Ex-Policeman Jailed For Sexual Abuse

A retired police officer has been jailed for four years for sexually abusing two young girls. Colin, Sandon, 64, of Netley, Hampshire, was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault and three counts of gross indecency. The Old Bailey heard Sandon had abused the girls over a number of years, beginning when one of them was six years old. Judge Paul Focke told Sandon – who spent 20 years as a police constable: "You betrayed your position of trust and systematically abused them when the opportunity to do so arose. You completely disregarded the psychological scarring which each would or might sustain as a result." Sandon was put also put on the sexual offenders register and banned from working with children.

£800k Drug Seizure At Edinburgh Airport

Drugs with an estimated street value of £800,000 have been uncovered at Edinburgh airport. Around 16kg of cocaine was seized by Lothian and Borders police officers, after a luggage search was carried out by HM Revenue & Customs. Two Mexican nationals - a 40-year-old man and woman, 37, have been arrested and charged. They are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court later today.

Fewer Jobs For Migrants, Under New Rules

The number of jobs available to foreign workers through the shortage occupation route will be reduced, the Government announced today. The shortage occupation list sets out those jobs for which there are not enough resident workers, and will be used as part of the skilled worker tier (Tier 2) of the Australian-style points system, which will be launched on 27 November. Recent Government work to ensure British workers are skilled and competitive means that many of the previous gaps in the labour market have been filled. As a result, today's list is tighter than ever before and will see a reduction of more than 200,000 positions in occupations with shortages that need be filled by migrant workers. The number of positions available to migrants has been reduced from one million to just under 800,000.

£11m For London Councils To 'Unlock Housing Markets'

London councils will get nearly £11m pounds tomorrow as part of £101m allocated to help local authorities in England maintain the building of the family and first-time buyer homes still desperately needed, announced Housing Minister Margaret Beckett today. The 2008-09 Housing and Planning Delivery Grant (HPDG) will provide for the first-time additional direct funding top up for councils to ensure that new homes are built where families need them. The Government has already announced a series of measures to alleviate the current challenges in the housing market and support the vital delivery of more homes over the long-term.

New Deputy Chief Dental Officer

Sue Gregory has been appointed as the new Deputy Chief Dental Officer at the Department of Health, it was announced today. Sue will replace current Deputy Chief Dental Officer, Tony Jenner, who is leaving the Department of Health after six years. The appointment will take effect in January 2009. Sue is currently the Consultant in Dental Public Health for Bedfordshire, Luton and Hertfordshire Primary Care Trusts. She chairs the UK Consultants in Dental Public Health Group and was President of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry in 2006-07. Sue was also previously Honorary Secretary, and then President, of the British Society of Disability and Oral Health.

(JM)