The two-bedroom property is found within the old Magistrates Court in Wakefield, Yorkshire was listed on property website Rightmove earlier this month (1 SEP).

Though the ex-court appears to have a flash furnished interior upon first impressions, house-browsers will quickly notice the additional storage units available for separate rent in the basement.

The Old Court House – as the property is now called – is a brown stone building with a renovated interior.

The flat on offer features two bathrooms in addition to the two large bedrooms and a spacious living room featuring cornice designs and wall-mounted lights.

Though the ex-court appears to have a flash and well-furnished interior in the first few photos of the advert, they are followed by a bizarre photo of the courthouse basement.

Whilst the flat itself doesn’t particularly resemble a jail cell, living there enables access to a basement where the original holding cells remain intact.

For an unknown extra charge, the tenant can gain access to a cell to use for “additional storage”.

The cells are situated in a white brick corridor in the basement, which is lined on both sides with large, green metal doors, sealing off the rooms behind each.

The doors feature huge locks and a tiny window on each, whilst inside boasts the bare minimum, with a stone floor, raised platform and a barred window at the top of the wall letting in a thin stream of light.

The property is being listed for rent by OpenRent, who describe the flat as: “[A] contemporary two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment set within this brand-new conversion of the old Magistrates Court.

“Available to move in immediately, no parking but this property benefits from a locked bike store and intercom system.

“The building’s original holding cells are available to be used as storage at additional cost.”

The property was spotted by one amused house-hunter, who shared it to social media on Sunday (SEP 10) with the caption: “Prison basement, for those friends you really don’t like.”

The post has since racked up dozens of likes and comments from other users who were quick to crack jokes.

One user said: “Would be great for any aspiring dominatrixes. Wouldn’t even need to build their own cell.”

Another quipped: “Super secure storage. I was going to say you could rent one of the cells and use it as an office but I think it might be the most miserable commute and setting of all time.”

A third added: “I’d be advertising them as a prison experience night on Airbnb.”

Another replied: “That is f***ing mental.”

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Their e-commerce platform, Bidfood Direct, went live during the Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight, and aims to promote local visibility to chefs and caterers across Scotland.

The Scottish online platform emerged on 2 September and is being delivered as part of a new funding partnership with industry leadership organisation, Scotland Food & Drink.

They aim to offer new and existing producers to Bidfood Scotland the opportunity to promote their products to chefs, caterers and buyers as a Scottish collective.

This will enable Scottish produce to reach the online shopping basket of thousands of Bidfood’s loyal trade customers in Scotland.

Bidfood is a national wholesaler which already supplies products to over 45k caterers across a range of sectors.

The new online platform will see Scottish suppliers to Bidfood auto enrolled, with hopes to grow sales of Scottish food and drink in the foodservice market and increase accessibility of a wider variety of products from producers across the country.

Representing a broad spectrum of Scotland’s larder, the shop will include products from all categories, including fish, meat, dairy, bakery, deli & store cupboard and alcohol & soft drinks.

To expand the offering further, the partnership between Scotland Food & Drink and Bidfood Scotland will also include the delivery of a ‘meet the buyer’ event for new suppliers to pitch their products to secure listings in the coming months.

Promoting local produce is a key tenet of the recently launched Scotland Food & Drink industry strategy, Sustaining Scotland. Supplying the world.

The Bidfood partnership comes during the annual Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight, which this year encourages consumers, buyers and suppliers to celebrate the food & drink businesses on our doorsteps.

Stephanie Pritchard, Head of UK Market Development at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “Scotland is full of passionate suppliers, and buyers who are keen to maximise Scottish produce on their menus and plates.

The launch of the Scotland Food & Drink platform on Bidfood Direct is an excellent step to supporting both suppliers and buyers to grow commercially.”

“Sustainable growth is at the heart of our new industry strategy, and through the partnership with Bidfood Scotland, we can shorten supply chains, and support the local food and drink businesses who are vital to our economic success.”

Katie Sillars, Head of Digital Trading at Bidfood UK, added: “Over the last few years, we’ve worked behind the scenes to ensure we have the right Scottish suppliers and local products for our customers, at the right price stocked in our depots. 

