Ian is backing the Evening News campaign to ‘Get out and Help’ your community during the hazardous weather conditions that have gripped the city.• As the weather in the country worsens Ian Murray and his office is receiving calls and requests for help from many constituents, particularly in the southern part of his Edinburgh South constituency, who are experiencing severe difficulties brought on by the snow and ice.

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Ian, along with local Councillor Norma Hart, will be visiting parts of the constituency today where high numbers of elderly and disabled residents have been worse hit by the weather and are in need of urgent assistance.

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Ian said “I have received a large number of calls this week particularly from elderly and disabled residents who are completely housebound due to the weather, and feel the authorities have neglected them in their time of need.• We all understand main routes are given priority but we cannot simply leave the most vulnerable people in our community to fend for themselves at this time.• We have been coordinating a response to help residents who desperately need it and I have been heartened by the great community spirit on show.••We have been able to get help to these people through the excellent work of the Gilmerton Community Centre and local volunteers.•Neighbours have helped clear pathways and made a path to the main road through the snow, and I welcome all attempts by members of the community to help one another out in these difficult circumstances.”

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“I appreciate that the council have made it a priority to keep the main roads clear so that the buses can keep running and so that those who are able to drive can do so -; obviously for the good of the local economy it is important that people can get to work. However the council also needs to consider elderly and disabled people for whom conditions such as we are currently experiencing can lead to complete isolation. I have been told that many of the grit bins have not been filled, and whilst city centre pavements are being cleared there is certainly no clearing being done in the outlying estates. Nor are any of the side streets being cleared.•I am calling on the council to urgently consider how whilst maintaining their policy of clearing the main roads they can also find ways of helping vulnerable residents.”