In Today's Papers

By Simeon Brody, Maria Ahmed, Derren Hayes and Amy Taylor

BNP leader walks free as race-hate prosecution fails
British National Party leader Nick Griffin was cleared of two race hate charges relating to speeches filmed by a BBC undercover documentary team and the jury failed to reach verdicts on two others.
Co-defendant Mark Collett was cleared of four similar charges and the jury failed to reach a verdict on four further counts.
Source:- The Independent Friday 3 February 2006 page 4

Almost 90% of extra NHS billions taken up by pay rises and inflation

A report by the King’s Fund shows that £9 out of every £10 of the extra billions invested in the NHS this year went on increased pay and prices.
Source:- The Independent Friday 3 February 2006 page 4

Prescott to rescue Blair over schools
John Prescott will throw Tony Blair a lifeline by denying he is fundamentally opposed to the Prime Minister’s controversial education reforms.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph Friday 3 February 2006 page 1

Shortage of doctors hits maternity
A nationwide shortage of specialist doctors is threatening maternity services.
The Royal College of Obstetricians said that in 2004 only 12 of 177 doctors admitted to membership had been trained in Britain.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph Friday 3 February 2006 page 8

Boy, 13, fired shotgun into cousin’s face after playing gangster game
A schoolboy shot his cousin in the face with a shotgun, seriously wounding him, after playing the violent video game Grand Theft Auto – San Andreas, a court heard.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph Friday 3 February 2006 page 13

Childcare clash may hit private nurseries, says CBI
A big effort to increase free childcare could backfire because the government’s multibillion pound investment is pushing private nurseries out of business, the CBI warns today.
Source:- Financial Times Friday 3 February 2006 page 4

Prescott drops opposition to education reforms
John Prescott, the deputy prime minister, will today dramatically drop his opposition to the education white paper after previous harsh criticism of the proposals.
Source:- The Guardian Friday 3 February 2006 page 5

Anti-semitism in UK ‘unacceptably high’
Jewish community leaders yesterday described the level as it emerged that the number of incidents last year was the second highest on record.
Source:- The Guardian Friday 3 February 2006 page 7

Pill could make painful memories a thing of the past
Common drug may help to fight post traumatic stress
Source:- The Guardian Friday 3 February 2006 page 15

Aid workers could face jail for giving drug addicts water
Officials working with some of Britain’s most vulnerable drug abusers have been warned by a government agency that they face heavy fines and jail for giving addicts too much water. They have been told they leave themselves open to “unlimited” fines or jail terms of up to two years because providing the excess water – which is used by addicts as they inject themselves with crack and heroin – technically contravenes the Medicines Act 1968.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 3 February 2006 page 18

Jail review in tot rape
The attorney general wants longer jail sentences for baby rapists Alan Webster and Tanya French.
Lord Goldsmith QC said he will tell the Court of Appeal he considers the terms “unduly lenient.” Webster, 40, and French, 19, attacked the 12-week old baby after being asked by her mum to babysit.
Source:- The Daily Mirror Friday 3 February 2006 page 11

Clamp on travellers
A crackdown on illegal traveller’s sites was ordered yesterday. Planning Minister Yvette Cooper said council must do more to close illegal encampments.
Source:- The Daily Mirror Friday 3 February 2006 page 20

Addicts handout scandal
The addicts and alcoholics claiming sickness benefit has doubled under Labour, official figures have revealed.
Between 1997 and 2005 those on handouts due to drug addiction soared from 21,9000 to 48,300 and claims based on alcohol rose from 27,100 to 48,000.
Source:- The Daily Sun Friday 3 February 2006 page 2

Scottish news

Addict parents more likely to have children taken into care
Parents who use drugs will become more likely to have their children taken into care under tough new rules for social workers being introduced by the Scottish Executive.
First minister Jack McConnell signalled the changes in the wake of the case of an 11-year-old girl in Glasgow who was taken into hospital after collapsing at school from the effects of smoking heroin.
He said talks are going on about whether such a move requires a new law or updated guidelines to en-courage social workers to be more interventionist.
Source:- The Herald Friday 3rd February

Rap over drunk boy
A woman is to stand trial after a nine-year-old boy was taken to hospital drunk.
Glenda Miller is accused of buying cider for the boy in Denny, Stirlingshire and watching as he drank it. He was taken to Stirling Royal Infirmary, where doctors said he was "extremely intoxicated".
Millar denies the charges.
Source:- Daily Record Friday 3rd February

Welsh news

Swansea ‘dispersal zone’ approved
A dispersal zone is to be set up to tackle antisocial behaviour in Swansea city centre.
The council’s cabinet approved an application for a dispersal order by South Wales Police yesterday.
The order gives the police the power to disperse a group of two or more people who are behaving antisocially.
Source:- Western Mail Friday 3 February 2006