Legal News Articles
Father jailed after 14-year-old daughter reports forced marriage to police (30 June 2015)
Manchester Crown Court has jailed a father who married off his 14-year-old daughter to a man she did not know and who went on to sexually abuse her. Read more...
Islington Council warns that benefit cap reduction could put large families at risk of eviction (30 June 2015)
The London Borough of Islington (LBI) in north London has warned that a £3,000 reduction in the benefit cap might have “a devastating impact” on its poorest families. Read more...
Teenage boy admits to GBH with intent, after stabbing supply teacher (30 June 2015)
A teenager has been remanded in custody after he admitted stabbing a supply teacher in a Bradford school on 11 June. Read more...
Cocaine ring financed lavish lifestyle for couple on benefits (29 June 2015)
Swansea Crown Court has heard how a couple who claimed benefits lived a lavish lifestyle funded by running a cocaine ring. Read more...
Homeowners with standard variable rate mortgages “paying over the odds” (29 June 2015)
Mortgage broker London & Country has estimated that 3.2 million households are “saddled” with expensive mortgages because they have a standard variable rate (SVR) mortgage and are missing out on lower rates as mortgage lenders compete for business. Read more...
Fast-track asylum appeals process suspended (29 June 2015)
Judges at the Court of Appeal have ruled that fast-track asylum appeals which can be heard within three weeks should be suspended because the system contains “structural unfairness”.< Read more...
Challenge to government immigration restrictions on UK school pupils classed as international students (29 June 2015)
Labour MPs and a legal charity are challenging government restrictions on eligibility for student finance, which applies to students who cannot fulfil immigration conditions, even if they have lived in the UK since early childhood. Read more...
UK firms rely on migrant workforce because British teenagers “neglect maths” (29 June 2015)
The British Academy has said that employers in the UK have no choice but to employ migrant workers because British teenagers “cannot be bothered” to learn mathematics. Read more...
July launch for EU police taskforce to track down Islamic State online (29 June 2015)
A new police unit will come into force across the EU on 1 July, to identify and block social media accounts linked to Islamic State (IS). Read more...
DPP warns women and parents to be aware of sex offenders trawling the Internet (29 June 2015)
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Alison Saunders has warned that rapists and paedophiles are using social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to target their victims. Read more...
Housing association develops the £75,000 house (29 June 2015)
A housing association has developed a house costing just £75,000 excluding the cost of land, which it says can be developed without any grant funding. Read more...
“National strategy” needed to help public report child neglect concerns (29 June 2015)
Research by Action for Children has revealed that nearly one-third of adults living in Cambridgeshire have concerns over the safety of a child in their neighbourhood. Read more...
Jail for benefit fraudster who obtained council house by deception (29 June 2015)
Isleworth Crown Court has jailed a man who obtained a council house by deception and falsely claimed housing benefit and Council Tax benefit.< Read more...
Camden Council introduces 5-year licence for HMO landlords (29 June 2015)
Camden Council has announced that it will be introducing new licensing conditions for landlords who rent out houses in multiple occupation (HMO). Read more...
Essex company fined £5,000 over worker’s fall from height (29 June 2015)
An injection moulding company has been successfully prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), after a worker fell from height and suffered serious injuries. Read more...
Teenager suspected of having an eating disorder diagnosed with Crohn’s disease after 10 years (29 June 2015)
A Manchester woman has told her she was misdiagnosed as having an eating disorder and nasal condition when she was eventually found to be suffering from the bowel condition Crohn’s disease. Read more...
Serco and G4S “still being paid” by MoJ after electronic tagging scandal (26 June 2015)
Analysis of Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies has revealed that the government is still paying security companies Serco and G4S millions of pounds for electronic prisoner tagging services, despite both companies being barred from running the contract. Read more...
Councillors among 300 new Rotherham child abuse suspects (26 June 2015)
An investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) into child abuse allegations in Rotherham has revealed that two of the 300 new suspects in the inquiry are local councillors. Read more...
£3,000 fine after bakery worker suffers partial amputation of fingertip (26 June 2015)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has successfully prosecuted a Newcastle bakery, after an employee lost part of the tip of his middle finger as a result of unguarded machinery. Read more...
David Cameron to “Crack Down” on Non-EU Migrants in the UK (25 June 2015)
New measures have recently been unveiled by David Cameron to “significantly reduce” the amount of UK migration from outside the EU. Read more...
