Syria Olympics chief 'refused visa'

The head of the Syrian Olympic Committee has been refused a visa to travel to London for the Games, it has been reported.

There had been suggestions for months that General Mowaffak Joumaa would be barred from entering the UK because of his connection to the Syrian military.

Due to his links to the regime of Syria's President Bashar Assad, the application has been refused, according to the BBC.

The Home Office said: "We are not commenting on individual cases."

A recent spike in violence by the forces of President Assad's regime has been seen in the troubled Middle East state.

The Home Office is responsible for carrying out background checks on behalf of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and advises the committee on whether an applicant is suitable for accreditation.

Exclusion decisions also have involvement from the Foreign Office. Particular interest would be shown in visitors from countries where there are human rights abuses. Officials are expected to keep a close eye on Syria.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has compared the recent massacres in Syria to those in Bosnia in the 1990s while Prime Minister David Cameron has condemned the killings as "brutal and sickening".

The Syrian charge d'affaires in London has already been expelled in the wake of mounting condemnation of the attacks. Britain has condemned the regime for its crackdown on opponents.

It is thought that Syrian athletes may receive visas because those of Olympic standard are not required to serve in the armed forces, but there is a question mark against General Joumaa and other officials.

©Press Association

Children Banned From City Centre At Night

Children under 16 have been banned from going into a city centre in North Wales at night in a bid to crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

The move in Bangor, Gwynedd, means under-16s who are not accompanied by an adult are barred from the streets from 9pm to 6am.

North Wales Police and Gwynedd County Council took the controversial step after complaints about groups drinking alcohol on the streets and harassing residents.

Police inspector Simon Barrasford said: "Dispersal orders have proved an effective weapon against anti-social behaviour in other parts of the force and can demonstrate how partnership working can be most effective.

"Many people are working very hard to improve and regenerate the city centre as well as just wanting to enjoy their daily lives without being intimidated or harassed and I have no doubt dispersal orders areas will assist in that endeavour.

"Drinking in public has an adverse effect not only on visitors' perception but also on the quality of life of residents. Working closely with our partners in the local authorities I'm confident that we can have a positive impact on the area."

The ban, which is scheduled to last six months, gives police (including police community support officers) powers to order groups of two or more to leave the area.

Failure to comply could lead to up to three months imprisonment and or a fine of up to £2,500.

Catherine Roberts, senior community safety officer, said: "The use of a dispersal order within Gwynedd is likely to be an effective means of reducing anti-social behaviour.

"Simply by introducing such orders is not in itself the solution as there is a great deal of hard work involved in making these orders effective, and we are fortunate to have a very good working relationship with our colleagues in North Wales Police, when dealing with such issues.

"Of course it does not stop there, the support of the community is essential so that any improvements are maintained in the longer term."