Other News In Brief

Man Jailed For Schoolboy Rape

A 19-year-old who raped a schoolboy has been detained for four-and-a-half years. Jonathan Bermingham, 19 - also known as Jonathan Ross - lured the his 14-year-old victim, who was playing truant from school into woods in Falkirk last year. Bermingham had been on the sex offenders register since the age of 13. He had carried out a similar attack on a young boy in the town in 2002. A lifelong restriction order has been placed on the 19-year-old by Judge Lord Uist also placed at the High Court in Edinburgh. He attacked the child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at Glenfuir Road in Falkirk on 12 June last year. The pair had met that day as the boy played truant from school.

Man Arrested After Woman's Body Found

A man has been arrested after the body of a woman was discovered in a house in south-east London. The 45-year-old woman's body was found in Barry Road, East Dulwich, at 4.40pm. Police do not believe the killing is connected to a fatal shooting in the same street last month. Twenty-five-year-old Larry Safie, from East Dulwich, was shot in the head in Barry Road on 22 February. A man, 24, was arrested in connection with the death.

Woman Found Dead 'Was Strangled'

A 65-year-old woman found dead in a south London house was strangled, a post-mortem examination has found. Maureen Cosgrove, a widow, lived with family members in a detached house in South Way, Carshalton. Her body was found there on 24 March. Mrs Cosgrove was last seen on Tuesday morning by a neighbour as she returned home from a dental appointment. Officers are trying to trace the driver of a car parked in South Way who they said could have "vital" information. No-one has been arrested over the murder.

East Yorkshire Estate Agent Banned

The OFT has issued a prohibition order against an East Yorkshire estate agent banning him from engaging in estate agency work. Mark Frederick Howe, of Beech and Howe Estate Agency, in Driffield, East Yorkshire, has been banned after convictions for offences involving fraud and dishonesty. Howe, 43, was sentenced to ten years imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court on 31 October 2008 on 13 counts of theft, procuring execution of a valuable security by deception, obtaining property by deception, and three counts of obtaining a money transfer by deception. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has today issued a Direction to local authorities to recall and withdraw products containing an unauthorised biocide called DMF. The European Commission has issued legislation requiring all EU member states to ensure no products containing DMF - Dimethylfumarate - are placed or made available on the market. This is under Article 13 of Directive 2001/95/EC (General Product Safety Directive). Local authorities will be required to ensure that products containing DMF already placed or made available on the market are withdrawn. Consumer Minister Gareth Thomas said: "Any goods containing DMF will be banned and we will be working closely with Trading Standards to ensure its swift implementation to fully protect consumers from this substance."

(JM/BMcC)