Thursday 15 July 2004

By Clare Jerrom, Lauren Revans and Alex Dobson

Experiment aims at bringing dignity to deportation

Police in Southwark, south-east London, are trying to improve the
conditions for failed asylum seekers awaiting deportation.

In April, the Metropolitan Police Authority raised concerns that
some detainees were being treated worse than criminals.

As a result, officers at Southwark have allocated one of their
stations for the specific use of immigration detainees.

Chief Superintendent Ian Thomas said the scheme meant detainees had
a better quality of life while awaiting deportation.

Source:- The Guardian  Thursday 15 July page 14

Net porn shame of Eton master

An Eton College master who admitted downloading 2,000 images of
boys from the internet escaped a jail sentence yesterday.

Ian McAuslan faced a prison term of up to 10 years for keeping the
pictures, which included two images of boys having sex with adults,
on his computer.

But a judge gave him a nine-month term suspended for two years
after taking into account his “unblemished”
career.

Source:- Daily Mail  Thursday 15 July page 21

Soaps told to curb sex and violence to protect
children

Young television viewers should have greater protection from scenes
of sex and violence, television bosses have been warned.

The comments from watchdog Ofcom came following concerns that
broadcasters are exploiting guidelines by showing programmes with
an adult theme before the 9pm watershed.

Ofcom yesterday published proposals which would place the
protection of children from watching harmful programmes at the
heart of the regulations.

Source:- Daily Mail  Thursday 15 July page 30

Councils ‘will find pay deal difficult’

Local government leaders have warned that the pay deal for 1.3
million council workers agreed this week will be difficult to
fund.

The settlement is worth 8.9 per cent over three years and is tied
to a package of reforms including reviews of pay and conditions and
a replacement of prescriptive premium rates for overtime.

Source:- Financial Times Thursday 15 July page 6

Treasury says efficiency goal is hard but achievable

Senior Treasury officials have insisted that that the
chancellor’s promise of £21.5 billion of savings in the
public sector is “stretching” but “not
unrealistic”.

But independent experts have questioned the probability of the
promised savings being delivered, pointing out that previous
efficiency drives which identified smaller savings failed to
deliver more than half of what they had promised.

Source:- Financial Times Thursday 15 July page 7

Scottish newspapers

BNP members admit race crimes on secret film

British National Party activists have confessed to racially
motivated crimes in an under-cover documentary broadcast last
night.

BNP leader Nick Griffin condemned Islam as a “vicious, wicked
faith” and claimed he would face seven years in prison if he
made the comments in public.

A BBC reporter, who spent six months undercover with the BNP, found
that another member of the party, Steve Barkham, confessing to
taking part in a racially motivated attack on an Asian man during
the 2001 Bradford riots.

Source:- The Herald  Thursday 15 July

Hundreds in protest over council unit for homeless

A local community’s concerns about a homeless unit were
discussed at a public meeting in North Lanarkshire last
night.

Residents believe the residential unit in the Kirkwood area of
Coatbridge, run by North Lanarkshire Council, has been a danger to
the community since it opened in 1996.

The fears over the unit, which provides temporary accommodation for
23 people in self-contained flats, were exacerbated following the
alleged indecent assault of a two-year-old by a man believed to be
a resident there.

James Campbell appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court on petition
charged with the abduction, assault and attempted rape of the child
near the home last Saturday.

Source:- The Herald  Thursday 15 July

Drugs crime-wave hits small town

Drugs crime is soaring in Scotland’s small towns and country
areas.

According to Scottish executive figures, there has been a rise in
all offences relating to dealing and possession of drugs across
much of the country. However, the most dramatic rises over the last
five years have been found outside Scotland’s inner
cities.

West Dunbartonshire saw the highest rise in drug offences. The
total there has more than doubled in five years to 1,115 offences
last year.

Source:- Daily Record  Thursday 15 July page 2

Welsh newspapers

Autumn NHS crisis fear

Vital GP cover could be lost in the autumn with potentially
catastrophic effects on demand for acute beds, British Medical
Association leaders have warned.

Many family doctors, who currently provide cover at community
hospitals, intend to stop in September unless national agreements
can be reached on pay and other issues.

Source:- South Wales Argus Wednesday 14 July page 6

Worker in care home locked up

A care worker employed at a residential unit in Gwent has been
jailed for nine months after being found guilty of downloading
indecent pictures of children from the internet.

The images found in David Blannin’s possession contained
material that showed ‘children of an exceptionally tender age
being abused’, according to a judge at Cardiff Crown
Court.

Source:- South Wales Argus Wednesday 14 July page 7

Heart patient’s 10-mile trek

A 68-year-old man was forced to walk almost 10 miles for a cardiac
appointment after his nearest surgery closed.

John Luckhurst, who lives near Aberystwyth, said the closure of his
branch surgery, together with other closures across rural Wales, is
having a detrimental effect on older people who do not have
cars.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 15 July page 11