Scientists say they have discovered a new gene linked with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. People with a damaged copy of the gene, GAB2, may be at four times increased risk of

Some 150 charities say they were unable to apply for government money for training schemes because of problems with a new online application system.

The findings of an inquiry into why a convicted murderer freed from prison was able to abduct and rape a ten-year-old boy will remain secret because its publication would infringe the killer’s right to privacy.

{mosimage}The Parole Board cites the Data Protection Act to justify its refusal to make public the findings of an internal review into its 2005 decision to free Stephen Ayre.

A separate internal inquiry was conducted by the Probation Service into its supervision of Ayre after his release. It was sent to the Home Office and also remains private. Ayre, 45, was jailed for life in 1985 for bludgeoning Irene Hudson, 25, to death with an iron bar. She had a mental age of 13.

He was given a minimum tariff of 14 years. His first four attempts to gain parole were rejected and he had served 20 years in prison before he was finally released, with the approval of a parole panel, in April 2005.

Ayre spent the next six months in a Probation Service hostel before he was allowed to move into rented accommodation in Shipley, West Yorkshire, in October 2005. He was still being monitored by the service. Four months later, in February last year, he lured a ten-year-old boy to his flat, promising to give him a BMX bicycle. He threatened to slash the terrified child’s throat before raping him.

Ayre admitted abduction and rape and was told by a judge that he would spend the rest of his life behind bars. Mr Justice Tugendhat told him that it was not the court’s role to establish “how you were free to commit these . . . very serious offences”, but added that “the family and the public will be concerned about certain aspects of this case”.

After the hearing, West Yorkshire Probation Service announced that it had ordered an internal inquiry into its role “as a matter of urgency”.

Mental health hospital admissions in England due to cannabis have risen by 85% under Labour, figures show.

One in eight NHS hospital patients still has to wait more than a year for treatment, the government acknowledged yesterday in its first attempt to tell the full truth about health service queues in England.

The parents of a severely disabled boy have launched a court battle against the closure of their local casualty unit saying the move could lead to his death.

Leslie Morphy, chief executive of Crisis has highlighted the shortage of accommodation for homeless people at the organisation’s annual conference in London. Morphy was the opening speaker yesterday at the Crisis ‘Tackling homelessness in the next decade’ conference at the Stock Exchange in London.

Leicestershire County Council has implemented a new electronic documents and records management system to improve access to social services case files and other information.

The Government’s proposed new model for health visiting has sparked fears that many families will be left without access to a health visitor. Children Now understands the Government is considering clarifying the roles of health visitors as part of an imminent shake-up of the profession. The roles could also apply to midwives and children’s nurses.

Head teachers who are socially inclusive and embrace the Every Child Matters agenda will improve results, according to a study. The soon-to-be-published National College of School Leadership study examined six schools based in disadvantaged areas.