HOSTEL DRUG CASE PLEA FAILS

The director of a charity for the homeless, jailed for five years after
being convicted of allowing heroin to be supplied at a hostel she ran, was
yesterday refused leave to appeal against her conviction.

A high court judge said he would only allow Ruth Wyner, 49, head of the
Winter Comfort charity in Cambridge, leave to appeal against her sentence.
The judge announced his decision in a letter to Wyner's lawyers following a
hearing in London last week.

One of Wyner's managers, John Brock, 49, who was jailed for four years after
being convicted of the same offence, was also given leave to appeal against
his sentence but not his conviction. A spokesman for the Winter Comfort
charity said last night: "We are very, very disappointed by this ruling
because we feel that their convictions are wrong - although we obviously
welcome the granting of leave to appeal against sentence."

Supporters of Wyner and Brock have launched a campaign for their release.

The key issue at their trial at Kings Lynn crown court last year was whether
Wyner and Brock had a duty to inform on hostel residents they knew to be
dealing in drugs. Both argued they had a duty of confidentiality.

Police said the Cambridge hostel had become a centre for drug dealing and
that Wyner and Brock had turned a blind eye. Winter Comfort officials said
the decision could have wide implications for people working with the
homeless and with drug addicts.