent hockey was on show at the Festival, but just as important was the sense of team spirit, fun and good sportsmanship.

Janet added: “It was a tremendous morning of U12 hockey.

“There was loads of support and it was lots of fun – even in the driving rain.”

Pictures, by Jonathan Noble, show the young hockey devotees in action.

Saturday racing is back at Kelso this weekend h a meeting renowned as the best Aintree Grand National Trial in the UK.

It has yielded three winners in recent years – and the gates open on March 4 at 12.15pm, with the first race due off at 2.15pm.

The Tote sponsors the feature races of the day, the Premier Hurdle and the Premier Chase, both of which have attracted very competitive fields.

The 2m 7½ f totepoolliveinfo.com Premier Chase, with £33,000 total prize money, sees local trainers Sandy Forster, Sandy Thomson and Nicky Richard put their hats in the ring against the southern raiders of Venetia Williams’ Tenor Nivernais and Paul Nicholls’ two entries, Le Mercurey and Vivaldi Collonges.

The 2m2f totescoop6 Premier Hurdle, with a prize fund of £38,000, is Kelso’s richest Novice Hurdle and is more of a trial for the Glenlivet Hurdle at Aintree than for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Fred Done, Betfred and the Tote jointly sponsor more races and put more money back in to racing than any other sponsor in the UK. Paul Nicholls heads the 14 entries, with Capitaine and Persian Deilight, both top weight, and it’s sure to be an exciting contest.

The Alexander Family, from Kinneston in Fife, have long been associated with the Racecourse at Kelso, with Nick’s father Cyril being one of the earliest sponsors and benefactors of the track.

With Nick now training and Lucy and Kit riding so well, the whole family is deeply involved in the grass roots of National Hunt Racing in Scotland. This 2m 1f Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase sees three entries in Clan Legend, Road to Gold and Buffalo Ballet, from the Kinneston yard, in a bid to return the prize money to Fife.

The first race on the card is sponsored by Terry Frame, the well-known local joiner from Kelso, who always has a good party for this race meeting. He has very generously sponsored the 2m Novices’ Hurdle and is well rewarded with an entry on 19.

Reivers Lad, winner for Kelso owner John Stenhouse at the last meeting, is heading back to the Borders track and is hopeful of claiming the top prize for the second time.

Another very long-standing sponsor at Kelso is Garry Mansell, of Premier Traffic Management, who always brings up a large party from his base in County Durham, and the 2m 5f Handicap Chase is set to be a very competitive race with an impressive 21 entries.

The Thomson family from Trabrown Hill, Lauder, return to sponsor the concluding race on the card, the 2m6½f Carnacrack Handicap Hurdle, off at 5.10pm. Simon Waugh is looking to run Total Assets, who romped to victory at Kelso back in December, for the Northumberland Racing Club.

The next meeting at Kelso will be Party In The Paddock on Saturday, March 25. Gates will open at 12.05pm and the first race off is due off at 2.05pm. Tickets can be booked online at www.kelso-races.co.uk while there’s also the chance of an advanced booking discount.

Parents could fall foul of new car seat regulations coming into force in the UK because of confusion surrounds what the law actually is.

The rules brought in across the European Union change how backless booster seats are made. The new regulations state that manufacturers are not allowed to introduce new models of backless booster seats for children shorter than 125cm or weighing less than 22kg.

The change does not affect existing models of seats or cushions and does not mean that they are unsafe or illegal, but parents are being urged by the Department for Transport to know the rules for children in cars.

Existing legislation also states that, ‘Children must normally use a child car seat until they’re 12 years old or 135 centimetres tall, whichever comes first’ and that all ‘children over 12 or more than 135cm tall must wear a seat belt’.

But research carried out by toy retailer Smyths has found that 31 per cent of parents are completely unaware that a change in the law is being introduced, while 50 per cent know of the change but are unaware of what the changes are.

More than 34 per cent of parents believe the change in regulation relates to babies only and means that they are not allowed in a forward-facing seat until they are 15 months olds and one in 10 thought the law was being amended so that booster seats must be professionally installed by a retailer as of today (March 1).

The new legislation is widely available online but 69 per cent of parents said it is hard to access the correct information about car seat safety regulations and that they are unaware of where to look with 78 per cent saying that the current car seat regulations are confusing for parents.

Kevin Clinton, the Head of Road Safety at The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA), said that parents not knowing the law correctly can cause “chaos”.

He said: “Car seat confusion can cause chaos, especially when it is amended, but it is important that the Government, car seat and vehicle manufacturers and indeed parents, all move with the times as and when improvements to safety can be implemented.”

