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Ceiling collapse leaves several injured at Pontins
More than a dozen people were injured last night after a ceiling collapsed at a Pontins resort in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police said its officers were called to Brean Sands Holiday Park shortly before 6.30pm “following reports a ceiling had collapsed inside a building”. Eighteen people were treated by paramedics and six were taken to hospital.
The force added in a statement: “A number of people suffered minor injuries in the incident but thankfully no one was seriously hurt. The Health and Safety Executive have been informed.”
Local councils forced to increase spending on child refugees
Ministers have been accused of “paying lip service” to child refugees after it emerged local authorities have
had to drastically increase spending on unaccompanied minors in their care amid a shortfall in funding from central government. The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that children who have made dangerous journeys to the UK are being left in limbo as councils struggle to provide support when faced with unprecedented funding pressures and growing demand.
Government figures show local authorities spent more than £152m on unaccompanied asylum seeking minors in 2017-18 – an increase of 95 per cent on the £77m spent in 2014-15. The number of asylumseeking children and young people in care in England under 18 has meanwhile risen from 2,760 to 4,480. An inspection report last year found that an unaccompanied minor costs a local authority approximately £55,000 a year – of which the Home Office provides £41,610 for children under the age of 16, and £33,215 for those aged 16 or 17.
Cllr David Simmonds, chair of the LGA’s asylum, migration and refugee task group, said councils were being driven to a position of having to choose between providing for refugee children and other duties such as caring for the elderly. “The government is paying lip service. We hear lots of bold speeches in parliament about the UK doing a good job of supporting child refugees, but a total lack of willingness to meet the actual costs of doing this,” he said.
Holocaust memorial backed by 174 MPs and peers
More than 170 MPs and peers have signed a joint letter supporting a proposed Holocaust memorial in Westminster, after the plans were criticised by the charity which runs the park where it would be built. The cross-party group of politicians said the new monument and accompanying museum in Victoria Tower Gardens, next to the Houses of Parliament, would “stand as a testimony to the need for each one of us to stand up and tackle hatred, intolerance and injustice”.
The Royal Parks Foundation, which manages the gardens, has objected to the proposal “given the impact it will have on a popular public amenity space in an area of the capital with few public parks”. More than 11,000 people have also signed a petition opposing the plans, which campaigners warn would “kill once and for all” the tranquillity of the park.
But the cross-party letter, signed by 151 MPs and 23 members of the House of Lords, argues there is “no better location” for the memorial. It said: “It will allow us to examine the Holocaust through British eyes and will be a permanent reminder of where hate can lead if left unchecked.”
Dog fighting ringleader convicted
The leader of a dog fighting gang who tried to breed the “ultimate dog” was convicted for the third time yesterday after eight animals were found with serious injuries during a raid on one of his premises.
Police and RSPCA officers also found items commonly used by people involved in dog fighting at the Lincolnshire property owned by ringleader John Herbert Knibbs during the September 2017 raid. A “flirt pole”, a long pole with a rope attached, and a “break stick” used to separate the animals were among the items found.
Detectives also uncovered messages and photos on Knibbs’s mobile phone, which showed dog fights which lasted up to 45 minutes and dogs being trained on a treadmill. The 55-year-old who lives in Sleaford, was first prosecuted for dog fighting in 2009 and disqualified from keeping animals for life. He was convicted of breaching his ban in 2016 but changed his name to John Donaghy in an attempt to evade police.
Knibbs was convicted of a number of allegations in his absence, including keeping and training dogs for fighting, ear cropping, and causing unnecessary suffering to two bull terriers called Baddy and Panther by failing to provide veterinary care for their injuries.
Coin collector stabbed rival to death, court hears
A coin collector stabbed a rival enthusiast to death in a bid to steal his collection, a court heard yesterday. Prosecutors said 33-year-old Danny Bostock knifed Gordon McGhee in his flat to get a set of coins that included limited edition Beatrix Potter 50p pieces.
They told Ipswich Crown Court that he later attempted to cause a gas explosion at the property in a bid to destroy the evidence after the August 2018 murder. Mr Bostock denies the charges.
Mr McGhee’s neighbour Melissa McGrory told that he had previously taken his collection to her flat in Colchester, Essex, where he showed it to Mr Bostock. She said 52-year-old Mr McGhee intended the collection to be a “hand-me-down” to his daughter.
Ms McGrory said she found Mr McGhee’s flat unlocked on 22 August, the day after she had been drinking with the pair. As she made her way around the flat, she said she found Mr McGhee’s bloodied body on the floor by his bed. She said the kitchen hobs were turned on and there was a lit dish cloth on the hall floor. The trial continues.