Legal News Articles
Psychoactive Substances Act shuts down retailers and headshops (31 August 2016)
Homes Office figures show that three months after landmark legislation commenced on 26 May 2016, a total of 332 retailers are no longer selling psychoactive substances – and 186 arrests involving banned psychoactive substances have been made. Read more...
Rough sleeper given civil injunction for anti-social behaviour (31 August 2016)
Scarborough County Court has served a civil injunction on 29-year-old rough sleeper for anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Scarborough town centre and seafront in the last 12 months. Read more...
Landlord fined twice for serious disrepair at tenanted property (31 August 2016)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands has prosecuted a landlord for the second time over disrepair. Read more...
£50,000 penalty after cleaner sustains serious burn injuries in deep fat fryer (31 August 2016)
Crawley Borough Council has prosecuted a cleaning company, after a worker was seriously scalded in a deep fat fryer in the kitchen of a Gatwick hotel. Read more...
£2,000 penalty for two illegal street traders who repeatedly ignored council warnings (31 August 2016)
Hounslow Council in Greater London has prosecuted two street traders who illegally displayed goods for sale on the street. Read more...
Renewing Your Tier 4 Sponsorship Licence (30 August 2016)
The time is upon us where various education institutions will be actively taking steps to ensure compliance to renew their Tier 4 Sponsorship Licence after the 4 year period. Most, if not all Sponsors should be receiving a reminder email or letter by the Home Office a few weeks before the expiry date. And let’s face it; we rarely open correspondence from the Home Office with a smile. Read more...
£500,000 fine for unsafe working practices on construction site (30 August 2016)
A construction company has been prosecuted after a member of the public raised concerns over unsafe working practices during the construction of an adventure course in Markeaton Park, Derby. Read more...
Man jailed for conspiring to commit sexual offences against children abroad (30 August 2016)
A 37-year-old man from Milton Keynes has been jailed for 16 years with five years on licence, after being convicted of sexual offences against children. Read more...
Hefty fines for roofing companies, after worker dies in fall from height (30 August 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted two roofing companies, after a worker fell from height through a roof light and was killed. Read more...
New figures show increase in house building (30 August 2016)
Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) show there are more first-time buyers than at any time since 2007, with 72,800 new homebuyers in England in the second quarter of 2016. Read more...
Social housing sector “in strong financial position” (30 August 2016)
The latest quarterly survey published by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) shows that social housing sector remains in a strong financial position, with access to sufficient finance. Read more...
Drive to prevent anti-social behaviour from off-road motorbikes in Gateshead (30 August 2016)
Gateshead Council is working with the police to tackle off-road bikers in the borough. Read more...
Jail for partners who carried out $2.3m City fraud (30 August 2016)
A former broker and his live-in partner have been jailed, after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud more than $2.3 million US dollars (more than £1.757m) from the broker’s employer. Read more...
Jail for partners who carried out $2.3m City fraud (30 August 2016)
A former broker and his live-in partner have been jailed, after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud more than $2.3 million US dollars (more than £1.757m) from the broker’s employer. Read more...
Chair of Youth Justice Board visits restorative justice scheme in Surrey (30 August 2016)
Chair of the Youth Justice Board (YJB), Lord McNally, has visited Surrey’s Youth Support Service to find out how young people are being steered away from crime. Read more...
ONS figures show majority of migrants come to the UK to work (30 August 2016)
ONS figures estimate that net migration to March 2016 stands at 327,000 – net migration is the difference between immigration and people emigrating from the UK. Read more...
Restaurant directors disqualified for employing illegal workers (30 August 2016)
A total of nine people have been banned from holding directorships, after an investigation by the Insolvency Service found that the directors of several restaurants were employing workers illegally. Read more...
Study suggests possible link between TBI in youth and increased risk of psychiatric illness (30 August 2016)
UK, US and Swedish researchers have found that sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a child or as a young adult might increase the risk of health problems in adult life, including a higher risk for mental health conditions. Read more...
