Susan Aitken addressed suggestions that the vape shop where the fire started hadn’t been paying business rates.

The leader of Glasgow City Council has confirmed the vape shop where last weekend’s Union Street fire began was being pursued by the council’s debt company.

The fire began in a vape shop on Union Street on Sunday, March 8 and spread through the building and around the corner, where only the façade of the B-listed building at the junction with Gordon Street was left standing.

The remaining section of the historic building is being bulldozed “in the interests of public safety”. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s The Sunday Show, Susan Aitken said demolition is taking place “round the clock” and Network Rail staff have started planning a phased and partial reopening of the upper level, hopefully by Wednesday.

But addressing suggestions that the vape shop hadn’t been paying business rates, Ms Aitken said: “They were being pursued through the usual channels the council would use for anyone who hasn’t paid business rates.

“They’d been contacted repeatedly by the debt recovery company that the council uses in these circumstances. The fire is obviously a matter for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.”

Asked if the incident raised red flags for business practices in the city more generally, Ms Aitken replied: “You could jump to all manner of conclusions… there is an investigation to be carried out and at the moment the council’s focus as the statutory building safety authority… is to make the site safe and support the affected businesses.”

On reassuring the public that the council are carrying out all of its statutory duties and regulating the premises where the fire stated, Ms Aitken said council statutory duties regarding to vape shops “are actually very limited”.

She explained: “They are registered but not as sellers of vapes but as sellers of nicotine products. That’s the only statutory duty we have towards them, so we do inspect them but on a trading standards basis to make sure they’re not selling to underage people, for example. There is no regulatory regime around vape shops at all.

“That’s something that’s a matter for the Scottish Parliament and MSPs to look into now.”

A multi-agency investigation is underway into the fire and no official cause has been confirmed, though lithium-ion batteries from vaping devices are understood to be the suspected origin.

John Swinney has said he is “open” to greater regulation of vape shops amid growing concerns about their safety, while Ms Aitken said the council is launching a public information campaign about the safe disposal of lithium-ion batteries, which have previously caused fires in the back of council cleansing vans.

“We’re very aware there is a fire risk associated with them,” she went on. “It is something should a future Scottish Government want to go ahead with… local government would want to work very closely with them on it…

“We don’t know what started the fire and it’ll be for fire investigators to tell us that but there are obviously now public concerns and you can’t put the genie back in the bottle”.

Ms Aitken welcomed John Swinney’s announcement of a multi-million pound recovery fund to help support Glasgow after the fire, and is meeting with architecture and design buffs this week to strategize the site’s re-build.

And while rejecting claims that Glasgow city centre is falling into disrepute, she admitted the council would like “far stronger powers” to force private owners to take better care of buildings, or else have their ownership removed.

She said: “There’s certainly a narrative that’s pushed about Glasgow city centre along those lines… but an unprecedented level of investment is taking place…

“We do have a challenge – we’ve got perhaps one of the biggest concentration of heritage buildings in any city in the UK in Glasgow city centre, the vast majority of which are in private hands.

“A lot of those private owners are not looking after those buildings as they should be… and I would like the council to have far stronger powers to enforce care of those buildings by those owners or to remove their ownership.”

She added: “We use more compulsory purchase orders than all of the local authorities in Scotland put together but they are legally challenging and expensive so there is a lot that’s beyond the reach of the council but… we hope to use this huge loss for the city as a catalyst to get others to think about what can be done.”

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In an appeal to nations affected by the oil price spikes on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint will send ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a nation that has been totally decapitated.

Rumours have emerged that the daughters of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson are being kept at an arm’s length by the royals, as the Epstein scandal rages on

Since the arrest of their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have been keeping a low profile. They have only broken their cover a handful of times, heading out in public with family and friends around them, and have not spoken out on their parents’ indiscretions.

White both sisters are not working royals, they have joined the wider Royal Family for countless events over the years: most recently spending the festive period with King Charles and the family at Sandringham, and joining them for their annual walk to church on Christmas morning. However, since Andrew’s arrest, it seems tides are turning in regards to Beatrice and Eugenie.

