FOI Friday: Prostitutes wanting to work in schools, hunger on the rise, counselling on the underground and 11-year-old drug runners

Prostitutes applying for jobs in schools (or reasons criminal checks failed) < Nottingham Post

PROSTITUTES, shoplifters and even someone who assaulted a child have applied for jobs in schools in Nottinghamshire over the past three years.

Other crimes committed by those wanting to work with children include assaulting a police officer, growing cannabis and racially aggravated criminal damage.

The Post can reveal that Criminal Records Bureau checks flagged up the crimes of 779 people when they applied for positions in schools in the city and county since 2011.

This figure includes 164 convicted of thefts, 39 assaults, 33 instances of loitering for prostitution, and ten for soliciting prostitutes.

Malnutrition on the rise < WalesOnline

Doctors have diagnosed hundreds of patients in Wales with malnutrition over recent years, we can reveal, amid anger about soaring dependence on foodbanks.

The statistics show patients have even been treated for cases of “severe acute malnutrition” normally associated with the developing world.

Malnourished babies and children are among more than 1,200 malnutrition cases diagnosed since 2007/08 with rates in Wales’ worst affected area jumping by a staggering 1,400%.

Many of the 1,229 recorded cases have involved patients being admitted to hospital for treatment while the true tally is likely to be even higher after two health boards refused to provide data on diagnoses in response to our freedom of information request.

Formal complaints against councils < North West Evening Mail

WATER leaking into a property from council land, comments made by an officer and a racism claim were among the complaints filed against Barrow Borough Council over the past three years.

An Evening Mail Freedom of Information request revealed the council received 92 formal complaints between 2011/12 and 2013/14. Only 15 were upheld and disciplinary action was taken only once – when an apology was issued following comments from a housing officer in 2011/12. Eight apologies have been issued since 2011.

Police compensation payouts < Brighton Argus

A police officer received £9,000 of taxpayers’ money after getting her foot trapped in a pothole in a station car park.

The unnamed female officer is just one of a number of officers who sued Sussex Police for compensation.

Sussex Police agreed to an out-of-court settlement after it was accepted the woman had suffered an ankle injury following the trip in February 2011 in Eastbourne.

Public bodies spending money on counselling < London Evening Standard

Almost half a million pounds was spent on counselling for staff at Transport for London last year, the Standard can reveal.

More than 1,400 employees received help for issues such as trauma, stress and even marital problems, at a cost  of £490,000.

Among those who sought counselling were train operators, station workers, management, admin staff and duty managers.

Reasons given for the counselling ranged from multiple trauma, assault and conflict at work, to eating disorders, anger management and consumer, banking and utilities problems. Others were helped with “sickness absence management”, family care and housing.

North Wales’ fastest drivers < wrexham.com

A Freedom of Information request to North Wales Police has revealed the highest recorded speeds in Wrexham and North Wales.

The FOI submitted by Wrexham.com asked for a monthly breakdown of the highest recorded speeds by speed cameras in Wrexham for 2012 and 2013.

For 2012 the monthly breakdown shows that over a 12 month period, the highest recorded speeds were along the same stretches of road in Coedpoeth, Mold Road and the A483 in Rossett.

Overall the highest recorded speed in 2012 was 96mph on the A483 Rossett Junction.

In 2013 the highest recorded speed in Wrexham was in August on the A483 Dual Carriageway Junction 7, Rossett, where a speed of 112mph was recorded.

Flashers in Derbyshire < Derby Telegraph

MORE than 160 people have been arrested, charged and prosecuted for exposing themselves to women in Derbyshire in the past five years.

Some victims were as young as nine, while one woman was aged 81.

Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request show last year 25 men were charged with exposure offences across the county.

The previous year there were 43 charges, 35 in 2012, and 31 in both 2011 and 2010.

£29m spent on locum staff at hospital < Southend Echo

A WHOPPING £29million has been spent on agency staff by Southend Hospital in the past four years, the Echo can reveal.

The figure, released to the Echo under Freedom of Information laws, shows the hospital spent £4.19million on locums last year alone, up £1.34million on the previous year, while spending on agency nurses was up a quarter to £1.95million last year.

The hospital is now spending £1million a month on agency staff which has led to the £29million spend since 2010/11.

11-year-old drug dealers < Liverpool Echo

Children as young as 11 have been arrested in Merseyside for possessing Class A drugs with intent to sell.

Today the Sunday ECHO reveals the extent to which drugs are penetrating the lives of school children in our region.

New figures show an 11-year-old was arrested last year in Bootle for  intent to supply Class A drugs.

Meanwhile two 13-year-old, one in Bootle and the other in the Huyton area, were arrested for the same offence.

Campaigners say young people are often recruited as ‘foot soldiers’ for gangs and are the most likely to be arrested for dealing.