Border Dumfries

People who live and work around Dumfries were today invited to join the Midsteeple Quarter Community Society and change the future of the town centre.

Started by the Stove Network the Midsteeple Quarter focuses on the idea of the community buying back its High Street.

The membership is free and members will have a say in future projects for the town.

The Midsteeple Quarter Project aims to take ownership of a group of disused buildings on Dumfries High Street.

They will refurbish them and steward them for the community as affordable enterprise space at street level and rent out good quality flats on the floors above.

Their plans are to start by re-developing the former Bakers Oven premises on Queensberry Square - subject to an Asset Transfer from the Council.

Two men are in hospital with serious injuries following an 'incident' in Carrutherstown, Dumfries.

Officers were called at 6.03am to reports of the casualties, who have been taken to Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary.

Police have cordoned off the village while they follow a 'positive line of inquiry'.

No further details have been given. Updates to follow.

This year's Dumfries Christmas lights Big Switch On took place in the town centre over the weekend.

You can watch the finale of fireworks shooting off above the town in our video of highlights from the event:

Firefighters are tackling a major fire at a restaurant in Dumfries.

Emergency services were called at 2.30am to reports of a building on fire on Moffat Road. 30 firefighters went to the scene and 3 fire engines are still in attendance.

In a facebook post, the Little Italy restaurant have said their premises 'burnt to the ground' this morning. They said they're heartbroken but grateful nobody was hurt.

"Sitting here in tears telling you all that little Italy burned to the ground in the early hours. thankfully no one was hurt, watching it burn while we stood helpless was hart braking me Nicky and all the little team would like to thank every single customer for there support and custom . Please bare with us and we will keep all informed."

Police are still at the scene and say a police and fire service investigation into the cause of the fire will be carried out in due course.

Anyone with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 20170830-0213

Little Italy has won a string of awards including Best Newcomer in the 2013 Scottish Italian Awards and was named Best Restaurant the following year. Last year's Entertainment Awards ranked is as one of the top restaurants in Scotland.

The owner Robert Macaleese also runs Sotto, in Warwick Road, Carlisle=

Jane Haining, a church missionary from Dumfries who died in Auschwitz, is being officially honoured in her adopted city 73 years after her death.

She's the subject of an exhibition at the Holocaust Memorial Centre in Budapest.

Police officers in Dumfries are seeking witnesses to an assault which took place at around 9.15pm on Saturday 5 August 2017 on the roadway between Kingholm Quay and Dumfries near to the Skate park.

At that time a 15-year-old was walking back towards Dumfries with a group of friends when he was spoken to by two people in a silver car. The driver of the car was a woman and a man was front seat passenger.

Without warning the man allegedly leaned out the car window and punched the victim in the face. The victim ran off however required treatment at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary for his injuries.

The Dumfries Show, Scotland's biggest one day agricultural show, is taking place at Park Farm today.

The event has been running for 55 years and attracts exhibitors from across the UK.

Entertainment for this year will include James Dylan’s Stuntworld Motorcycle Stunt Show, vintage machinery, Daffy Dill and Douglas the Clown, Dumfries Pipe Band, Disfunctional, a dog scurry, the Young Farmers Tug O’ War and a display by the foxhounds.

This year the show is hosting the Scottish Limousin Club Grand Prix and Anglo-Irish Final