Other News In Brief

Two Die In House Fire Roof Collapse

A couple have died in a house fire in Greater Manchester when the ceiling collapsed, it has been confirmed. Six firefighters entered the house on Wibbersley Park, Flixton, after being alerted the emergency services. The bodies of the man in his 60s and his wife in her late 50s were discovered downstairs, police said. Police and fire investigators are at the scene trying to establish the cause. A fire service spokesman said: "The fire has severely affected the property causing extensive damage and some damage to the adjacent house."

Teenage Girl Suffers Serious Head Injuries

A 17-year-old girl is being treated in hospital with serious head injuries after being hit by a car in the south of Scotland. The collision took place at about 2130 BST on Friday on the A75 Dumfries bypass at the Nith Bridge in Lincluden. The teenager has been transferred to the Western General in Edinburgh with head injuries which have been described as "life-threatening". Police are keen to speak to an off-duty nurse who helped to look after the girl after the accident.

Elderly Man Found Dead In Fire

A man has been found dead by fire crews called to deal with a blaze at a property on Anglesey. Crews from Benllech, Menai Bridge and Llangefni were called to the fire at the semi-detached bungalow in Pentraeth at around 2325 BST on Friday. North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the body of a man, aged 67, was discovered in the front room of the property. An investigation in to the blaze, which caused substantial damage, has begun.

Prison Officer Questioned Over Drugs

A prison officer has been arrested on suspicion of smuggling crack cocaine into Walton jail on Merseyside. The 42-year-old is being questioned after his arrest at HMP Liverpool, said Merseyside Police. Officers then raided the man’s home where a quantity of ammunition was discovered. Following the security alert the jail was also searched. The prison officer has been suspended from work while detectives carry out an investigation.

OFT Bans Croydon Estate Agent

The OFT has issued a prohibition order banning a Croydon estate agent from estate agency work after she failed to disclose a personal interest in the sale of a property. Marcia Whyte who ran Executive Estates, Brighton Road, South Croydon, failed to disclose to a potential vendor, promptly and in writing, that she was seeking to acquire his property. An adjudicator found she also failed to disclose her personal interest to a potential purchaser to whom she intended to re-sell the property. Had the transaction proceeded Ms Whyte stood to make a secret profit of £65,000. In addition, the estate agent received a deposit from the potential purchaser, even though doing so is unlawful where an agent has a personal interest in the property, even when that interest has been duly disclosed.

(JM/BMcc)