Care Home Staff 'Must Have Proper Training'

Compulsory training for care home staff will be introduced under Government plans to better protect the elderly from abuse and neglect, according to reports.

Health minister Norman Lamb said the lack of basic requirements for training care workers was leaving pensioners in the hands of staff who have "no idea what they are doing".

Proposals are expected to include national minimum standards for preparing new recruits to work in nursing homes.

Carers who help with tasks such as washing and dressing elderly people in their own homes will also be required to have the training, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Mr Lamb, the Liberal Democrat care minister, said it was not acceptable that there were no "clear standards of the training that must happen in a care home".

He said: "I would not want a loved one of mine - or indeed myself - to be cared for by someone who has no training."

Criminal prosecutions must follow in the "most outrageous" cases of abuse but reforms are needed to improve the quality of care more widely in nursing homes and in pensioners' own homes, he said.

But Mr Lamb said the new regime must not create "a tick box" culture.

A Department of Health spokesperson told Sky News: "No one should feel that they or their loved ones have to settle for poor quality care.

"Whilst there are many providers that deliver high quality care, more needs to be done to make improvements across the board.

"There are no excuses for failing to keep people safe from abuse or not treating them with kindness, dignity and respect."

Campaigners want all staff to have training in dispensing medication, promoting dignity, the basics of nutrition and hydration, and using equipment such as hoists and lifts.

The reforms, expected by the end of the month, follow a number of scandals involving the treatment of the elderly.

Similar arrangements could be introduced in hospitals after Prime Minister David Cameron said he wanted to end the ability of nursing assistants to "give hands-on care in a hospital ward with no training at all", the newspaper said.

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Tooth Grown From Human And Mouse Cells

Dentists could soon tell patients to throw away their dentures after scientists discovered a way to 'grow' new teeth coated in enamel.

The technique involved growing cells from human gum tissue, then combining them with tooth stem cells taken from a mouse embryo.

These cell clusters were then transplanted by researchers into an adult mouse kidney where they subsequently grew into teeth-like structures.

The tooth grew protective enamel and contained dentin

The human-mouse hybrid teeth were also discovered to contain dentin - the key structural material of teeth - as well as hard protective enamel. There was also evidence of root formation.

The two kinds of cell used were epithelial 'surface lining' cells from human gum tissue, and mesenchymal 'tooth' cells from the mouse embryo.

Professor Paul Sharpe, who led the research at King's College said: "The human epithelial cells are capable of responding to signals from the embryonic tooth cells from the mouse to contribute to crown and root growth.

"These accessible human epithelial cells are thus a realistic source for consideration in human tooth formation."

At present it is not considered ethical or practical to use human embryos in dentistry.

"The next major challenge is to identify a way to culture adult human mesenchymal cells to be tooth-inducing," said Prof Sharpe.

"At the moment we can only make embryonic mesenchymal cells do this.

"What is required is the identification of adult sources of human epithelial and mesenchymal cells that can be obtained in sufficient numbers to make bio-tooth formation a viable alternative to dental implants."

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Image Shows Boy Injured In Gang Attack

Police have released an image of a teenage boy's injured face after he was assaulted by a group of men in Manchester.

The assault began when three cars pulled up on Briscoe Lane, Newton Heath, last Saturday afternoon before a gang of around 12 men got out and began attacking a group of youths.

The 15-year-old boy was attacked by up to four of the men who chased him into nearby Harringay Road.

He was later taken to hospital with facial injuries and a broken arm.

Police have released this image of the boy

A teenage girl was also hit in the face and suffered a fractured cheekbone.

After the assault, which was caught on CCTV, the boy's attackers got back into their cars before before driving off towards Ten Acres Lane.

The boy's mother, who does not wish to be named, said: "I barely recognised my boy when I saw him, such were the extent of the injuries to his face.

"I cannot believe a bunch of grown men would attack an innocent teenage boy like this.

"He was not involved in any sort of trouble yet they waded in with fists and weapons and didn't give him any chance to respond or defend himself."

Police believe the incident may be linked to a dispute the previous evening in the Newton Heath area, however neither victim is understood to have been involved in this.

Detective Constable Paddy Connell, said: "While the CCTV footage we released shows a determined effort by a group of men to get at and assault a number of teenagers, what this injury picture shows is the real consequences of their actions.

"The boy is slight in build and was chased and beaten by burly men.

"Their actions were shameless and shocking and I want people to look at the injuries to the boy's face and if they know anything to come forward.

"We think this may be linked to an incident the previous evening and earlier that day in that general area and if that is the case then they have definitely got the wrong people as neither victim was there.

"If anyone knows anything about what may have prompted this or knows who is responsible, please get in touch."

:: Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 3832, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Abu Qatada: Hearing Over Alleged 'Bail Beach'

A special hearing is to be held later over Abu Qatada's alleged breach of his bail conditions which could result in the radical preacher staying in custody.

He has been arrested for allegedly breaching bail, days ahead of a new Government attempt to have him deported.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) is due to hold an urgent telephone hearing this afternoon to determine whether Qatada will be granted bail.

The radical cleric, who has been convicted of terror charges in Jordan, was arrested by UK Border Agency officials on Friday following raids by the Metropolitan Police Service Counter Terrorism unit.

Searches at two residential homes and a business in northwest and west London began on Thursday, while a search on a third property in northwest London is ongoing, Scotland Yard said.

The searches were carried out in connection with ongoing inquiries by the Counter Terrorism Command, a spokesman for Scotland Yard said.

However, no arrests have been made in connection with the police investigation, he added.

The Home Office said: "The UK Border Agency arrested a 52-year-old man from north London for alleged breaches of his bail conditions imposed by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC)."

He added that the breach will be considered by SIAC at the earliest opportunity.

Qatada was reportedly arrested by officials outside his family home in London.

The Sun newspaper showed pictures of him being escorted out of his house with his hands hidden under a jacket.

Qatada is due to appear at the Court of Appeal on Monday for Home Secretary Theresa May's attempt to overturn a judge's decision to allow him to stay in the UK.

Ms May will challenge the decision in front of three Court of Appeal judges led by Lord Dyson, the Master of the Rolls.

Once described by a Spanish judge as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe", Qatada has used human rights laws to fight deportation for more than a decade.

SIAC decided last November that Qatada could not lawfully be deported to Jordan, where he was convicted of terror charges in his absence in 1999.

SIAC judges ruled there was a danger that evidence from Qatada's former co-defendants Abu Hawsher and Al Hamasher, said to have been obtained by torture, could be used against him in a retrial in Jordan.

He was granted bail following the ruling by three SIAC judges and released from Long Lartin prison in November last year.

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Brian Lynch: Police Warn Over Escaped Killer

By Clare Fallon, Sky Reporter

Police say a convicted killer who has escaped from custody in Lancashire could be a risk to the public.

Brian Lynch, 44, disappeared while on day release for the first time since he was jailed 25 years ago.

He was convicted of murder in 1988 after beating to death 21-year-old Chi Keung Yip in Manchester.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Gilbert, who is leading the search for the escaped prisoner warned people not to approach him.

"Because he has been in prison for 25 years he won't know the area very well so he may approach the public and ask for directions," he told Sky News.

"I'd ask the public to be aware of his description and ask themselves whether they've been approached by this man."

Since Lynch disappeared in Preston city centre on Thursday afternoon there have been two potential sightings of him.

A man matching his appearance was seen at Preston bus station just after 3pm on Thursday.

The second potential sighting was on Stanley Grove in Penwortham at 5.15pm on the same day.

Police think he may have travelled to his home city of Manchester where he has family and friends.

Lynch had been moved to HMP Kirkham in Lancashire, which is an open, category D prison in December. 

He was on day release at the time of his escape as part of his rehabilitation preparing him for life outside prison.

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Salmonella Confirmed At Newcastle Food Festival

By Andy Hughes, Sky Tyne And Wear

Initial tests have confirmed salmonella to be the cause of a stomach bug after partygoers became ill at a street festival in Newcastle.

Up to 200 people have reported symptoms of sickness and diarrhoea after being struck down by food poisoning at an Asian food festival in Newcastle.

Around 12,000 people ate at the Street Spice Festival held from February 28 to March 2.

Organisers said they were "shocked and upset" to hear of the widespread gastric symptoms among diners.

Environmental health officers are urging anyone who has fallen ill to contact them on the phone number below.

Vegetarians Prem Kaur and her 15-year-old daughter Devindar became violently sick the day after attending the food festival.

Not everyone was hit by the bug - some people said they had a great time

The 36-year-old caterer, from South Shields, said: "I woke up the next morning and had to run to the toilet. I felt like I was going to vomit.

"My daughter was so bad we had to call an ambulance to come. This has put me off street food for life."

Her husband Malta Singh, 39, an IT consultant said: "As a concerned father and husband, seeing them in that state is very concerning.

"You've got to ask questions about the hygiene."

