Tuesday 8 July 2003

By Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom and Alex
Dobson.

Three migrant farmworkers were killed yesterday, victims
of a train – and the demand for cheap food

Three men supplied to work on the land by human traffickers were
involved in an accident involving the collision of their mini bus,
containing nine Arab immigrants, and a train at an unmanned level
crossing in Worcestershire.

The men, who were based in Birmingham, were instructed to work
by their ‘gangmaster’, filling the gap left by British workers
being unwilling to work for the minimum wage.

The problem of trafficked workers employed on farmland is rife
according to a House of Commons rural affairs select committee
report published last May.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 8 July page 3

No let-up in paramilitary gang attacks on children, says
report

One child every three weeks is being shot in Northern Ireland in
paramilitary punishment attacks, according to a new report.

Last year saw around 19 children aged between 13 and 17 being
shot by republican and loyalist terrorists, the second worst year
recorded.

They Shoot Children, Don’t They? Has been produced by Liam
Kennedy, Professor of Economic and Social History at Queen’s
University in Belfast.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 8 July page 4

Race against time to save abducted girl

Britain’s first national child alert system was called into
action last night when six-year-old Summer Haipule went
missing.

Sussex police is the first force in Europe to form a child
rescue alert, which aims to use the local media to maximise public
awareness that police fear a child’s life is at risk.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 8 July page 5

Second refugee protests by stitching up
eyes

Another asylum seeker has gone on hunger strike by stitching up
his lips, eyes and ears, it was revealed yesterday.

Shahin Portohfeh, an Iranian living in Coventry, decided to go
ahead after being told by the home office that he was going to be
deported.

Abas Amini, an Iranian Kurd living in Nottingham, sewed up his
lips, eyes and ears in protest in May.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 8 July page 8

Brown seeks to nail child poverty with
reforms

A Commons debate saw Gordon Brown announce a three-year
programme of reform including a new drive to meet Labour’s target
of halving child poverty by 2010.

The detailed list of Treasury reviews announced by the
Chancellor will take place as a part of the 2004 spending review
and will be published next spring.

Brown said the government would publish a new definition of
child poverty and an analysis of the spending review would
re-examine whether the strategy of increased job opportunities and
better public services was on track to meet the target to halve
child poverty.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 8 July page 10

Crack cocaine addicts blamed for rise in street
robbery

An increase in the use of crack cocaine is leading to an
increase in street robberies, the police will state to a national
conference tomorrow.

Concern over the rise of crack cocaine usage has caused
ministers and police chiefs to discuss how to combat the problem at
the conference in Blackpool.

Source:- The Independent Tuesday 08 July page 8

Scottish newspapers

Police recreate Jodi’s last known movements

More than 50 motorists in Scotland were stopped
and interviewed at roadblocks set up around a reconstruction of
Jodi Jones’ last known movements yesterday.

The 14-year-old girl was last seen leaving her house in
Easterhouse, Midlothian, shortly before 5pm on 30 June before she
set off to met her boyfriend Luke Mitchell.

Six hours later her body was found on a secluded woodland track
known as Roman Dyke.

Source:- The Scotsman Tuesday 8 July

Ex-prisons chief settles dismissal claim

Former chief inspector of prisons, Clive Fairweather, has
settled his claim for unfair dismissal against the Scottish
executive.

Fairweather claimed he was the victim of political inteference
when his application for a fourth term in the post was turned down
in October 2002. He was due to take his case to an employment
tribunal, but yesterday said he was pleased to have settled the
issue with his former employer.

Source:- The Scotsman  Tuesday 8 July

Baby recovering after ecstasy scare

A 10-month-old baby was recovering in hospital last night after
he swallowed what is thought to be an ecstasy tablet.

The child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was rushed to
Aberdeen Children’s Hospital on Sunday morning after it was feared
he had swallowed the drug at a house in Banff, Aberdeenshire.

A 21-year-old man, believed to be related to the baby, has been
reported to the procurator fiscal in connection with the incident,
a spokesperson for Grampian police said. The child’s condition was
said to be “satisfactory”  last night.

Source:- The Scotsman Tuesday 8 July

Health board identify sites for secure unit

Three sites have been shortlisted as possible locations for a
secure centre for offenders with mental health disorders in the
west of Scotland. The centre, which will house 36 patients from NHS
board areas within greater Glasgow, could be positioned at Dykebar
psychiatric hospital in Paisley, Kirklands hospital, Bothwell or
the medical rehailitation unit in Bellshill Road, Uddingston.

There will be a public consultation until October.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 8 July

Dungavel family granted time to petition
Lords

The home secretary has been ordered not to deport the Ay family
of Turkish Kurd asylum seekers, who are being held in Scotland,
until they have had the chance to petition the House of Lords.

In the appeal court in London, lord chief justice Lord Woolf
said Yudugal Ay and her four children, who are being detained at
Dungavel centre in Lanarkshire, should lodge their petition against
their removal from the UK before 31 July.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 8 July

Welsh newspapers

Mum’s Horror

A mother is warning parents not to leave their children at
council-run youth groups after her six-year-old son wandered out
onto a busy road.

Daniel Cross left the children’s youth club in Plasneweydd
Community centre in Cardiff and ended up on one of the city’s major
roads.

His mother Shirley Cross said she was shocked when she was told
that the council ran an open door policy for children older than
six at its recreation and leisure facilities.

A council spokesperson said that the policy would be reviewed in
light of the concerns expressed by Daniel’s mother.

Source:- South Wales Echo Monday 7 July page 9

My Story

The father of four-year-old Esti Clayton has spoken of his
ordeal in a Portuguese jail as he awaits extradition for allegedly
abducting his daughter.

Simon Clayton has been in kept in what he describes as very poor
conditions while in jail, and that he says that he is forced to
share a small cell with three other men.

He says he is desperately missing his daughter and that he is
finding it difficult to accept the custody arrangements currently
in place.

Clayton disappeared with Esti for over three weeks and their
disappearance sparked a major international search.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 8 July page 1