Other News In Brief

Bar Fight MP Charged With Assault

Labour MP Eric Joyce has been charged with three counts of common assault after he was arrested on Wednesday night following an incident in Strangers Bar in the House of Commons.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We were called at approximately 10.50pm to reports of a disturbance at a bar within the House of Commons. A man aged in his 50s was arrested by officers on suspicion of assault."

Mr Joyce has also been suspended and stripped of the party whip, a Labour party spokesman said: "This is an extremely serious incident. We have suspended Eric Joyce pending the results of the police investigation."

It is alleged that Joyce, MP for Falkirk, struck at least four MPs, including a Labour whip, and that Conservative MP Stuart Andrew was headbutted and punched.

Greggs Chief Latest To Criticise Unpaid Work Scheme

Greggs the bakers chief executive, Ken McMeikan, has become the latest to raise concerns over the governments increasingly controversial work experience schemes.

He told the BBC he was not comfortable with young people potentially losing their benefits if they where to leave the initiative. While the government insists its Get Britain Working scheme is an “excellent” opportunity, critics have called the project “slave labour”. Currently a jobseeker can volunteer to take a work placement but if the stay beyond the first week it is then compulsory for them to stay for at least two months, or they risk losing entitlement to benefits.

McMeikan has said, "If after a week or more you decide as an individual that it's not working for you and you leave the scheme, we don't believe at Greggs that the benefits should be taken away.” He continued, "Our view is if they are volunteering to come on this scheme, and for whatever reason they come off, then they go back onto benefits.”

200 Strong Gang Clash With Police In Manchester

A gang of around 200 attacked police in Rochdale, Manchester last night.

As police were pelted with bricks and other missiles a takeaway had its windows smashed and four cars, three of them police vehicles, were attacked.

Police sent in vans and dog units to disperse the groups later arresting a 35-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy.

Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said police were aware of "tensions in the borough” and said, "We will maintain and increase police presence in the coming weeks to keep up our reassurance. We ask that the community acts responsibly during this difficult time."

(H)