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More than £750million of taxpayers’ money has been spent on providing homes for asylum seekers over the past four years, Whitehall figures revealed last night.
The huge sum lavished on council houses and other social homes for the families of foreign nationals claiming asylum here was disclosed in statistics released by the Home Office.
And the expenditure on accommodating claimants has been handed out while around 1.8million people – largely British-born – are languishing on waiting lists for council houses.
The latest figures, released in response to a Parliamentary Written Question from Tory frontbencher Grant Shapps, showed a total of £752million has been paid by the Home Office to social housing organisations since 2006. The figures show that £51.1million was paid to Glasgow City Council to provide homes for asylum seekers over the period.
Liverpool City Council was paid £14.3million, Nottingham City Council was paid £19million and Cardiff City Council was paid £14.5million.
Millions more were paid by the Home Office to housing associations and private property firms including Clearsprings, Angel Group and United Property Management.
"Manifesto Pledges are Not Subject to Legitimate Expectation" Gordon Brown 2008
Last night, angry critics said the figures were a massive blow to Gordon Brown’s pledge to put local families at the front of the queue for public services. Mr Shapps, Shadow Minister for Housing, said: “Gordon Brown’s pledge of British homes for British families has been exposed as an utter sham.
“We wouldn’t be running the risk of straining community relations had this Government not spent 13 years failing to build the homes we need.”
Matthew Elliott, of campaign group the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “The asylum system is clearly flawed, and lets down both taxpayers and asylum seekers alike.
“For a start, the time taken to process applications is far too long, meaning that by the time many cases are rejected the claimants have already run up a large bill for accommodation.
“Even when a case is approved, the default policy seems to be to place people on benefits for the long term, whereas we should be helping and encouraging everyone to learn English and get work.”
Separate Home Office figures showed that there were more than 24,000 asylum seeker families living in council accommodation at the end of last year.
Expenditure on social housing for asylum seekers has nearly doubled from around £132million in 2007-08 to £230million last year.
Immigration minister Phil Woolas said: “It is an absolute priority that accommodation for asylum seekers provides taxpayers value for money.
“The Government is determined to reduce asylum costs, which is why support levels have halved in the past six years.”
A man with learning difficulties was 'tormented to death' during 17 years of abuse by feral children.
Climate change? carbon footprints?
What global warming?
Ministerial limousines have driven politicians 2.6 million miles in the last year – a rise of 10 per cent of the previous 12 months, new figures reveal.
The cost of running the Government Car Service has gone up by almost two fifths over the last five years – despite edicts to members of the public to find other ways of travelling than by car.
All ministers are entitled to a car to ferry them on official business and home at night.
The car service cost £14.8 million last year, up from £14 million in 2007-08. Miles travelled rose from 2.4 million to 2.6 million – the equivalent of 11 trips to the moon.
Grant Shapps, the Conservative MP who uncovered the figures said: “At a time when most people were tightening their belts it’s as if ministers have been living on another planet."
He added that the Conservatives are committing to cutting the car poll by a third, if they win the election.
David Cameron, the Conservative leader, has taken his inspiration for the cull from Chris Mullin, the former Labour minister who served under Tony Blair. Mr Mullen decided he wanted to eschew his ministerial car unless it was totally necessary, but came up against a bureaucracy that made it almost impossible.
In Mr Mullin’s diaries he recounts how when he was appointed environment minister he spent a lot of time arguing that he did not need to use an official car. However, he encountered resistance from Whitehall because the system meant drivers were heavily dependent on overtime and also that his own department lost money if he turned down the car.
THE British National Party will contest Burnham’s seat at the forthcoming General Election, it has been confirmed.
The right-wing party has selected Richard Boyce to contest the Wells constituency seat – which includes Burnham - for the BNP.
Local issues of concern for Mr Boyce will include lack of housing for local residents, the gradual erosion of law and order with an increase in anti-social behaviour, growing unemployment and house-building on our precious green spaces.
Three Labour MPs accused of expenses fraud pleaded not guilty when they appeared in court for the first time on Thursday.
The MPs, Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine, face charges of theft by false accounting.
Appearing in the dock before City of Westminster Magistrates' Court they told District Judge Timothy Workman they denied any wrongdoing.
Their prosecution, at a court a short distance from Parliament, is the first to result from the Westminster expenses scandal.
All three MPs were released on unconditional bail and ordered to appear at Southwark Crown Court on March 30.
District Judge Workman declined jurisdiction and agreed with an application by the defence for the case to be heard at the Crown Court.
Mr Knowles said the case raised issues of constitutional importance and it was right that it should be tested at the higher court.
The three politicians gathered in a consultation room after the hearing to speak to their legal team.
Ahead of the court appearance new details of the charges against the three MPs and a Tory peer were revealed.
Mr Chaytor, 60, of Todmorden, Lancashire, is accused of providing false information on an allowances form under the Theft Act 1968.
The charge states he falsely claimed rents between September 2005 and August 2006 for 152 Hide Tower, Regency Street, London, from Sarah Elizabeth.
It added he claimed £12,925 by lodging a claim for £1,175 a month in rent when he was in fact the owner of the premises.
A second charge stated that on or about May 19, 2006, he dishonestly filed two invoices for computer IT services worth £975.
The court document added they purported to show the services had been provided in February and March 2006 by Paul France.
A third charge stated that between November 2005 and September 2006 he dishonestly made use of a short-hold tenancy agreement in a claim form.
This showed that between August 2007 and January 2008 he rented Delph Cottage, Castle Street, Summerseat, Bury, from Olive Trickett for £775 a month plus a month deposit.
The charge added that Mrs Trickett was his mother and it was not permissible to lease accommodation from a family member. The total sum claimed was £5,425.
Mr Devine, 56, of West Main Street, Bathgate, West Lothian, is accused of falsely claiming costs for parliamentary duties in March 2009.
The charge sheet alleged he submitted two misleading invoices worth a total of £5,505 for services provided by Armstrong Printing Limited.
A second charge alleged that between July 2008 and May 2009 he dishonestly claimed allowances for repair, insurance or security.
The document alleges he intended to gain by submitting false invoices for services, cleaning and maintenance worth £3,240.
The services were allegedly provided between April 2009 and March 2010 by Tom O'Donnell Hygiene and Cleaning Services.
Mr Morley, 57, of West Street, Winterton, North Lincolnshire, is accused of falsely claiming a furnishing allowance between March 2006 and November 2007.
The charge sheet alleged he submitted a deceptive mortgage application.
