Thursday 23 June 2005

By Maria Ahmed, Mithran Samuel, Derren Hayes and Amy
Taylor

Scout jailed

A Scout leader who sexually assaulted four Scouts and kept more
than 5,000 indecent images of children was jailed for five years by
Minshull Crown Court, Manchester.

Paul Billington, from Northwich, Cheshire, regularly assaulted one
of the boys during overnight outings.

Source:- The Times Thursday 23 June 23 page 9

£170,000 for woman humiliated by airline

A severely disabled woman has won £170,000 after being
humiliated by airline staff who tried to cram her into an aircraft
seat.

Lin Berwick, 55, of Sudbury, Suffolk, said she had suffered serious
damage to her back, legs and shoulders because of the way she was
treated on a Go flight from Edinburgh to Stanstead four years
ago.

Source:- The Times Thursday 23 June 23 page 9

Blair apologises to tax credit fiasco families

Tony Blair apologised yesterday for the “distress and
hardship” caused to thousands of families the tax credits
system.

The Prime Minister issued a rare apology after tax credits were
severely criticised by two reports for forcing families into penury
as they struggled to repay cash out in error by the Inland
Revenue.

Source:- The Times Thursday 23 June 23 page 10

Teacher not sent to jail despite seducing pupil

A teacher who seduced a teenage pupil and had a 19-month
relationship with him walked free from court.

Nicola Prentice, 25, from Sheffield, was given a 12-month suspended
sentence after admitting abusing a position of trust after
beginning a relationship with a 15-year-old boy.

Source:- The Times Thursday 23 June 23 page 14

Parents’ demo to get ‘zombie’ case doctor
struck off

A doctor who turned hundreds of young patients into
‘zombies’ could be struck off after 100 new alleged
victims came forward.

Dr Andrew Holton wrongly prescribed huge doses of epilepsy drugs to
about 700 children with symptoms including headaches, bad
behaviour, clumsiness and falling behind at school.
Children’s families queued outside the offices of the General
Medical Council to hand in letters of complaint against Dr
Holton.

Source:- The Daily Mail Thursday 23 June 23 page 7

Voyage of hope

Henrietta Spink’s book on caring for severely disabled sons
moved all who read it.
But here is the shocking sequel: legal bills in their battle for
council help have forced them to sell their house. Now, with
breathtaking courage, they are setting sail on a new adventure on a
cruise.

Source:- The Daily Mail Thursday 23 June 23 page
40-41

Families face fines for hiring an illegal migrant

The government has introduced its fourth asylum and immigration
bill since 1997, which includes new penalties for people knowingly
employing illegal immigrants.

Employers could face a £2,000 fine or even jail if they do not
take steps to ensure their employees have a right to live in the
country.

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said the measures
would involve employers “doing the Home Office’s dirty
work”.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Thursday 23 June page 1

One million children so fat they have diseases of middle
age

A British Medical Association report has said children are
suffering from diseases commonly associated with middle age,
including Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, as a result of
obesity.

The BMA called for a ban on junk food advertising targeted at
children, mandatory nutritional standards for school meals and
investment in sport in schools, to tackle the problem.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Thursday 23 June page 5

May hints at bid for Tory leadership

Shadow family spokesperson Theresa May has hinted she may run for
the leadership of the Conservative Party.

She made the suggestion while criticising the party’s
decision to prevent rank-and-file members having a say in choosing
the leader.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Thursday 23 June page
10

Hewitt plans GPs shake-up

Health secretary Patricia Hewitt will launch a consultation paper
on reforms to primary care, which will lead to a white paper on
“health outside hospitals” later this year.

Among the proposals expected to be included are specialist GP
surgeries for teenagers.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 23 June page 1

Life behind the prison looking-glass

Nick Davies continues his in-depth look at the criminal justice
system’s failure to rehabilitate offenders.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 23 June page 1, 4-5

Council to evict Travellers

Basildon Council is planning to evict travellers camped illegally
on a site in Crays Hill following complaints from residents.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 23 June page 6

Detainees on hunger strike

A group of Zimbabwean immigration detainees have begun a 72-hour
hunger strike in protest at conditions in their centres.

Their complaints include allegations of physical and verbal abuse
by staff. The centres involved in the protest are Harmondsworth,
Tynsley House, Haslar, Lindholme, Colnbrook, Dungavel and
Yarl’s Wood.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 23 June page 10

Parties unite to drive BNP off London council

The Liberal Democrats and Greens have withdrawn candidates to
ensure Labour defeat the British National Party in a Barking and
Dagenham Council by-election today.

The seat in the Goresbrook ward was the BNP’s only imprint on
the capital’s political scene until former councilor Daniel
Kelley stood down on ill-health grounds.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 23 June page 12

Scottish news

Watchdog warns of delayed discharges

Bottlenecks in hospitals and long-term care homes that help to
lengthen waiting times in the NHS are likely to increase as
Scotland’s population ages, health authorities and councils have
been warned.

An Audit Scotland inquiry into delayed discharge of patients who
cannot leave hospital because there is no care place available
found that the problem is down by 40 per cent since 2000.

The report said that, at any one time, about 8% of hospital beds
were occupied by patients ready to leave for a care home or in need
of a home help.

Source:- The Herald Thursday 23 June

Anti-social behaviour fines ‘a success’

A pilot scheme which allows police in Tayside to issue on-the-spot
fines for anti-social behaviour has been hailed a success by the
Scottish executive.

Under the year-long pilot, which began in April, Tayside Police
could impose fixed penalties of between £40-60 for a range of
minor offences, from urinating in public to vandalism and breach of
the peace. They handed out 530 in the first 10 weeks of the scheme,
worth at least £20,000.

Source:- The Scotsman Thursday 23 June

Welsh news

Pupils to get £85 to buy school uniform

Children from low income families starting secondary school could
be entitled to £85 towards their school uniform, the assembly
government announced yesterday.

The funding will go to families whose children get free school
meals.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 23 June

Childcare job-search initiative wins award

An initiative that allows people with childcare qualifications to
search for jobs outside the South Wales Valleys has won an award
for innovation.

Ann Parker, a course tutor for the Certificate in Childcare and
Education course at Ystrad Mynanch College, had the idea after
noticing how many of her students that had qualifications were not
getting jobs in the area.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 23 June

A helping hand for families

The first integrated children’s centre in Wales has opened in
a deprived area yesterday.

The purpose built centre is located in Pentrebach and being run by
Merthyr Tydfil County Council.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 23 June