Delayed DNA checks let serious criminals reoffend
An inquiry is under way into how a blunder by the Crown Prosecution Service
left serious criminals from the Netherlands free to commit further crimes in
Britain (Richard Ford writes).
Gordon Brown told MPs that the investigation would look at all the details of
how the CPS failed, for a year, to pass on to police a computer disc
containing DNA profiles. The disc, containing details of 2,000 Dutch
offenders, including people convicted of rape and murder, was sent to London
by the Dutch authorities in January 2007 to be checked against the British
DNA database.
But it was not passed to the police until last month after being left in the
desk of a CPS official who was on sick leave, it is understood. Initial
investigations have identified 17 matches, of whom 11 have committed crimes
in Britain in the past year, including assault and nonpayment of fines. The
figure may be higher as British police are still checking the Dutch samples
against their database.
David Cameron, the Conservative leader, described the delay over the disc as a
catastrophic failure, and accused the Government of doing nothing to prevent
the crimes. The Prime Minister said that a thorough investigation would be
carried out.
‘Well note’ scheme reform
Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, has confirmed that family doctors will be
required to tell employers what tasks sick workers can still perform in a
new “well note” (Francis Elliott writes).
The reform to sickness certification, revealed by The Times on Monday, is one
of the recommendations in a review by Dame Carol Black, the NHS director of
health and work. Another will be new support for small and medium-sized
companies to help them to improve the health of their workforces.
The British Medical Association has expressed fears that the new measures
could force GPs to police the benefit system. But Mr Johnson denied that the
Government was seeking to use GPs as “gatekeepers” to the benefit system. He
said: “This is not about asking GPs to police the benefit system.”
McCanns wary over Madeleine ‘sighting’
Madeleine McCann’s parents have reacted cautiously to a report that the
missing four-year-old had been sighted in the South of France.
A Dutch tourist, Melissa Fiering, claimed to have seen Madeleine in a service
station near Montpellier last Friday. The McCanns’ official spokesman said
that the couple were aware of the reports but were still waiting to hear
from the police.
However, a French police official said that investigators had examined closed
circuit television footage from the restaurant and had determined that the
girl was not Madeleine.
The McCanns’ spokesman said that they would wish to view the footage “as a
matter of priority”.
Tesco urges alcohol curb
Tesco will urge the Government today to introduce a law banning the sale of
alcohol at reduced prices. A spokesman for the company was reported as
saying that it now supported legislation to ensure “responsible pricing” of
drink in the big retail outlets. The move comes amid mounting concern about
the problems of binge-drinking and alcohol-fuelled crime and disorder. The
supermarkets have faced criticism for selling alcohol at heavily discounted
prices as a “loss leader”. Tesco says that only the Government can act as
the supermarkets are barred by competition laws from working together to
raise prices. Lucy Neville-Rolfe, an executive director, said: “The
Government [must] bring forward legislative proposals which Tesco and others
in our industry can support.”
Remote control medicine
Patients who need to take medicine every day could soon have it delivered
through an implant, right, using a wireless remote control (Melanie Reid
writes). The electronic chip, 3mm square, would be placed inside a patient’s
body and could dispense up to a year’s supply of drugs to a target area.
Researchers at Edinburgh University are working on the gadget which they say
could tackle an array of problems.
Last party for Mancunian spirit Wilson
Tony Wilson, the television presenter and music entrepreneur, is to be
remembered with a 24-hour party by the city of Manchester in June.
About 200 young people chosen for their creativity will be invited to a
day-long seminar in an “intelligent conversation” with stars such as Peter
Hook, the New Order bass guitarist, and Steve Coogan, the comedian.
Wilson, known as Mr Manchester, and whose life featured in the film 24 Hour
Party People, died last year aged 57 while he was being treated for cancer.
Sir Richard Leese, the council leader, said that he was the “epitome of the
Mancunian spirit”.
Peter Saville, a founder of Factory Records, who will take part, said: “The
Tony Wilson Experience will be groundbreaking and absolutely unmissable for
anyone with a creative talent who is really serious about what they do and
is keen to learn.”
Police find Rhys weapon
Police investigating the murder of Rhys Jones, 11, believe that they have
recovered the long-barrelled hand gun used by a hooded teenager to shoot the
boy (Russell Jenkins writes).
Detective Superintendent David Kelly made the disclosure six months after
Rhys, right, was shot in the Croxteth Park area of Liverpool. He said: “We
believe we have recovered the firearm used in the murder.” Tests are
continuing.
Pupils return after ski trip tragedy
Fellow pupils of Hayden Waller, who fell to his death in the Austrian Alps,
returned early from their half-term school trip yesterday.
The group of 38 boys from The Howard School, Rainham, Kent, included Rodger
Whitlow, 13, who along with Hayden, 12, slid over the edge of a gorge as
they explored a dense, snow-covered forest on their skiing holiday to
Mallnitz in southern Austria. Hayden fell on to rocks 30ft below after he
tried to grab his friend who had started to slide down the mountain.
Rodger’s fall was arrested by a tree. Last night Rodger’s parents paid
tribute to Hayden’s bravery and spoke of their relief that their son had
survived. Maggie Whitlow said: “Rodger is clearly shocked and upset, but is
otherwise well.” She added that their thoughts were with Hayden’s parents
“for the loss of such a brave boy”.
