Four years on, contrite thief returns stolen National Trust cigarette case

Originally printed in The Independent on 23rd December 2009 - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/four-years-on-contrite-thief-returns-stolen-national-trust-cigarette-case-1848118.html

In a charming tale of human contrition, a visitor who stole a silver cigarette case from a National Trust property has returned the item after four years with a letter of apology.

A cigarette case dating from the 1950s was stolen in 2005 by an opportunist thief touring the Florence Court in Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. But the culprit, who identified themselves only as "DL", explained in a letter to the curator of the classical 18th-century mansion how the shame had become overwhelming.

"I am so appalled when I think of my outrageous behaviour and can only comfort myself slightly in the knowledge that I no longer feel the urge to take things that do not belong to me," the thief wrote.

The light-fingered visitor added: "I realise how splendidly the National Trust engages in Ireland and England minding wonderful houses and properties so that they can be enjoyed and the last thing they need are people stealing items or causing any other kind of damage."

The case features the initials DLC for David Lowry Cole, the 6th Earl of Enniskillen. Florence Court was his family's ancestral home for generations.

Kim Chestnutt, the property manager of Florence Court, said he was "grateful to the person who has expressed remorse and returned this case".

Frances Bailey, curator at Florence House said: "This is a wonderful thing to happen. Although the case isn't worth much in monetary terms, it has great sentimental value and we're delighted that this person has returned it."

The cigarette case will be back on display when Florence Court re-opens in March 2010.

Lord Enniskillen gave the house to the National Trust in 1953, to secure its future. Two years later, a huge fire destroyed two thirds of the interior. It took several years for the building, including fine rococco decoration, to be restored to its former glory and in 1961, as the end to the work approached, Hurricane Debbie devastated the estate.

ONLY QUARTER OF WORKERS PLANNING EARLY

Only one in four older workers plans to retire early, with 43% intending to work on into their late 60s and 70s, research showed today.

Around 26% of people aged over 50 who have not yet retired hope to give up work before they reach the state pension age, according to the Department of Work and Pensions.

But, when Ipsos-MORI questioned 1,196 people born between 1945 and 1960 between September 11 and October 1, 25% said they planned to work on for a few years after being able to claim their state pension, while 12% say they will work for a long time after this date, and 6% will leave their current job but look for other work that suits them better.

Only 31% of those questioned said they planned to retire when they were able to pick up their state pension.

Around 28% said they planned to work for longer due to financial considerations, with 26% saying the recession had changed their retirement plans.

But 22% said they did not feel old enough to retire completely, 21% said they loved their job and 20% said they thought working kept them younger and fitter.

Many people did not know the benefits of working on beyond the state pension age, with 44% not realising they would not have to pay National Insurance, while 38% did not know they could defer taking their state pension in exchange for getting a larger income later.

Minister for Pensions and Ageing Society Angela Eagle said: "The idea that you reach state pension age and suddenly stop work is being challenged by our generation of baby boomers, with many not feeling old enough to stop work completely.

"People want the choice to decide what's right for them but, worryingly, many make this decision based on little or no knowledge of the financial facts."

Andrew Harrop, head of policy at Age Concern and Help the Aged, said: "This survey is yet more evidence that millions of workers in their 50s and 60s are planning to work past state pension age, either because they want to or because they need to.

"Regrettably, the retirement plans of many of these workers could be shattered by the default retirement Age, which allows employers to pension people off at 65.

"Ministers should start listening to what older workers are telling them and scrap forced retirement law immediately.

Migrants treated as second class human beings

In recent years, migrants - including individuals who were possibly refugees - have reportedly been shot dead by security forces, or dumped to die in the desert in their attempts to cross borders in North Africa. Hundreds more are believed to have died after being pushed back out into the Indian Ocean in boats without functioning engines. Many others die on a regular basis as they try to evade coastguard and naval vessels deployed by the world's richer nations, or because they have been packed on unseaworthy vessels by ruthless smugglers who seem, in some countries, to operate with almost total impunity.

