Morning Briefing: Teenagers run into burning building to save child

THREE teenagers ran into a burning building to save a four-year-old boy.Neighbours praised their bravery in rushing into the house in Armadale and carrying the child to safety as smoke poured out of the windows.

The four-year-old and his mother were taken to hospital with smoke inhalation. The fire brigade said two of the boys also suffered the effects of smoke and one had burns to his leg.

* A MAN died after a blaze caused by a cigarette broke out at a flat in the city in the early hours of this morning.

The 41-year-old died at the scene after the fire in a top-floor flat of a three-storey building on Niddrie Mill Drive at around 1.40am.

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said: “The cause of the fire was a careless use of a cigarette. The smoke alarm did activate but it did not alert the occupant.”

The building was heavily smoke logged and firefighters used one hose reel and two breathing apparatus to extinguish the blaze.

* THE Scottish Parliament’s new £280,000 electronic voting system has crashed, forcing the cancellation of one debate and delaying the results of two others by almost a week.

The problem became obvious when a Labour motion appeared to win against the SNP, despite the Nationalists having a clear majority in Parliament.

The traditional technological advice of turning the machines on and off again did not appear to work, prompting Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick to cancel the session.

The official results of debates on education and criminal law will now not be known until a re-run next Wednesday. A debate on services at Ayr Hospital was cancelled.

A Scottish Parliament spokesman said: “The Presiding Officer is extremely unhappy that the failure of the sound and voting system meant that business could not be concluded and took the decision to postpone the vote until next week.”

He said the company which installed the equipment were due be on site today.

* Police are appealing for information to help trace a man who went missing in Edinburgh.

David Cairns Russell was last seen around midday yesterday when he left a property in Learmonth Gardens. He failed to return to the address and has not made contact with anyone since.

He is described as male, white, 5’10”, with a good head of grey/white hair. He was wearing a navy blue waterproof anorak, dark brown coloured check trousers, a light blue short sleeved shirt, brown suede lace up brogue style shoes and light coloured metal rimmed glasses. He uses a walking stick and cannot cover large distances on foot.

A police spokesman said: “David generally stays in the local area and the longest he has been out on a walk is a couple of hours. As he has not returned, we are growing concerned for his well being and would urge anyone who believes they may have seen him since midday yesterday to come forward.

Anyone with any information can contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.