Other News In Brief

Two Quizzed Over Flat Fire

Two teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of arson following a blaze at a block of flats in Fratton. A girl, 16, and a 15-year-old boy, both from Southsea, were bailed after they were questioned in relation to the fire which happened when a sofa caught alight at the bottom of the four-storey flat in Milton Court, Priory Crescent on Monday. A heavily pregnant woman was among the four people rescued.

Man Held Over Teen Death

A man has been questioned by police after the death of a teenager in the Castlemilk area of Glasgow over the weekend. Jamie Bain, 17, died after an incident in a house on Drakemire Drive in the early hours of Sunday morning. A spokesman for Strathclyde Police said a 21-year-old man was arrested late on Tuesday night in connection with the death and was being held in custody. A report is being sent to the procurator fiscal. The man is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

Teen Suffers Leg Injuries After Quarry Fall

A teenager is being treated in hospital for serious leg injuries after falling at a quarry near Wrexham, it has emerged. An RAF Sea King helicopter was called to lift the 17-year-old male from Minera Quarry and flew him to Wrexham's Maelor Hospital. One witness described seeing "several police cars" and an ambulance at the scene, near Worlds End, at about 8pm on Tuesday. North Wales Police said the youth's injuries were not life threatening.

Woman's Body Discovered In Cornwall Flat

A man has been charged with the murder of a woman whose body was discovered at a flat in Cornwall on Tuesday. Michelle Anne Jenkinson from Newquay was discovered in the early hours at a property in the town's Rawley Street. A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said the 39-year-old had sustained numerous stab wounds. Terence William McCabe, 52, also from Newquay, was charged with murder and will appear at Bodmin Magistrates' Court later.

Bed Company Director Sentenced

A director of a bed company whose dealings cost creditors almost £200,000 has been sentenced to a 12 week suspended prison sentence and 150 hours of community service at Bishop Auckland Magistrates Court. He was also handed a three-year blanket ban from operating as a director. This follows a prosecution by the Department for Business under the Insolvency Act 1986. Paul Edward Raine, of Windermere Court, Darlington pleaded guilty to the charge of acting as a director of a company known by a prohibited name. In February 2007 Mr Raine's company Furntex Ltd entered voluntary liquidation, owing over £500,000 to creditors. Raine however tried to hide this under the mattress; illegally resurrecting the company under the name of Dreamsleeper Ltd. Raine's 'new' venture failed and was placed into liquidation in August 2008. Creditors lost an estimated £195,198. In passing sentence, Magistrates expressed the view that this was a serious and deliberate breach of Section 216 of the Insolvency Act.

Award For NHS Science Research Projects

Ten healthcare scientists from across England have been awarded research fellowships worth a total of over £1million for projects that will lead to improvements in patient care, announced Professor Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), today. The awards were the results of the first round of the new CSO Research Fellowship competition launched in September 2008 to support the development of research capacity in healthcare science in the NHS. The scheme is funded by the Department of Health and managed by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR). The successful projects include a range of healthcare science activities such as developing techniques to diagnose health conditions and improving patient care for cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular and respiratory disease. As well as supporting individual research programmes, the funding will support the postgraduate training needs of each research fellow.

(JM/BMcC)