Torbay Council warns of dangers of buying illegal psychoactive drugs (30 August 2016)
Torbay Council in Devon is warning young people about the use of psychoactive substances. Read more...
£1,400 penalty for fly-tipping asbestos-containing waste at Darlington underpass (30 August 2016)
Darlington Council has prosecuted a local man after he pleaded guilty to fly-tipping on the approach to the A66 underpass at Little Burdon. Read more...
Cherwell Council increases legal costs to landlords for serving Improvement Notices and Prohibition Orders (30 August 2016)
Cherwell District Council in Oxfordshire is increasing the charges it makes to landlords for issuing notices regarding unsatisfactory housing. Read more...
People’s Plan launched to save West Kensington and Gibbs Green estates from demolition (30 August 2016)
Residents living on the West Kensington and Gibbs Green estates have launched a People’s Plan as a practical alternative to controversial demolition proposals. Read more...
HSE prosecutes Gas Safe engineer who left tenants at risk of CO poisoning (30 August 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a Gas Safe-registered engineer from Middlesex for carrying out unsafe work, which put the residents of a house at risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Read more...
The days of any safe havens for tax evaders are numbered, says HMRC (26 August 2016)
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has announced that tax evaders are set to face tough new sanctions under proposals which would mean that those who do not come forward and pay outstanding taxes from offshore investments and accounts could face even tougher penalties of up to three times the tax they try to evade – as well as increasing their risk of potential criminal charges. Read more...
£9,000 penalty for polluting stream with slurry (26 August 2016)
The Environment Agency has prosecuted a farmer, after a stream was polluted with slurry near a popular Cornish holiday beach. Read more...
New team at City Hall takes charge of house building in London (26 August 2016)
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced details of a new team at City Hall to oversee house building in the capital and boost the delivery of new and affordable homes. Read more...
Welsh Assembly consultation on national strategy to tackle domestic violence (26 August 2016)
The Welsh Assembly has set out how the Welsh government will continue to tackle Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence in a consultation on a national strategy against domestic abuse. Read more...
Islington Council commits £2m to tackling youth crime and gang violence (25 August 2016)
Islington Council in north London has made a £2 million commitment to tackling the roots and consequences of serious youth violence in the borough – and has commissioned two charities to help prevent young people from becoming involved in gang violence. Read more...
Essex invests £2.7m in housing to enable elderly to live independently (25 August 2016)
Essex County Council has announced a £2.7 million investment in housing to enable older people to live independently. Read more...
Shropshire’s first Syrian refugees “settling in” (25 August 2016)
Shropshire County Council has announced that the first five Syrian refugee families are resettling into local communities in the county and are starting their new life in Shropshire. Read more...
Most sentence increases under ULS “for sexual offences” (25 August 2016)
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has announced that, in 2015, more than 100 offenders had their prison sentences lengthened following referrals by the Attorney and Solicitor General to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme. Read more...
£158,000 penalty, after worker suffers life changing injuries in fall from height (24 August 2016)
A Cardiff-based construction company has been sentenced, after a worker fell down a lift pit and sustained life changing injuries. Read more...
£6.1m funding given to NHS trusts to keep mental health patients out of police cells (24 August 2016)
The government has announced that 41 projects have been awarded funding for places of safety for people in mental health crisis. Read more...
Buckinghamshire launches pilot scheme to support elderly carers (24 August 2016)
Buckinghamshire County Council has announced that hundreds of elderly carers who look after vulnerable family members at home are to be supported by a groundbreaking new pilot project. Read more...
15 years for man who raped vulnerable woman (24 August 2016)
A man who raped and robbed a vulnerable 69-year-old woman has been jailed for 15 years at Lewes Crown Court. Read more...
