Legal News Articles
EU ban on high-energy electrical appliances (29 August 2014)
A draft study into banning high-energy products such as hair dryers, kettles or DIY tools could mean a 30% reduction in the power used by these items. Read more...
Disabled pensioner given suspended sentence for £20,000 benefit fraud (29 August 2014)
Teesside Crown Court has heard how a disabled man fraudulently claimed pension credits worth nearly £20,000 – and spent the money on repaying his mortgage and home improvements. Read more...
Net migration figures up “significantly” – in line with Britain’s booming economy (29 August 2014)
New figures show that net migration to the UK had risen to 243,000 to March this year – a “statistically significant” increase on the previous net migration figure of 175,000, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Read more...
Campaign launched to protect blind and partially-sighted pedestrians from reckless cyclists (28 August 2014)
A leading charity is calling on cyclists to be more aware of visually-impaired pedestrians, after it found that one in four blind and partially-sighed people have been involved in a road traffic accident (RTA) involving a cyclist. Read more...
Finding a home in London: “Beds in sheds” to rent – and first-time buyers borrowing four times their salary (28 August 2014)
Hillingdon Council has demolished a shed which a rogue landlord was renting out as a “bed in a shed” for £750 per month. Read more...
EC to help patrol Mediterranean Sea with “Frontex Plus” (28 August 2014)
The European Commission (EC) has announced that it will be launching a sea rescue mission to help Italy cope with the large numbers of migrants who are trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Read more...
Basildon Hospital launches investigation into why patient suffering heart attack was sent home (28 August 2014)
Basildon Hospital has launched an investigation into why a patient was sent home after attending A&E with the symptoms of a heart attack. Read more...
British girls abducted by their mother found “safe and well” in Thailand (27 August 2014)
Police have traced two schoolgirls abducted by their Thai mother during a half-term break. Read more...
Croydon tenant facing eviction after causing fire while drunk (27 August 2014)
A social housing tenant who passed out while frying chicken and nearly burnt down his flat is to be evicted. Read more...
Retired judge links low rates of rape convictions to “women getting too drunk to remember the facts” (27 August 2014)
A woman judge who has recently retired has caused controversy by saying convictions for rape will not improve until women stop getting too drunk to remember the details of what happened. Read more...
Victims of child sexual abuse in Rotherham “treated with contempt” (27 August 2014)
A report into child abuse in Rotherham has revealed a catalogue of failings by the local council and the police in protecting children and young adults – many of whom were in Local Authority care – from child abuse and sexual exploitation. Read more...
Life for “controlling” murderer who stabbed his ex-partner to death (27 August 2014)
A 26-year-old man who stabbed his former girlfriend to death has been jailed for life at Manchester Crown Court. Read more...
5,000 sign petition in protest at mother’s sentence for child murder (26 August 2014)
Neighbours and members of the public who helped a supposedly distraught mother search for her son have provoked a backlash after she was sentenced to just 11 years for his murder. Read more...
Half of all motorists “break the law by speeding” (26 August 2014)
Motorists are ignoring speed limits on roads in town centres and on motorways and are gradually pushing up existing speed limits, according to new data from the Department for Transport (DfT). Read more...
Four-year-old injured in dog attack (26 August 2014)
A four-year-old boy has had his ear sewn back on after he was attacked by a Japanese Akita dog while visiting family in Liverpool. Read more...
£10,000 fine after dairy employee suffers life-changing injuries in fall at work (26 August 2014)
A dairy in County Durham has been prosecuted, after a 41-year-old worker fell while unloading crates of milk and sustained life changing injuries. Read more...
Cheaper to buy then rent, says Halifax (26 August 2014)
New figures from the Halifax show that buying a house with a mortgage saves an average of £1,300 a year compared with paying monthly rent. Read more...
International students should be excluded from migration figures, says Conservative peer (26 August 2014)
Conservative peer Lord Heseltine is calling for overseas students to be made exempt from cuts to migrant numbers in Britain. Read more...
