Largs & Millport Weekly News
‘IT’S A MESS’
A LARGS pensioner says his love for his back garden is being eroded by building work on an imposing new Marks and Spencer site, which now dominates the view. The towering food hall is being constructed at the rear of Angus Maclean’s Park View...
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Birthday surprise for Largs man Alwyn at amazing 104
A HIGHLY-RATED fish and chip shop has been named one of Great Britain’s best. The Fish Works, based on Largs seafront, has secured a place in Fry Magazine’s Top 50 Best Fish & Chip Takeaways 2026. The annual list is compiled by industry specialist...
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THOUSANDS FORKED OUT TO UPGRADE LIBRARY
MORE than £100,000 has been invested in refurbishments at Largs library since 2020 - while the facility’s weekly opening hours have been slashed by almost a third. The figures, released to the News following a freedom of information request to North...
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TRIO DENY ABDUCTING MAN, POINTING GUN AT HEAD, AND EXTORTION
A TRIO of alleged attackers are said to have abducted and assaulted a man and demanded money after threatening him with a firearm. Kevin Cassidy, from Largs, is accused - along with Daniel Squires and Daniel Daley - of attempting to extort cash from...
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‘ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME’ CHANCE TO SAVE CHURCH
A COMMITTEE has been set up to spearhead a possible community buyout of the former St Columba’s Parish Church building in Largs. The “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” comes after the Church of Scotland put the iconic building on the market for offers...
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Locations earmarked for new Largs cash hub
VARIOUS locations for a new cash hub for Largs have been earmarked following a recent meeting with Link in the town. Representatives from Link, which manages cash and banking hubs, recently met with councillors Alan Hill and Eleanor Collier to discuss...
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CHURCH COULD BE SAVED
A “MAGNIFICENT” shorefront building with more than a century of history in Largs could be preserved for public use after it was listed for sale. Tentative plans have been drawn up to secure a community takeover of the former St Columba’s Parish Church...
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‘OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN’
THE Cumbrae community is mourning the loss of a beloved island figure who has died at the age of 54. Stephen Christie leaves behind his 16-year-old son, Leo, his sister Lisa, brothers Paul and Allan, mother Liz, and niece Rhona. The popular former...
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FEARS OVER CLOSURE OF FARMFOODS
AN ONLINE fundraiser has been set up to help staff who face the prospect of losing their jobs as the threat of closure hangs over the Farmfoods store in Largs. A petition has been launched alongside a Gofundme website in a bid to persuade management...
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PENSIONER HURT IN FALL ON BROKEN PAVEMENT — FOR SECOND TIME
A LARGS pensioner has hit out at roads bosses after suffering longterm injuries when she tripped and fell on a cracked and damaged pavement in the town centre — more than five years after a similar incident in almost exactly the same place. Christine...
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£1.5 BILLION CABLE FACTORY PLANS ARE THROWN INTO DOUBT DUE TO COST-CUTTING
THE future of a new £1.5 billion subsea cable manufacturing facility at Hunterston has been thrown into doubt after the company behind the plans admitted it was putting its proposals on hold for a “strategic reset”. XLCC, the company behind the...
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‘IT IS A HUGE LOSS TO THE COMMUNITY’
A BELOVED fitness instructor from Inverclyde Sports Centre has died aged 64 after a recent illness. Duncan Liddel, a dedicated fitness manager, was a cornerstone of the centre for two decades, playing an instrumental role in the design and...
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GROUP FEARS BEING PUSHED OUT AS ASSET TRANSFER BID KNOCKED BACK
THE chair of a volunteer-run Largs theatre group says she fears they are being pushed out by KA Leisure. North Ayrshire Council has turned down the group’s bid for a community asset transfer of the Barrfields facility. Johann Macdougall, chairman of...
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CALL FOR CPR TRAINING TO BE ROLLED OUT TO SCHOOLS
A WELL-KNOWN Largs community hero has called for CPR and defibrillator training to be taught at all schools in North Ayrshire. James Bertram, 57, praised offduty nurse Jackie Calvard who helped to save a pensioner’s life after a car crash in the town...
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‘IF IT HADN’T BEEN FOR DEFIBRILLATOR, CRASH OAP WOULDN’T BE HERE’
AN off-duty nurse who helped save a pensioner’s life after a car crash in Largs has said the elderly man wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for a nearby defibrillator. The accident on September 27, in which a car struck a pedestrian before smashing...
