By Mithran Samuel, Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom and Derren
Hayes
Mystery caller clue over baby
A woman has tried to contact nurses looking after a baby which was
abandoned near a housing estate in Bedford
Baby Bonnie, as she has been named, is being treated in hospital at
Bedford and could be put with foster carers shortly.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph Wednesday 30 March page 2
Runaway girl and cousin ask priest to marry them
A 14-year-old girl and her 23-year-old cousin are believed to have
possibly fled to the Republic of Ireland after a priest in Northern
Ireland refused to marry them.
Iraqi orphan with no arms denied benefit for
‘unproved’ injury
The Iraqi orphan who lost his arms in the Iraqi war has found out
that he is not entitled to back payments of disability living
alliance this week.
Ali Abbas applied for disability living allowance last October but
got a letter this month saying he could not claim any backpayments
because he could not prove he was disabled before this date.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph Wednesday 30 March page 8
For the record
Award-winning photographer Vanley Burke set out to record the
impact on the local community of the Aston ‘drive-by’
gangland shootings. The images that dominate the front pages of
newspapers are only part of the story, he tells Steve
Sampson.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 30 March page 2
Cash-strapped charity to sue
The chief executive of mental health charity Sane, Marjorie
Wallace, is set to take the Department of Health to court.
The charity claims that the DoH has brought it close to financial
ruin by withholding vital funding.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 30 March page 4
In the public interest
Stephen Dunmore today unveils plans to distribute £2.4bn of
lottery cash. It is time money for good causes is spread more
fairly and widely, he tells Alison Benjamin
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday, 30 March page 6
Hull’s angels
A neglected estate is being transformed by a warden scheme that is
giving focus for local youngsters
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 30 March page 7
Closure motion
These disabled residents are being forced out of their sheltered
flats. Their landlord, disability charity Scope, says living in the
community will empower them. They disagree.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 30 March page 10
What else can I do?
Deborah, a social science graduate, who is deaf, would like to
broaden her experience campaigning for the rights of disabled
people.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 30 March page 56
Childcare vouchers help well-off more
Childcare vouchers due to come into force next month will benefit affluent families more than the poorest, according to the Child Care Trust.
It said the scheme, which will give people up to £50 a week tax free, will net people in the top 40 per cent income tax bracket around £1,000 a year and people on lower incomes around £800 a year.
This is because it will be paid to each employee, benefiting families with two working parents.
Source:- Financial Times Wednesday 30 March page 5
Kelly accused of failiing poorer families
The leader of Britain’s largest teaching union has made a stinging attack on education secretary Ruth Kelly, saying her “obsession” with parental choice risks widening the class divide in schools.
National Union of Teachers general secreatary Steve Sinnott said Kelly’s early decisions as education secretary, such as her rejection of key recommendations from the Tomlinson report, would benefit middle-class children at the expense of the disadvantaged.
Source:- Financial Times Wednesday 30 March page 5
Howard: I’ll Give Britain Back Its Borders
The Conservatives have pledged to set up a border police force as leader Michael Howard stepped up his attack on Labour’s record on asylum and immigration.
The force, which would be responsible to a new minister for homeland security, would be drawn from the 40,000 extra police officers the Tories are promising, if elected.
Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 30 March page 1,5
Jail for teacher who turned gun on teenage yobs
A special educational needs teacher has been jailed for six months for firing a pellet gun at a group of teenagers she thought had been victimising her family.
Linda Walker, who said she had been subjected to a campaign of anti-social behaviour, escaped a longer sentence because of her previous good character.
Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 30 March page 13
Spare women shoplifters from prison, says Kennedy
Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy has called for female shoplifters to be spared jail, especially if they have children.
At the launch of a mini-manifesto on crime, he said it was wrong for women to be separated from their families for non-violent offences, and called for community penalties instead.
Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 30 March page 28
The space invaders
Wakefield Council is planning to evict a family of travellers for setting up camp on a children’s play area, putting it out of action for the Easter holidays.
It said there was a legal site just a few miles away and that the encampment would cost around £50,000.
Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 30 March page 33
Is this the face of the sleepover rapist?
Essex Police have released an artist’s impression of the man who raped a girl in her bed, as her mother, three siblings and two friends slept nearby.
It was put together from a series of interviews with the girl and will be displayed on posters in the Basildon area.
Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 30 March page 38
Teachers demand tougher action on abusive pupils
The National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women
Teachers conference yesterday heard that teachers across the
country are enduring verbal and physical abuse from children as
young as five years old.
Source:- The Times Wednesday 30 March page 10
Report condemns women’s prison
Many areas of Holloway women’s prison were found to be filthy
and plagued by mice and insect infestations, according to a report
by the prisons inspectorate.
Source:-The Times Wednesday 30 March page 24
Freed King admits to under-age sex
Jonathan King yesterday left prison after he served half of his
seven year sentence for sexually assaulting teenagers. He showed no
compassion claiming his victims were “of an age and mental
maturity” and went on to reveal he had had sex with people
who were under-age.
Source:- The Times Wednesday 30 March page 26
Scottish news
Councils stockpile record £1bn as taxes rise
A Scottish spending watchdog report has revealed that local
authorities had record reserves of more than £1 billion when
they increased council tax by 4.4% last year. Tom McCabe, finance
minister, said he wanted councils to maintain adequate reserves,
but warned: "There is no case for unreasonably high ones."
Opposition parties said some of the reserves should have been used
to keep council tax rises lower, and feared it had damaged
councils’ argument they were under-funded.
Source:- The Herald Wednesday 30 March
Children 'should learn to drink'
Scottish children should be introduced to alcohol by their parents
as soon as they can sit at the kitchen table, a leading drink
expert has said.
Dr Paul Skett, a senior lecturer in pharmacology at Glasgow
University and one of the main expert witnesses in court cases
where alcohol is a factor, said we should follow the French example
and offer youngsters wine with their evening meal. He believes the
move would allow children to learn how to drink alcohol socially
and therefore prevent them from binge drinking as teenagers.
Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 30 March
Welsh news
Police seek sex attacker
South Wales Police are investigating and indecent assault on a
14-year-old girl in Penarth. The assault, which has only just been
reported to police, happened on January 2.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday, 30 March page 7
Dead baby in suitcase: Man sought
Police have appealed for a man to come forward after the remains of
a dead baby were found in a suitcase in the attic of a house.
The remains were found in a property on the Gurnos Estate, Merthy
Tydfil on March 20.
The police have already appealed for the baby’s mother to
come forward.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 30 March page 10
Society grapples with infestation of Neets
Wales has more young people not in employment, education or
training (Neets) than England, it has been revealed.
In Wales 12 per cent of 16-18 year olds are Neets compared to 9 per
cent in England.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 30 March page 123
