Friday 21 February 2003

By Amy Taylor, Nicola Barry and Alex
Dobson.

Easy-riding pensioners revert to rockers on their
buggies

After a spate of accidents involving pedestrians and pensioners
on motorised buggies over the past month in a pedestrianised high
street, the local council has called on the government to enforce
regulations.

Dorchester council has called on ministers to make buggy drivers
pass a basic test, and to take out third-party insurance after
seeing four accidents in four weeks in the town.

Source:- The Times Friday 21 February page 3

Village fights for return of deported
refugees

Villagers near Nottingham are fighting for the return of a
Latvian family who used to run a pub in the area and were deported
at 30 minutes notice.

The residents of the village have now formed a fund to try to
enable the return of the family who were deported back to Latvia on
Valentines day.

Source:- The Times Friday 21 February page 6

Baby’s fatal blow ‘not an accident’

A court in Edinburgh yesterday heard how a baby who died while
in the care of his childminder suffered severe brain and spinal
injuries that could have been caused by shaking.

A consultant paediatric pathologist went on to say that the
haemorrhaging and bruising on Alexander Graham’s brain was caused
by a blow to the head that was unlikely to have been
accidental.

Tina McLeod, a council registered childminder denies murdering
Alexander by repeatedly shaking him and hitting his head against a
blunt object.

Source:- The Times Friday 21 February page 8

Judge curbs gangster’s style

An anti-social behaviour order given out to a teenage gang
member yesterday includes conditions banning him from wearing a
single golf glove or a balaclava, or revealing his tattoo of
allegiance.

If 16-year-old Nathan Wadley, from Levenshulme, a member of
Manchester’s ‘L$$$’ gang, breaks the restrictions he
could be put into custody.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 21 February page 11

Attacks against Jews increase

There was a 13 per cent increase in attacks against Jews,
according to figures published today by a community watchdog.

It is believed some of the attacks come from demonstrators
protesting against Israel with the level being highest last spring,
during the Israeli reoccupation of Palestinian areas in the West
Bank.

The figures have been produced by the Community Security Trust,
that studies anti-semitic behaviour.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 21 February page 6

Care home residents robbed by the NHS

Thousands sold their houses to pay nursing fees which were
imposed illegally.

Source:- Daily Mail Friday 21 February page 7

400 care in the community patients living by murder
park

The area surrounding Victoria Park in east London where jogger
Margaret Muller was murdered, is home to over 400 care in the
community patients it became known yesterday.

Thirty hostels and many psychiatric units are near the park, and
last night detective chief superintendent Jon Shatford said that
officers were “very surprised”, that so many care in the community
patients live in the area in Hackney.

One theory now being followed is that Muller could have been
murdered by someone with mental health problems living in the
area.

Source:- Daily Mail Friday 21 February page 33

Euthanasia law moved

The Patient (Assisted Dying) Bill was introduced in the House of
Lords yesterday in an attempt to legalise “assisted suicide”.

If passed, the bill would make it legal for terminally ill
adults to receive medical help to die.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Friday 21 February page
12

Scottish newspapers

Debate over as MSPs finally approve Criminal Justice
Bill

After months of controversy and debate, MSPs last night approved
the executive’s flagship justice reforms.

The Criminal Justice Bill introduces a ban on some forms of
physical punishment and harsher sentences for crimes motivated by
religious bigotry.

Source:- The Scotsman Friday 21 February page 10

Baby was violently shaken to death, doctor tells high
court

A pathologist who helped carry out the post mortem on a child
alleged to have been murdered by his childminder, told a court she
believed the toddler had been violently shaken to death.

Jan Keeling, consultant paediatric pathologist at the Royal
Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, ruled out the suggestion
by Tina McLeod, the childminder accused of murdering Alexander
Graham, that the baby could have died after falling backwards off a
settee.

Source:- The Herald Friday 21 February page 9

Gymslip mum, 17, dies after giving birth to a third
child

A 17-year-old girl died just hours after giving birth to her
third child.

Sereena Morgan, from West Lothian, contracted blood poisoning
shortly before her son Kieran was born eight weeks prematurely.
Immediately after the birth, she was taken to intensive care, but
died 27 hours later, before she had a chance to hold her baby.

She was already the mother of Stephen, two and one-year-old
Declan, after becoming pregnant for the first time at 15.

In and out of care since the age of 12, Morgan was determined to
look after her family on her own, despite concerns of social
workers.

Source:- Daily Mail Friday 21 February page 7

Welsh newspapers

Home row families in bid to raise cash

A dispute over plans to open a specialist nursing home that
could accommodate patients from high security hospitals will be
decided at a public inquiry in April.

The controversial unit planned for the Langstone area of Newport
has faced strong local opposition and residents are hoping to raise
£20,000 to help them fight the proposals.

The organisation, Independent Community Living was granted
planning permission for the unit, in May last year. But residents
are concerned that the first patients to move in could be older
patients from the high security unit of Rampton special
hospital.

Source;- South Wales Argus Thursday 20 February page
7

Advice to safeguard today’s pupils wasn’t
taken, Clywch Inquiry told

A child abuse inquiry has heard evidence that recommendations to
an examining board to safeguard current pupils had not been carried
out.

The Clywch inquiry that is investigating alleged abuse by former
drama teacher, John Owen, at a school in south Wales, heard that
Rhondda Cynon Taf strategy committee had contacted the Welsh joint
education committee last year regarding one of its examiners.

The WJEC committee had agreed that the chief examiner for A
level drama, Emyr Edwards, would not undertake practical
examinations and was due for retirement, but the inquiry heard that
Edwards was still in his position.

Source:- Western Mail Friday 21 February page 5