24/03/2014

Other News In Brief

TV Ad Ban On Payday Loans 'Unlikely'

A ban on payday loan advertising has been ruled out, with the government saying that advertising already faces "strict content rules", making a law change "unlikely".

A committee of MPs had called for the adverts to banned during children's TV, with the Business Select Committee saying that children could be exposed to the idea that these short-term, high interest loans were "fun".

Ofcom figures revealed that children aged four to 15 saw almost 600 million payday loan TV adverts in 2012, up from three million in 2008.

The figures did also show that 3% of these ads were seen on children's channels, which is epuivalent to two per child over the year.

Two Arrested In Connection With Damage To Stephen Lawrence Plaque

The Metropolitan Police have reported that two men have been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage to the Stephen Lawrence memorial plaque.

Police say that the plaque, in Well Hall Road, Elthan, south-east London, was damaged in an incident on Sunday at about 00:40.

Two men arrested in connection with the incident have been bailed to appear again on 29 May.

Search Launched For Missing Dundee Man

A large-scale search operation has been launched for a vulnerable man reported missing from his Dundee home.

It is understood that Stephen Samson has been missing since about midnight on Sunday after he told a relative that he was going to take his bin out.

Dog teams have joined a search which began overnight in an effort to find the missing 31-year-old man.

Police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

(MH)

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