Dozens contacted Sky Tyne and Wear using Facebook and Twitter following the event, with some saying they had been ill for more than four days and were too ill to go to work.

Others were in touch to say they had suffered no symptoms at all and had thoroughly enjoyed the event.

More than 10,000 attended the festivities

Newcastle City Council's environmental health officers have been working closely with the Health Protection Agency to establish the source of the outbreak.

Stephen Savage, director of regulatory services and public protection, said: "The event organisers are cooperating fully and we are continuing to investigate the source of the outbreak.

Street Spice organiser Bob Arora said: "I must emphasise that the Street Spice at Life Festival was held to raise money for Brain Tumour UK, and we consulted with experts throughout the project with many years of experience in the food industry. 

"We also took hygiene and food safety extremely seriously at the event with measures far outweighing normal food festival conditions, ie walk-in fridges, constant temperature probing, hot and cold water sinks, with experienced national and local exhibitors supplying their own equipment.

"Over 10,000 visitors attended the festival, the vast majority having a fantastic experience.

"I send my sincerest thoughts and apologies to anyone who has become ill and emphasise that we are currently co-operating fully with the Health Protection Agency and Newcastle Council with a view to analysing the source of the outbreak in due course."

:: To report symptoms, call Regulatory Services and Public Protection at Newcastle City Council on (0191) 278 7878

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Tia Sharp: Stuart Hazell Denies Girl's Murder

The man who is accused of murdering 12-year-old Tia Sharp has pleaded not guilty in court.

Stuart Hazell, 37, appeared at the Old Bailey via videolink from Belmarsh prison.

He denied murdering Tia, the granddaughter of his partner Christine Sharp, between August 2 and 10 last year.

Hazell, of New Addington, south London, was remanded in custody to face trial at the same court on May 7.

Tia's body was found in the loft at the house, where Hazell and Christine Sharp lived, a week after the girl was reported missing.

Her disappearance sparked searches by police and members of the public.

But the body was missed when the attic was first searched.

Tia's mother, Natalie Sharp, was in court with her partner, and Tia's father, Stephen Carter, watched from the public gallery.

Hazell wore a black T-shirt and gold necklace. He leant forward as the clerk asked him to confirm his name.

The trial is expected to last for two weeks.

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Carlos Tevez Arrested For Driving Offence

Carlos Tevez has been arrested by police in Macclesfield on suspicion of driving while disqualified.

The Manchester City player was under a six-month driving ban when he was stopped by officers on the edge of the town on Thursday evening. He has since been released on bail

A statement from Cheshire police said: "At 5.13pm on Thursday 7 March police arrested a 29-year-old man from Alderley Edge on the A538 in Macclesfield on suspicion of driving while disqualified.

"The man was arrested and has since been released on police bail."

In 2009 Tevez was stopped by Greater Manchester Police on the M60 and found to be driving without a licence and with illegally tinted windows. Officers impounded his car and issued him with a prohibition notice.

As well as Manchester City, Tevez has also played for Boca Juniors, Corinthians, West Ham United and Manchester United.

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Queen Back To 'Business As Usual', Says Palace

The Queen will resume her official public engagements next week after a bout of gastroenteritis, Buckingham Palace has said.

She will attend the annual Westminster Abbey service marking Commonwealth Day on Monday, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh.

A Palace spokesman said it was "business as usual" for the Queen, who suspended her engagements this week, including a trip to Rome, following the illness.

The Queen, 86, was struck down last Friday by the stomach bug, which commonly causes symptoms of vomiting and repeated episodes of diarrhoea.

She stayed overnight on Sunday at the private King Edward VII's Hospital in central London to be assessed by doctors, and was discharged on Monday.

Concerns were raised about the Queen's general well-being as it was the first time she had been admitted to hospital in almost 10 years.

But she left the hospital looking well and cheerful.

During Monday's service entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson will give a speech and there will be performances by soul singer Beverley Knight and indie-rock favourites The Noisettes.

The Queen's other engagements include a visit to Tech City in London's East End to tour a number of companies next Wednesday.

The following day the monarch will attend a service at the Guards' Chapel in central London to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Soldiers and Airmen's Scripture Readers Association.

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Teen Bus Stabbing: First Picture Of Suspect

Police are trying to piece together the movements of the chief suspect in the stabbing of 16-year-old schoolgirl Christina Edkins.

A CCTV image of the suspect wearing a black jacket with a distinctive tiger motif on it was released by police in Birmingham in an attempt to try to track his movements before and after the attack.

Christina was killed on a busy double-decker bus as she travelled to school during rush hour in what police branded a "senseless and random" attack.

Speaking at a news conference, Detective Superintendent Richard Baker said that they believed that the man "continued using buses in the hours after the tragic event".

Det Supt Baker also appealed for witnesses to the attack saying there were 16 people travelling on the number 9 bus when the attack happened but that only half of them had spoken to police.

Police have released a CCTV image as part of their investigation

He said: "We know there are a number of passengers who were on the bus yesterday morning when Christina was attacked while she was sitting upstairs.

"Some of these passengers were sitting downstairs on the bus and they haven't yet spoken to police. They may not even have known what happened but may have vital evidence and it is crucial they contact us as soon as possible on 101."

Christina died of a single stab wound to the chest, a post-mortem examination found.

A woman claiming to have witnessed the attack on the bus said she waited for the girl's attacker to get off the vehicle before performing CPR on the teenager.

Writing on Facebook, Stephanie Bent said: "I was on that bus i knew what he had done and he was stood next to me when he was getting off, all i could think of was i hope he gets off this stop so i can go upstairs and help the girl.

"Thankfully he got off and i was able to go upstairs and help the girl as best i could i gave CPR until medics arrived and am deeply traumatised i could not save her, i certainly wasn't going to confront a knifeman knowing he had just stabbed someone i thought me may stab me too all i cared about was getting up to the girl to help."

Christina was described as "bright and popular"

Officers are continuing to question a 22-year-old man who was arrested after a manhunt was launched following the 7.30am stabbing and were granted an extra 12 hours to quiz him.

Police today provided extra patrols on public transport after attack prompted concerns among residents about knife crime and many voiced fears over travelling on the city's transport system on social network sites.

A police spokesman said: "Extra police officers will be patrolling public transport this morning in the wake of yesterday's tragedy to reassure commuters."

Christina, who was described as a "bright and popular" pupil at Leasowes High School in Halesowen, was killed shortly after she boarded the double-decker.

The bus on Hagley Road after the rush hour stabbing

The stabbing happened nearly a month after the teenager had voiced concerns on Twitter about the behaviour of a passenger on another bus trip.

On February 8 she wrote: "This man is worrying me on the bus keeps getting up and walking up and down stairs, and sitting in different place."

However, police said there was no evidence to suggest Christina knew her attacker but that they were aware of her "social media presence".

Police officers stood guard at the Edkins' semi-detached house near Birmingham city centre for much of the day on Thursday while family liaison officers sought to comfort relatives.

Forensic officers get to work at the scene of the attack

Neil Shaw, the headteacher of Leasowes High School, led tributes to his pupil and said friends and family were "deeply saddened" by her death.

 

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Foster Care Baby Left On Bus In North London

An investigation has been launched by the council which was responsible for the welfare of Baby P after a baby in foster care was left on a bus.

Scotland Yard says officers were alerted when it was realised that the child had been abandoned on the 491 bus in north London.

The child abuse investigation unit is looking into what happened along with Haringey Council, which was criticised over its handling of the care of toddler Peter Connelly.

Police were called just after 2pm on Friday to Bull Lane, Enfield, near North Middlesex Hospital.

Baby P died in Tottenham in August 2007

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "A woman, who identified herself as the child's foster carer, contacted emergency services.

"The child was checked at hospital before being handed back to the care of social services.

"Inquiries are ongoing. There have been no arrests. Social services are investigating the matter in partnership with the MPS Child Abuse Investigation Command."

Baby Peter was 17 months old when he died in Tottenham, north London, on August 3, 2007.

He suffered more than 50 injuries despite being on the at-risk register of Haringey Council and receiving 60 visits from social workers, police and health professionals over the final eight months of his life.

A series of reviews have identified missed opportunities when officials could have saved him if they had acted properly on the warning signs.

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Child Heart Surgery: Campaigners In Court Win

Campaigners have won a High Court challenge over proposed changes to children's heart surgery services in England.

Save Our Surgery (SOS), which is trying to stop the closure of the heart unit at Leeds General Infirmary, argued the consultation process leading up to the changes was "unfair and procedurally flawed".

Justice Nicola Davies, sitting at London's Royal Courts of Justice, ruled that the challenge must succeed - but what the victory means for the future will be decided at a later date.

Outside the court, SOS spokeswoman Sharon Cheng said  the ruling did not necessarily mean the Leeds heart unit was saved.

She said much would depend on what orders the judge decided to make when the matter returns to court later this month.

