Pupils leaving school at 16 who are unable to read and write were merely creating an underclass. He said: "We should not be prepared to condemn people to a life of unemployment, for that is what we do if they do not have basic skills. "Instead of a statutory school leaving age t

A COURT has heard a teenager who says she was indecently assaulted by a former Merseyside headmaster describe her alleged ordeal. In the dock at Liverpool Crown Court is Tony Green, 51, of Birch Green, Formby, who denies four specimen charges of indecent assault on two girls ove

By Julie Gatenby MERSEYSIDE is set to see the end of the ambulance. Mersey Regional Ambulance bosses are swopping the traditional name of ambulance for paramedic. They are one of the first services in the country to make the change. It is a move which will phase out the use of t

DISNEYLAND Paris. 4 Nov Bonfire Night Spectacular 3 day/2 nts. Coarh. 2 Star hotel 8.8. Paris Tour; EB5 + ins L.T.T. 0151 287 8000. LE SHUTTLE 24HR SHOPPER To Dunkerque and Ostend, 30 Oct. 12 and 26 Nov; E 29. Five Star Tvl 0151-738 1999. YORK Historic Hotel with tropical indoor

charity shop staff, left to right, Emmma Garvey, Gladys Grogan, Mark Ghoriafi, and Muriel Williams. Picture: COLIN LANE

"TOKE "OREOK CRYPTIC QUICK ACROSS DOWN ACROSS 5 Central US state (4) 5 Partially deflated this 1 Not that part of ancient 7 Successful (10 tyre (4) history (4) 8 Proust (anag) 6) 7WII d I y funny but 2 It's difficult when it's hot 10 Potassium ca nate (6) violently emotional (10)

=IN REPLY to Mrs J.S., Liverpool in the ECHO, 18 October, I fully endorse her comments, regarding senior citizens. We certainly do deserve respect, in every sense of the word. At times I feel the greatest crime these days is to be elderly. Yes we have all been young, but until y

HALLOWE'EN is the deadline for filing 1995/ 96 tax returns and that means penalties for anyone who was obliged to but failed to send one to the taxman by that date. Even if the witching hour has been and gone, the advice is not to panic but make sure you rout your skates on. Fil

The Booker Prize (BBC 2) THE Titanic, childhood, 70s India, 60s Ireland .. modern novelists are obsessed wit h . the past I'm all for using history to illuminate the path forward, and the annual Booker Prize choices are probably all as beautifully crafted as ever, offering poeti