A STORY on a teenager charged with downloading child abuse images at the age of just nine features on the front page of this week's Barrhead News.

Page 3 looks ahead to the visit of a theatre group to Barrhead and Neilston this weekend. Oceanallover is renowned for performing in outlandish settings such as museums, sewage works and rubbish dumps.

You will also find a two-page local elections special in this week's edition which includes an interview with the first Tory councillor elected to represent Barrhead since 1992.

Further into the paper is an article detailing Neilston community chiefs' fears that buses which park at a pedestrian crossing are putting village residents at risk.

Kirsten Oswald is calling on the Scottish Transport Minister to support early investment in new rail carriages for the Neilston line.

The SNP candidate for East Renfrewshire in next month's general election has been backed in her plea by Renfrewshire South MSP Tom Arthur.

There are also three picture specials: a fundraiser held by the Tweenies club on behalf of the Educate the Kids charity; snaps from a Barrhead-based soap-making project; and, of course, photos from the 192nd Neilston Show.

In Barrhead Sport we speak to Barrhead YFC under-21s manager Chris Wilson who is urging his side to use their agonising Scottish Cup final defeat to Rutherglen Glencairn as motivation next season.

On the good news front, Neilston Juniors have staved off the threat of relegation and will play in the Central District First Division for another year.