Gales disrupt life in Shetland

SEVERE gales across Shetland have disrupted travel with inter island ferries and flights suspended, along with airport operations Scatsta airport.

Flights in and out of Sumburgh have been delayed and none of the NorthLink ferries and freighters to and from Anerdeen

Three primary schools at Olnafirth, Whalsay and Tingwall did not open, and a fourth at Sandwick decided to close and send children home mid morning.

Workers living on the islands of Unst, Yell, Whalsay and Bressay were unable to get to work on the mainland due to the lack of ferries, leaving offices and businesses short staffed.

There were reports of slates coming off buildings and broken windows, but no one has been hurt.

Telephone and broadband services were hit by BT outages at Saxa Vord, Compass Head and Collafirth overnight, but all were operating by morning.

Pole fires caused power cuts overnight in Sandwick, East Burrafirth, Scatsta, Lochend, North Roe, Tingwall, Laxfirth, Strand and Gott, with extra engineers and linesmen deployed to carry out repairs.