This showed £800 mortgage monthly interest was charged by the Cheltenham and Gloucester when in fact the mortgage was paid off. A total overpayment of £16,000 was made.
A second charge alleged that between April 2004 and February 2006 Morley made a further false mortgage interest claim.
Again he is accused of claiming £800 a month, a total overpayment of £14,428.67.
Lord Hanningfield, also known as Paul White, 69, of West Hanningfield, Chelmsford, Essex, faced six charges.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between in March 2006, May 2007, April 2008, July 2008, May 2009 and April 2009.
One charge stated that on or about April 1, 2009, at Westminster, he made a dishonest claim for travelling allowances.
It stated Lord Hanningfield ''purported to show that you were entitled to be paid expenses when the conditions entitled you to payment of such expenses had not been fulfilled''.
The three MPs left court without commenting to journalists.
They got into a waiting black cab accompanied by their lawyers and escorted by police officers.
"He warned that a ''perverse situation'' could arise where the armed forces were fighting for people in foreign countries to have the vote but could not cast a ballot themselves."
Gordon Brown has been asked for assurances that service personnel overseas will be able to vote in the coming General Election.
During Prime Minister's Questions, Richard Benyon, a Tory MP and former soldier, said postal trials by the Army Families Federation had revealed limitations in the current arrangements.
He warned that a ''perverse situation'' could arise where the armed forces were fighting for people in foreign countries to have the vote but could not cast a ballot themselves.
''It is unlikely that the vast majority of our armed forces serving overseas will be able to vote in the coming election,'' Mr Benyon said.
''Will you intervene to ensure that we don't have the perverse situation that we have people fighting abroad for others to have the right to vote but we are denying that right (to them).''
Mr Brown said Justice Secretary Jack Straw was making the ''best arrangements possible'' to ensure service personnel overseas would be able to cast their vote.
And he said: ''It is absolutely right that everyone should have the chance to cast their vote in every election.''
Members of the armed forces are able to register as a ''service voter'', linking them to a fixed address in the UK for three years to allow flexibility when posted overseas.
Those abroad on election day can apply to vote by post or proxy, though the Electoral Commission recommends service personnel to appoint a proxy.
The body's website says: ''If you're based abroad, you need to be aware that, due to election timetables, you may not receive your ballot paper until shortly before election day.
''Depending on where you're based, there may not be enough time for you to return your ballot before voting closes (10pm on election day), so voting by post may not be the best way for you to vote.
''In these circumstances we would encourage you to appoint a proxy in the UK to vote on your behalf.''
Rugfish - Green Arrow & Friends
The Telegraph said;
"Muslim Europe: the demographic time bomb transforming our continent"
"The EU is facing an era of vast social change, and few politicians are taking notice"
"Europe's low white birth rate, coupled with faster multiplying migrants, will change fundamentally what we take to mean by European culture and society."
The Full Article was written and produced before Free Speech was banned in Britain and the EU under IMRAX
Since then, no British politician except Mr Nick Griffin MEP, has spoken about these dangers, and despite many other politicians speak about these dangers in Australia, America and Europe, this government, with its adherence to the IMRAX code, REFUSES to tell you the truth about your country, whilst David Cameron himself, a candidate for Ministerial Office, supports the UAF which is permeating LIES and PROPAGANDA about the British National Party and Mr Nick Griffin and has attacked an innocent man with a claw-hammer because he dared to hold a conscience for his country and have the audacity to speak the truth about ISLAM.
The Telegraph Wrote:
Britain and the rest of the European Union are ignoring a demographic time bomb: a recent rush into the EU by migrants, including millions of Muslims, will change the continent beyond recognition over the next two decades, and almost no policy-makers are talking about it.
The numbers are startling. Only 3.2 per cent of Spain's population was foreign-born in 1998. In 2007 it was 13.4 per cent. Europe's Muslim population has more than doubled in the past 30 years and will have doubled again by 2015. In Brussels, the top seven baby boys' names recently were Mohamed, Adam, Rayan, Ayoub, Mehdi, Amine and Hamza.
Europe's low white birth rate, coupled with faster multiplying migrants, will change fundamentally what we take to mean by European culture and society. The altered population mix has far-reaching implications for education, housing, welfare, labour, the arts and everything in between. It could have a critical impact on foreign policy: a study was submitted to the US Air Force on how America's relationship with Europe might evolve. Yet EU officials admit that these issues are not receiving the attention they deserve.
Jerome Vignon, the director for employment and social affairs at the European Commission, said that the focus of those running the EU had been on asylum seekers and the control of migration rather than the integration of those already in the bloc. "It has certainly been underestimated - there is a general rhetoric that social integration of migrants should be given as much importance as monitoring the inflow of migrants." But, he said, the rhetoric had rarely led to policy.
The countries of the EU have long histories of welcoming migrants, but in recent years two significant trends have emerged. Migrants have come increasingly from outside developed economies, and they have come in accelerating numbers.
The growing Muslim population is of particular interest. This is not because Muslims are the only immigrants coming into the EU in large numbers; there are plenty of entrants from all points of the compass. But Muslims represent a particular set of issues beyond the fact that atrocities have been committed in the West in the name of Islam.
America's Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, part of the non-partisan Pew Research Center, said in a report: "These [EU] countries possess deep historical, cultural, religious and linguistic traditions. Injecting hundreds of thousands, and in some cases millions, of people who look, speak and act differently into these settings often makes for a difficult social fit."
How dramatic are the population changes? Everyone is aware that certain neighbourhoods of certain cities in Europe are becoming more Muslim, and that the change is gathering pace. But raw details are hard to come by as the data is sensitive: many countries in the EU do not collect population statistics by religion.
EU numbers on general immigration tell a story on their own. In the latter years of the 20th century, the 27 countries of the EU attracted half a million more people a year than left. "Since 2002, however," the latest EU report says, "net migration into the EU has roughly tripled to between 1.6 million and two million people per year."
The increased pace has made a nonsense of previous forecasts. In 2004 the EU thought its population would decline by 16 million by 2050. Now it thinks it will increase by 10 million by 2060. Britain is expected to become the most populous EU country by 2060, with 77 million inhabitants. Right now it has 20 million fewer people than Germany. Italy's population was expected to fall precipitously; now it is predicted to stay flat.