READ MORE: Prince Harry ‘will have to face questions over Epstein scandal but has reason for silence’READ MORE: Palace ’embarrassed’ by Andrew hecklers as Royal Family left with tough option

Andrew was arrested on the morning of his 66th birthday last month on the suspicion of misconduct in public office, in relation to allegations that the former prince shared confidential files with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his time as trade envoy to the UK.

Since his arrest, there have been calls to formally remove the former prince from the line of succession, with some royal watchers believing this removal should also trickle down to his daughters.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were both named in the recent release of documents from the Epstein files, and while the presence of their names does not indicate any wrongdoing, many have started to question what they knew about their parents’ involvement with the late billionaire paedophile.

As a result, rumours have started to emerge that the sisters have been barred from attending upcoming events, such as Easter Sunday in April and Royal Ascot in June. According to a royal source, King Charles believes that having his nieces at such public events would not be good for the Firm’s image during a time of such turmoil.

Speaking of Royal Ascot, the royal insider told the i Paper: “They might attend the races among the crowd but they can’t be seen in the royal carriage procession with all this going on.”

Royal biographer Russell Myers added that while Prince William had previously invited his cousins to help him and his wife Catherine host a garden party at Buckingham Palace, it seems almost certain that this summer he will be following his father’s lead: “He can’t be seen to be acting out of turn against the King,” he said, “and there is no indication that he wants to.”

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror that the best option for Beatrice and Eugenie is to steer clear of major Royal Family outings while the King is still grappling with the fallout from his brother’s arrest. If you can’t see the poll, click here.

Jennie said: “I’m sure the women care about the damage that has been done to the royal family, and it seems to me that the best way to support their uncle and cousins is to keep their distance for the foreseeable future. It might be helpful if they told the King that they are otherwise engaged for Easter and Royal Ascot week, thus relieving him of the dilemma about whether to invite them.

“Like it or not to, they would draw unwelcome press attention to themselves if they were to join the rest of the royals, so it might be better for all involved if they keep a low profile for now.”

According to the Daily Telegraph’s executive editor Camilla Tominey, Beatrice and Eugenie may be feeling let down by the Royal Family amidst the ongoing scandal. Speaking on the Daily T podcast, Camilla said: “I’m not sure the girls feel as supported as they did by the Palace.”

With uncertainty about how much endorsement they currently receive from King Charles, Hannah said: “They’re sort of in this vacuum of suggestions and rumours and questions, but not very many answers for them and that must be frustrating.”

While the calls have intensified for Beatrice and Eugenie to speak out on their parents’ involvement with Epstein, or to renounce their royal titles, a friend of the princesses told the Daily Mail that they still “have a great sense of public duty” despite the situation they find themselves in.

“They were always happy to carry out engagements when asked by their grandmother [Queen Elizabeth] or by other members of the family. They don’t see why they should slope away like criminals when they’ve done nothing wrong,” the friend told the publication.

Fine margins are often the difference between a title-winning side and one still building towards it.

Thomas Ramos’ last-gasp penalty to win the championship for France came after a handful of moments England will replay in their minds for a while.

Henry Pollock did brilliantly to steal the ball late on but, instead of taking contact and securing it, he tried to move it and possession was lost.

Ollie Chessum might also look back and think he could have edged a little closer to the posts to make the kick easier for Fin Smith, who himself will be frustrated at leaving points out there.

Those are the moments you write down and burn into your memory, because when they come around again – and they always do in Test rugby – you want the instinct to be automatic.

The best teams make winning those moments a habit.

Just look at South Africa at the 2023 World Cup – three knockout wins by a single point.

That is not luck. That is a team that understand exactly how to manage pressure.

England had been through a sticky spell and this performance gives them something real to build on heading into the summer.

When this squad meet up again for the tour to South Africa, there should be a real sense of belief.

They have shown they can challenge the very best teams in the world. Now it is about learning how to close out those pressure moments when they come.

Another area that will need attention is opposition analysis.