Children living in B&Bs “reaches seven-year high” (25 June 2015)
New figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government show that the number of children living in bed and breakfast accommodation has reached a seven-year high. Read more...
Daughter of imam cleared of murdering ex-boyfriend over revenge porn threats (25 June 2015)
The daughter of an imam has been cleared of murdering her ex-boyfriend, who had tried to blackmail her with revenge porn. Read more...
More than 600 new FGM cases identified in West Midlands in less than a year (25 June 2015)
A report from the West Midlands Police and Crime Panel has revealed that more than 600 new victims of female genital mutilation (FGM) have been identified in seven months in the West Midlands. Read more...
Daughter who “abandoned” elderly father to go on holiday challenges will at High Court (25 June 2015)
A woman who left her elderly father alone to go on holiday to Tenerife is challenging his will in the High Court, after he left his house to her sister. Read more...
New fathers “concerned about their own postnatal mental health” (25 June 2015)
New research by parenting charity NCT has revealed that two-fifths of new fathers have concerns about their own mental health following the birth of a child. Read more...
MP calls for ban on lorries at rush hour to prevent cyclist injuries and deaths (24 June 2015)
The Labour MP for Tottenham in north London, David Lammy, has said he would consider banning lorries from London’s roads to help keep cyclists safe if he becomes Mayor of London. Read more...
Inspection of HMP Pentonville reveals “shocking squalor” and culture of violence (24 June 2015)
A report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons has found “shocking” squalor at Pentonville prison in north London, with high levels of drug abuse and violence. Read more...
Suspended sentence and community order for mother who claimed £43,000 in benefit fraud (24 June 2015)
A hairdresser who falsely claimed £43,000 in benefits as a single mother was caught out when she posted her wedding photographs on social media, Mold Crown Court has heard. Read more...
Justice Secretary expected to call for reform of criminal courts in first speech (23 June 2015)
Michael Gove is expected to say in his first speech as Justice Secretary today (23/06/15) that victims of crime are being let down. Read more...
Swimmers taken to hospital after chlorine leak at holiday park (23 June 2015)
Emergency services were called to a holiday park in Great Yarmouth on Monday (22/06/15), after a chlorine leak was reported at the centre’s swimming pool. Read more...
Migrant salary changes will blight NHS and force nurses to leave UK (23 June 2015)
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said new immigration rules which demand that workers from non-EU countries earn a salary of at least £35,000 after six years of living in the UK, would “cause chaos” in the NHS. Read more...
Surge in number of domestic violence reports in Wolverhampton (23 June 2015)
Police in Wolverhampton have received thousands of reports of domestic violence, with almost 6,000 domestic violence incidents over the last year. Read more...
Motorist becomes first driver convicted of hogging the central lane (22 June 2015)
A motorist has become the first person to be convicted of “hogging “ the middle lane of a motorway when the slow lane was available. Read more...
Kidney transplant patient died after contracting swine flu in hospital (22 June 2015)
A Coroner has urged a hospital trust to take on board any lessons learned from the case of a father-of-two who died from swine flu in hospital following a kidney transplant. Read more...
15 years for woman who stamped husband to death over cigarette (22 June 2015)
A 61-year-old woman who stamped her husband to death over a row about cigarettes has been convicted of murder and jailed for a minimum of 15 years. Read more...
Brutal “slave owner” jailed for life for string of violent and sexual attacks (22 June 2015)
A man who kept a harem of female slaves and forced them to ensure violence and forced sex has been found guilty of 25 offences – including 13 counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, four counts of rape, two counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, two counts of indecent assault, two counts of common assault, and two counts of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Read more...
Fruit-packing boss facing jail, after two workers die in oxygen-deprived storage unit (22 June 2015)
The boss of a fruit-packing firm has been found guilty of manslaughter, after he sent two workers into an oxygen-deprived storage unit to select apples the right size for a competition. Read more...
Fred Olsen refunds passengers struck down with norovirus on board cruise ship (22 June 2015)
Passengers on a cruise with Fred Olsen Lines have been confined to their cabins after an outbreak of norovirus on board the Balmoral cruise ship. Read more...
Couple jailed for child neglect plead guilty to animal neglect (22 June 2015)
A Gloucestershire couple jailed last year for child neglect have pleaded guilty to animal neglect at Stroud Magistrates’ Court. Read more...