Sinead Byrne, joint head of marketing at Smyths Toys Superstores agreed that legislation can be complex and that if you do not have the internet it can be difficult to access.

She said: “All of our retail assistants will be on-hand ready to advise on the changes from today and to help parents selecting car seats for their children.”

The inquest into the death of British holidaymakers killed in the Tunisia beach massacre has cleared travel firms of neglect.

However, the coroner slammed the police handling of the attack as “at best shambolic and at worst cowardly”.

Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith refused to accept the neglect submission raised by families of the victims, who included Scottish couples Jim and Ann McQuire from Cumbernauld and Billy and Lisa Graham from Perthshire.

At the London inquest, which opened last month, Thomson and First Choice parent company TUI were accused of failing to ensure security at the Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel was up to standard prior to June 26, 2015, when lone gunman Seifeddine Rezgui murdered 38 people before being shot by police.

Howard Stevens QC, counsel for TUI, argued that his client had acted in line with other tour operators in sending people to Tunisia and in accordance with advice from the Foreign Office.

A verdict of unlawful killing was delivered yesterday (Tuesday).

The judge considered the police response inadequate after hearing how officers ran away as Rezgui fired bullets and threw grenades at holidaymakers in an hour-long killing spree before being gunned down himself.

The coroner told families pushing the negligence claims that the law did not cover tourists on holiday and applied only where someone had a duty of care towards another person due to their age, health or incarceration, and not people who voluntarily went on holiday.

The Tunisia beach massacre was the deadliest attack on British citizens since the London bombings of July 7, 2005.

Since the attack, security at Tunisian resorts has improved significantly.

However, the current travel advisory information from the Foreign Office is that further terror incidents are highly likely, and it warns against all but essential travel.

Bedecked in a black cloak, wide-brimmed hat and a fearsome black rubber crow’s beak, the Crowman delves into his ancient Gladstone bag.

Meant to resemble a historic plague doctor, the slightly troubling figure brings out one of three top-quality gins brought to the market by a Kelso company which has won the race to be the first to distill gin in the Borders for 180 years.

And, despite the outlandish marketing ploy, directors of the Kelso Gin Company – Rob Armstrong and Simon Rutherford – insist their products have more to offer than a quirky selling point.

According to the man in the mask – and the distilling genius behind the gins – Andrew Crow, it all comes down to how it is produced – by using only the “heart” of the gin.

Andrew told us: “We work with organic grain spirit and do everything by hand.

“The slower the process, the more copper it touches, the better, the smoother the drink.

“We were at the pub in Ancrum yesterday, and they haven’t sold another gin, once they stocked the Crowman.”

However, with such a slow process, the amount of gin the company can produce is limited.

“It takes us 24 hours to produce 60 bottles, so we are looking to purchase two more stills so we can get the three flavours going at once.”

Mr Armstrong said: “We triple-distill, and we don’t put the head and tails – the impure cast-off – back through the process.

“You get a smooth, creamy gin, which you can drink on its own like a malt whisky.

“Most other gin companies reuse the head and tails for so-called botanical gins. They are unpleasant to smell, and have more of an ethanol flavour. It has come as a bit of a surprise to us that we have created something so lovely.”

The gins – at £39.50 per bottle – can be bought online or from several outlets locally.

Visit www.thekelsogincompany.com for more details.

Cash-strapped NHS Borders is set to receive an additional £2.9million in the coming financial year as the local health board faces further reform.

The increase represents an uplift of 1.5%, bringing the board’s overall funding to £196.8m.

The uplift includes £2.1 million for investment in social care as part of the on-going integration of health and social care. In addition, NHS Borders will receive a share of £128million to help support delivery of service reform.

This extra funding will support the redesign of services so the NHS can meet the challenges of an ageing population.

Health secretary Shona Robison said: “This settlement represents a substantial additional investment in health services for the people served by NHS Borders.

“It reflects the Scottish Government’s commitment to continue to support our NHS with record levels of investment.

“However, I am also clear that this investment must be accompanied with service reform. We recognise that our growing elderly population means that we need to shift the focus of care towards the community, and that is what we’ll continue to do.

“It is nearly one year since we integrated health and social care across Scotland. This reform will enable us to support more people to remain independent for as long as possible, and receive care in the community rather than in hospital.

“Over the coming months we will be working with all health boards to help them develop sustainable financial plans for this year and beyond.

“Together, we will ensure that this investment delivers better care, better services and better value.”

