The family of a 47 year old woman who was dragged along a road on a suspected hit and run incident have described the driver as “selfish and cowardly”.

According to the BBC, Julie Bloodworth was pulled several hundred yards under a car from Brick Row to Parliament Street car park in Stroud on Saturday 13th February 2010.

She lost part of her skull in the incident, had several broken ribs and needed skin grafts, Gloucestershire Police said.

Her family has urged anyone who knows the missing driver to come forward.

In a statement, the family said “A week ago last Saturday our ‘fiery angel’ Julie was seriously injured just yards from her home by a coward and selfish driver who left her for dead.
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The council child protection service heavily criticised for their role in the death of Baby Peter is showing signs of progress after spending millions of pounds on improving.

According to the Guardian, a report published by inspectors today in to Haringuey Council in north London shows that they have taken action to reduce frontline staff workloads, simplify bureaucratic IT systems and get rid of poorly-performing employees and this is beginning to pay dividends.

The report by Ofsted indicates that after initial difficulties the children’s services in the borough are beginning to make “good progress overall”
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A new hospital in Wales is being criticised because some beds have still not been used almost a year after it opened. According to the BBC, Ysbyty Alltwen in Tremadog, Gwynedd opened its doors in April last year, replacing the previous hospital, Bron y Garth, in Penrhyndeudraeth.

Health watchdogs said that they were unhappy only 24 of the 30 beds available had been used. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which runs the hospital, said the new hospital had the same number of beds available as the one it replaced.
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A doctor is accused of failing to spot the signs that Baby P was being abused and is due before the General Medical Council (GMC) charged with misconduct.

According to the BBC, Dr Sabah Al-Zayyat saw 17-month-old Peter Connelly at St. Ann’s Hospital in Haringuey days before his death in 2007.

She is accused of failing to carry out an “adequate examination” investigating his injuries, or admit him to hospital. The GMC could take the decision to ban her from working in the UK.
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People are being urged not to use a beach in Torbay, Devon following a 5,000 tonne rock fall. According to the BBC, the landslide happened at Oddicombe Beach on Sunday in an area which has been cordoned off since 2002 due to instability.

Torbay Council said that it was the second time in the last eight years that there had been a major rock fall in the area.

The whole of Oddicombe Beach will be shut for several days as a result of secondary rock falls still happening.
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A Scottish brewery has controversially launched what it describes as the world’s strongest beer – with a massive 32% alcohol content.

According to the BBC, the beer, named Tactical Nuclear Penguin, has been unveiled by BrewDog of Fraserburgh.

BrewDog has already been reprimanded and branded irresponsible for an 18.2% beer it produced called Tokyo.
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Doctors in Cambridge believe that they may soon have a cure for peanut allergies.

According to the BBC, the largest ever trial to find a treatment for potentially fatal peanut allergies is to give sufferers tiny amounts daily to build up their tolerance to the nut.

The trial team will give increasing doses of peanut flour to 104 British children, up to the equivalent of five nuts a day.
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Some British schools are failing to meet a legal duty to protect their pupils from potentially deadly asbestos.

According to the BBC, a report by the Asbestos Training and Consultancy Association (or ATAC) said that none of the 16 schools it surveyed were meeting health and safety rules on managing the substance.

Teaching unions want a full audit of the danger from asbestos, which can cause a lethal form of cancer. The government’s current policy on asbestos is that it should be left in place and managed rather than removed. However, the survey has revealed that many schools lack the resources to manage asbestos safely.
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A cement factory in Flintshire has admitted safety breaches which could potentially have caused a cancer risk. According to the BBC, Castle Cement Ltd admitted four charges relating to dust and noise nuisances at Padeswood as well as two fires which released potentially dangerous smoke.

The Environmental Agency Wales (EAW) said the £300,000 in fines and costs was one of the highest ever court awards.
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Environmental Health bosses have launched a crackdown on Indian restaurants following a number of injuries suffered from exploding tandoori ovens.

Tandoor ovens are used to cook meat dishes, such as chicken tikka, and breads like nan. According to the BBC, Birmingham City Council officers found that many had not been maintained or installed properly.

Only a few had working ignitions and employees routinely had to light ovens using burning serviettes. Furthermore, a check of 27 restaurants discovered only two used a qualified engineer to check their oven. Some ovens even appear to have been home made.
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