News.Scotland.Org

November, 19
Petrol stations one of the new victims of the severe competition in UK, has left no other option for these filling station resulting to their closure. It is known that every day at least one petrol pump shuts down with the increase in prices and less profits share. There are several factors responsible for this downfall, with supermarkets and other small filling station making the competition more tight, its very hard for these petrol station to resist such a fight.
Not bothered by the decline in petrol stations in Scotland, the demand for petrol continues to rise. Figures suggest that in present context the number of petrol station left in UK is the lowest number since 1920. All these facts points out the poor state of petrol stations in UK.
This problem has now taken a huge shape making the authorities to workout plan to contour this serious issue. Action is needed to stop the downfall of many such petrol pumps in coming years. Looking to the graphs it is known that about 30 percent filling stations has shut down in past thirty years.
Highland Council has now began new research to identify what action can be taken to halt the decline and what can be done to help vulnerable businesses in order to maintain a viable network of pumps in rural areas. Not only the rural petrol stations have been the victims of this competition but even the urban filling stations are forced to close down. Ray Hollywood of the Petrol Retailers Association said “In recent years in Scotland it has been the urban areas that have lost the forecourts. An underlying problem is the supermarkets, but the closures have also much to do with the major oil companies coming out of ownership. They can’t get the volumes to warrant development and are selling on those pieces of real estate.”

It is also seen that nowadays people prefer to head towards local supermarkets to fill petrol, killing the business of the filling stations. People are looking for local convenience these days, this change in physiology of people have made the survival of petrol station very hard. If this trend continues in future then people living in rural sections or highlands have to face severe problem to get petrol. Now the government needs to chalk out some strategy to handle this problem or else it would change in to drastic problem for Scotland.

Scotland, Nov 19: In a shocking reveal the new chief police officer said that there is a likelihood of Scotland being attacked by the terrorist in the coming years. Stephen House, the newly appointed Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police while commenting on this said that the he is fully aware of the need to get ready to restrict and respond swiftly to any sort of terrorist activity in future. The force will be fully prepared to face any such challenge arise in future.

“I would be surprised in the next few years if there is a not further terrorist incident in Scotland,” soon assuming charge of Scotland’s biggest force, Mr Stephen House, 49 said. Mr Stephen House was born in Glasgow but shifted to London at the age of 12, replaces the outgoing Sir Willie Rae who has served six years in office as the superior officer of the largest police force in Scotland.

Earlier Mr. House was an Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and he played a part in the internal review linked to the shooting of Brazilian named Jean Charles de Menezes. With tenure of five more years in the post, he said that he will give importance to tackle the terrorism activity that is developing as a treat to the safety of the country.

He further added that: “Undoubtedly terrorism still haunts all of us. As a protecting force the Strathclyde police will continue to keep alert on behalf of the communities. We also urge the community to join hands with us to stay vigilant themselves to drive out those who are trying to split us. I will make certain about the police force’s capability to respond effectively to terrorist threats in what ever form it takes.”

Terrorism in any form should have to be restricted and the police force is the vital power to tackle the treat arising out of terrorism. The Chief Constables assurance to keep Scotland away from the hit of yet another terrorist attack is a welcoming one worth great appreciation.