LIVES AT RISK

Two women were praised this week for their “remarkable courage”after they were attacked within minutes of each other by the same man in separate incidents in Perth city centre.

Knife-wielding thug Daniel Whyte first confronted 23-year-old Kaitlin Green after following her down an alleyway in Victoria Street.

But she shouted loudly despite feeling “intimidated and scared”, telling him in no uncertain terms to leave her alone.

That caused him to run off, Perth Sheriff Court was told.

Fifteen minutes later, 53-year-old Sara Carr was mugged in nearby Canal Street and robbed of her handbag.

She was pushed to the ground but quickly got to her feet, shouted at her assailant to stop – and then chased after him.

SheriffWilliamWood described both victims as “equally feisty in the circumstances”.

Full story page 4 Perth and Kinross Council has admitted lives could be put at risk as it prepares to make millions of pounds worth of cuts.

Officers have proposed a raft of spending options as the local authority looks to make £52.3 million in savings over the five years.

Council leader Murray Lyle (below) laid the blame for the cuts at the door of the Scottish Government, but said there was no proposal for a workplace parking levy.

Among the proposals are reductions to the winter maintenance budget. Officers have suggested cutting the amount of the road network that will be treated from 910km to 728km to save £370,000 in 2021/22.

In a report to councillors, it starkly reads that one outcome could be: “Increased public complaints and likely increased accident/ casualty rate.”

That is just one of a host of options for the next three years open to councillors in papers published on Wednesday.

Elected members were yesterday locked in discussions as they looked at what

savings options could be brought forward.

Charges for refuse collection is set to increase, while there is an assumption that council take will rise by three per cent.

Other proposals include increases in parking charges and garden waste removal as well as a reduction in a play areas and greenspace maintence budgets.

In education, parents wanting to send their children to music tuition could be forced to pay the full £817. Swimming lessons could be removed for primary pupils saving £60,000.

In terms of the elderly, residential care home charges could rise from £903.41 per week to £962.72 per week.

Public transport is also in the firing line with a proposed cut of £675,000 to the tendered services budget.

Councillors have been told this could“result in contraction of the bus network, including peak services, thus impacting on routes serving work, education and health related needs.”