ADVERTISING: A payday loans company leaflet offering free photos with Father Christmas has been banned for being socially irresponsible.

Speedy Cash promised that “every child gets a Christmas treat” at the December in-store event in Brixton, south London.

The Advertising Standards Authority said yesterday that the ad must not appear again in its current form, adding: "We told Speedy Cash not to target ads for in-store events at families with children."

JUSTICE: The prison service is creaking under “unprecedented strain” because of staff cuts, worsening safety and fewer rehabilitation opportunities, a leading charity said yesterday.

The Prison Reform Trust blamed government austerity for creating a “race to the bottom” in a report yesterday.

Trust director Juliet Lyon said: “Rising assault and suicide rates, fewer staff and less constructive activity, call into question the government’s commitment to safety and decency.”

CRIME: Rolf Harris admitted there was a “darker side” behind his public persona under cross-examination yesterday.

The 84-year-old said that when he had complimented a 13-year-old on her bikini during a 1970s holiday he was actually referring to her body.

The former light entertainer is accused of 12 counts of indecent assault on four alleged victims between 1968 and 1986, all of which he denies.