Thursday 9 January 2003

By Clare Jerrom, Nicola Barry and Alex
Dobson.

Council paid for flat used as terror
laboratory

Two 17-year-old asylum seekers used a north London flat given to
them by the local council after they claimed housing, to make ricin
poison for Islamic terrorists, police said yesterday.

Islington council’s social services department cared for
the two youths after they were classed as unaccompanied minors
under national immigration rules.

The pair, one from Algeria and the other from Ethiopia, remained
in the care of Islington council, which paid the rent and provided
them with other support.

It is believed a gang moved in shortly after they were given a
flat to make a batch of ricin.

Yesterday as forensic scientists and police searched the flat
for the fourth day, the two teenagers and five other men were being
questioned in the high security wing at Paddington Green police
station over the manufacturing of the poison.

Source:- The Times Thursday 9 January page 11

Asylum benefit laws ‘too
draconian’

Refugee campaigners condemned new rules to strip asylum seekers
of benefits yesterday as “draconian and appalling”.

Would-be refugees who claim asylum after they have arrived in
the country will not qualify for state support. The laws, which
came into effect yesterday, will mean only those who lodge an
application at the port of entry can claim housing, food and
cash.

Human rights group, Liberty, which says thousands of asylum
seekers will be left destitute, is spearheading a legal challenge
to what it called “this disgraceful policy”.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Thursday 9 January page 10

Blunkett imposes visa rules on all Jamaican
visitors

A home office campaign to curb illegal immigration from Jamaica
will mean citizens travelling from the island to Britain will need
visas from next week.

Ministers said yesterday that the measure was an immigration
issue, although a home office spokesperson admitted that a visa
regime would help the government combat drugs and gun
smuggling.

The move was condemned as damaging to the section of
Britain’s black community with family links in Jamaica.

No other island is affected by the plan.

Source:- The Times Thursday 9 January page 4

Jail accused over racist graffiti

Chelmsford prison in Essex has been condemned by the chief
inspector of prisons for its racist graffiti.

Anne Owers also said that minority ethnic prisoners, who make up
30 per cent of inmates at the jail, had little confidence in
policies to deal with race relations.

The inspection report however said that staff-prisoner
relationships and health care had improved, and highlighted good
monitoring of offenders considered at risk of suicide.

Source:- The Times Thursday 9 January page 12

Criminal justice bills meaningless drivel, say
Tories

The prime minister trumpeted the rise in the prison population
yesterday to highlight that his government was not soft on
crime.

Facing criticism over guidance that many first time burglars
should not be jailed, Tony Blair cited the number of first time
offenders imprisoned since he took office.

“There are almost half as many again first time offenders sent
to prison under this government than five years ago,” he said
during prime minister’s questions.

Source:- The Times Thursday 9 January page 14

Man charged with killing baby

A 30-year-old man is to appear at Chesterfield magistrates court
today charged with the murder of a three-month-old girl from
Buxton, Derbyshire.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 9 January page 8

Scottish newspapers

How could anyone do this to our jewel,
Danielle?

An MP last night demanded an inquiry into the death of a
five-year-old girl, following claims that social workers had been
repeatedly warned over concerns for her safety.

Danielle Reid’s body was discovered submerged in the
frozen Caledonian Canal, Inverness, after a nationwide search by
police.

Source:- Daily Mail Thursday 9 January page 9

“I could not have asked for a more devoted
mother”

The heartbroken father of a five-year-old boy found battered to
death has paid tribute to his son’s “devoted mother”. Bruce
Gorrie said he could not have wished for a more loving mother for
his son.

On Christmas Day, after neighbours raised the alarm, Brendan was
found dead in his home and his mother, Alison, was found badly
injured on the pavement outside. Mrs Gorrie is still too ill to be
questioned by police.

Source:- Daily Mail Thursday 9 January page 38

‘Daily grunt’ is fault of
parents

Children’s language skills have worsened because parents
no longer talk to them, a government official claimed
yesterday.

Alan Wells of the government’s Basic Skills Agency said
poor communication between children and parents has been dubbed the
“daily grunt”.

Source:- The Scotsman Thursday 9 January page 5

Asylum laws will force refugees on to the
streets

Hundreds of asylum seekers could be forced to sleep rough on
Scotland’s streets after the home office introduced stringent
restrictions on those fleeing persecution, campaigners say.

Scottish charities have joined forces with politicians, refugees
and celebrities to condemn as “racist” a decision to withdraw
housing and subsistence support to asylum seekers who fail to
declare themselves at their original port of entry.

Source:- The Herald Thursday 9 January page 6

£12m plan to teach parents of unruly
children

Parents of unruly children are to be given lessons on how to
keep them out of trouble under new executive moves to tackle youth
crime.

Minister for young people Cathy Jamieson said a total of
£12 million additional funding would go to projects promoting
greater parental responsibility.

Source:- The Scotsman Thursday 9 January page 9

Welsh newspapers

‘Father punched toddler’s
head’

A south Wales father accused of fracturing his baby son’s
skull punched another child so hard that his head hit a television
screen, Cardiff crown court was told.

The 35-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons,
denies cruelty to five of his children. He faces seven charges of
child cruelty, one charge of causing grievous bodily harm with
intent and one charge of causing grievous bodily harm.

The two charges of grievous bodily harm relate to allegations
that he fractured the skull of his four-week-old son just days
before the child died of a viral infection.

The case is proceeding.

Source:- South Wales Argus Wednesday 8 January page
7

Boy suffered surgery ordeal

A five-year-old boy was forced to undergo surgery when his
mother faked results of medical tests, Newport crown court was
told.

Doctors repeatedly operated on the boy to try to find the cause
of blood in the child’s urine, but eventually discovered that
the boy’s 37-year-old mother had been adding drops of her own
blood to the samples to fake illness.

The prosecution told the court that the woman, who cannot be
named, had felt neglected by her husband and had wanted to get his
attention.

The woman has pleaded guilty to two counts of child cruelty and
is awaiting sentencing.

Source:- South Wales Argus Wednesday 8 January page
9

Paedophilia lobby group restarted

The man who found the body of a little girl who had been raped
and murdered by a paedophile, is restarting a campaign to crack
down on sex offenders.

Gerry Davies, who discovered the body of seven-year-old Sophie
Hook in Llandudno in 1995 is reorganising the lobby group, Parents
Aiming to Right Abysmal Sex Offender Laws (Parasol).

Davies had to undergo counselling to help him come to terms with
the discovery of Sophie’s body, and is writing a book about
his experiences. He says that Parasol is likely to call for
paedophiles to be tagged, and to make sentences fit crimes.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 9 January page 11