Now, we’re daring to be different.  Technology is at the forefront of our business, and we want to ensure all suppliers, small and large are visible to our customers.”

“This is not another boring brochure!  The launch of our digital Scottish platform gives our suppliers the opportunity to showcase their fantastic produce, giving our customers visibility of our local range and access to all the helpful tools on Bidfood Direct.”

It will be supported with campaigns and promotions around themes including Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight, St. Andrews Day, Hogmanay, and Burns Night, as well as popular eating occasions such as the Scottish Breakfast and Scottish Summer Festivals.

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The family-run automotive business operating in Scotland, is further expanding their MG portfolio after launching two new MG dealerships in Edinburgh and Kirkcaldy in August.

This expansion of MG dealerships comes as a part of Peter Vardy’s vision to offer customers an even wider range of exceptional vehicle choices.

The new MG dealerships will showcase an impressive lineup of the latest MG models, renowned for their cutting-edge design, advanced technology features, and exceptional value.

The range will feature efficient electric vehicles, SUVs and sporty sedans, meaning customers can explore a diverse range of options that cater to various lifestyles and preferences.

In addition to a wide range of MG vehicles, the dealerships will offer experienced sales advisors, and a dedicated team of automotive experts to assist visitors with their every need.

The dealerships will also feature state-of-the-art servicing facilities, equipped with the latest diagnostic tools and genuine MG parts to ensure that customers’ vehicles are maintained to the highest standards.

The Peter Vardy Group’s continued expansion highlights its strong position in the automotive market and its commitment to bringing the best brands and services to customers across Scotland.

Peter Vardy, CEO of the Peter Vardy Group, said: “We are delighted to add MG Aberdeen to our portfolio of MG locations, and we can’t wait to welcome both existing customers and those new to the MG brand to our Lang Stracht dealership. 

“MG has a rich history and a strong reputation for manufacturing high-quality, innovative, and affordable vehicles and we are confident that this addition to our dealerships will resonate with our customers.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the Gillanders team and our internal teams for making this acquisition possible. Exciting times lie ahead for our group.”

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Dundee fended off the prestigious Oxford, Cambridge and University College London and topped Gateways to Growth: The Entrepreneurial Impact Report.

The report was compiled by Octopus Ventures, one of Europe’s largest venture capital teams.

This independent ranking was determined by factors such as numbers of patents, spin-out companies created, and recent portfolio success.

For Dundee, this included the £2.2bn IPO of Exscientia on the US NASDAQ, one of the largest ever UK university exits.

The University has always championed entrepreneurial activity and has identified Enterprise as one of the three cornerstones of its recently adopted strategy, which will define its work for the next five years.

University support is crucial in helping research-based businesses to become established, removing risk from founders as they transition from the laboratory to the development stage.

Dr David McBeth, Vice-Principal (Enterprise & Economic Transformation), said: “This award confirms Dundee’s modern status as the undisputed home of successful UK spinouts.

“The foundations of our success are world-leading life and biomedical sciences research, and innovative entrepreneurial researchers.

“Our commitment to driving the creation of increasing numbers of high growth potential spinout and start-up companies is reflected in several infrastructure investments, including a new Life Sciences Innovation Hub due to open in late 2024, as part of the Tay Cities growth deal.

“Our aspiration is to develop an Innovation District in the city to anchor our companies here in Dundee, with an ultimate vision to help this city become a magnet for high value jobs in the life sciences and health sector.

“In terms of how we create companies, we have always prided ourselves on fostering great relationships with investors and the founding teams of companies and treating each company according to its individual circumstances.

“We are confident that with access to more early stage, proof of concept type funding, we could deliver many more high growth companies.”

Dr McBeth added: “We are demonstrating in real-time the sort of impacts that many government strategies seek but the one downside is that several of our spinouts have relocated away from Dundee, and indeed away from Scotland, as they pursue their growth strategies.

“It is critical that we work in partnership with Government and its agencies, and vice versa, to create the infrastructure that will help keep these businesses and the jobs they create, closer to their origins.”

