NHS: Migrants To Be Charged For A&E Care

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky Political Reporter

Visitors and migrants who use NHS accident and emergency services in England are to be charged, ministers have announced.

The move is part of an extension of the NHS charging strategy intended to deter so-called "health tourists" while trying to recoup up to £500m a year.

Critics have accused the Government of trying to grab headlines rather than helping the NHS.

Ministers say no-one will be turned away in an emergency, but there will be a bill to pay afterwards for those from overseas.

Health Minister Lord Howe said: "Having a universal health service free at the point of use rightly makes us the envy of the world, but we must make sure the system is fair to the hard-working British taxpayers who fund it.

"We know that we need to make changes across the NHS to better identify and charge visitors and migrants. Introducing charging at primary care is the first step to achieving this.

"We are already looking at taking action and next year we will set out our detailed plans to clamp down on the abuse of our NHS."

Doctors' leaders warned the proposed changes could cost more to administer than they would actually raise for the NHS while deterring some people desperately in need of treatment from seeking care.

Dr Mark Porter, chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) council, said: "This could mean the system of administering the new charging system will end up actually costing more to run than it collects in revenue."

The announcement has been timed less than 48 hours before restrictions on migrants from Bulgaria and Romania end.

A major influx of immigrants could put additional strain on the NHS and other public services.

Labour argue ministers are putting spin before substance.

Lord Hunt said: "Labour is in favour of improving the recovery of costs from people with no entitlement to NHS treatment. Rather than more grand-standing, the Government needs to deliver practical, thought-through changes to make that happen.

"Instead this out-of-touch government is left asking doctors and nurses to act as surrogate immigration officials."

Also under the proposed changes, migrants and overseas visitors will have to pay for primary care services such as minor surgery carried out by GPs, while prescription charges will be extended.

There will also be higher charges for services which are subsidised for patients entitled to free NHS treatment, such as optical and dental care.

But consultations with GPs and nurses will remain free of charge, to ensure initial access remains to prevent public health risks such as TB, HIV and sexually-transmitted infections.

Details of the scheme are still being worked out and ministers won't have a full plan until March.

But the Government will be hoping its crackdown down on health tourism will resonate home and abroad.

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CBI: Firms Must Boost Pay After Long Squeeze

The director general of the CBI has called on businesses to improve pay levels as the Labour leader Ed Miliband charts what he sees as the "biggest cost-of-living crisis in a generation".

In his New Year message, Mr Miliband signalled his determination to keep up the pressure on the Government over the squeeze on living standards, despite growing signs the economy is finally beginning to pick up strength.

He sought to counter the increasing optimism of the Conservatives about the state of the economy by accusing them of ignoring the fact that many people were still no better off.

He said: "People are thinking they have made the sacrifices - and the Government keeps telling them that everything is fixed. But it does not seem fixed to them. Surely we can do better than this as a country.

"The Tories want to change the conversation from the cost of living crisis. They will talk about anything else. Inherent in their vision is not a solution to the cost of living crisis, but the problem."

Ed Miliband says living costs must be fair for all famlies

He said the party would use the coming year to show how it would make "big changes" to the economy to enable the country to "earn and grow our way to a higher standard of living for people.

"People do not want the earth. They would much prefer some very specific promises, specific things about what a government will do - whether it's freezing energy bills, taking action on pay day lenders, or tackling issues around childcare which lots of working parents face.

"All of this is adding up to a programme for how we can change things. It's clearly costed, it's credible and it's real."

John Cridland wants the spoils of recovery to filter to all workers

Families have been facing a squeeze on living standards as levels of pay increases fail to match the speed of rising prices.

As Mr Miliband outlined his attack on the Government, the CBI's John Cridland said firms face a challenge to make sure economic growth filters through to the workforce as economic recovery takes root.

In his own New Year message he said that businessmen and women have a "spring in their step" compared with a year ago and firms "must support employees in every part of the country to move up the career ladder, while also giving a helping hand to young people taking their first tentative steps into the world of work".

Mr Cridland said: "As the financial situation of many firms begins to turn a corner, one of the biggest challenges facing businesses is to deliver growth that will mean better pay and more opportunities for all their employees after a prolonged squeeze."

He said it was positive news that jobs were being created, adding it was shaping up to be a full-time recovery with the majority of new jobs being permanent.

For the first time since the start of the recession, 2014 will see most firms increasing the size of their workforce, boosting their graduate intake and the number of apprentices they take on, he predicted.

"The good news is that wages will pick up in the year ahead as growth beds down and productivity improves.

"But there are still far too many people stuck in minimum wage jobs without routes to progression, and that's a serious challenge that businesses and the Government must address."

Mr Cridland spoke of the importance of skills, calling for a Ucas-equivalent vocational system to help raise awareness and parity of esteem for alternative routes to higher skills.

"If 2013 was the year that business trust took a hammering on a range of issues from corporate taxation to energy prices, then 2014 must be the year that business leaders take action to rebuild that trust," he said.

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Crime Statistics Revamped To Boost Transparency

Police in England and Wales are to change the way crime statistics are recorded to show the public the reasons why many are not solved.

Policing minister Damian Green said the new system, to be phased in from the start of the new year, should bring greater transparency to the way crimes are dealt with.

However Labour expressed concern that the Government was simply trying to disguise the impact of its policing cuts on the crime figures.

Currently around 70% of crimes are recorded as "undetected", with no indication as to why they did not lead to criminal charges.

But under the new framework, there will be a series of category headings indicating why no action was taken.

They will include "prosecution prevented" on the grounds that a suspect has been identified but is below the age of criminality or is too ill to stand trial.

Other headings will include "evidential difficulties", such as a key witness is unable or unwilling to give evidence, and "prosecution not in the public interest".

Mr Green said: "Recording offences as 'undetected' leaves victims feeling neglected and police investigations misunderstood - it does not properly reflect police work and that is why we are scrapping it.

"By introducing new categories, the police will be able to demonstrate the hard work they do and increase public transparency in policing."

For Labour, shadow crime and security minister Diana Johnson said that while greater transparency in the crime statistics was welcome, it could not disguise the fact that fewer cases were being solved under the current Government.

"No amount of changing the statistics can get away from the fact that fewer prosecutions are taking place for domestic violence, child sex abuse and rape on this Government's watch despite more crime being recorded for these most serious crimes," she said.

The new framework will come into force in Humberside on January 1 and will be rolled out across the rest of England and Wales from April.

