Other News In Brief

Payback Projects To Receive £500k

Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill was in the North of Scotland recently to see offenders taking part in a major clean up operation around the Caledonian Canal, cleaning up litter and cutting back vegetation between Tomnahurich and Dochgarroch for the benefit of the local community.The visit marked the award of £500,000 to projects across the North and North East of Scotland which will see low-level offenders pay back communities through manual labour such as cleaning up graveyards, removing graffiti from streets and carrying out improvement work at sports centres.

Man Jailed For Assaulting Bus Driver

A man who assaulted a bus driver in Newham has been jailed for 14 months. Kamaljeet Bahra, 31, of High Street South, East Ham, was jailed on Wednesday 8 February at Snaresbrook Crown Court following an investigation by the joint Metropolitan Police Service Safer Transport Command (STC) and Transport for London (TfL) Workplace Violence Unit, which deals with physical violence, threats and abuse against London's bus staff.

Bahra pleaded guilty to the offence of actual bodily harm.

HMRC Issues Tax Return Penalties

850,000 penalties for late tax returns will be issued over the next fortnight, 550,000 fewer than the same time last year, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) announced today. Letters containing the £100 late-filing penalties are being sent to people who failed to send their 2010/11 Self Assessment returns to HMRC on time. Anyone who still hasn’t sent their return to HMRC should do so now or risk further penalties. For example, anyone whose return is more than three months late will be charged an additional £10 penalty for each day it remains outstanding, up to a maximum of 90 days.

(GK/)