Under Par Lawrie Pulls Out

Paul Lawrie has pulled out of his Andalucian Open title defence this week because of illness and it could leave him sweating on a place in next month’s US Masters at Augusta.

The Aberdeen golfer is currently 45th in the world and at the end of next week the top 50 earn invitations to the opening major of the year.

Lawrie, who has not played at The Masters since 2004, almost withdrew from last week’s Cadillac Championship in Miami.

He said “I haven’t been feeling too well this week, and I was up coughing most of the night.

“I was going to pull out until I found out you have to complete four rounds for the money to count on the Order of Merit and Ryder Cup points, so I decided to cough and splutter my way round, eventually shooting 77.”

It dropped him to joint 60th in the 74-man field and meant he did not pick up any world ranking points in any case.

Lawrie won the Qatar Masters last month and is currently fifth in the race for places in Jose Maria Olazabal’s Ryder Cup side.

He last played in the match in 1999 – the year he won the Open Championship, of course, from an amazing 10 strokes behind with a round to play.

Olazabal, meanwhile, has also withdrawn from this week’s event at Aloha near Marbella. Plagued by rheumatic pains for the best part of two decades, he has a foot injury.

By Adrian Lewis

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Coke Man Fined For Being Out Of Line

An Aberdeen man caught with cocaine at a nightclub has been fined.

Matthew Lorenson was caught at the Pearl Lounge in Aberdeen city centre with a quarter of a gram of the Class A drug.

The 25-year-old appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted being in possession of the drug on January 28 this year.

Fiscal depute Alison Shaw told the court Lorenson was caught after being seen with another man in the toilet area of the nightclub.

She said: “Witnesses saw them leaning over.”

Defence agent Stuart Beveridge said: “It was a drunken night out with friends.”

Lorenson was fined £200 by Sheriff Malcolm Garden.

By Rachel Coorey

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Cashmore Cashing In

CNN is in talks to buy Aberdeenshire technology news website Mashable.

Launched in 2005 by 19-year-old Pete Cashmore from his bedroom in Banchory, the site has proven to be hugely popular with an estimated value of £130 million.

The site claims to have 20 million unique users per month making its creator one of the most influential people in the technology world.

Pete Cashmore's official biography on Mashable.com says he started the site to focus on "up-to-the-minute news on social networks and digital trends."

He has been likened as a British Zuckerberg and often described as the internet’s Brad Pitt.

The Principal Teacher of Guidance at Banchory Academy, Niall Ritchie said: “Peter was a quiet, unassuming and self contained student.He had real interest in computing at school and developed a business sense in IT from home.

"He could obviously see the great potential of the internet from a young age.

“It has been interesting following his progress and watching him from a distance achieve something exceptional. His success should be an inspiration to other students at Banchory Academy.”

The company is now headquartered in New York and Mr Cashmore separates his time between there and California.

By Danielle O'Donnell

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Police Called To Classroom Stramash

Police were called to an Aberdeen school to break up a classroom fight between two school children.


The Northfield Academy pupils, thought to be under 16 years old, were involved in a classroom scuffle in which no teachers were assaulted.

Councillor for Kincorth and Loirston, Neil Cooney, a former teacher, said a handful of disruptive pupils should not be allowed to “tarnish” the reputation of the school.

He said: “The majority of kids are good kids.

“It’s a very supportive community that are proud of their school”

By Rachel Coorey

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Body "May Take Weeks to Identify"

A body found in Aberdeenshire harbour could take several weeks to identify.

A man’s body was recovered from Fraserburgh harbour on Sunday at around 2.40pm.

The emergency services were called and the local lifeboat team was able to pull it from the Balaclava Basin and take it to shore.

Authorities are now attempting to identify the body and it is understood that police are investigating the possibility that the body could be that of Viktors Asitkovs who was reported missing in the town in January.

When the Latvian national failed to turn up for work on the Willing Lad fishing vessel, docked in Fraserburgh harbour the alarm was raised.

Mr Astikovs has short grey hair and was wearing a black leather jacket, blue/grey jeans, brown shoes and a black T-shirt with a white pattern on the front when he was last seen.

Anyone with information about where Mr Asitkovs is can contact Grampian Police on 0845 6005700 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

By Saskia Leighton

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Casino Racists Plead Guilty

Two men who racially abused a casino doorman have been fined.

Graham Fyfe and Alan Moir appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where they both pleaded guilty to racially abusing door staff at the city’s Grosvenor Casino.

Fyfe, 51, and Moir, 53, both admitted shouting, swearing and uttering racial remarks in the early hours of February 19 this year.

Fiscal depute Alison Shaw told the court the pair became abusive after they were refused entry to the casino.

Following this the two men reportedly shouted "Go back to Poland" at the doorman.

Defence agent Stuart Beveridge told the court Fyfe and Moir are work colleagues who were ashamed of their actions.

The solicitor said: “They are embarrassed to be in court.

“They have never been in trouble before and do very much regret their actions on the night.”

Both were fined £350 by Sheriff Malcolm Garden.

By Marta Imizcoz

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Offshore Pilots May Refuse To Fly

Offshore pilots could refuse to fly in severe weather conditions after warnings from the union.

 Pilots said they have concerns over a new net safety device designed to rescue casualties from water.

 The Dacoon Scoop system is to be used as a last resort where fast flying rescue copters cannot reach the location in time. 

The system includes a hydraulic arm which is used to scoop victims out of the freezing water. However, the union said all flying should be suspended if conditions become so extreme.

Robert Paterson, health and safety director at Oil & Gas UK, said: “Both the Health and Safety Executive and Oil & Gas UK support the use of dacoon scoops as an effective and safe means of rescuing people from the sea as part of an offshore emergency response.

"The industry’s priority is ensuring the safety of its workforce and Oil & Gas UK helps in that endeavour by disseminating best practice in a range of emergency response methods offshore to stakeholders.”

This warning comes from the British Air Line Pilots’ Association following the 20th anniversary of the Cormorant Alpha helicopter crash.

By Danielle O'Donnell

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