A CITY centre school's lack of an adequate playground has forced the parents and pupils to take matters into their own hands.

A COP who lied when he applied to join Northern Constabulary has been shown mercy by a north sheriff.

A SCHEME to encourage people to use public transport and bikes to get to work in Inverness is expanding.

AN Inverness community art project has been delayed by a week because of the petrol panic in the central belt.

ORGANISED prostitution is becoming more evident in Inverness and a top city cop has raised concerns it could be linked to other crimes.

AN elderly woman has taken vigilante action to tackle dog fouling in the old Fishertown of Nairn.

AN Inverness angel who came crashing down to earth when she tripped on a loose paving stone near her home has hit out at the way Highland Council is spending money in the area.

TWO pollution scares at Inverness and Nairn harbours in the last week have prompted a warning for boat owners to dispose of waste fuels safely.

THE Highland Capital has been dubbed the ultimate Tesco-town with the highest proportion of spending per head in the UK.

MOTORISTS appear to be steering clear of panic buying fuel as Inverness filling stations report calmer forecourts.

A CONTROVERSIAL city centre bar which has reopened under a new name with new management has been serving alcohol without a licence.

ROSS County's championship winning stars have been banned from an Inverness nightclub – a move which has come under fire from officials at the football club.

A CITY councillor is demanding members and officials of Highland Council declare if they own shares in supermarket giants Tesco.

PARKING attendants in Inverness are now wearing protective anti-stab vests when they are emptying meters around the city.

A GOOD Samaritan's act of kindness has restored an Inverness pensioner's faith in humanity.

THE manager of a new city centre pub has quit following an internal investigation into allegations of sexual and financial misconduct.

AN English BBC radio presenter overcame his childhood nightmares to go Nessie hunting to research the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster for a new book.

NHS Highland forked out out more than £1,000 per shift for a German doctor to be drafted in over the Easter holidays because local GPs would not provide cover.

A CHARTERED surveyor in Inverness has dismissed "doom and gloom merchants" warning of the impending credit crisis hitting the city's housing market.

A SPORTS giant whose plush new facility in Inverness had to be evacuated when a wall collapsed suffered a new setback last week because its safety standards were not up to scratch.

A FOYERS dad and his son who were killed in a blaze in their home were laid to rest in the same coffin this week.

THE doors to the new £9 million visitor centre at Culloden Battlefield opened yesterday (Wednesday) – with the help of two youngsters whose ancestors fought there.

THE Waterboys will headline Saturday night at the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival on August 8-9, joining current chart-toppers Scouting For Girls who headline the Friday night.

A SENIOR civil servant moved across the city from a development agency to a top £100,000-a-year job at Highland Council this week – and also picked up a £138,000 payment from the public purse on the way.

SPECULATION amongst villagers in Foyers where a father and son were killed in a blaze at their home is that it could have been a tragic accident involving an electrical heater.

SOARING petrol prices are putting the brakes on motorists filling their tanks at Tesco stores.

A UNION boss in the Highlands has appealed for calm among remaining members of the part-time fire brigade at Nairn following months of internal strife at the station.

IT'S no laughing matter for city comedy fans.

AT first glance you may think Inverness is under threat of an imminent nuclear or chemicals weapons attack.