Dr Amy Nommeots-Nomm, Investment Associate, Octopus Ventures, said: “Congratulations to the University of Dundee, it’s great to see them move up the rankings to take the number one spot and prove its status as a leader in the deeptech space.

“By harnessing local pockets of excellence like these, we can help the whole of the UK flourish.

“Since our last report, the race to tackle Covid-19 highlighted the power of academic institutions to mobilise quickly and develop solutions which transform millions of lives.

“Sustained funding for research and innovation, and consistent support for spin outs is vital if the UK’s universities are to continue generating globally impactful technologies.”

A spinout success story is of Tay Therapeutics, a UK biotech company based in Dundee, having emerged from the University’s School of Life Sciences in 2020.

Formerly known as In4Derm, the company was founded by Dr Andrew Woodland and Dr Mark Bell, with the aim of developing the next generation of drug therapies.

Earlier this year, the company announced a licensing deal with Vyne Therapeutics worth a potential $50m dollars, following on from an earlier deal worth £16m in 2021.

The company is now focused on developing the Tay-Enable platform targeting stop codon mutations in cancer and genetic diseases.

The company operates from the University of Dundee’s Incubator for Businesses and employs 12 people.

Dr Woodland said: “Being able to develop our spinout company and drug discovery projects within the University of Dundee gave Tay Therapeutics access to cutting edge facilities, world class experts and a unique innovation ecosystem.

“We would not have been able to license two of our projects, which are currently progressing in clinical trials with Vyne Therapeutics, without the University’s initial support. 

“Dundee truly is the City of Discovery, and the University of Dundee is an essential element of that.”

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Sutherland-based GMG Energy hope that the new employee will enhance and grow sustainable trading in the vast yet sparsely populated, Scottish Highlands.

The biomass supplier, which contributes significantly to the circular economy in the Highlands and the Northern Isles, has secured the services of a new Sawmill Manager at its eco-friendly plant in the Strath of Halladale in Sutherland.

New recruit, Vasile Damian, is 30 and a joiner by trade, originally from Romania but has lived in Thurso for the last 17 years.

He will oversee the six full-time employees and production of more than 2k tonnes of timber a year in the £2m turnover company, reporting to owner Malcolm Morrison.

He will also be responsible for the successful operation of a massive solar array on the roof of its production facility which recently was installed at a cost of £100k.

This was implemented to reduce GMG’s dependence on expensive and polluting diesel generators for its energy-intensive activities.

As well as the solar array, GMG has invested £150k in state-of-the-art sawmill equipment which takes its larger timber and processes it into posts, rail, cladding and purlins, or structural roof members.

It has also recently spent in the region of £100k on timber treatment equipment which will open up new markets among construction companies and farm businesses which require treated and stress-tested products.

The resource-rich company last year completed strategic purchase of a substantial swathe of forest in the far north-east to protect future supply and increase its resilience to market shocks.

The forest contains 21k tonnes of productive timber, very roughly equivalent to 90k tree-sized logs.

As a major plank of its business model, the company is committed to replacing every log of timber that it uses, and plants 10k new trees a year, which grow to maturity in 35 years.

It far exceeded this target in 2021, planting in the region of 20k trees.

The former foreman at Caithness- and Inverness-based windows, doors and kit homes specialist Norscot, said: “I am pleased to be joining GMG at a time when Malcolm is looking to upgrade and extend our product range.

“With our solar panels in place, our sawmill moving to optimum capacity, such that we will shortly see sawdust being used for brickettes, and our bio mass machine becoming fully functional, we will soon see the business becoming as self-sufficient as possible.

“That is the ultimate goal.

“We have invested recently also in new machinery to make more upmarket consumer-friendly wood products such as garden offices, cabins, pods and staircases which will use pine wood.

“Currently, we are only able to use spruce for outside products like fencing, posts and pallets.

“No one else in our locality is doing what we are doing so there is a lot of opportunity for the business.

“Our goal is to make the Caithness region aware of us and to opt for our locally manufactured, rather than shipped-in, products.

“We have just launched our online shop too, so it’s certainly an exciting time to be working at GMG Energy.”

