Stephen Smith employs a PR firm which specialises in online profiles to smarten up his and create a new...

The new identity of Jon Venables must be kept secret because there is "compelling evidence" of a threat to his safety, a judge...

Monitoring of James Bulger killer Jon Venables had been stepped up following earlier arrestsSupervision of Jon Venables was intensified after he was arrested for affray in 2008, according to probation officers who have defended themselves against claims the child killer should have been recalled to prison long before his arrest for downloading images of child abuse.Questions are being asked about why Venables, who was released from prison in 2001 having served eight years for the murder of Liverpool toddler James Bulger, was not recalled to prison sooner. His trial last week heard that he had been arrested by police after getting embroiled in a drunken fight in 2008.The Conservative MP and former shadow home secretary David Davis said it was "plain as a pikestaff" that Venables should...

So now we know what Jon Venables has been doing under his new identity.  From the Guardian: Half an hour later, the probation officer found his 27-year-old charge sitting at a desktop computer frantically hacking away at the hard drive with a knife, and then a tin opener. “I’m trying to reformat the hard drive,” Venables said, explaining that he wanted to delete personal details. He has obviously been working in IT tech support.  We always use the knife and tin opener approach instead of the old, unreliable FORMAT C: which ‘civilians’...

New identity for Megapenthes lugens reflects location, character and appearance, say judges of competition to give common names to 10 rare UK species• See the full list of winners• George Monbiot: Ten species now have an identity we can care aboutIt began with a stark fact - the rapid extinction of animals and plants in England - and has ended with an outpouring of interest, ingenuity, some poetry and even a touch of magic.The Guardian competition to name some lesser-known and threatened insects, lichens and sea-creatures from around the country received more than 3,000 entries, transforming the Philorhizus quadrisignatus into the intriguing Mab's lantern beetle, Peltigera venosa into the otherworldly pixie gowns lichen, and Haliclystus auricula into colourful kaleidoscope...

US ambassador meets Cypriot president over disappearance of Christopher Metsos - but US makes no formal complaintCypriot authorities were today facing embarrassing questions about how the alleged paymaster of a Russian spy ring, arrested at the island's airport on Tuesday, was allowed to go missing.Christopher Metsos, who is alleged to have funded an espionage network operating under deep cover in the United States, vanished after unexpectedly being granted bail by a district court judge pending an extradition hearing 30 days later.Today, the American ambassador to Cyprus, Frank Urbancic, held an hour-long meeting with the president of Cyprus, Dimitris Christofias, but a government spokesman insisted the US had made no formal complaint.Metsos, who was travelling on a Canadian passport,...

Dell has never been one to hold off before rolling out new products, updating their line-ups more often than most of their competitors. So, the release of the new Dell Inspiron R series of laptops comes as no surprise to most of us and almost as inevitably, there are a host of options to choose from. The spec of said machines is hardly a surprise either; boasting options of either Intel Core i3’s or an upgrade to a core i5 mobile processor. As is usually the way with Dell, there are a lot of ‘in-betweens’ but the height of the options provide a 1Gb ATI graphics card, a 640Gb hard drive and 8Gb of DDR3 memory. So whilst paying a lot more than the basic price of £479, you are given the options of an extremely high spec laptop, capable of more than the standard home and office needs...

This morning's Guardian confirms that the £4.5bn national identity card scheme is to be scrapped within 100 days.They say that abolishing the cards and associated register will be the first piece of legislation introduced to parliament by the new government. The identity documents bill will invalidate all existing cards and the role of the identity commissioner, created in an effort to prevent data blunders and leaks, will be abolished.This move is set to save £86m over four years and avoid £800m in costs over the next 10 years that would have been raised by increased charges. The paper adds that an allied decision to cancel the next generation of biometric fingerprint passports will save a further £134m over four years. Savings to the public under the whole package will total...

One day in:Both Parties that now form the new Government stated in their manifestos that they will cancel Identity Cards and the National Identity Register. We will announce in due course how this will be achieved. Applications can continue to be made for ID cards but we would advise anyone thinking of applying to wait for further announcements.Until Parliament agrees otherwise, identity...

  In case anybody didn’t see the comment left on Law Actually by ASP, here it is: Well, I'm afraid to report that the Blawgosphere is now getting ever smaller. I apologise unreservedly to Michael for using his post in this way, but I need to post things to my fellow blawgers whilst not, for reasons that will become apparent, putting it in the blog. Over the past few months, I've known that some of my work colleagues have come across and read 'Bites. I, personally, did not see that as a problem. I've been careful with my posts, not referred to people by names, and not mentioned any cases I'm involved in any detail whatsoever. The problem with blogs though is that it's a very 2-dimensional platform. There's no body language or tone of voice to show...

Protest groups that were targeted by infiltrators plan legal action to obtain access to police files after disclosures by Officer APolitical activists have reacted with anger to revelations in last week's Observer that their organisations were infiltrated by an elite undercover unit of the Metropolitan police.Members of one of the groups demanded a public inquiry after the Observer disclosed that a former member of Special Branch, known as Officer A, had infiltrated far-left organisations in the mid-1990s to gather intelligence about potentially violent demonstrators. He was regularly involved in brutal confrontations with uniformed police officers and activists from the extreme right. On numerous occasions he engaged in violent acts to maintain his cover.Many activists suspected...

