The Law Society is expected to be given a second heavy fine of up to £750,000 for its failure over handling the public’s complaints (Frances Gibb writes).

The solicitors’ professional body in England and Wales was fined an unprecedented £250,000 last month over proposed 2006-07 targets for complaints handling. The Legal Services Commissioner will now rule on last year’s record, when four out of seven targets were missed.

Duchess mourns

The father of the Duchess of Cornwall has died aged 89. Major Bruce Shand, a former cavalry officer, had previously battled with cancer, but died of natural causes. A spokesman for Clarence House said that the Duchess, the second wife of the Prince of Wales, was “devastated”.

Appeal court ban

Senior judges are proposing to ban the publication of the names of asylum-seekers who bring cases before the Court of Appeal. Lord Justice Brooke, vice-president of the court’s civil division, said there was evidence that it exposed them to unnecessary risk. The judges will meet on June 20 to finalise the plans.

Tony wins for Brits

Alan Bennett’s play The History Boys won at least four honours at the Tony Awards in New York last night. Frances de la Tour took best supporting actress and Nicholas Hytner best director for the National Theatre’s Broadway production, which also won awards for scenic design and lighting design.

Wall crushes boy

A six-year-old boy died after a breeze-block wall fell on him as he played football in an alley near his home in Colchester, Essex. The boy was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. A spokesman for Essex Ambulance Service said that it was not clear how the wall had collapsed.

New Tory MEP group ‘unlikely’

Doubt has been cast on David Cameron’s pledge to create a new grouping in the European Parliament that Tory MEPs would join (Greg Hurst writes). Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a former Foreign Secretary, said it was unclear whether the commitment could be met, despite demands from Euro-sceptic Tory MPs. Angela Merkel, Germany’s Chancellor, has led calls within Europe for Mr Cameron to abandon the plan.

Death of diver

A diver died in hospital after getting into difficulties yesterday while exploring the decommissioned Royal Navy warship HMS Scylla, Britain’s first artificial reef, off the Cornish coast. Devon and Cornwall police said that the man, who has not been named, was in his 30s and was from Romford, East London.

Food for thought

Schoolchildren could be given daily doses of fish oil supplements in an effort to improve their behaviour and concentration in the classroom. Ministers are awaiting the results of a wideranging review by the Food Standards Agency into the effects of Omega-3 on children’s behaviour.

God in cyberspace

St Pixel’s, Britain’s first virtual church, has gone online. There are daily prayer services at 9pm on stpixels.com, which also encourages debate and blogs from members. It will be unveiled at the Churches’ Media Conference in Swanwick, Derbyshire, where the Times writer Mary Ann Sieghart will make a speech.

Pilot’s body found

The body of a missing microlight pilot was found yesterday, two days after he failed to return from a short training flight. Police found the aircraft at an undisclosed location in Kent. The man, in his 40s, from Littlehampton, West Sussex, had taken off from Rochester Airport in Kent on Friday in a Raven X.

Off the rails

The number of passengers who think that their train ticket offers value for money has sunk to a new low, a survey from the Passenger Focus group suggests. Only 41 per cent of rail passengers believe that their ticket offers good or satisfactory value for money, with 37 per cent rating it unsatisfactory or poor.

Neutral Britain

Service chiefs during Harold Wilson’s Government in the 1970s considered turning the Royal Navy into a fleet of submarines as the Treasury demanded cuts of £260 million (£1.8 billion today). Chiefs even feared that Britain might have to declare itself a neutral country, no longer a powerful member of Nato.

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