Friday 24 June 2005

By Maria Ahmed, Clare Jerrom and Amy Taylor

Parents who break holiday rules fined

More than 1,100 fixed penalty fines have been issued to parents
whose children have played truant from school.

Some of the fines have been issued because families have gone on
holiday during term time.

Source:- The Times  Friday 24 June 2005 page 4

Almost 10,000 pupils expelled as violence against teachers
escalates

Government figures have revealed that expulsions from schools are
running at their highest for five years.

Violence and threats against teachers accounted for almost half of
the 9,880 expulsions last year, according to the Department for
Education and Skills.

Source:- The Times Friday 24 June page 9

Lottery ‘benefits young people’

More than half the £17 billion raised by the National Lottery
has benefited young people.

Source:- The Times  Friday 24 June 2005 page 33

No evidence of harm to missing boys

There is no evidence that a number of African boys who apparently
disappeared in 2001 have come to any harm, according to the
government yesterday.

Suspicions about what might have happened to them emerged after the
torso of a young African boy, named Adam by the police, was found
in the Thames. He was believed to be the victim of a ritual
killing.

Source:- Daily Mail  Friday 24 June page 31

16 asylum seekers on hunger striker in Zimbabwe
protest

Around 16 asylum seekers whose claims have failed have gone on
hunger strike over the speeding up of deportations from Britain to
Zimbabwe.

They claim they face arrest, torture and possibly prison because of
president Robert Mugabe’s brutal crackdown on opposition
supporters.

Source:- Daily Mail  Friday 24 June page 32

Don’t throw out bad neighbours orders Prescott

John Prescott ordered yesterday that bad neighbours should only be
evicted as a last resort.

The deputy prime minister wants a reduction in the number of
tenants being punished by losing their home. The figure currently
stands at 26,000 a year.

Source:- Daily Mail  Friday 24 June page 35

Professor criticised

A child health expert criticised Professor Roy Meadow yesterday for
deploying statistics in a way they were never intended to be used
during the trial of Sally Clark, who was convicted of murdering her
baby sons.

Professor Peter Fleming, of Bristol University, told the General
Medical Council that a study he led that was used by Meadow to
attain his statistic that there was a one in 73 million chance of
two cot deaths in one family contained figures that had to be put
in context.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 24 June 2005 page 8

Race abuse ruled legal as long as the victim doesn’t
hear

People who use offensive epithets such as “wog,”
“pakis” or “black bastard” are not breaking
the law, as long as no one from an ethnic minority hears them,
according to a High Court ruling yesterday.

The decision followed an unsuccessful attempt by the Director of
Public Prosecutions to overturn a verdict in which magistrates in
Leicestershire cleared a constituent who left a series of messages
on his MP’s answerphone.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Friday 24 June 2005 page
6

Scottish news

Paternal depression affects child

The offspring of men who suffer from postnatal depression are more
likely to develop emotional problems new research has found.

One in 25 fathers show symptoms of post-natal depression and this
can have an effect on their children according to the study.

Boys were found to be more susceptible.

Source:- The Herald Friday, 24 June

Key appointments launch Glasgow council shake up

Glasgow Council’s elected members are being restructured
under the new leader Steven Purcell.

The changes, which were announced yesterday at a council meeting,
include the creation of a new post responsible for community
planning and social renewal groups.

Other reforms include the deletion of a number of high profile
posts including spokesmen roles on homelessness and
children’s services.

Source:- The Herald Friday 24 June

Welsh news

‘Frail people subjected to abuse’

A nursing home in the South Wales valleys was accused of abusing
its residents last night.

Wayne David, Caerphilly MP, heavily criticised GP Dr Prana Das, the
owner of Holly House Nursing Home, in Fleur-de-Lys, near Blackwood
in a debate in the House of Commons.

Using parliamentary privilege he alleged that Das had a
“disgraceful record” of running care homes.

Source:- Western Mail Friday 24 June