Jon Venables could face up to 10 years in jail without trial for breaching the conditions of his release, if his fate is left in the hands of his parole officers.Venables, 27, who was released with a new identity in 2001 after serving eight years in a secure children's unit for the murder of the toddler James Bulger, was returned to prison earlier this month. Justice Secretary Jack Straw has repeatedly refused to provide any details of the reasons behind his recall, but tabloid reports suggest it was in connection with child pornography offences.Even if the claims are true, Venables may yet avoid a charge of possession of pornographic material rated as Category Four – only one category below Britain’s most serious level of child pornography. Category Four possession carries a tariff...

Children's commissioner Maggie Atkinson intervenes over Jon Venables, arguing that 10 is too young to be branded a criminalThe killers of James Bulger should not have been prosecuted for his murder, the children's commissioner for England has said in a call to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12.Maggie Atkinson, who was appointed to the post last autumn, said children under 12 should not be prosecuted for any crime because they were too young to understand the full consequences of their actions.A civilised society should recognise that children who commit offences should be treated differently from adult criminals, Atkinson told the Times.Her comments come after James Bulger's mother, Denise Fergus, met the justice secretary, Jack Straw, this week to discuss the return...

A man subjected to a hate campaign over false claims he is Jon Venables pleads with Jack Straw to reveal his new...

Evaluation of Venables before his release in 2001 concluded the likelihood of the killer re-offending was minorA psychiatric evaluation of Jon Venables carried out before his release from prison concluded that he posed a "trivial" risk to the public and that the likelihood of him re-offending was "so negligible as to not amount to a serious consideration".The document, which was prepared by a leading psychiatrist in 2000 and is excerpted in today's Times, also noted that Venables had made "exceptional psychological progress" and come to terms with his part in the murder of James Bulger in 1993."The Jon Venables of today is a very different person to the Jon Venables aged 10," the report noted. "It has been a very important part of his rehabilitation so far that he has come to terms in a...

Prison guards apparently twigged because of the special attention Jon Venables has receivedBy Tim EdwardsLAST UPDATED 7:50 AM, MARCH 5, 2010It was claimed today that Jon Venables, the murderer of James Bulger, has had his new identity revealed after being returned to prison for breaching the terms of his release.The Sun quotes anonymous sources in the unnamed prison where Venables is being held as saying: "The level of protection he has is incredible. It's like he is some kind of celebrity. He is being held under his new name, which has been kept from all but the most senior prison personnel."Venables was released in 2001 after serving eight years for his part in the murder of two-year-old Bulger, which he carried out with Robert Thompson. Both were given new identities as a precaution...

Free to killSo let's get this straight. At God knows what expense, Jamie Bulger's killer was given a new identity and freed into society after just seven years simply because our costly forces of law and order decided he was a reformed character and no longer a danger to us. Only it turns out he wasn't. Ashleigh Hall's killer was a highly dangerous rapist with a long string of convictions for violent sex offences, who was freed to wander among us simply because our costly forces of law and order decided that putting him on the Sex Offenders Register would be enough to keep us safe. Only it turns out it wasn't. For many years, our Prog Con "justice" establishment have been assuring us that the "blue rinse brigade" like Tyler are wrong and that violent crime...

Jon Venables could be murdered by vigilantes if his new identity is revealed, the judge who originally granted his anonymity...

Jack Straw to assess public reports about licence breach by James Bulger's killer to decide if any details can be confirmedThe justice secretary, Jack Straw, indicated today that he may reveal more details about the breach allegedly committed by James Bulger's killer Jon Venables that prompted his recall to prison.Responding to pressure from the public and media to reveal the specific details of why the 27-year-old, released on licence under a new identity in 2001, was back in jail, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "What I want to do is look at what has already been made public ... to look at that and then to make a judgment about if there's information – given that it's already out in the newspapers – we can confirm."Straw's comments followed a number of reports over the...

Government maintains refusal to comment on reports that killer of James Bulger was recalled over alleged child pornography offencesOne of the killers of James Bulger, Jon Venables, has been returned to prison for alleged child pornography offences, it was reported today, as the government maintained its refusal to comment on the reasons behind his loss of liberty.Venables, now 27, who was released on licence in 2001 and given a new identity, could face trial for the alleged new crime, the Sunday Mirror reported.Ministers have faced increasing pressure to give details about the reasons behind Venables' loss of liberty since it emerged earlier this week that his parole had been revoked. The justice secretary, Jack Straw, has said only that it happened because of "extremely serious...

Prison staff fear an attack by other inmates as it is revealed that pressure of keeping his name and background secret led James Bulger's murderer to fights, and drink and drug abuseJon Venables, one of the killers of the Liverpool toddler James Bulger, had descended into a "persistent state of self-disclosure" in which he felt compelled to tell others his real identity in the months before his return to prison, the Observer has been told.The 27-year-old's mental state had become so fragile that he would regularly reveal his identity to strangers – something that had put him at risk of attack.Sources said Venables had become a heavy drinker and there have also been claims that he used drugs. As Venables entered into an increasingly disturbed psychological state, he had become embroiled...