Eight-month jail sentence for Tube worker who made false rape allegations (22 June 2015)
A Tube worker who phoned police from outside a nightclub and falsely claimed she had been raped has been jailed for eight months. Read more...
Migration fuelling rough sleeping on London’s streets, says charity (22 June 2015)
Homeless charity St Mungo’s has said that a sharp rise in the number of people sleeping rough in London has in part been fuelled by migration – and in recent years, immigration from Romania. Read more...
£71,000 fine for recycling firm after worker loses part of arm (22 June 2015)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has successfully prosecuted a recycling firm, after an agency worker lost part of his arm in a conveyor belt he was maintaining. Read more...
Wales to invest £5 million a year for psychiatric liaison services (22 June 2015)
Spot checks on 22 mental health wards across Wales ordered by the Welsh Assembly Health Minister last year have found no evidence of systemic poor care – but room for improvement in patient care was found, BBC News reports. Read more...
Migrant quota talks to continue at EU summit (22 June 2015)
Discussions about the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean are due to continue at an EU summit this week, after EU ministers failed to reach agreement on a policy to tackle the crisis last week. Read more...
Replace affordable rents with living rents, says new report (22 June 2015)
A new report is calling for the existing affordable rents scheme to be replaced by a living rent scheme, under which the government would be asked to commit £3 billion a year to allow new homes to be let as social housing. Read more...
Parents claim medics placed secret “do not resuscitate” note on son’s records without telling them (22 June 2015)
An 18-year-old boy at the centre of a right-to-die court case was allowed to die by doctors who allegedly placed a “do not resuscitate” in case of heart attack note on his medical records without advising his parents. Read more...
Record level of counterfeit drugs seized by MHRA (22 June 2015)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as said it has seized a record number of counterfeit drugs entering the UK as a result of criminal gangs. Read more...
Drugs gang jailed for total of 154 years (19 June 2015)
Maidstone Crown Court had jailed a gang of nine men for 154years, after they were convicted of flooding the UK with heroin, cocaine and cannabis. Read more...
Private landlords “discriminated against” by DWP Universal Credit pilot (19 June 2015)
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has criticised the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for giving social housing landlords access to a helpline offering advice on Universal Credit, which it says discriminates against private sector landlords.
Read more...
20 injured in Army training incident on Salisbury Plain (18 June 2015)
The Army has confirmed that a number of personal have been seriously injured in a road traffic accident, which happened on Wednesday (17/06/15) during a joint training exercise between the British Army and the Indian military on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Read more...
UK sends six intelligence officers to Sicily to disrupt human traffickers (18 June 2015)
David Cameron is to send six British Intelligence Officers from the National Crime Agency to Sicily to disrupt human traffickers sending desperate migrants across the Mediterranean Sea. Read more...
Motorist prosecuted for being 13 times over drug driving limit (18 June 2015)
A young motorist has been found to be 13 times over the limit for drug driving – one of the worst ever drug-driving cases recorded. Read more...
50 percent rise in child sexual offences since 2008-09 (17 June 2015)
Children’s charity the NSPCC has said that the number of sex offences committed against children across England and Wales has risen again. Read more...
Law lecturer fighting Foxtons says other private sector landlords are coming forward over management fees (17 June 2015)
A law lecturer who is taking on estate agent Foxtons over its charges for managing a property he rents out has said many other landlords have now come forward with similar tales of being overcharged for managing agents’ fees. Read more...
Which report reveals scandal of NHS dentists carrying out extractions instead of fillings to cut costs (17 June 2015)
Undercover research by consumer group Which? and watchdog Healthwatch England has found that some dentists are wrongly claiming to offer NHS treatment and then telling patients they cannot have an NHS appointment for weeks. Read more...
NHS trust “learning lessons” from ignoring cancer patient’s fears disease had returned (17 June 2015)
A teenager who suspected her liver cancer had returned after Googling her symptoms died after doctors told her to stop researching her symptoms online and trust their judgement. Read more...
Protection order granted in case of three-year-old at risk of FGM (17 June 2015)
A three-year-old girl from South Yorkshire assessed as being at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) has been made a ward of court. Read more...
New drug driving laws net 400 new arrests a month (16 June 2015)
New figures from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) show that since the law on drug driving changed in March, more than 400 motorists are being arrested for the offence every month. Read more...
£2m homesharing scheme matches young renters to older homeowners with spare rooms (16 June 2015)
A new homesharing initiative is matching older homeowners with a spare room and young adults looking for affordable accommodation. Read more...
