Monday 11 July

By Maria Ahmed, Amy Taylor and Derren Hayes

Hunger striker taken to hospital

A Zimbabwean hunger striker in a “very serious
condition” after 36 days without food at Harmondsworth
detention centre in West London. Charles Clarke, the Home
Secretary, had previously refused medical treatment for him,
ignoring pleas from MPs of all parties. Despite being too weak to
stand, Timba Mqhubeli, 28, a teacher, was kept in handcuffs at
Homerton University Hospital until the Labour MP Kate Hoey
intervened.

Source:- The Times, Monday 11 July 2005, page 21

 
Boy in river death

A 12-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder
after he was accused of pushing another boy into the River Roach,
near Heywood, Rochdale.

Source:- The Times, Monday 11 July 2005, page 21

 
Drug exclusion

A headteacher has excluded an 11-year-old boy who took cannabis
into a junior school. The boy, who has not been named, was sent
home from Diss Church Junior School in Diss, Norfolk, until
September.

Source:- The Observer, Sunday 10 July 2005, page 9
 

Scandal of the fake IDs teen drinkers can buy for
£10

Thousands of under-age drinkers are using fake IDs bought for
£10 on the internet to buy alcohol illegally. Companies
selling the authentic-looking cards claim they are
‘novelty’ products which are not meant to encourage
law-breaking.

Source:- The Mail on Sunday, Sunday 10 July 2005, page
47
 

Blair intervened to save controversial adviser’s
job

Tony Blair has intervened to save the job of Louise Casey, the
government’s senior adviser on antisocial behaviour after she
made a foul-mouthed speech in which she ridiculed minister’s
drive against binge-drinking.

Source:- The Sunday Telegraph, Sunday 19 July 2005, page
1
 

‘Bar badmouths’

Children who swear at teachers should be sent home and their
parents brought in to school to discuss their attitude, says the
head of the government’s new taskforce on behaviour. Sir Alan
Steer, the head teacher of Seven Kings High School in Ilford,
Essex, said: “You set your standards and you defend them to
the hilt.”

Source:- The Sunday Telegraph, Sunday 19 July 2005, page
8

Scottish papers

Attack on ‘loophole’ that puts more children
at risk from violent fathers

Men who have a history of violence against ex-partners should be
denied contact with their children until it can be shown that they
no longer pose a risk to them, campaigners have said.
The demand comes after Holyrood’s Justice 1 committee gave
its backing to the Family Law Bill, which will extend to unmarried
fathers the right to have contact with their children. But Scottish
Women’s Aid claim that if passed, the bill will substantially
“widen the pool” of women and children at risk of abuse
– it is calling for an amendment that ensures any man with a
history of abuse is forced to undergo a risk assessment before
having contact with his child.

Source:- The Sunday Herald, 10th July

Sexual infection rates in under-16s double
 
The number of children in Scotland being diagnosed with sexually
transmitted infections has doubled in the past four years,
according to new figures published by the Health Protection Agency.
Last year, 86 diagnoses of chlamydia in under-16s were recorded,
compared with 41 in 2000. Five gonorrhoea cases were diagnosed, the
highest total in the past four years. Tim Street, director of the
Family Planning Association in Scotland, said while more testing
was being carried out, it could only partially explain the
increase.

The Sunday Herald, 10th July

Welsh papers

Blackmail led to murder, court told

A woman was murdered after blackmailing a school friend who exposed
himself to her when they were school children, a court heard
yesterday.

Mussarat Nazir used to walk to school with Mohamed Arshan but the
court heard that in 1980 Arshan exposed himself to her.

After a chance meeting this year Nazir had been blackmailing him
about this incident.
Arshan of Newport denies her murder.

Source:- Western Mail, July 9, Saturday

Crack dealer lived life of luxury on state
benefits

A drug dealer was ordered to pay back £37, 500 he made from
selling drugs at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday.
Francisco Borg, who claimed benefits, dealt crack cocaine.

Source:- South Wales Echo, July 9, Saturday

Mum tells of beating which left daughter, 11, physically
and mentally scarred

Two more young girls have become the victims of bullying.

Abigail Card, 11, and Gabrielle Card, 12, were attacked by two
girls on Sunday night at around 9pm as they walked home.

The attacks on the sisters, who are from Heol Ebwy, Ely, come
shortly after 13-year-old Amy Scanlon was attacked by a gang of 
youths.

Source:- South Wales Echo, July 9, Saturday