Hayden’s parents, Hayley and Gary Waller, said that they did not want anyone
to be blamed for a “tragic accident”.
Victory role for ‘the Spitfire ladies’
The role played by more than 160 women who delivered Spitfires and other
wartime aircraft from factories to Battle of Britain pilots is to be
recognised officially with a commemorative badge, Gordon Brown announced
(Michael Evans writes).
The Prime Minister told the Commons that he backed a campaign to honour “the
Spitfire ladies” and the men who also flew the aircraft as part of the Air
Transport Auxiliary. More than 20 of the 167 female pilots are still alive.
The campaign by Nigel Griffiths, Labour MP for Edinburgh South, was
highlighted by The Times in a story published on February 1.
The 167 women and 1,065 men of the ATA came from 28 countries to ferry more
than 300,000 aircraft to frontline airbases. There are 101 ATA surviving
members. At least seven of the “Spitfire ladies” live in the UK. Mr
Griffiths said: “I am delighted that the wartime achievements of the
survivors of the ATA are to be recognised at long last.”
Innocent mother wins back children
A mother has been reunited with two of her three children, more than five
years after they were taken into care when she was wrongly accused of
harming one of them (David Sharrock writes).
A High Court judge allowed Louise Mason, 38, to be named so that she could
gain a “sense of justice”.
Ms Mason’s daughter was taken to hospital in October 2002 suffering from
internal bleeding. Doctors believed the injuries were “non-accidental”, but
it later emerged that she was suffering from a form of cancer called
neuroblastoma.
“I knew I had not done the things I had been accused of but the doctors were
convinced that I had harmed my child and would not believe me,” said Ms
Mason, from Londonderry.
She was cleared of assault by a Crown Court jury in 2004 but it has taken
until now to win her family back at a care hearing. However, her middle
child has bonded so well with her foster parents that she may never return
home.
How sperm whales drift off for a nap
Sperm whales may get their sleep by taking short naps during slow rhythmic
dives, researchers say. Scientists from the University of St Andrews said
that the whales appeared to sleep for 10 to 15 minutes at a time over a few
hours – suggesting that they sleep less than any other wild mammal. Unlike
dolphins, which have been observed in captivity sleeping with only one side
of the brain at a time, sperm whales switch off completely during the “drift
dives”, the study suggests. The behaviour was observed by a boat crew and
recorded using tagging devices.
CPS accepts quashing of terror convictions
The Crown Prosecution Service said that it would not appeal against a ruling
that freed five young men jailed under the Terrorism Act for possessing
extremist propaganda.
The men, said by the trial judge to have been “intoxicated” by extremist
propaganda, had their convictions quashed at the Court of Appeal last week.
Irfan Raja, 20, of Ilford, East London, and four students at the University
of Bradford – Awaab Iqbal, 20, Aitzaz Zafar, 21, Usman Malik, 22, and Akbar
Butt, 21 – were convicted at the Old Bailey last July.
Jealous killer jailed
A married man whose intense jealousy led him to murder his teenage lover has
been jailed for life by Teesside Crown Court. David Hodgson, 48, was told
that he must serve at least 18 years for the killing of Jenny Nicholl, 19,
who disappeared in the summer of 2005 and whose body has never been found.
Halal lunch protest
A school that served only halal meat in lunches has been forced to change its
menu after protests from parents. Rose Hill Primary School, in Oxford,
decided to use meat only from animals slaughtered under Islamic law. Now it
will offer a choice of regular meat, a halal option or a vegetarian dish.
Gay murder arrest
A man has been arrested in connection with the killing of a 50-year-old gay
man in a public lavatory after he handed himself in to police. The victim
was found on Tuesday in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, at a lavatory block that
is well known as a meeting place for gay men. Police have recovered a knife.
Diabetes discovery
Scientists are closer to finding a cure for diabetes after they showed that
human stem cells injected into mice can transform themselves into cells
capable of producing insulin. A team in California made the discovery using
adult mice. Their findings are reported in the journal Nature
Biotechnology.
Chat room charges
A soldier logged on to internet chat rooms in a cybercafé to try to
orchestrate the kidnapping of young children he planned to drug and sexually
assault, a jury at Swansea Crown Court heard. Kenneth Gardner, 29, of Neath,
South Wales, denies the charges. The case continues.
Fines in the post
New rules could make it harder to appeal against an unfair parking ticket, Which?
magazine said. Councils will be able to issue tickets by post from March 31,
making it harder for drivers to collect evidence for an appeal than when
tickets are issued at the time of the alleged offence.
Chef cooks up deal
The celebrity chef John Burton Race has bought the restaurant that his
estranged wife, Kim, closed down while he appeared on I’m a Celebrity . .
. Get Me Out of Here! Burton Race, 50, is paying £1.3 million to buy The
New Angel in Dartmouth, Devon, from the administrator.
Douglas Bader sale
An artificial leg used by Douglas Bader was among a collection of 40 of the
war hero’s belongings that fetched £115,000 in a sealed bid auction held by
Eley’s, of Boston, Lincolnshire. An unnamed airline chief executive bought
the collection, 26 years after the pilot’s death.
