West Lothian Courier
CRACKDOWN ONFRAUD LAUNCHED BYCOUNCIL
Council staff found one of their tenants actually living abroad and sub-letting their home, councillors heard. It was one of the success stories in a crackdown on tenancy and Blue Badge fraud in West Lothian in the last ten months. Of 21 reported...
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ARMYVETTHREW MOLOTOV COCKTAILS ATCOPSHOP
A British Army veteran who threw Molotov cocktails at a police station after his criminal record was revealed has been jailed for three years. Jamie Taylor previously admitted two charges relating to explosive substances and endangering life, and...
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AARON’S WORLD CUPGOLDEN TICKET
Footie fanatic Aaron Wilson literally leapt for joy after receiving a “golden ticket” for Christmas – to the World Cup. The nine-year-old, from West Lothian, was stunned to find a ticket for Boston after dad Stuart and mum Kerri agreed to splash out...
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WEIGH TO GO!
A West Lothian couple have shed an incredible 16 stone in a remarkable transformation. Lewis and Sheena McPhee’s incredible transformation – losing a combined 16st 11lb – all started when they joined their local Slimming World group. Lewis, 33, and...
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BONDIBEACH TERRORFOR MIYA
A woman, originally from West Lothian, who survived the terror attack on Bondi Beach has told how she risked danger to salvage her phone and call her mum. Miya Lind lives just 15 minutes from the beach and had plans to meet friends at the coast for a...
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TRAGIC CRASH VICTIM NAMED
A woman who tragically died in a car crash near Linlithgow has been named by police. Isabella Cordner was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on the A706 near Carriber Mill on December 5. The 87-year-old, also known as Isa, was a passenger in...
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THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT OF ALL
A family has been reunited with their missing dog nearly two years after he disappeared in what has been described as a “Christmas miracle”. Prince, a white Maltese, vanished from West Lothian on June 1, 2024, sparking a huge community search. The...
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TERMINALLY-ILL GRAHAM GETS CHANCE TO MEET ‘GERS HEROES
A West Lothian man facing up to a terminal diagnosis got the chance to meet Rangers stars and the club’s new manager Danny Rohl. Graham Glasgow joined other Rangers fans living with terminal or life-changing illnesses at the club’s Auchenhowie...
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MUM’S HEART GIVES UP ... MONTHS AFTER BEATING RARE CANCER
A mum-of-five from West Lothian has died after her heart gave way just months after beating a rare breast cancer. Cheryl McClymont, 38, of Fauldhouse, passed away on November 3 from an underlying heart condition. Cheryl’s heart suffered an...
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MAN WHO TRIED TO ABDUCT BOY GETS FREED TWO YEARS EARLY
A furious mum has slammed the justice system after the early release of a prisoner who tried to abduct her son from a Bathgate car park. Andrzej Palosz attempted to take a young boy away from his mum at the junction of Menzies Road and Gardners Lane...
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FAMILY’S SHOCK AS EMMA DIES AFTER PUTTING HER KIDS TO BED
A West Lothian mum- ofseven tragically died after she collapsed while putting her children to bed. Emma McGinty, 43, was rushed to hospital earlier this month after telling her family something was “really wrong”. Emma was taken to St John’s Hospital...
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BROTHER GIVES GIFT OF LIFE
A West Lothian man who helped save his brother’s life by donating his kidney has told how the decision was a “nobrainer”. Harry Wilson, 65 from Broxburn, said it was an instant decision to save his brother Gordon Wilson, 67, after he was diagnosed...
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BARK FROM HERO PET SKYE SAVED MY LIFE
A man has told how he was saved by his hero dog after his charger burst into flames at his home in West Lothian. Terry Fairley, 41, was roused from his sleep by his 12-yearold Labrador Skye as thick black smoke began to fill his property on Mushet...
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WELL PLAYED JOHN
A West Lothian man who fought his way back from drink and drug problems has been recognised for his outstanding voluntary contribution to football in the community. John McKnight, founder of Fauldhouse United Sundays, has been honoured with two...
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28 DAYS TO HAVEYOUR SAYON£23M COUNCIL CUTS
West Lothian Council has to cut £23m from its budgets over the next two years – and concerns have been raised the public won’t have enough time to respond to a consultation. The local authority will publish its proposals to kick start the...
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THUG DODGES JAIL AFTER CHAINSAW ‘CHOP UP’ THREAT
A chainsaw wielding workman who threatened to “chop up” a man who complained about his parking has dodged a prison sentence. Landscape gardener William McPhee was ordered to do 160 hours of unpaid work in the community as a direct alternative to a...
