Small boat owners in Orkney are being invited to take part in a public consultation exercise.

The consultation will consider the implementation of a policy requiring all boat owners of craft, six metres and over, navigating or using facilities within Orkney Islands Council’s harbours to carry third party liability insurance.

Small boats owners are not legally required to have such protection.

The implementation of the policy is seen as protection for the Harbour Authority as well as boat owners who may have occasion to claim damages from a third party.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, December 13, at 6.30pm at the Harbour Authority Building, Scapa.

Police would like to hear from anyone with information regarding a bicycle stolen from Kirkwall's Cromwell Road.

The blue-coloured Giant mountain bike was removed from outside a house in Cromwell Road some time between 6pm and 8pm on Thursday.

Police can be contacted on 872241.

Orkney MSP, Liam McArthur has attacked Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s admission that 50 jobs are to go in the HIE and local enterprise offices in the Highlands and Islands.

The enterprise company provided the information while being questioned by the Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy & Tourism Committee on the implications of the cut to their budget over the next three years.

The first award from the Spurness wind farm community benefit fund has been made – a grant of £800 to the Sanday Development Trust toward the cost of employing the island’s ranger.

The fund is provided by the operators of the turbines at Spurness in Sanday, Scottish and Southern Energy, who claim £25,000 “is expected to be available annually to local initiatives.”

Up to 12 jobs, and possibly more, could go at NHS Orkney, in an ongoing effort to balance the books.

The announcement on Thursday morning, from chief executive Iain Crozier, is one of a number of radical proposals to achieve savings of £3.5 million.

Failing to bring the budget under control could see responsibility for the county’s health services taken from NHS Orkney, and transferred to Scottish Government health officials.

Among the other cost-cutting proposals announced by NHS Orkney on Thursday morning is the “cost-neutral” appointment of a third surgeon, sourcing cheaper pharmaceuticals and selling services such as milk, food, water testing and laundry.

Chief executive Iain Crozier said: “Within the next five years, we will strive to be the best provider of remote and rural healthcare in the UK. In doing so, we will have a safe and sustainable health service in Orkney.

“We have a tough journey ahead, we have difficult and choices to make – and we have started to make these difficult decisions and choices.

“As chief executive, and on behalf of my executive management team, we are totally committed to this challenge.”

Police are appealing for witnesses after a dog, tethered outside Lidl's supermarket, attacked a five-year-old girl on Tuesday.

The incident happened at around 5.45pm and saw the girl receiving a facial injury that required medical treatment.

Police inquiries are ongoing and they are asking anyone who witnessed the incident to contact Kirkwall Police Station on 872241, or on the confidential line on 870999.

A man, banned from driving for life, got behind the wheel again as he likes to spend the winter months in prison, Kirkwall Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday.

Andrew Monaghan, of no fixed abode, admitted that if he hadn't been stopped by police on this occasion, he would have committed another crime to ensure he was arrested.

He was jailed for eight months and banned from holding or obtaining a driving licence by Sheriff Graeme Napier after admitting driving while disqualified.

The Crown Estate say they are hopeful of a resolution to the issue of seabed leases for the marinas at Kirkwall and Stromness.

It emerged last week that Orkney Islands Council has not paid a penny to the organisation in rent.

A Crown Estate spokeswoman said: “It is not unusual for leases to be put in place once projects are completed, there are often changes to design during the construction phase and the final area of seabed occupied often differs from the initial plan.

"Now that both marinas are completed and operational we are confident that seabed leases will soon be concluded.”

Stromness and Stenness turned on their Christmas lights on Wednesday night.

In Stromness, Jake Flett and Freya Hibbert, from Stromness Primary School, switched on the lights, following which there was a concert featuring local musicians and Fable Folk from Hordland in Norway.

Power to 720 homes and businesses in Burray and South Ronaldsay were hit by a power cut at 7.35 am on Tuesday morning, when an underground cable fault occurred on Lambholm.

