Crime

• Vulnerable offenders increasingly referred to health services rather than prison

  Offenders with mental health, alcohol and drug abuse problems are increasingly being referred to health services as part of community sentences.

  

• Council warns financial details of 6,000 people have been hacked

  The financial details of up to 6,000 people have been illegally accessed, a London council has warned.

  

• Council first to fine people for soliciting prostitutes

  An East London council is set to be the first to issue on-the-spot fines for people using prostitutes.

  

• Government publishes new guidelines on protecting vulnerable suspects

  New guidelines have been issued to protect vulnerable adults suspected of committing an offence.

  

• Five people sentenced for £200k council fraud

  Five men who defrauded a Leicestershire council out of more than £200,000 through an email scam have been sentenced.

  

• Manchester CC ‘unanimously’ approves charter against slavery

  Manchester City Council has called on the Government to provide more support for victims of modern slavery.

  

• Wiltshire gets £5m boost to cover cost of novichok attacks

  The Government has given Wiltshire Council nearly £1m to help cover the cost of handling the recent novichok poisonings.

  

• Council cancels World Cup public screenings after ‘outbreaks of disorder’

  Middlesbrough Council has cancelled the public screening of England’s World Cup semi-final after ‘outbreaks of disorder’ during the last match.

  

• Council left with £80k bill to clean up four abandoned trailers

  Four 40ft articulated trailers containing rubbish have been dumped in Bromley, costing the council more than £80,000 to deal with.

  

• Council gang prevention programme gets £800,000 boost

  Waltham Forest Council has allocated an additional £806,000 of funding over four years in order to ‘reshape’ its gang prevention programme.