Other News In Brief

Appeal For Missing Woman

A father, who fears his daughter may have been abducted, has started to hand out posters in attempts to find her. Colleagues at the University of York’s Goodricke College, Heslington, last saw Claudia Lawrence, 35, on Wednesday. Her father Peter Lawrence said he spoke to her last on Wednesday evening, adding the last few days had been a "living nightmare". Senior officers from North Yorkshire Police said her disappearance was "completely out of character". Officers believe she disappeared about 5.30am on Thursday after leaving home without money, bank cards or her passport to walk three miles to her job as a chef at the college. Det Ch Insp Lucy Pope, who was at school with Ms Lawrence, said: "It's certainly a possibility that an abduction could be involved, but I have got nothing to suggest that." Miss Lawrence is described as 5ft 6in (1.7m) tall, slim, with brown hair. She was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and trainers.

Man In Court Over Boy's Road Death

A 61-year-old man is due in court today charged with causing the death of a nine-year-old boy who was hit by two cars while out on his bicycle. Robert Gaunt died in hospital on Saturday after the collision at Overton, near Wrexham, on Thursday. David James Lunn, of Wrexham, will appear before magistrates in Mold on several charges including failing to stop and driving without a licence. A 58-year-old woman who was arrested has been released on police bail. Robbie, as he was known, died at 1130 GMT on Saturday in Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool, after he was initially taken to Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

New MD For Shepherd's West Division

Shepherd Construction has announced Peter Millett has been appointed Managing Director for its West Division. Peter will also hold a seat on Shepherd's Executive Management Board. He joined Shepherd in 2008 in the position of Divisional Construction Director, responsible for operations within the Company's West region. Peter has 21 years experience in the construction industry and his previous roles include a senior role with Bovis Lend Lease. He is a former CIOB Construction Manager of the Year Silver Medallist and is a gold award winner in the Considerate Constructors Scheme.

Newham Haulier Fined For Fatal HGV Incident

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning employers not to ignore basic safety precautions following the death of a lorry driver at a depot in East London. John Peter Wootten, formerly trading as AEP Aggregates, has been fined £4,000 and costs of £750 after pleading guilty to breaching Sections 3(1)(a) and 10(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The prosecution follows HSE's investigation into a fatal incident in which a driver in Mr Wootten's employment, Joseph Caruana, was fatally injured by a trailer. On 19 December 2001, Mr Caruana was unloading shingle at the RMC Readymix Ltd depot in Tower Hamlets. He reversed the articulated lorry up a concrete ramp into the unloading bay and activated the tipping mechanism. He engaged the tractor handbrake but not the trailer parking brake, and as he failed to release the tailgate of the trailer the shingle load built up at the rear of it. The weight caused the vehicle to skid down the ramp. When Mr Caruana noticed this he ran and jumped into the cab of his vehicle, but he did not have time to shut the door. The vehicle jack-knifed, throwing him from the cab and under the advancing wheels of the trailer and he died of multiple injuries at the scene.

(JM/BMcC)