News round up: Children’s playing fields sold off

Labour’s 187 broken promises on playing field sales
Figures show there is a steady loss of land for children to play on despite government promises to protect the areas
Ministers have approved the sell-off of at least 187 school and local playing fields since Labour came to power.
Read more on this story in The Daily Mail today

The care homes staffed by illegal immigrants, revealed in leaked Home Office report
Hundreds of illegal immigrants are working in care homes for the elderly, a leaked Home Office report reveals.
Read more on this story in The Daily Mail today

Rise of the prodigies: 50% increase in university students under 18
Universities have been forced to examine child protection laws due to a more than 50% rise in under-18s studying entering early.
Read more on this story in The Guardian today

Civil servants get masterclass on pushing mandarins into reform
The Cabinet Office has hand-picked 6,000 civil servants to “give their bosses a hard time” if they do not push reform.
Read more on this story in The Guardian today

Doctor shortage is threat to care, warns BMA
The quality of patient care in NHS hospitals is threatened by a chronic shortage of junior doctors, the British Medical Association warned last night.
Read more on this story in The Guardian today

Police forces fear sex crime rise if government funding cut
A police force’s ability to investigate major crimes and monitor sex offenders would be impaired severely if ministers carry out their threat to cap its spending, a chief constable said yesterday.
Read more on this story in The Times today

Gordon Brown’s scheme proposes thousands of low-cost homes
Thousands of low-cost homes for local people are being planned in what would be the biggest building programme in the countryside for a generation.
Read more on this story in The Times today

Convicted Islamist terrorists exploiting growing prison gang culture
Convicted Islamist terrorists are exploiting the growing gang culture in top security jails, fuelling fears that they are trying to radicalise other inmates and foment unrest.
Read more on this story in The Times today

Poor immigration data ‘hindering economy’
Britain’s economy and public services are being put at risk by the failure of the Government to keep track of the number of immigrants, a House of Lords report will warn tomorrow.
Read more on this story in The Daily Telegraph today

Electronic tag hope for Alzheimer’s patients
Electronic tags are being tried out for Alzheimer’s patients, which could prolong the time sufferers are able to remain living in their own homes.
Read more on this story in The Daily Telegraph today