Some of Britain’s most wanted child sex offenders are to be publicly identified on a new website. It is believed to be the first time that details of convicted paedophiles have been published nationwide by Britain’s law enforcement agencies.

The Council of Black Led Churches, The African Caribbean Evangelical Alliance, The Peace Alliance and Christians Together in Brent are among the growing number of faith groups who have expressed their grave concern over the government’s handling of the changes to the 1983 Mental Health Act. The crisis in black mental health is increasingly recognised as one of the most critical issues facing African Caribbean communities in Britain today.

A Council leader has pledged to “bring in the tanks” if a housing association’s plan to close six OAP homes goes ahead. Bexley councillors say they remain to be convinced by London & Quadrant’s (L&Q) plans for the sheltered housing scheme. Six of the association’s 16 sheltered housing schemes in the borough are earmarked for closure – affecting 200 elderly residents. Council leader Councillor Ian Clement said Bexley would withhold consent for the closures unless L&Q could convince it “the changes are necessary”.

An independent inquiry into the care given to a paranoid schizophrenic who killed a man in a vicious knife attack after being allowed to leave a psychiatric hospital will be published.

Government efforts to encourage community participation in public service delivery have resulted in the same small group of well-connected individuals taking up seats on the boards of more and more projects, according to a report.

Research suggests date-rape drugs may not be as prevalent as first thought. A study commissioned by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), suggests many victims of sexual assault may have just been extremely drunk.

In the UK, it is estimated that up to 40% of people with a learning disability also have a mental health problem but many of them are not getting the support they urgently need.

{mosimage}The killing of a man by a violent paranoid schizophrenic was the result of “an appalling catalogue of errors”, health bosses have admitted.

John Barrett repeatedly stabbed Denis Finnegan, 50, as he cycled in Richmond Park, south-west London, in 2004.

Poor communication and a lack of monitoring contributed to his escape from hospital, according to an independent inquiry report for the NHS.

Barrett pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was jailed for life in March 2005. He had absconded from Springfield Hospital in Tooting, south London, the night before the killing in September 2004.

{mosimage}Barrett had been granted an hour’s “ground leave” from the Shaftesbury Clinic, a secure unit, but failed to return.

The decision to give him that freedom by consultant psychiatrist Dr Gill Mezey was described by the inquiry as “seriously flawed”.

On leaving the hospital, 43-year-old Barrett bought numerous kitchen knives, took a taxi to Richmond Park and repeatedly stabbed Mr Finnegan, because he said he heard voices commanding him to kill.

More than 12,000 complaints were made about the NHS in the north west last year. Figures from the Information Centre for Health and Social Care showed there were 12,560 complaints about frontline health trusts in the region during 2005/06. That is the third highest regional figure in England and nearly three times the number made in the north east (3,940) in the same period.

Four nurses have won their High Court case against measures to stop them doing care work. The nurses had been suspended over questions about their conduct. The judge said the government measures, introduced to protect vulnerable people from ill-treatment by care workers, contravened the nurses’ human rights. The nurses, from Kent and Oxfordshire, were wrongly denied the right of a hearing when provisionally suspended from their work, said their lawyers.