Malcolm Morrison, Director of GMG Energy, said: “Everyone in the team is delighted that we have been able to attract a manager of such proven calibre.

“Vasile is very knowledgeable; he is attuned to the peculiarities of the area and he is very intuitive.

“At a time when we have been investing so substantially, he is taking on a great responsibility and we are sure he will rise to the challenge of making the company even greener and more environmentally sensitive than it already is.

“Vasile will be instrumental in driving towards our stated aim of ending fossil fuel consumption and becoming reliant on solar for 100% of our energy needs.”

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The games are rooted in the ancient abacus application, a counting tool that has been used for millennia.

The college specialises in teaching maths using this method and has launched the new games under their Supermaths brand.

The abacus is thought to have been first used by the Babylonians, an ancient Middle Eastern civilization, as early as 2,400 BC.

It is known to be highly effective at training the brain to make mathematical calculations involving huge numbers.

Supermaths is BYITC’s most popular teaching programme and offers a mix of weekly teacher-led abacus maths classes and online tutorials.

The aim of the games is to boost learning, engagement and sustained motivation in children.

The new games include Penguin Party Maths – a game for building maths skill; Number Nitro – to help children learn addition and subtraction through play – and Fish Frenzy Maths – a fun and effective way to practice arithmetic times tables.

The graphics and avatars in the games are inspired by computer games and include turtles, fish, footballers, penguins and cars.

The new game releases build on BYITC’s experience of delivering online abacus maths programmes called Abacus Supermaths.

They also developed the World’s first games-based abacus maths application.

BYITC now runs 10 franchises globally – including Dubai and Sri Lanka – and teaches online courses in English, programming and cyber security as well as maths for young people aged five to 17.

The new releases mean BYITC has now developed more than 20 of its own games in-house.

Dr Rashmi Mantri, who founded BYITC in 2015 after using an abacus to teach her son basic arithmetic, said “Making learning fun helps to engage children and helps them learn,

“We want to make learning accessible for all so that is why we have the option of a free trial so parents and children can give it a shot and see how much fun it is.

“We pioneered our web-based games learning approach to help young people learn maths.

“Now we’re bringing the same success formula to learning English.”

“The abacus is an ancient but brilliant tool that teaches students to do big calculations mentally without the use of any calculator or paper,”

“When my son Dhruv learned maths using an abacus, he could do mathematical calculations even faster than a calculator.”

Dr Mantri said: “Students can now create their own Supermaths accounts, which has enabled us to introduce an online leader board element with the latest batch of games,”

“This has been technically challenging, but is an added feature that increases competition and engagement with our learning games.”

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House-builder Springfield has kick-started the long-awaited regeneration project which will see the creation of high-quality affordable and private new homes across the 2.9 acre site.

Springfield are working with one of the UK’s largest builders of social rented homes, Wheatley Group, to deliver 55 high quality new builds to the derelict area.

Of these, 46 will be affordable homes and nine private homes will be built for existing homeowners.

All of the properties will be built by Springfield using sustainable timber kits constructed off-site at their nearby timber kit factory and will be extremely efficient, using air source heat pumps.

The homes for social housing will be delivered for tenants of Wheatley Homes East, part of Wheatley Group.

To mark the milestone moment, the Springfield team was joined by Hannah Bardell, MP for Livingston and Deans South veteran, Kerry Macintosh, who laid the first brick in the foundations of her brand-new home.

Kerry bought her three-bed home on the estate in 2002 but in 2004, West Lothian Council deemed the site uninhabitable and earmarked it for demolition.

Despite this, Kerry remained on the site to fight for a fair deal for herself and the remaining homeowners.

Now, 20 years later, Kerry will receive a new home as part of the transformation of the site.

Tom Leggeat, Springfield Partnerships Managing Director, said: “Deans South has always had enormous potential and, despite the challenges, our commitment to transforming the site has not wavered.

“Alongside the much-needed social rented homes we will build; we will also deliver on our promise to provide a ‘home for a home’ for homeowners who have lived in Dean South for decades.

“This is what we celebrate today, as we lay the first brick for Kerry’s home and mark wider construction work starting.”

