Wednesday 21 September 2005

By Clare Jerrom, Maria Ahmed, Sally Gillen and Amy
Taylor

Unmasked

Paedophile Robert Howard was finally unmasked last night when it
emerged that he murdered a girl of 14.

The 61-year-old abducted Hannah William, killed her and dumped her
body on waste ground.

Source:- The Sun  Wednesday 21 September page 9

Every week two women are killed by their partners

A collapsed lung, 7 fractured ribs, 17 skull scars, burns and
bruises. Pliers rammed up her nose. Blowtorch burns to her feet.
Until

Sharon died, only her abusive boyfriend knew of her secret
torture.

Source:- The Sun  Wednesday 21 September page 25

Delay to council tax reform

A radical-shake up of local government services was signalled
yesterday by David Miliband as he announced that property
revaluation would be delayed until after the next election.

The local government and communities’ minister admitted that
council tax reform would be postponed for at least five
years.

Source:- The Times  Wednesday 21 September page 2

Call for ban on acne drug linked to suicide

The mother of a student who committed suicide after taking an
anti-acne drug that has been linked with scores of deaths is
calling for it to be banned.

David Roberts was found hanged from a tree near his home in
Allerton, Liverpool after he had been taking Roaccutane for three
months.

Source:- The Times  Wednesday 21 September page 9

Early review ordered for late-night drinks Act

The government last night announced a review of its troubled new
Licensing Act just three months after it came into force.

Residents and local authorities have repeatedly complained that
government guidelines are skewed in favour of late-night
drinking.

Source:- The Times  Wednesday 21 September page 13

Girl, 11, found hanged after a tiff with her mother

An 11-year-old was found hanged in her bedroom after a minor family
row.

Emily Gorman was found hanged in her room 40 minutes after she
stormed off after a minor upset at the family home.

Source:- Daily Mail  Wednesday 21 September page 7

Trial told of confusion and panic as cocklers drowned

A graphic picture of the chaos and panic among 21 Chinese cocklers
as they were engulfed by the waters of Morecambe Bay emerged during
the trial yesterday of their gangmaster and four of his
associates.

The jury heard how nine of the cocklers climbed aboard a pick-up
truck already weighed down with cockles as the bay’s tides
swept towards them on 5 February last year.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
10

Camden Ripper: no one to blame

No one is to blame for leaving a psychiatric patient known as the
Camden Ripper free to murder three woman, a report found.

Anthony Hardy, 53, received three life sentences in 2003 for
killing prostitutes in north London.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
17

Life-saving drugs held up by cost-cutting

A vaccine against a form of meningitis that claims the lives of 50
children a year and maims more is being withheld from the child
vaccination programme because it is too expensive.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
19

Police release man held in Milly Dowler case

A man arrested yesterday morning by police investigating the
abduction and murder of Milly Dowler was last night released
without charge.

The 57-year-old sex offender from London was arrested by officers
from Surrey police and questioned over the 13-year-old’s
killing in 2002. He is the fifth person to have been detained in
connection with the murder.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
8

Poor students’ university scheme lacks impact

A government scheme to encourage more students from poor
backgrounds to go to university has failed to have a significant
impact.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
8

Rhythm and blues

Prince Charles’s latest experiment in community planning is
inspired by a village in Florida. It hopes to transform UK
house-building.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
1

Charity answers the call of the homeless

Nearly 500 homeless people are to be given free “home”
phone numbers, with London dialling codes by homelessness charity
St Mungos.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
2

Learning from lucky escapes

The Social Care Institute for Excellence has produced the report
Managing Risks and Minimising Mistakes on near-miss cases where
children might have died if events had taken a different
turn.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
2

20 years after the riots – Broadwater Farm

The healing of a notorious north London estate continues –
with Sure Start at its core

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
3

Handsworth – Safe to dream

How funding has poured into Handsworth, Birmingham, since the
Handsworth riots 20 years ago this month

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
3

Harmony’s herald – interview with Ted
Cantle

Multiculturalism is failing to bring Britain’s races
together, says Ted Cantle. But political and economic integration,
citizenship and education could tackle the increasing climate of
unrest.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
5

The power of prejudice

Government adviser Richard Layard says mental illness is the
UK’s biggest social problem, bigger than unemployment or
poverty. Do our experts agree?