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Weather: More Rain And Strong Wind On The Way

Further rain and strong winds have been sweeping the UK - just as engineers restored power to homes hit by poor weather over Christmas.

The last households cut off from electricity by the Christmas storms have now had power restored, the Energy Networks Association says.

Tens of thousands of homes across the south east of England, north Wales and Cumbria have been without electricity over the last week because of damage caused by the storms.

The latest storm is now moving across the UK from west to east.

The Met Office has issued weather warnings. Northern England could see gusts of 50mph to 60mph inland, and up to 80mph over coasts and hills.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has more than 20 flood warnings in force, while the Environment Agency (EA) has almost a dozen for England.

And the unsettled weather looks set to continue into the New Year after the Met Office issued a severe weather warning for rain on New Year's Day.

Some 1,300 properties have been flooded during the recent storms in England.

Meanwhile, energy companies have been criticised for their slow reaction to storm damage.

The executive of one of the UK's biggest power distributors has admitted its efforts to restore power to thousands of people should have been better.

Basil Scarsella, chief executive of the UK Power Networks, said the company it was not prepared for the storm and too many staff were on holiday.

A Christmas bauble lies in a puddle in Yalding, Kent

The company, which owns electricity lines and cables in London, the south east and east of England, said it will increase payments for 48 to 60-hour outages from £27 to £75 for those affected on Christmas Day.

Additional payments will be made to customers who have been without electricity for longer than that time - up to a maximum of £432.

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Migrant Controls: Call To Extend Restrictions

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky Political Reporter

Ninety senior Conservative activists have joined calls for the Prime Minister to extend controls on Bulgarians and Romanians entering the UK.

In an open letter, Conservative Grassroots, a network of party members, wants David Cameron to a use clause in EU law because of "exceptional economic circumstances".

They are the latest to call for prolonging the restrictions rather than scrapping them as planned on New Year's Day.

The letter argues that full access to the UK labour market would prompt a "wave of mass immigration" and called for an "emergency" recall of Parliament.

James Joshua, director of Conservative Grassroots, said: "In just a couple of days Britain faces a wave of mass immigration from Bulgaria and Romania at the end of the seven-year moratorium put in place by the last Labour government.

"Some estimates have suggested that more than 300,000 Romanians and Bulgarians will travel to the UK.

"This will put huge pressure on public services at a time when the country is struggling under a mountain of debt with on-going acute challenges within the economy."

The PM has been under substantial pressure to be tough on immigration

The UK, like every other EU country, imposed the seven-year restrictions on Romania and Bulgaria after they joined in 2007 - only allowing citizens a visa if they were self-employed, had a job offer, or were given a specialist role.

The Prime Minister has said, in the past, that he is unable to act to extend the transitional controls.

Mr Cameron has been under substantial pressure in recent months to be tough on immigration ahead of European elections next year.

Backbench Tory MP Nigel Mills' amendment to the Immigration Bill would extend transitional arrangements on the two countries joining the European Union's freedom of movement rules by a further four years to 2018.

Conservative support behind the amendment has been building and now stands at more than 50 MPs.

The Government has said it will be "business as usual" on January 1 at the UK border and it remains unclear if additional staff or measures are being put in place at airports and ferry ports in the event significant numbers arrive.

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Anti-Smoking Campaign: New Ad Targets Addicts

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

Smokers are being targeted by a new TV advertising campaign which aims to scare them into giving up.

Graphic images of polluted blood flowing through the body of a smoker and damaging cells in his brain are used to reinforce the message that smoking increases the risk of dementia and strokes.

The campaign, funded by Public Health England, was launched by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies.

"We know about the serious effect smoking has on the heart and lungs but smokers need to be aware of how much potential damage is being done to the brain and other vital organs through toxins in cigarettes entering the blood," she said.

"Smoking is the major cause of premature death, with one in two smokers dying prematurely from smoking related diseases, and it is extremely worrying that people still underestimate the health harms associated with it."

Government figures show more than one in five adults in the UK admits to smoking, at an estimated cost to the economy of £5bn per year in health costs, sick leave and lost productivity.

More than one in five adults in the UK admit to smoking

The TV advert, to be shown in England from tomorrow, along with a billboard advertising showing clotted blood dripping from a cigarette, has been welcomed by Joe Korner from The Stroke Association.

"It is well known that smoking harms our health but the link between smoking and stroke is less well known," he said.

"Stroke is a major cause of death and adult disability in the UK and you are twice as likely to have a stroke if you smoke. The more you smoke, the more your risk increases."

Smokers outside the Sant' Angelo restaurant in Wetherby in West Yorkshire who watched a preview of the advert said it encouraged them to consider giving up, or smoking less.

Jo Maltby, 40, has smoked for 20 years and says she tried to give up many times before.

"That probably would give me a bit more of an inclination to (give up) because I have children," she said.

"Obviously the more damage I do to myself the less chance they've got of me being around."

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Fresh Misery As Another Storm Heads For UK

Fears of fresh flooding have been raised as another band of persistent rain and strong winds heads towards the UK.

The latest storm pushing in from the Atlantic will arrive in the West on Sunday evening, before spreading northeastwards overnight and potentially causing disruption on Monday morning.

It comes as the chief executive of one of the UK's biggest power distributors admitted its efforts to restore power to thousands of people should have been better.

Basil Scarsella, chief executive of the UK Power Networks, said the company was not prepared for the storm and too many staff were on holiday.

Flood alerts remain in place in Odda's Chapel in Deerhurst, Gloucestershire

The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning over fears of severe gales with gusts up to 80mph affecting Wales, and southwestern and southern England.

That is likely to add to the misery of thousands who have been left without power and suffered flooding in their homes over the Christmas period.

The Energy Networks Association said the number of homes still without power was now around 1,500.

A Christmas bauble lies in a puddle in Yalding, Kent

UK Power Networks, which owns power lines and cables in London, the South East and East of England, said it will increase payments for 48 to 60-hour outages from £27 to £75 for those affected on Christmas Day as a "gesture of goodwill".

Additional payments will be made to customers who have been without electricity for longer than that time - up to a maximum of £432.

Mr Scarsella said: "We could not have avoided the damage caused by the storm but we could have responded to it better.

"A lot of our employees had gone away for holidays so it meant we had a level of depletion in our resources - and that caused problems with getting people's power restored.

