NEWS IN BRIEF

Man Dies After Supermarket Attack

A man has died following an altercation at a supermarket, police have said. The 57-year-old man was pushed to the ground while queuing up inside Sainsbury's in Merton, south west London on Tuesday. He was taken to hospital where he died on Wednesday night. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "A man assaulted in High Street, Merton, on June 10 died at 11.45pm on June 11 at St George's Hospital, Tooting." Thirty-seven-year-old Tony Virasami of Sedgehill Road, Catford, has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm and is due to appear before Wimbledon magistrates later. It is understood that the matter will now be treated as a murder investigation.

Irish EU Treaty Vote 'Knife Edge'

The vote on the Lisbon Treaty is officially underway as Irish voters head to polling stations around the country to cast their votes in the crucial referendum. Recent polls have showed support for the hotly debated document wane and surge, with reports last week showing the 'No' campaign ahead, and a poll this week showing the 'Yes' vote just in the lead. However, the present position on voting day is being reported as resting on a 'knife edge'. The Treaty has already been approved by 17 member states, and is due to come into force by January 1st next year.

Man On Murder Charge After Nightclub Stabbing

A man has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing a father to death in a nightclub. Danny Hockenhull, 23, of Hawkshead Road, Sheffield, will appear before Sheffield Magistrates' Court today to face charges conected to the killing of Brett Blake, 23, from Longley. Mr Blake was pronounced dead at a city hospital and a post mortem revealed that Mr Blake died from multiple stab wounds at Uniq on Carver Street on Saturday. A statement by South Yorkshire Police said that Mr Hockenhull has also been charged with a Section 18 wounding and possession of an offensive weapon. The accused is further charged with injuring two other men in the club. Both were treated for injuries in hospital, one man has since been released.A 19-year-old woman from Rotherham was also arrested in connection with the incident but was later released on bail by police.

That's Gotta Hurt! Piercing Examined

One in ten adults in England have had a piercing somewhere other than their ear lobe, with a quarter experiencing complications, and one in 100 piercings resulting in a hospital admission, according to a study published on bmj.com. The study, carried out by public health doctors from the Health Protection Agency and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, also found that women are three times more likely than men to have a body piercing and the most popular piercing site is the navel. The type of piercing also varied by gender with nipple piercing being the most popular among men but one of the least popular among women, while navel piercing was by far the most popular in women. Genital piercing, while uncommon, was found to be twice as popular among men as women. The most common problems with piercings were swelling, infection and bleeding, with tongue piercings being the most likely to cause problems-almost half resulted in complications. Serious complications were significantly more likely to occur if the piercing had been performed by a non-specialist.

(DS)(BMcC)