The family of an 89-year-old woman who died in a care home fire is considering legal action following their disappointment at a coroner’s decision at her inquest.

More than 600 drug offences are now being committed every day, it emerged yesterday. Labour’s soft stance and its downgrading of cannabis are being blamed for a 14 per cent rise in narcotics crimes as Gordon Brown faces fresh pressure to reclassify the drug.

An eminent professor has been sued by his care home in a row over his treatment. The owners of Silverwood Nursing Home in Beeston took Professor Paul Newbold to court for not paying thousands of pounds of fees.

A male nurse accused of murdering four elderly women and the attempted murder of a fifth has denied doing anything that would harm or put his patients’ lives in danger.

Sir Cliff Richard’s mother has died at the age of 87 after suffering Alzheimer’s disease. Dorothy Webb developed dementia in her early seventies.

A Somerset Care service is disappointed and angry after plans to extend a care home in Castle Cary were rejected for the second time.

A bus company has been accused of failing to take action to help passengers with learning disabilities.

Social services chiefs have admitted the future of hundreds of staff is out of their hands after they move into the private sector.

A Hospital nurse who repeatedly swore in front of colleagues and put cancer patients in danger by making basic drug errors has been struck off.

A jury will decide tomorrow whether a widow left in her bed during the evacuation of a blazing care home died as the result of an accident.