If I said heres details of Jon Venables new identity everyone would take note, personally I think the public needs to read a bit further into this before fuelling the moral panic. If I said how do we tackle Islamophobia not enough people listen. Thankfully the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) are working on the...

Jack Straw says details over return of James Bulger's murderer to prison cannot be revealed if justice is to be doneThe justice secretary, Jack Straw, said today that the recall of one of James Bulger's killers, Jon Venables, to prison involved some "extremely serious allegations".James's mother, Denise Fergus, has demanded to know what the 27-year-old did to be sent back to jail, and is expected to have the chance to confront Straw in the coming days after he agreed to meet her.Justifying his decision not to disclose details of the recall, Straw said: "Our motivation throughout has been solely to ensure that some extremely serious allegations are properly investigated and that justice is done"."No one in this country would want anything other. That is what the authorities remain...

In another great result for the tabloid press, the man whose birth name was Jon Venables will have to be given a new identity, all for an estimated £250,000.A special mention here is due to the Mirror, the left-wing non-Murdoch non-Dacre newspaper which has revealed as much as it dare about the circumstances of the former Venables' incarceration. But hang on, isn't the Mirror the nice tabloid, the one targeted at would-be Guardian readers with short attention spans? The very same.But then, as the Home Secretary Alan Johnson pointed out, the public have a right to know, don't they, what a former child criminal is doing with his life. Given that he has gone and got himself into trouble.The language used by the Mirror in its report is, to say the least, somewhat loaded. Here's the start...

Claims that Goodison Park trips but child killer back behind bars James Bulger’s murderer Jon Venables was sent back to prison for making forbidden trips to watch Everton, according to claims in The Sun today. Venables was given a new identity when he was released and given several conditions under his licence, including that he must [...]...

Gordon Brown defends decision not to disclose details of what Jon Venables did to breach terms of his releaseA trial of strength was under way between the tabloid media and the government over the reasons for the decision to send Jon Venables back to prison.Gordon Brown tried to defuse growing populist anger over the decision not to disclose what Venables – one of the killers of the toddler James Bulger –had done to breach the terms of his release on a life licence, nine years after he was freed and given a new identity."What we are talking about is a totally abhorrent crime that happened some years ago but that still, rightly so, disgusts and offends the British people. I can rightly understand the public outrage, even after so many years," the prime minister said. "But I want to be...

Prime minister says he understands 'public outrage' after jailing of Jon Venables but justice system must run its courseThe prime minister, Gordon Brown, today defended the government's refusal to disclose why Jon Venables, who was convicted at the age of 10 of the murder of two-year-old James Bulger, has been sent back to prison for unspecified breaches of the conditions of his release on a life licence.Brown said he understood "public outrage" but insisted it was impossible for the specific details of the breach to be revealed."What we are talking about is a totally abhorrent crime that happened some years ago but that still, rightly so, disgusts and offends the British people and I can rightly understand the public outrage, even after so many years," he said at a Downing Street press...

Thu, 4th Mar In this article we’ll take a look at some of the key technology news stories and headlines, from around the world, for Thursday, 4th March 2010. Today’s Hot Topic: The industry seems to be fighting back in the SPAM wars with a number of recent stories covering botnets, and phishing sites, being shutdown. The headlines in technology news today are gathered from internet based news sources including BBC Technology News, CNN Technology, Sky News, BusinessWeek, Computing, Computer Weekly, BBC dot.life, IT Pro, Register, Wired, CNET News, The Wall Street Journal, Silicon.com, Engadget, Financial Times, PC World, Times Online, Reuters, Telegraph, AppleInsider, The Gadget Show, New Scientist, Gates Notes, Huffington Post and The Guardian. BBC Technology News:...

Justice secretary Jack Straw says he has 'good reasons' for not disclosing more information about James Bulger's killerPressure was mounting tonight on the justice secretary, Jack Straw, to disclose why Jon Venables, who was convicted at the age of 10 of the murder of two-year-old James Bulger, has been sent back to prison for unspecified breaches of the conditions of his release on a life licence.The calls for public disclosure yesterday were led by Detective Albert Kirby, who led the original investigation into the murder of the toddler in 1993, who said that the public should be told what Venables, now aged 27, had done."I think the statement that came out last night actually raises more questions than it answers. They wouldn't, using football parlance, have given him a red card and...

Breach of parole puts 27-year-old back behind bars for 1993 murder of boy aged two in LiverpoolJon Venables, one of the killers of two-year-old James Bulger, is back in prison after breaching parole, the government has confirmed.Venables, now 27, has been given a new identity since his release from prison for his part in the February 1993 murder that horrified the nation due to the savagery of the crime, the youth of the perpetrators and the age of the victim.Venables and Robert Thompson were both 10 when they abducted and murdered James. He was taken from a shopping centre in Liverpool and found on a railway line having been beaten with bricks and an iron bar. Venables and Thompson, who were truanting from school, walked James around the streets of Liverpool for more than two miles,...