Gail Porter, the television presenter, yesterday spoke of her misplaced “embarrassment” at dealing with depression at the launch of a new arts festival in Glasgow which hopes to encourage debate and understanding of mental health issues.

Ken Murray, one of the pioneers of the controversial Special Unit in Barlinnie Prison which confined and helped reform a number of Scotland’s most volatile prisoners for more than 20 years has died. He was 76.

Police yesterday redoubled their campaign against sex slave traffickers as it emerged women from 37 countries were working in Glasgow brothels.

An exhibition of artwork by children who have lived with substance abuse or domestic violence has gone on display in Arbroath.

Strathclyde Police has been ordered to apologise to the mother of a 14-year-old boy who was held in custody for more than two days.

Inverness is facing a crisis in meeting the needs of the city’s most vulnerable homeless people, campaigners have warned.

“A hospice,” says Sister Rita Dawson, nurse and chief executive of the Sisters of Charity-run St Margaret of Scotland Hospice in Clydebank, “is for living in. It is not simply somewhere to die.”

A man who is trying to stop care homes from hiding drugs in residents’ food and drink is taking his campaign to the Scottish Parliament.

End-of-life care is changing in Scotland. Eight years ago, the Marie Curie home nursing service would visit a maximum of 15 patients a night.

Childline founder Esther Rantzen yesterday called for an overhaul of the Scottish court system to stop abused children from facing courts to give evidence.