Floodwaters have still not receeded in Apperley, Gloucestershire

"It's difficult to justify saying the company has performed well when customers have been without power for five days, but once we had an idea of how bad it was we were able to mobilise as many engineers and office staff as possible."

The company said 169 customers in Kent, 22 in Surrey and 112 in Sussex remained without power as a result of storm damage.

In a statement, regulator Ofgem reminded energy companies they are obliged to get power back on as soon as possible.

It said: "These obligations are backed by strong regulatory incentives put in place by Ofgem on the companies to maintain service levels and restore supplies. These include loss of revenues and awarding compensation payments to customers off supply."

Around 1,300 properties have been flooded during the recent storms in England, the Environment Agency said, while flood defences have protected more than 80,000 properties. Some 71 flood alerts and 14 more serious flood warnings remain in place across the country.

A satellite map showing the storm front moving in. Pic: Met Office

It warned the predicted rainfall meant there is a "continued heightened flood risk" across southern England, especially southwest England where river levels remain high and the ground is already saturated.

A Downing Street spokesman said ministers held a Cobra emergency meeting on Saturday where it was agreed financial assistance will be given to local authorities facing an undue financial burden because of the storms through a process known as the Bellwin scheme.

Flood warnings and alerts in England. Pic: Environment Agency

Sky News weather producer Joanne Robinson said: "Rain will move in on a strengthening wind this evening and tonight.

"Heavy downpours in the West will bring a renewed risk of flooding, especially for Northern Ireland, southwest Scotland, South Wales and southwest England.

"There'll be gales, locally severe. The strongest winds look to affect the south and west of Wales and southern coasts of England tonight and early tomorrow, with 70mph to 80mph gusts possible."

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Ferry Fire: Man Arrested Over Suspected Arson

A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire alert on a North Sea ferry sparked an emergency evacuation.

Northumbria Police said they had also arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of affray.

Four crew members and two passengers had to be winched off the ferry, which was heading to Amsterdam, after they inhaled smoke when the fire broke out 30 miles off the Humberside coast.

The six people were taken to Scarborough Hospital by RAF helicopter but are not thought to be in a serious condition.

The ferry looped back when it was 30 miles off Flamborough Head

A further 15 passengers and eight crew members were treated by doctors for smoke-related injuries on board the ferry.

The fire broke out in a cabin on the DFDS King Seaways ferry at around 10.45pm on Saturday night but was extinguished "within 15 minutes", according to the company.

RAF helicopters from Leconfield near Hull, and Boulmer, Northumberland were scrambled to the vessel along with two RNLI lifeboats from Bridlington and Filey.

Passengers were reunited with friends and family at Newcastle Ferry Port

The 30,000-tonne ship returned to Newcastle Ferry Port, in North Shields, at around 4am and passengers were kept on board until 9am while police investigated.

Police said earlier that a passenger had been detained by the ship's staff following the incident.

Olivia Elliott, who was in a nightclub on the ferry when the alarm went off, told Sky News she "panicked" not knowing how serious the situation was.

"(It was) scary out there in the middle of the ocean. You've never been in that situation before - you don't know what to do."

This photo of the RAF helicopter was taken by a passenger

She added: "The captain came on the tannoy and said we needed to evacuate to the outer deck because there had been a fire.

"We were outside for about 40 minutes before we were allowed to go back in."

Despite the emergency, she said most people remained calm.

Another passenger, Steven Basford, said: "They sounded the fire alarms, high-pitched alarms, and then made an announcement we would have to evacuate to an outside deck.

"Then, when we started to evacuate to go further up the boat, you could see smoke in the corridors and in the common area and it hit home more then."

Passengers were kept on board until 9am on Sunday while police investigated

Lynn Smith-Davis told Sky News the ship's crew had handled the emergency well but that some passengers had started fighting.

She said: "There was no panic where we were, but then later on when we were inside sitting in the bar and cafe area some people started fighting - fights broke out, which really didn't help the situation."

Were you on board the King Seaways ferry? Email your pictures and video to news@sky.com, text 84501 (costs 25p, network charges vary), or tweet @SkyNews

DFDS Seaways said 946 passengers and 127 crew members were on board the ferry and added that "psychological assistance" would be provided to anyone who needs it.

Police arrived at the Newcastle Ferry Port in the early hours

Spokesman Gert Jakobsen said the company would help people find alternative crossings to Amsterdam.

He added: "The cabin that was burnt is very damaged and there has been some smoke damage to surrounding cabins but the ship's function has not been affected in any way and is safe to travel."

According to the DFDS Seaways website, the 26-year-old vessel has room for over 1,500 passengers and 600 cars and was renovated in 2006.

It offers entertainment including restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a casino.

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Fire Service Teams Trained For Water Rescue

By Adele Robinson, Sky News Correspondent

The number of emergency rescue teams in England and Wales equipped to tackle flooding has more than quadrupled.

Some £2.5m has been spent funding teams, mostly within the Fire Service, until 2017.

The Fire Service is now being described as a "rescue service that occasionally goes to a fire".

Roy Harold, the chief fire officer association's capability lead for flood rescue, says the number of water rescue teams have risen from 40 to 180 and include paramedics, the RNLI, the RSPCA, and the AA.

"In the last floods in 2007 my own county, in Norfolk, had no Fire Service teams able to turn out and assist in a flood," he said.

Some £2.5m has been spent training teams for water rescue operations

"At the beginning of December we had 19 teams available including a dive unit, specialist flood rescue teams ... We've gone through an absolute transformation in what we can do and how we can help."

The government is also spending more money on tackling the risk of flooding than ever before.

A spokesperson from DEFRA said: "We're currently spending over £2.3bn on tackling the risk of flooding. Together with contributions from other partners, this is more money than ever before.

"We have secured a historic six-year settlement on capital spending for flood defences. From 2015 we're spending £370m on building new flood defences, rising to over £400m in 2021."

At a water rescue course in North Wales run by the West Midlands Fire Service, officers are being trained how to help people stuck in swollen rivers.

The government is also spending more to tackle the risk of flooding

Chris Darnley from West Midlands Fire Service says the experience is invaluable.

"Most of our training uses breathing apparatus and stuff and you can press a button and it stops there, fans come on, and it gets rid of the smoke. Here you're at the mercy of the river if something happens," he said.

Meanwhile, a warning is being sent out this winter to the public regarding cold water and flooding hazards.

Terry Robinson, water rescue instructor for the West Midlands Fire Service, says people need to be vigilant.

