Wednesday 25 August 2004

By Amy Taylor, Shirley Kumar, Clare Jerrom and Alex
Dobson

Asylum protest at ‘too many chips’

Asylum seekers carried out a sit-down demonstration halting traffic
on Monday protesting about their living conditions and the food
they are being given to eat.

The roadblock was staged by 60 men outside the Wilbury hostel in
Ipswich where they were living.

The asylum seekers said they were sick of constantly being given
chips to eat.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 25 August page 6

31, 000 cries for help about bullies

Childline received the highest number of calls about bullying in
its 18-year history in the 12 months up to March this year.

More than 31, 000 children and young people rang the helpline about
the issue during this period compared to just over 21, 000 in
2003.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 25 August page 25

Asylum application at seven year low

The number of asylum applications has fallen by 11 per cent to 7,
920 in the second quarter of this year representing a
seven-year-low.

Ministers said the closure of the Sangatte refugee camp near Calais
two years ago and the introduction of tougher checks and vehicles
at channel ports had helped to bring the figure down.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 25 August page 8

£3,640 Travelodge bill for teenage suspect

Two teenage suspects were put up in a hotel at a cost of
£900 a night because all remand places for young people were
full, it has been revealed.

The 14-year-olds stayed at a Travelodge hotel in Leeds and the bill
came to £3,640 for four nights.

The bill would normally have been around £240, but Leeds
Council had to pay £3,400 for trained staff to keep 24-hour
watch on the boys.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 25 August page 37

Rapist’s victim died alone with pills by her
side

The victim of a rapist died from a drug overdose after suffering
from a breakdown, an inquest heard.

Susan McDonald had not recovered when her boyfriend Milton Brown
subjected her to three months of sexual and violent assaults in
1996.

The coroner recorded an open verdict.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 25 August page 5

Nurses to take calls from staff phoning in sick

York Council is to use nurses to handle calls from
employees who report in sick in an attempt to reduce the amount of
staff absenteeism.

A three-month trial will begin next week.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Wednesday 25 August page
9

Asbos imposed on beggars

Leeds magistrates slapped interim antisocial behaviour orders on 15
aggressive beggars who are capable of generating thousands of
pounds a year mostly used to buy drugs.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 25 August page 10

Youth on trial

A new scheme aims to create courts in which youngsters will be
tried by their peers. But what do teenagers themselves think of the
plan?

Source:- Guardian G2 Wednesday 25 August page 6

Pain but no gain

A spate of primary care trust reorganisations is highlighting
difficulties in the progress of Labours NHS reforms.

Source:- The Society Guardian Wednesday 25 August page
6

Novel approach

Exploring personal problems through reading is helping Asian
mothers in Blackburn find their voice.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 25 August page 7

Squat n’ roll hero

The residents of a west London housing association have organised
an exhibition of previously unseen photographs of the late Joe
Strummer as a tribute to the ex-Clash singer and homelessness
activist.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 25 August page 8

What else can I do?

Youth work is Dave’s forte, and he wants to remain in the
field. But should he give up his position in a local authority and
risk trying to find a new organisation?

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 25 August page
56

Scottish newspapers

PC tells court dead baby’s injury was worst he’d ever
seen

The injuries sustained by a boy whose stepfather is accused of
murdering him were the worst a policeman involved in the case had
ever seen, a court heard yesterday.

Constable Colin Begg said Mohammad Ullah claimed his step-son Kyle
Mutch received the injury when a young child wearing a pair of
boots jumped on him.

Ullah is charged with murdering eight-month-old Kyle in January
this year. He is also charged with assaulting a four-year-old in
January.

Ullah denies all charges and has lodged two special defences. One
of which claims that if the murder was committed, it was carried
out by the baby’s grandmother Marlane Low.

Source:- The Scotsman  Wednesday 25 August

Capital facing £10m bill for elderly care

Edinburgh council is facing a bill of £10 million for caring
for older people unless the Scottish executive hands out more money
for nursing homes.

Council leader Donald Anderson said unless care homes were given
more cash to cover costs, a winter beds crisis was a real
threat.

He is calling for the executive to provide extra money for the
council to give to care homes and stop them closing. If the
executive refuses to do this, it could cost the council up to
£10 million.

Source:-  Evening News  Tuesday 24 August

Crackdown vow on race hate crimes

There is to be a crackdown on hate crime in the Borders, according
to police chiefs.

Officials admit the region has been suffering with a growing number
of racial and religious intolerance.

Source:-  Evening News  Tuesday 24 August

Lock me up in a women’s prison

A transsexual convicted of child sex offences is demanding to be
sent to a women’s jail.

Brian O’Neill, who calls himself Briony, said he would rather
kill himself than go to a male prison and is asking to be sent to
Cornton Vale.

He was convicted two weeks ago of indecently touching a
nine-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl in 2002. He denies the
crimes.

The father of two believes he should go to an all female prison
because he has been approved for a sex change and has been taking
hormones for six years to help transform him into a woman.

Source:- Daily Record  Wednesday 25 August page 25

Welsh newspapers

Police chief says schemes could ‘demonise’
young

Chief constable Barbara Wilding claims that curfews can demonise
children and should only be used as a last resort.

The south Wales police chief said that she wants to ensure that
officers and agencies try every other method of controlling young
people before another curfew is sanctioned.

Source:- South Wales Echo Tuesday 24 August page 3

Text bullying terror for Welsh children

A huge increase in the number of Welsh children seeking counselling
for bullying is revealed in a new report.

The report from Childline Wales shows that almost 60 per cent more
children sought help from its helplines last year and a growing
proportion were being bullied via text messaging.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 25 August page 1