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Daily Record
3 days ago
- Daily Record
Scots lawyer charged with child abuse appeared on TV as 'legal expert'
Attendees only discovered his conviction via an internet search after he became embroiled in a heated debate with Mike Pilbeam, a former McClure's client and lead campaigner on the issue. A paedophile lawyer appeared on TV as a legal 'expert' despite being charged with child abuse. Alan Eccles was handed 300 hours of community service after he admitted taking part in sick conversations about child sex abuse online and sharing images of youngsters. But despite having already appeared in court charged with the offences, Eccles, 44, appeared on a TV programme in April about a Scottish law firm's closure as an 'expert in setting up trusts'. And even days after his guilty plea, brazen Eccles attended a community meeting about the collapse of McClure solicitors with former clients and MPs. Attendees only discovered his conviction via an internet search after he became embroiled in a heated debate with Mike Pilbeam, a former McClure's client and lead campaigner on the issue, who had set up the meeting to help those affected. Pilbeam said: 'There were a number of individuals who had used Alan Eccles at the meeting and had a degree of sympathy with him over the altercation. 'But when one member Googled him the following day and saw the report about the charges he had faced and his guilty plea, that sympathy disappeared.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Thousands of people say they had family trusts which they didn't know about and have had to pay extortionate fees to wrestle ownership of their homes from McClure's trustees. On the programme, which aired on April 4, Eccles spoke extensively about how he had helped dozens of former clients of McClure solicitors, which shut down in 2021. The community meeting took place on May 9 in the south side of Glasgow. The Sunday Mail previously revealed Eccles worked for the Scottish Youth Parliament during a time when the organisation was accused of mishandling complaints about child sexual harassment. SYP said he had no involvement in the probe into handling of complaints.
Daily Record
7 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Green light for Flamingo Land resort in Loch Lomond 'would make locals leave in droves'
Community activists told the Sunday Mail of their relief after SNP ministers dramatically recalled the controversial £43.5million plans. Locals would leave in droves if 'nightmare' Flamingo Land holiday resort in Loch Lomond ever got the green light, campaigners have warned. Community activists told the Sunday Mail of their relief after SNP ministers dramatically recalled the controversial £43.5million plans for a waterpark, monorail, hotels, 104 chalets and more in Balloch on Tuesday. The Scottish Government had faced widespread condemnation over an initial decision by its Reporter – a civil servant who reviews planning appeals – to back the mega resort. That would have reversed a unanimous rejection of the bid by the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority in September. The Nationalist government's subsequent U-turn came on the eve of a potentially embarrassing Holyrood vote on the issue tabled by Labour's Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie – which ministers would have almost certainly lost. Balloch and Haldane community councillor Lynne Somerville said of the decision: 'I think there was a collective sigh of relief. 'There's a real fear here. People are talking about selling their homes and moving [if the development goes ahead. 'That's the people who are in a position to be able to do that. There's lots of us that aren't in that position. 'It's just going to make this place hell on Earth for the locals, so there's a real dread hanging over the community.' When she heard SNP minister Ivan McKee was 'calling in' the appeal for further consideration, Lynne says she was in a spin class. She said: 'My phone started pinging then I was punching in the air, screaming in delight and then I burst out crying.' The Lomond Banks development from Yorkshire-based theme park operator Flamingo Land would see a water park, a monorail, micro-brewery, two hotels, restaurants, shops and more than 100 woodland lodges built across the sprawling site. But critics say it would scar the iconic landscape of Loch Lomond, while adding to problems on the already congested A82, an accident hotspot. Independent councillor Jim Bollan, who opposes the Flamingo Land bid, said he was still wary SNP chiefs could green-light the resort despite more than 155,000 people signing a Scottish Greens petition against the plans. The Leven councillor said: 'The fortunate thing is we've got the Scottish Parliament elections coming up in May next year. I'm sure that'll be weighing heavy on the government. 'This has been going on for 10 years now and it has been a rollercoaster, back and forward. I think we're at the last hurdle and I genuinely hope they'll make the right decision. 'If the SNP government doesn't listen to 155,000 people who objected to this, they will suffer dearly at the ballot box.' He also criticised the Scottish Government Reporter's 'absolutely incredible' initial judgment to back Flamingo Land's appeal, claiming the civil servant had ignored key arguments against on conservation grounds and on flood risk, which was flagged by watchdog SEPA. Jim added: 'It's so undemocratic the way the system is laid out to allow one individual to overturn a unanimous decision by the planning authority.' Both campaigners – who sit on the board of the new Loch Lomond South Community Trust which wants to buy the land back for the community – separately raised the issues on the A82. Lynne said: 'That road is often like being in a car park. When you see the A82 blocked up and you see ambulances trying to get through, you get concerned and hope whoever is in that ambulance doesn't need serious emergency treatment that can't be dealt with in the ambulance.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Jim said: 'It would take millions to make sure the A82 was in such a condition it could take the extra 250 vehicles every hour expected at peak times. 'And sadly, there isn't a week that goes by without a fatality on that road.' The Scottish Government said because the planning appeal is live, it couldn't comment on specifics of the case. SNP Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee said: 'I have decided to recall the Lomond Banks appeal as the proposed development raises issues of national significance in view of its potential impact on Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.' Flamingo Land's developers Lomond Banks were approached for comment.