"We have won this case on every point. It doesn't necessarily mean the heart surgery is saved, but fresh reconsideration will have to be given as to what is to happen next and the fight will go on," she said.

"We knew it was time to fight because of the strength of feeling of families.

"The campaign started small, like David and Goliath, then grew and grew out of all proportions."

Nearly 600,000 people signed a petition against closure of the Leeds unit

The legal challenge stems from a decision last July by the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT) that paediatric cardiac surgery should be concentrated at fewer, larger sites to improve standards across the country.

Sir Neil McKay, chair of the JCPCT, said he was very disappointed with the court's decision.

"The pressing need to reform children's heart services is long overdue and experts have cautioned that further delay in achieving the necessary change would be a major set back in improving outcomes for children with heart disease," he said.

"The judgement focuses on a single matter of process, but the case for the reconfiguration of children's heart surgical services remains strong."

The sites currently chosen to stay open are at Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Southampton and two London centres.

As well as the Leeds site, units at Leicester's Glenfield Hospital and London's Royal Brompton are also facing closure.

The Brompton lost an earlier legal challenge to the proposals.

Nearly 600,000 people signed a petition against closure of the Leeds unit.

Children in the area would have to travel to Newcastle or Liverpool for surgery if the Leeds unit is shut down.

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RBS To Compensate Customers Hit By IT Glitch

RBS blames a "hardware fault" for a glitch that meant customers were unable to use their accounts online or withdraw cash for several hours.

The technical problems, which started on Wednesday evening, come less than a year after RBS, Natwest and Ulster Bank customers were hit by a major computer issue.

The meltdown left millions of people unable to access their money and cost the group £175m to put right.

In a statement, the bank apologised for the recent disruption and said its systems were fixed and running as normal.

Complaints piled up on Twitter as customers could not access cash

"This problem was caused by a hardware fault and was not related to the issues we experienced last summer. It was much easier to fix, though clearly an unacceptable failure," it said.

"Any customer who was left out of pocket due to this outage should get in touch so we can put things right for them."

The banks said the problem was fixed around three hours after they admitted there was a problem - but not before hundreds took to the internet to voice their frustration.

RBS boss Stephen Hester had to apologise for a glitch last June

Many said they had difficulties using cash machines or logging into online banking, while others complained their cards had been declined.

Steve Ireland, who lives in London, told Sky News he discovered the problem when he tried to pay with his card at a supermarket.

"I was out shopping after a night out with my partner to celebrate a birthday," he said. "I went into a very big chain supermarket and got to the cash desk with all my shopping, only to be told the card was declined.

"It was a really bad experience and very embarrassing. You get evil looks from the cashier when you can't pay."

Stuart Keel, from Cornwall, said he tried to use a cash machine but it was not working.

"We went to the supermarket thinking we could use our cards in there, no problem," he said.

"While we were walking around I was using my NatWest (smartphone) app and it wasn't working at all."

He said his card was then declined at the checkout.

"I thought, 'There's something not right here'," he added.

A section of NatWest's website was swamped by a string of complaints, with one customer writing: "Really upset that NatWest comms have failed yet again.

"We understand that things sometimes go wrong - but 'helpful banking' is all about helping people and communicating with them. After last year's fiasco I stuck with you, but now I'm not going to..."

Another said: "I can't get to work as card declined on train, so lost a day's wage and (you) expect me to pay to call for info!"

In June last year, millions of people were affected when a software update failed at the banks.

Customers were unable to view up-to-date balances, while payments such as direct debits for bills were not made and some wages were not received.

Stephen Hester, the chief executive of the banks' parent company RBS Group, which is 80% state-owned, was forced to apologise for the problems at the time and £100m was put aside to compensate customers.

It is unclear whether those affected by the latest systems outage will receive compensation but it is understood the matter is under consideration on a 'case by case' basis.

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Teenage Schoolgirl Stabbed To Death On Bus

Police have chased down and arrested a man suspected of stabbing to death 16-year-old Christina Edkins as she travelled to school.

Christina was on a packed double-decker bus during rush hour in Birmingham when she was killed in what police suspect was a random attack.

Passengers, paramedics and police officers were called just after 7.30am and tried to save Christina's life but nothing could be done and she died at the scene.

Christina was "loved by staff and students alike"

Armed police were sent to patrol in the city as police hunted for what they described as an "extremely dangerous" suspect who they believed could have been armed.

Officers arrested a 22-year-old, who was seen acting suspiciously, after a short chase near a Morrison's supermarket in the city.

Christina was a pupil at Leasowes High School in Halesowen.

Forensic officers search the double-decker bus where the attack happened

The headteacher, Neil Shaw, said: "Christina was a bright and popular student much loved by staff and students alike. We are deeply saddened to hear this tragic news and our thoughts and hearts go out to her family and everyone who knew her.

"The school is working closely with the police and a team of counsellors to provide support to our pupils and staff."

Christina was an avid user of the social networking site Twitter and on February 8 the @christinaedkins  account included a post that read "This man is worrying me on the bus keeps getting up and walking up and down stairs, and sitting in different place :|"

West Midlands Police have confirmed they are "aware of her social media presence".

The girl was stabbed on the crowded number 9 service

Christina had recently taken part in Twitter "meet ups" where social media users get together to socialise.

Joe James, 18, from Bristol got to know Christina through these events and told Sky News: "I'm still not believing it. I just can't understand - why her?

"She had everything, she was very popular and generous – she was the kind of girl to help an old lady across the road."

A tribute page has been set up on Facebook for "beautiful angel" Christina, with users calling her death "a waste of a beautiful young life" and saying "justice will prevail".

Paramedics were called but nothing could be done to save the teenager

Detective Superintendent Richard Baker from Force CID said: "This is a tragic case and the victim's family are devastated.

 "We are still anxious to hear from anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident this morning to speak to us via the dedicated hotline 0800 096 0095.

"There will be a high police presence across the city this afternoon following this morning's tragedy particularly on buses and in schools in the area to provide reassurance to local people."

He said that he thought a number of people travelling on the bus at the time of the attack on Hagley Road had yet to come forward and that officers were trawling through CCTV footage for evidence.

A Facebook tribute page

National Express West Midlands said the vehicle was heading out of the city when the stabbing happened.

A spokesman said: "We can confirm that a tragic incident occurred on a number 9 service this morning.

"Our thoughts and condolences are with the friends and family of the person involved and we will offer all possible support to the police in their investigation of this matter."

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said they had been called to the scene shortly after 7.35am.

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Vicky Pryce: Huhne's Ex Is Found Guilty

Vicky Pryce has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice for taking her husband's penalty points a decade ago.

A jury of seven men and five women at Southwark Crown Court in London returned their verdict almost exactly 48 hours after going out to deliberate.

Former Cabinet minister Huhne last month admitted lying to police about who was driving just as he was about to go on trial.

His wife continued to protest her innocence, arguing that her ex-husband had forced her to take the speeding points against her will.

Huhne, 58, and Pryce - with whom he has three children - both now face jail and are expected to be sentenced next week.

More follows...

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Fan Claims Kate 'Revealed' Sex Of Royal Baby

The Duchess of Cambridge has sparked speculation that she is expecting a baby girl after an apparent slip of the tongue during a trip to Grimsby.

One member of the 2,000-strong crowd has made headlines after saying Kate may have accidentally hinted that she and Prince William are having a daughter.

The exchange happened during Kate's walk-about in the foggy fishing port, when she was handed a teddy bear by 41-year-old Diana Burton.

Sandra Cook, 67, who was standing next to Ms Burton, reportedly heard Kate say: "Thank you, I will take that for my d..." before cutting herself off.

Sandra told reporters: "I leant over and said to her: 'You were going to say daughter weren't you?'.

"She said, 'No, we don't know!'. I said, 'Oh I think you do,' to which she replied: 'We're not telling'."

If correct, the exchange means Britain will have another Queen, as changes to the laws of succession mean even if William and Kate one day have a son, he would not be able to claim the throne ahead of his big sister.

Otherwise Kate was careful not to give any clues, referring to her unborn child as "it" in one exchange.

When asked by a woman: "Can you feel the baby kicking?", the Duchess replied: "Yes. I can feel it kicking."

The Duchess began her visit at the northeast Lincolnshire town's National Fishing Heritage Centre before visting Grimsby's Peaks Lane Fire Station, where she was greeted with more loud cheers from the estimated 200 people who were waiting for her.

One of the women who had been waiting up to three hours to meet her, Claire Moss-Smith, 86, said she had said to the Duchess: "I'm waiting for you to be Queen."

She said Kate laughed and replied: "You might be waiting a long time."

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Sex Attacks On Prostitutes In Manchester

Four prostitutes have been sexually assaulted in the Fairfield Street area of Manchester city centre.

Each victim was attacked separately by a man between 8.30pm and 10.30pm on Tuesday.

Police have launched a probe into what they have described as "serious sexual assaults" on the women.

It is believed the attacks are linked.

