A SHORTFALL of up to £62 million has been found in the costs of restoring open cast mines in a single council area.

Just over £27.6 million is thought to be in place to pay for work
estimated as high as £90 million, a report to East Ayrshire councillors
states.

It follows the liquidation of Scottish Coal last month at the cost of 600 jobs, many in the local authority area.

The report suggests taxpayers could be left picking up an enormous bill across Scotland, according to campaign group Coal Action Scotland.

Group spokesman Oliver Munnion said: “The restoration bombshell has finally been dropped. In East Ayrshire alone the shortfall could be up to £60 million.

“What about South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire, Fife and other areas?

“We’re looking at a £100 million bill that will be dumped on the public purse.

“The mining companies have failed in their statutory obligations but local authorities should have been enforcing the planning rules, and
in this they have failed tragically.”

The council report uses figures provided by liquidators KPMG which estimates restoration costs between £48 million and £90 million.

Bond coverage in Scottish Coal totals £16.1 million, with a further £11.5 million in sites run by collapsed firm Aardvark.

At the upper end, the difference would amount to just over £62 million.

Urging caution with the calculations, the council report still warns of the potential for “significant shortfall” in restoration costs.

In a statement, East Ayrshire Council said 348 people have lost their
jobs, 250 of whom live in the area, and a number of local companies are
affected in the coal supply chain.

Work is under way by specialist mining engineers to investigate the state of each site in the area, along with outstanding restoration work and costs.

The council said Hargreaves Services, described as a leading UK supplier of solid fuels, wants to take over some sites but abandon “extensive areas” of unrestored land.

That approach is being “vigorously challenged”.

Council leader Douglas Reid said: “The coal operators have failed
to live up to their responsibilities and East Ayrshire Council will leave no stone unturned in minimising the effect of this situation on our communities and on the council itself.

“It is vital that we work with other councils affected – South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire and Midlothian – to try to stop the liquidators and Hargreaves from abandoning these sites.

“We have never shirked from our responsibilities and we never will, but everyone has a role to play and in recognising how vital the coal industry is to the economy of our country, I am particularly appreciative of the initiative and leadership taken by Fergus Ewing, minister for energy, enterprise and tourism, in establishing the Scottish Task Force and involving Westminster government departments and
our local members of Parliament.”

He welcomed a proposal by the council’s chief executive to independently review the planning process.

“We must, however, never lose sight of the fact that it was the responsibility of the coal companies to clean up behind themselves and restore their land – they didn’t do this and they have reneged on their responsibilities to our communities,” he said.

BANK holiday travellers faced huge tailbacks on one of the country’s busiest motorways today as police closed a stretch of the M6 while they investigate a “suspicious vehicle” at a service station.

Warwickshire Police have closed the M6 in both directions between junction 2 near Coventry and junction 4 near Coleshill.

Motorists are being advised to avoid the area and plan alternative routes.

The Highways Agency said they were made aware of the incident by the police at 3.30pm.

A spokesman said he understood the vehicle was parked in the car park of the northbound side of Corley services.

In a statement Warwickshire Police said: “Police are dealing with an incident on the M6 motorway near Corley services.

“The motorway has been closed in both directions and motorists are advised to find alternative routes.”

Warwickshire Police posted on Twitter that the incident was “coming to an end”.

The force tweeted: “Motorway incident coming to an end. Hoping to open the motorway soon. More details will be posted later.”

In a statement on Warwickshire Police website, Superintendent Martin Samuel, area commander for north Warwickshire, said: “We take all reports of suspicious activity and vehicles very seriously, and take whatever action is appropriate to protect people.

“On this occasion we were informed of a vehicle which had stopped at the service station to refuel and two men were seen behaving suspiciously around it.

“Following the horrific events in Woolwich on Wednesday everyone is acutely aware of the threats which some individuals pose and the harm
which they are intent on causing.

“After a thorough investigation by police officers and military personnel I can confirm that the vehicle was not carrying an explosive device, as reported by some people, and the incident is now being treated as a bulk fuel theft.

“I would like to apologise to anyone who was caught up in traffic
as a result of the investigation at the service station, but I am sure you will appreciate that the precaution of closing the motorway was necessary.

“Not only was it rush hour, but the start of the bank holiday weekend. It’s hard to think of a more difficult time to close the motorway.

“I would like to thank the member of the public who reported his suspicions, and everyone who has worked on this incident tonight.”

