Thursday 26 June 2003

By Amy Taylor and Alex Dobson.
The £230,000 houses turned down by asylum seekers ‘because
they were used to a better standard of living’
Two family homes, each worth around £230,000 have been
rejected by a family of ethnic-Russian asylum seekers.
Ala Anufrijevas and her family, who fled from Lithuania, rejected
the properties in Peckham Rye south east London saying that they
were not of the same standard as the house that they had left
behind.
They are currently suing Southwark council under the Human Rights
Act over the situation.
Source:- Daily Mail Thursday 26 June page 25
The Outlaws
Police blitz terrorised estate with Wild West-style posters so that
residents can spot banned thugs
Police have covered an estate in Eccles, Salford, with  ‘wanted
posters’ in an effort to name and shame teenage criminals.
The posters call on the public to speak to the police if they see
the teenagers breaching their anti-social behaviour orders.
Source:- Daily Mail Thursday 26 June page 33
Epidemic of outrage over pensioners told to pay their care
fees
A record number of official complaints have been made by
pensioners who believe they are incorrectly being made to pay for
their nursing home fees, when it’s the NHS which should be
footing the bill.
Almost 4,000 cases were taken to the Health Service Ombudsman
within the last 12 months, a rise of 50 per cent.
The majority of cases involve the NHS refusing to pay for the
nursing care bill of sick older people.
A new report by the Health Service Ombudsman Ann Abraham shows that
some people died before their complaints could be looked at.
Source:- Daily Mail Thursday 26 June page 36
Man out shopping killed in racist
An Asian man was murdered in a racist attack while he was out
shopping in Walthamstow, east London, on Sunday.
Awais Alam, aged 45, was followed by two white men who shouted
racial abuse at him as he left a shop.
Alam is believed to have confronted the men before they pushed him
to the ground and kicked him to death.
Police launched an appeal for witnesses to the attack
yesterday.
Source:- Daily Mail Thursday 26 June page 9
Scottish newspapers
Council vow after abuse scandal
A troubleshooter has been brought into Borders council’s social
work department after the Miss X abuse case.
The case involves a woman with learning difficulties who was
tortured raped and sexually abused by three men, one of whom was
meant to be caring for her after the death of her parents.
Social workers put the girl into the care of James Mercer although
he had already been charged with trying to rape her 13-years
earlier.
Tayside NHS chairperson Peter Barnes has now been called into the
social work department to help form a plan for the protection of
vulnerable people and children.
Source:- The Daily Record Thursday 26 June page 19
Police set to tackle terror gangs
A police team nicknamed the ‘Nedbusters’ has been created to deal
with teenagers who have brought terror to a housing estate.
The Youth Action Team will be working on the Inch estate in Glasgow
after people demanded tougher action from the police.
Source:- The Daily Record Thursday 26 June page 5
Welsh newspapers
Pupil faces assault charges
A 14-year-old boy has been charged with assault after two
members of staff were allegedly attacked at a school in
Cardiff.
One staff member was believed to have sustained a broken jaw after
the incident on Tuesday.
Headteacher Rod Phillips of Cathays high school, where the incident
took place, said that the boy should not have been on the school
site.
The teenager will now appear at Cardiff Youth court on 1
July.
Source:- Western Mail Thursday 26 June page 1
Concern over achievement gap
The Commission for Racial Equality in Wales is concerned by the
findings of a new report highlighting the gap in achievement
between pupils from minority backgrounds and their peers.
Dharmendra Kanani, the CRE’s director of countries regions
and communities, said that many ethnic minority pupils in schools
face the combined challenges of racism, social disadvantage, lack
of familiarity with the culture of the education system and limited
proficiency in English and Welsh.
Source:- Western Mail Thursday 26 June page 3
Young mum living in fear of gang
A young mother says she has been targeted on the deprived estate
where she lives, after speaking out against anti-social
behaviour.
The 31-year-old mother of three who wants to remain anonymous,
claims that a group of young people have made life unbearable for
the rest of the community on the Mount estate in Milford
Haven.
She says that she has become a target for abuse and threats after
deciding to speak out about the problems on the estate.
The situation has now become so critical that the residents
association is considering legal action against the local
authority.
Source:- Western Mail Thursday 26 June page 7