Wednesday 23 July 2003

By Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson.
Saying sorry may be extended to more criminals and school
bullies
School bullies could be made to apologise to their victims
face-to-face in an attempt to prevent their aggression causing them
to become criminals in the future.
David Blunkett, the home secretary, announced an extension of
“restorative justice” schemes yesterday, under which offenders meet
their victims and see the damage they have caused.
So far such schemes have been mainly focused on young offenders,
but more adult crimes will now be included.
Some criminals will be able to escape court if they sign up to the
scheme.
Blunkett said he wanted to extend the scheme to schools in an aim
to end criminal tendencies at their first appearance.
Source:- The Independent Wednesday 23 July page 9
Grandmother’s killer taped by sister
A woman has been convicted for murdering her grandmother after her
sister secretly taped a conversation in which she confessed to the
crime.
Julie Kenyon, aged 46, smothered Irene Waters, aged 89, in 1996,
but said she only did so after the older woman begged her to help
her die.
Kenyon first confessed to a friend who then told her sister, Carol
Kenyon. Carol then had a similar conversation with her sister and
secretly recorded it.
The judge at Newcastle upon Tyne crown court said he doubted that
Kenyon’s motive was mercy as she claimed.
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 23 July page 6
Asylum seekers ‘were locked in during fire’
A custody officer has alleged that he and his colleagues were told
to lock asylum seekers in an immigration centre as it was taken
over by fire.
The incident took place at the Yarl’s Wood centre in February last
year when a riot broke out and the building was set on fire.
Darren Attwood said the order was obeyed and that he knew who had
issued it, and would have given it to the authorities if anyone had
died in the fire.
The claim came at the end of a two-month prosecution case against a
group of asylum seekers accused of taking part in the riot.
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 23 July page 8
Guardian Society
Failing health
Millions of pounds of national lottery  funding have been pumped
into healthy living centres in deprived communities. But is the
cash – and the concept – coming to an end as the political agenda
changes?
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 23 July page 2
Poster paint grim picture of beggar
A homelessness charity has begun a controversial campaign telling
people not to give money to beggars as it could be used to fund
their drug habit.
A hard hitting poster from Thames Reach Bondway (TRB) warns that
the money the public give to beggars could help them to buy the
drugs that kill them.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 23 July page 4
£8m council loan comes to the rescue
A local authority is to be the first to use new financial
flexibilities in its plans to give £8 million to its local NHS
organisation.
Cornwall county council is providing the loan to help community
health services that face major cuts.
The money would be used to maintain and develop services including
mental heath and care of older people.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 23 July page 4
Dramatic effect
Mandy Turner discovers a Shakespearean tale of asylum
seekers
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 23 July page 5
New school uniform
Mary Hampshire on the impact of police presence in three West
Yorkshire schools
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 23 July page 6
Split loyalty
Regional devolution threatens to end existing assemblies that are
bringing home real benefits
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 23 July page 10
Honour without accolades
Profile Margaret Simey, veteran campaigner for social
justice in her community
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 23 July page 11
Trading places
Dismay as charities are refused tax-exemption for their commercial
operations
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 23 July page 12
Divide and rule
Birmingham is ‘going local’ with a radical plan to create
mini councils in 11 neighbourhoods
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 23 July page 13
What a lot of choice
Comment: Let’s open the patronage state to the people, says Tony
Wright MP
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 23 July page 14
Trusts on red alert
Deficits will lead to cuts in mental health services, says
report
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 23 July page 103
Access denied
Call to improve airline websites for disabled users
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 23 July page 103
Shameful act
Matthew Brown on the human rights legislation that has failed to
stop abusive treatment of vulnerable people
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 23 July page 104
Scottish newspapers
Court backs homeless couple in battle with council
A couple who allege they were forced from their
Lanarkshire home by a harassment campaign have won a court case to
help them settle in the Highlands.
John McAuley and his disabled partner, Fiona Stewart, had been
refused a council tenancy in Easter Ross after officials rejected
their reasons for being homeless.
But a judge ruled yesterday that Highland council had been wrong to
insist on corroborated evidence and ordered a re-hearing of the
couple’s case.
Source:- The Scotsman  Wednesday 23 July page 11
Village’s fear for Miss X ‘ignored’ by
authorities
Community leaders from the Borders village where Miss X was
subjected to abuse at the hands of three tormentors claim
authorities took no notice at their concerns for the woman.
According to neighbours and community councillors the police and
Scottish Borders council were contacted on numerous occasions in
the months leading up to last March when Miss X, who has learning
difficulties, was taken to hospital with more than 70 separate
injuries from the abuse.
One man said concerns about the woman and her family had been
conveyed to the authorities for almost two years prior to her
hospital admission.
At a meeting of around 20 residents, it was suggested that the case
might never have arisen had the authorities acted on the repeated
complaints of antisocial behaviour by members of the
community.
Former community council chairperson, George Luke, said written
evidence had now been submitted to the Scottish executive’s
social work services inspectorate, which is conducting the latest
investigation.
The inquiry is examining the quality and effectiveness of all the
council’s social work services provided to Miss X and her
family since their first contact with the authority.
Source:- The Scotsman  Wednesday 23 July
Police take fresh look at Jodi inquiry
A review of the investigation into the killing of Jodi Jones is to
be launched by an independent team of police officers.
The squad of Lothian and Borders police officers will look at all
aspects of the investigation and consider any other lines of
inquiry.
The review is in line with policy adopted by the Association of
Chief Police Officers (Scotland), and has been used in previous
murder cases.
Source:- The Herald  Wednesday 23 July
SNP demand to free cash for homeless
The profits made from council house sales should be used to build
new homes, according to the Scottish National Party.
The group accused the Scottish executive of failing to tackle the
issue of homelessness and said money raised from selling off
council homes should be used to provide proper accommodation for
Scotland’s 46,000 homeless people.
Source:- Daily Record  Wednesday 23 July page 9
Tag offender finally jailed
The first man to be electronically tagged in Edinburgh was jailed
yesterday for 18 months after breaching a probation order.
Andrew Tait was tagged last June for stealing a car and the
21-year-old avoided jail.
However, shortly after the tag was removed for good behaviour, he
was caught driving a stolen car.
Source:- Daily Record  Wednesday 23 July page 20
Welsh newspapers
Cash crisis
A flagship project to regenerate a valleys community is heading
towards a cash crisis.
The £10 million scheme to regenerate the village of
Llanhilleth, near Abertillery is facing a shortfall of
£731,617.
The Welsh assembly member for Blaenau Gwent, Peter Law, said that
the project is too important to be held up and has promised to take
the matter up with social justice and regeneration minister, Edwina
Hart.
Source:- South Wales Argus Tuesday 22 July page 1 and
5
Unlicensed taxi drivers carry disabled children
Child protection watchdogs have voiced their concern
following the discovery that disabled children in south Wales are
being carried to and from school by allegedly unlicensed taxi
drivers.
Three drivers were arrested in the Rhondda Cynon Taff area as part
of a joint operation between the police, local authorities and
partner agencies and a council spokesperson confirmed that the
three drivers had allegedly been working on school contracts.
Children’s Commissioner for Wales Peter Clarke said that he
considered the matter to be very serious.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 23 July page 8
Heroin-and-crack warning
A charity has warned that the both heroin and crack are becoming
more prevalent in south Wales.
The Swansea Drugs Project, which is celebrating its 20th
anniversary this month, says that of the people who have contacted
them for help in the past three months more than half have a
problem with heroin. The charity also said that the incidence of
people using crack is also on the increase.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 23 July page 10