Police are appealing for anyone with information about the attacks - or who may have been a victim - to come forward.

They can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A 33-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of serious sexual assault and is currently in police custody.

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Pregnant Woman Murder: Ex-Boyfriend Jailed

A man who beat his pregnant ex-fiancee to death, causing the death of their unborn baby, has been jailed for at least 27 years.

Unemployed alcoholic Tony McLernon, 24, of North Grove, Harlow, in Essex, was found guilty of murder and child destruction after a trial lasting just over two weeks at Chelmsford Crown Court.

The trial heard he lured Eystna Blunnie, 20, to her death in July last year after telling friends she was trying to ruin his new relationship.

Estyna Blunnie was found dying with her unborn baby in a road

When they met in Howard Way, near her home in Harlow, he jumped on her, kicked her and left her to die in a pool of blood.

Miss Blunnie was due to give birth to a girl within days.

Ordering a minimum tariff of 27 years of a life sentence, Mr Justice Fulford said: "It is undoubtedly the case that he brutally and repeatedly attacked Eystna Blunnie during the course of their relationship.

"He told friends he wanted her significantly harmed or killed. In April he strangled her, causing the baby distress.

"This killing was not the result of an unthinking moment of anger but instead he had contemplated the attack over a long period of time.

"The killing was truly terrible. The horrific screams heard by those nearby show the suffering and pain she suffered and for some period of time she would have been aware of the fatal consequences for herself and her child.

"He has shown not the slightest shred of remorse."

McLernon showed no emotion as he was led from the dock.

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Thomas Cook To Cut 2,500 UK Jobs

Holiday firm Thomas Cook says it is planning to axe 2,500 UK jobs to "secure" its future.

It plans to consult on proposals to close 195 of its 1,069 high street travel agencies, with the full details being announced at a later date, though a union representing staff has already spoken of its fury at the scale of the cuts.

It is understood that many of the stores to close operate under the Co-Operative brand.

Thomas Cook is also planning to shut its Accrington office in the North West in a move impacting around 100 roles while administrative and managerial jobs are at risk across its head office in Peterborough and its Preston site.

The job losses amount to 16% of its 15,500 workforce in the UK and Ireland.

In a statement, the company said: "As Thomas Cook UK & Ireland continues to focus on the turnaround of the business it has today entered  a 90 day consultation process with a number of its UK employees on the next phase of the three-year programme to transform its operations.

"The need to evolve the UK business has been a clearly stated goal, accelerated by the appointment of Peter Fankhauser, an experienced Thomas Cook leader as UK CEO.

"The UK business needs to reduce cost to ensure back-office costs are not passed on to customers and that the necessary operational changes are made to reflect evolving customer needs and purchasing requirements."

It continued: "The company has 1,069 stores in the UK, making it the largest high street travel retailer. A number of these stores do not meet the performance targets of the business and are in communities where Thomas Cook has more than one retail outlet."

Mr Fankhauser added: "Thomas Cook is a much loved brand that needs to make the proposed changes to secure our future and provide continued employment for many thousands across the UK and better meet the needs of our customers going forward.

"We firmly believe these proposals will mean a better - more profitable - Thomas Cook that continues to be a major employer in the UK and offer the widest range of holidays for travellers and voyagers in the future.

"We are already consulting with our Unions and employee representative bodies to minimise the impact of these changes and I am speaking personally to all employees today to provide information and support through this period of consultation."

Thomas Cook's transformation plan, under which it had already cut 168 stores and 1,100 jobs, was blamed for deeper losses in its last financial year.

The 171-year-old company reported a statutory loss of £590m for the 12 months to the end of September - worse than the £518m loss recorded the previous year.

Thomas Cook was under pressure to tighten its purse strings at a time of a slowdown in consumer spending and changing holiday habits.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA), which represents employees, said it was "shocked and angry" at the scale of the job losses.

General secretary Manuel Cortes said: "This constant policy of slash and burn, with the axing of one in four stores and the loss of jobs, is simply self-defeating.

"The company needs new products if it to come to come to terms with the age of the internet and prosper in the 21st century."

Thomas Cook also confirmed it planned to change staff terms and conditions for remaining workers.

Sharon Ainsworth, national officer of Usdaw, said: "Even those who are not at risk of redundancy are facing the prospect of cuts to their benefits packages, following a number of cost-cutting proposals which the business has put forward.

"We will be examining these proposals closely and will defend our members' interests throughout this uncertain time."

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UK To Supply Military Aid To Syria Opposition

The UK is to supply armoured vehicles and body armour to opposition forces in Syria, Foreign Secretary William Hague has said.

In a statement to the Commons, William Hague said Britain would increase aid to Syrian opposition forces, including providing "new types of non-lethal equipment for the protection of civilians", after EU sanctions had been amended.

He said the UK, along with the National Coalition, was in the middle of trying to identify "the protective equipment that will be of most use to them and likely to save most lives".

"It will certainly include armoured four-wheel drive vehicles to help opposition forces move around more freely as well as personal protection equipment including body armour," he added.

Testing equipment to provide evidence of any use of chemical weapons by the regime and training for armed groups in international human rights and legal standards is also being sent.

Mr Hague said £3m had been allocated this month for the work with another £10m to follow - urging other countries to do the same.

The deadly conflict has been going on since March 2011

"The Cabinet is in no doubt that this is a necessary, proportionate and lawful response to a situation of extreme humanitarian suffering, and that there is no practicable alternative," he said.

"All our assistance will be carefully calibrated and monitored as well as legal, and will be aimed at saving life, alleviating this human catastrophe and supporting moderate groups.

Mr Hague told MPs that the conflict in Syria, where President Bashar Assad is trying to defeat attempts to overthrow his regime, had reached "catastrophic" proportions.

The British Government could not stand aside as Assad used Scud missiles against civilians, Mr Hague said, adding that diplomacy was "taking far too long and the number of dead continues to rise".

The death toll is reported to have reached 70,000 since the fighting began two years ago, with more people having been killed so far this year than during the whole first year of the conflict.

Some 40,000 people were fleeing the civil war each week, many of them children, he added.

There are now more than a million Syrian refugees according to the UN

His speech came as the UN refugee agency revealed official figures showing the number of Syrian refugees leaving their homeland had topped the one million mark.

Mr Hague described it as a "sad milestone".

The Foreign Secretary also warned that there was a danger Syria could become a "top destination for jihadists anywhere in the world".

Meanwhile, there were risks that the Syrian government could use chemical weapons against civilians, he said, telling MPs there was "credible information" that Iran was providing "considerable military support" to Mr Assad.

Sky News Foreign Affairs Correspondent Lisa Holland said Mr Hague's announcement marked "a new phase in what Britain is going to do for the opposition".

The effort to try to move forward the stalemate in the Syria crisis follows a visit last week by new US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Speaking in London, he said the Syrian opposition would not be "left dangling" and that Western leaders had "new ideas" on Syria in the face of growing frustration by the opposition over the lack of help they have received.

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Bieber Blames Technical Problems For O2 Delay

Justin Bieber has blamed technical issues for his late arrival on stage at last night's gig at the O2 Arena.

In a series of tweets to his 35 million followers the teenage singer apologised to his fans.

"last night i was scheduled after 3 opening acts to go on stage at 935 not 830 but because of some technical issues i got on at 10:10..so.

"I  was 40 min late to stage. there is no excuse for that and I apologize for anyone we upset. However it was great show and Im proud of that.

Bieber claimed he was not due on stage until 9.35pm, not 8.30pm

"and tonight we will run on time and look forward to putting on an amazing show for everyone in attendance".

The 19-year-old Canadian - who claimed he was only 40 minutes late - went on to grumble about the media and added he was "trying".

"my relationship with the media is not always easy but im trying. Im all about the music and the performance and i respect my fans".

The singer said that tonight's show will be 'great'

But some fans have claimed this is not the first time the star has left them disappointed. Rachel Leslie paid £330 a ticket for her and her daughter Freya, 14, to meet Bieber after he played an earlier gig at Nottingham at the weekend.

She claimed they arrived at 2.30pm to start queuing for check-in at 3.45pm but no one was allowed through until 5.55pm.

"When we eventually got in there it was 'click', 'click' and we were ushered out again - the whole thing lasted no more than 20 seconds," Mrs Leslie told the Nottingham Evening Post.

Two upset Beliebers leave the O2 after the concert

"My daughter came out and was absolutely distraught about the whole thing. She didn't even want to stay for the show.

"I spoke to so many people afterwards and they were all very disappointed, and when we came out there were kids everywhere in floods of tears, not because they'd met him, but because it was over so quickly."

At the O2, some fans claimed Bieber had not taken to the stage until 10.30pm, but the singer insisted this had been "exaggerated".

"i never have any intent to upset or let anyone down," he tweeted. "Im not okay with things being exaggerated. once again sorry for anyone upset.

Parents arrived at the O2 to collect their children before the gig started

"now we have a show to do today and Im gonna focus on the positive and put on a great show tonight here in London.

