1000 athletes settle in at student halls

STAFF at the city's Pollock Halls of Residence have begun welcoming more than 1000 athletes and officials who are staying at the student accommodation ahead of this weekend's IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

Sportsmen and women from more than 70 countries will be represented at Sunday's event which will be held at Holyrood Park. The first to arrive were the Australian team at the weekend.

Pollock Halls, which hosted athletes during the 1970 and 1986 Commonwealth Games, is providing accommodation and food for the athletes and officials.

Chris Barnes, the University of Edinburgh's Assistant Director of Accommodation Services, said: "We are delighted to be playing a key role in this prestigious event and a number of special arrangements are being made to create a welcoming athletes village."

To make the visiting athletes feel more at home, walls will be adorned with posters and welcome messages created by pupils from primary schools.