Policing News
Sir Alan makes 'yob culture' plea
Millionaire businessman and Apprentice star Sir Alan Sugar has called for billions of pounds to be spent on helping police clean up "yob culture".
He told BBC News he was "absolutely gob smacked" each time he turned on the TV to see "another report of a yet another stabbing of a young person".
Youngsters should use their skills to get off the "dole" and achieve business or sporting success, he told BBC News.
Sir Alan also criticised human rights laws for "tying the hands" of police.
Billions of pounds
In an interview with the BBC News Channel, he said he would like to see more government money spent on helping police do "an even better job than they are at the moment".
While admitting he lacked political experience, he said: "I wonder whether the millions, millions and billions which have been spent on things like Iraq, if they were deployed to try and sort this thing out. Let's have some more police."
Government hosts firearms summit
Measures to control the use of airguns and other weapons are to be discussed at a firearms summit hosted by the Scottish Government.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has refused to attend the meeting, saying firearms legislation is reserved to Westminster.
But Holyrood ministers said Scotland has distinct problem, particularly in relation to airguns.
The parents of two-year-old Andrew Morton, who was killed by an airgun pellet, were due to attend the event.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has said he was "alarmed" by the UK Government's "complacency" towards gun laws.
Row looming over cannabis grading
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is expected to reclassify cannabis as a Class B drug - against the advice of officials.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is understood to have argued that cannabis remains Class C, to which it was downgraded under Tony Blair.
But Gordon Brown is thought to be keen to reclassify to "B" as he is worried about the "more lethal" use of skunk - a stronger form of the drug.
The Tories want cannabis to be Class B. Lib Dems want ministers to heed advice.
Probe held into armed siege death
An investigation has begun after a gunman was killed during a shoot-out with police in south-west London.
The man fired three times at police officers at a property in Markham Square, near King's Road, Chelsea, on Tuesday night.
Police returned fire, and at about 2145 BST four explosions, thought to be stun grenades, were heard.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission confirmed it would be investigating the fatal shooting.
The gunman first shot at police in Chelsea as officers investigated an incident where shots were fired into a child's bedroom.
The gunman began shooting at 1700 BST, fired again at 2100 BST and then at about 2130 BST. On all occasions officers returned fire.
A spokesman for the IPCC said: "The IPCC will independently investigate the fatal shooting of a man in the Kings Road area of Chelsea.
Police disperse house party crowd
About 200 people turned up to a teenager's house party which was understood to have been advertised on the internet, police have said.
Children as young as 12 were at the party, hosted by an 18-year-old man near Herne Bay, Kent.
About 25 officers, including some with dogs, brought the event to an end on Saturday night. No arrests were made.
Insp Gordon Etheridge said police would be meeting the 18-year-old and his parents to warn against future events.
The party was being held in an empty house understood to belong to the family of the teenager, who has not been named.
Insp Etheridge said officers were called by people concerned about the level of noise, and about revellers causing a nuisance.
Two rooms in the house in Coventry Gardens, Beltinge, were kitted out with music equipment, he added.
He said: "It was clear that there was a large amount of alcohol being consumed, some of it by under-18s.
"There was no effective adult supervision and the house was becoming dangerously overcrowded when we took the decision to end the party."
The crowd was escorted through Beltinge by officers and then dispersed into small groups.
The party was attended by people from as far away as Folkestone and Gravesend.
Brick dropped on train windscreen
A train driver was lucky to escape injury after a brick was thrown through his windscreen on Teesside.
It was dropped from a bridge as the Doncaster to Haltwhistle EWS Freight service passed through the Hartford Junction in Stockton-on-Tees.
British Transport Police (BTP) said a group of youths were spotted standing on the bridge, between Spring Street and Marlborough Road, at the time.
A witness appeal has been launched following the incident on 26 April.
Pc Graham Adams, of the BTP, said: "The driver reported seeing about eight or nine youths on the bridge before the windscreen was smashed by a heavy object.
"One of the youths he describes as being a blonde female wearing a turquoise top and bottoms."
Knife carrying doubles in decade
The number of people carrying knives in Yorkshire and the Humber region has more than doubled in the past 10 years, police figures show.
The region's police charged 588 people for knife possession in 2006 compared to 228 in 1997, official figures show.
West Yorkshire's charges rose from 53 to 214 in the same period, with South Yorkshire climbing from 68 to 169.
Humberside Police saw figures more than double from 60 to 135, whilst North Yorkshire's rate went up from 47 to 70.
Body discovered near caravan park
The body of a man has been discovered close to a Durham caravan park.
The man, who was aged between 18 and 30, was discovered by a passer-by near Finchale Caravan Park, north of Durham City, on Monday afternoon.
Detectives are treating the death as "unexplained" after a post-mortem examination proved inconclusive.
Police said the man had no identification and checks of outstanding missing persons with neighbouring forces had drawn a blank.
Man in hospital after house fire
A man has been taken to hospital after being rescued from a house fire in Ballymena.
The Fire and Rescue Service were called to the property on the County Antrim town's Larne Road late on Tuesday night.
A woman in the house managed to escape by the time officers arrived. Commander Martin McDonald said on arrival they "found a well developed fire and were informed that there was someone trapped inside."
He continued: A crew wearing breathing apparatus, taking a hose reel with them, entered the house and very quickly found an unconscious male casualty on the floor in the living room at the rear of the house.
"They were able to rescue the casualty and bring him to open air where they administered first aid and oxygen until the arrival of paramedics at the scene."
Five-year crackdown on violence
A major five-year strategy to reduce violence in Edinburgh has been launched.
The Edinburgh Violence Reduction Programme brings together Lothian and Borders Police, the NHS and the Community Safety Partnership.
Violence against women, street violence and alcohol abuse will all be tackled under the new initiative.
It is hoped the EVRP will create a safer environment in Edinburgh, where violence is deemed unacceptable.
Supt Ramzan Mohayuddin, of Lothian and Borders Police, said: "The profound impact that violence has on victims, perpetrators, witnesses and families is obvious.
Almost £1m worth of drugs seized
Drugs worth almost £1m have been seized in the last year in the Highlands and Islands, police said.
Northern Constabulary said operations included one that ran for 18 months and led to the arrests of eight people.
The force has revealed figures showing 63% of crimes were detected - higher than the 47% national average.
Chief Constable Ian Latimer said an additional £1.6m of funding would be put towards frontline services and help prioritise work.
The Western Isles and Shetland area commands were highlighted for having performed at an "exceptionally high level" with detection rates of 72.5% and 70.7%.
