Thursday 15 August 2002

By Clare Jerrom, Reg McKay and Alex Dobson.

Detective’s personal appeal to
abductor

The detective heading the search for Holly Wells and Jessica
Chapman last night made an extraordinary personal plea to their
abductor to call him and find “a way out”.

In a 30-second appeal at 6pm, detective superintendent David
Beck urged the kidnapper to call him on a number that has been
written in a text message sent to Jessica’s mobile phone.

Beck admitted that although there was no proof that the 10-year
old children were alive or had been kidnapped, he said it had to be
a strong line of inquiry.

Beck added that he thought the answer to the girls’
disappearance lay in their home town of Soham, in
Cambridgeshire.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 15 August page 1

Paralysed prisoner to sue over loss of
dignity

A paralysed prisoner is to sue the home secretary after he was
forced to use his jail bed as a lavatory for a year.

Roger Zoppola is serving an eight-year sentence for possession
and supply of drugs. He is unable to move from the chest down and
uses a wheelchair.

He claims he spent one year in a prison cell in Pentoville
prison, north London, without a disabled toilet, and claims he was
unable to use the wing facilities unassisted.

The inadequate disabled facilities at the prison also meant
Zoppola was unable to work and earn money, use the library, attend
church and exercise in the gym.

Zoppola made several formal complaints about conditions in the
prison, but his request to be moved to another jail with more
suitable facilities was not met until last month, and only after
lawyers threatened legal action.

Chez Cotton of Hickman and Rose solicitors said she had seen
Zoppola in his cell and witnessed the conditions. She is advising
him about claims under the Disability Discrimination Act, and the
Human Rights Act.

The director general of the prison service Martin Narey said:
“We refute many of the allegations made. The prison service has
been working as fast as possible to expand and increase facilities
for disabled prisoners in prison.”

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 15 August page 9

Migrant halts Chunnel trains

Train services to and from France were halted yesterday after an
illegal immigrant fled into the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone to try
and avoid arrest.

The man, who was believed to be in his mid-twenties and from
eastern Europe, was around eight miles into the tunnel when he was
caught.

It is believed he had arrived in Britain after stowing away on a
cross-Channel train.

Closed-circuit television saw him running down the track and
police boarded a slow-moving sweeper train that trawled the tunnel
until he was found.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Thursday 15 August page 14

Scottish newspapers

Violent crime up by 10% in three months

Violent crime in Strathclyde, one of the biggest police forces
in Europe, has soared by 10 per cent in only three months prompting
senior officers to draw up an action plan to tackle the
problem.

The increase to 1,350 violent crimes occurred at a time when
overall crime reduced. At the same time Strathclyde reported
apprehending fewer drug dealers than the previous quarter.

Source:- The Herald Thursday 15 August page 9

Welsh newspapers

‘Woman screamed’ as carer cleaned her ears

A woman with learning difficulties was held down and screamed in
pain as wax was cleaned from her ears with a metal hairgrip, a jury
at Cardiff crown court was told.

The claim came from Catherine Banner a science graduate who was
a support worker at the home, Uplands in Newbridge south Wales,
where the incident was said to have taken place.

The former manager of the home, Kay Piateck, denies six counts
of assaulting resident Helen Davies.

A second carer, auxiliary nurse Kaylene Eaves, said she
witnessed Piateck clean Helen’s ears using “her very long
fingernails”. She said that Helen would be screaming and trying to
get away and added that she had been too fearful about her job to
say anything because she was just a care worker.

The case continues.

Source:- South Wales Echo Wednesday August 14 page
23

Picnic invite to talk about centre

Families with children who have a disability or special needs
are being invited to a picnic in Newport in south Wales next
month.

The event is being hosted by the South Gwent Children’s Centre
Action Group which wants to tell families about a proposed new
centre to be built on land at High Cross near Newport.

The new centre will cater for the needs of disabled children and
those with special needs, and will house social services, health
and education services under one roof so that children and their
families can access help in one venue.

Currently disabled children are forced to access services in a
variety of locations across the region. The new centre will serve
children from Newport, Torfaen and south Monmouthshire.

Source:- South Wales Argus Wednesday 14 August page
21

Asylum seeker may be allowed to stay in
Wales

An asylum seeker imprisoned without warning and released hours
before his deportation, may be allowed to stay in Wales.

Milan Simic was arrested last month after making a routine visit
to a Cardiff police station. He was later detained for eight days
at a centre near Heathrow Airport, and was due to be sent back to
his home country, Croatia, but the courts allowed a last-minute
reprieve.

The immigration service is now reconsidering his case, and a
decision is expected early next month.

Simic has a UK national insurance number, and has worked for
some time as a bartender in Cardiff where he lives with his
fiancée.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 15 August page 1