As to how it will use the money, NHS Borders has indicated patient safety will be its top priority when setting in place its financial plan.

The spokesman said: “NHS Borders will present a detailed financial plan for 2017/18 to the board at its meeting on April 6.

“The board’s approach to the financial plan is based on the principles of patient safety as our number one priority, and budgets being set and resources being provided based on the funding available.

“This approach recognises the board’s role in relation to the provision of resources to the Integration Joint Board, and shifting the focus of care to looking after people as close to home as possible. In addition the board needs to recognise a number of costs pressures for the forthcoming financial year which include a pay uplift, the introduction of an apprenticeship levy and national and regional service developments.

“Our focus will continue to be on the delivery of high quality and safe services to people across the Borders.”

A new walking football squad may be kicking off in Hawick, after it staged a warm-up meeting last week.

The line-up attracted a handful of interested would-be players – including a husband and wife partnership – and organisers are hoping word of mouth will attract a few more. The team, founded by Rob Hale, is holding meetings at the Old Baths in Hawick on Tuesday afternoons over the next eight weeks, and hopes to get a core group of around 12-14 players. Posters are also going up to promote the new Hawick team, as well as other walking football squads in Alnwick, Newcastleton, Kelso, Gala, and elsewhere.

If the idea really takes off, then some local players could even figure in a Borders team, as part of a Scotland league.

You don’t need to have past experience as a player – or even a spectator – to take part in walking football. It’s a friendly, very enjoyable form of exercise and all-inclusive social fun. “It’s about exercising and having good fun, although it’s not just an amble,” explained Rob. “There’s a mix of ages, a mix of abilities – and some disabilities – and it’s not a heavily physical sport. It’s accessible to a wide-ranging group of people from around 50 through to their 80s and it is good for social contact.” If you’re interested, contact Rob Hale on 0145 036 3730.

Plans to regenerate the region’s town centres will be discussed by members of Scottish Borders Council’s executive committee on Tuesday, March 7.

In October 2016 the council agreed to establish the rolling three-year plan, which targets resources, actions and key projects in a selection of priority towns, identified through the Council’s Town Centre Index, which draws together a wide range of statistics.

The proposed 2017/18 plan looks to focus on Hawick, Jedburgh, Eyemouth, Galashiels and Selkirk. The plan will be agreed on an annual basis.

Councillor Stuart Bell, SBC’s executive member for economic development, said: “This is a new approach for the council and proposes the use of targeted resources and partnership working to deliver focused regeneration activities in our towns in greatest need of intervention and investment.

“The actions and projects proposed would have significant economic impacts or wider benefits in the respective town centres and at this time are targeting empty properties, key site development, marketing, event and tourism development, inward investment and business support.

“While we are initially proposing to focus on five priority towns, the action plan is adaptable and we will seek to take advantage of new opportunities wherever they may arise and where a positive economic impact can be achieved.”

The proposed actions include the following.

Hawick

● Inward investment marketing pilot.

● Development of modern business space in the town centre.

● Development of a Townscape Heritage bid and Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) bid.

Jedburgh

● £1.3m CARS programme – following successful bid (see below).

● Town centre marketing support.

Eyemouth

● Town centre regeneration programme, including progress and implement Eyemouth Harbour Road Masterplan.

● Town centre review with local community and partners.

Galashiels

● Inward investment marketing pilot.

● Burgh Yard development.

● Borders Railway Ambassadors project.

● Support Galashiels Business Improvement District Scotland (BIDS) proposals (see below).

● Masterplanning for town centre.

Selkirk

● Deliver streetscape works.

● Progress Sir Walter Scott Courthouse project.

● Support Selkirk BIDS proposals.

Councillor Bell added: “These are just a few of the ways in which the council will support these town centres, with a range of other community planning partnership regeneration activity and investment also taking place.”

Energise Galashiels, in partnership with Galashiels Chamber of Trade has announced £55,000 funding has been secured to develop a town centre Business Improvement District (BID) plan for the town.

The initial funding has come from BIDs Scotland, Scottish Borders Council, Borders Railway Blueprint Fund and contributions from the private sector.

It’s hoped the BID will help town centre businesses take control and responsibility for developing and improving the area, with the potential of generating in the region of £750,000 over the five-year term.

The team is currently advertising for a project manager to work with the steering group in developing the business plan – for more details, email galashielsbid@mail.com

Craig Murray, chairman of the Galashiels BID steering group, said: “The idea of developing a BID in Galashiels is very exciting.