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‘IT IS ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING FOR LARGS TO BE LOSING ITS BANK’
LARGS is set to lose its last remaining bank branch after Bank of Scotland announced it will close its Main Street premises in early 2026. The move has sparked anger from locals and business owners, who say the town urgently needs a banking hub to...
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‘THAT WAS THE MORNING THEIR WORLD FELL APART’
A DELIVERY van driver who struck and killed a father-oftwo as he cycled to work on a North Ayrshire road has been jailed for six years. A judge told Philip Scott, from Largs, that it was “heartbreaking” to read of the impact of the death of Euan...
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BLAZE OF GLORY
THE sun has set on another spectacular Largs Viking Festival which delighted organisers and spectators alike. This year’s festival, the 45th instalment of the annual showpiece, concluded last weekend with a blaze of fireworks and the ceremonial...
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PUBLICAN ‘TURFED OUT’ OF PREMISES AFTER CANCER BATTLE
A LARGS publican who has recently battled cancer says he is being turfed out of his premises after almost a decade, leaving him with ‘nowhere to go’. John Shannon, 59, told the News he has been suffering from colon cancer, and was informed that his...
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FURIOUS ROW ERUPTS ON EVE OF VIKING FESTIVAL
A FURIOUS row has erupted on the eve of the Largs Viking Festival over trader access to the popular market at the annual event. A group of traders from last year’s festival have said they will not be returning to the 2025 event with a former market...
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VAN DRIVER CONVICTED OF CAUSING CYCLIST’S DEATH
A LARGS van driver has been convicted of causing the death of a cyclist by dangerous driving more than three years ago. Philip Scott was found guilty by a jury of one charge at the High Court in Kilmarnock on Friday, August 15. The 40-year-old, of...
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‘USE IT OR LOSE IT’: HOURS TO BE SLASHED AT RECYCLING CENTRE
OPENING hours at the household waste recycling centre in Largs will be slashed in the coming weeks as the latest North Ayrshire Council cost-cutting move bites local services. By Calum Corral [email protected] The move will see the Largs...
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RAPIST JAILED FOR ‘REPEATED’ ABUSE OF YOUNG GIRLS
A RAPIST who groomed and repeatedly sexually abused young girls has been jailed for more than a decade. Gary Morris was sentenced to 12 years in prison when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday, July 25. The 55-year-old had previously...
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THREE ARRESTED AFTER WOMAN ‘ABDUCTED’ FROM PROPERTY
A WOMAN was allegedly abducted and held against her will at a property in Largs, police have confirmed. Two women and a man have been arrested following the incident, which came to light at a meeting of Largs Community Council (LCC).
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LUXURY LODGE PLAN IN DOUBT AS SITE SET FOR AUCTION
PLANS for a major new visitor development have been thrown into doubt after it was revealed that the land earmarked for the project is to be sold at auction. Councillors gave the green light earlier this year to an application to develop the former...
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MOST OF CAR PARK FUND SPENT ON RUNNING COSTS
NEWLY released figures have revealed that only a fraction of funds from a community pot have been dished out to support local projects. Following a freedom of information (FOI) request from the News, North Ayrshire Council published details of the...
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£1.4BN DEVELOPMENT ‘UNAFFECTED’ BY GOVERNMENT’S CHANGE OF HEART
A £1.4 billion industrial development in North Ayrshire will be ‘unaffected’ by the UK Government’s decision to pull its support for a solar and wind power link-up with Morocco, bosses have confirmed. Despite the cancellation of the Xlinks project,...
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‘DAD’S FIGHT INSPIRES MY EVERY STEP’
A FORMER national swimmer from Largs has swapped the pool for the road as she aims to raise charity funds in memory of her dad 10 years after his death. Jennifer King will run the Chicago Marathon in October to support the Leukaemia and Lymphoma...
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WHY ARE WE PLAYING SECOND FIDDLE TO AYR?
COMMUNITY figures have questioned why Largs is once again “playing second fiddle to Ayr” during one of the town’s biggest annual events. Rail bosses have confirmed that direct trains from Glasgow will be diverted to South Ayrshire in September,...
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P20/21
A CONTROVERSIAL 40mph speed limit on the Largs to Skelmorlie road will continue until November. The trial restriction on the A78, introduced in May 2023 and originally due to run for 18 months, has been extended for a further six months, Transport...
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Heart transplant cyclist dies aged 63
THE launch of the new Largs Radio Station could be just weeks away, with hopes of providing outside broadcasting at major events in the town in future. The members of Largs Community Development Trust who are leading on the new Radio Station project,...
