We owe a debt of gratitude to all police keeping us safe
It has been another busy month in the constituency where I recently attended an extremely informative meeting with professor James Miller, principal and vice chancellor, and Marcus Ross, vice principal of the University of the West of Scotland.
We discussed immigration policies and the impact they are having on international student recruitment and the wider implications for higher education and the wider economy.
We also discussed the extremely important links between the University and the local community. UWS is a major contributor to both the local and national economy and plays a significant role in the provision of high-quality university education and research at their four campuses in the West of Scotland and London campus.
I was also pleased to be able to show my continuing support for Ayr Rotary Club and the Ayrshire Costal Path by again taking part in the Annual Beach Clean.
A significant number of people took part all along the Ayrshire Coast this morning in very windy conditions and collected almost 400 bags of rubbish which would normally have been taken back out to sea with the tide.
Last week I was privileged to attend, pay tribute and lay a wreath at a memorial service in London to the memory of WPC Yvonne Fletcher who was shot in the back and murdered whilst policing a political demonstration on the April 17, 1984.
No one has ever been prosecuted for her murder despite named suspects being identified. The government continue to withhold information. It reminded me very strongly that we owe a debt of gratitude to
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all police officers who put themselves in danger every single day, to protect and keep us safe. The campaign for Justice for Yvonne continues.
I have been very concerned recently by continuing reports of increasingly sophisticated scammers at work in Ayrshire. Scammers often target the elderly or vulnerable in our communities, but anyone can become a victim of their scams, which adapt and evolve constantly as circumstances change.
Trading Standards Scotland, in conjunction with Police Scotland, run annual campaigns to improve our vigilance and halt the scammers in their tracks.
The aim is not to frighten anyone, but to empower us all to avoid all sorts of frauds from online, doorstep, cold callers…even from scammers claiming to be your Bank or a family member. Please be aware.