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First Minister apologises to footballer for her five-hour wait for an ambulance
John Swinney has said sorry to a young footballer endured a five hour wait for an ambulance after suffering a double leg break. Linlithgow Rose Ladies player Brooke Paterson, 19, was in the middle of an away match at Cumbernauld United when a tackle...
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I’MPLANNING MYOWN FUNERAL... BRICKBY BRICK
A dad who received a terminal cancer diagnosis has planned his own Lego-themed funeral and is living by his motto “go big or go home”. William White, 61, from Livingston, was first diagnosed with colon cancer in February 2020 after noticing he was...
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DUMPING GROUNDS
Shocking images of tons of fly-tipping in West Lothian are evidence of “white van man on steroids”, a councillor claimed. Tom Conn pointed to commercial waste dumped by Linlithgow’s leisure centre as evidence of people doing jobs on the cheap. And he...
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Poynton calls for urgent action on health centre
A new partnership between Smart Works and West Lothian Foodbank has already delivered life-changing results for local women seeking employment. In a remarkable turnaround, a volunteer at West Lothian Foodbank who had been unemployed for over six years...
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CRAIGCLOCKSUP 689,000 STEPS ONEPIC JOURNEY HOME
There was a warm welcome waiting for a Livingston man after he walked all the way home from Essex. Craig Green, 43, from Dedridge, who now lives in Brentwood in the English county, set out on the 500mile trek north to highlight that there are 700,000...
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100KIDSIN 40YEARS FORSUPER MUMWITH BIGHEART
A remarkable mother-of-three who grew up in the care system before going on to foster more than 100 children over the past 40 years is calling on others to consider becoming foster carers with Barnardo’s Scotland. Denise Hopkinson, who has been...
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OWNERGUTTED AFTER£18KJET SKIHEIST
A devastated Armadale man returned home from a family holiday in Salou to discover his £18,500 jet ski had been stolen. The expensive Yamaha VX Cruiser belonging to Gilbert Naismith, 58, was swiped from outside his caravan at Loch Earn Leisure Park in...
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SHOPWORKERS ARETHREATENED WITHMEAT CLEAVERIN ROBBERY TERROR
A West Lothian shop owner says he and his staff have found it “hard” after an employee was threatened by a thug brandishing a meat cleaver last month. Abdul Manan, who owns the Premier store in Armadale, says his team are “getting there” after a...
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FENCEFIGHTENDS INDAWN’SFAVOUR
A Livingston woman has won a twoyear fight to keep a boundary fence around her garden. Dawn Gardner twice appealed to the Scottish Government to keep a fence originally put up to stop drunks using her garden as a toilet. Neighbours had no problems...
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DEPRAVED RAPIST BEHIND BARS
A depraved predator has been caged after being convicted of raping two women as they slept. Craig Dodds subjected a woman to horrific repeated sexual attacks “several times a week” between April 2020 and April 2022. During that time, Dodds, 25, from...
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TWOINCOURT AFTER ADAM LOSES FIGHT FORLIFE
Two men have appeared in court charged with murder following the death of a teenager in West Lothian. Emergency services were called to a property on McCann Avenue in Broxburn following reports of a disturbance at around 1.15am on Friday, July...
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‘DEVILTOLD METO TORCH FAMILY HOME’
A father who set fire to his home while his teenage son was also inside has been jailed for four years. Alexander Reape sparked the blaze at the terraced house in Livingston days before Christmas 2023 before later claiming the “devil” had told him to...
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FITBAGEEKS’ 24-HOUR GRANDCHALLENGE
Three generations of a family from West Lothian are set to visit the grounds of all 42 SPFL clubs in a 24-hour challenge. Graeme Cunningham from Fauldhouse, his dad Colin, 66, and his 11-year-old son Cole will depart from Annan on the 720-mile trip...
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‘BEAUTIFULSOUL’ ELLIEDIESIN CRASHHORROR
A man has been arrested following a fatal crash between a car and a lorry that killed a teenage girl in Bathgate. Emergency crews raced to the scene on the Boghead Roundabout after the horror smash involving a Volkswagen Polo and an HGV on Monday,...
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BRAVE TODDLER SETFOR LIFE-CHANGING OPERATION
A mum who is travelling to Manchester so her daughter can receive life-changing surgery says she will do‘whatever has to be done’ to help her child. Dakota Braithwaite was born with bladder exstrophy - a birth defect where the bladder is exposed...
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RAPISTCAGED FORSERIESOF SEXASSAULTS
A high-risk rapist who perpetrated a catalogue of sexual and physical abuse over more than a decade was jailed for 10 years. Sex offender John Clark, 30, repeatedly raped two women who were subjected to threats of violence. Clark, formerly of Lime...
