John O’ Groat Journal headlines for July 18, 2014
THE body of a man was recovered yesterday from a car which went over the cliffs at Duncansby Head, near John O’ Groats. No details about his identity were available when the Groat went to press, although it is thought he lived locally. The body was recovered by police divers from Aberdeen and taken to Wick by the local lifeboat crew.

A GRANDMOTHER has blasted Wick Jobs Centre which she claims is considering prosecuting her grandson for fraud, after staff read a newspaper which said she financially assisted him to pay for expensive energy bills to help him make ends meet. Alison Kirk previously gave £30 a week to Richard Collier who paid average weekly energy bills of £50 at his council home in Lybster while living on £59 a week of Job Seekers Allowance.

A REVIEW is to be undertaken of the route towheads follow from Wick Harbour to the Subsea 7 site at Wester. That was confirmed yesterday by site manager Willie Watt. Trucks transport the towheads on multi-axle trailers to Wester along Scalesburn, Willowbank, Girnigoe Street and George Street to the pipeline fabrication site. But Mr Watt said a review is being undertaken by a survey company and a report will be with Subsea 7 around the middle of next month.

A BID by Wick harbour to become a service base for offshore wind turbines has taken a step forward with a tie-up between the port authority and one of the developers. Wick Harbour Authority signed an agreement earlier this week with Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd, the company behind a 1.5 gigawatt scheme off the east Caithness coast. The move was described as “tremendous news” for the port, for Wick and Caithness, by WHA chairman Willie Watt.

CONCERN is growing that a derelict auction mart site in Thurso is becoming a target for flytipping. Residents witnessed the latest incident on Friday when maintenance workers dug up the adjoining Ormlie Road and then dumped waste materials at the site where Tesco has planning permission to build a supermarket and garage.

THE controversial decision by Chief Constable Sir Stephen House to arm officers with handguns during routine patrol, could be called in by the Scottish Police Authority. The group’s northern board member Ian Ross said there is a strong chance the decision will come under tough scrutiny by members of the board.

WEEDS growing several feet high at a cemetery in Wick town centre, have been dubbed “an embarrassment” by a local woman who was ashamed to show tourist around it. Carol Mellor was left red-faced when she brought visitors from Australia to St Fergus Church’s graveyard to help research their family roots. It is the latest site to be the subject of flak from the public about the lack of maintenance being carried out on cemeteries and public parks throughout the Highlands.