By Amy Taylor, Nicola Barry and Alex Dobson.
Seven in ten only seek asylum when the net closes in
Nearly seven out of 10 asylum seekers wait until they are inside the UK before lodging a claim for asylum, it was revealed yesterday.
The statistic raised new doubts over the validity of many claims.
Many of those who lodge claims once in the country, rather than at ports and airports, have been caught working illegally and are trying to avoid deportation.
Source:- Daily Mail Saturday 4 January page 47
Axeman injures two then runs amok in 12th-century abbey
A man with mental health problems put three people in hospital when he ran amok with two axes, and attacked religious artefacts at Waltham Abbey in Essex on Friday.
The man attacked a 62-year-old man in a café in nearby Waltham Cross, who was treated in hospital for severe head injuries, and then headed for the 12th-century abbey, smashing cars as he went.
A woman was taken to hospital suffering from shock after the man smashed the windows of her car, and a man aged 52 was treated for a head injury by paramedics at the scene.
Source:- The Independent Saturday 4 January page 2
Victims of lawless machismo and gunplay
Two girls shot at a New Year party in Birmingham are the most recent victims of a culture of machismo and gunplay among a lawless minority of black youths.
The shooting shows that despite increasing efforts to curb the problem, police are still struggling to tackle black gun crime.
In part, they are reaping the harvest of years in which they failed to stop the growth of black gun culture, partly through indifference, partly through fear of incurring accusations of racism.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph Saturday 4 January page 4
MPs attack Prescott over council cash reforms
John Prescott's department was attacked yesterday by the parliamentary committee for its "woeful" performance in managing local government finance.
The criticism of the government is some of the strongest yet from a Labour-dominated committee of MPs.
In particular, the MPs found that the system of awarding grants for education and social services spending was indefensible. "Many of the new formulae do not appear to be evidence-based," the report says.
Source:-The Guardian Saturday 4 January page 6
Choir director assaulted boy, 12
A choirmaster was jailed for four-and-a-half years on Friday after admitting a series of sex attacks on a young boy.
Sean Jennings, director of music with the City of Bristol Boys Choir, subjected the boys to assaults over a four-year period from the age of 12.
Police raided his home last year and discovered over 10,000 pornographic images of young boys on his computer.
Source:- The Times Saturday 4 January page 5
Secure unit freed 'body bags' suspect
The prime suspect in the 'bodies in bags' case was a psychiatric patient who was treated by mental health professionals on the day that human remains were discovered at his north London flat.
Anthony Hardy was assessed by psychiatrists as being of 'no risk' to the public when he was discharged from St Luke's Hospital in north London at the end of last year.
He had attended the hospital since 1995, and was receiving inpatient treatment in a locked ward before his release. He went to an appointment with community care workers as recently as 30 December, the day the remains of two women were discovered.
Source:- The Observer Sunday 5 January page 1
Minister vow over Climbie
Ministers will pledge a revolution in the lives of children at risk tomorrow as the report of the inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie is formally delivered to the government.
The inquiry, headed by Lord Laming QC, is expected to paint a damning picture of the failure of social workers to prevent her death, as well as confusion within the social care, health and legal systems.
Ministers will welcome the report, but will ask for time to consider its recommendations before it is published. An interim report will outline the more urgent measures within weeks.
Jacqui Smith, the minister responsible for social services, is tomorrow expected to announce extra cash for fostering services. She has also launched a review into private fostering, where families arrange for children to live with wealthier relatives, who may not undergo the same checks as ordinary foster parents.
Source:- The Observer Sunday 5 January page 13
Asylum crackdown faces legal challenge
New home office rules to crackdown on asylum seekers claiming benefits is to be challenged under the Human Rights Act by refugee welfare groups who claim thousands will be left destitute.
From Wednesday, asylum seekers who do not make claims for refugee status "as soon as reasonably practicable" after their arrival in Britain will be denied all state support, including emergency accommodation.
Source:- The Sunday Times 5 January page 2
All-black shortlist for race job upsets Asians
Community leaders are angry after the exclusion of Asian candidates from the final shortlist of candidates for the head of the Commission for Racial Equalities.
Politicians and race relations campaigners have expressed surprise that the three remaining candidates, who are likely to be interviewed this week for the £110,000-year post, are all from the black community.