The study for the US Air Force by Leon Perkowski in 2006 found that there were at least 15 million Muslims in the EU, and possibly as many as 23 million. They are not uniformly distributed, of course. According to the US's Migration Policy Institute, residents of Muslim faith will account for more than 20 per cent of the EU population by 2050 but already do so in a number of cities. Whites will be in a minority in Birmingham by 2026, says Christopher Caldwell, an American journalist, and even sooner in Leicester. Another forecast holds that Muslims could outnumber non-Muslims in France and perhaps in all of western Europe by mid-century. Austria was 90 per cent Catholic in the 20th century but Islam could be the majority religion among Austrians aged under 15 by 2050, says Mr Caldwell.
Projected growth rates are a disputed area. Birth rates can be difficult to predict and migrant numbers can ebb and flow. But Karoly Lorant, a Hungarian economist who wrote a paper for the European Parliament, calculates that Muslims already make up 25 per cent of the population in Marseilles and Rotterdam, 20 per cent in Malmo, 15 per cent in Brussels and Birmingham and 10 per cent in London, Paris and Copenhagen.
Recent polls have tended to show that the feared radicalisation of Europe's Muslims has not occurred. That gives hope that the newcomers will integrate successfully. Nonetheless, second and third generations of Muslims show signs of being harder to integrate than their parents. Policy Exchange, a British study group, found that more than 70 per cent of Muslims over 55 felt that they had as much in common with non-Muslims as Muslims. But this fell to 62 per cent of 16-24 year-olds.
The population changes are stirring unease on the ground. Europeans often tell pollsters that they have had enough immigration, but politicians largely avoid debate.
France banned the wearing of the hijab veil in schools and stopped the wearing of large crosses and the yarmulke too, so making it harder to argue that the law was aimed solely at Muslims. Britain has strengthened its laws on religious hatred. But these are generally isolated pieces of legislation.
Into the void has stepped a resurgent group of extreme-Right political parties, among them the British National Party, which gained two seats at recent elections to the European Parliament. Geert Wilders, the Dutch politician who speaks against Islam and was banned this year from entering Britain, has led opinion polls in Holland.
The Pew Forum identified the mainstream silence in 2005: "The fact that [extreme parties] have risen to prominence at all speaks poorly about the state and quality of the immigration debate. [Scholars] have argued that European elites have yet to fully grapple with the broader issues of race and identity surrounding Muslims and other groups for fear of being seen as politically incorrect."
The starting point should be greater discussion of integration. Does it matter at all? Yes, claims Mr Vignon at the European Commission. Without it, polarisation and ghettoes can result. "It's bad because it creates antagonism. It antagonises poor people against other poor people: people with low educational attainment feel threatened," he says.
The EU says employment rates for non-EU nationals are lower than for nationals, which holds back economic advancement and integration. One important reason for this is a lack of language skills. The Migration Policy Institute says that, in 2007, 28 per cent of children born in England and Wales had at least one foreign-born parent. That rose to 54 per cent in London. Overall in 2008, 14.4 per cent of children in primary schools had a language other than English as their first language.
Muslims, who are a hugely diverse group, have so far shown little inclination to organise politically on lines of race or religion. But that does not mean their voices are being ignored. Germany started to reform its voting laws 10 years ago, granting certain franchise rights to the large Turkish population. It would be odd if that did not alter the country's stance on Turkey's application to join the EU. Mr Perkowski's study says: "Faced with rapidly growing, disenfranchised and increasingly politically empowered Muslim populations within the borders of some of its oldest and strongest allies, the US could be faced with ever stronger challenges to its Middle East foreign policies."
Demography will force politicians to confront these issues sooner rather than later. Recently, some have started to nudge the debate along. Angel Gurría, the OECD secretary-general, said in June: "Migration is not a tap that can be turned on and off at will. We need fair and effective migration and integration policies; policies that work and adjust to both good economic times and bad ones."
rugfish Wrote:
Cameron, you are a Prize Pri~k of the highest order!
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Alan and Ann Keen committed a “serious breach” of Commons rules by claiming second home allowances while effectively only having one home, John Lyon, the parliamentary standards commissioner, said this morning.
The couple both claimed public funds for the central London apartment while their house in Brentford – itself just nine miles away from Parliament – was uninhabitable.
MPs are allowed to claim £24,000 a year to cover the cost of running a second home that they need to work in both Westminster and their constituencies.
Until next month this includes those in outer London constituencies such as Mr Keen, who is MP for Feltham & Heston, and Mrs Keen, MP for Brentford & Isleworth.
The couple both told Commons officials that a house in Mrs Keen’s constituency was their “main home” while a £500,000 Thames-side flat was their “second home”.
This allowed them to claim about £250,000 in public funds to cover mortgage interest payments and other costs of living in the flat after they bought it in May 2002.
However, in May 2008 extensive building work began on the house in Brentford, which drastically reduced the amount of time the couple spent there.
The couple say that the building work did not go “according to plan” and in December 2008 they boarded up the house.
They admit that they did not stay there again until October 2009 – by which time the property had been occupied by squatters – yet continued to claim second home allowances for their London flat.
In his report Mr Lyon said: “This is in my view a serious breach of the rules involving significant public funds.”
He described the fact that officials in the Commons fees office told the couple they could continue claiming allowances as a “mitigating factor”.
However he concluded: “Members are responsible for their own actions and I consider that both Members were equally responsible for what I regard as a serious misjudgement.
He said that they should not have claimed allowances for the ten months in which the property was uninhabitable, but chose to focus particularly the four months between June and October 2009 when it was occupied.
His conslusion was also watered down by the Standards and Privileges Committee, the controversial group of MPs that he reports to, which oversee the conduct of their colleagues.
The committee said: “While we would normally agree with the Commissioner on the seriousness of a misjudgment of this kind, in the exceptional circumstances of this case we take a more lenient view.”
It said that the Keens, who have already repaid £2,644, should repay another £1,500 of the money they claimed during the four months in question.
A fifth Labour MP is being investigated by police over his expenses, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.
The Metropolitan Police has begun a criminal inquiry into Harry Cohen after he claimed more than £70,000 for a “second home” while renting out his main property.
Today, three other MPs, Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine, will appear in court for the first time after being charged last month with multiple offences under the Theft Act.
Detectives are also investigating Eric Illsley, the MP for Barnsley, after he allegedly made “phantom” claims for council tax.
Over the past few weeks, the Met police are understood to have approached the House of Commons authorities seeking documents relating to claims made by Mr Cohen, making him the fifth Labour MP to be the subject of a criminal investigation since The Daily Telegraph exposed the expenses scandal last year.
The Labour MP has already been heavily censured by the parliamentary authorities.
Mr Cohen has not yet been interviewed by officers, it is believed.