CELTIC manager Neil Lennon has revealed he tried to talk Kris Commons out of quitting international football.

The 29-year-old Celtic forward said on Tuesday he would be putting his family and club career first after announcing he no longer wished to add to his 12 Scotland caps.

The decision raised some eyebrows with the SFA’s performance director Mark Wotte, who questioned the player’s “pride, desire and ambition” on his Twitter account, an assertion refuted by Hoops skipper Scott Brown.

Speaking at Hampden Park ahead of Sunday’s William Hill Scottish Cup final against Hibernian, the Parkhead boss added his contribution to the debate.

“I tried to talk him out of it, obviously,” he said. “I think he has a lot to offer still but I respect his decision.

“I mean, it is great for me and Celtic that we have a player who won’t be travelling with his country and who will be fresh to play for his club but at 29 he still has plenty to offer.

“He is at the peak of his game, he is in great condition, he has had a marvellous season.

“I spoke to Gordon Strachan about it, who was disappointed. But looking at Gordon’s comments he has left the door open for Kris.

“If ever there comes a time when he may have a rethink then he may go back. He has a young family as well and I think that takes its toll.

“Scott Brown made a very good point the other day. We stay in hotels home and away and we have had a European campaign and internationals on top of that. You are away from your family three or four days a week sometimes.

“I totally understand Kris’s point on it. But from a footballing point of view, like I said, he still has plenty to give the game.”

Lennon was “delighted” to discover this week he is free to take his place in the dugout on Sunday.

He was found guilty by an SFA disciplinary tribunal of entering the “playing zone” within 15 minutes of the final whistle of Celtic’s 3-1 Clydesdale Bank Premier League defeat by Motherwell last month while serving a three-match touchline ban.

Lennon’s ban for breaking the SFA’s rule 205, however, has been suspended until the end of next season and he will be on the touchline as his side go for the domestic double.

“It is very important and I am just looking forward to it now,” said the former Celtic skipper, who served a touchline ban during the 2011 League Cup final defeat by Rangers.

“I played in plenty of cup finals so to take the team out for another one is pretty special.

“I missed a cup final a couple of years ago and it feels there is a part of you missing.

“You are not able to do your job properly, you can’t affect the players as much as you want to.

“These opportunities don’t come round very often so to lead the team out on Sunday will mean a lot to me.”

Lennon confirmed, though, that Hoops defender Adam Matthews will be missing with the hamstring complaint which has kept him out since March.

Midfielders Victor Wanyama and Beram Kayal are suspended while defender Charlie Mulgrew (knee) and winger James Forrest (hamstring) will be assessed.

Perhaps more significantly, though, is the absence of Hibs skipper James McPake, who has failed to overcome a back complaint even though he had an injection last week in a last-gasp bid to make the game.

HIBERNIAN have been dealt a major blow ahead of this weekend’s William Hill Scottish Cup final with the news that captain James McPake has been ruled out of the match through injury.

The defender had been struggling with a back problem and was rated doubtful to feature in the clash against Celtic on Sunday.

Boss Pat Fenlon confirmed today that McPake had now lost his battle to be involved in the end of season showpiece.

He said: “James is not going to make it to be honest. We made that decision today. He hasn’t trained today. It’s unfortunate for him, he’s a big player for us and the captain of the team, but he won’t be available.

“In the position he is playing in, it’s too much of a risk for everybody – for James and for us as well. I think it was wise to make the decision early.

“He hasn’t done enough training wise. We were trying to give him a chance to get himself right but it was clear yesterday and today that that’s not going to happen.

“It’s a big blow. Losing players and losing your captain is a big blow but we’ve got players there. We will just have to get on with it.

“These things happen in football. It’s more of a blow for James, it’s hard for him to take, to miss the cup final.

“We’ve got to make sure that we give him a chance to enjoy it after if we can.”

Teenager Jordon Forster could continue in central defence after deputising for McPake in the last three games, which have all resulted in Hibs victories.

The 19-year-old has lined up alongside Paul Hanlon although Tim Clancy could come back after stepping up training following a month out with a groin problem.

Meanwhile, Adam Matthews is out of Celtic’s team.

The Wales defender has failed to shrug off a hamstring complaint which has kept him out since March.

RANGERS have confirmed the signing of Dundee United striker Jon Daly.

The Irishman will sign a two-year contract for the Third Division champions on September 1, when their transfer embargo expires.