Daily Mirror
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Snoop Dogg says emotional goodbye to beloved family member after tragedy
Snoop Dogg, who won an American Music Award for Favourite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and a Primetime Emmy Award more recently, shared two videos on Instagram, writing he misses his French bulldog Juelz Snoop Dogg's beloved dog - given to him as a birthday gift from Wiz Khalifa - has died. The rapper expressed his sadness in two Instagram videos following the loss of French bulldog Juelz. Wiz Khalifa gave his friend the pooch in 2014 as a present for his 43rd birthday. But in a video yesterday, Snoop, now 53, told the fans the upsetting news. Sitting in the front seat of his car, soundtracked by Weldon Irvine's Morning Sunrise, the hip hop legend shared his grief. The father of four, from Long Beach, California, wrote: "Rip @juelzbroadus [crying emoji]Thank wiz for giving him to me.(sic)" The rapper then shared a second video, which featured a montage of Juelz with Snoop and his family and friends over the years, with Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth's See You Again playing over the top. He wrote: "Miss my dogg @juelzbroadus (sic)" 'Pocket bully' dog overpowers pensioner as armed police rush to fatal attack Juelz had his own Instagram account, which had thousands of followers and documented his adventures with his famous owner over the years. Meanwhile, Snoop - who has another French bulldog, Frank - recently admitted he is keen to open a food stall at Celtic Park, the Scottish home of his favourite soccer side Celtic. He told Scotland's Sunday Mail, which is our sister title: 'There has always been the opinion that food at sports stadiums is never good but that ain't got to be the case. 'People know that Snoop is a cook and I would love to bring a pop up burger to a sports stadium to show fans that food at stadiums can be good. It's got to be Celtic Park man, I mean where else am I going to bring it. "The secret to a good burger is the love in the preparation. The ground beef has got to be mixed with some secret spices, then add a good quality cheese and some maple cured bacon. The Celtic fans are gonna love it, and to make sure they are just right, Snoop is going to be serving them himself.' But Snoop has no interest in offering his food to Celtic's great rivals rangers. He said: "Am I going to bring my burgers to Rangers as well? Nah, I think we will give that a miss!' Snoop revealed back in 2012 that he wanted to buy shares in Celtic after watching the Parkhead side beat Barcelona in the Champions League in November that year. At the time he said: "I got a lot of interest in soccer. It's not a new thing for hip hop stars to invest in sports teams but it is a new thing for hip hop stars to invest in soccer teams...I see how passionate Celtic fans are about their team and I could see myself making an investment if any of the board wanted to sell...I want to bring a bit of Snoop to things."
