Teen Pleads Guilty To Lithuanian Woman's Murder

A 19-year-old man has pleaded guilty to the murder of a woman whose mutilated body was thrown into the sea. Lithuanian teenager Aleksandras Skirda, admitted killing Jolanta Bledaite in March and dumping her severed head and hands in the sea in Angus. He also admitted to throwing the Lithuanian woman’s body into Arbroath harbour, and withdrawing £1,400 using stolen credit cards.

Teenagers Charged With Kidnap

Four teenagers have been charged with kidnapping a 16-year-old girl, following an assault in east London. The four girls, aged 18, 17 and two aged 15 are to appear before Stratford Magistrates Court charged with kidnap and causing grievous bodily harm. The charges relate to an incident when the 16-year-old was forced down an alleyway and attacked with a belt, near Maryland railway station in Stratford on Sunday evening.

Jersey To Vote On Time Change

Residents on Jersey are to vote on whether to replace British time with Central European Time (CET). The move comes as backers say the island has more in common with its French neighbours. They also believe the move would benefit the tourism industry, as more available hours would attract sightseers. Senator Jimmy Perchard said: "We have historical connections with France. Our streets have French names. The prayers in our parliament are in French. A continental lifestyle is desirable - we'd have the opportunity to spend longer out in the evenings." However, opponent businessman Geoff Cook from Jersey Finance said: "We don't believe it's right - the majority of the industry are against it because it would disrupt business and get us in a situation where we're not in line with our major trading partner, London."

Over Half Of GP Surgeries Now Offer Extended Opening Hours

Over 50% of GP surgeries are now offering patients extended opening hours, the Department of Health announced today. Statistics released by the Department show that in under six months there has been a 40% increase in the number of practices offering more flexible early morning, evening and weekend opening. The result is that GPs have met the challenging Government target of around half of practices offering extended opening hours by the end of this year, three months early. As at the end of September, over 51% of the 8,275 GP practices in England are offering extended opening hours. The initiative for extended GP opening hours follows changes to the GP contract agreed with the British Medical Association in March, where the local NHS worked with family doctors in each area of the country to agree arrangements for extra weekend and/or evening opening.

Financial 'Rapid Response Unit' Ready

A new joint, rapid response unit has been set up and is in operation, ready to deploy finance experts to local authorities who need assistance following the failures of Icelandic banks. The unit, announced by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears today, has been established by Government, the Local Government Association and the Improvement and Development Agency, to provide support to local authorities facing severe short-term difficulties. It has a team of experts in local authority financial management in place and ready to go immediately to any authorities who need that assistance. These steps come as part of a wider action plan of support to English councils experiencing serious short-term difficulties, the public services they deliver and the communities they serve. In a written Parliamentary answer, Hazel Blears also said that many local authorities had already publicly stated that any risk they face was not a threat to frontline services. However, a small number of authorities may have specific problems which is why the government was putting in place this support and expertise. She added that no local authority had told the Local Government Association that it can not pay the wages of its staff.

(JM)