Scientists Iidentify tiny area of the brain linked to anxiety about the future (26 August 2014)
Scientists have identified a tiny area of the brain linked to anxiety about the future – which could help devise treatments for those suffering from associated mental health conditions. Read more...
Council budgets slashed more in poorest areas, says Labour (26 August 2014)
Labour Shadow Communities Secretary Hilary Benn has attacked the Coalition government for creating a postcode lottery of council budget cuts. Read more...
ID theft fuelling card fraud in UK and EU (26 August 2014)
The UK – together with France – has been targeted for most of the credit card fraud which happened in Europe during 2013. Read more...
Hundreds of immigrants lost at sea as vessel sinks off Libya (26 August 2014)
A vessel containing around migrants fleeing war and persecution has sunk at Qarabouli, 35 miles east of the capital Tripoli, the Daily Mail reports. Read more...
Two men remanded in custody over Tilbury container migrants (26 August 2014)
A court has remanded in custody two lorry drivers from Londonderry in Northern Ireland, who are facing charges of conspiring to facilitate illegal entry into the UK. Read more...
300 rapes reported in UK schools since 2011 (26 August 2014)
Figures obtained by The Independent under a Freedom of Information (FOI) request have revealed that in the last three years, a total of 2,865 sex crimes were reported by schools between 2011 and 2013. Read more...
Poisonous spiders found in supermarket grapes (26 August 2014)
An officer worker from Cardiff has found two poisonous spiders in a bunch of grapes she bought from the local Co-op supermarket Read more...
Jail for brothers who ignored HSE warnings and exposed contractors to asbestos (22 August 2014)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has successfully prosecuted two brothers – described as having “little or no experience of building or construction” – after they exposed at least seven contractors to asbestos. Read more...
Shropshire residents asked to help compile list of “retributions” for criminals (22 August 2014)
The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for West Mercia, Bill Longmore, has announced that a public consultation will take place into the sort of punishments the public would like to see handed down to offenders. Read more...
Northumbria Police to investigate “no crime” rape cases (22 August 2014)
Police in Northumbria are to re-open investigations into 11 out of 33 cases of rape which were recorded as “no crime” on police records so far this year. Read more...
Serious accidents involving cyclists “double” in York this year (21 August 2014)
New figures released by North Yorkshire County Council and City of York County Council show that the number of serious road traffic accidents involving cyclists has doubled in the first half of 2014, compared with the same period for last year. Read more...
Former aide says Labour should offer more support to couples who don’t divorce (21 August 2014)
A former aide to Labour leader Ed Miliband has called for Labour to do more to support couples who stay together rather than separate or divorce. Read more...
Second arrest made over shipping container death (21 August 2014)
Police have confirmed that a second man has been arrested during an investigation into how one man died when 35 Afghan Sikhs were transported to the UK inside a shipping container. Read more...
Government considers new crime of “domestic abuse” (21 August 2014)
The government is considering creating a new domestic abuse law to protect family members and partners against domestic abuse, as this is not covered by current domestic violence laws. Read more...
Help to Buy failing, says Labour (20 August 2014)
The government has defended its Help to Buy mortgage scheme, after official figures show that in many areas of London, not a single buyer has bought under the Help to Buy scheme. Read more...
NSPCC helpline launched for parents worried about their child and gang culture (20 August 2014)
Children’s charity the NSPCC has launched a new 24/7 helpline for parents who are worried that their children may be becoming involved in gang culture. Read more...
More prisoners with mental health conditions “absconding” (20 August 2014)
A record number of convicted criminals detained in secure mental health units have absconded over the last three years – representing a 35% increase. Read more...
Average London house price now £499,000 (20 August 2014)
New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that house prices in London have risen by 19.3% in the last year to June – taking the average price of a house in London to £499,000. Read more...
Breastfeeding “benefits the mental health of new mothers” (20 August 2014)
New research from scientists at the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary University of London – together with a colleague at the University of Seville in Spain – has suggested that new mothers who breastfeed their babies are less likely to suffer from postpartum mental health issues such as post-natal depression. Read more...