"Any river is going to be dangerous, when they're swollen there are so many more features that come into play, just normal trees and stuff ... are suddenly out of the water and become a far greater hazard.

"As people are walking their dogs, the paths become submerged that they would normally walk on and there would not usually be there, they think they would be safe in ankle deep water but they're not."

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New Malden: Teen Found On Fire In Street Dies

A teenager has died after she was found on fire in the street in south-west London early on Sunday morning.

Emergency services were called at 1.10am to reports of a burning woman on the level crossing near a Tesco branch at West Barnes Lane in New Malden.

They managed to extinguish the fire but the woman, believed to be around 18 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A spokeswoman for the London Fire Brigade said the woman had suffered burns on every part of her body.

Nearby Burlington Road and neighbouring streets were sealed off.

Officers believe they know the identity of the deceased and have informed next of kin. No formal identification has taken place.

Her death is being treated as unexplained pending an investigation by officers from Merton Borough and the London Fire Brigade.

Scotland Yard said it believed the fire started in a nearby house in Linkway.

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Anti-Smoking Campaign: New Ad Targets Addicts

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

Smokers are being targeted by a new TV advertising campaign which aims to scare them into giving up.

Graphic images of polluted blood flowing through the body of a smoker and damaging cells in his brain are used to reinforce the message that smoking increases the risk of dementia and strokes.

The campaign, funded by Public Health England, was launched by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies.

"We know about the serious effect smoking has on the heart and lungs but smokers need to be aware of how much potential damage is being done to the brain and other vital organs through toxins in cigarettes entering the blood," she said.

"Smoking is the major cause of premature death, with one in two smokers dying prematurely from smoking related diseases, and it is extremely worrying that people still underestimate the health harms associated with it."

Government figures show more than one in five adults in the UK admits to smoking, at an estimated cost to the economy of £5bn per year in health costs, sick leave and lost productivity.

More than one in five adults in the UK admit to smoking

The TV advert, to be shown in England from tomorrow, along with a billboard advertising showing clotted blood dripping from a cigarette, has been welcomed by Joe Korner from The Stroke Association.

"It is well known that smoking harms our health but the link between smoking and stroke is less well known," he said.

"Stroke is a major cause of death and adult disability in the UK and you are twice as likely to have a stroke if you smoke. The more you smoke, the more your risk increases."

Smokers outside the Sant' Angelo restaurant in Wetherby in West Yorkshire who watched a preview of the advert said it encouraged them to consider giving up, or smoking less.

Jo Maltby, 40, has smoked for 20 years and says she tried to give up many times before.

"That probably would give me a bit more of an inclination to (give up) because I have children," she said.

"Obviously the more damage I do to myself the less chance they've got of me being around."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

New Malden: Teen Found On Fire In Street Dies

A teenager has died after she was found on fire in the street in south-west London early on Sunday morning.

Emergency services were called at 1.10am to reports of a burning woman on the level crossing near a Tesco branch at West Barnes Lane in New Malden.

They managed to extinguish the fire but the woman, believed to be around 18 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A spokeswoman for the London Fire Brigade said the woman had suffered burns on every part of her body.

Nearby Burlington Road and neighbouring streets were sealed off.

Officers believe they know the identity of the deceased and have informed next of kin. No formal identification has taken place.

Her death is being treated as unexplained pending an investigation by officers from Merton Borough and the London Fire Brigade.

Scotland Yard said it believed the fire started in a nearby house in Linkway.

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Fire Service Teams Trained For Water Rescue

By Adele Robinson, Sky News Correspondent

The number of emergency rescue teams in England and Wales equipped to tackle flooding has more than quadrupled.

Some £2.5m has been spent funding teams, mostly within the Fire Service, until 2017.

The Fire Service is now being described as a "rescue service that occasionally goes to a fire".

Roy Harold, the chief fire officer association's capability lead for flood rescue, says the number of water rescue teams have risen from 40 to 180 and include paramedics, the RNLI, the RSPCA, and the AA.

"In the last floods in 2007 my own county, in Norfolk, had no Fire Service teams able to turn out and assist in a flood," he said.

Some £2.5m has been spent training teams for water rescue operations

"At the beginning of December we had 19 teams available including a dive unit, specialist flood rescue teams ... We've gone through an absolute transformation in what we can do and how we can help."

The government is also spending more money on tackling the risk of flooding than ever before.

A spokesperson from DEFRA said: "We're currently spending over £2.3bn on tackling the risk of flooding. Together with contributions from other partners, this is more money than ever before.

"We have secured a historic six-year settlement on capital spending for flood defences. From 2015 we're spending £370m on building new flood defences, rising to over £400m in 2021."

At a water rescue course in North Wales run by the West Midlands Fire Service, officers are being trained how to help people stuck in swollen rivers.

The government is also spending more to tackle the risk of flooding

Chris Darnley from West Midlands Fire Service says the experience is invaluable.

"Most of our training uses breathing apparatus and stuff and you can press a button and it stops there, fans come on, and it gets rid of the smoke. Here you're at the mercy of the river if something happens," he said.

Meanwhile, a warning is being sent out this winter to the public regarding cold water and flooding hazards.

Terry Robinson, water rescue instructor for the West Midlands Fire Service, says people need to be vigilant.

"Any river is going to be dangerous, when they're swollen there are so many more features that come into play, just normal trees and stuff ... are suddenly out of the water and become a far greater hazard.

"As people are walking their dogs, the paths become submerged that they would normally walk on and there would not usually be there, they think they would be safe in ankle deep water but they're not."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fresh Misery As Another Storm Heads For UK

Fears of fresh flooding have been raised as another band of persistent rain and strong winds heads towards the UK.

The latest storm pushing in from the Atlantic will arrive in the West on Sunday evening, before spreading northeastwards overnight and potentially causing disruption on Monday morning.

It comes as the chief executive of one of the UK's biggest power distributors admitted its efforts to restore power to thousands of people should have been better.

Basil Scarsella, chief executive of the UK Power Networks, said the company was not prepared for the storm and too many staff were on holiday.

Flood alerts remain in place in Odda's Chapel in Deerhurst, Gloucestershire

The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning over fears of severe gales with gusts up to 80mph affecting Wales, and southwestern and southern England.

That is likely to add to the misery of thousands who have been left without power and suffered flooding in their homes over the Christmas period.

The Energy Networks Association said the number of homes still without power was now around 1,500.