Scottish Hydro Electric installed temporary generators, but it was 9.40pm before the last homes in Herston and Hoxa could switch on again.

As a result of intensive inquiries by Kirkwall police, two male suspects have been charged in relation to the recent spate of maritime flares which were discharged around Kirkwall and St Ola.

A report has been compiled and forwarded to the procurator fiscal.

Following an incident on Saturday night, when a youth was allegedly threatened with a knife, a second youth has been interviewed by police in relation to the matter and a report has been submitted to the children's reporter.

Young people from around Orkney gathered in the council chamber on Wednesday, for the annual Youth Debate.

The debate, organised by Dialogue Youth and chaired by OIC convener, Councillor Stephen Hagan, covered topics such as the European Union, volunteering and sustainable futures.

This year 22 young people took part.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a South Ronaldsay lobster farm was targeted at the weekend.

During the evening on Friday, November 23, and early on Saturday, November 24, damage was caused to the lobster ponds at Burwick which resulted in the death of a large quantity of shellfish.

The current Kirkwall Tourist Information Centre and the old bus station site on Great Western Road are to be put on the open market.

Both have been identified as being “surplus to requirements” and are being considered for disposal by the council.

Kirkwall Community councillors have been asked for their suggestions for the sites.

Retaining the bulb Christmas lighting in Kirkwall is not economic, according to Kirkwall community councillors.

Chairman of the community council, Spencer Rosie, said: “Christmas lights - what is the future? Trying to keep the old bulbs going is not economic. It would be of benefit to the council to invest in modern lighting.”

At Monday night’s meeting of the community council, member Cathleen Hourie, said they should go back to the street traders and ask their opinion.

Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has welcomed the agreement between BT and Faroese Telecom but has called for BT to speed up the network upgrade in Orkney.

BT have said that the fibre-optic cable will bring the benefits of its 21st Century Network plans to Orkney – but at present Orkney is last in the UK queue and will not get the upgrade until 2011.

“I think Orkney’s need for world class telecom connection links justifies us getting moved up the queue and I will continue to press BT on this. Once we are connected to the fibre-optic cable, there can be no technical reason to delay the 21st Century Network rollout in Orkney.”

BT has reached agreement with Faroese Telecom (FT) to share part of the new fibre optic submarine cable between Faroe, Orkney and Shetland and the Scottish mainland.

BT has taken out a long-term lease on the 720km cable, which FT expects to have up, and running by spring 2008. The cable will provide connectivity to the Northern Isles to supplement the existing microwave radio links.

The Kirkwall lifeboat was launched at the weekend after the latest in a spate of recent false red flare launches.

The emergency flares were sighted in the String on Saturday night, and saw the lifeboat launched just after 10pm.

After a fruitless search of the area east of Helliar Holm and west of Thieves Holm, in rough seas and a force six wind, the lifeboat was stood down and returned to port.

Police would like to hear from anyone regarding vandalism in Meadowbank on Friday night.

Between 11pm and 11.30pm, the window of a house was smashed and it is believed that the person responsible may have cut their hand as a result.

Two seasonal art exhibitions opened in Stromness on Friday night – “A Winter festival of Orkney Artists” with 240 exhibits at the Pier Arts Centre and 205 exhibits making up “A Normous Feast” of paintings, prints and designer craftwork at the Waterfront Gallery. 

The Pier Arts Centre hosted over 200 guests while the Waterfront was full to capacity. 

George Kirkpatrick, of the Pier Arts exhibition sponsors,  James Wilson (Orkney) Ltd., described it as “fantastic.” There was an amazing range of exhibits, he said, and the gallery was a great exhibition area. The talent that had been appearing over the years was absolutely incredible and was very encouraging, he added. 

The average cost of a litre of unleaded petrol in Orkney is now £1.15, with diesel at £1.18.

The results of a survery of Orkney and Shetland filling stations came from Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael who has launched a campaign against “unfair” fuel prices.

The average price of unleaded petrol at the same stations 14 months ago was £1.05, whilst two years ago it was just 93p per litre.