Cumbria man dies in work accident at Eastbourne Pier (20 August 2014)
Sussex Police have confirmed that a worker employed on the fire-damaged pier at Eastbourne was killed when he fell from the structure at around 4pm on Monday (19/08/14). Read more...
Britain’s career criminals “failing to repay proceeds of crime” (19 August 2014)
Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that major crime bosses are failing to repay their proceeds of crime as demanded under Confiscation Orders imposed by the court. Read more...
Selfridges smash-and-grab gang handed 58 years in jail (19 August 2014)
A gang who dressed in burkas to carry out a smash-and-grab raid on Selfridges jewellery department in the West End have been jailed for a total of 58 years at Kingston Crown Court. Read more...
1.6m households “spending more than half their income” on rent and mortgage repayments (19 August 2014)
Money advice website MoneyExpert.com says that people on low incomes are spending more than half of their salary on housing costs – and is calling for more affordable housing to be built. Read more...
Bakery fined after customer plummets 8ft through floor hatch and breaks pelvis (19 August 2014)
A bakery has been fined £8,000 and nearly £4,000 in costs, after a customer fell through a trapdoor in the floor while buying cakes for her birthday. Read more...
Home Office clampdown on students and post-study workers applying to switch into Tier 1 (18 August 2014)
On 11 July 2014, the Home Office released a new Statement of Changes (HC 532)in the Immigration rules, bringing in a sudden and quite shocking change with regards to students and (post-study workers wishing to apply to switch into the Tier 1(Entrepreneur) category. Read more...
Housing associations fear that Universal Credit may push tenants into rent arrears (18 August 2014)
Housing Associations are asking claimants to pay some of their rent in advance, over fears they might default on rent payments once they are switched from Housing Benefit to Universal Credit. Read more...
Police continue questioning migrants found in container at Tilbury (18 August 2014)
Police are continuing to question migrants who survived a perilous trip to the UK sealed in a container loaded onto a lorry bound for Tilbury in Essex from the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium. Read more...
Link between infection and mental health may be resolved using aspirin or Ibuprofen (18 August 2014)
Researchers at Cambridge University have suggested that anti-inflammatory painkillers like aspirin and Ibuprofen may help reduce the symptoms of depression in some people. Read more...
Police and CPS lawyers work together on “super-Asbos” for convicted smash- and-grab thieves (18 August 2014)
Scotland Yard is to introduce “super Asbos” for convicted smash-and-grab thieves, to curb the number of raids on shops in London. Read more...
Father nearly misses daughter’s funeral, after being “ripped apart” by Japanese Akita dog outside her house (18 August 2014)
A retired teacher nearly missed his own daughter’s funeral after a Japanese Akita dog – who belonged to his late daughter’s former partner – launched a vicious attack on him before the funeral. Read more...
Centralised A&E plan for Shropshire is “building death into the system” (18 August 2014)
Campaigners across Shropshire, Telford, Powys, Wrekin are protesting at A& E closures, which could see just one emergency unit to cover 600,000 people across the region. Read more...
Anti-bullying charity calls for cyberbullying legislation (18 August 2014)
The charity Beat Bullying has said that the law has failed to keep pace with the Internet – and is calling for a law to beat cyberbullying. Read more...
Salmonella Food Poisoning – Making a compensation claim (18 August 2014)
The Health Protection Agency has confirmed outbreaks of Salmonella in West London, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Cheshire and Merseyside and London since June. Read more...
Teach children about FGM says NSPCC, as cases in UK rise (18 August 2014)
The Head of Child Protection at the NSPCC has said five-year-olds should be taught about female genital mutilation (FGM) to help put an end to the practice. Read more...
Child killer refused compensation (15 August 2014)
The killer of schoolgirl April Jones has been refused compensation, after he was slashed across the face by another prisoner and scarred for life. Read more...