“Morbidly obese” motorist guilty of killing jogger pleads not to be sent to jail (16 June 2015)
A 30st motorist found guilty of causing the death of a man who was jogging along a road has pleaded with a judge not to jail her because she is “too fat” for prison. Read more...
Councils housing violent and sexual ex-offenders at hotels and guesthouses “without warning proprietors” (16 June 2015)
The landlady of a bed and breakfast has told the BBC that her local council’s policy of housing violent or sexual ex-offenders there is putting her and her guests at risk. Read more...
Asthma UK calls for GPs to monitor patient prescriptions more closely (16 June 2015)
An audit of 100,000 patient records by the charity Asthma UK has revealed that some asthma patients are not receiving the appropriate medication to keep their condition safely under control – and many had been prescribed the wrong inhalers. Read more...
UN calls for UK to accept more migrants, as Italy proposes refugee processing centres in Libya (15 June 2015)
The United Nations (UN) has said the UK must take more migrants from Africa and the Middle East, as thousands of refugees stream across the Syria-Turkey border and cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy. Read more...
Child protection officers investigating a new report of child abuse linked to “sexting” every day (15 June 2015)
Child protection officers are investigating at least one new case of child abuse a day as a result of the craze of “sexting” among very young teenagers. Read more...
Million-pound compensation payout expected, after trust failed to reveal autistic boy’s disability was caused by medical negligence at birth (15 June 2015)
A court has been told that the parents of an autistic boy only learned that his condition had been caused by medical negligence after they applied for a Blue Badge disabled parking permit for their car. < Read more...
Knife crime in London peaked in March (15 June 2015)
Tottenham MP David Lammy has criticised London Mayor Boris Johnson for failing in his pledge to tackle knife crime in the capital. Read more...
Retrial for couple charged with outraging public decency (15 June 2015)
A couple accused of performing a sex act during a concert in London’s Hyde Park in September 2014 are to face a retrial, after an Old Bailey jury failed to reach a verdict. Read more...
1,353 private rental homes for to be built across London, says Housing Minister (15 June 2015)
Government Housing Minister Brandon Lewis has announced that more than 1,000 new homes are to be built across London for the private rental sector. Read more...
Sham marriages and immigration fraud “growing at an alarming rate” (15 June 2015)
New figures from the Home Office show a steep rise in sham marriages and immigration fraud in the last year to March 2015, with more than 2,900 sham marriage operations, resulting in at least 1,700 arrests – and more than 600 removals from the UK. Read more...
Gas servicing firm fined £13,000 after poorly maintained boiler explodes on school premises (15 June 2015)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a gas servicing firm for negligence and safety failings, after a boiler exploded in the basement of a primary school in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Read more...
Property developer fined £50,000 after exposing workers to asbestos risk (15 June 2015)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has successfully prosecuted a property developer, after exposing workers to potentially deadly asbestos fibres during the conversion of an office block into residential flats in Witham, Essex. Read more...
GMC and RCS to issue new guidance on cosmetics surgeons (15 June 2015)
New guidelines from the General Medical Council (GMC) suggest that cosmetic surgery patients should be allowed a “cooling off” period to enable them to make an informed decision without being pressurised into having cosmetic procedures. Read more...
UK Immigration Cap Reached for Non-EU Skilled Workers (12 June 2015)
The government’s immigration cap for non-EU skilled workers has been hit for the first time, thus blocking the arrival of nurses, doctors and teachers the BBC Reports. Read more...
16-year jail sentence for forced marriage in first ever prosecution (12 June 2015)
A 34-year-old man from Cardiff in South Wales has become the first person to be prosecuted under laws banning forced marriage, which were introduced in the UK in 2014. Read more...
Illegal migrants found at Harwich in the process of being deported (12 June 2015)
Immigration Minister James Brokenshire has confirmed that 15 illegal immigrants who smuggled themselves into the UK inside washing machines in a lorry have been deported. Read more...
High Court rules that Home Office Delays in Issuing EU Documentation Unlawful in landmark Duncan Lewis test case (12 June 2015)
There is good news for those forced to wait for lengthy periods of time for the Home Office to issue applicants with EU documentation confirming their right to reside in the UK. Read more...
HSE prosecutes roofing firm for failing to prevent falls from height at work (11 June 2015)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has success fully prosecuted a roofing firm boss, after four workers were put at risk of serious injury from falls while refurbishing a roof. Read more...
