Friday 16 May 2003

By Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom and Alex
Dobson.

Teacher sentenced over porn
A science teacher at a public school received a three-year
community rehabilitation order yesterday, and was put on the sex
offenders register for five years after admitting five charges of
making indecent images of children.
Philip Cooke, who worked at Millfield School in Street, Somerset,
was arrested in January when police found over 400 indecent images
and movie clips on his computer.
Source:- The Times Friday 16 May page 5
Museum with six staff wins £100,000
An independent museum with only six staff which specialises in
educating young offenders about citizenship and the criminal
justice system won £100,000 yesterday in the largest arts
awards in Britain.
The National Centre for Citizenship and the Law, which has four
rooms open to the public, beat off the large-scale institutions
such as the Natural History Museum to win the Gulbenkian
prize.
It is the first time the prize has been awarded in what will now
become an annual event.
Source:- The Times Friday 16 May page 10
Tax office chaos adds to misery of credit
claimants
Further administrative chaos at the Inland Revenue means thousands
of families on low incomes are in for a long wait before receiving
their tax credit payments.
The families received letters this week asking for their basic
details when in most cases all of these were already stored in the
revenue’s computer systems.
MPs said the letters would increase the backlog of claims and
increase the hardship currently being experienced by those who have
still not received their credits.
Source:- The Guardian Friday 16 May page 6
The runaway girl of 15, the gay convict and the social
workers who have given their blessing
A 15-year-old girl has run away from home to live with another
woman who is a former convict. Milton Keynes’ social services
is reported to have refused to intervene in the case.
Source:- Daily Mail Friday 16 May page 9
A doctor’s doubts in triple baby death trial
An important prosecution witness in the case of Trupti Patel
admitted yesterday that in light of new evidence he was no longer
sure that she had murdered three of her children.
Professor Rupert Risdon, Britain’s foremost paediatric pathologist,
said evidence that had come to light in the past month cast doubt
on a central part of the prosecution case.
Patel is alleged to have harmed her daughter Mia, who was found to
have four fractured ribs in a post-mortem, by deliberately
squeezing her chest, but Risdon said she had seen similar injuries
in babies caused by attempts to resuscitate them.
Source:- Daily Mail Friday 16 May page 22
Scottish newspapers
Scotland’s regeneration ‘lacks
leadership’
Scotland needs to learn lessons from England regarding regeneration
in order to prevent a repeat of problematic projects such as
Pacific Quay in Glasgow or Ravenscraig.
Eddie Harkins, of the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum, said
Scotland’s problems arose from confusion about who was in
charge of projects with a number of agencies including Scottish
Enterprise, Scottish executive and Communities Scotland having
different responsibilities.
Source:- The Scotsman  Friday 16 May
Algerian saved from deportation
A man due to be flown back to Algeria today was given a last minute
reprieve against deportation.
Ali Serir was arrested in Glasgow as part of a nationwide anti
terrorism operation earlier this year, and was detained at Greenock
prison under the Terrorism Act 2000. Although no charges were made
against him, he was detained under immigration rules.
But a last minute appeal to the home secretary from those
campaigning for him resulted in the temporary reprieve. The
campaigners include his pregnant wife Karen, his lawyer Aamar Anwar
and MSPs Rosie Kane and Tommy Sheridan.
Source:- The Scotsman  Friday 16 May
Abandoned: the pupils most in need
A scheme which aims to tackle the behavioural problems of Scottish
primary school children has been abandoned despite its
‘phenomenal’ success.
Parents, academics and union leaders criticised Glasgow council
officials decision not to continue the year long “nurture
group” pilot in 17 schools as “absurd”.
They believe the scheme, which costs less than 300,000 pounds has
the ability to break the cycle of disruptive behaviour, said to be
rife in many schools.
Source:- The Herald  Friday 16 May
Police call for on-the-spot-fines
Senior police officers will call today for on-the-spot fines to
tackle nuisance crimes.
The proposal for the introduction of fixed penalty notices will be
made at the annual conference of the Association of Scottish Police
Superintendents in Peeble.
Source:- The Herald  Friday 16 May
Ecstasy binge kills boy
A 17-year-old boy died last week after taking up to 16 ecstasy
tablets it emerged yesterday.
Police are awaiting the results of forensic tests, but it is
thought Alan Bonnar collapsed and died after taking a huge dose of
the drug.
Source:- Daily Record  Friday 16 May page 1
Welsh newspapers
My tearaway child could end up dead
A south Wales mother has spoken of her fears for her
12-year-old son, who she says will end up dead if he does not get
help.
Sharon Davis from Newport, is appealing for help to deal with the
boy who she says is out of control and who has already been
excluded from one school, and is now threatened with expulsion from
another. She is concerned that the tighter laws surrounding parents
who allow their children to truant will mean that she could face a
prison sentence in the future. Newport council says that it cannot
comment on individual cases.
Source:- South Wales Argus Thursday 15 May page 7
Charity defends social services
The children’s charity NCH Cymru has spoken out in support of
Blaenau Gwent social services following a critical joint review
published earlier this week.
The council has been criticised over weaknesses in support systems
for vulnerable children and adults, but the charity says that the
challenges facing the authority are huge.
Source:- South Wales Argus Thursday 15 May page 17
It is patients who are destroying the NHS
Confidence in the NHS is being undermined by the excessive
demands and unreal expectations of hypochondriac patients, says a
leading health specialist.
Professor Peter Elwood, of Llandough Hospital, Cardiff, who
discovered aspirin’s potential to reduce hear attacks, says
that a gulf of distrust is developing towards doctors and frontline
staff as the litigation and blame culture increases.
Source:- Western Mail Friday 16 May page 1
First racial equality order slapped on
council
Conwy county council has become the first public body in the UK to
have a compliance order slapped on it for failing to promote ethnic
minorities.
The council has been given a month by the Commission for Racial
Equality to draw up a scheme detailing how it intends to help
minority groups or face legal action.
Source:- Western Mail Friday 16 May page 5