A MAN who continued to beat, terrorise and sexually molest two little sisters – even though social workers and a teacher expressed their concerns – has been jailed for ten years.

Judge Lord Kinclaven told Norman Carden: “The word abuse is barely adequate to describe the despicable conduct set out in these charges.”

A court heard how Carden made the sisters fight each other, made them dance naked for his friends, thrashed one girl with a belt and subjected them to a variety of other horrors – including rubbing their faces in dog dirt before making them clear it up.

Carden also exposed himself to the girls and made them perform sex acts. Social workers frequently visited the girls – who were three when the abuse started – and expressed concerns.

MYSTERY surrounds the sudden closure of a Glenrothes help agency. Citizens Advice and Rights Fife has closed its Glenrothes office Citizens Advice and Rights Fife said it had been forced to shut its town branch because of “circumstances beyond our control” – but has not revealed what these are.

The future of a threatened Aberdeen alcohol project which provides an alternative to police cells or hospital could be secured.

A nurse who assaulted a dementia patient has been ordered to carry out 150 hours of community service.

Senior sister Agnes Lawrence, 53, from Croftfoot in Glasgow, abused the 76-year-old man at Rowantree Nursing Home in Rutherglen in January 2007.

She grabbed his hair, pulled him to the floor and banged his head off a door. Glasgow Sheriff Court was told that Lawrence attacked the frail pensioner when he became aggressive after being asked to sit down for dinner.

The abuse was witnessed by care assistant Nicola Stein, who described it as “like something outside a pub”.

She later reported Lawrence to managers at the care home.

Passing sentencing, Sheriff Daniel Convery said: “The offence of which you were convicted is a serious one which involved substantial abuse of a vulnerable patient in your professional care.”

A HEALTH board with three chief executives and a £3.4million overspend were blasted in a report by MSPs yesterday. A committee said there were “serious failings” in the running of NHS Western Isles.

WOMEN who overindulge by consuming too much wine are to be targeted in efforts to tackle Scotland’s dangerous alcohol culture, it emerged yesterday.

EDUCATION and social care chiefs in the city are to be tasked with making £16 million worth of cuts over the next two years. Under questioning from Labour councillors, it emerged today that the savings are “still to be identified”, raising the possibility of a return to last year’s proposals to close care homes and community centres.

There is no national health service for people with asthma, according to a Scottish charity. A report by Asthma UK Scotland said there was an unacceptable variation in emergency hospital admissions for asthma across the country.

Charity regulators have said there are “key lessons” to be learned from the collapse of a major charity and childcare provider last year. One Plus provided a range of services to one-parent families.

The report from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) pointed to an apparent lack of “adequate skills” among board members.

It said no single factor was to blame for the collapse of the multi-million pound business. However, it said the running of the charity and its response to funding issues were the main reasons for the collapse.

One Plus was one of Scotland’s biggest charities with a turnover of £11m in 2005. But at the end of 2006 it had an overdraft of £2m which it had been told could not be extended. The charity went into liquidation in January 2007 with debts of £2.27m

The report said while board members were enthusiastic “they did not seem to pay sufficient attention to the business aspects and support structures required to keep expanding services operating effectively.”

More than 100 children a week are being treated in Scottish accident and emergency departments for problems caused by alcohol abuse.