A Christmas bauble lies in a puddle in Yalding, Kent

UK Power Networks, which owns power lines and cables in London, the South East and East of England, said it will increase payments for 48 to 60-hour outages from £27 to £75 for those affected on Christmas Day as a "gesture of goodwill".

Additional payments will be made to customers who have been without electricity for longer than that time - up to a maximum of £432.

Mr Scarsella said: "We could not have avoided the damage caused by the storm but we could have responded to it better.

"A lot of our employees had gone away for holidays so it meant we had a level of depletion in our resources - and that caused problems with getting people's power restored.

Floodwaters have still not receeded in Apperley, Gloucestershire

"It's difficult to justify saying the company has performed well when customers have been without power for five days, but once we had an idea of how bad it was we were able to mobilise as many engineers and office staff as possible."

The company said 169 customers in Kent, 22 in Surrey and 112 in Sussex remained without power as a result of storm damage.

In a statement, regulator Ofgem reminded energy companies they are obliged to get power back on as soon as possible.

It said: "These obligations are backed by strong regulatory incentives put in place by Ofgem on the companies to maintain service levels and restore supplies. These include loss of revenues and awarding compensation payments to customers off supply."

Around 1,300 properties have been flooded during the recent storms in England, the Environment Agency said, while flood defences have protected more than 80,000 properties. Some 71 flood alerts and 14 more serious flood warnings remain in place across the country.

A satellite map showing the storm front moving in. Pic: Met Office

It warned the predicted rainfall meant there is a "continued heightened flood risk" across southern England, especially southwest England where river levels remain high and the ground is already saturated.

A Downing Street spokesman said ministers held a Cobra emergency meeting on Saturday where it was agreed financial assistance will be given to local authorities facing an undue financial burden because of the storms through a process known as the Bellwin scheme.

Flood warnings and alerts in England. Pic: Environment Agency

Sky News weather producer Joanne Robinson said: "Rain will move in on a strengthening wind this evening and tonight.

"Heavy downpours in the West will bring a renewed risk of flooding, especially for Northern Ireland, southwest Scotland, South Wales and southwest England.

"There'll be gales, locally severe. The strongest winds look to affect the south and west of Wales and southern coasts of England tonight and early tomorrow, with 70mph to 80mph gusts possible."

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Ferry Fire: Man Arrested Over Suspected Arson

A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire alert on a North Sea ferry sparked an emergency evacuation.

Northumbria Police said they had also arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of affray.

Four crew members and two passengers had to be winched off the ferry, which was heading to Amsterdam, after they inhaled smoke when the fire broke out 30 miles off the Humberside coast.

The six people were taken to Scarborough Hospital by RAF helicopter but are not thought to be in a serious condition.

The ferry looped back when it was 30 miles off Flamborough Head

A further 15 passengers and eight crew members were treated by doctors for smoke-related injuries on board the ferry.

The fire broke out in a cabin on the DFDS King Seaways ferry at around 10.45pm on Saturday night but was extinguished "within 15 minutes", according to the company.

RAF helicopters from Leconfield near Hull, and Boulmer, Northumberland were scrambled to the vessel along with two RNLI lifeboats from Bridlington and Filey.

Passengers were reunited with friends and family at Newcastle Ferry Port

The 30,000-tonne ship returned to Newcastle Ferry Port, in North Shields, at around 4am and passengers were kept on board until 9am while police investigated.

Police said earlier that a passenger had been detained by the ship's staff following the incident.

Olivia Elliott, who was in a nightclub on the ferry when the alarm went off, told Sky News she "panicked" not knowing how serious the situation was.

"(It was) scary out there in the middle of the ocean. You've never been in that situation before - you don't know what to do."

This photo of the RAF helicopter was taken by a passenger

She added: "The captain came on the tannoy and said we needed to evacuate to the outer deck because there had been a fire.

"We were outside for about 40 minutes before we were allowed to go back in."

Despite the emergency, she said most people remained calm.

Another passenger, Steven Basford, said: "They sounded the fire alarms, high-pitched alarms, and then made an announcement we would have to evacuate to an outside deck.

"Then, when we started to evacuate to go further up the boat, you could see smoke in the corridors and in the common area and it hit home more then."

Passengers were kept on board until 9am on Sunday while police investigated

Lynn Smith-Davis told Sky News the ship's crew had handled the emergency well but that some passengers had started fighting.

She said: "There was no panic where we were, but then later on when we were inside sitting in the bar and cafe area some people started fighting - fights broke out, which really didn't help the situation."

Were you on board the King Seaways ferry? Email your pictures and video to news@sky.com, text 84501 (costs 25p, network charges vary), or tweet @SkyNews

DFDS Seaways said 946 passengers and 127 crew members were on board the ferry and added that "psychological assistance" would be provided to anyone who needs it.

Police arrived at the Newcastle Ferry Port in the early hours

Spokesman Gert Jakobsen said the company would help people find alternative crossings to Amsterdam.

He added: "The cabin that was burnt is very damaged and there has been some smoke damage to surrounding cabins but the ship's function has not been affected in any way and is safe to travel."

According to the DFDS Seaways website, the 26-year-old vessel has room for over 1,500 passengers and 600 cars and was renovated in 2006.

It offers entertainment including restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a casino.

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Millions Stress About Finances 'Every Day'

By Poppy Trowbridge, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

In the UK, 18.1 million people feel stressed about their finances every day, according to new research seen by Sky News.

Financial worries are even greater than concerns over health, or even job security, the data from MoneySuperMarket shows.

In a poll of 2,005 British adults, 19% said it is their current financial situation which is the main cause of stress, and a further 17% say it is their future financial situation.

Only 13% say they are most stressed out by their health, and 11% by their job.

Clare Francis, editor-in-chief at MoneySupermarket, said: "Anxiety about money is on the rise for many adults.

"We've experienced a difficult economic climate in 2013, with the cost of living rising, interest rates remaining low, rents remaining high, and wages remaining the same.

"Unfortunately, I expect that the New Year will be just as tough."

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's recently upgraded their estimates for UK growth to 1.4% this year and 2.4% next year, higher than its previous 0.8% and 1.5% forecasts.

Despite this, nearly 75% of those surveyed believe their money stress will get worse next year.

According to the research, 52% of adults said they frequently or occasionally worry about the state of their finances, with women worrying more than men.

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NatWest 'Hit By Fourth Online Banking Glitch'

NatWest has been hit by a cyberattack, leaving customers unable to access online accounts.