Restaurants and diners warned to be alert to debit card scam (15 August 2014)
Campaign group Financial Fraud Action UK (FFA UK) is warning diners to be aware of a new scam which is mainly hitting diners at expensive restaurants in London. Read more...
Leading psychiatrist calls on Department of Health to restore funding to children and young people’s mental health services (15 August 2014)
A leading expert in child and adolescent psychiatry is calling on the government to give children and young people’s mental health services parity with mental healthcare for adult patients. Read more...
74 new homes for Yorkshire and northeast under £1.5m government funding scheme (15 August 2014)
Social housing provider Riverside has been awarded more than £1.5 million by the Homes and Communities Agency to build affordable new homes in the northeast of England. Read more...
British family reunited after lawyer tracks down abducted children in Afghanistan (15 August 2014)
A family lawyer from the US and local police in Afghanistan have helped reunite a British mother with her three sons, after they were abducted by their father and left with relatives in Afghanistan 17 months ago. Read more...
16-month jail term for £140,000 benefit fraud (14 August 2014)
A Bedfordshire man who wrongly claimed £137,572 in benefit payments from Bedford Borough Council has been jailed for 16 months by Luton Crown Court. Read more...
Government may bend immigration rules to allow more Australians to work in UK under “compromise” work visas (14 August 2014)
Government officials in the UK and Australia are reportedly working on a deal which could allow more Australians to work in the UK. Read more...
Jail sentence for jealous lover who attacked ex with a claw hammer (14 August 2014)
A court has jailed a man who attacked his former partner with a claw hammer after she started a relationship with another man. Read more...
Cryptosporidium illness on holiday – making a compensation claim (14 August 2014)
Alarming reports about some hotel guests deliberately contaminating swimming pool water with human waste at hotels in Egypt, Turkey and Spain means holidaymakers need to be aware of how to protect themselves from bacterial and parasitic gastric illnesses which thrive in water – including Cryptosporidium, which is known as the swimming pool bug. Read more...
HMP Doncaster “rife with violence”, says HM Inspectorate report (13 August 2014)
Prison inspectors have found that levels of violence at a private run prison in South Yorkshire are four times the levels of other jails. Read more...
Right to Buy “costing Harrow Council £500,000 a year” in renting back properties (13 August 2014)
The Conservative policy of Right to Buy which was introduced under Margaret Thatcher’s government is being called a “strait-jacket” for Harrow Council, as many of the council properties sold to council tenants under the Right to Buy scheme are now being rented back to the council at an annual cost of £500,000. Read more...
Egypt hotel threatens British tourists with £1,400 fine if they defecate in the swimming pool (13 August 2014)
A hotel in Egypt is threatening guests with fines of up to £1,400, after British tourists are reportedly contaminating swimming pool water by deliberately defecating in the pool. Read more...
Mental health doctor warns alcohol use may lead to those with depression “losing control” (13 August 2014)
A consultant physician at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is warning that using alcohol while depressed may push some mental health patients into considering ending their life. Read more...
Former Tory prime minister praises migrants’ “guts and drive” (13 August 2014)
Former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major has praised the “guts and drive” of immigrants who have come to the UK to improve the lives of their families. Read more...
Protesters target Harmondsworth over “unjust” Fast-track Detention Process (12 August 2014)
Protesters gathered outside the government’s immigration detention centre Harmondsworth at the weekend, to protest at the detention of “innocent people”. Read more...
More than 7,000 cases of ex-pat benefit fraud last year, says DWP (12 August 2014)
Figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that, in the last year, there have been 7,296 cases of benefit fraud detected among Britons living overseas in 157 different countries, who were wrongly claiming benefits such as pension credit, housing benefit and income support. Read more...
Senior judge praises Human Rights Act for establishing balance between government and judiciary (12 August 2014)
The President of the Supreme Court – Britain’s highest court – has said that the Human Rights Bill in effect allows judges “a blank cheque” when it comes to deciding points of law. Read more...
