Man admits London West End shop bomb hoax

A man has pleaded guilty to threatening to blow himself up in a shop in London's West End. Malcolm Tripp, 46, of no fixed address, was arrested following five-hour stand-off with police in Accessorize in Regent Street on Thursday. Tripp admitted a charge of making a bomb hoax, when he appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court. He stacked several boxes at the window and one of them read "I have a nail bomb in a case", the court head. Tripp, who was remanded in custody, will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court at a later date, pending psychiatric reports. Prosecutor Rav Chodha said: "A police officer attended Accessorize in Regent Street, he saw the defendant inside the premises carrying a black briefcase. "There were several boxes stacked on top of one another at the window." On them was written "I have a bomb, I have a nail bomb in a case, Allah I have a bomb". There was also a fluorescent advertising sign on which was written "I have a bomb". More than 150 police officers were deployed to the incident which came to an end at about 0500 BST on Friday.

Reaction:

I think that what this man did was very dangerous, his actions could have injured and killed many people by blowing himself up.  This kind of threatening should not be tolerated, the court must take this incident very serious and give Malcolm Tripp a severe sentence. People who put the public security at risk must be punished so that other people will not do the same thing.  I hope that Malcolm Tripp will receive a severe sentence and stay in jail for many years. I also think that police and the government should take the necessary measures to prevent this from happening again.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12193811

Student protester jailed for throwing fire extinguisher

A student who admitted throwing a fire extinguisher from the roof of a central London building during the student fees protests has been jailed. Edward Woollard, 18, from Hampshire, was among protesters who broke into the Tory party headquarters and emerged on the roof on 10 November. He was jailed for two years and eight months after admitting at an earlier hearing to committing violent disorder. Police said his actions "could have resulted in catastrophic injury". The student, who hoped to be the first member of his family to go on to higher education, was filmed throwing an empty metal fire extinguisher from the seventh-floor of 30 Millbank as hundreds of people gathered in a courtyard below. Judge Geoffrey Rivlin said "It is deeply regrettable, indeed a shocking thing, for a court to have sentence a young man such as you to a substantial term of custody." In a police statement read to the court, Woollard apologised for his actions, saying: "When I was told I had potentially endangered people, I felt sick. In a statement, Brockenhurst College said: "The college views what occurred as extremely serious and Edward Woollard has been on permanent exclusion since the incident." Woollard was told that he would serve at least half of his sentence for violent disorder in a young offenders institution. Cdr Bob Broadhurst, the Metropolitan Police's head of public order, said the sentence was "a significant period of imprisonment" which would have "a significant impact" on Woollard's future.

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The way that Edward Woollard behave during the student fees protest was definitely not right but he wasn’t the only one who behave this was. Other students were also very violent during the protest and they didn’t receive such a severe sentence. I understand that what Woollard did was indeed very dangerous because he could have injured o killed someone by throwing the fire extinguisher from that building. I think this was a mistake and that he is really sorry for what he did because he wasn’t thinking on the consequences.  I think that the court was too hard on Woollard and I hope that his sentence will be reduced by good behavior.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12159581

Jack Straw criticised for 'easy meat' comments on abuse

Former Home Secretary Jack Straw has been accused of "stereotyping" after suggesting some men of Pakistani origin see white girls as "easy meat". Keith Vaz, Labour chairman of the home affairs select committee, said it was wrong to stereotype an entire community and a proper inquiry was needed. On Friday, Mohammed Liaqat, 28, and Abid Saddique, 27, were jailed at Nottingham Crown Court for raping and sexually abusing several girls aged between 12 and 18, often after giving them alcohol or drugs. Mr Straw told the BBC's Newsnight there was a "specific problem" in some areas and called on the Pakistani community to be "more open" about the abuse. Mr Vaz, who said he represented many men of Pakistani origin in his Leicester East constituency, told BBC Radio 4's Today: "What I don't think we can do is say that this is a cultural problem”. Labour leader Ed Miliband said Mr Straw was right to say there must be zero tolerance of criminal activity against young girls in any community. He added: “That said, we've got to be careful about generalisations about particular communities. As Jack himself said, we find sexual crimes committed by people of all backgrounds”.  Ann Cryer, a former Labour MP for Keighley, had been made aware of a problem in her constituency in 2003 after she was approached by about six mothers who said their daughters were being groomed for sex by Pakistani men.

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I don’t think that it was smart of the Home Secretary Jack Straw to stereotype the Pakistani community. Maybe it is true that Pakistani men only rape young white girls but they are not the only ones who do this. I think that instead of making this accusations he should do something to protect this young girls from being raped. And if he is convince that there is a “specific problem” in some areas of the country then he should take action. Men who does something like this are criminals and I don’t think this has something to do with their religion or culture. I Also think that parents must take better care of their children they must talk to them, know their friends and not let them go out at night alone.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12142177

Harry Potter plagiarism case dismissed

A US judge has dismissed a legal action accusing Harry Potter author JK Rowling of copying the work of another author.

The estate of late author Adrian Jacobs claimed that the plot of fourth Harry Potter outing Goblet of Fire plagiarised parts of his book The Adventures of Willy the Wizard.

Judge Shira Sheindlin wrote in her ruling that there were major differences between the two works.She added they were "distinctly different in both substance and style".

"The contrast between the total concept and feel of the works is so stark that any serious comparison of the two strains credulity," Judge Sheindlin said in the 49-page ruling.

Scholastic, the US publisher for the Harry Potter books, said it was satisfied with the decision. "The court's swift dismissal supports our position that the case was completely without merit and that comparing Willy the Wizard to the Harry Potter series was absurd," spokesman Kyle Good said. The estate of British author Jacobs, who died in 1997, had claimed Rowling copied the plots of his 1987 book including a wizard contest, and the idea of wizards travelling on trains. In October, the judge overseeing that case at London's High Court said that the claims were "improbable," but he turned down an application by lawyers for Rowling and Bloomsbury for an immediate dismissal of the case.