Source:- The Sunday Times 5 January page 7
The army of asylum seekers who go missing from figures
Over 100,000 asylum seekers have been left out of official figures in an attempt to cover up the scale of immigration, it was claimed yesterday.
The think-tank Migrationwatch UK has accused ministers of deliberately excluding children and other dependent relatives that arrive with asylum seekers from their statistics.
Source:- Daily Mail Monday 6 January page 37
National protection force to curb child abusers
A national child protection service might be set up by the government to curb the level of abuse scandals that have exposed weaknesses in the system that is supposed to protect children.
The plan would downgrade the role of social services departments, which would focus on supporting vulnerable families and hand over potential abuse cases to a new national body.
The idea, which would be fiercely opposed by social services chiefs, is receiving support from inside the government and is likely to be included in a green paper on protecting children due to be published next month.
Source:-The Independent Monday 6 January page 1
Calls grow for tougher action on gun crime
The government was facing increasing pressure last night to act decisively on gun crime as reports suggested that the number of offences had doubled since Labour came to power.
Today David Blunkett is expected to confirm plans for a minimum five-year sentence for illegal possession of a firearm. He is also said to be considering a ban on replica guns, which can be easily converted into working weapons.
Source:- The Independent Monday 6 January page 2
Man charged with three murders after bodies found in binbags
Anthony Hardy, arrested after the remains of two women were discovered in and around a north London bedsit, will appear in court today charged with the murder of three women. The third woman's body was found in his flat on 20 January last year. It had previously been thought that she had died of a heart attack.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph Monday 6 January page 8
Scottish newspapers
Fury as asylum seekers detained for six months
Ministers are to be challenged over the "completely unacceptable" detention of a family of five at Dungavel immigration centre.
The four children of the Ay family were described as "model pupils" by teachers they taught for three years in Kent. But, immigration officials brought them to the detention centre six months ago where their education ceased due to a lack of facilities.
The family are seeking asylum in the UK.
Source:- Sunday Herald 5 January page 9
Politicians unite in fight for autism unit
Politicians of all shades have backed calls for a new medical unit dedicated to the treatment of autism.
Action Against Autism (AAA) has submitted a petition to the Scottish parliament. The charity claims there is not a single doctor or hospital in Scotland with the expertise to help people with autism.
Source:- The Herald Monday 6 January page 5
COSLA boss wants peace with councils
The leader of Scotland’s local government association is about to extend an olive branch to councils, which left the troubled organisation amid complaints that it was failing to represent their interests.
President Pat Watters says COSLA needs to make amends to persuade Glasgow, Clackmannanshire and Falkirk to return to the fold.
Source:- The Scotsman Monday 6 January page 8
Warning over net perverts
Education minister Cathy Jamieson has launched a nationwide campaign to warn youngsters of the dangers posed by internet paedophiles.
The £120,000 campaign is part of a drive to cut down on perverts who lure young people through chatroom grooming.
Source:- Daily Express Monday 6 January page 17
Why we’ll never forget our dad
A single silver cuff link twinkles beside an old photograph and some crumpled cinema tickets. All are meaningless when regarded in isolation. But, to one young girl, they are a powerful memento of a much missed parent.
The child found solace at Winston’s Wish, a national organisation, based in Gloucester, which helps children throughout the UK cope with the death of someone important in their lives.
www.winstonswish.org.uk
Source:- The Herald Monday 6 January page 10
Welsh newspapers
Peer support one of the most effective ways to combat bullying
Schools should train pupils to act as mediators and listeners as part of their efforts to tackle bullying.
Alison O’Brien, the education adviser to the NSPCC, says that so-called peer support is one of the most effective ways of tackling the problem.
Thousands of children have already been trained to give such support, and O’Brien says that all schools should develop peer support and apply ‘zero tolerance’ to bullying.
Source:- Western Mail Monday 6 January page 8
Scientists claim dyslexia can be treated in a flash
A treatment for dyslexia that uses flashing lights to stimulate the brain can help sufferers to improve spelling and reading skills, it has been claimed.
The Bright Star Dyslexia Programme developed by British firm Advanced Learning Science, has a number of supporters including Olympic swimming gold medallist Duncan Goodhew, who has dyslexia. He says the programme has had a "profound effect", but the British Dyslexia Association has warned that more research on the treatment needed to be carried out.
Source:- Western Mail Monday 6 January page 8