Kerry Macintosh commented: “This is a surreal moment for me. Having lived in Deans South for 20 years, I have seen it fall into disrepair which has been sad and frustrating.

“However, Springfield provided us with light at the end of the tunnel, pushing forward and providing us with enormous support.

“A warm, safe and secure home in a thriving community is all I have wanted, and it is so exciting to see it become a reality.”

Hannah Bardell MP for Livingston added: “Today’s event represents years of hard work and collaboration to bring forward the regeneration of Deans South.

“I have worked very hard on behalf of Deans South residents, visiting and speaking with several residents over the years, and I understand what a safe, secure, well-built home means to them. 

“It is a pleasure to be involved in today’s event and I look forward to seeing the development progress.” 

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New technology could provide a sustainable boost for the renewables and manufacturing sectors, following the development of a new process for recycling machinery at the end of its lifecycle.

The research is funded by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC).

Aberdeenshire-based SEM and researchers from the University of Edinburgh are developing a technique for extracting rare elements from waste alloy metals.

When combined with steel, rare metals such as niobium, tantalum and rhenium are critical for the strength and stability of high-impact machinery.

However, they are typically mined overseas using methods harmful to the environment.

By recovering the rare metals at the end of machinery’s lifecycle – including many of Scotland’s older wind turbines – manufacturers could re-use them to create new alloy metals instead of relying on imports of mined materials.

Currently, there is no option for extracting these rare metals in the UK, with companies having to send waste to one of the only existing facilities in Canada for processing.

But with use of waste materials supplied by Sheffield-based Advanced Alloy Services, a manufacturer of high-temperature alloys and metals for sectors, a process has been developed for extracting rare metals in a sustainable way.

After initially treating the alloy materials using a combination of bio-based chemicals to separate the different compounds, SEM’s DRAM system acts as a filter to ensure the resultant waste liquids are safe to dispose of.

The DRAM technology, which uses co-products from the distillation of malt whisky, was first developed to safely extract valuable metals from waste electronics.

Leigh Cassidy, lead scientist at SEM, said: “Metals like niobium, tantalum and rhenium are essential for the integrity of steel-based components commonly used in wind turbines and other high-temperature engines, but most of the stocks are still mined from the earth.

“Meanwhile, we have ageing infrastructure coming to the end of its lifecycle and substantial amounts of these rare metals which could be re-used.

“We have already worked with the University of Edinburgh on methods for safely extracting metals from waste electronics and saw an opportunity to explore a similar technique for separating the different metals in alloys.

“If used at scale, this type of process could be a big boost for UK manufacturing and unlock a new sustainable, circular supply chain where rare metals are recovered from existing alloys.

“Only small quantities of these rare metals are obtained as a result of the destructive mining processes, but with a process like this adopted at scale, there should be no need to cause additional harm to the planet.

“We are proud of the success achieved in this project and collaboration certainly played a key role.

“The project has contributed to the company’s mission of turning waste into value by focusing on resource recovery.

“We’re excited to continue exploring ways to collaborate with others and further advance solutions that showcase the art of the possible for industries looking to build upon sustainable processes.”

Dr Liz Fletcher, director of business engagement at IBioIC, added: “SEM is a great example of a business taking a bio-based process and applying it to multiple sectors to help companies achieve environmental goals.

“By joining forces with academic experts, SEM has developed potentially game-changing processes for sustainably treating various types of waste.

“Recycling at an industrial scale will be key to achieving net zero, while also reducing the carbon footprint and environmental damage associated with imported raw materials.”

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The integrated drug formulation and clinical trials company has secured the investment to aid the company’s response to growing demand for both its patented drug delivery technology and specialist clinical trial services.

The funding round was led by existing investors including syndicate Archangels, Scottish Enterprise, and new investor British Business Bank.

The latest investment package follows a strong 18 months for the company, who more than doubled revenues in 2022 and has already secured substantial contracts with major pharma and biopharmaceutical companies for 2023 and 2024.

This investment will allow the business to increase its clinical capacity and expand capabilities to offer the sector the ease and convenience of a single point of contact for early phase formulation development and clinical evaluation.  