"NIGHT 2 at the 02 is gonna be even better. get ready. thanks".

The Canadian star had infuriated parents and upset fans who waited almost two hours for him to appear on stage.

Many complained they had been left waiting with no explanation or apology from O2 staff.

Gemma Ferguson from Chessington told Sky News her five-year-old daughter was falling asleep by 10pm. "I can't quite believe what just happened," she said.

On time? Bieber was pictured last month wearing two watches

"He spent more time changing his clothes and showing videos of his childhood than he did singing.

"When we complained were were told 'Justin will come out when he is ready,' but he had all day to get ready".

The singer has three more gigs planned at the O2 on the 5th, 7th and 8th of March.

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'Fast Eddie' Jailed For Stealing Security Van

A British thief nicknamed Fast Eddie who spent almost 20 years as a fugitive in the US after stealing a security van containing £1.2m has been jailed for five years.

Eddie Maher was wanted by Suffolk Police after the Securicor van he was driving disappeared from outside a Lloyds Bank in Felixstowe, Suffolk, on January 22, 1993.

The 57-year-old, originally from South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, was arrested by US authorities in February last year and held in custody awaiting trial after denying the theft following his deportation.

But he entered a last-minute guilty plea at Southwark Crown Court in London as he was due to stand trial. He was later jailed by a judge.

Maher, who used the false identities of Stephen King and his brother Michael Maher while on the run, intended to fight the allegation on the grounds that he had been forced to commit the crime after racking up "significant debts".

But Suffolk Police and the Crown Prosecution Service built up evidence proving that the former soldier and firefighter had profited to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

During his time on the run, Maher built a new life with his partner, Deborah Brett, and their son Lee, who was three-years-old at the time of the theft.

After his conviction, detectives revealed details of a series of property investments they say he funded from the proceeds of the crime in Suffolk.

Eddie Maher admitted stealing a Securicor van in 1993

This included a house in Colorado bought with $120,000 (£79,300) in cash just six months after the theft.

Later Maher built a ranch on 80 acres in Colorado before moving around various US states.

At the time of his arrest on February 9 last year, he was working as a cable engineer in Missouri.

But his attempts to escape justice unravelled as he was arrested for illegally possessing firearms.

When US authorities contacted their UK counterparts about immigration issues, it became clear he was a wanted man.

Speaking outside court, Detective Inspector David Giles, from Suffolk Police, said: "Maher said he was forced to carry out this crime and that he only got a small amount of money from it.

"He never named the people who he claimed forced him into it and never put forward a credible story.

"We have succeeded in proving that he profited substantially from the theft and was a key player in the planning and execution of it.

"Since his arrest, he has displayed no remorse for what he did - but I get the impression he has spent 20 years looking over his shoulder and hoping the law would not catch up with him."

None of the £1.2m stolen from the van, which filled 30 sacks, has ever been found.

Ms Brett, 47, Maher's sister Margaret Francis, 64, and a 54-year-old man, from Woodford Green, east London, are all on bail after being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft.

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Navy's Tennis Ball-Hunting Radar Revealed

A new radar that can detect a tennis ball travelling at three times the speed of sound from more than 15 miles away has been fitted to a Royal Navy warship.

The Artisan system, which was developed by BAE Systems, was installed on HMS Iron Duke, a Type 23 frigate.

BAE says the medium range 3D surveillance radar is five times more efficient than any other radar currently used by the fleet.

HMS Iron Duke is the first ship in the class to have received the new radar as part of its five-yearly refit and will return to service next year. 

Iron Duke has carried out anti-drug smuggling operations in the past

The Artisan system is designed to detect smaller and quicker targets against a background of electronic noise and interference that can affect radar efficiency.

The new radar is also able to navigate its way through environments that are densely populated by other signals.

BAE said another major advantage of the Artisan system is the spread and range of targets it can track.

The system is capable of monitoring more than 800 objects at the same time - from the very small to the largest aircraft carriers and destroyers - at a range of between 200 and 200,000 metres.

The radar is being installed as part of a £100m programme to equip Type 23 frigates and amphibious ships.

Artisan was tested in a special chamber before being fitted to the warship

It will also be used on the new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, where it can be used to help the ships' air traffic controllers.

Artisan has been proposed for the new Type 26 frigates, which are due to come into service after 2020.

The radar is made out of the same lightweight carbonfibre materials found in Formula One racing cars.

Weighing 700kg, the Artisan system is designed to take a single team of engineers 21 days to fit, which is said to be a vast improvement on previous systems.

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Philpott Fire Trial: Petrol Traces On Clothes

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A forensic scientist has told a jury that low levels of petrol were found on the clothing of three people accused of setting fire to a house and killing six children.

Mick and Mairead Philpott deny the manslaughter of their children Duwayne, 13, Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, seven, Jessie, six, and five-year-old Jayden.

All died following the blaze at their home in Derby last year.

A third defendant, Paul Mosley also denies six counts of manslaughter.

Rebecca Jewell, who specialises in fire investigations, told Nottingham Crown Court, that branded fuel has a higher concentration of additives, which makes car engines run more efficiently, compared to supermarket petrol.

Ms Jewell said: "The liquid in petrol is not the part that burns, that is the vapours that sit above it.

"Petrol additives do not burn in fires, they are left behind. This means we can analyse them and unequivocally say which brand they come from."

She explained to the jury that additives remain on clothing for a long time, even when the fuel has evaporated.

Over six months, police sent the expert a series of exhibits, including clothing, from the defendants and the scene.

She said low level traces of Total and BP petrol additives were found on Mick Philpott's tracksuit bottoms, traces of Total petrol were detected on his socks, slippers and left trainer, and traces of Shell petrol additives were found on his boxer shorts and right trainer.

Ms Jewell said low levels of Total petrol additive was also found on Mairead Philpott's leggings, sandals and thong, and on Mr Mosley's jeans, jumper and right shoe.

She said that she had found no evidence of an "ignitable substance" on the door mat, but there was "limited scientific support for a low level of Total" in the U-bend of the sink.

The trial continues.

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British Army Bases In Germany To Shut By 2019

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Seven UK army sites will be axed as part of a major shake-up as soldiers return from Germany, it has been announced.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the changes would save £240m a year in running costs as soldiers move into "clusters" in key locations.

Repatriating all troops from Germany will end Britain's long military history in the country, which dates back to the end of World War Two.

Most of the 15,000 still serving there and their dependents will come home by 2016, ahead of schedule. The remainder, around 4,500, will return by 2019.

The moves will primarily affect the RAF and Army.

Returning forces will mainly be stationed around Salisbury Plain, Edinburgh and Leuchars, Catterick, Aldershot, Colchester, Stafford and the East Midlands.

But several other sites will lose their military presence as the army shrinks.

These include Claro Barracks in Ripon, North Yorkshire, Howe Barracks in Canterbury, Craigiehall Barracks in Edinburgh and Cawdor Brracks in Brawdy, Pembrokeshire.

Parts of Redford Barracks in Edinburgh, Forthside Brracks in Stirling and Copthorne Barracks in Shrewsbury will also be available for disposal.

Under the plans, almost £2bn will be invested in army housing and bases. Around £1bn of that will go on new houses for service families and accommodation for single soldiers.

Another £800m will be spent on infrastructure and refurbishment of bases.

Some 1,900 new homes will be built for military families and accommodation to house 7,800 single soldiers.

Mr Hammond said the plans would give troops and their families greater stability.

He also defended the decision to drop plans to double the size of the army in Scotland and said the changes would ensure Britain retains an adaptable, capable force.

General Sir Peter Wall, Chief of the General Staff, said: "The plan provides an excellent springboard for operations overseas and it affords welcome certainty over where people will live."

But shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy told MPs: "There will be real disappointment at the closures across the UK today - from Canterbury, Ripon, Shrewsbury and Brawdy, where historic bonds are now being broken."

The decision not to send thousands more troops to Scotland was a "real blow" and "will not be forgotten", Mr Murphy added.    

The intention to carry out the changes was first announced in 2010 after the Strategic Defence Review.

Further details were expected before Christmas but were delayed in light of the Autumn Statement because the Ministry of Defence had to re-examine the figures.

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Weather: Cold Spell Set To Follow Spring Sun

Extreme UK Weather Prompts Warning

Updated: 8:59am UK, Monday 04 March 2013

The extremes of weather that Britain has experienced over the past year highlight the urgent need to plan for a changing climate, the head of the Environment Agency has warned.

Analysis by the Government agency reveals that one in every five days last year saw flooding in England and Wales, while one in four days were spent in drought.

There was flooding on 78 days of the year, and for 95 days there was official drought declared for some areas, figures from the EA show.

Rivers such as the Tyne, Ouse and Tone went from record low levels to experiencing their highest flows since records began, in the space of four months, the agency said.

Recent Met Office analysis suggests the UK could experience a 1976-style drought every 10 years.

