Man In Court Over Raping Two Girls

A 21-year-old man has been charged with raping two teenage girls in Greater Manchester. The man, from Hyde, who is due to appear before Tameside Magistrates’ Court, is charged with four counts of rape and two counts of detaining a child without lawful authority. The victims, aged 13, were allegedly attacked on Saturday night after being driven off in a car on Church Street, Dukinfield.

Woman In Hospital Following Crash

A woman has been taken to hospital following a crash in Aberdeenshire. The female motorist was taken by hospital to Aberdeen Royal infirmary. The Scottish Ambulance Service said her injuries did not appear to be life threatening. There were no other cars involved in the incident.

Train Derailed At Station

A commuter train has derailed. The train came off the tracks at the station in West Sussex. The incident happened as the 5.30am train left Bognor Regis for Brighton and derailed at low speed. It blocked the line between Bognor and Barnham. A replacement bus service from the station to Littlehampton was put on by train operator Southern. Southern reported that short notice alterations, cancellations and delays could be expected while investigations were carried out.

Next Billboard Campaign Against Knife Crime

The next phase in a new national billboard campaign featuring young people standing together against knife crime was unveiled today by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, on a visit to Wolverhampton. The new interactive campaign will run throughout the next three months in urban, residential areas across England and Wales, including the 10 areas involved in the Tackling Knives Action Programme. Young people are encouraged to show their support by uploading their own anti-knife photo pledges to the Bebo website. Their images are included on the latest versions of the posters being unveiled today by the Home Secretary.

Warning Over Minicab Price Fixing

The OFT has launched a campaign to ensure minicab operators across the UK understand competition rules. The OFT is concerned there may be a particular lack of awareness among private hire vehicle operators of the stringent civil and criminal laws against price fixing, following a number of reports of minicab operators entering into agreements with their competitors to set prices. In several cases competitors appear to have agreed prices in their local area on a per mile or minimum journey cost basis. The most recent report involved firms in Lancashire but the OFT has received information alleging similar practices elsewhere in the UK. The OFT has also written to Local Authority Trading Standards Services and taxi licensing officers informing them of these issues.

(JM)