Specifically, the company will now be able to deliver Phase I First in human trials of novel medicines.

This enables comprehensive and phase appropriate development, and clinical testing to help clients to bring innovative medicines more quickly to market.

Based in the UK, BDD is a privately owned, globally recognised drug development business.

They provide pharmaceutical companies with formulation development expertise, on demand GMP manufacture and specialist clinical trial services.

The company also offers, in parallel, formulation development and clinical testing, through BDD SWIFT, which significantly reduces the time from product concept to clinical success.

This capability is well-aligned with the UK Government’s recent “Life Sci for Growth” strategy which included £121m for improving clinical trials to bring new medicines to patients faster.

Led by CEO Dr Carol Thomson, BDD Pharma was established in 2000 and since then has provided expertise in early phase clinical research for the pharmaceutical industry using gamma scintigraphic imaging techniques.

Gamma scintigraphy is a medical imaging technique that uses small amounts of radioactive materials and a special camera to create pictures of exactly how a drug product performs in the body.

Scintigraphic data can provide vital information for the development of better and safer medications.

Dr Carol Thomson, CEO BDD Pharma, said: “More and more we are talking with companies who are developing the most exciting ground-breaking new medicines, but their path to market is being hampered by traditionally slow and costly development processes.

“We have always prided ourselves in working collaboratively with our clients to provide phase appropriate development, manufacturing and clinical testing services. 

“This investment allows us to further expand on these services, enabling our clients to fast-track their drug product development.”

Dr Sarah Hardy at Archangel Investors said: “BDD is an excellent example of an ambitious and innovative Scottish life science company with global reach.

“Its patented timed-release technology, alongside world-class clinical trial services offering, created a compelling proposition for the pharma industry.

“Building on a successful 18 months after the challenges of the pandemic, the company is well poised to pursue its growth strategy.

“We’re excited by what the future holds for BDD and looking forward to supporting Carol and the team.”

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The school has gained a new studio space to help budding jewellers get their business ideas off the ground.

The addition of a new purpose-built studio has increased its capacity at Brook Street Studios with dedicated teaching space for its 10-month INKubator Programme.

The new space also features two new shared studios, creating around 10 additional benches for local jewellers.

Vanilla Ink’s expansion has been funded by a £45,000 loan from responsible finance provider Social Investment Scotland (SIS), which will also help the school launch a new online learning hub for artists across the world.

The new workshop benches will give the Community Interest Company (CIC) additional space to continue teaching practical jewellery creation, as well as commercial and business skills to help the students set up their own enterprises.

Vanilla Ink offers a wide range of classes, from weekend workshops and general jewellery crafting to make-your-own wedding rings and stone setting, alongside many other specialist classes for each level and capability.

The school prides itself in supporting students social and economic challenges including mental health challenges and neurodiversity, adapting its teaching methods to suit each individual.  

As well as offering coaching and courses, Vanilla Ink studio spaces are rented out to established jewellers, encouraging a collaborative environment between students and the other jewellers.

Ellie Smith-Barratt, CEO of the jewellery enterprise, commented: “At Vanilla Ink CIC we not only share our love of jewellery making, but aim to inspire and make a positive impact in our communities.

“Our classes provide a form of escapism for people who really need it and we are continuously adapting our practices to nurture the talent that comes through our door.

“The additional workshop benches and online courses will give us the opportunity to share our passion for our craft with more people and continue to embrace our ethos: Educate, Inspire, Empower.

“It’s an exciting time for Vanilla Ink, and we’re thankful for Social Investment Scotland for supporting our growth as a CIC with a passion for supporting our local community.”

Chris Jamieson, head of investments at SIS, added: “We’ve seen the amazing work the school has done, from the impeccable jewellery the students have designed to the number of social initiatives they offer to make a difference for the local community.

“The new workshop benches will ensure more learners can walk away with specialist skills, and the confidence to start their own businesses, as well as providing an additional revenue stream for the organisation.

“We’re looking forward to working with Vanilla Ink as they embark on this next phase of growth and significantly increase their impact within both the local community and wider creative community.”

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