Scotland's papers: Police officer cutbacks and BA strike vote
The chief constable of Police Scotland has warned the force may have to reduce officer numbers as it struggles with budget challenges, reports the Scottish Daily Express. The paper writes that Sir Iain Livingstone said policing was "not one of the priorities" of the recent government spending review.
Reporting on the same story, The Scotsman says Mr Livingstone warned plans to create an electric vehicle fleet and the introduction of new technology could also be affected. He told a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) he was concerned about the financial pressures facing the force.
The i leads with news that British Airways staff have voted to strike over a pay dispute. The paper says hundreds of check-in and ground staff plan to walk out in July and August. It says holidaymakers face "severe disruption" during what is the peak getaway period. The action could hit 58,000 passengers a day at terminals 3 and 5, the paper reports.
The Herald leads with the news that self funding care home residents are paying almost £69,000 a week for accommodation alone in some areas of Scotland. The paper says the figures have been branded "extraordinary" by a Labour politician. Data revealed in a parliamentary question by Alex Rowley, MSP for Fife, shows that the average annual cost last year ranged from £39,676 to almost £69,000 in Edinburgh, the highest in Scotland, and almost £1300 a week.
Ian Blackford faced growing calls to resign after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said his support for MP Patrick Grady was "utterly unacceptable", says the Scottish Daily Mail.
The Times reports that royal aides are thought to be frustrated that the furore over the Rwanda asylum plan is overshadowing Prince Charles's first visit to the African country. The prime minister and the Prince of Wales will meet in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, ahead of the first meeting of Commonwealth leaders in four years.
Meanwhile, the Telegraph reports that the prime minister will relax the push to use green fuel, despite it being part of the government's net zero pledge. There are concerns the push to use green fuel could contribute to the cost of living crisis, the paper says.
SNP president Mike Russell claims the Northern Ireland Protocol could lay the foundations for a preferred "seamless" trade border between England and Scotland post-independence, reports The National. The paper says this comes after the First Minister said she would sign up to a protocol-style agreement in a "heart beat" if it was offered to Scotland - in response to news that the UK government intends to override parts of the Brexit deal they themselves signed through legislation in Westminster.
The Courier leads with the news that outrage over a parole hearing to be held for Dundee murderer Robbie McIntosh spilled into Holyrood and Nicola Sturgeon was forced to defend Scotland's justice system. The paper says Linda McDonald, 57, who he bludgeoned while on home leave from prison, has warned he should not be granted parole and recently said, "there is absolutely no justice in this whatsoever".
The Daily Record reports that Sir Andy Murray says he was left feeling "upset and angry" at the revelations of his mother Judy that she had been sexually assaulted. The 62-year-old tennis coach had kept the incident secret from her younger son for eight years since it happened at an awards dinner at a leading educational establishment.
Trains were delayed and roads closed after a lorry crashed on to train tracks near an East Lothian village on Thursday afternoon, says Edinburgh Evening News. The paper says emergency services were called to the scene of the incident, which occurred near the A199, Wallyford. The lorry driver was taken to hospital by ambulance, but his medical condition is not yet known.
Highland councillors have delayed making a decision about controversial plans for a new £30m hotel on the site of Inverness' popular Ironworks music venue, reports The Press and Journal. The paper says developers Bricks Group had reworked their original plans following criticism, but at a planning meeting on Thursday they again came under fire. Council convener Bill Lobban said the proposed 155-bedroom hotel could have been "designed in the Soviet era by blocks of Lego".
Glasgow Times leads with the news that the heartbroken daughter of a much-loved school cleaner has expressed her gratitude after staff made the decision to honour her mum for years to come. The paper says Helen Bradley, 60, from Parkhead, passed away in November 2021 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour and lung cancer just two months earlier. She worked as a cleaner in St Michael's Primary School in Glasgow's East End for 24 years and was popular among pupils and staff. The school is honouring her with a new award, that will be presented to a P7 pupil every year.
The Evening Telegraph reports that a 64-year-old man has died after a fire in a flat at a retirement housing development in Dundee. Emergency services were called to Bonnethill Gardens on Caldrum shortly before 8pm on Wednesday.
The Daily Star of Scotland reports that Alexa, the virtual assistant technology, is set to add "raising the dead" to its list of household tasks. The paper says it will soon be capable of "resurrecting" voices of loved ones who have died.
Construction could commence on Aberdeen's major beach revamp by the end of next year, according to the Evening Express. The paper says under a newly published timeline , work on an "events park" capable of staging festivals and farmers markets gets under way before 2023 is out, with councillors poised to approve the new timeline.
Sheffield United's Oli McBurnie and Rhian Brewster are set to face charges of common assault after a police investigation into incidents during the club's Championship playoff semi-final defeat by Nottingham Forest, according to the Metro. Both deny wrongdoing but police said the men were due to appear at Nottingham magistrates court on 28 July, where they will each face a charge of common assault.
