Warning on online sale of kittens Villagers’ petition demands new centre

Cats Protection has issued a warning to West Lothian people about the risk of online sellers capitalising on the Covid-19 pandemic to sell poorly-bred kittens.

The charity says that demand for new ‘lockdown pets’ may make it easier for unscrupulous vendors to sell kittens which may be sick or too young to be parted from their mothers.

Cats Protection’s head of advocacy snd government relations, Jacqui Cuff, said: “Before the Covid- 19 pandemic, we may have been seeing moggies selling for around £50, but nowadays a quick scan of online adverts will find moggies for sale for hundreds of pounds. It is clear to us that there are individuals out there who are intent on putting profit before welfare.” Cats Protection advises buyers to think carefully before buying a kitten from an online advert and refer closely to its Kitten Checklist. View this at www.cats.org.uk/ help-and-advice/pregnancyand-kitten-care/buying-akitten-online

Residents in a West Lothian village have created a petition claiming that the council reneged on a promise to build a partnership centre.

Winchburgh Community Council organised the petition and say the decision means “every resident of the village will now have less access to healthcare, a local police force and community spaces.”

The petition says: “As a community we ask West Lothian Council (WLC) and their partners to reverse their decision and provide Winchburgh with our owed partnership centre. In the event that the partnership centre is not built, we ask WLC, Lothian Health Board and Police Scotland to brief the community of Winchburgh on exactly how a town of 10,000+ people are to be provided with the necessary community services. It is vital that we are given the access to healthcare and community provisions for a town of over 10,000.”

A West Lothian Council spokesperson said: “The village is receiving the largest single education expansion ever undertaken by the council together with a range of other facilities to be provided by the developer. The schools investment is estimated at approximately £62 million and the new facilities including a swimming pool, all weather sports pitches and meeting space, will be available for community use out with school hours. A new community building likely to be used as a café which is to be community managed, will be located in the park and will operate in addition to the existing community centre which will be retained. The developer will also make a financial contribution towards library provision within the village. The masterplan for the expansion of the village was approved over 11 years ago. The site for a partnership centre was reserved at that time in order that options were available to the council and partners, including NHS Lothian, for future service delivery in the expanded village. The existing and new facilities in the village will continue to allow the delivery of council services to residents in the expanded community.”