Suspended sentence and community order for falsely claiming to be Gas Safe registered (24 August 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a 35-year-old self-employed worker from London for falsely claiming to be Gas Safe Registered. Read more...
£14,000 penalty for letting unlicensed flats in Islington (23 August 2016)
Islington Council in north London has prosecuted a landlord for letting unlicensed flats in the borough. Read more...
Specialist units in prisons will segregate extremists to prevent radicalisation (23 August 2016)
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that extremists in jail will be held in specialist units separate from other inmates. Read more...
Newcastle Trading Standards seize £250,000-worth of counterfeit goods (23 August 2016)
Newcastle City Council Trading Standards have seized more than 100 suspect mobile phones and accessories with an estimated retail value of £250,000. Read more...
£295,000 penalty for distillery after employee sustains 20% burns to body (23 August 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a distillery in Oldbury, West Midlands, after a 21-year-old employee was engulfed in flames when ethyl acetate was being transferred from a bulk storage tank into an intermediate bulk container. Read more...
New digital visa application service launched globally (22 August 2016)
The Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration have launched a new digital visa application service globally. Read more...
Poor mental health may contribute to homelessness, says new report (22 August 2016)
A report by the Communities and Local Government Committee on factors contributing to homelessness says that many homeless people are affected by one or more contributing factors, such as poor mental health, substance addiction or experience of abuse. Read more...
Conditional Discharge for illegal fishing and obstructing an Environment Agency officer (22 August 2016)
The Environment Agency has prosecuted a man from Birmingham after he was caught using an illegal method while fishing. Read more...
Gateshead Council sets up a Community Speed Watch scheme (22 August 2016)
Gateshead Council has enlisted the general public to work with the police and local authority to set up a Community Speed Watch scheme in the area. Read more...
Father and son disqualified as directors for eight-and-a-half years (22 August 2016)
The Insolvency Service has taken action against a father and son, after they allowed a company to trade while insolvent. Read more...
Landbanking company wound up for misrepresentation (22 August 2016)
A Surrey-based company has been wound up, after an investigation by the Insolvency Service found that investors has been misled by the company. Read more...
“Serial offender” landlord fined for breaching Prohibition Order (22 August 2016)
Woking Council has prosecuted a “serial offender” landlord for failing to comply with the requirements of a Prohibition Order under the Housing Act 2004. Read more...
£40,000 penalty for HMO landlord who allowed overcrowding in poor housing conditions (22 August 2016)
Brent Council has prosecuted a Wembley landlord for allowing 24 tenants to live in cramped housing conditions in a property licensed to house just seven people. Read more...
Lambeth Council “ready to accept child asylum seekers” under the Dubs scheme (22 August 2016)
Lambeth Council in south London has become the first council to pledge support for a scheme to support refugee children – and has joined calls for the government to provide enough funding for the programme to reach its potential. Read more...
£940 fine for businessman who fly-tipped furniture (22 August 2016)
West Lancashire County Council has prosecuted a businessman who fly- tipped items of furniture in the borough. Read more...
Brent Council obtains court order to prevent drug use and sex workers at property (22 August 2016)
Brent Council has taken action to stop anti-social behaviour, after a property in the borough was found to be a base for drug use and sex workers. Read more...
£24,000 penalty after worker suffers burns injuries when liquids ignite (22 August 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a foundry in Batley, West Yorkshire, after a worker suffered serious burns when his clothing caught fire. Read more...
£380,000 penalty for Yorkshire Water, after Harrogate watercourse is polluted with sewage (19 August 2016)
The Environment Agency has prosecuted Yorkshire Water, after an illegal sewage discharge polluted the Rud Beck and the River Crimple in Harrogate. Read more...
New government report says welfare changes and lack of social housing have fuelled homelessness (19 August 2016)
A new Select Committee inquiry into homelessness has found that tenancies in the private rented sector, the availability of social housing and changes to the welfare system have all played a part in rates of homelessness across the country. Read more...