Landlords may be required to check immigration status of tenants under Immigration Bill (12 August 2014)
New rules in October’s Immigration Bill may mean landlords will be required to check the immigration status of tenants. Read more...
Hampshire police success in keeping mental health patients out of cells (12 August 2014)
A three-month pilot scheme launched earlier this year by police in Hampshire has helped keep mental health patients in the area out of police cells, local publisher the Southern Daily Echo reports. Read more...
More cuts to benefits may be on the way (11 August 2014)
Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith is expected to announce further cuts in benefits in the run up to the general election next year – including lowering the current £26,000 annual cap on welfare benefits to the level of the average income of £18,000. Read more...
Ex-pats in UAE “may be able to have family hearings under UK law” (11 August 2014)
A law firm in Dubai has said that ex-pats living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would not necessarily be subject to Sharia law if they divorce, as Islamic law courts allow ex-pats to apply the law of their own countries under certain circumstances. Read more...
Charging for mental health support results in fall in user numbers (11 August 2014)
A mental health charity in Stevenage which started charging £10 for access to its services has seen user numbers fall from 30 to 20 a week. Read more...
London and southeast property market “distorting national average” (11 August 2014)
A report by The Money Charity says that first-time buyers may have a long wait before they can buy their own home, with many young adults facing waits of up to 22 years before they can save enough for a deposit at current figures. Read more...
Four-year-old bites into ice cream and discovers a metal spring and ball bearing in cone (11 August 2014)
A four-year-old girl has narrowly missed being seriously injured after she bit into an ice cream and found a metal spring inside the cone. Read more...
Londoners back anti-knife crime Bill, new poll shows (11 August 2014)
Research by YouGov has revealed that eight out of 10 Londoners agree with government proposals to introduce tougher sentences for knife crime. Read more...
Communications boss seeking PA with “excellent English” told he might be breaching the Equality Act (11 August 2014)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has conceded that its job seeker service Universal Jobmatch might have been “too strict” when staff questioned a company boss who tried to recruit a PA with the requirement they spoke “excellent English”. Read more...
What you need to know about the Immigration Act 2014 (8 August 2014)
The Immigration Rules can be difficult to navigate, especially when there are constant changes to the rules and regulations. One of the major changes is the Immigration Act 2014. Some sections of this act have been in force since May 2014 with the remaining section to be phased in throughout the year. Read more...
Record number of desperate migrants expected in Italy by mid-August (8 August 2014)
Record numbers of migrants fleeing war-torn countries in Africa and the Middle East are expected to reach Europe by mid-August. Read more...
Bolton mum loses part of finger in Benidorm holiday accident (8 August 2014)
A mother on holiday in Spain has lost part of a finger, after slamming a glass patio door on her finger. Read more...
Council housing shortage “forcing families in hostels and B&Bs” (8 August 2014)
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by homeless charity Shelter has revealed that some homeless families are forced to live in temporary hostel accommodation for up to two years until a council house can be found for them. Read more...
Bedroom tax court victory for disabled wife and carer husband (8 August 2014)
A couple from Kirklees in West Yorkshire has won a court case against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) over the “bedroom tax”. Read more...
Airline hoax passenger “sectioned under Mental Health Act” (7 August 2014)
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that a man who staged a suspected bomb hoax on board a Qatar Airways flights to the UK on Tuesday (05/08/14) has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Read more...
New report says children of asylum seekers are being “pushed into poverty” (7 August 2014)
The Children’s Society has said the government’s freeze on welfare benefits is pushing the children of asylum seekers in the UK into poverty. Read more...
Glen Parva YOI slammed by HM Inspectorate as “unsafe and violent” (7 August 2014)
Glen Parva Young Offenders Institute (YOI) in Leicestershire has been severely criticised in a report, after HM Inspectorate made an unannounced visit to the YOI in April. Read more...
Arrests made in suspected £18m housing fraud at Brighton and Hove City Council (7 August 2014)
Police have arrested and bailed four men on suspicion of being involved in an £18 million housing fraud. Read more...