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Cable car dream step closer to reality
A NURSE has been suspended after restraining a care facility resident on the floor and ordering staff to administer a Covid-19 vaccine through their clothing in a “horrific” incident. Janette Donnelly was given a nine-month interim suspension order by...
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Millport Ten Miler raises thousands for charity P20/21
GRIEVING Largs parents whose baby boy tragically died at just threeweeks-old are hoping to set up a bereavement group to help others cope with the “unbearable loss”. Emma and William Armstrong’s “angel”, Jonah, passed away in his sleep in March, with...
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Offal-ly good win for butcher
FERRY firm Caledonian Macbrayne has withdrawn controversial proposals to reduce sailings between Largs and Cumbrae following a furious backlash from islanders and politicians. The draft plans, which included increasing turnaround times from five to 10...
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Schools ranked in league table
COMMUNITY councillors have branded a new council tax premium on second homes across North Ayrshire a “cynical cash grab”. Cumbrae Community Council is challenging North Ayrshire Council over the introduction of the new policy, which will see a 100 per...
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Hunterston B power station fully defueled
HUNTERSTON B in North Ayrshire has reached a “significant milestone” after becoming the first of seven sites across the UK to be defueled. It has been confirmed that the station, which helped to power Scotland with low carbon electricity for 46 years,...
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Tributes to Laurie after cancer battle
A HELIPAD gifted by late Millport photographers Walter and Effie Kerr has helped save a local man’s life. Amanda Tennent says the Kerrs’ legacy played a huge part in saving her partner Craig’s life after he suffered a heart attack — and the 24/7...
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Liz, 80, takes on trek for charity
SCOTRAIL bosses say quicker train services between Largs and Glasgow could be on the cards amid ongoing complaints over the town’s timetables. The firm’s strategy director, Scott Prentice, pictured, told a recent community council meeting that the...
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See P20 and 21
A “FOOLISH” drunk sparked an evacuation of a Largs marina after throwing a fake ‘bomb’ on a boat in what his lawyer claimed was a “practical joke”. Emergency services, including police, Coastguard and Royal Navy bomb disposal teams, were called out to...
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Group put on a Dolly good show
A CONCERNED Largs parent whose daughter was allegedly watched while getting dressed has blasted the “poor” CCTV coverage at the town’s leisure centre. The incident was raised at a recent community meeting after two reports within a week in...
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Teacher in marathon effort
INTEREST has been shown by an international company in the possibility of a cable car ‘gondola’ plan to capitalise on the stunning views of the Largs coast. We reported earlier this year that a cable car attraction overlooking the Firth of Clyde was...
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Little stars shine in production of Coppélia
PROTESTERS are urging council bosses to backtrack on a recent budget decision to slash a vital service which, it is claimed, could put children’s safety at “serious risk”. Scores of families joined a demonstration last week urging North Ayrshire...
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Kids get into character for World Book Day P20 & 21
AN ALBANIAN man has pleaded guilty to drugs charges after a cannabis cultivation with a potential street value of more than £40,000 was discovered in Largs. Ardit Omeri admitted producing and being concerned in the supply of the class B substance in...
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See P5
THREE masked men forced their way into a Skelmorlie home in a terrifying robbery that left a victim “badly shaken”, according to police. A number of personal belongings and a sum of cash were stolen during the incident in the early hours of last...
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P20/21
A SCOTRAIL director has thanked Largs train passengers for their patience during a pay dispute and apologised for a poor Sunday service last year. The company’s director of strategy, Scott Prentice, told Largs Community Council last week that he is...
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Pupils stage fantastic Burns supper Pages 20/21
COMMUNITY groups have hailed plans to save under-threat libraries in Skelmorlie and Fairlie from the axe as part of the forthcoming council budget. North Ayrshire Council’s ruling SNP administration has confirmed its intention to oppose several...
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See Page 12
A 100 per cent council tax charge on second homes could be rubberstamped this week -but the move has been slammed by a Millport property owner. Lisbeth Lamb, of Glasgow Street, has claimed Cumbrae should be exempt as it has different characteristics,...
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ON
Taylor Swift made Grammy history by becoming the first person to win album of the year four times. 1953: Sweet rationing ends in Britain after eleven years in force.
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DESTRUCTION
THE full force of nature was felt on Friday as Storm Eowyn battered the North Ayrshire coast leaving a huge clean up operation in its wake. There were no train services to Largs for five days after the storm. On the road network fallen trees caused...
