Former council leader in child porn case

Former council leader in child porn case
Kenneth Leadbeater, the Conservative leader of Dartford Council, Kent, until he resigned in March, pleaded guilty at Dartford magistrates’ court to 14 counts of making indecent images of children between 1997 and this year.
Source:- The Times, Saturday 10 June 2006, page 27
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Patients who hit nurses face £1,000 fine
Patients who hit a nurse or cause a nuisance on NHS premises in England will be fined up to £1,000 on top of any other criminal penalties, the health minister Caroline Flint announced last night.
Source:- The Guardian, Saturday 10 June 2006, page 5
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Disabled trusts win tax concession
Trusts set up for disabled people as well as life assurance policies written in trust will escape tax charges following a government amendment to the legislation.
Source:- The Financial Times, Saturday 10 June 2006, page 4
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Jail racism rife, says inquiry
The inquiry into the prison murder of Asian teenager Zahid Mubarek by a racist cellmate will paint a damning picture of institutional racism and of individual errors from junior prison officer to ministerial level. The report will also voice concern over religious insensitivity to Muslim prisoners, as well as targeting failings in the care of prisoners with mental health problmens.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 11 June 2006, page 5
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Family courts ‘should be more open’
The government is being urged by MPs to open up family court proceedings as a way of restoring confidence in decisions on adoption, custody and contact with children. In a report published today, the Commons constiutional affairs committee says proceedings should be closed only where it is necessary to ‘protect the child and the interests of justice.’
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 11 June 2006, page 16
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Playground fun ‘needs more risks’
David Yearley, of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, says that years of concentrating solely on safety has led to the spread of ‘boring’ public play areas.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 11 June 2006, page 10
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Oxford’s East End charm offensive
In a pilot scheme, Oxford and Cambridge universities are targeting primary pupils as potential future recruits. First on their list are children from one of the poorest parts of Britain, Hackney in London, as universities try to broaden appeal.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 11 June 2006, page 13
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Moving for your child’s education ‘may be pointless’
Spending a fortune on a house because it is near a top school may be a waste of money.  Your child will do almost as well no matter who their classmates are, a new study has concluded. Peer Effects and Pupil Attainment from the London School of Economics says that of all the factors affecting a pupil’s school performance, peer group accounts for less than one per cent.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 11 June 2006, page 18
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Instant fines urged for knife crime
Senior police want to issue on-the-spot £80 fines to people caught carrying a knife. Meanwhile home secretary John Reid plans a new drive to curb antisocial behaviour – ideas include a publicity campaign to urge the public to “stop moaning” and play their part in reporting antisocial behaviour.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 11 June 2006, page 19
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‘Lenient’ judges shamed in list
More than 200 of Britain’s top judges have given “unduly lenient” sentences to criminals guilty of sexo offences or other serious crimes, according to a list released by the attorney general.
Source:- Sunday Times, Sunday 11 June 2006, page 1
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Margaret Hodge council thwarted padeophile case, says police chief
A man linked to a paedophile ring scandal at Islington Council has been found dead in Thailand – where he was waiting trial for child abuse. His death has prompted police who investigated the Islington affair more than a decade ago to speak out for the first time about how they believe the local authority thwarted their attempts to get a conviction.
Source:- Mail on Sunday, Sunday 11 June 2006, page 6 and page 11

‘Abuse’ family bring baby back to UK
Mark and Nicky Hardingham, who fled to Ireland to have their fourth child after their daughter and two sons were taken into care and subsequently adopted, must now prove to Norfolk social services that they are fit to look after the baby.
Source:- Mail on Sunday, Sunday 11 June 2006, page 25
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Brain food
Schoolchildren are to be given fish oil supplements to boost brain power and improve behavior and ability to concentrate under plans being considered by the government.
Source:- Independent on Sunday, Sunday 11 June 2006, page 6
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Uncool music to disperse antisocial young people
Local councils will get official advice from the Local Government Association this week telling them they should disperse unruly youths from public places by playing music “so uncool” they can’t stand to listen to it.
Source:- Independent on Sunday, Sunday 11 June 2006, page 19

