The Nifty 250: News of the day in so may words

A CHILDREN'S CHARITY boss has admitted a string of sadistic sex attacks on four prostitutes.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Matthew Byrne, 38, who ran the Young Person's Advisory Service tied up, gagged and beat his victims at his New Brighton home.He pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual assault and one of assault by penetration between July 1, 2008, and May 31, 2009.

Byrne also admitted four charges of making indecent images of children.

WORK HAS BEGUN ON a £15m hotel Chapel St after bankers provided a £10m funding package.

Hotel Indigo is scheduled to open in spring next year.

The four-star, 151-bed hotel will be owned and operated by Sanguine Hospitality, and will become only the third Hotel Indigo in the UK.

LIVERPOOL DRUGS BARON Curtis Warren has questioned the way a juror was removed during his trial for conspiring to import drugs into Jersey.

Warren and five others were found guilty in October of plotting to bring in £1m-worth of cannabis.

He was sentenced to 13 years in prison; the rest of the gang got between five-year and 12-year jail terms.

Defence lawyers for all six men are appealing against the convictions and sentences, saying the decision to remove the juror was made without the defence team being present. They said that led to justice not being seen to be done. The appeal continues in the secure court at Jersey Magistrate's Court building.