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I think that it is impossible that JK Rowling the author of Harry Potter has copied the work of another author. Maybe she was inspired by the book of Adrian Jacobs but this doesn’t mean that she copied his book. It is not a crime to be inspired by another’s person work. There are many books with similarities but each one has its own story and style. I think that JK Rowling is an excellent author and that the Harry Potter series is unique this is why it has become a big success.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12134288

Man dies after going into the sea to rescue dogs

A man has died and his 13-year-old daughter was taken to hospital after they went into rough seas in Brighton to rescue their two dogs. Sussex Police said the 52-year-old man was out walking the dogs with his daughter when the incident happened. The dogs entered the sea, off the groyne near Palace Pier, and the man and daughter followed them in. The girl was quickly recovered from the water, but her father was located about 98ft (30m) offshore, near the pier. He was taken to the Royal Sussex Hospital by air ambulance in a critical condition but died later. The coastguard said one of the Jack Russell dogs returned to the beach.  Ch Insp Helen West said: "This is a truly tragic event and my sympathies go to the family. "Members of the public bravely entered the sea to try to rescue the father and daughter. Colin Griffiths, the duty watch manager at Solent Coastguard, advised people not to attempt to rescue their dogs from the sea. He said: "Dogs will generally return to their owners after a swim and it is not worth the risk for individuals to go into seas of temperatures generally at about 4 to 5 degrees Celsius this time of year.

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When I read this news I found it very tragic. This father died trying to save his dogs of being drowned.  I think it was very foolish of him to try to rescue his dogs because he didn’t only risk his own life but also his daughter’s life.  Although I love animals very much I would never put my life on risk to save one. Before you do something like that you have to think about the consequences. The sea was rough and very cold, he must have had to consider this and realize that it was too dangerous to try to rescue his dogs before doing it. Animals have a survival instinct and they can take care of themselves.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-12143079

Bristol police issue fresh warning after Yeates murder

The 25-year-old's snow-covered body was found near her home in Clifton, Bristol, on Christmas Day. Her landlord, Chris Jefferies, 65, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, has been released on police bail. Ch Supt John Stratford, of Avon and Somerset Police, said increased patrols were maintained to reassure the public. "There is no specific intelligence or information to suggest an increase in a threat to [people's] safety," he said. He urged women to take "usual precautions" while out and about and in their homes. Earlier, prayers were said in church for Miss Yeates, whose snow-covered body was found on Christmas day. The 25-year-old was found strangled, a few miles from her home. Miss Yeates was last seen alive on 17 December after a night out with work colleagues at the Bristol Ram pub, on Park Street, which she left at about 2000 GMT. Greg Reardon reported her missing two days later when he returned home from visiting family in Sheffield. Police have issued CCTV images of her then visiting a Waitrose store on The Triangle, a Bargain Booze shop, and a Tesco Express. Det Ch Insp Phil Jones, from Avon and Somerset Police, said he wanted to reassure the public that the investigation was "very much ongoing". "We have a team of over 70 police officers and staff working tirelessly to bring the person responsible for Joanna's death to justice. Detectives are particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have used Longwood Lane in Failand, Bristol, between 17 December, when Miss Yeates went missing, and Christmas Day, when her body was found.

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I was very concerned when I read this news and I think many women are worried too because this could happen to anyone. Women usually forget that psychopaths exists and that they could be anyone they could even be your own neighbor. Therefore we should be more careful when we are alone at night and take extra precautions for our own safety. Although police assure there is no  information to suggest an increase in a threat to women’s safety this doesn’t mean that it can not happen again.  I really hope that the killer of Miss Yeates will be found very soon.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12105327

Ford open prison rioters must be punished - minister

Prisons Minister Crispin Blunt said those involved in the riot at HMP Ford "must be brought to justice". A number of buildings were burned to the ground during the incident, which is thought to have involved alcohol. The Prison Officers' Association said the incident started around midnight on New Year's Eve after staff tried to breathalyse some prisoners. About 40 inmates out of the 496 on the site were involved in the riot, and the fires destroyed six accommodation blocks, a mail room, a gym, a snooker room, and a pool room. Mark Freeman from the Prison Officers' Association said those responsible for the trouble had worn balaclavas to conceal their identities. Mr Blunt said a police inquiry could lead to criminal prosecutions, and added: "We must learn the lessons to make sure it does not recur." The minister told the Press Association (PA) news agency: "One of the issues will be about whether there are particular circumstances at Ford - to examine whether the staffing policies are appropriate at Ford compared to other open prisons." He revealed the team had minimum staffing on the night after one support officer, who called in sick at short notice, was not replaced. Michael Spurr, chief executive officer of the National Offender Management Service, which is responsible for managing the prison service, said staffing levels at the time were "appropriate and usual". But a former inmate, Dave, told BBC Radio 5 live that staffing was a problem at the prison.  Eoin McLennan-Murray from the Prison Governors' Association said the Prison Service had dealt with the unexpected situation effectively, and had successfully reached its aims of protecting the public and making sure prisoners did not abscond.

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I think this incident happened because there was not enough staff during New Year’s Eve. I suppose nobody wanted to work that night and would rather spend their time with their families. So there was not enough control at the prison. I completely agree with Mr Blunt about that something must be done about this to make sure it will not happen again. I am surprised that nobody was injured during the fire and that anyone escaped from the prison. This means that the Prison Service dealt with this incident very well but I hope that those responsible will be punished because many prisoners could have escaped or died during the fire. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12103976