The EA said that with the population of London and the South East set to grow by 23% by 2035, action should be taken now.

Modelling suggests some river flows could be cut by up to 80% during the summer in the next 40 years as the climate changes, putting more pressure on businesses that rely on taking water from rivers for irrigation.

The EA has called for an increase in small-scale water storage reservoirs, which can take advantage of wet times and help farmers, commercial turf growers, golf clubs, sports stadiums and racecourses cope with dry periods.

There are currently around 1,700 such water storage reservoirs in England and Wales, supplying around 30% of irrigation needs, but they will need to increase as the UK faces more extreme weather as the climate changes, the agency said.

EA chairman Lord Smith said: "The extremes of weather that we saw last year highlight the urgent need to plan for a changing climate.

"In 2012 we saw environmental damage caused by rivers with significantly reduced flows, hosepipe bans affecting millions and farmers and businesses left unable to take water from rivers.

"But we also saw the wettest year on record in England, with around 8,000 homes flooded.

"Interestingly 2007 - which also saw some of the most severe flooding in recent memory - also started the year with hosepipe bans.

"More of this extreme weather will exacerbate many of problems that we already deal with including flooding and water scarcity, so taking action today to prepare and adapt homes, businesses, agricultural practices and infrastructure is vital."

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'Bradford Batman' Hands Suspect In To Police

A suspect wanted in Bradford has been handed in to police by a man dressed as the Caped Crusader.

A police spokesman said: "The person who brought the wanted man into the station was dressed in a full Batman outfit.

"His identity, however; remains unknown."

The 27-year-old was handed in to Trafalgar House police station and arrested on suspicion of burglary, fraud and breach of a court order.

He was later charged with handling stolen goods and fraud-related offences.

He will appear before magistrates on Friday.

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More Horsemeat Found In School Dinners

Minced beef has been removed from all school canteens in Leicestershire after tests showed it contained traces of horse DNA.

In a message to parents, Leicestershire County Council said it was taking "prudent action" but insisted there is "no health risk".

"The vast majority of food we supply is Red Tractor assured and we will continue to regularly seek assurances from our school food suppliers to ensure that they comply with legislation," it said.

"The council only uses food produced within the UK but sought reassurances for two items which aren't processed on site by the supplier."

The second product tested by trading standards officers - a beef grill steak - was found to contain no horse DNA and will continue to be served in school canteens.

Leicestershire County Council supplies meals to 240 schools but has not yet confirmed how many canteens the minced beef was served in.

The product is the latest in a line of items to be removed from sale since the horsemeat scandal erupted in January.

Supermarkets, restaurants and fast food retailers have all been affected, as have pubs, hotels and hospitals.

Last month, Lancashire County Council confirmed that horsemeat was detected in cottage pies it served at 47 schools.

It removed the products from canteens, saying its priority was "to provide absolute assurance that meals contain what the label says".

The Food Standards Agency has tested more than 5,400 products, although only 17 have been found to contain at least 1% horsemeat. None have been found to contain the veterinary drug phenylbutazone, or bute.

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Woman Jailed For Life For Grandmother Murder

A woman has been jailed for a minimum of 37 years for murdering a stranger in a knife attack in the street.

Nicola Edgington had killed her mother six years earlier, but was released to live in the community.

She was found guilty at the Old Bailey last month of murdering Sally Hodkin, 58, and attempting to murder Kerry Clark, 22.

Both women were on their way to work in Bexleyheath, southeast London, in October 2011 when Edgington attacked them with a knife.

She bought one knife from Asda and attacked Miss Clark, who was waiting for a bus.

When Miss Clark grabbed the blade and kicked her away, Edgington ran to a butcher's shop and grabbed a larger knife.

Edgington took the knife from a butcher's shop

She attacked Mrs Hodkin, a law firm accounts clerk, with such force that she almost decapitated her.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) found that a number of police blunders led to Edgington carrying out the attacks.

The 32-year-old made five 999 calls just hours before asking to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act because she believed herself to be a danger.

But Metropolitan Police staff failed to carry out a police national computer (PNC) check on her which would have alerted them to her previous conviction for the manslaughter of her mother, the IPCC said.

Edgington also sought help at a local hospital from where she called 999.

But after delays in admitting her, she walked out.

The IPCC found officers only contacted the hospital following her fourth phone call and said Edgington's second 999 call from the A&E department was downgraded because she was considered to be in a place of safety.

Sally Hodkin was on her way to work

An officer was not dispatched at this stage despite Edgington's claim she could be very dangerous, it found.

Edgington was said to have a borderline personality disorder and was found to be emotionally unstable and regularly blamed others for her situation.

She was ordered to be detained indefinitely at a secure hospital after stabbing her mother nine times in 2006.

Doctors diagnosed schizophrenia and she pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

But medics ruled she was well enough to be treated in the community after three years.

At the Old Bailey Judge Brian Barker told Edgington her behaviour had been "consistent and calculated".

He said: "You are manipulative and exceptionally dangerous. What you did could not have been more selfish.

"I disagree that the responsibility for these acts can be laid on others.

"You made your choice and these were terrible acts for which you must take responsibility.

"You have come as near as can be to having three deaths on your hands."

Edgington was jailed for life with a minimum term of 37 years for murder and given a concurrent sentence of life with a minimum term of 20 years for attempted murder.

Mrs Hodkin's widower, Paul, told the court in a statement: "Forty years of marriage gone, wiped out in seconds by someone that should not have been on the streets."

His solicitor, Daniel Rubinstein, said outside court: "While the family are relieved that a very dangerous woman has been taken off the streets, they remain concerned at the very many questions that remain over the actions of authorities and the alleged failure to treat clearly dangerous people in a secure environment.

"They will be considering further action to get answers in the hope that other families won't have to go through the same appalling experience that they have."

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Queen Leaves Hospital After Illness

The Queen has left hospital after an overnight stay where she was treated for symptoms of gastroenteritis.

Looking relaxed and smiling, she appeared on the steps of King Edward VII's Hospital in central London and walked to her waiting limousine.

The Queen was admitted on Sunday for assessment by doctors after being struck down by the stomach bug on Friday.

Her illness forced her to cancel a trip to Rome to meet the country's President Giorgio Napolitano for a private lunch on Thursday.

Being admitted raised concerns about the Queen's health generally as this was the first time the 86-year-old has been treated overnight at hospital in 10 years.

But she looked well and cheerful as she said goodbye to a uniformed member of staff who curtseyed to her.

The Queen, who wore a scarlet coat, was driven away by a chauffeur and is likely to spend time convalescing at her favourite home Windsor Castle.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman declined to discuss in detail her condition and just said that she remained in "good spirits".

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PM Meets Families Facing Poverty At Food Bank

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent

The Prime Minister has made a secret visit to his local food bank, after criticism that Downing Street does not understand the increasing role they are playing in 'Austerity Britain'.

Mr Cameron visited the charity, which operates out of a church hall in his constituency in Oxfordshire, and spoke to volunteers who supply up to 10 families each week with emergency food parcels.

Nationally, the use of food banks has grown, with the largest operator, the Trussell Trust, now running 310 centres. The trust helped 260,000 people in the past year, an increase of 60,000 on the year before.

The Witney food bank was set up by Jo Cypher, who told Sky News: "We've had people coming in saying 'we've had a choice this week, either we buy electric, we buy gas, we pay bills, or we eat'."

Her colleague Julie Walker-Lock said they were helping a variety of people. "We're seeing from the elderly down to the families with young children. We've had a barrister in - he'd been looking after his wife and she'd passed away and he'd lost everything, and he came here, and we helped him out."

Melody Hopkins is one of the those who has used the Witney food bank. She told Sky News she was a victim of domestic violence, and then lost her job as a carer for disabled people.

More and more people are relying on food banks

Despite receiving benefits and child tax credits, she said she struggles to pay rising food and heating bills, and care for her eight-year-old son Toby who requires daily medication for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. She found it difficult to make the transition from wage earner to welfare recipient.

"My wages had stopped, so I had to wait for the benefits to kick in. We were desperate. We didn't have any food. At one point I had a fiver, in my back pocket, to just go and get some food.

"It's sad to think that I used to work, I used to do three meals a day, it was great, and now it's come down to one meal a day, because Toby gets free lunch at school. So I haven't eaten today - I'll eat later with him. I have gone without because Toby comes first ... it's sad when I can't give Toby the food he wants."

Difficulties in finding childcare after school for a child with special needs mean Ms Hopkins cannot get a full-time job, so she does voluntary work instead.

"I don't want to be on benefits. I want to go back to work and do a job. I've always worked. This is the only one or two years I haven't had a job," she said.

The food bank in Witney is housed in a church hall

Ms Hopkins added that she shops for clothes once a year, gets furniture from charity shops and avoids big supermarkets. 