Between 2004 and 2009, Mr Cohen told the parliamentary authorities that his main home was in Colchester and his second home in his constituency in Wanstead, east London.
According to House of Commons rules, MPs must spend the majority of their time in their main home if they want to claim expenses for another property.
However, during part of this period – including the entire 2005-06 financial year – Mr Cohen, 60, rented out the Colchester property to tenants. In total, he made a gross income of £27,000 by renting out the house, while living in his second home.
The MP defended the claims by saying that his wife had fallen ill and was unable to travel.
He said that, in order to care for her and attend to constituency business, he had to live most of the time in east London. He said that he always intended to return to his “main home”, adding: “I consider it a home of beauty… I feel that angels reside there.”
In the meantime, he spent thousands of pounds renovating the constituency property, including spending £1,741 on granite kitchen worktops, £3,131 on plastering and £1,470 on decorations. He is now attempting to sell his designated second home for £475,000 — £100,000 more than he paid for it.
John Lyon, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, said that Mr Cohen’s claims represented a “particularly serious breach of the rules”. The MP apologised and said he “would not intentionally have wanted to do anything to tarnish Parliament’s reputation”.
The MP has announced that he will retire at the next election but his “golden” parachute payment of £64,766 will be withheld as punishment for his dubious expense claims.
The decision by the police to investigate an MP already censured by the parliamentary authorities is likely to prove controversial.
Other MPs have argued that it is for Parliament, not the courts, to punish politicians found to have abused their expense claims.
However, a well-placed Whitehall source said: “There is nothing to stop the Metropolitan Police becoming involved in potentially serious cases of abuse. The fact that Cohen has already been punished by some sort of parliamentary quasi court is not an issue which is causing Scotland Yard any problem.”
The Daily Telegraph has learnt that Mr Morley, Mr Chaytor and Mr Devine will today set out their case to have the charges against them thrown out. In the unprecedented appearance before Westminster magistrates, their solicitor will read a statement arguing that they are protected from prosecution by parliamentary privilege. Lord Hanningfield, a Conservative peer, will also appear in court after being charged over his House of Lords claims.
The grim truth about Labour’s education policy was laid bare yesterday after it emerged the number of schools branded “inadequate” more than doubled in just six months.
Ofsted inspectors classed one in 10 in the lowest category last autumn compared to one in 25 in the previous inspection. And the number of “outstanding” state schools in England plummeted, from 19 per cent to 9 per cent. Overall, less than half the 2,140 schools were judged better than “satisfactory” in the four-tier system.
The schools watchdog battled to deflect criticism, arguing a new “tougher” inspection regime meant yesterday’s figures could not be compared with the past.
Children’s Secretary Ed Balls said he made “no apology” for Ofsted “raising the bar”. But experts described the change as “moving the goalposts”.
Conservative Shadow Education Secretary Michael Gove said the culture of Government-set targets was “skewing” headteachers’ priorities.
Chief schools inspector Christine Gilbert said yesterday: “The new inspections have been designed to help schools improve.”
But teachers’ unions slammed Ofsted’s claims that it had “raised” inspection standards. Chris Keates, of NASUWT, said: “What Ofsted has done yet again is to move the goalposts.”
Police are failing to visit tens of thousands of families whose lives are made a misery by louts, inspectors have warned.
Chief Inspector of Constabulary Denis O'Connor added that half of forces may also fail to spot a Fiona Pilkington-style tragedy developing.
Miss Pilkington killed herself and her disabled daughter after a gang taunted them for ten years despite a series of desperate calls to the police.
In a blistering analysis, Mr O'Connor revealed officers do not visit 23 per cent of victims who complain about anti-social behaviour.
He also said the true number of anti-social behaviour incidents could be twice as high as the 3.6million estimated by the Government in 2008-9.
It came amid the release of an explosive Home Office-backed report suggesting thousands of police jobs could be axed to save money.
They would be replaced with civilian staff such as controversial community support officers.
One internal paper has suggested the number of police to be axed could be as high as 28,000.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling, who unearthed the 'police modernisation report', accused Labour of 'rank hypocrisy' after its election leaflets said police officer numbers would not fall.
He added: 'Now it turns out that they have been privately working on plans that will lead to big reductions in the number of police officers.'
Critics fear that if the number of officers is slashed, victims of thugs will have even less chance of being visited by the police.
Mr O'Connor's assessment of the police found more than half of forces do not have IT systems in place which can spot repeated reports of anti-social behaviour.
He likened loutish behaviour - the target of Labour 's Respect campaign - to a 'disease' and urged police to 'take it seriously'.
The inability of police to identify a repeat victim is particularly alarming given the Pilkington case.
The desperate mother called 999 on 33 separate occasions from her home in Leicestershire, but police failed to link or prioritise the cries for help.
Mr O'Connor said the police systems for dealing with antisocial behaviour were ' inadequate' and should be improved as a 'matter of urgency'.
'Over half cannot identify repeat victims via automatic IT systems and rely on manual trawls,' said Mr O'Connor.
'Almost all forces are unable to automatically identify victims who have previously been deemed vulnerable.'
The report on 'police modernisation' was produced for the National Policing Improvement Agency quango, and was sanctioned by the Home Office.
It was presented to a conference attended by Police Minister David Hanson yesterday, and suggests making 'financial savings' through 'the introduction of new roles and through staffing these roles with police staff rather than officers'.
The report adds: 'WFM [ workforce modernisation] aims to increase capacity by changing the balance between police officers and police staff and increasing frontline strength, while reducing costs.'
In a statement, Mr Hanson last night said: 'It is vital police forces make the best use of the historically high levels of funding in the service. Getting the right blend of staff can help the efficiency drive by freeing-up officers to spend more time at the frontline.
The final decision on the best mix of staff and officers rightly rests with chief constables, and this report will be important in informing their judgment.'
One was a peer of the realm with an estimated £315million fortune, the other a council engineer.
Ministers were yesterday urged to “seriously consider’’ banning burkhas in public as a Conservative MP became the first mainstream British politician to back the idea.
Philip Hollobone told the Commons: “This is Britain. We are not a Muslim country. Covering your face in public is strange and to many people both intimidating and offensive.”
Wearing the full-face burkha was “oppressive and regressive’’ to the advancement of women, he told a Commons debate to mark this week’s International Women’s Day.
It was not until recently when he took his children to a park in his Kettering constituency and saw a woman wearing one that “it came home how inappropriate and offensive it is for people to wear this apparel in the 21st century”.
Mr Hollobone added: “In my view, and the view of my constituents, wearing the burkha is not an acceptable form of dress and the banning of it should be seriously considered.’’
