| Never mind the subsidy Do hard times produce better music and art? bbc.co.uk |
Ann Widdecombe is 'absolutely wonderful', says Bruce Forsyth Strictly Come Dancing host Bruce Forsyth described Ann Widdecombe as ''absolutely wonderful'' today but refused to pick out a likely winner of the ballroom reality show. telegraph.co.uk |
Arsema Dawit murder: IPCC finds Met police failings over teenager killed by ex Victim's warnings about killer six weeks before murder 'were not sufficiently acted upon', but no individual found responsibleThe Independent Police Complaints Commission has identified "collective and organisational failings" in the Metropolitan police's treatment of a teenager who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend after telling them she feared for her life.Arsema Dawit, 15, was stabbed to death close to her home near Waterloo station by Thomas Nugusse on 2 June 2008. The couple met at church and dated, but after Dawit ended the relationship Nugusse became obsessed and threatened to kill her.Nugusse, who was 22 at the time, confessed to Dawit's murder in a 999 call. After his arrest, he twice tried to kill himself, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to enter a plea. He was convicted in May last year.On 30 April 2008 – six weeks before her murder – Dawit, her cousin and her mother went to Kennington police station in south London to report Nugusse's threats and to tell them he had attacked Dawit at a McDonald's restaurant in Walworth Road.In its report, published today, the IPCC said there had been "collective and organisational failings" in the handling of Dawit's allegations, adding: "Tragically through omission, misunderstanding and assumption, the messages and information given by the family on the night of 30 April were not sufficiently acted upon."The investigation focused on the actions of an inspector, a detective inspector, a detective constable and a station receptionist. It found that the receptionist failed to tell a senior officer that a threat to kill had been made, to record contact details for Dawit's cousin or to arrange for mobile phones to be seized as evidence.Nor did the detective constable who looked into the complaint "conduct a timely and effective investigation". According to the IPCC, "a culmination of leave, other work commitments and a reliance on a schools officer to make contact with Ms Dawit, meant progress by the detective constable was slow."But the report did not find anyone involved responsible for Dawit's death.The IPCC commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said: "While our investigation has found that a station receptionist and a detective constable could have done more, neither were responsible for what happened to Miss Dawit."Cerfontyne said she was concerned by the heavy workload of the inspectors interviewed in the course of the investigation, especially "the almost unmanageable volume of work some supervisors are responsible for and the risk it creates of cases falling through the net."She added: "However, I am encouraged by the fact that the Metropolitan police service has conducted its own critical incident review of the case, which resulted in eight recommendations, including a review of available supervision resources. I believe these recommendations go a long way to ensure incidents like these do not happen again."The IPCC said the station receptionist had received "management action together with a development plan regarding work performance", while the detective constable had been spoken to by a senior officer and "given a number of learning points to take forward".The inspector and detective inspector involved were found to have acted appropriately.Solicitors for Dawit's mother, Tsehaynesh Medihani, said she was disappointed with the contents of the report and did not believe it had gone far enough in examining the facts behind the failings.She is to bring a claim against the police for negligence and will use a judicial review to challenge the coroner's decision not to hold an inquest into the death.The Met, which described the murder as "a tragic loss", said it had learned from the IPCC's investigation."As the IPCC report has found, neither of the staff investigated were responsible for what happened to Arsema Dawit, but there was organisational learning from the incidents prior to her death," said a spokesman. "We welcome the recommendations from the IPCC and have incorporated the learning into our development programme."A string of high-profile cases has left Scotland Yard facing accusations that it sometimes fails to take warnings seriously. Last year it emerged that John Worboys, a London taxi driver, had been left free to attack hundreds of women because officers did not believe victims' reports of being assaulted.Weeks after Worboys was jailed, Kirk Reid was convicted of more than 20 attacks, including two rapes. He had apparently come to the police's attention 12 times before he was arrested and charged.PoliceLondonCrimeSam JonesVikram Doddguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
'Stripper' player fined for punch A professional rugby player admits breaking another man's jaw while he was dressed as a stripper. bbc.co.uk |
Home mortgage lending hits a 10-year low in September Mortgage lenders report the worst monthly net lending since 2000, with one economist saying the current housing market 'has very little going for it'Mortgage lending plummeted to its lowest level for a decade in September and mortgage approvals for house purchases sank to an 18-month low, according to figures released by the British Bankers' Association (BBA).Net lending, which does not include redemptions and repayments, was £1.6bn in September, down from £2.5bn in August and the lowest figure since October 2000, a result of banks encouraging customers to pay down their mortgages.The number of mortgages approved for house purchases dropped to 31,104 during the month, down on August's 31,781 and a peak of 45,498 last December – and the lowest since March last year.Gross mortgage lending also fell to £8bn during the month – 11% down on September last year, the lowest level since May 2009 and well below the six-month average of £2.2bn.BBA statistics director, David Dooks, said: "Subdued mortgage activity and little demand for unsecured credit are a reflection of household uncertainties. Demand for new mortgages remains low despite more properties on the market and falling house prices."Last week the Council of Mortgage Lenders said mortgage lending slumped to its lowest level in a decade in September.Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, said the data showing mortgage approvals sinking to an 18-month low in September puts further downward pressure on house prices. "It reinforces our belief that house prices will trend down over the final months of 2010 and in 2011 to lose around 10% in value."In our view, the housing market has got very little going for it at the moment, apart from low mortgage rates - and that is if you can get a mortgage."Archer added that a poor combination of factors was affecting house prices, including: high (and rising) unemployment, muted wage growth, an increasing fiscal squeeze, low and deteriorating consumer confidence, difficulties in getting a mortgage (particularly for first-time buyers) and a housing supply/demand balance in favour of buyers."Low interest rates and the current stamp-duty holiday for first-time buyers on all properties costing up to £250,000 only partially offset these adverse factors," he said.The BBA also revealed that credit card lending rose by £246m in September, offset by net repayments of £223m in personal loans and overdrafts – a sign of the ongoing desire for consumers to reduce their debts.House pricesPropertyHousing marketReal estateMark Kingguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |