THE Kirkwall heat of the Talented Orkney competition, due to take place in the Orkney Arts Theatre at 7.30pm on Saturday March 13, is now sold out.

However, tickets are now on sale for the grand final, which will be held at the Pickaquoy Centre on Saturday, March 27. These cost £6 each and are available from the CLAN shop and Bruces Stores on Victoria Street, Kirkwall. The show will feature the top three acts from each of the heats. Doors open at 6.45pm for a 7.30pm start.

ORKNEY Health and Care Shadow Board confirmed today, Thursday, that a formal agreement to fund the new health and social care residential facilities at St Margaret's Hope and Kirkwall has now been signed off.

This commits Orkney Islands Council and NHS Orkney to the joint funding of both buildings and the cost of staffing the facilities once complete.

FULL STORY IN ORKNEY TODAY NEXT WEEK

ANGER is mounting in Orkney over an order from the Scottish Government to Northlink to increase the sailing time from Aberdeen to Kirkwall.

The efficiency drive to save fuel and costs by using two engines instead of four, will add an extra hour-and-a-half to the voyage.

A VEHICLE was damaged while parked in Mill Street, Kirkwall, between 9pm last Saturday, March 6 and 7am the next morning.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Kirkwall Police Station on 872241.

A LARGE pink concrete wheel was stolen from the front garden of a property in Quoybanks place in Kirkwall between February 25 and this Monday.

Kirkwall police officers would like to speak to anyone with knowledge of this incident on 01856 872241.