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LAST YEAR
Surgeons launched a new technique to use 3D printed models of patients’ livers to help them perform a complex cancer operation.
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IN HISTORY
1559: 1790: 1880: 1893: 1912: Queen Elizabeth I was crowned. Fletcher Christian and eight fellow mutineers from the Bounty landed on the remote Pitcairn Island in the Pacific. The first telephone directory was published by the London Telephone...
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Former editor looks back on half a century with the News
LARGS police addressed growing community concerns over drugs in the town at a recent meeting and revealed that the number of cannabis farms being found in the area is on the rise. Sergeant Donald Fisher responded to issues raised by local residents in...
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16 SERIOUS CRASHES ON ‘TROUBLED’ STRETCH OF ROAD
A FREEDOM of Information (FOI) request to Police Scotland has revealed that there have been 16 serious crashes on a single, troubled, stretch of road linking two North Ayrshire towns in less than three years. The striking figures showed that 23 road...
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DAMP FLAT FOR THREE YEARS
A PENSIONER battling cancer came to the News with a Christmas plea for help over a persistent dampness problem in his Largs seafront flat. The first floor property, a minute’s walk away from the town centre, has suffered from water seeping through...
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£48m flood prevention scheme paves way for marina Page 10 WOMAN ‘CARRIED TO AMBULANCE’ DUE TO PAVEMENT PARKING BAN
FURTHER concerns have been raised about the ongoing impact of the pavement parking ban in Largs after a resident in need of an ambulance had to be CARRIED from her house to the emergency vehicle at the end of her street. With cars having to remain on...
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LAST YEAR
1967: The prototype of the world’s first supersonic airliner, Concorde, was revealed. Succession star Brian Cox and television presenter Gary Lineker were among the high-profile signatories to a letter that called for the Government to scrap its...
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Pages 20-21
A FORMER police officer says he is refusing to pay a parking fine and is prepared to “go to jail” after receiving three tickets in his Largs street during an ongoing council enforcement crackdown. Alan Ringrose reacted furiously after receiving the...
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Kind couple donate defibrillator
RENEWED calls have been made for improved CCTV coverage in Largs town centre after one security CAMASSAULT’ERA was reportedly out of action at the time of an alleged serious assault. The family of the alleged victim told the News that footage was not...
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Professor awarded honorary doctorate
A TUG tragedy which claimed the lives of a Millport man and his colleague in the Clyde off Greenock occurred because several protocols that were meant to keep those onboard the vessel safe broke down, marine investigators have said. The UK’S chief...
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MUM TO WALK 500 MILES IN MEMORY OF LATE SON
AN INSPIRATIONAL Largs mum is walking 500 miles to raise charity cash in memory of her late son - and is getting ready to host a 30th birthday party in his honour. Kim Macleod is embarking on the fundraiser to support Meningitis UK, which has been...
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See Pages 20 & 21
AN EXASPERATED Largs grandfather’s efforts to have a ‘broken down’ reclining chair replaced have fallen on deaf ears, despite it going ‘on fire’ previously. Speaking to the News, retiree Duncan Smith said he was ‘insulted’ to be told by...
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PE teacher honoured for his sporting work
THE family of a man who was killed on a busy North Ayrshire road has launched a petition to increase safety measures. Johnny Baxter, from Kilbirnie, was involved in a fatal accident on the A760 Kilbirnie to Largs Road on Tuesday, October 15. His...
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Primary ones special pullout
AN ANGRY Largs resident has hit out at motorists who use the street outside her home as a ‘race track’ - amid a warning that it’s ‘only a matter of time before someone is killed’. Margaret Mcinnes, who lives on Moorburn Road, has told the News that...
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A FAMILY AFFAIR: AUDIENCES SCREAM
THE closure of two libraries near Largs - and four others across North Ayrshire - would “rip the heart out” of the communities that rely on them, according to a national professional body. Half a dozen facilities have been earmarked for closure under...
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Tributes paid to ‘driving force’ behind food hub Page 6
A REPORT into a tugboat tragedy off Greenock which claimed the lives of a Millport man and his colleague is expected to be published in the next few weeks. Crew members Ian Catterson, 73, from Millport, pictured, and George Taft, 65, from Greenock,...
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Prize winners at Largs Academy celebrate success
1940: 1953: The Empress of Britain, en route to Canada with child evacuees, was sunk by a German submarine. British warships rescued most of the 634 crew and passengers. The photograph of William Pettit, wanted for murder, was shown on BBC TV by...
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