Festival-goers may face criminal charges over “legal highs” (7 August 2014)
Police and local councils are warning festival-goers that they may face criminal charges if caught using “hippy crack” laughing gas or legal highs at music events. Read more...
Calls for UAE to recognise domestic violence as a crime – as Foreign Office warns Britons they could face divorce under Islamic Law (6 August 2014)
A mother from east London is to challenge Sharia law, after a court in Dubai awarded custody of her son Louis to her former husband. Read more...
Holidaymakers “to sue”, as Mallorca and Menorca hotels are struck by holiday vomiting bug (6 August 2014)
Two popular holiday resorts on the Balearic Islands of Mallorca and Menorca have been struck by an outbreak of a vomiting bug. Read more...
£30,000 compensation for employee sexually, physically and verbally harassed by boss (6 August 2014)
A 34-year-old widow who was subjected to physical and sexual abuse by her manager at work has won a £30,000 compensation payout for sexual harassment. Read more...
Tooting MP writes to mental health trust over plans to close south London hospital’s mental health services (6 August 2014)
The MP for Tooting in south London, Sadiq Khan, has written to the chief executive of a mental health trust about the closure of all mental health services at one hospital in the area. Read more...
Family fraud increasing as elderly parents live longer (5 August 2014)
Analysis by accountancy firm KPMG has shown that fraud among families now comprises 80% of Crown Court cases, as children become impatient about receiving their inheritance from elderly parents. Read more...
British holidaymakers take legal action over Egypt holiday food poisoning (5 August 2014)
More than 100 British tourists have fallen ill with holiday food poisoning at a popular Red Sea resort in Egypt. Read more...
Scared, scarred and living in poverty – victims of torture struggling to exist in UK (5 August 2014)
Research from London-based organisation Freedom from Torture has revealed that asylum seekers in the UK who are victims of torture also have to struggle with poverty as a result of receiving a weekly welfare payment of just £36. Read more...
Paediatrician faces professional misconduct charge, after toddler dies from dehydration (5 August 2014)
A doctor is facing a charge of professional misconduct, after it is alleged she failed to properly assess a toddler who died from dehydration after he was admitted to hospital with vomiting and diarrhoea. Read more...
Designer baby fears as NHS sperm bank opens for business (4 August 2014)
An NHS sperm bank is to launch in October to enable single women and lesbian couples become mothers. Read more...
CofE says UK has “moral obligation” to grant asylum to Iraqi Christians (4 August 2014)
The Church of England (CofE) is calling on the government to grant asylum to Iraqi Christian fleeing persecution in northern Iraq. Read more...
Appeal Court rules suspects should be named (4 August 2014)
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the names of suspects arrested by police should be made public before they are formally charged. Read more...
One-third of adults would not take elderly parent needing full-time care into their home (4 August 2014)
A new report has revealed that around one-third of those questioned would not allow an elderly relative to live with them and their family if they needed full-time care. Read more...
Sobriety tag scheme launches to tackle alcohol-related crime (4 August 2014)
A former White House drugs adviser who helped devise a pilot involving tagging “bad drunks” has said he is delighted that the scheme is being tested in the UK. Read more...
HSE prosecutes scaffolding company and director after scaffold collapse on high street (4 August 2014)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a scaffolding company and its director after a scaffold collapsed onto a busy high street used by children to get to and from school. Read more...
Suspended sentence handed down for benefit fraud (4 August 2014)
Burnley Magistrates’ Court has handed down a suspended prison sentence to a man convicted of benefit fraud, after he claimed housing benefit and failed to declare to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that he was the joint owner of the house he lived in. Read more...
One in eight prison inmates is now a convicted sex offender (1 August 2014)
Historic sex abuse cases are being blamed for a steep increase in the number of sex offenders in prison in the UK. Read more...
HSE prosecuted haulage firms after driver is paralysed (1 August 2014)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted two haulage companies after a driver was paralysed in a work accident. Read more...