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£35MBUDGET CRISISOFA MAGNITUDE NEVERSEEN BEFORE
West Lothian Council’s finance chief has warned the funding crisis facing the local authority is “of a magnitude never experienced before.” The Accounts Commission said watchdogs are warning local authorities will face “difficult decisions on what...
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JAK’SLIFEMAY HAVEBEEN SHORT,BUT HISLEGACY WILLGOON ANDON
Rain or shine, a sister and brother from West Lothian will be prepared for the weather when they take on the Edinburgh Marathon wearing wellies. Kate Hall, 24, and her brother Will, 21, who live on a farm near East Calder, are looking to complete the...
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FIRECREWS FIGHTHUGE WOODLAND BLAZE
Emergency services have been hailed for tackling the wildfire which took hold of an area near Fauldhouse over the weekend. Angela Constance MSP has expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the emergency services responding to the significant wildfire. “I...
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SAVAGEWIFE KILLER LOCKED UPFOR 18YEARSMuch
An NHS worker who murdered his wife just weeks after an earlier domestic abuse case collapsed has been jailed for a minimum 18 years. Kasikai Chinyanga, 47, killed Veronica Chinyanga who begged for her life as her husband turned on her in the back...
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RESIDENTSTERRIFIED ASCARS FIREBOMBED
Shocking images have shown the smouldering aftermath of two vehicles firebombed outside a family home in West Lothian. Firefighters raced to a blaze on Tweed Drive in the Craigshill area of Livingston after receiving the alarm at around 10.30pm on...
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I’LLWALKTHE WALK FOR MY LITTLE SISTER
The sister of a teenager from West Lothian who has an aggressive blood cancer took on a walking challenge to raise money for charity and was joined by her mum for the final mile. Eilidh Timmins, 14, was diagnosed with High-grade B-cell lymphoma...
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MUMANDSON FLEEFIRE ‘WITH MINUTES TOSPARE’
A West Lothian single mum and her fouryear-old son“escaped at the last minute” from a devastating fire that completely destroyed their home. Amanda Budziska, 31, was horrified when the blaze suddenly broke out while her young son was asleep on...
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JAXON’S GIFTTO KEEP HIS MEMORY ALIVE
A heartbroken family who lost their son after he was given a terminal diagnosis say it’s the“worst thing that’s ever happened”. Dave and Ashley McKenzie’s world was shattered last April after they noticed their son Jaxon was “slurring his...
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MUM’S LEAPOF FAITHIS PAYBACK FORLOUIE SUPPORT
A Livingston mum is taking a leap of faith with a skydiving challenge to raise money for an independent charity that helped her family in its time of need. Jade Aitken will be taking on the challenge for Ronald McDonald House after the help the...
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CRUMBLING CONCRETETO COSTTHE COUNCIL £85M IN REPAIRS
West Lothian Council will have to stump up more than £85million to cover crumbling concrete issues in schools and housing. Holyrood has yet to contribute despite a plea two years ago for £15m financial help in the rebuilding of St Kentigern’s. It is...
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NICOLA’STHERE FOROTHERSIN MEMORYOF ‘BEAUTIFUL SOUL’
A women’s support group set up in memory of a nurse from Bathgate has officially opened its doors. Nicola’s was launched by June Smillie with the help of a team of volunteers. June, who works as team leader of the Practice Mental Health Nurse Service...
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GRANNYRITAGETS ROYALDAY OUT WITH NATHAN
Paralympic gold medal winner Nathan Macqueen was delighted to have his proud gran present as he received his MBE. The Addiewell dad was presented with his gong by HRH Princess Anne in Edinburgh. Nathan was accompanied by wife Tara, dad Gary, and...
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Gymnasts’ tumble fun
More than 300 people attended the open day launch event of a new acrobatics gymnastics club in West Lothian. The community launch event saw the start of a campaign to raise £20,000 to help the brand new club open its own facility.
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AMBULANCE BOSSESSORRY FORSEIZURE KIDNO-SHOW
The Scottish Ambulance Service has apologised after not attending an emergency call as a four-year-old boy suffered a horror seizure on a packed train. Natasha McCormick, 26, and her four-year-old son Jax, from West Lothian, were enjoying a day out...
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Get ready for the big SQUEEZE
The cost of West Lothian council services, from bulky uplift to burial charges are set to rise by an average of up to five per cent from April. Councillors will meet in Livingston next Tuesday to set this year’s revenue and capital budget for West...
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HOPE’S FINAL JOURNEY
Hundreds of mourners lined the streets of Livingston on Monday for Hope Gordon’s “final journey” as the schoolgirl was laid to rest. The six-year-old was found dead alongside her 36-year-old dad, Mark, at a house in West Calder on January 20. Police...
