BBC Children in Need is distributing nearly £17million worth of grants this week which will help make a positive difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people around the UK.

Britain’s elderly are in the grip of a mental health crisis with more than 3.5 million older people suffering depression or dementia, according to a report.

{mosimage}The startling figures show the scale of mental health problems in the over-65s is far greater than previously thought.

Suicide rates among those over 75 have risen alarmingly, especially among women.

Experts warn unless prompt Government action is taken the number of those suffering mental health problems will rise by a third in the next 15 years.

The disturbing analysis is released today by the UK Inquiry into Mental Health and Well-Being in Later Life, involving experts from the London School of Economics, the Royal College of Nursing and the charity Age Concern.

According to the study, up to 2.6 million older people – one in four of those over 65 and two in five of those over 85 – are suffering from depression or serious symptoms of depression. Meanwhile, one in five people over 80 suffers from dementia.

The mother of a 17-month-old boy and her boyfriend have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the child died from horrific injuries.

Writing to Minister Kevin Brennan, John Hemming MP, chairman of Justice for Families, has called for the responsiblity for investigating allegations of Child Abuse to be removed from Childrens Social Services.

The RNIB has accused the government body charged with deciding what drugs are available on the NHS of “massive incompetence” that could lead to up to 10,000 people in the UK going blind unnecessarily.