Police Warn Drug Users

Police in Islington are warning drug users about the dangers of a potentially fatal substance after two clubbers were taken seriously ill in Fabric Nightclub in Islington over the weekend. The two victims are believed to have taken MDMA - a highly toxic stimulant known on the streets as a variant of Ecstasy. Detective Superintendent Adrian Usher from Islington Borough said: "MDMA is a stimulant drug and its effects are unpredictable. Over this last weekend we have had two incidents at this nightclub where two people are in a critical condition in hospital. We know they had taken Ecstasy and that this batch of drugs could be available in other locations across London. All drug taking involves an element of risk. Users need to be aware that a potentially fatal batch of ecstasy is out there and understand the devastating effect it can have on their health. Drug dealers are only interested in making money so users can never be really sure what they are taking. I strongly advise people to be cautious and if they have purchased any ecstasy recently to destroy it."

Licences To Drive Up Organ Donation

From today, people will have to answer questions about organ donation before they can complete their driving licence application through the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) website. The new initiative to encourage people to think about organ donation and drive up numbers on the organ donor register has been launched by Public Health Minister Anne Milton. Expanding on an existing scheme with the DVLA which has seen more than 8.5 million people sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register, the Government now hopes to increase registration even further through a number of prompter questions urging people to consider joining up. Anne Milton said: "Being an organ donor is a truly selfless act and a life saving gift to someone in need. Only 29 per cent of people in the UK have registered to donate organs, when we know 90 per cent of people in the UK have expressed interest in donating. We want to make it easier for people to sign up to the Organ Donor Register when they apply for their driving licence and encourage everyone to discuss their organ donation wishes with their loved ones. The changes to the DVLA website will do just that but you don't have to wait.”

Rise In Rogue Firms Shut Down

Record numbers of unscrupulous or unauthorised claims management companies have been shut down by the Ministry of Justice in the last year. Nearly 350 firms were closed down last year in comparison to 35 the year before - a ten-fold increase. This follows the Ministry of Justice's sweeping reforms to tackle concerns that a growing compensation culture is paralysing schools, businesses and community groups due to a fear of being sued. The reforms included restructuring 'no win, no fee' deals to discourage needless and excessive litigation as well as reviewing the ways advertising is used by claims management companies to attract business. Ministry of Justice’s Claims Management Regulation Unit aims to protect against firms exploiting vulnerable consumers by over-selling expectations of compensation pay-outs. This year they have focused on stamping out abuse in the new market of mis-sold payment protection insurance. Kevin Rousell, who heads up the unit, said: “We have made it very clear to businesses that we are not going to accept any malpractice or attempts to take advantage of vulnerable people. There will be no let up in the coming year. Companies should remain in no doubt that if they breach the rules they will be closed down.”

(BMcN/GK)