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
6

Rich seam of talent

An initiative in Batley, Yorkshire, to encourage youngsters from
ethnic minorities to take up cricket is breaking down barriers
– and finding potential stars

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
7

Moving target

The Children’s Society has got Romanian Gypsy youngsters in
its sights – before they get kicked out.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
7

Office politics

An Office for Disability Issues is to be established later this
year to coordinate a cross-government focus on disability issues
and ensure that public services are responsive to disabled
consumers.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
10

Goal attack

Targets as an incentive to improve public services often fail
because of poor design and a haphazard approach to data collection,
argues a report by the Social Market Foundation thinktank.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 21 September 2005 page
10

Scottish news

One in 10 poor children leave school with no qualifications

Eleven per cent of children from the poorest background leave
school with no qualifications, compared with an average of three
per cent for the rest of Scotland, according to Scottish executive
statistics.

Source:- The Herald  Wednesday 21 September

More Asbos on the way for under-16s

A further 12 under-16-year-olds are to be served with antisocial
behaviour orders as local authorities crack down on serious youth
crimes.

A 14-year-old boy became the first under-16 to receive an interim
Asbo at Paisley Sheriff Court.

Source:- The Herald  Wednesday 21 September

Lawyers threaten to stage strike in row over legal
fees

Top lawyers in Scotland are threatening to go on strike because of
a row over new legal aid fees.

It is believed at least 20 advocates are considering the action
over the new fees, which will leave some out of pocket.

A new system of fees was introduced in April that set how much an
advocate would earn. Under the old system a set base was payable
but counsel were allowed to claim extra depending on the complexity
of the case.

It is feared senior and junior counsel could withdraw their
services.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 21 September 2005

Executive cash to help families buy homes

Low-income families will be allowed to apply for a grant to cover
up to 40 per cent of the cost of buying a home in Edinburgh under
plans announced today.

Cash will be available to families that have an income of up to
£25,100 under the Homestake project. The move is intended to
counter spiralling house costs and those eligible will be able to
apply for the money from two housing associations.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 21 September 2005

Care worker abuse trial begins

A care worker at a Church of Scotland home for children with mental
and physical disabilities yesterday went on trial for allegedly
abusing patients.

Andrew Bebbington, 25, is facing charges including lewd and
libidinous practices towards a 12-year-old boy in a
wheelchair.
He denies the charges.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 21 September 2005

Teacher jailed for 50,000 child porn images

 A teacher who downloaded child porn was jailed for 13 months
yesterday.

Gerard Gray, 51, was trapped by a US investigation into paedophiles
using child sex sites. He had downloaded 50,000 images.

The US investigators identified 46 people in the Strathclyde area
who had accessed sites by giving their credit card details.

Gray admitted taking or making indecent photographs or
pseudo-photographs of children or permitting them to be taken at
his home on various occasions between December 6, 2003 and June 3,
2004.

Source: The Daily Record Wednesday 21 September

Welsh news

Teen held over care home attack

A 19-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of the attempted
murder of a care worker at a residential home in South Wales.

The woman was stabbed after going to investigate a suspected
intruder in the early hours of Saturday morning at Clydach Court
home in Trealaw, TonyPany, where she worked.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 21 September

Children snatch mother’s partner arrested in
Spain

An alleged paedophile who ran away with his partner and their two
children has been arrested in Spain.

Kevin Jones fled north Wales with Paula Sears after she took her
children, Jacob and Shauna Sears, out of the care of social
services.

Jones is on bail for an alleged serious sex offence against a child
– not either of his own.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 21 September