Others migrants are killed by landmines, die of exposure in remote mountain areas, or are raped, forced into bonded labour or prostitution, in both developed and developing countries. In some countries, migrant communities have been forcibly rounded up by the authorities, or have had to flee for their lives as they are attacked by mobs, and seen their homes and businesses ransacked.

Despite the heavy toll, remarkably little attention is devoted to all these deaths and the chronic human rights violations against so many extremely vulnerable men, women and children.

The commonest reaction to this horrific reality seems to be a collective shrug: The deaths are sad of course, but it is the indivdual's own fault for trying to enter other countries uninvited. The unmistakable conclusion is that many of us - politicians, state authorities, media and the general public - view migrants, especially poor migrants, as second-class human beings, who are somehow not entitled to the same rights as the rest of us.

It is likely that this year's International Migrants' Day will elicit token expressions of concern before we return to business as usual: keeping migrants out, blaming those in our countries already for some of our social or economic problems - while at the same time readily exploiting them as cheap labour. The trend of criminalization of irregular migration and the use of detention to discourage more people from coming are also likely to continue or get worse.

Such policies often violate the human rights of migrants and contribute to anti-migrant sentiments and xenophobia. Immigrants arriving irregularly in a new country are often detained as a routine procedure and at times without proper judicial safeguards. In addition, irregular migrants intercepted at sea, and others seized by law enforcement officials during raids, are increasingly facing violence, arbitrary detention and premature expulsion. Such actions rarely take into account the mixed character of migration flows, and often lack necessary measures to protect the most vulnerable amongst irregular migrants, such as unaccompanied children, asylum-seekers and victims of trafficking.

Migrants who reach their final destination often face severe discrimination in the fields of housing, education, health, work or social security. Laws discriminating - or allowing for discriminatory practices - against non-nationals, along with programmes and policies that fail to address specific needs and vulnerabilities of migrants, often result in them being unable to access basic services or only able to do so at levels that do not meet international human rights standards.

International human rights law recognizes this heightened vulnerability of migrants, but here too the 'collective shrug' is having a noticeably negative impact.

GBL and other 'legal highs' banned

The number of children being treated for cocaine addiction has increased by 50% in three years, figures showed today.

Last year 745 under 18s in England sought help from the National Treatment Agency for coke abuse, up from 453 in 2005/6. Among them was a small group of very young children. Fourteen twelve to fourteen year-olds and 169 14-16 year-olds needed help to get off the Class A drug.

Worryingly the figures showed 15 children aged 12 or younger were treated for all Class A drug use last year. Overall, nearly 25,000 under 18s needed addiction treatment for drugs and alcohol misuse last year, an increase of 150. Half of those were for cannabis, more than a third for alcohol, but fewer teenagers are seeking treatment for crack and heroin.

Last year the agency treated 657 crack and heroin users, down from 1,081 in 2005/6. Rosanna O'Connor, director of delivery at the NTA, said the figures indicated the heroin "epidemic" had peaked. The falls reflect similar declines in crack and heroin use among young adults aged 18 to 24.

She said: "Most young people receiving substance misuse interventions cannot be described as addicts in the same way as adults in treatment.

"Addiction is normally the result of regular, consistent use of substances over time; most under-18s who have problems have not pursued drug taking long enough to result in dependency."

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Norman Lamb said: "There is a real problem with young people receiving mixed messages because of the alleged glamour associated with drugs like cocaine.

"We need to get the message across about the dangers of experimenting with a massively addictive drug like cocaine.The Government has been obsessed with trying to look tough on drugs while slashing funding for information services and refusing to listen to scientific opinion. Ministers must do a lot more to make people aware of the serious damage that drug use can do to your long-term health."

These accusations of sending mixed messages coincide with the a new ban on 'legal highs' that came into force today. The ban covers GBL, BZP and man-made chemicals sprayed on herbal smoking products such as "Spice", which are now classed as controlled substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

The crackdown comes after the high-profile case of medical student Hester Stewart, 21, who died in Brighton in April after taking GBL. But her mother Maryon believes the new rules "do not go far enough" because GBL is only classified as a Class C illegal drug.

She said: "In America, it is schedule A, which is the equivalent of a Class A drug here."

However, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: "We are sending out a clear message to anyone who is thinking about experimenting with them (the drugs), particularly over the festive period, that not only are they putting themselves in danger, they will also be breaking the law."

Fifteen anabolic steroids are also to be controlled as Class C drugs, alongside two growth promoters.

Free lunches handed out to highlight food waste

This article was originally printed in The Independent - http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/free-lunches-handed-out-to-highlight-food-waste-1842653.html

With countries stalling over policies in Copenhagen, one easy way to cut down on emissions seems rather obvious - eat food more carefully. Recent estimations show that 10 per cent of the worlds richest countries greenhouse gas emissions come from growing food which is never eaten.

Speaking today at the 'Feeding the 5000' event in Trafalgar Square, London, leading food waste campaigner Tristram Stuart teamed up with charities to highlight the global problems with food waste and demonstrate some practical ways to solve it.

'Food is a basic human need but 1 billion people in the world are malnourished' he said. 'Even in the UK there are 4 million people unable to afford a healthy diet. There is plenty in the world, yet the amount of waste at every level of the system means many still go without. What we're showing here is that the easiest solution to this problem is quite simply to eat it. This isn't just about showing people how to save money, its about showing everyone how we can help protect the environment.'

The ingredients used in the feast were collected from local traders. Most was either excess stock or had been deemed unsellable due to irregular shape or size. With this volunteers worked from early in the morning to provide enough free curries, fruit bags and smoothies for five thousand passers-by.

The other food used was donated having passed its sell-by dates. Confusion over date labelling on food is estimated to result in 400,000 tonnes of food being thrown into landfill each year. Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has called for supermarkets and food manufacturers to scrap the use of best-before and sell-by dates on food packaging.

He said, 'Thousands of tonnes are being thrown unnecessarily into landfill. There it converts in greenhouse gases and adds to the climate problem. Its not just costing us money, it's costing us the earth.'

Speaking on this, Mr Stuart told the Independent, 'politicians like Mr Benn have the right ideas on food waste, they just seem to lack the power to enforce them upon the supermarkets.'

the best-before mythology

In the UK, nearly 400,000 tonnes of food is misguidedly thrown away each year after passing its best-before date. In monetary figures this amounts to £424 worth of food being thrown away by each adult.And despite all the information being thrown at the public to use materials more efficiently, the situation appears to be getting worse. According to WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) domestic waste is increasing each year by 1-2% and overall there is an estimated 5.4 million tonnes of food thrown away in Britain each year.

Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is calling for supermarkets and food manufacturers to scrap the use of best-before and sell-by dates on food packaging. In an interview with Roses for Arcadie Mr Benn MP spelt out the seriousness of the problem and stated the first step to reducing waste is to educate society to 'reduce less and recycle more.'

'It's about changing attitudes' he said, 'Millions of tonnes are going to landfill and there it converts into greenhouse gases and adds to the climate problem. It's not just costing us money; it's costing us the earth.'

'One of the things we need to do is think about why customers are confused by labelling on food. Use-by dates are a necessity as they are about food safety, but best-before and sell-by are more about food quality and are there to help stores manage stock effectively.'

Campaigners assert that supermarkets are in favour of the current system as the more food that gets wasted by the consumer means the more they are likely spend. The big retailers are however beginning to show some responsibility in combating the issue. Recent experiments at Sainsbury’s and Tesco have piloted a 'buy one now, get one later' initiative where customers receive a coupon at the checkout and return to the store at a later date to collect the second item.

Food waste will never go away, it is a natural outcome of modern society. But for Mr Benn MP finding alternatives to landfill is key to for a more sustainable future. 'I don't want to see us any more plough waste into landfill. An increasing number of local authorities are now collecting food waste and turning it into compost. Really usefully though you can turn it into renewable energy - biogas and electricity.'

'I shall be consulting just after Christmas to moving to fate where then after we will no longer put food waste into landfill as it doesn't make sense.'

To listen to the interview in full click here

Thousands live destititute in Leeds

Destitution (n) 1. extreme want of resources or the means of subsistence, complete poverty
2. a deprivation or lack, a deficiency

There is a hidden, largely unreported population in British society which survives on less than a dollar a day - the yardstick that defines acute and unacceptable poverty across the globe. These people are rejected asylum seekers who have 'chosen' to live in destitution because they fear that their lives will be in danger if they return to their home countries.