Divorcing couple settle after judge warns court costs could double (11 June 2015)
A property developer has agreed to pay his ex-wife £1.6 million, after a judge warned him that costs would “probably double” if they continued their divorce battle in court. Read more...
Fred Olsen Lines denies Norovirus outbreak started on board cruise liner (11 June 2015)
Passengers who fell ill on board a Fred Olsen Lines cruise ship to Norway and the Fjords say that the cruise had to be cut short so that the vessel could undergo deep cleaning before the next cruise. Read more...
High Court judge says newly-arrived immigrant families should not be penalised for smacking their children (10 June 2015)
A judge in the Family Division has said that parents from immigrant families should be allowed to slap their children when they first arrive in the UK, adding that, “Proper allowance must be made for... a different cultural context”. Read more...
Mum and son missing after family court awards custody to father (10 June 2015)
A 35-year-old woman from Somerset and her three-year-old son have gone missing after a judge in the Family Division ruled that the boy should live with his father. Read more...
Suspended sentence and five-year driving ban for 90-year-old motorist, after motorcyclist dies in road crash (10 June 2015)
A 90-year-old motorist has been sentenced after he admitted causing death by driving without due care and attention. Read more...
P&O deny passenger contracted Shigella on board cruise liner (10 June 2015)
P&O Cruises has denied that a 50-year-old woman whose wedding anniversary was ruined when she developed symptoms of Shigella contracted the illness on board the Azura cruise liner. Read more...
Teacher cleared of historic rape charge (10 June 2015)
A part-time violin teacher who admitted to having a number of consensual but inappropriate sexual relationships with pupils has been cleared of one charge relating to allegations he raped a girl in a car in the 1980s. Read more...
Indeterminate prisoner’s suffer as their detention becomes arbitrary (9 June 2015)
A variety of cases are coming to the attention of the courts whereby public bodies, namely the Parole Board and Prison estate are acting unlawfully and unfairly to jeopardise progression for prisoners consequently prolonging their detention. In some cases this detention is becoming unlawful in breach of prisoner’s human rights. Read more...
Public Health Bill in Wales will make it an offence to “hand over” tobacco and e-cigarettes to children (9 June 2015)
A new Public Health Bill in Wales will see e-cigarettes banned in enclosed spaces such as offices, workplaces and bars and restaurants – and tattoo parlours and piercing salons will also be required to obtain a licence. Read more...
Law lecturer landlord to sue over managing agent’s repair bill (9 June 2015)
A landlord in the private sector is preparing to sue his agents who manage the property he rents out, after he discovered he had been charged £616 for a contractor replacing a light fitting at the property, when the work only cost £412.50. Read more...
Dog attacks in London rise by 50% in one year (9 June 2015)
New figures from the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime show dog attacks in London have risen by half as much again in just 12 months. Read more...
£3,150 payout by Thomas Cook to holidaymaker who fell ill in Egypt (9 June 2015)
A 62-year-old holidaymaker from Derbyshire who fell ill with food poisoning symptoms in Egypt has received £3,150 in compensation from Thomas Cook. Read more...
Royal Navy says up to 500,000 refugees waiting to cross from Libya to EU (8 June 2015)
Senior Royal Navy officers leading Britain^s Mediterranean rescue mission off the Libyan coast have said that up to 500,000 refugees are collecting off Libya, waiting to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Europe. Read more...
Yarl’s Wood protesters call for immigration detention centre to be shut (8 June 2015)
Campaigners who attended a protest against Yarl’s Wood immigration detention centre are calling for the centre to be closed immediately. Read more...
Negligence allegations over Egypt hot air balloon holiday accident (8 June 2015)
A report by Egypt’s Civil Aviation Authority has concluded that a hot air balloon which exploded over the West Bank of Luxor in Egypt in February 2013 suffered a fuel leak resulting from a gas hose connection fault. Read more...
“Substantial” personal injury claims likely after Alton Towers crash (8 June 2015)
A teenager seriously injured in the Alton Towers Smiler ride crash is expected to make a claim for “substantial” damages, her legal team say. Read more...
Inquest hears how paramedics battled to save soldier who collapsed during SAS selection exercise (8 June 2015)
An inquest in the West Midlands into the deaths of three soldiers on an SAS selection exercise has heard how an Army medic had not been told that the exercise should be halted after one soldier collapsed and died from heat-related illness on Brecon Beacon in Wales. Read more...
