Other News In Brief

Security Firm Targets Elderly Residents

Bromley Police are issuing a warning about a security firm which is targeting elderly and vulnerable residents by cold calling them.

Police have received complaints about Direct Response Security, a company that supplies burglar alarms, after they were advising residents that they were undertaking a local campaign with the support of the local police and that their security systems have a "direct link to the nearest Police, Ambulance or Fire Engine for a direct and quick response".

A spokesman for Bromley Police said: "If you have been approached by this company via a cold call or any other means we would urge homeowners to be very careful. We are not supporting any campaign with this company and no alarm system links into any police vehicle. That is untrue and a quite ridiculous assertion to make."

Deputy PM Opens Thameside Distribution Centre

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has opened Sainsbury's new £30m Thameside Distribution Centre in Greenwich, south east London.

The state-of-the-art 250,000 sq ft facility will eventually create 600 jobs on site, making it one of the most significant employers in the local area.

It will also support the expansion of Sainsbury's outlets in London and the south east.

Mr Clegg said: "This investment is a vote of confidence in Britain's recovery. It's a long-term commitment that will boost growth and generate jobs in Charlton and beyond.

"It's already created 350 new jobs right here, with more planned for the future. It's also supporting a thousand more jobs across Sainsbury's stores in the south east.

"That's hundreds of people in work, building a career and securing their future."

Reforms To Overhaul Children's Residential Care Announced

The Department for Education today announced reforms to overhaul children's residential care.

The proposed reforms will lead to a much sharper focus on transparency, a drive for higher quality in care homes and stricter measures to hold local authorities (LAs) and care homes to account for their decisions.

The plans are part of a package of reforms which demand much better decision making from LAs about where children are placed. The process by which LAs access reports has been clarified, so that councils are able quickly and easily to access information about the homes in their area, and have it regularly updated.

(CD/JP)