Summary of the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) route (18 August 2016)
The category of Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) under the Points Based System allows migrants to either enter or remain in the United Kingdom (UK) for a period of up to 5 years. Read more...
Public Health England calls on all new students to be vaccinate against meningitis and sepsis this summer (18 August 2016)
Public Health England (PHE) is advising young adults heading to university or college this September to make sure they are vaccinated against meningitis and sepsis (also called septicaemia). Read more...
Meat supplier fined £8,000 for passing off sheep meat as goat meat (18 August 2016)
West Sussex Trading Standards has prosecuted a meat wholesaler, after two butchers in the county were supplied with sheep meat instead of goat. Read more...
Enablers of tax evasion to face tough new penalty (18 August 2016)
The government has announced that financial advisers who facilitate tax evasion and tax avoidance will face tougher penalties. Read more...
Two convicted on terrorism charge of inviting support for a proscribed organisation (18 August 2016)
The Old Bailey has convicted two supporters of Daesh leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, on a charge of inviting support for a proscribed terrorist organisation. Read more...
Jail for people smugglers who tried to traffic man into UK via Channel Tunnel (17 August 2016)
Canterbury Crown Court has jailed a man and woman who attempted to smuggle an Albanian man into the UK via the Channel Tunnel in January this year. Read more...
Death of Huddersfield man after dog attack is referred to IPCC (17 August 2016)
The death of a 52-year-old man from Huddersfield who died after a dog attack has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), after it emerged the dog involved in the attack had been returned to its owner by the police officers who considered it safe. Read more...
Newcastle University develops wound-healing “StemGel” for use on battlefield (17 August 2016)
Newcastle University has been funded by the Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE), to develop an effective way to store and transport stem cells for use in medical treatments on the battlefield. Read more...
Ban on “zombie knives” from Thursday 18 August (16 August 2016)
From Thursday, 18 August, an amendment to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 will ban across Britain the sale, manufacture, rental or importation of knives referred to as zombie knives, zombie killer knives and zombie slayer knives. Read more...
Cardiff Airport travellers urged to be aware of children taken overseas for FGM this summer (16 August 2016)
Travellers through Cardiff Airport this summer are being handed leaflets raising awareness about female genital mutilation (FGM), as the risk of young females being taken out of the UK for the practice is higher during the summer months and school holidays. Read more...
Jail for mother who fraudulently claimed £375,198 in benefits by lying about children’s health (16 August 2016)
Croydon Crown Court has sentenced a woman who abused her two children in order to claim a record amount of benefits fraudulently to seven-and-a-half years in prison. Read more...
Jail for rogue plumbers who defrauded elderly customers by charging inflated rates (15 August 2016)
Coventry Council’s Trading Standards department has assisted in the prosecution of Birmingham-based plumbing companies, which defrauded elderly customers by charging rates of up to £280 per hour for simple jobs, such as unblocking a lavatory. Read more...
£400 penalty for Feltham resident who fly tipped waste “on her doorstep” (15 August 2016)
Hounslow Council Greater London has prosecuted a woman for fly tipping waste on her doorstep in Feltham. Read more...
Environment Agency prosecutes two men for running illegal waste site in Worcestershire (15 August 2016)
The Environment Agency has prosecuted two men who ran an illegal waste operation at Cinetic Quarry, Sandy Lane near Wildmoor in Worcestershire. Read more...
Sandwell Council consults on new anti-social behaviour strategy (15 August 2016)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands is consulting on a new strategy to tackle anti-social behaviour. Read more...
West Midlands campaign to encourage young people to watch for signs of CSE among friends (15 August 2016)
Coventry City Council is encouraging young people to keep an eye on their friends and look out for signs of grooming and sexual exploitation, as part of a West Midlands digital media campaign. Read more...
Wigan Council launches SHARE mental health project for children and teenagers (15 August 2016)
Wigan Council has launched a project offering mental health support for children and young people. Read more...
