Shetland Islands Broadcasting Company

All of the about 1500 disabled people in Shetland, who were getting Personal Independence Payment, have now had their benefit awards transferred to Social Security Scotland.

The coastguard, the police, the fire and rescue service and the ambulance service were called out for a full alert at Sumburgh Airport. But all were stood down when the aircraft landed safely. Meanwhile the coastguard helicopter based at Sumburgh tasked to assist in a land incident in Orkney but it was also stood down.

Van Oord’s 175 metre fallpipe vessel Stornes, which has been working in the Rosebank field, 85 nautical miles west-north-west Unst, is returning with another cargo of rock from Norway.

The Bluemull Sound and Fetlar ferry Bigga is completing its annual docking maintenance which has been underway at Shearers quay in Lerwick harbour.

Ariane Burgess, the Scottish Green member of the Scottish parliament for the Highlands and Islands has responded to the announcement by the energy regulator Ofgem of a 2 per cent rise in energy next quarter, which is about one half pence per unit.

Shetland can produce up to ten times its own needs by renewable energy and the Shetland Gas plant produces about 8 percent of the UK’s gas needs, but Shetland does not benefit from either with lower prices.

Dredging company Boskalis has said that, to protect marine life in Lerwick harbour and in Dales Voe, comprehensive measures are being taken during the current dredging project.

Figures published by National Records of Scotland show that, although the population of Shetland is rising again, now at 23,200, the birth rate is falling.