Appeal court ban
Senior judges are proposing to ban the publication of names of asylum-seekers who bring cases before the Court of Appeal.
Source:- The Times, Monday 12 June 2006, page 2
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Police seek new powers to prevent paedophiles hiding data
The government is proposing new penalties to stop terrorists and other criminals using technology that prevent police accessing information on a suspect’s computer.
Source:- The Times, Monday 12 June 2006, page 4
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Child abusers should be jailed for longer
The attorney general has called for tougher jail terms for paedophiles.
Source:- The Times, Monday 12 June 2006, page 4
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Fiasco as Reid abandons have-a-go campaign
John Reid performed a spectacular about-turn last night by tearing up plans for a government campaign telling people to stop “moaning” and take action to tackle it.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Monday 12 June 2006, page 1
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Prisoners offered a course in how to earn and spend money – legally
Britain’s prisoners are being taught how to manage their money in a scheme that aims to cut reoffending.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Monday 12 June 2006, page 10
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Tough curbs on Prozac prescribed for children
Antidepressant only to be used with counselling.
Source:- The Guardian, Monday 12 June 2006, page 11
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In the dock: the man who caused the great MMR scare
Doctor who linked triple jab with autism to be charged with serious professional misconduct.
Source:- The Independent, Monday 12 June 2006, page 1
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Scottish news

Fears over million missing needles
Up to one million dirty needles were dumped by heroin addicts in Scotland last year, sparking calls for a national review of strategies to curb the spread of hepatitis C.
New figures expose the alarming gap between the number of clean needles issued to heroin addicts and potentially infected drug-injecting equipment that is being handed back and safely destroyed.
Statistics released by the Scottish executive show that more than 2.9 million clean needles were issued to drug users at around 200 clinics nationwide in 2004-5 – but only 1.9 million were returned.
Source:- The Scotsman, Saturday 10 June 2006
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Pioneering crisis centre for mental health patients wins city go-ahead
A centre where mental health patients can go in times of crisis is set to open despite a wrangle with planning authorities.
The 24-hour support service, the first of its kind in Scotland, will be available every day of the year and will eventually offer overnight accommodation for those in need.
The centre is aimed at giving mental health patients faster access to support and help in resolving issues like relationship difficulties or dealing with bereavement.
Source:- The Evening News, Saturday 10 June 2006

Reunion to mark plight of refugees
More than 30 Scots-based refugees reunited with their families after enforced separations are to be brought together for the first time during this year’s Refugee Week in Glasgow.
The families – from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East – have been invited to an evening event organised by the Scottish Refugee Council to meet others who have been though the same experience.
Refugees are currently entitled to bring their husbands, wives and children under the age of 18 to the UK, but a lack of documentation or family whereabouts means it can take up to two years to complete the process.
Source:- The Sunday Herald, 11 June 2006
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Youth justice in the dock over reoffending
An evaluation of a flagship Scottish executive programme that gives young offenders the opportunity to apologise to their victims has raised questions about its effectiveness.
Restorative justice allows children aged between 8 and 16 who commit low level offences to say sorry instead of going to a children’s hearings panel.
While the independent study found some positive results, it also discovered that in some cases taking no action against offenders was more successful than if they had been involved in the scheme.
Source:- The Herald, Monday 12 June 2006
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Councils criticised for underspend on elderly care budgets
Councils have failed to spend all the money allocated for elderly care raising questions over the claim the policy hasn’t been fully funded by the Scottish executive.
Some councils underspent their elderly care budget by £200 million over the last two years. Politicians said the surplus had been used to cover other services.
At the same time, some councils are operating waiting lists because they claim they don’t have enough money to meet their statutory obligations.
Source: The Scotsman, Monday 12 June 2006
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Welsh news

Children benefit from ‘mini United Nations’
Education experts have praised a school described as a “mini United Nations” due to the range of nationalities who are taught there, claiming it is a model for a successful multicultural society.
Twenty five per cent of the 400 pupils at Plascrug primary school in Aberystwyth have an international background.
Dylan Lewis, community development officer for Aberystwyth and Penparcau, said the international activities at the school promote social inclusion.
Source:- Western Mail, Saturday 10 June 2006
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NHS protection plan
Fines of £1,000 will be dished out to anyone who abuses NHS staff under new government proposals.
Under the plans, people needing care will be treated but could face fines or criminal action later.
More than 60,000 NHS staff were physically assaulted in 2005.
Source:- Wales on Sunday, Sunday 11 June 2006
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Priest questioned faith after son’s autism shock
A priest has admitted he questioned his faith after learning that his four year old son was severely autistic.
Reverend John Gillibrand spoke of the “hell” on discovering Adam’s condition as a TV documentary is set to tell the family’s story.
Source:- Wales on Sunday, Sunday 11 June 2006
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