Supreme Court decision results in changes to business rate valuations for non-domestic properties (15 August 2016)
A Supreme Court decision about how the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) values non-domestic buildings which are occupied by more than one person or a business could mean a change in business rates for some ratepayers. Read more...
“Millionaire landlord” forced to demolish illegal outbuilding or face prosecution (15 August 2016)
Hounslow Council’s Housing Enforcement team has forced a millionaire landlord who built an illegal outbuilding at his Feltham home to demolish it. Read more...
Reading Council pledges to improve children’s services following Ofsted report (15 August 2016)
Reading Borough Council has pledged to continue to drive forward improvements to children^s services, following a full Ofsted inspection, which rated children’s services “inadequate”. Read more...
Hartlepool Council consults on draft domestic abuse strategy (15 August 2016)
The Safer Hartlepool Partnership is seeking local people’s views on its draft Hartlepool Domestic Abuse Strategy 2016-2019. Read more...
Newcastle Trading Standards seizes counterfeit clothes destined for the Internet (15 August 2016)
Newcastle Trading Standards has seized counterfeit clothes worth £36,000 after receiving a tip off from a member of the public. Read more...
Unpaid fines for littering offence increased by more than 500% by court (15 August 2016)
Hounslow Council in Greater London has “named and shamed” 14 people who failed to pay fines for littering offences. Read more...
Sefton Council launches Good Egg child car seat safety campaign (15 August 2016)
Sefton Borough Council in north Liverpool is campaigning to raise awareness among parents, grandparents and carers about the dangers to young children of incorrectly fitted or inappropriate child car seats. Read more...
Greater Manchester sees sharpest decline in home ownership in England (15 August 2016)
The leader of Rochdale Borough Council, Councillor Richard Farnell – also the new Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) planning and housing portfolio holder – is calling for more to be done to enable extra house building in the region. Read more...
£6,000 penalty for housing fraud (15 August 2016)
Crawley Borough Council has prosecuted a man who falsely claimed he was to become homeless. Read more...
Suspended jail sentence for selling counterfeit and illegal cigarettes (12 August 2016)
Lincolnshire County Council has prosecuted a shopkeeper who sold counterfeit and illegal cigarettes in two shops in the city. Read more...
£1.2m fund from EU to support ethnic minority and migrant communities in Wales (12 August 2016)
The Welsh Assembly has announces a £1.2 million EU project to support ethnic minority and migrant communities. Read more...
West Berkshire Council Enforcement Notice dismissed at appeal (12 August 2016)
A Planning Enforcement Notice issued by West Berkshire Council has been dismissed at appeal. Read more...
Young adults with psychosis “not receiving EIP therapy within two-week target” (11 August 2016)
New figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that, out of 170 of 209 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) which responded to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, a total of 23% said they had applied a two-week target for mental health patients aged 14 to 35 years to receive treatment for psychosis symptoms. Read more...
Wigan Councils warns sunbed salons about allowing underage customers to use tanning equipment (11 August 2016)
Wigan Council’s Trading Standards department has cautioned sunbed shops in Wigan Borough, after an undercover exercise found some sunbed salons were allowing underage young people to use the tanning services. Read more...
Islington Council develops rundown sites to provide new housing (11 August 2016)
Islington Council has created 13 new council homes on the site of rundown garages and former bedsits in the borough. Read more...
Company running pension liberation scheme wound up for misrepresentation (11 August 2016)
A Preston-based company which facilitated and operated a pension liberation scheme has been wound up in the High Court following an investigation by the Insolvency Service. Read more...
Landlord in disrepair appeals prosecution and £17,693 penalty (10 August 2016)
Brent Council in northwest London has prosecuted a Cricklewood landlord who allegedly ignored his tenant’s requests for repairs to be carried out at the property they rented from him. Read more...
