The last rays of the late afternoon sun fell slanting through Ernest's window. He was lying on his couch, in a leaden, death-like slumber that, for the moment at least, was not even perturbed by the presence of Reginald Clarke.

October 23, 2008 (The Scotsman / Rosa Silverman) -- The murder of the British student Meredith Kercher was inspired by a Japanese manga comic, it was claimed yesterday. Giuliano Mignini, the prosecutor, told an Italian court that one of three people accused of being involved in her death, Raffaele Sollecito, 24, might have been inspired by a comic found in his possession that describes the murder of female vampires at Halloween.

Beside me on the piano bench she sat,
And we, under the watchful gaze of Frederick,
Danced upon the keys.
A language unto itself, but I tried to think of
the words.
To add a touch of intellect to this soulful moment.
I wanted to say, "She walks in beauty like the night,"
But she was too familiar with that.
The Scratchman threw those words at her in folly
Like so many dead roses.

I thought Aeschylus would be better.
With his song of a slain king, or Euripides
In all his cynicism.

October 18, 2007 (Maghull and Aintree Star / Ed Casson) -- People are being urged to don spooky outfits and complete a charity run. The Jospice Dracula Dash is a four-mile route starting and finishing at Asda in Aintree.