A wide-ranging audit of local arts activities has been launched in Orkney, the information from which will form the basis of the first ever arts development plan for the county.

Because Orkney is the only local authority area in Scotland without a form of arts development plan, the OIC agreed last year that a plan should be drawn up to co-ordinate and encourage arts activity.

The audit will involve an in-depth analysis of every aspect of the arts in Orkney with questionnaires being circulated to local organisations and individuals involved in drama, dance, music, the visual arts, photography, film, new media, crafts and literature.

Copies of the questionnaire are being made available in local libraries and venues, such as the Pickaquoy Centre.

A privately run ten-pin bowling alley could be up and running in Kirkwall by the middle of next year, following initial support for the scheme by councillors this week.

But questions are being raised over why a council survey was launched last week - with no public forewarning - to gauge public support for a separate council-run scheme at The Pickaquoy Centre in Kirkwall.

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Councillors have recommended setting up a steering group along with representatives of Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Orkney Enterprise to take forward the idea of developing a container trans-shipment port in Scapa Flow.

Director of development and protective services, Mr Jeremy Baster told members of the council's economic development committee this week that the next step in advancing the idea would be to commission a study to look at specific sites for a container hub.

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The St Magnus Cross - Orkney's unofficial flag turns out to be Irish.

The truth behind the flag's origins came to light following a suggestion by Kirkwall community council chairman Mr Spencer Rosie that it could be flown from public buildings to mark St Magnus Day on April 16.

But after seeking advice on heraldry, officials discovered that the flag actually belongs to an Irish family and can't be used in Orkney.

When the news was broken to him this week, Mr Rosie said he was beginning to regret that he'd made the approach to the council. He still felt the flag could be used for unofficial community purposes though.

The council's finance and general purposes committee agreed this week that the council should approach the Lord Lyon King of Arms to find out if Orkney could have another flag to fly instead.

Archive story: St Magnus Cross could fly on patron saint's day

Plans to build an extension onto Orkney College will cost more than expected and the council look set to increase their share of the project costs by £60,000 as a result.

A £1.1 million extension to the college to house an archaeology unit as well an art and design department and new library was previously supported by the council, who approved a grant of £180,000 towards the costs.

On Wednesday , however, councillors agreed to increase the council's contribution to £240,000 after hearing that the estimated project costs had risen to £1.3 million.

The council's support is expected to help attract £1.06 million of external funding.

Speaking at the finance and general purposes committee meeting OIC convener Councillor Hugh Halcro-Johnston said the archaeology centre could become a major resource for Orkney in the future.

The Scottish Executive have announced that the Northern Constabulary can spend £2.69 million on capital projects throughout the force area. Orkney MSP Mr Jim Wallace hopes that this will mean work can begin on a new police station for Kirkwall.

The Northern Constabulary said that new stations at Wick, Kirkwall and Lerwick were priorities for the force and work has already begun on a new station in Lerwick. Mr Wallace now hopes that construction work on a Kirkwall station can begin in May, with the building completed next year.

The Orkney Drama Festival began in Kirkwall on Tuesday night, and runs until Friday evening.

The festival, part of the Scottish Community Drama Association, features 11 plays performed by amateur drama groups from across Orkney.

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An economics lecturer at Heriot-Watt University has been selected as the Northern Isles prospective Labour Party candidate for the next General Election.

Dr Robbie Mochrie (35), has experience in economic policy, having carried out consultancy work with the British treasury and financial restructuring of companies in post-communist European countries.

Following his selection, Dr Mochrie issued an immediate challenge to Liberal Democrat prospective candidate Mr Alistair Carmichael.

"Mr Carmichael may be thinking that it is necessary merely for him to file nomination papers in order to secure his election, but I intend to do everything possible to deny him that victory," he said.

Orkney Labour Party chairman Mr John Devine added: "Robbie is a first class candidate and we are looking forward to him getting his sleeves rolled up and taking on the other candidates on the issues."

Flights from Orkney to Glasgow could be disrupted in the near future if British Airways workers at Glasgow Airport decide to take strike action.

GMB Scotland, the trade union representing nearly 250 BA workers at the airport, have agreed that a ballot for industrial action should go ahead following the sacking of one of their trade union reps.

A spokesman from the GMB said that the ballot was due to take place in two weeks.

Sheriff Ian Cameron granted an interim hospital order so 46-year-old Eric Williams can be examined by psychiatrists in Inverness.

Williams, said to be of no fixed abode, previously admitted assaulting a 12-year-old boy and failing to give his name and address to police officers on January 7. He was due to be sentenced on Friday but the court heard he had failed to co-operate with the psychiatrist who was due to compile a report on him.

His solicitor Neil Wilson said yesterday: "Mr Williams is a man who wishes nothing to do with authority or indeed society in any form whatsoever. If he's left alone, he will leave others alone."

He is due to appear back in court for sentence on March 2.

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A visually-impaired Orkney woman has been selected to represent the UK at the European Blind Target Shooting Championships in Holland later this year.

20-year-old Vikki Thomson from Kirkwall came third overall in the British Target Shooting Championships in Wolverhampton. Her performance earned her a bronze medal in the visual impairment category.

Vikki, who attends the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford, said that she was delighted to have been picked for the UK team.

Another radioactive particle has been found during routine monitoring of Sandside Beach in Caithness.

The particle was removed from the beach and taken to Dounreay for analysis.

Investigations suggest that the particle is similar to the other fourteen which have been found on the beach since 1984 and are believed to result from operations at Dounreay in the 1960s.

Orkney householders are being canvassed for their views on the police service and how they would like to see it improve.

The survey of 4,000 residents across the Highlands and Islands has been commissioned by the Northern Constabulary to determine the public perception of community safety and the police's role in that, as well as trying to identify ways of improving the police service throughout the area.

The survey, which is being carried out by an independent company, have been sent out with prepaid envelopes to a cross-section of the public who have had dealings with the police in the past year.

The results will be reported to the April meeting of the Northern Joint Police Board which is due to take place in Kirkwall.

An Orkney couple are to take part in a summer charity cycle to raise money for the charity ENABLE which supports people with learning difficulties.

Mr Balfour Wylie and his wife Ida of Scapa House, St Ola, Kirkwall need to raise a total of £5,000 to take part in the 11 hour-a-day, 450 kilometre cycle in Brazil to raise money for the 22 ENABLE homes throughout the country - two of which are in Orkney.

Greig Edward Crawford (24), 248 Holborn Street, Aberdeen, was found with a 9 oz piece of cannabis resin in his pocket, when he and his girlfriend were stopped by police in Stromness on March 22, 1999, after coming off the ferry St Ola.

Police had been acting on a tip-off, when they stopped and searched the pair, and discovered the block of cannabis known as a "nine-bar", the largest single quantity of resin ever seen in Orkney. A subsequent search of Crawford's address in Orkney at the time uncovered a variety of drug paraphernalia, including a set of scales and pipes.

Crown witness Detective Constable Alastair Mackay of Northern Constabulary's drug squad told the trial that in his opinion the quantity of cannabis resin found on Crawford was only consistent with "intending to supply the drug on" to others, rather than for his own personal use.

After hearing two full days of evidence from prosecution and defence witnesses, the jury of six men and nine women took 75 minutes on Friday morning to reach their verdict. They were unanimously of the opinion that Crawford was guilty of possessing the cannabis resin at the time of the offence; and a majority of the jury agreed that he was also guilty of intending to supply the drug to others.

Sheriff Ian Inglis called for social inquiry reports and a community service assessment on Crawford before passing on sentence on March 13. He was allowed bail to reappear on that date.