In Today's Papers

By Clare Jerrom, Maria Ahmed, Amy Taylor and Derren Hayes

Three charged with Damilola murder

Three teenagers have been charged with murdering Damilola Taylor more than four years ago.

Hassan Jihad, 19, and his two brothers aged 16 and 17 were charged last night with stabbing the 10-year-old to death on an estate in Peckham south London.

The move follows new DNA techniques which have given detectives fresh leads.

Source:- The Times  Friday 7 January page 2

Migrants’ jobs for ex-prisoners

Thousands of ex-offenders should be doing the low-skilled jobs that are currently being carried out by economic migrants from Eastern Europe, according to a parliamentary report.

The Home Affairs Select Committee thinks former prisoners could work in horticultural, hotel and catering industries following training in jails to reduce the UK’s reliance on migrant workers.

Source:- The Times  Friday 7 January page 24

Grandparents access rights

Grandparents would have easier access to their children following a family split under Conservative proposals.

A Tory government would introduce an automatic right for grandparents to apply for contact with grandchildren through the courts, shadow minister for the family Theresa May said.

Source:- The Times  Friday 7 January page 26

Reprieve for young yobs

Police powers to fine children as young as 10-years-old for antisocial behaviour has been delayed by at least a month because the Home Office has not issued the necessary documents.

Police minister Hazel Blears announced at Christmas that a year long pilot would begin last week. But the majority of the seven police forces involved told The Times yesterday they had not been able to start issuing fines because they were waiting for the Home Office to send through tickets that would be issued to offenders.

Source:- The Times  Friday 7 January page 26

Kelly lectures parents in drive for discipline

Ruth Kelly used her first speech as education secretary to tell parents to ensure their children behave in class.

Kelly said parents have responsibilities to ensure their children understand that bad behaviour is ‘not an option’.

Source:- Daily Mail  Friday 7 January page 17

Adoption by Miliband ‘was not fast-tracked’

An adoption application by David Miliband was not fast-tracked, Ruth Kelly insisted last night.

Releasing the results of a government investigation, the new education secretary said she was satisfied the former schools minister had not received preferential treatment.

Source:- Daly Mail  Friday 7 January page 21

What Jackson did to me at Neverland, by cancer boy of 12

Details of the sex abuse allegations against Michael Jackson emerged last night.

The information about the allegations against the pop singer were revealed on The Smoking Gun, an internet site which specialises in obtaining legal documents from court files and through America’s Freedom of Information Act.

Source:- Daily Mail  Friday 7 January page 33


Drink-driver, 13, did 70mph in stolen car

A 13-year-old from Salford became one of the youngest drink-drivers in the UK to be given a four-month custodial sentence yesterday after driving a stolen car at 70mph without lights in a 30mph residential areas.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 7 January 2005 page 10

Boy worried over GCSE exams is found hanged at home

A 15-year-old boy from Norfolk hanged himself at home less than a week before returning to school. An inquest has been opened into the death of Jason Harper in Norwich.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Friday 7 January 2005 page 8

Scottish newspapers

Home Office rapped over plan to slash spending on asylum seekers

The Home Office plans to cut spending on asylum seekers by almost half to meet Whitehall efficiency targets.

The proposal to cut its £1 billion asylum spending by £450 million next year is included in technical documents submitted to the Treasury.

Source:- The Scotsman Friday 7 January

OAP hurt in care home accident

North Lanarkshire Council has launched an investigation into an accident at Dunbeth Lodge care home in Coatbridge where an older women was badly burnt.

A sink came away from a wall, pouring hot water over the unnamed resident who had to be rushed to hospital.

Source:- The Daily Record Friday 7 January

Perv in porn storm freed

A man whose lawyer claimed last month that child pornography was a victimless crime has avoided jail.

Richard Trehearn, who admitted storing 400 pictures of young children on his computer, was given three years probation and 240 hours community service.

Source:- The Daily Record Friday 7 January

Welsh newspapers

Schools ‘in danger of damaging family life’

The extra services provided by schools are contributing to some parents abandoning their responsibility for their children, Geraint Davies, secretary of NASUWT Cymru, said yesterday.

Davies said that too many parents felt that once their child went through the school gates they were no longer their responsibility and that services such as before and after school clubs were fuelling this.

He was speaking in response to the first speech by the new education secretary Ruth Kelly in which the minister called for parents to take responsibility for their children’s behaviour in schools.

Source:- Western Mail Friday 7 January page 16