Brent is “top borough” in northwest London for converting DVPNs into DVPOs (10 August 2016)
Brent Council says that it is now the top borough in northwest London – and is second in London as a whole – for safeguarding victims of domestic violence. Read more...
Birmingham and Solihull introduce ASE cameras to reduce road traffic accident injuries and deaths (10 August 2016)
Birmingham City Council has reminded motorists that from Monday (08/08/16) new Average Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras have been operating across Birmingham and Solihull. Read more...
£20,000 fine after worker nearly dies in baler accident (10 August 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a Worcestershire-based manufacturer, after a worker nearly died when a door collapsed and pinned him to a baler. Read more...
Suspended sentence and fine for distributing faulty cleaning product that posed risk to public safety (10 August 2016)
Rochdale Borough Council has prosecuted a company and its manager for distributing a dangerous recalled cleaning product to the public. Read more...
Jail term for company director for Removal of Property offence (10 August 2016)
A company director who sold a property and spent the proceeds on leisure past-times has been jailed for six months after being convicted of one offence of Removal of Property under Section 357(3) of the Insolvency Act 1986. Read more...
A Member State of the European Union is not complying with its obligations under the Common European Asylum System (9 August 2016)
The recent Duncan Lewis judicial review case of Ibrahimi & Anor v The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2016] EWHC 2049 (Admin) led by the Instructing Solicitors Krisha Prathepan and Bahar Ata saw the High Court determine that a Member State of the European Union is not complying with its obligations under the Common European Asylum System and the return of asylum seekers to Hungary will result in significant breaches of protected human rights. Read more...
£105,000 penalty for unsafe Cwmbran construction site (9 August 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a Cwmbran-based company, after it was found to be running an unsafe timber-construction site. Read more...
Birmingham spends £4.7m on 44 affordable new homes, in new development partnership (9 August 2016)
Birmingham City Council is to build 44 new affordable homes at King’s Norton, in partnership with developer Westleigh and Viridian Housing. Read more...
22 years for woman who trafficked women and children to Europe to work in sex trade (9 August 2016)
A woman who trafficked women and children from Nigeria to Europe and threatened to use “juju” magic against them has been sentenced to 22 years in jail. Read more...
Disqualification for directors for misrepresentation and incorrect VAT returns (9 August 2016)
The directors of a company which sold advertising space in magazines and diaries have been disqualified for a total of 26 years. Read more...
When is it lawful for the Home Office to impose a curfew? (8 August 2016)
In the recent case of Gedi, R (On the Application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2016] EWCA Civ 409, the Court of Appeal declared that the Home Office had imposed curfew restrictions on an individual in circumstances where they had no power to do so. As a result, the appellant was deemed to have been falsely imprisoned, and is entitled to damages from the Secretary of State for the Home Department (‘SSHD’). Read more...
National police appeal jails first of ten £20m fraud suspects (8 August 2016)
National police appeal jails first of ten £20m fraud suspects City of London Police have announced that the first of ten fraudsters wanted for committing various fraud offences collectively worth £20 million has been jailed. Read more...
Environment Agency prosecutes father and son farmers for polluting watercourse (8 August 2016)
The Environment Agency has prosecuted a father and son after slurry and silage effluent leaked from their farm into a watercourse inside a Site of Special Scientific Interest at Stoke St Gregory in Somerset. Read more...
Travel company directors disqualified for misrepresentation over payment protection (8 August 2016)
The directors of a travel company based in Chippenham in Wiltshire have been disqualified, after misleading customers into believing that their holiday payments were protected un the Package Travel Regulations 1992. Read more...
£27,420 penalty for illegal waste site offences (8 August 2016)
The Environment Agency has prosecuted a Bradford firm for operating an illegal waste site. Read more...
City of York trials faster access to dementia diagnosis and care (8 August 2016)
City of York Council has announced that residents in York care homes could receive faster access to dementia support services, as a result of a new trial to improve diagnosis rates. Read more...