By wearing them women effectively said they wanted no “normal human dialogue or interaction with anyone else ... and that our society is so objectionable we aren’t even allowed to cast a glance upon them’’.
He said: “It goes against the British way of life. If we all went around wearing burkhas, our country would be a very sad place.’’
A similar ban has been backed by the UK Independence Party.
Opinion polls show strong support in Britain for restricting the wearing of burkhas, for example in banks and airports, although there is less support for a ban in all public places and no demands for an outright ban.
After the Commons debate, Mr Hollobone told the Daily Express he spoke out after being “bowled over’’ by the positive response he received from the public after he previously questioned the wearing of burkhas.
He said: “This is not an anti- Muslim or anti-religious thing, and it’s not about veils which cover only the head or neck.
“It’s about covering your face in public, which is something we normally associate with people attending controversial trials or motorcyclists or burglars.
“It is not a religious requirement and it is banned in some Muslim countries such as Turkey and Tunisia. Yet it is an increasingly common sight in Britain and it is making us feel like strangers in our own land.’’
Earlier in the Commons debate, Pakistan-born Labour MP Mohammad Sarwar told MPs: “I think that’s the women’s choice. Yes, there should be action taken against those who are forcing women to wear hijabs. But I don’t think it’s a big issue in this country and I don’t think there’s a need for this to be debated.’’
Solicitor General Vera Baird, winding up the debate, said she did not agree with Mr Hollobone.
Last month Justice Secretary Jack Straw, who stirred controversy in 2006 when he revealed he asked Muslim constituents to remove their veils at his advice surgeries, said: “I would prefer if people didn’t wear a burkha but you can’t ban it.’’ He also warned that a ban would waste police time.
Burkhas are worn by an estimated 100,000 of the 2.4 million Muslims in this country.
Earlier this year, an inquiry by French MPs concluded that the veils should be banned on public transport and in buildings such as hospitals and schools in France, but they stopped short of backing a ban on wearing them in the street.
English Democrats are to field a candidate in Bury South to fight the General Election.
Mother-of-three Mrs Valerie Morris has been selected by the party as their prospective Parliamentary candidate for the constituency.
She says she joined the English Democrats because she believes the main political parties are not listening to local people and are not allowing the people of England to have a say on the decisions being made in their name.
Her husband, Stephen, is the party’s North West chairman.
Election Candidate: Valerie Morris
BNP candidate Richard Boyce to stand in Burnham
Fat people are harming the planet by contributing to climate change, according to Sir Jonathan Porritt, the Government's chief green adviser.
Echoing the famous slogan "fat is a feminist issue", Sir Jonathan, Chair of the Sustainable Development Commission, said "fat is a climate change issue".
He pointed out overweight people eat more protein-rich food such as beef or lamb, which is responsible for producing greenhouse gases because of the toxic methane livestock emits. He also said obese people are more likely to use cars rather than walk or cycle, therefore producing more carbon emissions.
The former Green Party politician, who has caused controversy before by suggesting people should not have more than two children to prevent over-population, said the Government should be encouraging people who are above the recommended body mass index to lose weight not only to improve their health but to help the environment.
Almost 1 in 4 adults in England is currently obese, and if trends continue, by 2050, nine in 10 adults will be overweight or obese. BMI is calculated by dividing weight by height squared
He also said it was causing problems for the global environment.
The British National Party will be standing a full slate of parliamentary candidates in Shropshire at the general election despite never having stood in the county previously, reports West Midlands Deputy Organiser James Whittall.
“With four candidates already selected, it is my pleasure to announce that a fifth, Susan Harwood, had been selected to fight the Wrekin constituency,” Mr Whittall said.
Animal lover Mrs Harwood is a housewife with three children. Speaking to BNP News, Mrs Harwood said she was “very proud to be standing as a candidate and giving the people of the Wrekin seat a chance to vote against the corrupt agenda of the old gang parties.”
The recent arrest of a Muslim paedophile gang in the constituency prompted Mrs Harwood to come forward to point out that British children were now under threat as a result of the immigration invasion.
“The BNP is the only party to openly and honestly address the issue of immigration,” Mrs Harwood said. “It is the issue which is at the forefront of everyone’s mind and only the BNP has the answers to this disaster which threatens the future of our nation.”
Susan Harwood, had been selected to fight the Wrekin constituency
He pointed out overweight people eat more protein-rich food such as beef or lamb, which is responsible for producing greenhouse gases
Labour MPs Elliot Morley, Jim Devine , David Chaytor
Claimed about £250,000 in public funds to cover mortgage interest payments
Cohen rented out his Colchester property, an old school house, to tenants
When the Mercedes-Benz driven by Baron Kirkham of Old Cantley almost collided with Keith Pearce's Fiat Punto, what followed did little to bridge the gap in their social status.
Graham Kirkham, 64, allegedly punched and scratched Mr Pearce in a fit of temper.
The Tory peer, chief executive of the DFS furniture chain, got out of his car moments after the near-miss in the South Yorkshire village of Sprotbrough where he has a home, a court was told.
He is alleged to have approached Mr Pearce shouting and swearing, before attacking him.
Mr Pearce, 50, said the businessman shouted at him: 'What the f****** hell do you think you are doing?'
Lord Kirkham allegedly had both his hands raised 'like claws' and went for the other man's face, pushing his thumbs into his eyes.
Mr Pearce said: 'Momentarily I lost vision. I presume he used his thumbs.
'I had no chance to defend myself. I pushed him away then he attacked me again.'
He said he pushed the peer away once more before he was punched two or three times on the chin and face.
'It was all over in just two or three minutes,' he said.
Mr Pearce grabbed hold of Lord Kirkham's jacket and put his arms around his neck to try and restrain him, only for the peer to start scratching his face.
The two wrestled to the ground and only parted after an onlooker told them to 'pack it in'.
Lord Kirkham then went back to his Mercedes and drove off.
Mr Pearce, of Woodlands, Doncaster, said he was 'shaky and very upset'.
'I was limited to what I could see. There was blood on my face and in my eyes and I was bruised.'
He was treated at Doncaster Royal Infirmary for two black eyes, scratches and bruising.
He later developed back problems, panic attacks and headaches and was forced to cancel a motorcycling holiday, he told Doncaster Crown Court.
He said he had done nothing to provoke the peer and was simply 'protecting myself'.
The incident happened at 7.35am on April 29. The court heard Lord Kirkham had indicated to turn into a side road from which Mr Pearce emerged, but then changed his mind and carried straight on, overtaking and forcing Mr Pearce to stop sharply.
