News / In brief for 12 January 2011
Trial delayed further
THE TRIAL of former Shetland man Chris Readings was delayed for the second day running at the High Court in Aberdeen due to technical problems with video link equipment.
Mr Readings, aged 44, of Clifton Hampden, Oxfordshire, denies a series of charges that he sexually abused and assaulted two children in Shetland.
The trial is due to start again on Wednesday.
Helliar’s here
NORTHLINK’S new freight vessel arrived in Lerwick for the first time on Tuesday morning almost one week behind schedule.
The 122 metre ship’s maiden voyage from Aberdeen on Wednesday last week ended after a turbo charger failed on one of her engines and high seas and strong winds forced her back to port after sheltering off Orkney.
Engineers were waiting at Aberdeen with replacement parts, but the repairs took longer than expected to carry out.
Helliar finally left Aberdeen at 9pm on Monday and arrived at 10 am on Tuesday. The vessel will have her naming ceremony next month in Kirkwall.
Offshore safety
SAFETY inspections on oil and gas platforms in the North Sea and north Atlantic are to be stepped up, energy secretary Chris Huhne has announced.
Having already announced an increase in the number of Health and Safety Executive offshore inspectors last year following the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, Mr Huhne has said the number of checks will almost double from 80 to 150 a year.
Two inspectors will also be used to inspect more complex projects, such as deep water drilling operations.
Last week a House of Commons select committee warned that prevention was better than cure in the harsh environment around Shetland, where it is almost impossible to clean up an oil spill.
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