LGA to investigate housing law change to prevent councils leasing properties outside their areas (8 August 2016)
The Local Government Association (LGA) is to investigate how changes in the law could prevent councils from moving their homeless families to other areas. Read more...
Westminster City Council introduces new restrictions on “iceberg” basement developments (8 August 2016)
Westminster City Council has responded to the increasing number of planning applications for residents to build subterranean developments by introducing new resident basement rules, which came into effect in August. Read more...
Coventry accepts more Syrian refugees than any other local authority (8 August 2016)
Coventry has been revealed as the local authority leading the way in helping Syrian refugees in Britain, after a report was published calling for more to be done across the UK. Read more...
Council warns about dangers of skin piercings (8 August 2016)
South Holland Council in Lincolnshire is warning those considering skin piercings to make sure the skin piercer is registered with the local council. Read more...
£2,000 penalty for selling counterfeit cigarettes (8 August 2016)
Peterborough City Council has prosecuted a retailer for selling counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco. Read more...
Suspended sentence for housing fraud (8 August 2016)
Cambridge City Council has prosecuted a woman who wrongly claimed she was homeless in order to obtain a council home. Read more...
Rochdale set for £1m pothole repair programme (8 August 2016)
Rochdale Council is to embark on a £1 million programme to repair potholes across the borough over the next eight months. Read more...
£100,000 fine for unlicensed removal of asbestos materials from residential property (8 August 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a Hertfordshire-based home improvement company, after the unsafe removal of asbestos material from a domestic property. Read more...
£580 penalty for two drivers guilty of Blue Badge fraud (5 August 2016)
Barnet Council in Greater London has prosecuted two drivers for Blue Badge fraud, after they were both found to be wrongfully using a disabled person’s badge. Read more...
Chair of Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse resigns (5 August 2016)
The chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Dame Lowell Goddard, has resigned. Read more...
15-year ban for director who misled court over £25m property fraud (4 August 2016)
A director who fraudulently transferred assets to defeat a Court Order has been banned from holding a directorship for the maximum term of 15 years, after an Insolvency Service investigation. Read more...
NHS Trust fined after mental health patient drowns during water sports activity (4 August 2016)
The Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust has been fined for safety failings, after a patient drowned during a canoeing activity event. Read more...
£100,000 fine after worker is injured in fall from height (4 August 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a Suffolk-based company, after an agency worker was injured when he fell from height from a ladder. Read more...
Update on France Dublin II Test Challenges (3 August 2016)
The Court of Appeal (Underhill LJ) has now directed that AG (Sri Lanka) be listed together with AI (Sudan) as a rolled-up hearing. AG had applied for permission to appeal against the judgment of UTJ Coker refusing permission to Judicial Review following an oral hearing. Underhill LJ made it clear that the reason for not granting permission was not to do with the merits of the arguments. Read more...
Government report calls EU response to migrant crisis “too little too late” (3 August 2016)
A new report by the Home Affairs Committee says that EU action to address the migrant crisis in Europe has been “too little, too late” – with the EU-Turkey agreement “a partial solution at best”. Read more...
14-year disqualification over misleading “African stoves” investment scheme (3 August 2016)
The director of a company dealing in an African stove investment scheme has been disqualified for 14 years, after breaching a previous disqualification undertaking. Read more...
Life sentence for murder of student treated by CPS as “hate crime” (3 August 2016)
Minshull Street Crown Court has handed down a sentence of life imprisonment to a man who murdered a Salford University student in February this year. Read more...
Modern Slavery campaigners attend roundtable with Home Secretary (2 August 2016)
Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Safeguarding Minister Sarah Newton have met campaigners to outline new government action to end modern slavery. Read more...
Maximum disqualification for misleading public over VERs, which netted company £1.1m (2 August 2016)
The director of a carbon credit investment company has been disqualified for the maximum period allowed, after an Insolvency Service investigation found that a company had made £1.1 million by misleading the public. Read more...
