In Today's Papers

By Amy Taylor, Shirley Kumar, Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson

Asylum protest at ‘too many chips’

Asylum seekers carried out a sit-down demonstration halting traffic on Monday protesting about their living conditions and the food they are being given to eat.

The roadblock was staged by 60 men outside the Wilbury hostel in Ipswich where they were living.

The asylum seekers said they were sick of constantly being given chips to eat.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 25 August page 6

31, 000 cries for help about bullies

Childline received the highest number of calls about bullying in its 18-year history in the 12 months up to March this year.

More than 31, 000 children and young people rang the helpline about the issue during this period compared to just over 21, 000 in 2003.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 25 August page 25

Asylum application at seven year low

The number of asylum applications has fallen by 11 per cent to 7, 920 in the second quarter of this year representing a seven-year-low.

Ministers said the closure of the Sangatte refugee camp near Calais two years ago and the introduction of tougher checks and vehicles at channel ports had helped to bring the figure down.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 25 August page 8

£3,640 Travelodge bill for teenage suspect

Two teenage suspects were put up in a hotel at a cost of £900 a night because all remand places for young people were full, it has been revealed.

The 14-year-olds stayed at a Travelodge hotel in Leeds and the bill came to £3,640 for four nights.

The bill would normally have been around £240, but Leeds Council had to pay £3,400 for trained staff to keep 24-hour watch on the boys.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 25 August page 37

Rapist’s victim died alone with pills by her side

The victim of a rapist died from a drug overdose after suffering from a breakdown, an inquest heard.

Susan McDonald had not recovered when her boyfriend Milton Brown subjected her to three months of sexual and violent assaults in 1996.

The coroner recorded an open verdict.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 25 August page 5

Nurses to take calls from staff phoning in sick

York Council is to use nurses to handle calls from employees who report in sick in an attempt to reduce the amount of staff absenteeism.

A three-month trial will begin next week.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Wednesday 25 August page 9

Asbos imposed on beggars

Leeds magistrates slapped interim antisocial behaviour orders on 15 aggressive beggars who are capable of generating thousands of pounds a year mostly used to buy drugs.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 25 August page 10

Youth on trial

A new scheme aims to create courts in which youngsters will be tried by their peers. But what do teenagers themselves think of the plan?

Source:- Guardian G2 Wednesday 25 August page 6

Pain but no gain

A spate of primary care trust reorganisations is highlighting difficulties in the progress of Labours NHS reforms.

Source:- The Society Guardian Wednesday 25 August page 6

Novel approach

Exploring personal problems through reading is helping Asian mothers in Blackburn find their voice.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 25 August page 7

Squat n’ roll hero

The residents of a west London housing association have organised an exhibition of previously unseen photographs of the late Joe Strummer as a tribute to the ex-Clash singer and homelessness activist.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 25 August page 8

What else can I do?

Youth work is Dave’s forte, and he wants to remain in the field. But should he give up his position in a local authority and risk trying to find a new organisation?


Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 25 August page 56

Scottish newspapers

PC tells court dead baby’s injury was worst he’d ever seen

The injuries sustained by a boy whose stepfather is accused of murdering him were the worst a policeman involved in the case had ever seen, a court heard yesterday.

Constable Colin Begg said Mohammad Ullah claimed his step-son Kyle Mutch received the injury when a young child wearing a pair of boots jumped on him.

Ullah is charged with murdering eight-month-old Kyle in January this year. He is also charged with assaulting a four-year-old in January.

Ullah denies all charges and has lodged two special defences. One of which claims that if the murder was committed, it was carried out by the baby’s grandmother Marlane Low.

Source:- The Scotsman  Wednesday 25 August

Capital facing £10m bill for elderly care

Edinburgh council is facing a bill of £10 million for caring for older people unless the Scottish executive hands out more money for nursing homes.

Council leader Donald Anderson said unless care homes were given more cash to cover costs, a winter beds crisis was a real threat.

He is calling for the executive to provide extra money for the council to give to care homes and stop them closing. If the executive refuses to do this, it could cost the council up to £10 million.

Source:-  Evening News  Tuesday 24 August

Crackdown vow on race hate crimes

There is to be a crackdown on hate crime in the Borders, according to police chiefs.

Officials admit the region has been suffering with a growing number of racial and religious intolerance.

Source:-  Evening News  Tuesday 24 August

Lock me up in a women’s prison

A transsexual convicted of child sex offences is demanding to be sent to a women’s jail.

Brian O’Neill, who calls himself Briony, said he would rather kill himself than go to a male prison and is asking to be sent to Cornton Vale.

He was convicted two weeks ago of indecently touching a nine-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl in 2002. He denies the crimes.

The father of two believes he should go to an all female prison because he has been approved for a sex change and has been taking hormones for six years to help transform him into a woman.

Source:- Daily Record  Wednesday 25 August page 25

Welsh newspapers

Police chief says schemes could ‘demonise’ young

Chief constable Barbara Wilding claims that curfews can demonise children and should only be used as a last resort.

The south Wales police chief said that she wants to ensure that officers and agencies try every other method of controlling young people before another curfew is sanctioned.

Source:- South Wales Echo Tuesday 24 August page 3

Text bullying terror for Welsh children

A huge increase in the number of Welsh children seeking counselling for bullying is revealed in a new report.

The report from Childline Wales shows that almost 60 per cent more children sought help from its helplines last year and a growing proportion were being bullied via text messaging.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 25 August page 1