Perth Now
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Snoop Dogg's dog dies
Snoop Dogg's dog has died. The Drop It Like It's Hot hitmaker was given French bulldog Juelz as a 43rd birthday gift from Wiz Khalifa in 2014 but now his beloved pet has passed away. Snoop shared a video of Juelz in the front seat of his car, soundtracked by Weldon Irvine's 'Morning Sunrise' and wrote on Instagram: "'Rip @juelzbroadus [crying emoji]Thank wiz for giving him to me.(sic)" The 53-year-old rapper then shared a second video, which featured a montage of Juelz with Snoop and his family and friends over the years, with Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth's 'See You Again' playing over the top. He wrote: "Miss my dogg @juelzbroadus (sic)" Juelz had his own Instagram account, which had thousands of followers and documented his adventures with his famous owner over the years. Meanwhile, Snoop - who has another French bulldog, Frank - recently admitted he is keen to open a food stall at Celtic Park, the Scottish home of his favourite soccer side Celtic. He told Scotland's Sunday Mail newspaper: 'There has always been the opinion that food at sports stadiums is never good but that ain't got to be the case. 'People know that Snoop is a cook and I would love to bring a pop up burger to a sports stadium to show fans that food at stadiums can be good. 'It's got to be Celtic Park man, I mean where else am I going to bring it. "The secret to a good burger is the love in the preparation. The ground beef has got to be mixed with some secret spices, then add a good quality cheese and some maple cured bacon. 'The Celtic fans are gonna love it, and to make sure they are just right, Snoop is going to be serving them himself.' But Snoop has no interest in offering his food to Celtic's great rivals rangers. He said: "Am I going to bring my burgers to Rangers as well? Nah, I think we will give that a miss!' Snoop revealed back in 2012 that he wanted to buy shares in Celtic after watching the Parkhead side beat Barcelona in the Champions League in November that year. At the time he said: "I got a lot of interest in soccer. It's not a new thing for hip hop stars to invest in sports teams but it is a new thing for hip hop stars to invest in soccer teams...I see how passionate Celtic fans are about their team and I could see myself making an investment if any of the board wanted to sell...I want to bring a bit of Snoop to things."
STV News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- STV News
Handling of complaint against council leader had ‘inadequacies'
There were 'inadequacies' in the City of Edinburgh council's handling of complaints against former leader Cammy Day, an investigation has found. Day stepped down as the leader of the local authority in December 2024 after two years in the position following allegations that he sent messages asking about refugees' sexual preferences on a dating app. He resigned following a story in the Sunday Mail and said he would co-operate with a police investigation. In April, police concluded that there was 'no evidence of criminality'. Following that investigation, the council asked the former information commissioner Kevin Dunion to independently review how the complaints made against Day were handled. In his report, Mr Dunion was asked to evaluate the way a potential complaint about Day from 2006 was handled, alongside of one made last October, and two made at the end of 2023. Mr Dunion found no evidence of the potential complaint from 2006 – before Day was a councillor. However, he concluded that were 'some inadequacies' in the handling of the complaint from 2018. The complaint from 2018 was anonymously sent directly to then council leader, Adam Nols-McVey, claiming that a 'senior Labour councillor' had 'groomed' a 15-year-old boy. A social media post on X earlier this year named Day as the alleged 'senior Labour councillor' in question. The report found the complaint from 2018 was apparently forwarded to the council business manager to handle. Emails relating to the complaint have since been lost. Mr Dunion said there could be multiple explanations for that, including migration to a new email system, laptop upgrades, or deliberate deletion. However, he concluded that the loss of related emails was an 'unintended and unexpected consequence' of the information not being shared. Mr Dunion said the seriousness of the claim should have triggered the former council leader to share it with the council's chief executive and senior monitoring official instead of just the business manager. More importantly, Mr Dunion said the council still lacks sufficient safeguards to prevent this type of incident in the future. Regarding the most recent complaints about Day from 2023, which claimed he had sent 'unsolicited messages' to Ukrainian refugees, Mr Dunion said the complaints were handled properly and in line with the council's policies. He concluded, overall, that complaints were for the most part handled properly and that the policies and procedures in place are broadly effective. Four months after resigning, Day said he was not interviewed by police and described the situation as a 'co-ordinated political attack'. He previously said he sought legal action and attributed the allegations to SNP figures. Edinburgh City Council chief executive Paul Lawrence said: 'I want to thank Kevin Dunion for leading this sensitive review and for his report, not least given the complexity of the brief and tight timescales. 'I know this must have been challenging and a difficult experience for many people and I particularly want to thank those who came forward to be interviewed or provided information to the review. Your input is very much appreciated. 'Subject to approval by councillors next Thursday, we will bring a further report back to the Policy and Sustainability Committee in August, outlining our proposed actions in response to Mr Dunion's recommendations.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
