In Today's Papers

By Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom, Lauren Revans and Alex Dobson.
Daycare 'just as good as being with mother'
Children looked after by childminders or in a nursery are just as happy as those cared for at home by their mothers, new research has found.
Researchers from Bristol University claim that by the age of three children are just as content being cared for by either group.
The findings contradict previous studies which claim that children whose mothers go out to work find school difficult.

Source:- Daily Mail Tuesday 13 May page 8
Blunkett must free illegal immigrant he can't deport
A man who made up a 'pack of lies' in a failed attempt to gain asylum is to be freed from prison because his own country has refused to accept him on the grounds that he has no documentation to prove who he is.
Indian-born Pramo Kumar has been rejected by his own country because he ripped up his identity documents in an attempt to help his asylum bid.
He had put in prison for 10 months to prevent him from 'disappearing' and living illegally in this country.
Home secretary David Blunkett agreed to release Kumar and give him temporary leave to stay after his lawyers went to the high court yesterday on the grounds that it was unfair to keep someone in detention when there was no possibility of him being deported 'within a reasonable time'.
Source:- Daily Mail Tuesday 13 May page 16
Violence and fear as mob took over the asylum flagship
A new detention centre in Bedfordshire was ruined by fires started by disgruntled asylum seekers attempting to break free, Harrow crown court heard yesterday.
A QC went on to describe how inmates smashed security cameras and lights and stole keys from staff at Yarl's Wood, who were forced to take cover in an office.
Nine men appeared in connection with the incident which took place in February of last year.
Source:- Daily Mail Tuesday 13 May page 16
Appeal over murder of Billie-Jo
The case of Sion Jenkins, the man accused of murdering his teenage foster daughter Billlie-Jo, was referred to the court of appeal yesterday.
The deputy headteacher's case was passed over on the grounds at the original trial the jury was not allowed to hear evidence from Jenkins' daughters, Billie-Jo's foster sisters, which Jenkins claims will prove his innocence.
Billie-Jo was battered to death in 1997 with an 18-inch mental tent spike while at her foster parents' house in Hastings.
The case was brought to appeal in 1999, but that attempt failed.
Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 13 May page 11
Thousands of brains were kept for research without the consent of grieving relatives
An inquiry report into the case of a man with mental health problems whose brain was kept for research after he committed suicide, without his wife's consent, has revealed that tens of thousands of brains have been taken without the knowledge of relatives since the 1960s.
Elaine Isaacs spoke of her three-year battle for the truth yesterday as the government announced a new law to tighten control over the taking of organs.
The Isaacs report was triggered when Mrs Isaacs by chance discovered in April 2000, 13 years after her husband's suicide, that his brain had been kept by Manchester University.
His was one of many supplied under a system to provide brains from mortuaries to a research programme being run at the university.
The report also revealed brains had been kept without consent in other areas.
Source:- The Independent Tuesday 13 May page 2
Scottish newspapers
Health chief admits kid porn charges
Health chief Tom Skinner has admitted a computer child pornography offence.
The secretary of Borders Health Board pleaded guilty to being involved in the making or taking of indecent photographs of children.
Sheriff Warner reserved sentence for background reports at Selkirk sheriff court.
Source:- Daily Record Tuesday 13 May
Poverty trap policies in danger of backfiring, researchers say

Researchers at the Rosemount Lifelong Learning project and the Scottish Poverty Information Unit have warned that anti-poverty policies are in danger of leaving those trying to re-enter the labour market worse off.
The three-year study of mothers in low income families trying to move into training and employment highlighted a number of barriers to finding suitable work, and called for changes including integrated child care and lifelong learning provision.
The study’s publication coincided with government statistics showing that the gap between the rich and the poor in Britain is at its greatest for 13 years.
Source:- The Herald Tuesday May 13
Final deportation appeal will be made to Blunkett
An 11th-hour judicial review application to stop the deportation of an Algerian whose Scottish wife is pregnant, is to be lodged with home secretary David Blunkett.
Ali Serir, who is being held at Greenock prison, is to be moved to Heathrow on Friday for a flight to Algeria.
Serir’s lawyer also plans to lodge a fresh asylum application by tomorrow, should the judicial review application fail. Serir fears he will be killed on return to his homeland after state-run newspapers named him as an Islamic terrorist.
MSPs protested outside Greenock prison yesterday, describing Serir’s treatment as disgraceful.
Source:- The Herald Tuesday 13 May
Welsh newspapers
Parents to face prison and fines
A two-page report on the increasing problem of children who play truant from school.
The story examines the range of sanctions that can be imposed on parents that include new on-the-spot fines, and up to three months in prison for parents of children who are persistent truants.
Source:- South Wales Argus Monday 12 May page 14-15
Fostering Relationship
A feature looking at the experience of one foster carer in south Wales in the run-up to Foster Care Fortnight.
Six years ago the woman began fostering and she and her husband have since shared their home with seven foster children. She says that many more people could offer homes to children who are currently looked after by local authorities, and that there is often misunderstanding about the role of foster carers.
Source:- South Wales Echo Monday 12 May page 9
GPs can’t meet 24-hour pledge
Doctor’s leaders said yesterday that Welsh assembly health minister, Jane Hutt’s plans to ensure that no-one waits more than 24 hours to see a GP were a difficult-to-achieve sound bite.
Chairperson of the Welsh GP committee, Dr Andrew Dearden, hit out at the plan and said that staffing and GP levels were not adequate to achieve the aim.
Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 13 May page 1
Owen unsuitable teacher, child abuse inquiry hears
A union official told the Clywch child abuse inquiry yesterday that he thought alleged paedophile John Owen was totally unsuitable as a teacher.
Emyr Hywel formerly president of the Welsh teaching union Ucac, of which former drama teacher Owen was a member, said that complaints were made about Owen in 1990-1.
He told the inquiry of obscene material that Owen had used for teaching purposes, and said that it was totally inappropriate. The inquiry was set up in the wake of Owen’s suicide in 2001 when he was awaiting trial accused of sexually abusing boys in his care, and is led by children’s commissioner for Wales Peter Clarke.
Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 13 May page 7