Tuesday 16 August 2005

By Simeon Brody, Maria Ahmed, Derren Hayes and Amy
Taylor

Murderer Silcott hired by the Met

The Metropolitan Police has given Winston Silcott the task of
advising children about “life choices” at a community
centre on the Broadwater Farm estate in Tottenham, London.

Source:- The Sun Tuesday 16 August 2005 page 9

Teacher jailed for sex with boy of 14

A married teacher who had a six-month fling with a boy of 14 was
jailed for 15 months yesterday.

Mother-of-two Hannah Grice, 32, who worked at Etching Hill Primary
school in Rugeley, Staffs, had sex with the boy up to four times a
week.

Source:- The Sun Tuesday 16 August 2005 page 19 

Labour’s plan for council “death
tax”

Labour has devised a “death tax” to relieve the
pressure of council tax on older people.

Those who own their own homes could choose to pay less or avoid the
tax altogether but councils would then be able to claim back all
the tax owing from the value of their home when they die.

Source:- Daily Mail Tuesday 16 August 2005 page 2

We can’t even say goodbye

Account of a couple who social workers decided were “too
slow” to look after their children.

Source:- Daily Mail Tuesday 16 August 2005 page 25

Alcohol-related deaths rise 18 per cent

Alcohol-related deaths in some parts of England have risen by
almost 50 per cent in five years, figures showed yesterday.

Across England and Wales the number of deaths put down to
conditions such as alcoholic liver disease and alcohol poisoning
has increased by 18.4 per cent.

But in Yorkshire and Humber – the region which saw the
biggest increase – alcohol-related deaths soared by 46.5 per
cent between 2000 and 2004, according to the Office for National
Statistics.

Source:- The Financial Times Tuesday 16 August 2005 page
4

Iraqi failed asylum seekers detained

Scores of Iraqi failed asylum seekers are being detained around
Britain in preparation for the first programme of forced removals,
despite United Nations advice against such deportations, the Home
Office confirmed last night.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 16 August 2005 page 8

‘I took all my anger out on him’

Maxine Breakspear is in jail, serving time for a murder she
committed at the age of just 18. But was the crime really as it was
portrayed – an act of evil, conducted just for the thrill of
it?

Source:- The Guardian G2 Tuesday 16 August 2005 page
6-7

Holding centres ‘sub-standard’

Immigration detainees have to sleep on tables and plastic chairs
because of sub-standard facilities at British ports, according to a
report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons.

Anne Owers said in the report that none of the holding centres, run
by GSL, formerly part of Group 4, had adequate arrangements for
holding children.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 16 August 2005 page 20

Fixing Robin Hood’s reputation

After Nottingham hit the headlines for binge drinking and gun
crime, Stephen Barker set out to repair its image.

Earlier this year Barker was appointed to the post of reputation
manager for Nottingham City Council – a post created after
some of the most dire headlines in the city’s history.

Source:- The Times Public Agenda Tuesday 16 August 2005
page 5

Our son, a malicious girl and rape than never was

When Jamie, 13, was accused of rape by a 15-year-old girl, the
police arrested him and subjected him to a tough, frightening
interview.
Four days later the girl retracted her allegation and the case was
dropped. Jamie’s father asks why the police displayed no
insight into the minds of teenagers before locking his son into a
cell.

Source:- The Times T2 Tuesday 16 August 2005 page
4-5

Scottish news

Care homes ‘move patients into A&E wards to
die’

People in care homes are being sent to hospital emergency
departments to die because of difficulties in getting GPs to attend
their bedsides.

Scottish Care said GP out-of-hours contracts have made it hard to
find doctors who will attend homes at weekends and, as a result,
staff have to resort to the NHS 24 helpline and accident and
emergency departments.

Meanwhile, concern was raised yesterday that Scotland’s NHS
watchdog was not safeguarding older patients on long-stay
wards.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 16 August

£65m to bring health-care nearer to communities

Health centres, clinics and other primary care facilities will
receive £65 million in extra funding to bring care out of
hospitals and closer to home.

First minister Jack McConnell made the announcement at the opening
of a state-of-the-art health centre in Bonnyrigg, Midlothian.

The money will be invested over two years in a programme that has
already seen £78 million spent on upgrading primary care
facilities.

Source:- The Scotsman Tuesday 16 August

Kid porn man in court wrangle is guilty

A man who offered to share child porn images has been found guilty
after the High Court ruled a sheriff had made a mistake by clearing
him at an earlier hearing because the prosecution had failed to
prove images were of naked girls under 16.

But a doctor and two police internet porn experts said the images
did show girls under age and the ruling was overturned.

Source:- Daily Record Tuesday 16 August

Welsh news

Fathers’ rights protesters walk free

Four fathers’ rights protestors who closed the M4 after
climbing up the Severn bridge dressed in Santa Claus costumes
escaped jail yesterday.

The three men and a woman, who were all from Fathers 4 Justice,
climbed up the bridge to put up  a protest banner in November last
year when the Queen was visiting Wales.

Elaine Risk, Michael Downes, Darryl Westell and Jolly Stanesby
pleaded guilty to causing a public nuisance and were each given a
12-month conditional discharge.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 16 August

Alcohol-linked deaths soar in Wales

Alcohol-linked deaths in Wales have increased by more than 20 per
cent according to figures out yesterday.

Conditions such as alcoholic liver disease and alcohol poisoning
were behind 419 deaths in Wales in 2004 – up from 345 in
2000.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 16 August