Daly, who had confirmed his intention to sign for Rangers on Sunday, follows Kilmarnock goalkeeper Cammy Bell and Motherwell midfielder Nicky Law in joining the Ibrox side this week.

The 30-year-old was out of contract at Tannadice and had captained the club this season.

Daly, who has also played centre-back for United, scored 72 goals in 203 appearances after signing from Hartlepool in January 2007.

Dundee United skipper Jon Daly admits he’s just waiting on results of medical to clinch his move to Rangers

I’M a bit sad today. Maybe it’s the stillness of Icelandic life giving me too much time to think that’s making me feel down.

After all, footballers and thinking can be a dangerous combination.

If there are reports coming from here about another volcanic eruption, don’t worry. It’s probably just the smoke emitting from my ears as the rusty cogs grind round in my head.

So, to stop me from setting my apartment on fire with my smouldering brain I stopped thinking and started reading. I’ve just finished reading Jonathan Wilson’s Inverting The Pyramid for the third time and it’s a book I’d recommend to anyone, particularly to any footballers who’ve not read it.

It’s a history of how tactics and styles of football developed into the game we have today and it’s truly fascinating.

As much as I love Wilson’s book I know that it’s because of his book that I’m feeling melancholy.

It shows how influential Scotland were in the initial stages after the game’s genesis and it makes me rue the fact that the Scottish game is at its lowest ebb. This isn’t the way it should be.

Us English are always being told that we are being mastered by others in the game we invented but it’s probably more true for Scotland and it’s painful.

It hurts me because I am a fan of Scotland and its football. From the moment I stood at Pittodrie watching Scotland v Nigeria in 2002, belting out “Flower Of Scotland” with goosebumps all over my body, a part of me has felt Scottish.

Many of you may find it hard to comprehend having more than one allegiance but it’s a fact.

After then reading about the history of the game, I began to realise how deeply important Scotland is to world football. England may have exported the game to the rest of the world but it was Scotland who showed them how to play.

I wonder how many Scottish players under 25 know it was a Scot who invented the passing game? They probably think it was the Spanish with their Tiki Taka football who revolutionised the mad concept of playing a style so graceful it’s almost art.

Perhaps they think it was the Dutch with their Ajaxian Total Football who taught the world to pass the ball.

No, it was Scotland and it’s now its turn to be the revolutionised rather than the revolutionaries they were over 100 years ago.

Restructuring of the leagues is only a part of the changes that need to be implemented.

Clubs like Aberdeen without their own, high-standard training facilities is a disgrace. Half-empty stadiums with apathetic fans is a disgrace. A national team sitting between Congo and Canada in the FIFA rankings, is a disgrace.

I could’ve pussy-footed around and given excuses for a small nation of five million people but it’s time to put an end to the decline.

People need to be reminded of the huge role Scotland played in football’s history and start playing a bigger role in world football again.

ABOUT 200 weapons worth about £40,000, including firearms, swords and daggers, have been seized from a business by police.

Officers carried out a search of a shop in the Leith area of Edinburgh yesterday following intelligence that the venue was selling a number of goods without the appropriate licence.

All the items recovered, which also include axes and morning stars (spiked clubs), will now be destroyed.

Police Scotland said a 78-year-old man has been charged with alleged licensing offences in connection with the discovery. He will now be reported to the procurator fiscal.

The operation was part of a drive to target the unlicensed sale of weapons in the capital, police said.

Last month, about 1000 weapons, including samurai swords and broadswords, were seized in a police raid on a business in Edinburgh city centre. A 45-year-old woman was charged with alleged licensing offences.

Chief Superintendent Mark Williams, divisional commander for the city, said: “Police Scotland is committed to keeping people safe and reducing the number of victims of violent crime.

“Bladed weapons and firearms are a blight on our communities and the items removed from this store have the potential to inflict serious harm on the public.

“All of these weapons should only be sold by vendors with the appropriate licence and anyone found to be trading without the necessary permissions can expect to be visited by police.”

UEFA
president Michel Platini has warned of mafia involvement in
match-fixing – but his call for a Europe-wide sports police force has
fallen on deaf ears.

Platini
said match-fixers were not “petty criminals” but money
launderers and that such a police force could also tackle
hooliganism.

In
his speech at the UEFA Congress in London, Platini said: “We are
protecting our sport from this scourge with all the means at our
disposal, but, unfortunately, that is sometimes not enough.

“We
are not dealing with petty criminals who are looking to make ends
meet.

