A NEW strain of the winter vomiting bug could be behind the surge of cases at Raigmore Hospital, according to one of the UK's leading bacteriologists.

A 22-YEAR-old businesswoman is to take the helm of an Inverness hotel which went into liquidation last month.

AN Inverness pub has been refused a licence to become a late-night one-stop shop for eating, drinking and dancing.

BUSINESSES are calling for a limit on the number of houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) in the city centre, amid fears "undesirable characters" are hitting trade.

HMO licences are limited in residential areas but are unrestricted in the centre.

A BUSINESSMAN who killed his cousin and faked his will has failed in a bid for freedom.

DOCTOR Who is coming to the Highland Capital, the home town of new companion, actress Karen Gillan.

A MSP has called for the urgent reopening of a key Loch Ness viewing point - which attracts thousands of tourists - before the summer visitor season starts.

THERE are fears that a popular tourist area of Inverness could be clogged with litter following a decision to remove its rubbish bins from outside the city's leisure centre.

A LONG-established Inverness dolphin-spotting operator claims he is being forced out of business because his boat is too big for the city's new multi-million pound marina.

A "WICKED" murderer who killed his cousin in Inverness in a bid to inherit £25,000 from a faked will has lodged an appeal against his conviction - after four years behind bars - and could walk free from jail on Monday.

Ian Geddes was jailed for a minimum of 15 years at the High Court in Edinburgh in March 2005 for smothering his cousin, Charlie McKay, with a pillow at his home in East Mackenzie Park.

FURTHER questions about the urgently-needed Inverness bypass have been raised in the Scottish Parliament in a bid to ensure more community involvement in the scheme.

A NURSE who reported a former boyfriend to police for allegedly harassing her following their break-up has admitted daubing a mirror at his home with abusive messages in lipstick.

DOLPHIN campaigners are calling for a freeze on allowing new tourism boats to operate in the Inner Moray Firth until further research has been carried out into the effects on the resident dolphins.

COUNCIL officials were embarrassed this week when a slip-up meant it failed to turn three Inverness landmarks yellow for a cancer charity's major launch.

ORANGE customers in the Inverness area - who have been without broadband for more than two weeks - eventually got back on-line yesterday.

A POPULAR visitor attraction in Inverness is under threat of closure as cash-strapped Highland Council desperately tries to cut its spending.

AN extraordinary legal battle may be about to break out over which members of Highland Council are allowed to call themselves Independents.

THE former lover of millionaire businessman Alan Savage is suing him for £500,000.

AMERICAN supergroup REM could be Ardersier bound.

THE treatment of gay people in Inverness has improved but work still needs to be done in changing attitudes, according to 79-year-old Murdo MacLennan.

A GIANT crane took the strain yesterday as it began lifting heavy refrigeration equipment into Inverness's biggest Tesco store as part of a £2 million refurbishment.

TWO council workers locked in a controversial dispute with councillors over roadside travellers' camps in Inverness are understood to be taking legal action against Highland Council.

It is thought the action has been raised with an Employment Tribunal centring on claims the authority did not sufficiently protect its staff.

A PASSENGER triggered a security alert at Inverness Airport as more than 1000 people waited for snow-disrupted flights.

AN airline has apologised to a passenger - whose flight to Inverness was diverted to Edinburgh because of snow - after it claimed to have laid on buses to get stranded customers home, despite the A9 being shut.

TWO medical wards at Raigmore Hospital were closed to new admissions yesterday as the number of patients and staff affected by the outbreak of winter vomiting virus soared to 146.

THE face of a Loch Ness expert is being used by VisitScotland as part of its biggest ever European marketing campaign.

A CAMPAIGN by a concerned mother to get retailers to ban the sale of caffeine-loaded energy drinks to under-16s has captured the attention of local politicians.

THE number of police officers in Inverness could be cut due to falling levels of crime, according to the city's area commander.

Chief inspector Andrew MacLean is worried some of his 126 officers could be transferred elsewhere as a result of budget cuts at Northern Constabulary.

A SECOND public inquiry into a controversial development key to the Beauly-Denny power line project will be held this summer, The Inverness Courier has learned.

HOMES in Inverness have been left without water for the second day due to freezing conditions.

A CONCERNED mother is urging retailers to ban the sale of caffeine-loaded energy drinks to children under 16 amid fears they could trigger youngsters to seek out other highs such as alcohol and drugs.

DISCOVERING new natural remedies will be one focus of an ambitious new research and education centre to be built in Inverness, it has emerged.

ABOUT one-quarter of the workforce at Highlands and Islands Enterprise are interested in being considered for voluntary redundancy, it has emerged.

WHAT is in a name? For two local businessmen, the answer could be a costly legal dispute as they argue over who has the right to trade as Johnston Metals.

PEOPLE have been advised not to visit Raigmore Hospital unless absolutely necessary after 37 patients and 24 members of staff were taken ill with the winter vomiting bug.

A POPULAR Inverness wedding reception venue has gone into administration with the loss of around 10 jobs.

Oxford Hotels and Inns, owners of the Crown Court Hotel, in Southside Road, confirmed last night the business had closed.

TESCO could be on the verge of creating a second super store in Inverness - by expanding its current outlet at Inshes.

AN 89-year old woman was among residents evacuated from their homes in Hilton yesterday morning following a blaze at a ground floor flat.

COMMUNITY and business leaders are demanding a voice on a group established to push forward plans for the Inverness bypass.

A NEW £10.5 million building in Inverness has been nominated as Scotland's most disappointing building.

TOURISTS heading for Loch Ness this summer could be denied their first glimpse of the famous landmark.

RESIDENTS angry at a Scottish Government decision to allow a new Inverness church to be built are now considering legal action to stop it.

They believe Culloden Baptist Church could cause traffic chaos and road safety problems when worshippers attend services, leaving narrow residential streets and cul-de-sacs gridlocked.

A MAN and his teenage grandson were rescued by helicopter yesterday from the rapidly rising tide after becoming stuck in mud on the Black Isle.

FREE lunches enjoyed by councillors could be scaled down from two courses to one in an attempt to shave £9000 off the local authority's headquarters catering budget.

FURTHER details have emerged over why the location of his Inverness home has resulted in the chief executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise losing his £109,000-a-year post.

HEALTH officials are to re-examine the costs of a proposed £26 million day services centre at Raigmore Hospital which would enable non-emergency surgery patients to be sent home immediately after their operation.

POLICE are warning the public to be vigilant following a possible cash machine scam in Inverness.