“With support from BIDs Scotland and Scottish Borders Council we have an amazing opportunity to enhance Galashiels as the capital of the Borders.

“The BID model gives business owners much more control over the future of the town centre.

“With council budgets under increasing pressure we, as business leaders, must step up and take responsibility for our town centre. We can no longer expect SBC to always have funds available for our town centre.

“Increased footfall in the town centre benefits us all.”

Jedburgh is one of seven communities across Scotland to benefit from this week’s £6.2m Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) funding by Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

The Borders town is to receive £866,500 as part of the seventh round of CARS funding – and it will be joined by £150,000 from the Scottish Borders Council revenue budget and £50,000 from the capital budget, as well as private sector contributions of £260,500 to total £1,327,000 of funding.

The proposed scheme aims to make Jedburgh a more attractive town to visit as the ‘Historic Gateway to Scotland’, and build on the heritage and local attractions, including Jedburgh Abbey and a proposed new distillery to the south.

Councillor Ron Smith, SBC’s executive member for planning and environment, welcomed the funding.

He said: “Following significant work by a range of council officers in a variety of services, and through community engagement with key local partners in the town, we are delighted to have been awarded this funding.

“As we continue to see in Selkirk, the CARS funding can help in a range of ways, from improving the historic town centre to bringing experts in to assist property owners and the engagement of young people through education programmes.

“I very much look forward to the Jedburgh scheme progressing with similar success.”

Alex Paterson, chief executive of HES, announced the move this week, saying: “The funding will enable seven more communities up and down the country to breathe new life into their historic town centres, encouraging further investment, creating new employment opportunities, and boosting the local tourism industry.

“We’ve seen how successful this approach can be in previous schemes across the UK, and I’m looking forward to seeing the results for Jedburgh.

Executive member for economic development, Councillor Stuart Bell, said: “Many of our town centres are facing real challenges and we know Jedburgh has issues in terms of deteriorating buildings, increasing vacancy rates and declining footfall. So we are delighted this funding will begin to help address some of these issues and act as a catalyst for regeneration in the town”.

He continued: “I would encourage local businesses and community groups to continue to work with us to make Jedburgh a really welcoming attractive destination for visitors, particularly for those coming over the border.”

In a joint statement, local ward members Councillors Jim Brown, Rory Stewart and Sandy Scott said: “We are delighted Jedburgh has been successful in gaining this vital CARS funding, which we believe will help start a turnaround in fortunes for our historic town.

“There is much work ahead, both for the council and its community partners, but it is extremely fitting that this funding has been awarded to Jedburgh in the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.”

CARS specifically targets conservation areas with social or economic disadvantages that make it difficult to attract investment in sustainable regeneration.

The scheme assists these areas through channelling funding towards opportunities to enhance sustainable economic growth and help support projects that develop an area’s sense of place.

The scheme is open to Local and National Park Authorities, community groups and other third sector organisations delivering multi-funded projects.

Funding can be utilised for a number of purposes, from priority repairs and small grants to homeowners and retailers, to providing traditional craft training opportunities.

A watchdog has rejected a complaint levelled against NHS Borders by a male patient regarding the care and treatment he received during a number of admissions to the Borders General Hospital.

However, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) has, after an investigation, urged the local health board to ensure that medical records reflect discussions with patients over treatment options.

In the background to last week’s decision, the SPSO explains that the patient (referred to as Mr C) was concerned that, given previous surgery, he should not have been offered ERCP – a procedure which uses a flexible tube to examine the bile duct, located in the small intestine.

“Mr C complained the ERCP was not carried out in an appropriate manner and led to the need for further surgery and treatment which were also not carried out in a reasonable manner,” states the watchdog.

“We took independent advice from a consultant general surgeon. The advice we received was that the care and treatment provided to Mr C was appropriate and reasonable.

“Mr C suffered a number of recognised complications following what the adviser considered was a reasonable decision to offer him ERCP. The advice we received was that the clinical management decisions made in his care and treatment were in accordance with accepted good practice.”

The patient also alleged he was not given “appropriate information” on what would happen if a procedure to drain his bile duct was unsuccessful.

“We found that the medical records did not detail any discussion held with Mr C about alternatives to ERCP and failed to detail what advice he was given,” states the SPSO. “We therefore upheld this aspect of the complaint.”

A spokesperson for NHS Borders told The Southern: “While the SPSO did not uphold this complaint [over care and treatment], we have taken learning from this case which has been used by our clinical team to make improvements to the information provided for our patients.

“We are also making changes to the way discussions about treatment options are recorded.”