Daily roundup 19 May: Free school meals, Instagram, and baby deaths probe
Neil Puffett
Friday, May 19, 2017
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver criticises Tory plans to axe free school meals; survey finds that Instagram is "worst social media site" in terms of impact on young people's mental health, and investigation launched into deaths at neonatal unit, all in the news today.
School food campaigner Jamie Oliver has labelled Theresa May's plan to axe free school meals for infants "a disgrace". The BBC reports that the TV chef, who led a successful campaign to improve the quality of school food, said the move "put future generations at risk".
Instagram is the worst social media site in terms of its impact on the mental health of young people, a report has suggested. The Telegraph reports that a survey found that the photo-sharing app negatively impacted on people's body image, sleep and fear of missing out.
Baby deaths at a neonatal unit with a "higher than usual" mortality rate are to be investigated by police. The BBC reports that the Countess of Chester Hospital reported "a greater number of baby deaths and collapses than normally expected" between June 2015 and July 2016. The police probe will focus on eight deaths, but a further seven during the same period will also be reviewed.
Children as young as six are carrying knives in the capital, Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick was told while discussing the devastating impact of the weapons in London. The Evening Standard reports that Dick vowed to get to the root of knife crime as she visited a youth centre in Putney, south-west London, where she met the family of a young man stabbed to death last year.
A couple who staged a "cynical charade" on a bus to cover up their baby's torture and death at home have each been jailed for 11 years. The Guardian reports that Jeffrey Wiltshire and Rosalin Baker concocted a plan to get away with the abuse of 16-week-old Imani that culminated in her death in September last year.
A former youth worker has been jailed for five years after using his position of trust to sexually abuse two boys over a five-year period. STV News reports that James Campbell bribed one victim, described as a "lost soul", when he was five with money and sweets.
Somerset County Council's Youth Offending Team is appealing for volunteers to act as "appropriate adults" to help young people understand what is happening to them while in police custody and why. The Bridgwater Mercury reports that the service requires the volunteers to ensure young people understand their rights and the police process while in custody.