School operator and contractor prosecuted, after worker is left wheelchair bound after tree felling accident (8 June 2015)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has successfully prosecuted a school operator and a cleaning contractor, after a 59-year-old contractor sustained permanent spinal injuries, while felling a tree on school grounds in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Read more...
Leicester Council’s social housing changes may prejudice new migrants’ chances of getting a council home (8 June 2015)
Changes in the allocation of council housing in Leicestershire have prompted some opponents to claim the plans will disadvantage new migrants to the city. Read more...
Whistleblower at mental health trust fears staff cannot keep patients safe” because of cuts (8 June 2015)
Concerned staff at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) have told BBC News that staff at the trust are “firefighting” to keep mental health patients safe. Read more...
DVPNs issued in Cheshire “protecting more vulnerable people from harm” (8 June 2015)
New figures show that the area of Halton in Cheshire has seen more Domestic Violence Protection Notices (DVPN) handed out over the last year than any other area of the county. Read more...
Mail order drugs gang jailed at Bolton Crown Court (8 June 2015)
Bolton Crown Court has jailed a drugs gang operating from old warehouses, which supplied drugs worth more than £3 million via a website called Wide Mouth Frogs.
Read more...
Residential Landlords Association calls for urgent meeting over EU ruling on VAT (8 June 2015)
The European Court of Justice has announced that insulation for rental housing in the private sector will no longer be eligible for the lower 5% VAT charged on energy efficiency products – which will now legally only apply to insulation products used for social housing. Read more...
Six-month injunction after teenager attacks neighbour on traveller caravan site (8 June 2015)
Housing provider Salix Homes has successfully won an injunction against a teenager from a traveller family who attacked a neighbour.< Read more...
“Adoptable” toddler removed from parents, after social services allege they smoked cigarettes around him (8 June 2015)
A couple whose two-year-old son was taken away by social services and will be put up for adoption because they were smokers has spoken out about an alleged “pack of lies” child protection workers told to remove their blond, blue-eyed “adoptable” baby son. Read more...
Former Home Secretary refused to ban paedophile group PIE (8 June 2015)
It has been reported that former Home Secretary Leon Brittan – who held the position under Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government – refused to ban the paedophile support group Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE) while he was in office. Read more...
£3.3m for ex-wife who took lawyer husband to court over settlement (8 June 2015)
The ex-wife of a wealth US lawyer has won a £3.3 million share of his £6m fortune after a long court battle. Read more...
Positive report for G4S-run immigration removal centre (5 June 2015)
An immigration removal centre near Gatwick Airport – where families are detailed while claiming asylum in the UK or before being deported – has been praised by inspectors. Read more...
Transsexual man loses legal battle for contact with former partner’s autistic daughter (5 June 2015)
A transsexual man has gone to court for the right to have contact with a nine-year-old girl – the daughter of his former partner, who is a lesbian. Read more...
EU Migration Commissioner proposes for “new ways” of admitting asylum seekers to European Union (4 June 2015)
The EU’s Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos has said that the EU is ready to discuss new ways of admitting asylum seekers to the EU and distributing them across EU member states. Read more...
London council to fine rough sleepers (4 June 2015)
Hackney Council in east London is to introduce new rules on rough sleeping in the borough, to try and reduce the amount of antisocial behaviour associated with rough sleepers. Read more...
Restraining order for nuisance neighbour who waged four-year campaign against neighbours (4 June 2015)
A housing association tenant has been convicted of harassment, after taunting neighbours about their weight and throwing slimming magazine articles into their garden. Read more...
Grand Chamber to review whole life sentence of notorious killer (4 June 2015)
The European Court of Human Rights has agreed to re-examine the whole life sentence of one of the UK’s most notorious killers, Arthur Hutchinson. Read more...
Calls for blood test to show whether rape victims were too intoxicated to give consent (4 June 2015)
A former Lord Advocate in Scotland has called for a change in consent law to cover cases where one party may be too intoxicated to give consent to sexual relations. Read more...
New research suggests older homeowners with “downsizing dreams” could help ease housing crisis (3 June 2015)
New research from Legal & General and Cebr has suggested that a successful downsizing policy for last-time buyers – those who have retired and whose families have left home – may go some way to resolving the housing crisis in the UK. Read more...
Four passengers critically injured on Alton Towers rollercoaster (3 June 2015)
Alton Towers leisure park in Staffordshire is to remain closed during an investigation into a rollercoaster crash, which left four people with potentially life changing injuries. Read more...
