Innocent woman got an Asbo on hearsay

By Mithran Samuel and Amy Taylor

Innocent woman got an Asbo on hearsay

Manchester Council has been told to pay a woman £2,000 by the Local Government Ombudmsan for giving a woman an antisocial behaviour order on the word of a neigbour who claimed the woman was a nuisance.

The council did not put the allegations to the woman before giving her an interim Asbo, yet it took three months for the order to be withdrawn.

Source:- Daily Mail Friday 6 July 2007 page 5

The final indignity

Many older people are struggling to cope with the basis activities of daily living, such as dressing and cooking, because councils have restricted eligibility and increased charges for home care.

Source:- Daily Mail Friday 6 July 2007 pages 28-29

Care-home battle hastened by wife’s death, says veteran

A pensioner has said a row over whether his wife should remain with him at home or go into residential care with Lancashire Council accelerated her death last week.

Dennis Cramp said an ongoing dispute with the council over his wife Maria’s living arrangements took their toll on her.

After a court battle she was placed in a care home from where she could visit her husband at home.

Source:- Daily Mail Friday 6 July 2007 page 41

Gay slurs at school ‘same as racism’

New junior children’s minister Kevin Brennan has promised new guidelines telling schools to punish homophobic bullying as toughly as racism.

In a speech to gay rights group Stonewall, Brennan criticised the derogatory use of the word “gay” by broadcasters, such as Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles, saying it had harmful effects, and said teachers should seek to prevent homophobia in schools by teaching children the importance of equality.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Friday 6 July 2007 page 5

Parents to sue nursery after baby’s death

The parents of a 16-month-old girl who choked to death announced plans to sue the owners of her nursery yesterday after an inquest found the child had been the victim of “unlawful killing by gross negligence manslaughter”.

Molly Cunliffe died at the Tiddlywinks Nursery in Gloucester in October 2005 after entangling herself with the cord of a drawstring bag attached to her cot.

The inquest was told of deficiencies in the staffing at Tiddlywinks: the toddler was placed in the care of a student and an unqualified staff member and then left unmonitored in the cot for at least 20 minutes.

After the verdict, Gloucester Police said they would consider bringing criminal charges, while parents Keata Glenton and Matthew Cunliffe threatened to sue the nursery.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 6 July 2007 page 15

Tory social justice group urges lending restrictions for banks

The Conservatives’ social justice policy group looks set to recommend that banks be regulated to protect poorer people from irresponsible lending and call for new residential rehabilitation services be introduced for drug addicts.

The group, chaired by former party leader Iain Duncan Smith, has made 190 recommendations designed to tackle “social breakdown” in a report, due for publication next week.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 6 July 2007 page 15

Brit invents software to snare adults posing as chatroom kids

A new computer programme is set to tackle paedophiles who pose as youngsters online to trap children.

The programme works out how old chatroom users are by analysing the language they use and then alert parents by email or text.

Source:- Daily Mirror, Friday, July 6 2007, page 27

Welsh news

Concern grows for missing schoolboys

Fears were increasing last night about two schoolboys who went missing together three days ago.

Ashley Evans, 12, and Robbery Gregory, 13, were last seen when they got a taxi to school together at 8.30am on Tuesday. The boys are pupils at Ysgol Bryn Castell Special School in Bridgend.

Source:- Western Mail, Friday, July 6 2007

Mother convicted of deliberately scalding five-year-old son

A mother was found guilty of causing her son grievous bodily harm with intent by deliberately pouring a kettle of boiling water onto him when he was five yesterday.

The 36-year-old woman from Cardiff, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was remanded in custody and informed that she would be facing a long jail sentence.

Source:- Western Mail, Friday, July 6 2007