Daily Post

Benefit Delays for Welsh Speakers

JOBLESS Welsh speakers are being forced to wait twice as long for their benefits to be processed than Englishspeaking claimants. Welsh speakers apparently have their applications translated three times

Plan to Make Rookie Cops Learn Welsh ; Police Want to Force Recruits to Study Language

NORTH Wales Police are planning to force new recruits to learn Welsh. Force chiefs are looking at the legality of compelling rookie officers to master the language within their two-year probationary period.

Dna Clue in Wirral Murder Case Appeal

NEW DNA evidence could lead to the quashing of the conviction of a Wirral man jailed for the 1978 murder of his wife, it was revealed yesterday. Thomas Bowman, now 62, was found guilty of strangling his wife Mary at their home in Wallasey and jailed for life after a jury heard their adult daughter describe how she witnessed the killing as a five-year-old girl.

Union's Plea in Ferry Row

MARINE and coastguard inspectors should be drafted in to ensure workers' rights are upheld on Irish Ferries vessels at the centre of an industrial dispute, union leaders said yesterday. Condemning the firm for using bully-boy tactics, Rail Maritime and Transport union general secretary Bob Crow called for officials to inspect ships docked in British ports.

Merseyside Sees Its First Big Freeze of the Winter ; but the Rest of the Week Will Be Milder

MERSEYSIDE had its first snow of the winter yesterday. The coldest part of the region was Crosby where temperatures dropped to just below freezing.

It's Snow Time Any Time As Company Blows in for Christmas Film Tie- Up

THERE'S no business like snow business for a Wirral entrepreneur. Former head of commercial operations for Everton Football Club, Alastair Saverimutto from Wallasey, is now in the business of guaranteeing white Christmases.

Man, 22, Pulls His Brother to Safety

A MAN last night paid tribute to his younger brother who ran into a smoke-filled house in Birkenhead and pulled him to safety. The drama unfolded after Danny Hyland, 23, fell asleep on a couch and left food cooking in the kitchen.

Farmer Tells Posh Girls' School ... Get Off Your Land ; Bitter Battle Ends Up in the Courtroom

A BITTER land dispute between an exclusive North Wales girl's school and a tenant farmer yesterday ended up in court. The wrangle began when bosses at Howell's School, Denbigh, said they wanted to use land farmed by John Edwards for horse-riding.

Red Tape Delays Welsh Benefits

JOBLESS Welsh speakers are being forced to wait twice as long for their benefits to be processed than Englishspeaking claimants, MPs were told yesterday. Caernarfon MP Hywel Williams claimed unemployed Welsh speakers were being forced to wait up to 14 weeks for their first payments because their applications were being translated THREE times.

Campaigners' High Hopes of Freeing Driver

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to free a British trucker jailed in Spain on drug trafficking charges are to lobby the Foreign Office today as part of efforts to secure his release. Fair Trials Abroad, which is representing haulier Steven Toplass, believes it is "pushing at an open door" in its attempts to persuade the Foreign Office to plead for clemency.

Under-Fives Hit Mental Trouble

MORE than one in 10 pre-school children may be experiencing early mental problems that are likely to disrupt their lives, a new study suggests. Scientists were shocked to discover large numbers of youngsters under five meeting the criteria for mental and behavioural disorders seen in school-age children, adolescents and adults.

Car Crash

Carols Off

Prices Steady

Judge Throws Out Charge Over 'Inflammatory' Leaflets

THE case against a 30-year-old man accused of distributing "racially inflammatory" leaflets outside a mosque in the weeks following the London bombings was dismissed yesterday. Mohammed Rahman, of Stirling Way, Edmonton, north London, had been charged under Section 5 of the Public Order Act of causing "harassment, alarm and distress" after handing out leaflets to worshippers leaving the Edmonton Islamic Centre on the evening of July 19.

Protection for Children Needed

PAEDOPHILES cross the European Union's open borders without being adequately tracked, a report warned yesterday. Child traffickers are operating with more ease across Europe, the study from children's rights campaign group Euronet said.

Diaz 'Ideal Maria

CAMERON DIAZ would be the ideal actress to play Maria if The Sound of Music were ever to be remade, Dame Julie Andrews said last night. The 70-year-old star named the blonde Hollywood actress during a question and answer session to mark the 40th anniversary of the popular musical. She also admitted that the star of My Fair Lady told her she should have played Eliza Doolittle.

Cracking Down On Boy Racers ; Random Checks Will Be Made On Young Drivers

POLICE yesterday announced plans to randomly stop young drivers in a bid to reduce the number of deaths on North Wales roads. Traffic cops plan to target areas frequented by motorists driving souped-up cars.

12-Month Wait for New Store

SHOPPERS may have to wait another 12 months for a new supermarket to be built in Pwllheli. Supermarket giant Asda plans to create more than 120 full and part-time jobs by building a 15,000sq ft store on the site of the old Jewson's depot.

Jps Issue Warning

A MAN seen carrying a baseball bat in Prestatyn high street was warned to stay away from the area at night. Stewart Shellbar was fined pounds 200 and ordered to pay pounds 55 costs by Prestatyn magistrates after he admitted possessing an offensive weapon.