The section of the Home Office responsible for asylum seekers, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) does not put an exact figure on this population but estimates range from 300,000 to 500,000. These 'failed' applicants are given 21 days, known as the 'move-on' period before financial, legal and health aid is severed. Without a home, thousands of people have taken to living under the radar in Britain, enduring severe poverty, extreme hunger, mental and physical ill health and multiple forms of abuse. Amnesty International believe this to be a deliberate tactic to rush people out of the country. Even the House of Lords deemed that by 'refusing permission for asylum seekers to work and operating a system of support which results in widespread destitution, the Governments treatment of asylum seekers in a number of cases reaches Article 3 ECHP threshold of inhuman and degrading treatment'.

A recent report published by PAFRAS, a charity that works with asylum seekers and refuges in Leeds revealed over half of the people it works with survive on one meal a day and less than £5 a week. Severe depression is widespread and many have experienced racial and physical abuse (including rape) by 'white English people.' Crucially, 95% of the people PAFRAS speak to are from affluent professional backgrounds including lawyers, teachers and television presenters. So the question must be asked, why would they choose to remain here and suffer such neglect and privation?

According to the Refugee Council, half of all recorded destitution cases come from only four countries, Iraq, Iran, Zimbabwe and Eritrea - all places of conflict or that have human rights records. Many were forced to flee these countries because they dared speak out against oppressive regimes in countries where opposing the government leads to detention, torture and sometimes death. Yet despite the government arguing it has 'a proud tradition of offering a place of safety for genuine refugees', many people from these troubled countries continually find their application rejected. But in the case facing many Zimbabweans, legal action currently prevents the government from removing refused asylum seekers back to the country and therefore many have little choice but to slip off the radar.

In contrast to popular opinion, the UK does not receive the most asylum seeker applications in Europe; last year both France and Italy took higher numbers. There are 10.6 million refugees in the world and 90% live in Africa and Asia. In 2006, only 23,610 people claimed asylum and up to two-thirds of these were refused - asylum was just 4% of overall immigration in 2007. Those who do it make to the UK have done so through people smugglers, often paying $10,000 to get passage to a safe country. Their socio-economic status then in their home country debunks the myth that asylum seekers are poverty-stricken individuals whose primary aim when in the UK is to claim benefit and secure council housing.

The destitute asylum seeker population is invisible, it statistically does not exist. But the human stories are there to be discovered. PAFRAS has seen demand for its services (free meals, toiletries, clothes, support and advice) rise from 2,230 visits in 2006 to 6,112 in 2008. Much of the help received by asylum seekers is provided by other impoverished asylum seekers but who are on Section 4 Support - £35 supermarket vouchers a week and no choice accommodation). As one put it, ''It's left to those of us with almost nothing to support those with absolutely nothing.'' This leaves many homeless, starving and open to exploitation and racist attacks.

Thirty-five percent of the women in the PAFRAS report who have no choice put to sleep on the street claim they had been sexually assaulted. One woman was attacked by a gang of five men while she was sleeping in a park - two of these men raping her. Another man was racially abused and stabbed in the eye with a piece of broken glass. But, the vast majority of attacks go unreported as failed asylum seekers are fearful of the police liaising with immigration officials to expedite their removal from the UK.

Many destitute asylum seekers are in poor health, both physically and mentally. Seventy-five percent of those who use PAFRAS have been diagnosed with clinical depression. Peoples psychological problems are a toxic combination of trauma endured in their home country and trauma endured here. But it is not just the adult asylum seeker population crippled by destitution. Five percent of the women interviewed in Leeds have children under the age of 5 born in the UK. Like their mothers, these children are enduring severe poverty and extreme hunger. What will happen when they reach school age?

Jon Burnett of PAFRAS perhaps offers the best possible summary when he states 'the fact that so many people who have escaped persecution are suffering such extreme privations is nothing short of a completely avoidable humanitarian disaster in our own backyard'.