The bank's online banking service was disrupted after it was deliberately bombarded with internet traffic.   

Twitter users tweeted to say they could not access their bank accounts to pay bills or transfer money.

@TomGilchrist wrote: "Do other banks computer systems/services go down as much as NatWest? I assume not. Time to move banks I think."

@AleexReid tweeted: "Just joined Santander. Fed up with NatWest. Another computer failure tonight. #welldone."

A NatWest spokesperson said: "Due to a surge in internet traffic deliberately directed at the NatWest website, some of our customers experienced difficulties accessing our customer web sites this evening.

"This deliberate surge of traffic is commonly known as a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack.

"We have taken the appropriate action to restore the affected web sites. At no time was there any risk to customers. We apologise for the inconvenience caused."

At the beginning of December all of RBS and NatWest's systems went down for three hours on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

The group chief executive Ross McEwan described that glitch as "unacceptable" and added: "For decades, RBS failed to invest properly in its systems.

"We need to put our customers' needs at the centre of all we do. It will take time, but we are investing heavily in building IT systems our customers can rely on."

RBS and NatWest also came under fire in March after a "hardware fault" meant customers were unable to use their online accounts or withdraw cash for several hours.

A major computer issue in June last year saw payments go awry, wages appear to go missing and home purchases and holidays interrupted for several weeks, costing the group £175m in compensation.

This latest problem is the fourth time in 18 months RBS and NatWest customers have reported problems with the banks' services.

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Warning After 'Speckled Rolex' Ecstasy Death

An urgent warning about a yellow ecstasy tablet known as "speckled rolex" has been issued after a man died at a house party in Northern Ireland.

Police said the victim was confirmed dead at a house in Twinbrook, Belfast, at around 7.40pm on Friday night.

His identity has not been released.

Four other men have been taken to hospital, where their condition is said to be stable.

The death has been linked with the drug and a post-mortem examination will be carried out later on Saturday.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is appealing for anyone in possession of tablets to dispose of them immediately.

It comes after eight deaths in Belfast and Antrim earlier this year were linked to the taking of "green rolex" tablets, according to the Belfast Telegraph.

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Smacking Children Should Be Banned, Says Tsar

Parents should be banned from smacking their children, according to the Children's Commissioner for England.

Maggie Atkinson told The Independent it was her personal view that the law gives pets and adults more rights to be protected from violence than children.

Dr Atkinson said she favours a total ban on smacking, which would see parents face criminal action for corporal punishment.

Current rules make it illegal for a parent to smack a child if it leaves a bruise, but permit a lighter smack or "reasonable chastisement".

Dr Atkinson said: "Personally, having been a teacher, and never having had an issue where I'd need to use physical punishment, I believe we should move to ban it.

"Because in law you are forbidden from striking another adult, and from physically chastising your pets, but somehow there is a loophole around the fact that you can physically chastise your child."

She added: "It's a moral issue. The morals are that, taken to its extreme, physical chastisement is actually physical abuse and I have never understood where you can draw the line between one and the other."

Dr Atkinson, who has two adult step-children, said that despite her strong feelings about the issue, her office was not planning to fight for a ban next year.

She said in the current climate such a move would be "running up a blind alley".

Her comments are likely to re-open the debate about what constitutes "reasonable" punishment of children, the newspaper said.

Tottenham MP David Lammy said early last year that legislation surrounding the smacking of children needed to be relaxed so working-class parents could instil discipline in their homes without fearing prosecution.

He claimed that Labour's 2004 decision to tighten up the smacking law was partly to blame for last summer's riots, which erupted in his north London constituency.

The former education minister said: "Many of my constituents came up to me after the riots and blamed the Labour government, saying, 'You guys stopped us being able to smack our children.'

"I have to say when this was first raised with me I was pretty disparaging. But I started to listen.

"These parents are scared to smack their children and paranoid that social workers will get involved and take their children away."

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Tenerife: Three Britons Injured In Explosion

Three British people were among five injured after an explosion in a hotel pool bar on the island of Tenerife, according to reports.

A woman suffered serious burns to her face and scalp in the blast in Adeje, on the south-west coast of the island, on Friday evening.

An eight-year-old British girl was treated for neck burns and another man suffered minor abrasions during the explosion. They were taken to the Hospiten Sur in Arona.

Two other women, a Belgian national aged 38 and a 34-year-old Spaniard, also suffered minor burns.

A staff member at the Bahia Principe Costa Adeje hotel confirmed to Sky News there was an explosion on Friday. Management was unavailable when Sky News contacted the hotel. 

Ross Browning, editor of Canarian Weekly, told Sky News the explosion was caused by a beer canister.

He said: "It's awful what's happened and with so many people around, in many ways it's probably a miracle that only five people have been injured.

"The woman has been transferred to La Candelaria in the north of the island with what is being described locally as severe burns to the face, neck and scalp."

A statement from local government in Adeje said: "At 4.09pm on Friday emergency services were called to an explosion in a machine in a poolside bar at a hotel in the town of Adeje, with several people suffering from burn injuries.

"Emergency resources were immediately mobilised. Fire crews attended to inspect the zone, but their intervention was not necessary."

A Foreign Office (FCO) spokesperson confirmed it was investigating reports of British people being injured.

She said: "We are aware of reports of an incident involving British nationals in Tenerife.

"We are liaising with the local authorities and stand ready to provide consular assistance."

Adeje is a popular holiday resort, with nearby sandy beaches such as Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos well-known to British tourists.

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Footballer Needs Face Surgery After Attack

An amateur footballer's face will have to be rebuilt after he was knocked unconscious and beaten during a night out.

Richie Robins is understood to have been set upon by up to half a dozen men as he apparently stepped in to protect a woman.

The 21-year-old, who is first team goalkeeper for non-league Wivenhoe Town FC and a former Colchester United youth team player, was knocked out and fell to the ground at the start of the attack.

Essex Police said the beating continued while the student was lying on the floor unconscious.

Detective Constable Seff Manesh appealed for witnesses to the attack, which happened outside a Subway shop in Queen Street, Colchester, at 3.30am on December 21, to come forward.

He said: "This young man had been out with his friends after returning home from university for the Christmas holiday.

"We are aware of a disturbance involving a large number of young men and are examining CCTV to establish what happened and who was involved.

"This student has sustained some very nasty-looking injuries which will affect him for the foreseeable future.

