Poisonous spirit seized

Hundreds of bottles of potentially lethal vodka have been seized during raids on pubs and off licences in east London. The spirits, in 480 bottles marked "Original Russia Export Quality", were laced with chemical methanol. They were found during raids on premises in the Newham area of London. The chemical, which is used in paint stripper, can cause blindness, liver failure, breathing difficulties and death. The raids were carried out by police, Customs officers and trading standards officers. An estimated £400,000 in VAT fraud was also uncovered during the operations. The vodka was removed by the council. The Food Standards Agency has issued an urgent warning to anyone who may have bought the vodka, which is sourced in Belgium. The front label has a coat of arms and the back label has a batch code (Lo958) and barcode (5414145035066) An FSA spokesman said: "The symptoms of methanol poisoning can be delayed for hours, so anyone who may have drunk this vodka may not be immediately aware of its dangers." Anti-crime initiative Six people have been banned from drinking in pubs in Skipton, North Yorkshire, as part of an anti-crime initiative. Some of the bans are in connection with violent behaviour and suspected drug dealing. The initiative is being co-ordinated by Skipton Town Against Night-time Disorder (STAND) and will involve five more people being barred from pubs under an initiative run by Skipton Licensees Association. The offenders' photographs are being circulated. Police probe stabbing Detectives are appealing for information after a man was attacked by a group of up to 15 people and stabbed in the neck with a broken bottle. The council worker, 24, was leaving the Tullichewan Hotel in Balloch, Strathclyde, two weeks ago when he was caught up in a disturbance outside. Between 10 and 15 youths in their late teens or early twenties are believed to have been responsible for the attack, according to a witness. The man is being treated in hospital, where his condition was described as stable as the MA went to press. Police are treating the incident as attempted murder. Jailed for 18 months A 21-year-old man has been jailed for 18 months after an unprovoked attack on another customer at a nightclub. Stuart Longmire, of Coltness, Wilshaw, permanently scarred Colin Waldie in Wishaw's Club Ace Disco, Lanarkshire, when he struck him twice on the head with a glass. Sheriff Marie Stewart at Hamilton Sherrif Court said a message had to be sent out that such behaviour was not acceptable. She said it was only because of the intervention of stewards that things were not a lot worse during the incident in January 2002. Thieves hit machines Police believe a spate of robberies in the Streetly area near Birm-ingham are linked to thieves targeting pub fruit machines. In the latest attack last Thursday, thieves broke into the Foley Arms, Foley Road West, at about 2am and used a crowbar to prise open a machine. Body found at Black Cat Police are investigating the "suspicious" death of a woman whose body was found in a pub. The woman, believed to be in her early 30s, was found at a flat at the Black Cat Inn in Church Street, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, at 7.25pm on Easter Monday. A Bedfordshire Police spokeswoman said the death was being treated as suspicious. Officers were alerted by relatives after they became concerned for the woman's safety. Police have launched a murder inquiry and are keen to speak to anyone who may have been in or around the pub between 4pm and 7.30pm on Monday. Four men and one woman have been arrested in connection with the murder.