A second Multiple Sclerosis sufferer’s home was raided by Orkney police. Mr Bill Reeve from Great Auk in Burray followed in the footsteps of his friend and MS Sufferer Mrs Biz Ivol who was raided by the police in August. Both were outspoken in their views on cannabis use and readily admitted giving cannabis, cannabis seeds and cannabis chocolate to others with the disease.

A man was jailed for eight months for breaking into and stealing money from a donation box in Orkney’s 860 year old St Magnus Cathedral. Sheriff Colin Scott Mackenzie described the crime as “almost unbelievable” in that someone with Orkney connections could break into the Cathedral.

The £100m programme to build new ferries for NorthLink’s Northern Isles service reached another milestone in Finland with the keel-laying and metal cutting ceremonies for the Hjaltland and Hrossey vessels. Orkney Islands Council convener, Hugh Halcro-Johnston, performed the metal cutting ceremony on the 125-metre ro-ro ferry Hrossey. He was accompanied by OIC chief-executive Alistair Buchan.

A decision by multinational oil company Esso to withdraw local businesses’ access to petrol and diesel at average UK prices was met with local protest.

Companies holding less than ten Esso cards and who don’t operate nationally would no longer be entitled to cheaper fuel - losing an estimated saving of five pence per litre on unleaded petrol.

A wheelchair-bound woman who came to Orkney to start a new life away from Brighton died in a mystery fire in a council house in St Margaret’s Hope. Kirkwall Police Inspector Paul Eddington said that it appeared to have been a tragic accident.

A routine flight from Edinburgh to Kirkwall sparked off a full scale emergency at 2,000 feet after fears that a fire had broken out on board, flooding the passenger cabin full of lethal smoke. The smoke turned out to be a problem caused by the malfunction of the pressurisation system, and there was no trace of fire.

Extra precautions were taken at the Flotta oil terminal after the terrorist attacks on America. More than 100,000 tonnes of oil regularly pass through the terminal each week from the oil field to the north and a spokesman from operators Talisman confirmed that extra measures had been taken.

For the first time ever an Orkney bar and hotel was able to open its doors to the public at 9am. The Ferry Inn, Stromness started opening for business two hours earlier than usual following a decision by Orkney Licensing Board. After a marathon two-hour debate, members voted by five-two in favour of granting the extension for a six-month trial period. The hotel is now able to serve alcohol and breakfast from 9am Mondays to Saturdays and 9.30am on Sundays.

The retail butcher shop George Donaldson and Sons in Albert Street has announced that they have been forced to close down due to growing volume of regulations and red tape associated with the preparation of raw and cooked meat on the same premises.

Orkney Seal Rescue man Ross Flett received a chilling warning after the head of his metal seal-shaped sign had been cut off and the letters “U NXT” written on the remaining body, after the deaths of ten grey seals in Orkney. This was the third time he has had to replace the metal sign, which has been shot at twice over the past few years.

Two pro-cannabis campaigners in Orkney -who were waiting to see if they would be charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act - said they would still be regarded as criminals under the moves to ease UK laws on cannabis. Home Secretary David Blunkett told a House of Commons committee of his wish to reclassify cannabis from a class B to a class C drug. The proposals were welcomed by MS sufferers Mrs Biz Ivol and Mr Bill Reeve.

Pentland Ferries owner Andrew Banks raised questions over the future use of Scrabster pier by NorthLink after being told that he could not use it except in emergencies. The Pentland Ferries vessel Pentalina B berthed at Scrabster after bad weather prevented her from docking at Gills Bay, Caithness. Mr Banks added though that his primary aim was to ensure he could use Gills Bay and avoid Scrabster.

Kirkwall-based jewellery manufacturers Ortak, won a valuable order from the United States on the second day of the Highlands and Islands Trade Fair in Aviemore. The order worth £200,000 was for 15,000 pieces from Ortak’s existing range of Celtic and Scottish jewellery.