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COUNCIL TAXSET TORISE
West Lothian households could see a 5.8 per cent increase in Council Tax from April, when the budget is set later this month. That would add £6.73 a month, or £1.55 a week, to the bill for an average Band D property in the county. West Lothian...
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LET’SCOME TOGETHER TOHONOUR LITTLE HOPE
A fundraiser set up to help the family of a tragic West Lothian girl smashed its target in less than 24 hours. The GoFundMe was started by a close family friend of Hope Gordon, a six-year-old found dead next to her dad at a property on West Calder’s...
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DADAND 6-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER FOUND DEAD INSIDE HOUSE
Extensive enquiries are ongoing into the deaths of a 36-year-old dad and his six-yearold daughter in West Calder. Mark Gordon and young Hope were discovered within a property on the West Lothian’s town’s Harburn Drive on Monday. The deaths are being...
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BRAVEELLA-ROSE’S COURAGESHINES
The parents of a schoolgirl were devastated after being given the news that she has a debilitating genetic condition inherited from them. Kennedy, from Livingston, has Friedreich ataxia – a disorder that causes damage to the nervous system and...
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COACH SANDRA SPORTS AROYAL HONOUR
A West Lothian woman who has dedicated her life to sport was among those recognised in the King’s New Year Honours List. Sandra Hardacre, a coach at Livingston Athletics Club, has been awarded an MBE for her services to athletics. The 63-year-old...
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NATHANON TARGETFOR AKING’S HONOUR
Paralympic gold medal winner Nathan Macqueen from West Lothian has been awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours. The 33-year-old dad, paralysed from the waist down following a motorcycle crash when he was 18, brought home an archery gold medal...
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LIGHTS FANTASTIC
A fantastic Christmas music and lights spectacle in a West Lothian street has bowed out on a high in front of hundreds of beaming faces. Armadale Illuminations has been running for four years with families flocking to the home of Gary and Anna Gray in...
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Santa on parade in Stoneyburn
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Stoneyburn and Bents held their annual Santa Parade – and it was a massive hit. There were plenty of elves helping, Santa handed out presents and even The Grinch was in a great mood. The festive feelgood...
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Toy appeal is a hit
Helping hard-up families celebrate Christmas was child’s play for pupils at Armadale Academy. The school’s S6 charity committee have been supporting the toy appeal from West Lothian good cause River Kids and handed over boxes of toys, books and games...
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YOUNGMUM STABBED45 TIMESBY FRENZIED KILLER
A man killed a young mum after stabbing her at least 45 times in a “vicious and frenzied” attack in her own home, a judge has ruled. Cocaine abuser Michael Porchetta, 28, brutally knifed Aimee Cannon at the property in West Calder on May 7, 2022....
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TOPACCOLADE FORHEROCOPS
Three hero cops rescued an abducted baby from a filthy West Lothian drugs den, fighting off aggressive addicts and a dangerous dog. PCs Aidan McAllister, Graeme Alasdair Sewell and Kyle Whitelaw found the crying baby inside the pitchblack house which...
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THEKING and I
A West Lothian gold medal Paralympian has spoken of the ‘surreal’ moment he received a hero’s welcome from King Charles at Buckingham Palace. Nathan Macqueen, from Addiewell, was invited to a special event celebrating medallists from the Paris...
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HALLOWEEN SPOOK SHOW
Kids around West Lothian got into the spirit of the spooky season last week for Halloween with some ghoulishly great costumes. Youngsters enjoyed fun, parties and of course the all-important guising.
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300 NEW VILLAGE HOMES
Councillors have given a cautious welcome to plans for more than 300 new homes on the edge of Bents and Stoneyburn, which they initially rejected. The proposal to build on open fields off Cannop Crescent at the western end of Bents and Stoneyburn had...
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MECHANICGUTTED BY£30KTOOLTHEFT
A West Lothian dad says he’s “gutted” and can’t provide for his family after thieves stole his new work van and £30,000 worth of tools. Pete Fleming is in the process of setting up his own business, Autofix Brothers, with his younger brother Charlie,...
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MURDERHUNT AFTER BODY FOUNDON STREET
A community has been left in shock after the murder of a popular Livingston grandad. Gary Nicol (50), from Deans was pronounced dead after being found on Bankton Lane in Murieston on September 26. Following a post-mortem examination the day after he...
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MYSON’S DEATH SAVED THREE LIVES
A sorely-missed young man, who died after a tragic accident, saved the lives of three people through organ donation. Robbie Campbell (30) from Bathgate, passed away last year after a sudden fall. He suffered a brain bleed and tragically never...
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