"We're looking to speak with those bystanders who saw what happened and what started the melee."

A spokesman for Wivenhoe FC, who play in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division, said Mr Robins suffered "severe" injuries including fractures to his eye socket and cheek bones.

He added: "Naturally, everyone at Wivenhoe Town FC sends Richie their best wishes for a speedy recovery and hope that the people responsible for attacking him are quickly brought to justice."

Mo Osman, chairman and manager at Wivenhoe Town, told the Colchester Gazette Mr Robins had gone to the aid of a woman who was being harassed. He said he had not been drinking as he had a match the next day.

After the incident, Mr Robins was taken to Colchester General Hospital by paramedics and was due to see a specialist surgeon this week.

Essex Police said there were about six attackers who were described as black and in their late teens and early 20s.

Officers have arrested a 19-year-old man from Colchester in connection with the incident. He has been released on police bail.

Witnesses have been asked to contact detectives at Colchester police station on 101.

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Harry And William In Charity Football Game

Prince Harry lunged in with a series of crunching tackles during a charity football game against his brother at Sandringham.

A bearded Harry colides with William after a sliding tackle

Still sporting the ginger beard he grew for his charity trek to the South Pole, Harry made some rather questionable challenges during the game, which was played on Christmas Eve.

The Duke appears to fend off a strike from a stray shot

At one point he collided heavily with his older sibling, after sliding in to tackle. 

Harry launches a sliding challenge on an opponent

The Princes were playing on opposite teams for the traditional match held between estate workers and locals from the nearby village of Castle Rising.

The Duke of Cambridge discarded the red socks worn by his team for the blue and purple colours of his beloved Aston Villa.

Brothers: the Princes made-up and hugged each other at the end of the game

Harry scored the second goal for his team and at one point William was pictured apparently trying to shield himself from a stray shot.

The brothers put aside any differences and hugged each other at the end of the match.

Some 100 spectators turned-out to watch the game, which was drawn 2-2.

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Walsall Christmas Fire: Woman Is Arrested

Police have arrested a woman on suspicion of murder after a man was killed in a house fire on Christmas Day.

The man, 58, died in the blaze in South Street Gardens, Caldmore, Walsall, at around 5.30pm on Wednesday.

He is yet to be formally identified and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

Detective Inspector Gary Plant, who is leading the inquiry, said: "We are keen to speak to anyone with information which may help our investigation.

"The man's family are being informed and are being supported by specially trained officers at this difficult time."

The unnamed woman, who is 57 years old, was arrested shortly after the fire. She is being held in custody.

Officers have been patrolling the area surrounding South Street Gardens to offer reassurance to residents following the incident.

Police have launched a murder inquiry and urge anyone with information to contact detectives from the Force Criminal Investigation Department at Bloxwich by dialling 101 or to speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Weather: Ireland And UK Battered By Storms

Hurricane-speed gusts and driving rain have been lashing Britain and Ireland for the second time this week, with warnings of more flooding and trouble for travellers.

Just a few days after thousands of people's Christmas travel plans were ruined, the Met Office has issued another slew of severe weather warnings.

The Bognor Regis rail route was closed after this landslip at Ockley

Hundreds of flights and train journeys have been cancelled and diverted and tens of thousands of homes and businesses are without power.

Police are warning people to take "extreme caution" when driving in the ferocious conditions, which look set to calm over the next 24 hours.

The warning came as the Highways Agency closed the Humber Bridge to high-sided vehicles due to the winds and a lorry was reported to have overturned near Immingham docks, north of Grimsby.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue service said the roof of the Chill Factore ski centre in Manchester has been damaged for the second time in recent weeks.

And the gable end of a house in Barrow partly collapsed, crushing a car parked below it. No injuries were reported.

This landslip also blocked the line on the Brighton Main Line near Redhill

The worst of the winds hit Ireland, Wales, the North and western Scotland, while rain fell on already soaked ground in the South East bringing more flooding misery.

In transport, Southeastern trains said it would not be running any services until further notice, while Virgin, East Coast and Southern trains also warned of travel disruption.

There are also no trains from Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport, and between London's Victoria station and Gatwick Airport.

Dublin Airport is not allowing aircraft to leave due to the high winds.

A tweet from the airport said: "No flight departures so far this morning due to gale force winds blowing across both runways."

And Gatwick Airport said it had "additional teams of engineers, electrical staff and volunteers at the airport to minimise the risk of disruption".

The storm spread east across the UK throughout the morning, with the worst-affected areas in northern England and northern parts of Wales.

:: Watch Sky News to see weather forecasts on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

The Environment Agency map showing flood warnings and alerts in the UK

Police and fire services across both the UK and Ireland have reported road closures because of uprooted trees.

The Met Office recorded a gust of wind in Aberdaron, in West Wales, of 109mph early this morning. General wind speeds were expected to be between 60mph and 80mph.

The Environment Agency (EA) is warning of more "significant disruption" across southern England.

A man removes items from his home after flooding in Tonbridge

A spokesperson for the agency said overnight rainfall was less than expected, with around 10mm falling in the south east.

The spokesperson added: "The levels are still peaking for rivers with bigger catchment areas, such as the Stour through Canterbury and Ashford and the River Medway, which runs through Maidstone."

Around 1,200 properties have been flooded so far, according to the EA, with 50 flood warnings and 150 flood alerts in place.

The highest ever water levels were recorded downstream of the Leigh Barrier, a large storage reservoir which protects Tonbridge in Kent from flooding.

A man paddles his canoe past a flooded property in Yalding

Prime Minister David Cameron visited some of the areas hit by flooding, and was involved in an on-camera exchange with a disgruntled resident in Yalding, Kent.

He said: "We need to learn the lessons, we are seeing these events take place more event.

"The Government is spending more on flood defences over the next four years than over the last four years.

A downed tree in Toys Hill, Kent

"There's a lot of flood defences being built, something like 80,000 houses were protected this time but we've got to do more."

Resident Erica Olivares accused her local council of failing to help flood-affected homeowners.

She told Sky News: "We had no help, especially over Christmas Day. We were totally abandoned, no hot food, no hot drink, nothing, we were up to our waists in floodwater literally the whole of Christmas Day."

Waves smash against a flood wall in County Donegal. Pic: Mitchell family

According to ESB Networks, in Ireland, some 35,000 homes and businesses are understood to be without power with engineers dealing with hundreds of individual faults.

