'Unacceptable and abhorrent': Firefighter's widow waits three years for answers on Jenners fire death
Plus: Forth oysters double; trams break new records; and floating museum boost
Lord Advocate confirms fire service being treated as “suspect” in investigation into firefighter’s death
The widow of firefighter Barry Martin has hit out at the “unacceptable and abhorrent” delays in the investigation into her husband’s death.
The 38-year-old father-of-two suffered fatal injuries as he fought a fire in the former Jenners department store building on 23 January, 2023.
The Lord Advocate has now confirmed the fire service is being treated as “a suspect” in the investigation after concerns were raised about him being sent into the building “unprepared and under-equipped”.
His widow, Shelley, has criticised the delays as it emerged the fire service has yet to file is own report into Martin’s death three years and two months after the blaze.
What do we know about what happened? Martin was a newly-qualified firefighter serving on Blue Watch at the McDonald Road Fire Station at the time of the fire. He was part of a four-strong team sent into the burning Jenners building, but within minutes fell down a flight of stairs, damaging his equipment and losing his air supply. It took 27 minutes after his distress signal activated to find and rescue him. By then, he had suffered severe burns and injuries from lack of oxygen, and died in hospital four days later.
Why is the investigation taking so long? Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain has said she must wait for the fire service to complete its own report into the handling of the blaze before she can take a decision on whether or not there are grounds for prosecution. That report has been promised next month.
But why has it taken three years? That isn’t clear, but there is a precedent. The fire service took nearly three years to complete its report into the death of Martin’s fellow Edinburgh firefighter Ewan Williamson in 2009. Fire investigations can be complex and sensitive, but that delay was also widely criticised. The fire service finally plead guilty to health and safety breaches nearly six years after Williamson’s death, resulting in a £54,000 fine.
Shelley Martin believes there was no reason to send firefighters into the building as it was unoccupied and there was no danger to life. She described the delays as “unacceptable and abhorrent” adding: “I am angry at the way the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have sought to bury and cover this up. I’m also not surprised. It’s typical, institutionalised behaviour and that’s why I won’t go away.”
Scotland’s deputy chief fire officer Andrew Watt said: “We continue to co-operate fully with all external investigators and have maintained clear communication regarding investigation timescales and any requests for information.”
YOUR EDINBURGH BRIEFING
DOUBLE OYSTERS: A project to restore European flat oysters to their natural habitat in the Firth of Forth is celebrating after doubling its original target of introducing 30,000. You can read more about this wonderful project here: How oysters are returning to the Forth after 100 years.
FLOATING MUSEUM: Restoration work will be carried out in Leith on Scotland’s first purpose-built Fisheries Research Vessel, after it was awarded more than £150,000 by the National Lottery. Built in 1955, the SS Explorer carried out important scientific work, including pollution monitoring and climate change studies. It is now berthed in Leith Dock where it is set to be a star attraction in the Edinburgh Science Festival and there are longer terms plans to open it as a floating museum and education centre.
NEW TRAM RECORD: The city’s trams have again notched up record passenger numbers, thanks in part to ‘tap on, tap off’ and Oasis. The trams carried 12.5 million passengers in 2025, 3.3 percent more than in 2024. The new ‘tap on, tap off’ service, which allows passengers to travel with their bank card rather than buying a ticket, has been credited for part of the rise. Murrayfield concert-goers also boosted numbers, with a one-day record 77,000 passengers traveling on August 9, the day of one of the Oasis shows.
GOOD OMENS: Set the date in your diary Good Omens fans, 13 May has been confirmed as the date of the finale of the Edinburgh-filmed fantasy series, starring David Tenant and Michael Sheen. The 90-minute final episode goes out on Amazon Prime as Neil Gaiman, co-author of the original novel, faces multiple sexual assault allegations. Meanwhile, Apple TV period drama The Buccaneers has been filming around St Stephen’s Church and Royal Circus in Stockbridge, a location previously used by Good Omens. Filming for both series has been based at Bathgate’s Pyramid Studios.
LINK TO DEMENTIA: Researchers at the University of Edinburgh who looked at population health data from 23,500 hospitalised people of more than 65 years old living in the Lothians found that delirium – a sudden state of confusion commonly seen during acute illness – was associated with a markedly increased likelihood of future dementia across all levels of pre-existing health. They maintain their findings confirm delirium as a “critical warning sign for future cognitive decline” and suggest future research to better understand the biological mechanisms linking delirium to dementia and to develop treatments that could reduce long-term cognitive risk.
CRIME GANG ARRESTS: Police have made another 13 arrests following a series of simultaneous pre-dawn raids across Scotland Spain targeting serious organised crime gangs. Crime gang leader Steven Lyons has also been arrested in Bali. The arrests follow protracted gang-related violence in Edinburgh and Glasgow last year.
MAKAR SHUTS UP SHOP: Acclaimed poet Alan Spence and his wife Janani are closing the community bookshop they have run in Abbeyhill for more than eight years. The 78-year-old former Edinburgh Makar - the city’s equivalent of Poet Laureate - started Citadel Books on Montrose Terrace to help fund a Hindu meditation centre they run in nearby St Margaret’s House.