£54,000 penalty after worker suffers traumatic brain injury (2 August 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a North Lincolnshire company, after a worker was injured while dismantling an HGV tipper lorry. Read more...
The degrading restriction on an asylum seeker’s right to work (1 August 2016)
Most asylum seekers arrive in the UK to escape their country of origin for fears of persecution, where the idea of state protection is unrealistic and or internal relocation is a possibility. Many have no intent or motive to come to the UK and only consider where they will be safe away from their perpetrators. They hope for a better future but instead, some spend their years in the UK stuck in an inefficient administrative process, in receipt of minimal support and suffering from emotional stress as a result of their traumas coupled with their inability to ever return to a life of normality. Read more...
Double glazing company prosecuted for unfair trading offences (1 August 2016)
Buckinghamshire Trading Standards has prosecuted a double glazing firm which inflated its prices to make offers and discounts look more competitive than they really were. Read more...
Rare Earth Metal investment adviser disqualified as director for 13 years (1 August 2016)
The director of a company which offered “unsound” investment advice to clients has been disqualified for 13 years, after an investigation by the Insolvency Service. Read more...
UK and EU “letting down unaccompanied child migrants” (1 August 2016)
The EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee has said that unaccompanied child migrants are being let down by EU member states. Read more...
Fine for selling illegal tobacco at pound shop (1 August 2016)
Wigan Council has prosecuted the owner of a pound shop for selling illicit tobacco from his store. Read more...
Jail for seller of counterfeit goods (1 August 2016)
Gateshead Council has prosecuted a local woman who sold counterfeit fashion goods from a public house and online. Read more...
Drive to tackle fraudulent criminal injuries compensation claims (1 August 2016)
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) has announced that it is to continue a drive to tackle fraudulent compensation claims for criminal injuries, in order to ensure the protection of public funds. Read more...
York Council and CCG launch second phase of pilot to improve mental health of schoolchildren (1 August 2016)
A partnership between the City of York Council, the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and York schools has agreed funding to roll out a pilot project to further improve the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people across the whole city. Read more...
£6,000 penalty for landlord who allowed property to fall into disrepair (1 August 2016)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands has prosecuted a landlord for allowing a house in Oldbury to fall into disrepair. Read more...
Disqualification for husband and wife who under-declared £1m to HMRC (1 August 2016)
The directors of a newsagents business have been disqualified for a total of 13 years, after they submitted false information to tax authorities with a loss of £1 million to HMRC as a result. Read more...
School trust fined £46,000 after staff and workers are exposed to asbestos (1 August 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted an Essex school trust, after refurbishment and maintenance activities exposed school staff and others to potentially deadly asbestos. Read more...
Mortgage repossession advice firm wound up after Insolvency Service investigation (1 August 2016)
A company which offered advice to homeowners on mortgage repossession and eviction has been wound up after an investigation by the Insolvency Service. Read more...
16-week prison sentence for repeat offence of operating waste site without a permit (1 August 2016)
Peterlee Magistrates’ Court in County Durham has jailed a man who operated an illegal waste site without a permit, despite being previously prosecuted for the same offence. Read more...
Nottingham City Council launches August roadshow to advise parents of services (1 August 2016)
Nottingham City Council is using the summer school holidays to raise awareness among families of free services available to them. Read more...
Retailer prosecuted for selling alcohol to minor (1 August 2016)
Hounslow Council in Greater London has prosecuted a mini mart owner for selling age-restricted goods to a customer who was underage. Read more...
£74,000 fine after worker is crushed by three-tonne road roller (1 August 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted an exhibition and display company, after a labourer was crushed by a three-tonne road roller. Read more...
Prime Minister announces £33m of aid budget will go towards defeating modern slavery (1 August 2016)
The Prime Minister has pledged that the UK will continue to lead the drive to eradicate modern slavery, both in Britain and overseas. Read more...