National Focus

Stories from Scotland

Dunfermline Childminder Admits Neglect After 27 Children Found at Home

A Dunfermline childminder described as ‘loved and trusted’ in the local community has admitted to neglect after concerns emerged. Amanda Mathewson, 55, pleaded guilty at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to wilfully neglecting, abandoning, and exposing children in a way likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury.

Mathewson was registered to care for eight children but had 27 in her care when arrested. Parents said children returned home thirsty, in dirty nappies, or with dried faeces in their underwear. Court documents said she played loud music and prevented parents from entering the house.

Families described the discovery as traumatic, while one parent called Mathewson a “master manipulator”. An unannounced Care Inspectorate visit a year before her arrest rated aspects of her service “very good”. The regulator later described the case as distressing and said it has since implemented changes. Mathewson is due to be sentenced on 6 November.

Chart-Topping Scottish Singer Lena Martell Dies at 86

Scottish singer and television presenter Lena Martell, 86, has died following a short illness. She was the first Scottish female solo artist to top the UK singles chart, with her best-known recording, ‘One Day at a Time’, topping the chart for three consecutive weeks in 1979.

Born Helen Thomson in Glasgow, she began singing as a child and performed with the Jimmie McGregor Band at the Barrowland Ballroom. As a teenager, she appeared on the ITV talent show Find the Singer and secured her first recording contract at sixteen years old.

Her career took her to the US, where she performed in New York and Las Vegas and understudied Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl. In the 1970s, she hosted her own BBC series, Presenting Lena Martell, which attracted audiences reportedly exceeding twelve million. Martell’s career spanned more than six decades across music, television, and live performance.

Metal Detectorist Uncovers Second Bronze Age Hoard in Scottish Borders

A Bronze Age hoard was discovered by a metal detectorist in the Scottish Borders in 2022, and has now been confirmed as authentic following excavation, conservation, and analysis.

Mariusz Stepien found the Blyth Hoard in 2022, seven miles from where he discovered the Peebles Hoard in 2020. The artefacts date from about 1150BC to 850BC.

The collection includes two bronze axe heads, clay moulds, and a complete copper ingot, believed to be Scotland’s first. Experts say the moulds may have been used to make bronze fittings found in the Peebles Hoard, suggesting a possible connection between the discoveries.

Stepien reported the discovery to Scotland’s Treasure Trove Unit, as required under Scots law, prompting an archaeological excavation of the site. The hoard was then taken to the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh for conservation and further analysis. National Museums Scotland said further research into both collections will continue.