France exposed England a couple of times in the first half with tries straight from set-piece starter plays.

At this level, that is inexcusable. Louis Bielle-Biarrey chasing on to kicks through is something France have done all championship.

Those details matter. Fix them, combine that with the intensity England showed in Paris, and suddenly you have a team not just competing with the best, but capable of beating the best.

Katsu Kitchen has been in HALT at Weaver’s Cross since it opened

I had seen a few people posting about Katsu Kitchen, which is in HALT at Weaver’s Cross at the old Europa Bus Centre, so it was about time I went in to check it out.

It sits among quite a few different food vendors in the food market that opened in 2025. I headed in on a Friday around lunchtime, and it was buzzing in there with quite a lot of people grabbing an end-of-week treat.

What I ordered:

I went in unsure of what to go for, but I don’t think you can go somewhere called Katsu Kitchen and not put its namesake to the test. So I went for the katsu bowl, which came with chicken, rice, red onion, chillis and katsu curry.

I do, however, have a regret, and it’s not about what I ordered, but it’s that I didn’t give in to my temptations while I was there and order another item as well. It was the chicken curry spring rolls, but because it was lunch time, I didn’t go for it, and I’m still wondering what those would have been like.

What I liked:

The portion sizes here were great, and the bowl was very full, which is always a fantastic start in my opinion. It came with all the trimmings you’d expect from a katsu curry, and the veg was really fresh.

In terms of the taste, they have got a great katsu here, and the flavours were strong without being too overpowering. It came out piping hot but wasn’t spicy, so it is perfect if you prefer something a little milder.

What I would change:

The only thing I would change is that the Katsu was a little thin, and the only reason I thought about it is that in a street food style scenario, it could be easily spilt. This is me being quite pedantic with it, though, and doesn’t affect the taste at all.

How much it cost:

This came to £13 for my curry, which I definitely do think is a little expensive, but it is good quality food that tastes great. The portions are there, and I think if it were in a sit-down restaurant, you wouldn’t bat an eyelid at that price.

Overall, I can really see why the hype is there for Katsu Kitchen; they have nailed the Asian street food. There’s a lot to choose from on the menu, from more traditional items to things like loaded fries.

I did really enjoy it here, and I can see myself heading back the next time I’m passing through or grabbing a pint. So if you’re into Asian food, definitely give this one a go.

In the interest of fairness and transparency, we pay for all the meals and drinks we review. This ensures that we are giving accurate and honest representations of the food and service that we receive. So, unless we state otherwise that we were invited down, we have paid for the meal ourselves and visited without the knowledge of the eatery, so you can trust our opinions aren’t skewed by a freebie.

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In fact, one thing you should add to your garden this year might surprise you, as it’s normally an item that would go in the bin.

Gardening experts have shared the benefits of adding eggshells to your garden, giving them a purpose after you’ve enjoyed eating your eggs.

Here’s how you can use the kitchen leftovers to benefit birds in your garden.

Make sure to prepare the eggshells correctly before using them (Image: Getty)

Why are eggshells good for birds?

Luke Newnes, gardening expert at Hillarys, shared his passion for using leftovers in the garden: “As a gardener, I’m a big believer in making the most of everyday kitchen leftovers, and eggshells are one of those things that can quietly do a lot of good in a UK garden.

“One of the reasons I often recommend them is because birds, especially in early spring, benefit from the extra calcium.

“It’s a crucial mineral for females when they’re forming eggs, and it can help them produce strong, healthy shells during the breeding season.”

How to prepare eggshells for birds

It’s important that you prepare the eggshells correctly so the birds can safely eat them and so you don’t attract rodents to your garden.

Nick Wood, horticulturist at GardeningExpress.co.uk, said: “To prepare eggshells for birds, they should first be sterilised to help prevent the spread of any infectious diseases.

Plants that could damage the value of your home

“You can do this by pouring boiling water over the shells or baking them in the oven for a short time.

“Once thoroughly dry, crush them into a fine, manageable grit that birds can safely digest.

“Crushed eggshells can then be sprinkled on a bird table alongside seeds or added to a homemade linseed ball.