"Every aisle is temptation, you need to go around those shops and not even look at the prices. I can't do that. I go in with a basket and it's the bare essentials - can we make tea out of what we've got? And you see people walking out with big trolleys and you think OK, I haven't got that, we've got what we need and we will go," she explained.

To help as many people as possible, and to avoid dependency, food banks permit only three visits per year, and recipients have to have been referred by a charity or other agency. GPs are now prescribing food as well as medicine to patients.

Dr Raj Kohli, from the Deer Park Medical Centre in Witney, told Sky News: "I do come across families who are struggling to appropriately feed their children. Particularly with fresh fruit and vegetables, it's expensive.

"We're not necessarily seeing the physical effects of malnutrition at this stage, but they are struggling. We need to look at their immediate needs, and a food bank can help their immediate needs."

Food bank user Melody Hopkins prepares a meal

Witney is not the sort of place you might expect to find poverty. The Cotswolds town has only 909 people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance and its unemployment rate is less than half of the national average. 

But there are enough people struggling to make ends meet to mean the food bank has become a vital resource. Even the local Brownie pack saved loose change and then put all their money together to buy tins of food to give to the poor. Shoppers and supermarkets both donate groceries which can be used in food parcels.

The volunteers at the Witney food bank were sworn to secrecy about the Prime Minister's visit, and no cameras were present.

But they said that he listened to their comments about why the food bank was needed and their fears that changes to the benefits system in April could bring a fresh influx of people who find it hard to pay their bills.

Previously, a Downing Street spokesperson has said: "Benefit levels are set at a level where people can afford to eat. If people have short-term shortages, where they feel they need a bit of extra food, then of course food banks are the right place for that. But benefits are not set at such a low level that people can't eat."

Affluent Witney is not necessarily where you would expect to find poverty

Volunteer Julie Walker-Lock told Sky News: "I think that was a very ill-informed statement they made. There is a genuine need for us to be here." 

Ms Cypher said: "We were glad he came, because I think he was blind to the fact that, like everybody else, supposedly Witney is very rich. It's actually quite the opposite. It's not.

"I think he went away with a better understanding of how the system works and why we're here. I'm hoping that we went away with some of those thoughts, and he will act on them."

For those who use the food banks, items like pasta and tins of soups can be an essential part of their diet. But sometimes it's having an occasional treat which can lift people out of depression. An unexpected Christmas hamper made all the difference to Ms Hopkins and her son.

"To everybody else they're not luxuries, but to me and my son they were luxuries. They were things I wanted to buy but couldn't afford to buy, and it brought some tears to our eyes.

"Christmas Day we just had a standard chicken. Most people have turkey, we didn't, we had tinned veg. I mean, it was OK, but we had the little extras like a cracker each, and mince pies. My son was like 'I got sweeties' and I actually wrapped them up and put them in his stocking - that's how important it is to us," she said.

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Councils 'Not Providing Enough Childcare'

More than two thirds of councils are failing to provide enough childcare for working parents, campaigners for families' rights have warned.

Only one in five local authorities have enough childcare for parents with children under two, and just one in three for school-age children, according to the Daycare Trust and Family and Parenting Institute.

And just one in seven have enough childcare for disabled children - a figure that has not improved in five years, it said.

The charity's chief executive, Anand Shukla, said the shortage is linked to the financial squeeze.

"Councils across England and Wales are failing families by presiding over a continuing shortage of high-quality, affordable childcare," he said.

"Local authorities have a legal duty to ensure a sufficient supply of childcare in their areas, but no doubt their failure to do so is linked to the tight financial squeeze they find themselves in, with ever more austere funding settlements.

"Only the Government can address this situation by investing more in providing support for parents."

Britain has some of the highest childcare costs in the world.

Figures published recently by the Department for Work and Pensions showed that a third of parents who want to work more cannot because they are unable to find affordable childcare.

The Government is set to announce childcare reforms

As part of coalition efforts to cut childcare costs, staff are to be able to take charge of six two-year-olds rather than four, while the ratio for children under the age of one will go up from three to four

But the charity's Childcare Costs Survey 2013 suggests such plans will have little impact on childcare costs.

Mr Shukla said: "Staffing costs are only part of a complicated picture, so allowing adults to look after more children at once is not only a risky idea, but an ineffective one too.

"With private and non-profit childcare providers exposed to the full force of a harsh business economy, we doubt whether parents will ever see any of the money saved by cutting nursery staff."

Ministers have still not finalised a much-heralded, wider shake-up of childcare funding and tax breaks.

The Government will make an announcement soon, a spokesman said.

"We are reforming the childcare system so that providers have more flexibility when they have highly qualified staff and childminders are better supported," he said.

"Ratio changes, which are not compulsory, will allow providers to have the flexibility to increase pay for better qualified workers.

"High quality providers will be able to expand and more childminders will enter the market - this will mean parents have more affordable childcare."

The charity's study will be published on Wednesday.

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Retired Cop Found Shot Dead Alongside Partner

A man found shot dead alongside his female partner was a retired police inspector of 30 years' service, a detective has said.

The pair were found dead at a property in Wiltshire on Saturday morning after neighbours alerted the police having heard gunshots.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Saunders said Bill Dowling retired about five or six years ago.

The detective also confirmed that the woman was the man's partner.

Mr Saunders said the bodies were discovered inside the porch.

"The investigation has so far identified that yesterday morning some neighbours overheard a number of gunshots from the address," he said.

"The investigation continues to try and establish what led to this tragic incident."

He added that formal identification would happen later on Sunday.

"We understand him to be a retired police officer - he retired some five years ago from Wiltshire Police Service," said Mr Saunders.

"The female was not the wife of the retired officer, she is his partner.

"We have recovered a weapon from the scene. My working assumption is that weapons were discharged and the victims had sustained some form of gunshot wounds."

One man who lived near property said he believed Mr Dowling had a firearms licence.

He said: "I have known him for more than a decade and he was into shooting.

"I'd seen him load what looked like a big gun case into his car a few times, I think he went pheasant shooting.

"It was a big gun - it looked like it could've been a shotgun or something.

"He had long had an interest in shooting but over the last couple of months I saw him in his shooting gear a lot more."

The neighbour added: "It just doesn't make sense. They were a lovely couple, and he had recently spent a lot of money doing up the house."

Post-mortem examinations will be carried out on Sunday.

Officers are not looking for anybody else in connection with the shootings, which happened on Moonrakers estate in Devizes.

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Queen Treated In Hospital Over Stomach Bug

The Queen has been taken to hospital "as a precaution" after suffering symptoms of gastroenteritis.

Her Majesty, who is 86, is being assessed by doctors at the King Edward VII Hospital in central London.

The monarch is in "good spirits" and is otherwise in "good health", according to her spokesman.

She was driven to the hospital by private car around 3pm and is expected to remain at the medical facility for a couple of days.

The spokesman said: "This is a precautionary measure. She was not taken into hospital immediately after feeling the symptoms.

"This is simply to enable doctors to better assess her."

All official engagements planned for this week will be postponed or cancelled, Buckingham Palace said.

Medical experts said she would probably be treated with a drip. It is important to ensure patients are given combinations of sugar and salt to help fluids be absorbed.

The King Edward VII Hospital where the Queen is staying

The Queen's sickness was first announced on Friday.

She had been due to attend a military celebration in Swansea on Saturday for St David's Day celebrations, but was forced to cancel because of the illness. Instead, the monarch spent the day resting at Windsor Castle.

She and the Duke of Edinburgh were set to fly out to Rome for a two-day visit this Wednesday, which will now not go ahead.

The Queen had been due to meet the Italian president Giorgio Napolitano who said he sends his "best wishes for a speedy recovery".

A Palace spokesman said: "The Queen is being assessed at the King Edward VII's Hospital, London, after experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis.

"As a precaution, all official engagements for this week will regrettably be either postponed or cancelled."

Gastroenteritis is an infection of the stomach and bowel. The most common symptoms are vomiting and repeated episodes of diarrhoea.

The two most common causes of gastroenteritis in adults in the UK are norovirus and food poisoning.

The Duchess of Cambridge was treated at the same hospital last year

The Queen undertook a number of engagements during the last week.

On Tuesday she met the Archbishop of Canterbury at Buckingham Palace, on Wednesday she visited the Royal London Hospital, and a day later she presented Olympic stars with honours during an investiture ceremony.

Her Majesty has rarely missed a royal engagement due to ill health in recent years.

She was last forced to pull out of an investiture ceremony in October last year after suffering with a bad back.

She also missed a visit to the British Museum in October 2011 because of a cold.

The Duchess of Cambridge was treated at the King Edward VII hospital for acute morning sickness late last year.

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Cardinal: Sexual Conduct 'Fell Below Standards'

Cardinal Keith O'Brien admits in a statement that his sexual conduct "fell beneath expected standards".

More follows...

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PM Meets Families Facing Poverty At Food Bank

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent

The Prime Minister has made a secret visit to his local food bank, after criticism that Downing Street does not understand the increasing role they are playing in 'Austerity Britain'.

