Man In Court Over Death Of Mother-Of-One

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a mother-of-one from Barnsley. Katrina Preece, 25, was found dead at her home in Summerdale Road, Cudworth, on New Year's Day. Post-mortem tests showed she had died from head injuries. Andrew Wilson, 27, of St Christopher's Close, Ardsley, appeared at Barnsley Magistrates' Court on Monday charged with her murder. He was remanded in custody to appear at Sheffield Crown Court next Monday.

Government Moves To Tackle Problem Gambling

Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe today unveiled plans to introduce a statutory levy on the gambling industry to fund the research, education and treatment of problem gambling. The statutory levy would raise over £5 million per year to fund initiatives such as running helplines, treatment centres and commissioning further research into the issue. Existing voluntary arrangements with gambling operators have not raised an acceptable amount and in some cases contributions have not been forthcoming. A statutory levy will come into force during the next financial year - unless the industry can give satisfactory funding guarantees. A consultation was launched today and will run for 12 weeks.

Contract Awarded To Remove Stern Of MSC Napoli

A major contract to remove the stern of the container vessel MSC Napoli has been awarded to the newly-established company Global Response Maritime B.V., based in The Netherlands. The contract, placed by the vessel owners, calls for the clearance of a stern section with an estimated weight of around 3,800 tonnes. The work scope under the new contract involves the total removal of the stern, including main engine, together with delivery of all scrap to the recovery facility of Scheepssloperij Nederland B.V at Gravendeel, in The Netherlands.

Crime Maps Online Across England And Wales

People across England and Wales can now access details of crime trends in the areas where they live at the push of a button, Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker announced today. The Neighbourhood crime maps provide a rich picture of crime in police force areas. The public can now access crime maps on the websites of all 43 police forces to see volume of crime as well as crime trends and comparisons with the rest of the country. The crime maps also allow the public to see how local crime fighting partnerships are impacting on issues of local concern and give people the information they need to dictate local priorities. Information provided is at least ward level and includes information about burglary, robbery, theft, vehicle crime, violent crime and anti-social behaviour.

(JM/KMcA)