Annual art trail

ARTISTS i n Montrose have thrown open their studio doors in an annual art trail for visitors.

North East Open Studios (Neos) has been running for 16 years, but last year was the first time that Montrose was included in the programme.

With five artists participating in the event – Mo Barbour, I r ene Hughes, Gerrie Somerville, Kirsten Ritchie Walker and Trish Winton – the town is now firmly established on the Neos map.

The programme runs until Monday and four of the venues are within walking distance in the town, with one up the coast at Little Kinnaber. A L OC A L c h i l d r e n ’s campaigner has welcomed the government’s decision to repeal the controversial named persons law.

Beth Morrison, who has spent years campaigning for children’s rights, said she was delighted at the decision, announced yesterday.

Education Secretary John Swinney scrapped parts four and five of the Children and Young People Act of 2014, which provided for a non-family legal guardian for every young person in Scotland.

Beth said: “The named person legislation focused on family homes which were seen to be places of risk and harm to our children’s ‘wellbeing’.

“The list of ‘ risk indicators’ against parents were endless, yet there were no risk indictors for a child being mistreated or neglected by any professional or ‘services’. Every parent i n Scotland was deemed a potential child abuser, but named persons were not.

“The Scottish Government now need to apologise for their failure to uphold the human rights of children and their families and