Mr Cameron visited the charity, which operates out of a church hall in his constituency in Oxfordshire, and spoke to volunteers who supply up to 10 families each week with emergency food parcels.

Nationally, the use of food banks has grown, with the largest operator, the Trussell Trust, now running 310 centres. The trust helped 260,000 people in the past year, an increase of 60,000 on the year before.

The Witney food bank was set up by Jo Cypher, who told Sky News: "We've had people coming in saying 'we've had a choice this week, either we buy electric, we buy gas, we pay bills, or we eat'."

Her colleague Julie Walker-Lock said they were helping a variety of people. "We're seeing from the elderly down to the families with young children. We've had a barrister in - he'd been looking after his wife and she'd passed away and he'd lost everything, and he came here, and we helped him out."

Melody Hopkins is one of the those who has used the Witney food bank. She told Sky News she was a victim of domestic violence, and then lost her job as a carer for disabled people.

More and more people are relying on food banks

Despite receiving benefits and child tax credits, she said she struggles to pay rising food and heating bills, and care for her eight-year-old son Toby who requires daily medication for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. She found it difficult to make the transition from wage earner to welfare recipient.

"My wages had stopped, so I had to wait for the benefits to kick in. We were desperate. We didn't have any food. At one point I had a fiver, in my back pocket, to just go and get some food.

"It's sad to think that I used to work, I used to do three meals a day, it was great, and now it's come down to one meal a day, because Toby gets free lunch at school. So I haven't eaten today - I'll eat later with him. I have gone without because Toby comes first ... it's sad when I can't give Toby the food he wants."

Difficulties in finding childcare after school for a child with special needs mean Ms Hopkins cannot get a full-time job, so she does voluntary work instead.

"I don't want to be on benefits. I want to go back to work and do a job. I've always worked. This is the only one or two years I haven't had a job," she said.

The food bank in Witney is housed in a church hall

Ms Hopkins added that she shops for clothes once a year, gets furniture from charity shops and avoids big supermarkets. 

"Every aisle is temptation, you need to go around those shops and not even look at the prices. I can't do that. I go in with a basket and it's the bare essentials - can we make tea out of what we've got? And you see people walking out with big trolleys and you think OK, I haven't got that, we've got what we need and we will go," she explained.

To help as many people as possible, and to avoid dependency, food banks permit only three visits per year, and recipients have to have been referred by a charity or other agency. GPs are now prescribing food as well as medicine to patients.

Dr Raj Kohli, from the Deer Park Medical Centre in Witney, told Sky News: "I do come across families who are struggling to appropriately feed their children. Particularly with fresh fruit and vegetables, it's expensive.

"We're not necessarily seeing the physical effects of malnutrition at this stage, but they are struggling. We need to look at their immediate needs, and a food bank can help their immediate needs."

Food bank user Melody Hopkins prepares a meal

Witney is not the sort of place you might expect to find poverty. The Cotswolds town has only 909 people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance and its unemployment rate is less than half of the national average. 

But there are enough people struggling to make ends meet to mean the food bank has become a vital resource. Even the local Brownie pack saved loose change and then put all their money together to buy tins of food to give to the poor. Shoppers and supermarkets both donate groceries which can be used in food parcels.

The volunteers at the Witney food bank were sworn to secrecy about the Prime Minister's visit, and no cameras were present.

But they said that he listened to their comments about why the food bank was needed and their fears that changes to the benefits system in April could bring a fresh influx of people who find it hard to pay their bills.

Previously, a Downing Street spokesperson has said: "Benefit levels are set at a level where people can afford to eat. If people have short-term shortages, where they feel they need a bit of extra food, then of course food banks are the right place for that. But benefits are not set at such a low level that people can't eat."

Affluent Witney is not necessarily where you would expect to find poverty

Volunteer Julie Walker-Lock told Sky News: "I think that was a very ill-informed statement they made. There is a genuine need for us to be here." 

Ms Cypher said: "We were glad he came, because I think he was blind to the fact that, like everybody else, supposedly Witney is very rich. It's actually quite the opposite. It's not.

"I think he went away with a better understanding of how the system works and why we're here. I'm hoping that we went away with some of those thoughts, and he will act on them."

For those who use the food banks, items like pasta and tins of soups can be an essential part of their diet. But sometimes it's having an occasional treat which can lift people out of depression. An unexpected Christmas hamper made all the difference to Ms Hopkins and her son.

"To everybody else they're not luxuries, but to me and my son they were luxuries. They were things I wanted to buy but couldn't afford to buy, and it brought some tears to our eyes.

"Christmas Day we just had a standard chicken. Most people have turkey, we didn't, we had tinned veg. I mean, it was OK, but we had the little extras like a cracker each, and mince pies. My son was like 'I got sweeties' and I actually wrapped them up and put them in his stocking - that's how important it is to us," she said.

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Councils 'Not Providing Enough Childcare'

More than two thirds of councils are failing to provide enough childcare for working parents, campaigners for families' rights have warned.

Only one in five local authorities have enough childcare for parents with children under two, and just one in three for school-age children, according to the Daycare Trust and Family and Parenting Institute.

And just one in seven have enough childcare for disabled children - a figure that has not improved in five years, it said.

The charity's chief executive, Anand Shukla, said the shortage is linked to the financial squeeze.

"Councils across England and Wales are failing families by presiding over a continuing shortage of high-quality, affordable childcare," he said.

"Local authorities have a legal duty to ensure a sufficient supply of childcare in their areas, but no doubt their failure to do so is linked to the tight financial squeeze they find themselves in, with ever more austere funding settlements.

"Only the Government can address this situation by investing more in providing support for parents."

Britain has some of the highest childcare costs in the world.

Figures published recently by the Department for Work and Pensions showed that a third of parents who want to work more cannot because they are unable to find affordable childcare.

The Government is set to announce childcare reforms

As part of coalition efforts to cut childcare costs, staff are to be able to take charge of six two-year-olds rather than four, while the ratio for children under the age of one will go up from three to four

But the charity's Childcare Costs Survey 2013 suggests such plans will have little impact on childcare costs.

Mr Shukla said: "Staffing costs are only part of a complicated picture, so allowing adults to look after more children at once is not only a risky idea, but an ineffective one too.

"With private and non-profit childcare providers exposed to the full force of a harsh business economy, we doubt whether parents will ever see any of the money saved by cutting nursery staff."

Ministers have still not finalised a much-heralded, wider shake-up of childcare funding and tax breaks.

The Government will make an announcement soon, a spokesman said.

"We are reforming the childcare system so that providers have more flexibility when they have highly qualified staff and childminders are better supported," he said.

"Ratio changes, which are not compulsory, will allow providers to have the flexibility to increase pay for better qualified workers.

"High quality providers will be able to expand and more childminders will enter the market - this will mean parents have more affordable childcare."

The charity's study will be published on Wednesday.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nurses Who Raise Concerns 'Fear Consequences'

A majority of nurses who raise concerns over patient care believe they are being ignored or punished for speaking out, a survey has found.

Research for the magazine Nursing Times suggested that an NHS attitude of discouraging staff from reporting problems is putting patients at risk.

Many nurses are afraid of being labelled troublemakers or being ostracised by senior staff if they highlight concerns, the research found.

More than 800 nurses were questioned in the survey.

Half of nurses who had raised concerns about the NHS said they were not dealt with properly, while a third felt they were likely to face negative consequences or be ignored as a result of raising concerns.

The survey revealed that 84% of respondents had previously raised concerns about a colleague's practice or attitude - of which 23% said they had done so "several times" or "regularly", and 23% "at least once".

But of those who had raised such concerns, 52% said there had been no appropriate outcome as a result of speaking out and a similar percentage said doing so had led to them suffering negative consequences.

Almost 30% of nurses said being viewed as a troublemaker was the biggest barrier to speaking out, with inaction by managers cited by 23%.

Eight out of 10 nurses said the ability to raise concerns in the NHS could be a lot better.

Nursing Times editor Jenni Middleton said: "I have personally spoken to nurses who, having raised concerns, have been sidelined and ostracised by their employers, bullied and marginalised by their colleagues - and end up feeling ashamed and guilty, as well as concerned that their careers are over."

Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said the findings were "extremely worrying" and called for greater transparency.

Health minister Dr Dan Poulter said: "We are determined that staff who have the courage and integrity to speak out in the interests of patient safety are protected and listened to."

He listed measures taken by the Government to support whistle-blowers in the NHS, such as funding a national helpline, and said the NHS Commissioning Board will be required, starting in April, to include a contractual duty of openness in all commissioning contracts.

"We are now considering the recommendations of the Francis Report in full and whether we need go further," he added, referring to the report on the care provided by Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust after an inquiry by Robert Francis QC.

Dean Royles, chief executive of the NHS Employers organisation, said that while "enormous efforts" had been made by employers to encourage staff, more needed to be done.

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