IN BANNISTER’S FOOTSTEPS: Josh Kerr is aiming to emulate Sir Roger Bannister by breaking the men’s mile world record. The Edinburgh athlete - the reigning indoor 3000m world champion and a 5-time global medal winner - is targeting Hicham El Guerrouj’s long-standing record of three minutes 43.13 seconds in at The London Athletics Meet, on Saturday, 18 July.
HERITAGE ROW: The heritage watchdog charged with overseeing Edinburgh’s city centre World Heritage site has defended its approach to the controversial “super hostel” proposed for Atholl Crescent in the West End. Edinburgh World Heritage (EWH) has been criticised by campaigners for describing the change of use from offices to a 544-bed hostel or hotel as “acceptable”. It has also praised the pod method proposed by developers which would easily allow the conversion to be reversed in future. EWH director Terry Levinthal said: “The question is: is the change of use, from business to hotel and hostel, acceptable? And in our assessment it is because it causes no significant impact to the outstanding universal value of the world heritage site and we have to accept that many buildings within the world heritage site and outside have undergone a similar transformation.”
NHS HOLIDAY: NHS staff will join Scottish Government civil servants in enjoying a day off to celebrate Scotland’s men reaching the World Cup finals. Edinburgh, Midlothian and East Lothian councils have all decided against offering a day off on 15 June, largely due to the associated cost in lost productivity.
Pic of the week
THE BUSINESS
‘Plan needed to maximise economic potential of AI and data’
Edinburgh Chamber is calling for a co-ordinated plan to help the city gain maximum value from its global strengths in Artificial Intelligence and data, spanning digital infrastructure, skills development, and helping business adoption.
They are also establishing a new AI knowledge-sharing group, enabling members to exchange insights and practical experience, and is keen to help shape a policy framework that will enable growth while also helping safeguard against unintended consequences.
The chamber said: “AI’s economic potential is significant. Some estimates suggest it could drive annual productivity gains of 1.5%, while others argue generative AI could double economic growth over the next 15 years. However, these opportunities must be balanced with a clear focus on risks – ranging from environmental pressures and workforce impacts to sector-specific concerns such as protection of intellectual property for Edinburgh’s vital creative industries…
“Our city has genuine, hard-won global strengths in AI and data, built on academic excellence, advanced computing capabilities, and a dynamic tech sector. With the right strategy and strong partnerships, the city can attract further investment, build the necessary infrastructure, and ensure our businesses are equipped to compete – and lead – in an AI-driven future.”
The Chamber attended the launch of the Scottish Government’s AI strategy, and “while we will engage members on the detail, the overall direction is encouraging, particularly commitments around AI champions and support for SMEs adopting new technologies.”
Adoption also remains a challenge, particularly for time-poor SMEs, alongside ongoing concerns about job displacement. Recent research from the British Chambers of Commerce network shows that 54% of UK firms are now using AI, more than doubling in recent years. Encouragingly, 95% of those businesses report no change in overall workforce size, and 86% say roles have remained largely unchanged.
AWARDS SECURED: A leading Edinburgh cyber-security expert has won a prestigious award. Professor Bill Buchanan of Edinburgh Napier University was presented with the 10th Anniversary Security Veteran Award at the Computing Security Excellence Awards 2026. Napier student Aimie Grant was also recognised at the Scottish Cyber Awards, where she won the Cyber Security Student of the Year honour.
FINANCIAL LITERACY: Accountancy and advisory firm MHA has donated £3,500 to help improve the financial literacy of young people in Edinburgh through its MHA 1892 Foundation. The grant will be used by Edinburgh-based Grassmarket Community Project to launch a finance and budgeting workshop that strengthens young people’s practical money management skills.
TOP AWARD: Edinburgh-based Signature Group has been named the UK’s ‘Best Pub Employer’ finalist at The Publican Awards 2026 in London. Signature owns and operates 23 pub venues across Scotland, including Cold Town House, The Queens Arms, The Basement, and The Boozy Cow in Edinburgh, and employs a team of over 700 licensed trade professionals.
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE: The Edinburgh Science Festival gets underway on Saturday with two-weeks of inspiring events across the city. You can read more about this year’s highlights here, search the full programme here or read about its inspiring history here: The Science Festival: Edinburgh’s other gift to the world
As part of the festival, three centuries of pioneering work at the University of Edinburgh Medical School is being celebrated in a new outdoors exhibition. Faces of Edinburgh Medical School is on the Mound until 26 April, before moving to Porty Prom from 29 April to 14 June.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: New director Adjjima Na Patalung has unveiled an exciting line-up for this year’s Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, which runs from 30 May to 7 June. The full programme features 15 productions from nine countries. One of the highlights promises to be a free family day, packed with pop-up performances, at the National Museum of Scotland, on Saturday, 30 May.
FIRE FEST: If you want to enjoy the Capital’s spectacular fire festival Beltane this year, then you’d better not hang around. Tickets, costing £16.38, including a £1.38 booking fee, are on sale now for the festival on Thursday, 30 April. Expect them to sell out long before then.
QUICK BITES
TOP BAKERY: Lannan Bakery has been named as one of the Good Food Guide’s Best Bakeries of 2026 for the third year running. The Bakery and Pantry is located on Hamilton Place in Stockbridge.
FOUR STARS: Four out of the five best new restaurants in Scotland in 2026 selected by Condé Nast Traveller are in Edinburgh - Moss in Stockbridge, Nishiki at Haymarket, Newhaven harbour cafe Norah, and Vinette on Broughton Street.