Met Eireann imposed red alert warnings in the south and eastern parts, with Wexford, Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Waterford experiencing the worst of the stormy weather.

AA Roadwatch described driving conditions on Ireland's country roads as "treacherous" - and advised motorists to drive with extreme care.

ESB Networks engineers attempt to repair downed power lines in Ireland

Northern Ireland Electricity also said it had around 4,000 customers without power.

An elderly couple were treated in hospital after an electricity pole fell on top of their Mayobridge home during the overnight storms, causing a fire which caused widespread damage.

The pair were in their home with their son when the pole hit the roof of the property.

Two other pensioners were also treated after the accident caused smoke and water damage to their home.

In England and Wales, some 10,000 homes had no electricity, according to the Energy Networks Association.

This home in Mayobridge, Northern Ireland, was gutted by fire

And in Scotland, 3,000 homes were cut off by downed power lines.

Network Rail advises that routes need to be checked and tracks will need to be cleared of any fallen trees and any damage will need repaired before train services can start.

Robin Gisby, managing director of network operations at Network Rail, said: "Passengers have had a tough week of travelling and unfortunately that is likely to continue for at least another day.

"Thousands of railway workers have worked tirelessly over the holiday period to try and repair the significant damage caused by Monday's storm and will be called on again over the next 24 hours.

"As ever, safety comes first, as we ensure routes are safe for passenger services leading to a delayed start-up in some regions."

More than 43,000 people were left without power following Monday night's storm and around 1,200 properties were flooded in England.

Sky News Weather Presenter Isobel Lang said: "If you're travelling today, there will be really squally, buffeting winds everywhere, trans-Pennine routes especially, it will be really bad today."

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Hate Attacks On Muslims Rise After Rigby Case

By Alistair Bunkall, Sky News Defence Correspondent

The number of crimes against Muslims in England and Wales has risen over the past year.

New figures suggest there has been an increase in attacks following the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich last May.

In that month alone, 104 anti-Muslim incidents were recorded.

In London there have been 500 offences this year compared to 336 in 2012. In Greater Manchester the number of incidents has doubled from 75 last year to 130 this year.

But for some regions, such as Norfolk, Bedfordshire and North Wales, the figure has fallen.

In other areas, the number of crimes recorded was in the low single figures.

The Press Association sent Freedom of Information requests to every police force in England and Wales.

However, some police forces do not record whether or not an incident is motivated by religion making the figures incomplete and therefore hard to analyse.

For example, a Northumbria Police spokesman told the Press Association that "Information is not held specifically for anti-Muslim hate crimes," adding: "We do not have a recording system which allows for the recording of specific religions."

South Yorkshire Police said its crime management system "does not facilitate the recording of anti-Muslim hate crime separately to other forms of religious hate crimes".

The system "solely relies on what information is entered by the inputter recording the crime", a spokesman said.

Around half of the police forces contacted were unable to supply details.

In response to the figures, Labour's shadow Home Office minister Helen Jones said: "No one should fear violence, crime or hostility because of their race, religion or sexuality.

"Across the country people are united in their condemnation of those who pursue hatred and division. Extremists of all kinds will still try to divide us.

"Those who pursue extremism and hatred need to learn that when they seek to divide they unite - when they try to further their aims through violence they don't succeed.

"The police, working with local communities, need to do everything possible to catch those responsible for hate crime."

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Abbas Khan: Funeral For Syria-Death Doctor

The funeral of British doctor Abbas Khan - who died in custody in Syria - is due to take place in London today.

Dr Khan was on the verge of being released when his family were told of his death by what the Syrian government calls suicide - but they say it was political murder.

The 32-year-old orthopaedic surgeon, from London, was captured in November last year in the Syrian city of Aleppo after travelling from Turkey to help victims of hospital bombings.

His death was announced on December 17.

Dr Khan's mother Fatima

Dr Khan's family released a statement via their solicitor Nabeel Sheikh, announcing plans for the funeral and burial.

He said: "Dr Abbas Khan's funeral prayer will take place at midday on Boxing Day at Regent's Park Mosque, London.

"Dr Khan will then be taken to Ilford, east London, to be laid to rest. Anyone who wishes to pay their respects is welcome to attend."

The doctor's mother Fatima denied claims made by Syrian deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad that her son killed himself.

The PM wrote a letter to Dr Khan's family

Earlier this month, the family revealed a letter in which the doctor expressed his optimism at being released and his hopes of being home in time for Christmas.

On Sunday, David Cameron wrote a letter to Dr Khan's mother, describing her son's death as an "appalling tragedy" and calling for those responsible to be held to account.

Dr Abbas leaves behind his wife Hanna, 30, son Abdullah, six, and daughter Rurayya, seven.

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Fox Hunts Ride Out For Boxing Day Meets

Thousands of supporters attended Boxing Day hunts across the UK today as a poll shows 80% of people remain opposed to hunting with dogs for sport.

Some 250 hunts rode out today on the biggest day of the hunting calendar, some following an artificial scent while others hunting foxes within the law.

Groups of hunt saboteurs were out in force too, monitoring hunts they believed were trying to flout the law and hunt foxes illegally.

The poll suggests opinions on hunting are the same in urban and rural areas

The survey commissioned by animal welfare organisation The League Against Cruel Sports reveals 80% of the public think hunting should not be made legal again.

In October, David Cameron said he had "some sympathies" with farmers demanding the use of packs of hounds to flush out foxes if they threatened livestock. Once driven out, the foxes could be shot.

Downing Street suggested it might introduce a government motion to amend the 2004 ban on hunting by relaxing rules that say farmers can only use two dogs to hunt.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said he was particularly worried about hill farmers who have suffered heavy losses of livestock that is threatening their livelihoods.

Joe Duckworth, chief executive of The League Against Cruel Sports, said: "Hunting is a sickeningly cruel blood sport, which, like us, the majority of the British public do not want brought back.

"Voting for repeal would be political suicide. We need to move forward as a nation, not backwards on matters of animal welfare."

The survey, carried out by Ipsos MORI, also suggests that on the issue of legalising fox hunting, there is no difference between people living in rural areas and those in urban areas.

Gavin Grant, chief executive of the RSPCA, which also commissioned the survey, said: "As a rural dweller I have always known that opposition to hunting with dogs has never been an issue of 'town versus country'. This poll proves it once and for all.

"The message to MPs is loud and clear. Hunting wild animals with dogs is unethical, inhumane and cruel."

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