Robert Alan Rose.

The search for missing Sanday resident, Robert Alan Rose, has been stepped up with dog handlers and additional officers drafted in from the scientific support unit in Inverness.

Mr Rose, 54, of Braehowe, has not been seen since Saturday morning and concerns are growing for his safety.

The search is being concentrated on Sanday in the meantime, with local officers having been joined by auxiliary coastguard teams from the island and Mainland, the Shetland coastguard helicopter and Kirkwall lifeboat in leaving no stone unturned on the island.

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A group of fundraising pilots are due to land in Orkney next week, as part of a formation flight which will see them visiting 12 UK islands in one day.

The challenge, which is also an attempt to win the 2009 Pooley’s Dawn to Dusk flying competition, will take place on June 18, with the group landing in Orkney at 6.01pm, for 30 minutes.

The journey will start in Jersey, then fly on to the Isle of Wight, the Scilly Isles, Anglesey, the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Islay, Tiree, Benbecula, Stornoway, Orkney, Shetland and then Inverness.

Church members from Malawi, in Africa, are in Orkney this week, as guests of the Orkney Presbytery.

While in the county, arriving from Orkney’s partner Presbytery, of Thyolo Highlands in southern Malawi, the eight visitors are travelling to the isles and meeting with Orkney Islands Council officials, as well as fitting in church-related activities.

The programme also includes visits to Orkney schools and the Rotarians, who have given financial support to Nachipere School in Thyolo, and concludes with a special service in St Magnus Cathedral on Sunday, June 14, at 4pm, conducted by Rev Makubuli Nkhanga and Rev Fraser Macnaughton.

Orkney Ferries’ winter timetable for 2009/10 has been approved by councillors - leading to additional services for Graemsay and North Hoy.

Orkney Islands Council’s head of marine services, David Sawkins, said the timetable was largely similar to the previous year, apart from changes to the South Isles services.

He told councillors at the OIC’s transportation committee meeting on Tuesday that amendments to crewing arrangements on board the mv Graemsay would enable additional services to be operated from Stromness to Graemsay and North Hoy.

Mr Sawkins said it would also be possible to operate every weekend to Graemsay and North Hoy.

Councillors have backed plans to introduce 20mph speed limits in the Quoybanks and Kirklands area of Kirkwall.

No objections were received during the statutory consultation process, members of the Orkney Islands Council transportation committee heard on Tuesday.

OIC director of technical services, Brian Thomson, explained the reasons behind the order in a letter before councillors: “Concerns have been expressed for some time by both elected members and members of the public regarding the Quoybanks/Kirklands area.”

Councillors recommended making the 20mph speed limit orders from August 1, 2009.

Police in Orkney are appealing for any information as to the whereabouts of Robert Alan Rose, aged 54, Braehowe, Sanday, who has not been seen since around 12.30pm on Saturday, June 6.

He may have travelled to the Orkney Mainland and possibly further afield.

He is described as a 54 year old male, 5ft 8in tall, skinny build, ruddy complexion, short cut mousey grey hair, balding on top and speaks with an English accent.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Kirkwall Police Station on 872241.

A full scale emergency was declared at Kirkwall Airport on Tuesday morning, following a technical fault with an aeroplane.

A spokeswoman for Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service said two engines from Kirkwall were called to the incoming flight, but their services were not required, as the plane landed safely.

Managing director of HIAL, Inglis Lyon, said: “It was a Highland Airways newspaper plane that was making a visual approach when the pilot reported that he had a technical problem and wanted to carry out checks.

“A local stand-by was declared, and that was subsequently increased to a full emergency.

A fire in a Kirkwall laundrette has caused smoke damage throughout the Albert Street building.

A spokeswoman for Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service said: "A tumble dryer was damaged by fire. The fire was extinguished on arrival of fire crews."

Two Kirkwall appliances attended the fire, at Launderama, just after 3pm on Tuesday, then returned to the station at 3.44pm.

A major scheme to develop tidal power in the Pentland Firth and the waters around Orkney has attracted bids from across the world.

The Crown Estate has received 42 applications from 20 bidders trying to secure leases for the seabed in the area. The applications - from small developers and multinational energy companies - will be scrutinised over the summer.

Last September it announced its plans to lease part of the seabed for energy development and experts mapped nine areas in the Pentland Firth, Scapa Flow and around Orkney as part of the process.

Applications ranged from smaller-scale demonstration sites to 300MW commercial sites.

A man was sentenced to six months in prison at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Monday.

Christopher John Kelly, 6 Whitechapel, Kirkwall, appeared from custody and admitted committing a breach of the peace on Sunday by brandishing a spade above his head and uttering threats of violence to two people.

Kelly, 36, also pleaded guilty to seizing hold of a woman, causing her to fall to the ground and repeatedly striking her on the body with his hand.

Sheriff Graeme Napier told Kelly he “simply cannot be trusted in the public domain” and sentenced him to six months in custody, adding it was his view that he should serve the whole sentence before being released.

Sentence has been deferred on a Kirkwall man, who admitted taking and driving away a van without the consent of the owner.

Steven William Rendall, 23, of 7 Warrenfield Drive, pleaded guilty to taking and driving away the van from King Haakon Street, Kirkwall, on Sunday, June 7, and driving while unfit through drink or drugs, without insurance and without due care and attention.

He also pleaded guilty to failing to negotiate a bend in the road, causing the vehicle to leave the road and collide with a door on Broad Street, Kirkwall.

Rendall is due to appear for sentencing on June 24.

Two ship-to-ship transfers of crude oil have recently been completed in Scapa Flow.

The very large crude container, Olympia transferred just over two million barrels of Forties crude to the Primo Stealth and the Thornbury.

This was followed by a transfer of 660,000 barrels of Volve Norwegian crude from the Sallie Knutsen into the Montiron.

This brings the total number of barrels of crude oil transferred in Scapa Flow this year to just over 14.5 million.

The turnout in Orkney for the European Parliamentary Elections, last Thursday was 25.9 per cent.

For the first time, details of Orkney’s vote were declared separately from Shetland’s.

The count took place on Sunday, and Orkney’s results were: British National Party 99, Christian Party “Proclaiming Christ’s Lordship” 77, Conservative Party 633, Jury Team 26, Liberal Democrats 1326, No2EU: Yes to Democracy 31, Scottish Green Party 382, Scottish National Party 842, Scottish Socialist Party 35, Socialist Labour Party 38, The Labour Party 291, United Kingdom Independence Party 353. Duncan Robertson, Independent 30.

There were 11 rejected votes.

A recent survey, commissioned by Orkney Islands Council, reports that cruise ships boost Orkney’s economy by more than £2.8 million a year and that there are between 60 and 70 cruise ship port calls annually into Orkney, delivering more than 30,000 passengers and 10,000 crew.

Councillor Jim Foubister, chairman of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said: “For some time there has been a myth that cruise ship passengers simply arrive at our harbours, board tour buses and spend the whole day touring with out any real evidence of economic benefit to Orkney generally.

“This survey destroys that myth, and when one considers passenger numbers have increased by 31 per cent in the last three years, the future economic benefit is even greater.”

The police in Orkney are presently engaged in the Summer Safety Campaign 2009.

Over 120 vehicles were stopped on Orkney roads over the weekend and a total of 33 breath tests were carried out.

A number of minor offences were dealt with by way of fixed penalties or the vehicle defect rectification scheme and one driver was reported to the Procurator Fiscal for a drink-driving offence.