Portrait of the Week – 26 June 2004

David Westwood, the chief constable of Humberside, was suspended by the Home Secretary David Blunkett after an inquiry by Sir Michael Bichard found ‘fundamental and systematic’ flaws in Humberside Constabulary’s handling of intelligence; the force had deleted details of several accusations of earlier sexual offences by Ian Huntley, who killed the Soham schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union announced a 24-hour strike next week, the first national strike for 10 years. A man called John Swinney resigned, having apparently been leader of the Scottish National Party for several years. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority ordered primary school teachers to write assessments on their pupils which will run to 105,300 words, longer than Paradise Lost, for a class of 30. The Telegraph Group, which includes The Spectator, was bought by Sirs David and Frederick Barclay for £665 million. David Selwood, senior resident judge at Portsmouth crown court, was convicted of downloading pictures of naked boys from the Internet.