May 8, 1984

n THE Herald reported: ''Violence erupted at the Ravenscraig steel complex yesterday as police and pickets became involved in the most serious clashes yet in the dispute over coal supplies. About 1000 pickets from all over Scotland, matched man for man by police, gathered outside the Motherwell plant's main gate and were involved in a series of battles throughout the morning. Bottles and stones were thrown, miners and police were injured, and a total of 31 pickets arrested.''

n THE Herald also reported: ''Widespread support has been offered to a minister who has said he is prepared to move outside the law to prevent four families being evicted from their homes on the Seafield estate in Banffshire.

''Methodist minister, the Rev David Shawcross, who is heading a committee to help those facing eviction, believes the estate is interested only in money and not in the welfare of the people and the area.'' It was reported that ministers from all

other denominations were also backing threatened estate tenants.

n IN EDINBURGH, the city's first Labour administration dropped the title ''Lord Provost'' in favour of ''convener''. Councillors said the move would reduce ''pomp and ceremony''. It was proposed that the council would honour commitments by the previous Conservative administration to meet members of the Royal family, but future such meetings and events would be ''examined''.