Andrew Dallas, prosecuting, said Lord Kirkham told police it was Mr Pearce who ran at him.
Lord Kirkham claimed he flung his arm out to ward off the attack and was dragged along the ground by the neck.
Mr Pearce reported the matter immediately to police but Lord Kirkham decided against it. He told police: 'It wasn't something I was proud of in any way.'
Hazel Hansford, an eyewitness, said Lord Kirkham 'went berserk in my estimation' as 'the other man was trying to defend himself'.
She added: 'He just went mad attacking the man.'
Jane Harris, another witness, claimed she saw Lord Kirkham lunge towards Mr Pearce as he tried to defend himself.
Mr Dallas said: 'This was a completely senseless piece of violence brought about by some minor road incident which hadn't caused damage to anybody.'
Under cross-examination by Simon Bourne-Arton QC, for Lord Kirkham, Mr Pearce denied exaggerating his case to claim compensation. Lord Kirkham owns the Grade II listed Georgian mansion-Cantley Hall in Doncaster, but lives at Sprotbrough.
He started his business empire in 1969 when he started making furniture above a shop in Carcroft, Doncaster.
His company Northern Upholstery was renamed DFS after he bought out Direct Furnishing Supplies in the 1980s.
Last year he picked up a dividend of more than £46million in DFS share profits and is one of South Yorkshire's richest men with a personal fortune estimated at £315million.
He is a big supporter of the Conservative Party and gave them a £4million interest-free loan in 1996.
He was knighted in the New Year's Honours List and was made a life peer in June 1999.
Mr Pearce denied swearing at Lord Kirkham to trigger the incident.
Lord Kirkham denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The trial continues.
Lord Kirkham, the multi-millionaire behind the DFS furniture chain, arrives at court
Do NOT FORGET! - Labour / Tories
David Cameron - no vote on Lisbon Treaty for you and never intended it to be so!
The Cast Iron Guarantee - is NO MORE!
The "cast iron" promise by the Conservatives on having a referendum on the Treason Lisbon Treaty gets scrapped and melted down. Freedom and democracy is dead in Europe, Brussels celebrates Communism in 27 European countries without a shot being fired.
Life has changed in Britain
Labour Party Election Broadcast 2010. Are these reasons to vote for them?
It reached its climax yesterday (national no-smoking day, no less) when a mysterious blogger called Old Holborn delivered the money to Forest Bank prison in Salford - 11 days into Mr Hogan's sentence.
The arrival of the self-styled ' libertarian vigilante' at the Category B prison in his mask, full black costume and hat left other visitors amused or bewildered.
In the prison car park, Old Holborn, who wore his costume to hide his identity, flipped open the metal case to reveal enough bundles of used fivers and tenners to pay the £8,445.15 needed to secure 43-year-old Mr Hogan's release.
Old Holborn - who says he is named after his mother's birthplace in London rather than the well-known tobacco, told reporters: 'I'm here to free a man in prison under an unjust law.
'I represent the blogospshere and these funds have been donated by more than a thousand people from all over the world.'
Then off he marched into the jail. Mr Hogan walked free one hour and 20 minutes after Old Holborn handed over the cash. There to greet him was his wife Denise, who is also a publican.
Two years ago the married father of two, from Chorley, Lancashire, became the first landlord convicted of breaking the law for allowing his customers to routinely light up in his bars. A judge fined him £3,000 and ordered him to pay £7,236 in costs.
But Mr Hogan, who at one stage ran two pubs in Bolton, refused to pay the fine and was repeatedly hauled back before the courts until he was finally jailed last month at Bolton Crown Court.
The total needed to secure his release was reduced because of the number of days he had served in prison.
Mr Hogan thanked everyone who donated money to free him and said: 'I was devastated to be sent to jail. The smoking ban has cost me my pub, my job and my liberty.
'It's wonderful to know that so many people feel as strongly as I do about the smoking ban and its impact on ordinary working people.'
Lighting up a cigarette, he added: 'Ironically, on my first day in prison I was issued with a packet of tobacco and some cigarette papers - and we could smoke in our cells.'
Mosque protest: Hundreds attend the council meeting Wednesday night
Against: Campaigners Jenny Murry, Melenie Longden, and Sally Garland outside the M.A.AL Kharafi Islamic centre, London Road, Camberley. The three women were among hundreds of residents who objected to the proposed mosque
A controversial plan to build a mosque with two 100ft minarets next to Sandhurst has been scrapped to the jubilation of thousands of residents.
The £3million building would have had a clear view over the military academy and is just 400 yards from its parade ground - prompting fears it could be a security threat.
A listed Victorian school building was set to be demolished to make way for the huge Saudi Arabian-style building.
More than 6,500 residents signed a petition to oppose the application because of fears it would change the Victorian character of the area.
The proposal for the mosque in Camberley, Surrey, has finally been rejected by the local council at a public meeting - to cheers of joy from residents.
Hundreds had lined the streets outside to protest against the mosque, waving placards which said 'Camberley Says No!' and 'Hands off Our Heritage! We Want Justice!'
Planning papers showed that the massive structure would have towered over local buildings.
As well as the two minarets, it would have featured a large central dome, five smaller outlying domes, a morgue, a library and a separate worship area for women.
It would have overlooked Sandhurst where hundreds of newly-commissioned Army officers take to the parade ground each year for the academy's passing out ceremony.
The event attracts senior members of the Royal Family, including the Queen when her grandson Prince Harry was commissioned in 2006.
The gigantic mosque was the idea of the Bengali Welfare Association, which worships at the al-Kharafi Islamic Centre in Camberley. The Victorian school, built in the 1860s, has been used as an Islamic Centre since 1996.
The plans for a new mosque were originally approved by Surrey Heath Borough Council's planning committee earlier this year, but overturned on a technicality. On Wednesday night they finally backtracked after massive public opposition.
A special council meeting had to be held at the Camberley Theatre because of the volume of interest.
Residents queued from 9.30am to make sure they got into the meeting, which started at 7pm. More than a thousand people sat inside the hall, while more residents who could not get in waited outside for the verdict.
All but two of the 36 councillors voted to refuse the planning application - a decision which was greeted with cheers both in and outside the theatre.
David Chesneau, chairman of the Camberley Society, said: 'This was definitely the right result. They were thinking of knocking down a listed building. A mosque in its place would not have preserved or enhanced the Victorian and Edwardian character of the area.'
John Dixon, a 60-year-old roofing contractor, queued for a place in the audience from 9.30am.
