Talk of the Town: Answer was right under our noses . .

FOUR weeks ago, the Evening News submitted a freedom of information request looking to find out the cost of redundancies at tram firm TIE.

However, as anyone who regularly submits an FOI will tell you, you should never assume that you will get a response.

As a result, we continued to pursue the figures elsewhere, which resulted in us revealing last week that the total cost of pay-offs would now total £2.1 million.

Two days later, we finally got a reply to the original FOI – which said the information could now be found on the Evening News website and provided a link.

The response helpfully added: “If you do not have access to the internet at your place of work, you may be able to use facilities at your local public library.”

Smitten SuBo has touch of puppy love for Donny

SHE’S enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom as the singing sensation who joked about her barren love life and never having been kissed.

Now millionaire songstress Susan Boyle says she is fending off a string of potential suitors – the more brash among them having taken to sending her revealing images.

Despite the attention, down-to-earth SuBo only has eyes for Donny Osmond.

She said: “I’ve had a few offers in the post and, let me tell you, some of them are beauties. They say: ‘I’ve seen your YouTube video and think I like you. I live on my own and I need somebody, too’.

“And some of the photographs I’ve been sent – oh my God! Let’s just say they were not suitable for me. Only Donny Osmond has caught my eye and he’s spoken for.”

Drivers on a crash course

THEY might fancy themselves as careful drivers, but Edinburghers are being urged to enter a competition to find Britain’s most accident-prone motorist.

The campaign from freecovered.com is asking Edinburgh drivers to apply by recounting any “amusing automobile anecdotes”. The winner will walk away with a cheque for £1000, which will no doubt come in handy when they come to renew their insurance.

Rankin takes it as read

LIKE most authors, it seems Ian Rankin is constantly amazed by the dedication of his followers.

Within hours of his latest opus, The Impossible Dead, hitting the shelves, he found himself bombarded with tweets congratulating him on what a great read it was, to which he could only respond: “You’ve finished The Impossible Dead already?? You only bought it yesterday.”