Tuesday 4 April 2006

Writes Simeon Brody, Maria Ahmed and Derren Hayes

Rural areas will see big rise in elderly
The number of older people living in the countryside will soar faster than in urban areas, according to a Newcastle University study. By 2028 the number of over-85s in the countryside is predicted to treble.
Source:- Financial Times, Tuesday 4 April 2006, page 4

Jails will be full to capacity in weeks, campaigners say
Prisons in England and Wales will be full to capacity within two months and could have to refuse new inmates this summer because of overcrowding, according to the Prison Reform Trust.
Source:- The Independent, Tuesday 4 April 2006, page 14

The strange case of the man who took 40,000 ecstasy pills in nine years
Consultants from St George’s Medical School in London have published a case report of a British man estimated to have taken 40,000 pills of MDMA over nine years. Though the man, who is now 37, stopped taking the drug seven years ago, he still suffers from severe physical and mental side effects. Meanwhile a new study has found the availability and use of ecstasy is increasing steadily despite a fivefold increase in police seizures.
Source:- The Guardian, Tuesday 4 April 2006, page 3

Crippling pensions costs lead to charity closure
Family Service Units will today go into administration because of its crippling staff pension costs and its inability to cover its overheads under national and local government contracts. It hopes almost all of its services will be saved under a planned takeover by the Family Welfare Association.
Source:- The Guardian, Tuesday 4 April 2006, page 11

Anguish of elderly who are dragged into a cycle of debt
Thousands of pensioners are stuck in a cycle of debt, with many owing more than £50,000, according to a report by debt advice firm NancollasGreer.
Source:- Daily Mail, Tuesday 4 April 2006, page 10

Boy of 15 faces five sex charges
A boy of 15 appeared before Leamington Spa Youth Court charged with five sex offences, including the rape of an 11-year-old girl in the lavatories of a Sainsbury’s store in the town last month. He was remanded into local authority secure accommodation and ordered to appear at Warwick Crown Court on April 28.
Source:- The Times, Tuesday 4 April 2006, page 25

Scottish News

Sex crimes reforms raise funding fears
The number of sex offenders and paedophiles under community supervision is set to treble under new laws but concerns have been raised that extra funding is needed to help social services monitor them. The Scottish executive estimates the legislation, to ensure that those who serve sentences of six months or more will require supervision, will result in an extra 50 to 75 sex criminals being supervised every year.
Source: The Herald, Tuesday 4 April 2006

Cold case cops snare 30 on child sex raps
Thirty suspected child sex offenders have been caught after police reinvestigated “cold cases” dating back decades. The review by Central Scotland Police resulted in 114 charges including rape and assault being brought.
Source: The Record, Tuesday 4 April 2006

Welsh News

Worries over lack of guidelines for youth workers
The case of a youth worker given a verbal warning for “inappropriate behaviour” towards children has highlighted the lack of detailed guidelines in Wales over what is acceptable conduct. The Pembrokeshire county council employee was disciplined after a colleague complained about what she considered unacceptable and unprofessional physical contact between him and children in a camping trip.
Source:- Western Mail, Tuesday 4 April 2006