He said: 'The school is a listed building in a local area and it is part of the community's heritage. They had permission to extend and refurbish the building but that was not enough. They wanted to destroy our heritage.'
Gill Mathews, an animal rescuer, said she had 'suffered abuse' for her opposition of the plans.
She said: 'I have been accused of being a racist. But I don't hate Muslims. I have no objection to there being a mosque in the area - just not there.'
Nigel Farage, Ukip MEP for the South East region said: 'This is the right result for the people of Camberley, the initial planning application should have been thrown out as the building in question is listed and is sited in a conservation area.
'This was never about religion, but about the fair and just process that applies to everyone no matter what faith or belief.'
Regular at the mosque Ahmed Soliman, 35, a restaurant owner, was disappointed the plans had not gone through.
He said: 'At the moment it is not a real mosque for the Muslim community. The building is falling apart. When it rains, the water comes through the roof.'
Last month the Daily Mail revealed army generals were against the plans.
An Army source said: 'There is a very real concern that if this thing gets built, then soldiers could be put at risk.
'It is outrageous to even think that the officers of the future would have to watch their backs while they are still in training.'
What the giant mosque would have looked like on its north-east elevation
Gordon Brown is anxious to avoid an election based on his record because it is so hard to defend.
Whatever you think of Gordon Brown (and this newspaper has made no secret of its differences with the Prime Minister and his Government on many issues), you have to admire his resilience, and his brass neck.
Here is a leader who has faced down at least three serious attempts from within his own party to turf him from office, who has presided over the most serious recession since the Second World War, and whose personal ratings in the polls are historically poor (though improving); he should be dead and buried, yet he remains in the game.
Yesterday's announcement that the Budget will be held on March 24, presaging an election almost certainly on May 6, has quickened the electoral pulse. The likelihood of a Conservative victory remains strong; but the prospect of a tight race and a hung parliament is a real one.
In a speech in the City yesterday, trailed as one of great import but largely devoid of any credible recovery policy, Mr Brown invited the country to trust him to see it through the economic storms. He wished to be judged on his character. While his stamina and determination to remain in office cannot be faulted, his greatest flaw is an unwillingness to accept any responsibility when things go wrong, whether they be economic, social or military.
He tried to convince his audience that he was not someone who told people what they wanted to hear, but what they needed to know; and yet for many months, when it was apparent that the country was getting deeper into debt, he refused to acknowledge that cuts in spending were inevitable.
This past week he has failed to concede what soldiers and military chiefs have said to be true: that the Army was not properly equipped to fight the war in Afghanistan, even if it now is.
The fact is that after 13 years in power, Labour has forfeited the right to say that things can only get better.
Mr Brown is anxious to avoid an election based on his record because it is hard to defend. In particular, he blames global events for Britain's economic woes, when his own failures as Chancellor to keep some of the revenues from the good times to help us through the bad reflect his hubristic belief that boom and bust had been abolished, a claim he is no longer in a position to make.
Of course voters need to consider which party has the best programme for the next five years and beyond; but they are also entitled to ask whether the party that has brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy deserves yet another chance.
Reader Submitted Link. Thank You D
Comment:
The entire liblabcon is avoiding the real issues, while presenting the voters with sideshows, gimmicks and diversions.
Mr Hogan gratefully accepts a cigarette from well wishers as he leaves the prison
Freedom arrived earlier than expected for smoking ban martyr Nick Hogan yesterday... courtesy of a briefcase full of cash carried by a man in a green Guy Fawkes mask.
Former pub landlord Mr Hogan became the first person to be jailed in connection with the smoking ban when he was sentenced to six months for refusing to pay a fine imposed for flouting the legislation.
His plight inspired a campaign on the internet to raise funds to pay off his outstanding fines.
Makes you wonder just how much MPs had spent from the John Lewis list to make them so profitable? Well' Just a thought eh?
Britain is the worst country in which to raise children, while Australia is the best, a study has found.
The survey of expatriates living in six different countries found there was a better standard of living Down Under, and a better quality of family life.
A massive 78 per cent of children who moved there from countries such as the UK spent more time outdoors than they did before, and the majority ate more healthily.
In comparison, foreign children who moved to Britain were more likely to become lazy and inactive.
A third of parents who have moved here said their children watched more TV than they did before and 27 per cent saw an increase in the amount of time spent playing video games.
Overall, Britain was also branded the most difficult country to move to. Schools were found to be less welcoming, and it was difficult to arrange child care.
A massive 45 per cent of parents said the quality of their family life had decreased since moving to the UK - just 16 per cent noticed an improvement, according to the survey commissioned by HSBC.
Britain was rated the lowest of the six countries examined. The list, from best to worst, read Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, the U.S. and the UK.
The results bode well for Leah Wood, 31, who recently emigrated to Sydney with her Australian husband Jack MacDonald and their nine-month- old daughter Maggie.
Miss Wood, the daughter of Rolling Stone Ronnie said she wanted a 'fresh start'. She said: 'My husband is Australian and I love the lifestyle and the pureness of this city. It's really easy to be organic here. I want the best for my little Maggie.'
An HSBC spokesman said: 'When you're talking to an expat community you're obviously talking to people with a varied degree of experience in terms of different countries.
'The key centres around childcare and education... they were the things that were really highlighted. The UK has scored lower than some of the other countries in those respects.'
But Britain did rank highly in terms of cultural integration, with 83 per cent saying they were able to adapt to UK living 'well' or 'really well'.
The spokesman said: 'The UK is a great place to be able to dip into a number of different cultural experiences.'
The Offshore Offspring report, commissioned by HSBC, examined children's integration, health and well-being by questioning 3,100 expats from 50 nations living in the six countries.
In 2008, emigration from recession-hit Britain reached a record level with 427,000 people leaving, up from 341,000 in 2007, according to the Office for National Statistics.
A Judge sparked fury yesterday after insisting a group of travellers who “invaded” a picturesque village should be given a postcode.
If the code is granted they will be eligible to claim thousands of pounds in state handouts.
The travellers who have 30 caravans on the site at Hardhorn, near Poulton, Lancs, argued in court that they needed a postcode to help fire and ambulance crews find them if there was an emergency.
More than 70 of them set up camp on a field after turning up in the middle of the night last November in what villagers described as a “military operation”.
Since then they have been accused of causing trouble and being “terrible neighbours”.
But when council officials went to court to stop the group laying hardcore foundations to make the site more permanent, they were told to “use their best endeavours” to help them get a postcode for the land.
