A dangerous hobby
Three men from Greater Manchester were arrested and held in the UAE after being seen writing down the numbers of aircraft.
— Plane-spotting can be risky. In 2001 14 Britons were arrested in Greece after allegedly taking photos at an air base in Kalamata. Eight were sentenced to three years; imprisonment for spying and the other six were given suspended sentences. (All were overturned on appeal.)
— In 2010 two British men were arrested at Delhi airport after being seen taking photos of planes from a hotel room.
— Trainspotters have had problems too. In 2008 a 15-year-old boy was held under terror legislation after taking photographs of Wimbledon station for a school project.
— In 2009 a holidaymaker was raided at a campsite after being seen on CCTV photographing a shunting engine in Wales.
Who gets in?
Britain was reported to be spending £726,000 a day on bed and board for asylum-seekers. Is Britain a soft touch?
| Applications decided in past 12 months | |
| Canada | 2,790 |
| Germany | 20,700 |
| France | 16,200 |
| Sweden | 9,810 |
| Italy | 9,410 |
| UK | 8,130 |
| Netherlands | 5,550 |
Source: Eurostat
| Applications granted in past 12 months | |
| Canada | 8% |
| Germany | 46% |
| France | 20% |
| Sweden | 78% |
| Italy | 58% |
| UK | 37% |
| Netherlands | 77% |
Source: Eurostat
Speeding and driving
New rules on drug-driving came into force.
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