Colin Inglis, 49, the former leader of Hull City Council and former chairman of the Humberside Police Authority, was found not guilty of one of a series of child abuse charges. Mr Inglis was cleared of indecently assaulting a 13-year-old boy when he worked at a children’s home in the 1980s. He faces five further charges of indecent assault. The jury at Leeds Crown Court will resume its deliberations on Monday.

Jail for cruelty

Magistrates in Birmingham sentenced Christopher Lees, 18, who filmed his friends repeatedly throwing a cat from a fifth-floor balcony, to a four-month custodial sentence. Lees was banned from keeping animals for five years. The cat was put down after suffering brain damage and fractures.

Six years for killer

Alexander Dix, 19, was sent to a young offender institute for six years at Bristol Crown Court for the manslaughter of Bob Todd, landlord of the Star pub in the village of Pucklechurch. Dix, who had no driving licence, deliberately drove into Mr Todd, 56, hurling him into a lamp-post.

Groper, 80, jailed

A man was jailed for 4 ½ years at Teesside Crown Court for sex assaults that culminated in him groping a woman’s breasts at his 80th birthday party. Albert Smith, from Hartlepool, admitted three assaults between 1970 and 1988 and was convicted of 14 offences from 1970 to 2005.

Hoax bombs

Animal rights extremists were blamed for sending five hoax bombs to homes and businesses which have links to Huntingdon Life Sciences. One was posted to Caroline Brooks, a director of PDP Courier Services, who had petrol devices left at her house four months ago.

Students face terrorism trial

Four students will stand trial in April accused of having information likely to be of use in terrorism, it was decided yesterday at the Old Bailey.

Aitzaz Zafar, 19, of Bishop Street, Rochdale, Lancashire, Usman Ahmed Malik, 20, of Laisteridge Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, Awaab Iqbal, 19, of Grove Terrace, Bradford, and Mohammed Irfan Raja, 18, of Holcombe Road, Ilford, Essex, were remanded on conditional bail.

They variously deny 12 charges under the Terrorism Act. The charges relate to documents, CDs and computers containing items such as a military guide to terrorism.

Securitas charge

An eleventh person charged in connection with the £53 million robbery of the Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent, will appear at the Old Bailey on July 28. Hairdresser Michelle Louise Hogg, 31, of Brinklow Crescent, Woolwich, south-east London, is charged with conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to kidnap.

Dr Tarrant

Chris Tarrant, the television host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, marked more than three decades in showbusiness by receiving an honorary doctorate at Aston University in Birmingham. He said: “Although I took my degree at Birmingham University, I recall floating between the bars of both.”

On the House

More than £95,000 was spent on replenishing the Government cellar for hospitality purposes last year, Geoff Hoon, the Foreign Office Minister, disclosed. More than £91,000 was spent in each of the years from 2001 to 2004. The figure dropped to £60,000 in 2004-5 and rose to £95,264 for 2005-6.

Bijoux loo

An outdoor lavatory in Polperro harbour, Cornwall, went under the hammer for £29,250. John Blake, of Jefferys estate agents, said:

“It could be turned into an artist’s studio or a work area for a budding author who wants to pen a novel.” The lavatory was bought by a man from Hampstead, London.

Phone tycoon murder case

A man has appeared in court accused of murdering his wife, the sister of Carphone Ware- house tycoon David Ross. Police claim Alex Marshall, 36, killed Fiona Marshall and Richard Flippance at her Leicestershire home in April. Mr Marshall entered no plea at Northampton Court and the case was adjourned.

Gloved man

Police investigating the murder of two women at a Shrewsbury massage parlour want to trace a man seen wearing gloves and a coat on July 1, when Annie Eels, 55, and Samantha Tapper, 24, were bludgeoned to death.

BNP in classrooms

The teachers union NASUWT has called on the Government to ban members of the British National Party from working as teachers. Clive Jones, a teacher from Derby, stood as a BNP candidate in the local elections last month.

Postman jailed

A postman was jailed for nine months for hoarding more than 34,000 items of unopened mail at his home. Sheffield Crown Court heard that Rodger Parkinson, 49, had told police: “I’m glad in a way. It needs sorting.”

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