Wednesday 12 January 2005

By Maria Ahmed, Clare Jerrom and Amy Taylor

Navy man’s death puts spotlight on child porn
inquiry

The apparent suicide of a naval commodore under investigation on
child pornography allegations has focused attention on a huge
British police investigation into internet paedophiles, in which 32
other suspects are believed to have taken their lives.

The commander of British forces on Gibraltar, Commodore David
White, who was found dead at his swimming pool at the weekend, was
an Operation Ore suspect, one of 6,500 Britons allegedly using a US
child abuse “portal” called Landslide.

Source:-The Daily Telegraph Wednesday 12 January 2005 page
10

Builder’s Asbo

A judge at Mold Crown Court has issued an antisocial behaviour
order on a man, banning him from doing building work for five
years.

David Flaherty, who took money for jobs but did not complete them,
was also jailed for three years.

Source:-The Daily Telegraph Wednesday 12 January 2005 page
10

Unions protest over pensions

Unions are planning a day of protests across the country over
government plans to raise the retirement age for public sector
workers from 60 to 65 and make changes to their pension
schemes.

Source:-The Times Wednesday 12 January 2005 page 2

School’s knife scan

A comprehensive school has brought in metal detectors to screen
pupils for weapons.

Tollbar Business and Enterprise College in New Waltham, near
Grimsby, is believed to be the first school in the country to make
the move.

Source:-The Daily Mail Wednesday 12 January 2005 page
33

A century apart: children face poverty trap as deep as
ever

To mark the centenary of Dr Barnardo’s death, the charity
that bears his name commissioned a report on child welfare over the
past 100 years. The problems have not gone away.

Source:-The Independent Wednesday 12 January 2005 pages
12-13

Bar on Cannings payout attacked

Michael Mansfield, the criminal QC who won the appeal court ruling
clearing Angela Cannings of murdering her two baby sons, last night
criticised the decision by the Home Office not to award Canning
compensation for her 18 months in prison as
“extraordinary.” 

Cannings is to challenge the refusal.

Source:-The Guardian Wednesday 12 January 2005 page
7

More childless adults in poverty

Poverty among childless adults of working age has grown to record
levels since Tony Blair came to power in 1997, according to an
independent analysis of Labour’s performance by the Joseph
Rowntree Foundation.

Source:-The Guardian Wednesday 12 January 2005 page
10

Baby bond scheme launched

Gordon Brown made a bid for the parent vote yesterday as he
officially launched the government’s flagship child trust
funds, which are aimed at giving every youngster a good financial
start in life.

Source:-The Guardian Wednesday 12 January 2005 page
11

Move to end race bias in mental health care

Ministers committed the government yesterday to a five-year plan to
halt racial discrimination in NHS mental health services in
England, which was exposed last year by an inquiry into the death
of David “Rocky” Bennett.

Source:-The Guardian Wednesday 12 January 2005 page
12

Guiding Light

Kate Nash, workaholic head of charity Radar on why the disability
rights struggle is no longer just about activists chaining
themselves to railings.

Source:-Society Guardian Wednesday 12 January 2005 page
6

Slangsta Rap

Want to impress some kids with some street talk?

Source:-Society Guardian Wednesday 12 January 2005 page
8

Piggy in the middle

The government’s failure to honour a pledge it made last
election to provide £200 million threatens to decimate
community-led children’s play schemes.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 12 January 2005 page
10

Crying Shame

Blighted, poor and beset by antisocial behaviour, it seems
the perfect location for Shameless, TV’s bleakly comic drama
of working-class family life. But there is more to Gorton than you
might think.

Source:-Society Guardian Wednesday 12 January 2005 page
2

The show must go on

A centre for older people is giving its members a lifeline through
its essential services and special focus on the arts.
Best practice – the Castlemilk Pensioners Action Centre in
Glasgow.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 12 January 2005 page
7

Power surge

Labour wants to give people more control over services, but what
will this enthusiasm for public participation mean for local
councils?

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 12 January 2005 page
6

Scottish news

Jodi accused’s brother ‘suspected of giving police false
statement’ 

The  brother of Luke Mitchell, was suspected by police of
deliberately providing false information during the inquiry into
the murder of Jodi Jones, a jury heard yesterday.

Luke Mitchell is accused of murdering his former girlfriend. But
his brother Shane Mitchell has admitted giving conflicting
statements about the day of Jodi’s death, changing the time
he said he had arrived home from work.

Initially, he had suggested it was about 3:40pm. Later, he asked
to make a second statement, and put the time at nearly 5pm.

Shane Mitchell’s evidence was still in its early stages
when the trial had to be halted because of illness suffered by a
juror. It is hoped to resume his testimony today.

Source:- The Scotsman  Wednesday 12 January

Care worker wins £5000 over night duty
claim

A care assistant who walked out after she was refused wages for
when she had to attend to residents during the night has been
awarded almost £5000 compensation.

Denise McCole, a care assistant at Glenbank Residential Care
Home in Fife, was paid a £10 sleepover allowance for sleeping
on-site between 11pm and 7am.

She was paid the national minimum wage of £4.50 for her
time on duty before the residents went to bed and from 7am the
following morning when she had to assist them.  But she claimed her
sleeping hours were disturbed by the vulnerable adults who lived at
the home during the night and she had to get out of bed to deal
with them.

An employment tribunal ruled she was entitled to be paid for her
hours on duty throughout the night whether she was asleep or awake,
as she was in sole charge of the home.

Source:- Evening News  Tuesday 11 January

Social work on Pitcairn

Social work chiefs are trying to recruit two staff to work on
Pitcairn Island.

The British protectorate in the Pacific Ocean has a population of
just 47.Six islanders were convicted of sex crimes last year.

Source:- Daily Record  Wednesday 12 January

Welsh news

Childcare funding cut by almost two-thirds

The Welsh Assembly government has cut funding for before-and-after
school clubs by 60 per cent.

Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs, which run 1,200
before-and-after school holiday clubs for children, will only get
£400,000 instead of £1 million funding.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 12 January

Ron Davies cleared of bullying

Former Welsh Secretary Ron Davies has been cleared of allegations
of bullying staff in his role as a director of a small
race-equality charity.

While an employment tribunal found that Tariq Sarder, had been
unfairly sacked from the Valleys Race Equality Council (Valerc) it
did not support his allegation that he had been bullied by
Davies.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 12 January