“It
would seem that we are, in some instances, dealing with mafia-type
organisations that are using certain matches to launder money,
tarnishing our sport in the process.

“We
can take reassurance from the fact that this is far from being a
widespread phenomenon. However, just one fixed match is one match too
many.

“Six
years ago now, in response to this problem of betting, corruption and
match-fixing, as well as the problems of hooliganism and doping, I
called for the establishment of a European sports police force.

“There
has been no response to those calls so far. Given the absence of any
reaction and the lack of awareness on the part of politicians, I
renew that call today.

“And
if, by misfortune, this call again falls on deaf ears, I ask that
each country, at the very least, adopts specific provisions of
national legislation addressing the issue of match-fixing, in order
to finally have the legal tools necessary to rigorously punish these
cheats.”

Platini
said only 10 of UEFA’s 53 countries had legislation that outlaws
match-fixing – Britain is one of those.

“That’s
not many, and not enough,” added the UEFA president.

Platini
also praised the Premier League and Football League for bringing in
spending controls for clubs similar to UEFA’s financial fair play
rules.

He
said: “In order to prevent the current system from collapsing
and stop the bubble from bursting, UEFA had a duty to step in, and it
will be up to independent bodies to punish the few clubs that have
not realised that football can no longer live above the rules.

“The
Premier League and the Football League have themselves grasped the
importance of this matter and the need to adopt financial fair play.

“In
this respect, I congratulate England’s professional clubs, who have
decided, of their own accord, to follow UEFA’s example.

“The
rules adopted are not exactly the same, but the philosophy is
identical. And I can assure you that this is the path to follow.”

NICKY Law claimed Rangers were too big to turn down after choosing an
Irn-Bru Second Division title challenge ahead of a move to the npower
Championship.

Law
today signed a three-year contract with Rangers that will begin on
September 1, when the Third Division champions’ transfer embargo
expires, having already told Motherwell of his intention to leave Fir
Park.

The
25-year-old had talks with several English clubs but the lure of
Ibrox and the enthusiasm of manager Ally McCoist proved too strong.

The
former Sheffield United and Rotherham midfielder declared himself
“delighted and honoured to sign for this great football club”
as he was unveiled at Ibrox.

And
he added: “It was impossible for me to turn down. It was
probably a once-in-a-lifetime offer for me to sign here.

“If
you say no to it, you are probably not going to get that opportunity
again.

“When
I spoke to him (McCoist), I didn’t think I could ever really say no
to it.

“Playing
here at Ibrox in front of fantastic crowds, and this crowd is
fantastic and the attendances here last season for Third Division
football were unbelievable, that was a huge draw for me as well.”

Law
rejected accusations that leaving the Clydesdale Bank Premier League
runners-up and Europa League qualifiers for third-tier football was
purely a financial decision.

“People
will probably say that I’ve come here for the money and there’s no
ambition, but certainly not,” said Law, who scored 13 goals in
two seasons at Fir Park.

“I
could have probably gone down south and done better (financially)
than I have coming here but for me it’s not about that and it never
has been.

“It’s
always been about the football for me and playing for this football
club was impossible to turn down because it’s a fantastic place.

“When
you come here to the ground and the training ground and you see how
big it is and the history here…

“I
am ambitious and I want to win titles. You only have to walk out the
tunnel and look at the other side of the stadium and you see how many
they have won. It’s in the DNA here.

“When
you think of Rangers, you think of titles and trophies.

“I
want to be part of that and I’ll do everything to do my bit.”

Law
added: “Obviously I’d love to be in the SPL with Rangers but the
circumstances are it’s Division Two.

“But
for me it was always just playing for Rangers whatever the level.

“It’s
a huge opportunity for me to play with one of Europe’s biggest
football clubs. It was too big a draw for me to turn down.

“The
manager’s determination to bring me in as well was quite flattering
because he desperately wanted to bring me to this football club.

“That
was a huge thing for me as well so he had a big part to play and I’m
desperately looking forward to working with him as well.”

Law
made his Sheffield United debut in the Premiership as a teenager but
had just had a season in League Two when he signed for Motherwell.
And he admitted playing in the Championship again was a lure.

“It
would have been easy for me to do that because I could have gone home
and nearer my family,” he said.

“But
I’ve had a great time in Scotland – two great years at Motherwell,
successful years as well. I was quite settled in Scotland.

“But
it was just too big for me to turn down. This was the biggest club
that I could have signed for. It was as simple as that, really.”