Judge Nigel Howarth’s ruling at Blackpool County Court means they could use the postcode to apply for benefits, plus utilities including gas, electricity and water.
Neighbouring residents whose homes once featured on BBC gardeners’ World reacted angrily after Fylde council failed to convince the judge not to grant the travellers’ request.
The group is now applying for planning permission to stay on the field permanently and proposes to add utility buildings, cesspools, fencing and hard standings. Parish councillor Maxine Chew said: “The locals are very upset at what the judge has done. If these people had been good neighbours then we would have been happy to accommodate them but the fact is they have been terrible neighbours.
“The site is a terrible mess. Their dogs are forever barking and they have generators running all night.
“Villagers have complained about them poaching rabbits and roaming all over their land then harassing them when told to behave.
“Surely if someone is homeless and turns up at a council office looking for somewhere to stay they are not offered the area where they desire to live? So why should these people get a postcode when they have simply moved in without warning and set up camp and started building?
“It just seems the courts are encouraged by the Government to be sympathetic to their situation.”
The field once belonged to a neighbouring farm but is thought to have been sold to a travelling family from West Yorkshire.
The group of 30 adults and up to 40 children – mainly from Irish and Scottish families – moved in on a Friday after council offices had shut and immediately began laying foundations, using spotlights to work through the night.
Villagers have since complained about noise, road safety and a potential drop in house prices.
One said he and his wife had not been able to sleep due to noise from the site.
Mrs Chew said: “They seemed to have chosen their time and moved in before anyone could do anything about it.
“The police came but said they were powerless to do anything because they had not committed a criminal offence.” In January council lawyers were granted an injunction banning the travelers from bringing more caravans on to the land but allowing them to bring water to the site and to use power generators.
The group has also been banned from ripping up hedges and dumping waste.
One traveller at the camp said: yesterday: “We had nowhere to live and the council had no place to put us so we bought this site.
“We have 30 kids here and people with medical problems. We don’t want to cause trouble or be a burden to the local community.”
If the code is granted they will be eligible to claim thousands of pounds in state handouts
Ignored: Fiona Pilkington killed herself and her disabled daughter Francesca, 18, after a gang taunted them for ten years
David Askew died on his doorstep during a confrontation with yobs.
Police had been in regular contact with him, but had failed to halt what had become a daily routine of bullying against the man the gangs nicknamed 'Dopey Dave'.
His death came on the eve of a damning report criticising forces for not tackling the misery caused by street gangs.
Mr Askew had gone outside to tackle a group who had broken down his gate and were interfering with his elderly mother's mobility scooter when he collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack.
Children as young as eight had subjected the 64-year-old to years of unrelenting abuse.
David Askew was 'tormented to death' after being bullied by yobs
Last night neighbours said they were in no doubt the campaign of bullying led to his death and blamed police and the local council for failing to do enough to protect him.
Police said they had been in almost daily contact with Mr Askew, his 89-year-old mother Rose and brother Brian, 67, at their home Hattersley, near Hyde, Greater Manchester.
But they admitted their actions had resulted in just one teenager being given an Asbo and another escaping prosecution by apologising for smashing windows. No arrests have been made over the death on Wednesday evening.
Mrs Askew yesterday described her son as 'a very happy person' who was 'kind and thoughtful'.
She said: 'He was a true gentleman and would often help me around the house and with shopping. He wouldn't hurt a fly and he never saw bad in anyone. He always put others first.'
Mr Askew, described by neighbours as a harmless oddball with a mental age of eight, was first targeted in the mid-1990s.
Hooded youths from nearby estates began taunting him and throwing stones when he walked to the shops and shouting names at him when he was home, locals said.
Police fitted CCTV cameras at his house, but the attacks soon started up again led by the previous bullies' younger brothers. Neighbour Avona Davies, 49, said: 'They tormented David for money and cigarettes. They harassed him every night without fail.
'We have stopped complaining for about 12 months because nothing gets done. Sometimes it would be two of them, others it would be six kids or a big gang.
'David would throw money and cigarettes into our garden to get rid of them but they would always go back.
'David's windows were smashed lots of times because they would throw stuff. They hounded them.'
Dean Darkson, 19, said: 'They bullied him relentlessly and we believe he died of fright because of all the trouble he had been getting.'
Another neighbour said: 'They always knew he would retaliate. It is tragic - like bear baiting - tormented to death.'
The details emerged on the day a national report by the Inspectorate of Constabulary found officers did not turn up to 23 per cent of antisocial behaviour complaints.
Chief Inspector of Constabulary Denis O'Connor said forces' performance was 'inadequate' with more than half unable to identify repeat victims.
This left officers ignorant of some of the most vulnerable people, often the disabled.
The issue was highlighted by the death of Fiona Pilkington, who called 999 on 33 occasions, only for police in Leicestershire to fail to link or prioritise the cries for help.
Driven to despair, she took her life and that of her disabled daughter Francecca Hardwick.
Chief Superintendent Zoe Hamilton, of Greater Manchester Police, said of Mr Askew's death: 'One of our community beat managers has been meeting with David's mum almost daily to provide assistance, even going so far as to helping them clean the house, arrange for a stairlift to be installed and for David to be taken on day trips once a week.'
Last night Mrs Askew said the force had given the family all the support they could.
'We have had regular contact with the local beat officers and they often pop by to see how we are doing,' she said.
But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: 'Just how many of these tragic cases are we going to have to see before this government and the police adopt a proper zero tolerance approach to antisocial behaviour?'
Anger: Chief Superintendent Zoe Hamilton talks to the media outside Ashton-under-Lyne police station after Mr Askew was found dead
The sum lavished on council houses and other social homes was disclosed by the Home Office
Mr Hollobone says veil 'isn't British'
John Lewis staff are to be rewarded with bonuses after a leap in profits
John Lewis and Waitrose staff are to be rewarded with bonuses worth nearly eight weeks’ wages after a leap in profits, it was announced yesterday.
The department store and supermarket giant posted a 9.7 per cent rise in profits before tax and bonuses of £306.6million for the year to January 30.
The results mean the firm’s 70,000 employees – called partners – will share a bonus pot of £151.3million with payments of 15 per cent of their salary. John Lewis said the year was one of “profound change” for the group, with the expansion of the Waitrose chain and a resilient performance at the department stores.
Waitrose was the group’s star performer, with profits, before property gains, up 26.8 per cent to £268.2million and on gross revenues up nine per cent to £4.5billion.
Like-for-like sales, excluding petrol, grew 3.6 per cent on a 52-week basis.