Hackney council investigation into bribery and corruption allegations (3 June 2015)
The Metropolitan Police are investigating allegations of bribery and corruption at Hackney Council’s affiliated housing organisation, Hackney Homes.< Read more...
DoH issues guidance to GPs on advising families that FGM is illegal (2 June 2015)
The Department of Health (DoH) is to issue an information pack to GPs setting out the law surrounding female genital mutilation (FGM) – and asking them to warn families that in the UK, FGM is illegal. Read more...
Met Police tasering children and the elderly (2 June 2015)
New figures obtained under a Freedom of Information request have revealed that the Metropolitan Police have aimed Tasers at suspects as young as 13 –and also people over the age of 80. Read more...
Criminal Bar Association votes for more action over Legal Aid reforms (2 June 2015)
The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has voted “overwhelmingly” for direct action in protest at the government’s cuts to Legal Aid. Read more...
Right-to-Buy extension may cause London to lose 16,400 council homes (2 June 2015)
New research shows that more than 16,000 homes in inner London are likely to be lost under the government’s new Right-to-Buy scheme, which is being extended to housing association properties. Read more...
Trainee Royal Marine dies in training exercise on Dartmoor (1 June 2015)
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that a trainee Royal Marine has collapsed and died on a training exercise on Dartmoor. Read more...
MHRA denies HPV vaccine is linked to debilitating illness in schoolgirls (1 June 2015)
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has revealed that 8,228 young girls who were given a routine HPV injection to protect them from developing cervical cancer have developed a debilitating illness, with some left having to use a wheelchair. Read more...
NHS pays out £108m compensation for patient deaths caused by medical negligence (1 June 2015)
Figures from the National Health Service Litigation Authority (NHSLA) show that the NHS has paid out £108 million in compensation to families whose loved ones have died as a result of medical negligence – with around 20 families every week receiving compensation from the health service. Read more...
Asylum seeker released after being detained four times (1 June 2015)
A bisexual man from Jamaica who is fighting to remain in the UK has been released after being detained in an immigration detention centre by the Home Office on four occasions. Read more...
North Wales mental health unit “failed patients” (1 June 2015)
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) has said that scrutiny at a mental health unit in North Wales had “failed to detect and respond to the concerns at an early enough point”. Read more...
High Court grants injunction to prevent immediate closure of care home for EMI residents (1 June 2015)
The High Court has issued an injunction to halt the closure of a specialist hospital unit for patients with dementia, mental health conditions and who are infirm. Read more...
Property company fined after roofers are seen working without safety equipment (1 June 2015)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has successfully prosecuted a property company, after workers were spotted working at height in dangerous conditions. Read more...
London council prosecuted after exposing employees and contractor to asbestos (1 June 2015)
The London Borough of Waltham Forest has been prosecuted for breaches of health and safety relating to the management of asbestos over a number of years. Read more...
A woman who underwent laser surgery to treat ingrown hairs on her chin was left scarred after the procedure burned her skin. (1 June 2015)
Health manager Vanda, 55, from Ilford in east London said the beauty therapist who treated her said she might feel uncomfortable as the treatment started – but she that as the treatment began she felt “unbearable” pain. Read more...
Greater Manchester Police stage antisocial behaviour crackdown (1 June 2015)
Greater Manchester Police took part in a crack down on antisocial behaviour in Manchester on Friday (29/05/15) night in response to reports that a gang of up to 100 “unruly” youths were causing problems for local residents and businesses. Read more...
Banning legal highs “will drive dealers underground” (1 June 2015)
Government plans to ban all legal highs have raised concerns among those who sell legal highs that the industry will be pushed underground and will continue to operate. Read more...
Paper counterpart of driving licence ends 8 June (1 June 2015)
The DVLA is reminding drivers that after 8 June the paper counterpart of the driving licence will no longer have legal status – and motorists should destroy the paper counterpart after that date, unless they live in Northern Ireland, which is not affected by the change. Read more...
London boroughs claim extended Right to Buy will deny London families council homes (1 June 2015)
A report by four London boroughs has claimed that the government’s plans to introduce Right to Buy for housing association tenants means that hundreds of London families would “lose out” on the chance to live in a council home. Read more...
London Rental Standard Database fails to attract support from landlords (1 June 2015)
The Mayor of London’s initiative to regulate the private sector rental market in London has failed to sign up London landlords to the scheme. Read more...