Tuesday 29 June 2004

Boys charged with murder

Two 16-year-old boys have been charged with the murder of 15
year-old Kieran Rodney-West.

The Rodney-West was running an errand for his mother when he was
stabbed in Fulham last week.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, June 29, page 10

Neglect charge

A man and woman have been charged with neglect after five children
were found malnourished and living in squalor at their home.

The couple were remanded in custody by Sheffield magistrates. Two
children are critically ill.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, June 29, page 10

The boy denied a nursery place because he speaks
English, is not an asylum seeker, has two parents…and a
garden

A child was turned away from a council-run nursery place because he
did not fit its criteria.

St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School in Bristol said it is
pre-empting a council-wide policy on admissions which is due to
come into force in September 2005.

Bristol City Council said national guidance recommend surplus
nursery places should be targeted at disadvantaged children. These
include asylum seekers, the disabled, children in care and those on
the social services at risk register.

Source:- The Daily Mail, June 29, page 23

Police chief row moves to High Court

Lawyers acting for home secretary David Blunkett applied to a High
Court judge to order Humberside Police Authority to suspend police
chief David Westwood yesterday.

Speaking at a drugs and alcohol conference yesterday Blunkett also
said he planned to remain at the Home Office if Labour won the next
election.

Blunkett is using the Police Reform Act 2002 to suspend Westwood
after Humberside Police were heavily criticised for their handling
of intelligence on Soham murderer Ian Huntley.

Source: The Times, Tuesday, 29 June, page 2

Detox plan could keep offenders out of
prison

Detox programmes ran in the community could be offered to drug
using offenders instead of sending theme to prison, the Home
Secretary David Blunkett said yesterday.

Speaking at a drugs and alcohol conference he said that the idea
could particularly help young offenders.

He added that not all drug users who committed crimes should be
jailed.

Source:- The Times, Tuesday, 29 June, page 3

Scottish newspapers

Move to protect vulnerable adults after abuse scandal

A unit working to protect vulnerable adults is set to be created in
the Scottish Borders   after two investigations heavily criticised
health and social care services.

A proposal for the unit is set to be submitted to the Scottish
Borders Council executive today.

Two reports by the Social Work Services Inspectorate and the Mental
Welfare Commission for Scotland made more than 40 recommendations
for the council, the health services police and the Scottish
Executive.

It comes after an overhaul of the region’s care systems after
an abuse case involving a 30-year old woman with learning
difficulties.

Source:- The Scotsman, Tuesday, 29 June

Welsh newspapers

We will stamp out the drugs

A headteacher has vowed to stamp out drug use at his
school following the permanent expulsion of a 13-year-old boy
allegedly caught selling cannabis to fellow pupils.

Ten other pupils were temporarily suspended following the incident
at Pencoed Comprehensive School in Bridgend.

Source: South Wales Echo Monday 28 June page 4

Mum grounded after leaving young children home
alone

A judge has imposed a curfew on a mother, who left her
children home alone, to go out drinking.

The woman must now stay at home from 9pm to 7am every night after
she left her ten-year-old daughter at home with her 14-month-old
sister. The ten-year-old became concerned when her mother failed to
return and the police were called.
The woman who cannot be named for legal reasons pleaded guilty to
two charges of exposing a child to cruelty and was given a two-year
rehabilitation order as well as the curfew which will last for four
months.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 29 June page 1

Charity claims 90 per cent want 20mph zones at
schools

Nine out of ten motorists are in favour of 20mph zones
outside schools, but Wales is lagging behind the rest of the UK in
installing them.

A survey from the road safety charity Brake found that four out of
five parents worry that their children could be injured by speeding
traffic while on foot or on bikes.

Brake is campaigning to end the UK’s record as the country
with the highest rate of child pedestrian deaths in Western
Europe.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 29 June page 1