Kirkwall police have issued a description of a man they are looking for regarding the graffiti scrawled in Skara Brae earlier this week.

A spokesman said the main is around 35 years old, of medium build 5’ 6” to 5ft 8in tall, with short, cropped, fair/blonde hair.

He added: “He has a north of England, possibly Liverpool accent, and is wearing an outdoor, walking style anorak and carrying a rucksack. He may be using the name Brian Finlay and may make conversation on the subject of the Celts.”

Anyone who encounters this man should contact Kirkwall Police Station immediately on 872241, or the confidential line on 870999.

Police investigating the vandalism at Skara Brae earlier this week have ruled out the owner of a silver Hyundai vehicle from their investigations.

However, a spokesman stressed on Friday that they are still following a “very positive” line of inquiry.

A spokesman from Northern Constabulary said: “We stopped the vehicle after a member of the public phoned in about it, but the persons driving it were not the people we were looking for.

The Kirkwall lifeboat was launched on Thursday to aid a trawler thought to be in trouble of North Ronaldsay.

The incident occurred around 2pm and followed the activation of an emergency beacon on board the Ullapool-registed trawler Maranatha, off the east of North Ronaldsay.

The coastguard helicopter from Shetland was first to make contact with the Maranatha, who informed them that they had experienced a power outage.

Education funding, recruitment of staff and the inclusion of pupils with additional needs issues will be top of the agenda later this month when Scottish Executive minister for schools and skills, Maureen Watt MSP, meets with representatives from Orkney Islands Council.

Mrs Watt arrives in Orkney on August 30 and will visit Glaitness School to discuss health promotion and eco-developments, and Dounby to talk about enterprise education.

She also plans to meet with chairwoman of the council’s education committee, councillor Janice Annal, and director of education Leslie Manson.

A 23-year-old woman was released on bail at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Thursday afternoon.

Appearing from custody, Faye Naylor, Citadel Crescent, Stromness, admitted assaulted Jonathan Hodgson at the Stromness Hotel on Wednesday. She further admitted spitting on two police officers.

She was released on bail, with the added condition that she must not approach the complainer. Sentence was deferred until September 5 for reports.

The county’s new teachers attended an induction programme hosted by the OIC’s education department on Thursday.

The two-day event follows on from last year’s successful pilot project and aims to give the county’s new teachers a flavour of what to expect in their new careers.

In Orkney this year, 30 new teachers will welcome pupils on the first day of term next Tuesday, including a new recruit from Barbados.

An RMT union official has warned there will be “turmoil” for residents of Orkney’s outer isles if Orkney Ferries fails to come up with an increased pay offer.

While appealing for public support for the ferry crews, Ian Macintyre, said: “The reason there is no money in the Orkney Ferries pot is because they have squandered it.

“They got a warning over a year ago. When they got the grant and subsidy, they should have put something aside for this pay bargaining.”

The crews have turned down a 3.5 per cent offer, and strike action is imminent.

Despite continuing calls for a permanent GP, residents of Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre have been told that modernising health services will be dependent on improved transport links for staff and patients.

NHS Orkney officials met with the isles’ community council last week in a bid to help the health service understand the needs of the islands in planning for care provision on the three islands.

Orkney Ferries crew have voted to strike over pay conditions.

Members of the RMT union voted 83 per cent in favour of industrial action after previous negotiations broke down.

The OIC has confirmed it will be working to put in place contingency arrangements, as far as was possible, to assist the islands affected by the strikes.

Vandals have targetted the 5,000-year-old village of Skara Brae in Sandwick.

House One at the site, one of the best preserved, was daubed with graffitti on Monday night - possibly, going by one of the markings, by someone who spent the night in the structure.

Anyone with information should call Kirkwall Police Station on 872241, or the confidential line on 870999.

Orkney Islands Council officials will be putting forward a strong case for more investment for affordable housing when Stewart Maxwell, Scottish Executive minister for communities and sport, visits the county next week.

The council's assistant director of housing, John Richards, said: "We are delighted the minister has decided to see Orkney first hand and will see for himself the need to continue investing in the housing needs of our county."

The minister will tour various sites across Orkney on August 22, including the joint OIC and Orkney Housing Association development at the Citadel, in Stromness.

There have been three additions to the board of HIE Orkney recently - with pharmaceutical consultant, Ian Cunningham, solicitor, Roy Flett and farmer, Cliff Bichan appointed.

Welcoming the three appointments, HIE Orkney chairman, Edgar Balfour said: "The three new board members have a wealth of experience in their respective business sectors and I'm sure they will make a very valuable contribution to the work of the board.

" The quality of applicants on this occasion was extremely high, making the final selection process very hard for the panel."

North Ronaldsay householders have been told they should continue to boil water before drinking or using for food preparation.

However, water can be used as normal for other household purposes. This amends earlier advice which said that the water could only be used for flushing toilets.

Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has hit out at Monday’s announcement by the Scottish Executive that it will only consider ferry routes to the Western Isles for the first phase of its pilot study of ferry fares.

The Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) involves setting ferry fares on the base of the cost of travelling the equivalent distance by road. High ferry fares have been seen by many as a barrier to economic growth in the islands and it is hoped that lowering ferry fares could boost island economies by reducing freight costs.

Police have released the name of the diver who died in Scapa Flow at the weekend. He was George Arnold William Hendry, 54, a retired clerk from Rendall.

It is understood he had been exploring the wreck of the Dresden on Saturday when he failed to surface. He was missing for two hours.

After a coastguard co-ordinated search, Mr Hendry's body was recovered.

Police in Orkney were busy over the County Show weekend.

At 4pm on Saturday at the show park, a man was arrested for allegedly assaulting another male.

On Saturday evening, three males were charged with a breach of the peace after allegedly fighting on Victoria Street in Kirkwall. One was also charged with vandalism.

During the early hours of Sunday morning, a man was detained and charged with a domestic assault and breach of the peace.

At about 1.15am on Sunday, three males were arrested for allegedly fighting at the Pickaquoy Centre. Two were subsequently charged with a breach of the peace and one with assault.

Reports will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.

Orkney Auction Mart held a cattle sale on Monday, after Orkney and other Scottish islands were taken out of the restricted zone for livestock movements from Sunday, meaning shows, markets, auctions and movement of all animals can resume within each island.

The islands are also allowed to move cattle to the mainland providing they are going directly to slaughter.

Monday's sale at the mart at Hatston was of prime cattle only.

NHS Orkney have improved their communications systems by installing 35 hearing induction loops in the wards, departments, surgeries and Garden House.

The systems will bring all facilities up to standard with the Disability Discrimination Act and were sourced through the Royal National Institute for the Deaf. The installation cost more than £10,000.

Malcolm Hamilton, who chairs NHS Orkney’s equality and diversity committee, said: “NHS Orkney is committed to monitoring and improving how services are provided to all members of the public. Often small changes such as these can make a big difference to the ability to communicate and thus improve the quality of care given.”

Sandwick captain Steven Wylie with the Parish Cup

Sandwick are this year's The Orcadian Parish Cup winners after a 3-2 extra time victory over St Andrews in the final which was played at Pickaquoy on Saturday evening.

St Andrews opened the scoring with a goal by Neil Macdonald before Sandwick equalised through Mark Seator. Neil Macdonald then converted a penalty kick, before Sandwick again equalised through Marcus Wood. taking the game into extra time.

Sandwick's Gary Dowell scored the only goal in the second period of extra time to claim the trophy.