News / In brief for 14 March 2011
Tyres and scams
POLICE in Shetland are looking for witnesses after tyres were damaged on a car parked in Lerwick’s Anderson Road between 3pm on Friday and 3pm on Sunday.
They are also warning of a computer scam where people are called by someone claiming to be an IT consultant seeking remote access to their computers to resolve virus or broadband problems.
The callers claim to be from Microsoft or a broadband provider and offer to carry out repairs for a fixed fee.
The police advised people to ensure their anti-virus and firewall software is up to date and not to authorise anyone to have remote access to their computer or divulge personal details.
Renewable loans
AN INTEREST free loan scheme to help householders install renewable energy systems has been set up by the Scottish Government.
The £500,000 scheme will help people plug in equipment like heat pumps, solar panels, micro-wind turbines or biomass boilers, from which they can earn an income from the Feed In Tarriff.
The loans will be capped at £2,000 and be handed out on a first come first serve basis from 1 April.
Interested people should call the Energy Saving Scotland Advice Network on 0800 512 012 or see http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Scotland-Welcome-page/At-Home
AN ONLINE atlas of Scotland’s seas has been published by the Scottish government at www.scotland.gov.uk/marineatlas.
Created for marine planners and schools across the country, the atlas offers “an unparalleled level of analysis of a country’s marine environment”. Every secondary school will receive two hard copies of the atlas along with posters and a DVD.
The atlas gives an overall assessment of Scotland seas and chapters cover: physical characteristics; clean and safe; healthy and biologically diverse; productive; and climate change.
Discard meeting
THE SCOTTISH government is hosting a top level meeting of officials, politicians and the fishing industry in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss the issue of discards.
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The seminar will be attended by EU fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki, Scottish MEPs Struan Stevenson and Ian Hudghton, the Scottish government’s head of sea fisheries David Brew, Scottish Whitefish Producers Association executive chairman Mike Park, WWF Scotland marine policy officer Mireille Thom and North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission secretary Kjartan Hoydal.
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