“These can be hung in open spaces or placed on feeding tables positioned well away from predators such as cats and foxes, helping to keep visiting birds safe.”

He added: “Like most food left out for wildlife, eggshells can carry a slight risk of attracting rodents.

“Placing them higher up will help deter rats and mice from reaching them.

“It’s also another reason why you should give the shells a thorough wash and proper sterilisation – removing any lingering egg residue or smell, particularly from the yolk, will make them far less appealing to unwanted visitors.”

When should you put eggshells in your garden for birds?

Dr Elliot Goodwin, Practice Owner at Vets for Pets Hereford, said eggshells can be put in your garden at any time of year, “but they’re especially valuable in spring when female birds need extra calcium to produce strong eggs, and again in autumn during the moulting season.”

He added: “Don’t worry if the birds don’t take to them straight away – it can take a little time for them to recognise something new in the garden.”

How to get rid of these common garden pests

Are eggshells good for soil?

It’s not just the birds who can benefit from the eggshells, as Nick explains: “Other than helping birds and other wildlife, eggshells can also benefit your garden, they’re packed with calcium which supports healthy plant growth and can help prevent problems like blossom end rot in crops like tomatoes and peppers.

“Adding crushed eggshells to soil or a compost heap can improve overall soil structure and reduce acidity which creates the ideal condition for plants to thrive.”

Luke said eggshells can deter slugs and snails “as the dry, sharp fragments create an uncomfortable surface that many soft-bodied pests prefer to avoid.”

He added: “While it isn’t a perfect solution, especially in very wet weather, it can noticeably cut down on damage during drier periods.”

Once the birds know to come to your garden for eggshells, they will often keep coming back, which means your insect numbers will be kept in check too.

Luke added: “Eggshells are one of those small, almost effortless things that can make a real difference.”

What’s one thing you’ve added to your garden that has helped wildlife and your garden thrive? Let us know in the comments.

The incident in Rochdale sparked a major emergency service response

Police have confirmed a man was rescued from a canal in Rochdale and taken to hospital after receiving CPR on Saturday (March 14).

Emergency services were called to the Rochdale Canal near Oldham Road, close to the town centre, shortly after 5pm.

Greater Manchester Police said a man was found in the canal and rescued by officers. He was given CPR at the scene by paramedics from North West Ambulance Service (NWAS).

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The man was taken to hospital, where officers have said he is alive but his condition is being monitored.

Police, paramedics and firefighters were all called to the scene during the incident. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said they were called to help with the rescue of a person in the water.

The Manchester Evening News understands the person had already been retrieved before they arrived.

A GMFRS spokesperson said: “Just after 5pm on Saturday 14 March, fire crews were called to assist with the rescue of a person in water at the Rochdale Canal near Oldham Road, Rochdale.

“Fire engines from Rochdale and Chadderton stations, as well as the water incident unit from Heywood and the technical rescue unit from Ashton, attended the incident.”

An 88-year-old man has died in hospital three days after being involved in a car crash in Inverness.

A pensioner has died three days after being involved in a one-car crash in Inverness. Emergency services were called to a car park near Longman Drive in the city at around 2.40pm on Monday, March 9.

One car was involved in a collision and an 88-year-old man was taken to Raigmore Hospital for treatment. However, despite the best efforts of doctors, he died in hospital three days later on Thursday, March 12.

No further details of the crash were shared by police and they have not said if there were any other occupants in the car or any other injuries.

Police are now appealing for any other witnesses to come forward as they work to establish the full circumstances.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “An 88-year-old man has died following a crash in Inverness.

“Around 2.40pm on Monday, March 9, officers were called to a report of a one-car crash in a car park near to Longman Drive in Inverness.

“Emergency services attended and the elderly man was taken to Raigmore Hospital, where he died on Thursday, March 12.

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the collision.

“Officers are keen to speak with anyone who witnessed the crash but has not yet spoken with police.

“Please contact Police Scotland through 101, quoting incident 1725 of the Monday, March 9.”

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