Thursday 10 December 2009

NEWS: 64-year-old woman seriously ill after crash

By MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
10 December 2009

A WOMAN is in a serious condition in hospital after being hit by a car close to a pedestrian crossing.

The 64-year-old was hit near the pelican crossing on Melville Terrace, close to the junction of Livingstone Place, shortly after 5pm.

The woman was conscious and breathing when paramedics rushed her to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with head and leg injuries. Her condition was said to be serious.

The driver was questioned by police and released.

Police are currently investigating the circumstances of the crash.

One witness, who did not want to be named, said: "The woman didn't cross at the crossing itself, but a few metres up the road after the crossing.

"There are barriers either side of the crossing, and the woman decided to cross to the left of the barrier.

"The car went past the pedestrian crossing and hit her with such force that his windscreen was smashed. The paramedic that tended to her ascertained that she had a fractured skull, and she was taken to the hospital by ambulance."

The entire stretch of Melville Terrace was closed for several hours while police investigated.

Sgt Mark Banner, investigating the incident at the scene last night, said: "The woman's injury is serious and we are therefore treating the incident as serious, which is why we have closed the road and brought out so many officers to investigate.

"We are currently investigating the circumstances of the incident, so we don't yet know if any charges will be brought. All we know at the moment is that there was one car, and one pedestrian involved.

"The driver has been spoken to and released. He has not been arrested."

http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh/64yearold-hit-by-car-seriously.5900132.jp

NEWS: I don't ever want to hear about Go Go Hamsters ever again

By MARK McLAUGHLIN and VICTORIA RAIMES
Edinburgh Evening News
10 December 2009

I don't get it....but then again I'm not 3-years-old

IT'S the must-have toy this Christmas, but you're Go-Going to have to get your skates on to get one.

Jenners has announced it is due to release what is likely to be its final pre-Christmas batch of Go Go Hamsters – the £9.99 surprise hit of the winter – at 9am on Saturday.

With the new stock limited to around two dozen, staff are bracing themselves for chaos and will be operating a strict one-per-person, first-come first-served ticketing system outside the Princes Street store before opening.

A similar system caused arguments at Toys R Us last weekend, with staff reporting abusive complaints from irate customers looking for more than one toy.

Alan Thomlinson, depute store manager at Jenners, said: "We've never had this kind of demand before so we've had to put a ticketing system in place for the first time in the store's history.

"My advice would be to get here early. I wouldn't like to put a time on it, it will be up to the customers to use their judgement as to how early they're willing to queue for these toys.

"There won't be any other fanfare going on that morning. The idea is to get the customers in and out the door as quickly and safely as possible."

With some Edinburgh-based eBay sellers receiving bids upwards of £100 for their hamsters, there is the potential for an early morning bidding war for a place in the queue on Saturday.

Jenners' rival John Lewis has confirmed there will be no more deliveries before Christmas.

Toys R Us in Kinnaird Park had a delivery last Friday and said it may be getting another delivery tomorrow.

A store source said: "This Go Go Hamster business is crazy – it's straight out of the film Jingle All the Way.

"We have people lining up outside the store from 6am and they set out camp with deck chairs and all sorts. We've been handing out tea and coffee to keep them warm.

"As there is such a rush for the hamsters, we are operating a ticket system to make sure everybody is treated fairly. We are only selling one hamster plus one accessory to each person to try and ensure that everybody gets one, although some people are left disappointed.

"A few people become abusive because they want to buy more than one, but most understand."

Parents have clearly not been deterred by a recent health scare sparked by US consumer group Good Guide, which claimed that the fur on one of the rodents contained traces of an arsenic-like chemical beyond permitted levels.

The hamster in question – Mr Squiggles – was cleared by European and US regulators.

Jenners manager George Bell said: "We are aware of the claims that one of the hamsters may be toxic, but the manufacturers said there was no need for a recall as they have passed all the safety standards. We've been assured by the manufacturers that the toys we have for sale are absolutely fine."

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Jenners-gears-up-to-sell.5900138.jp