Victoria Cross Award For L/Cpl James Ashworth

A soldier killed protecting his comrades in Afghanistan is to be awarded the Victoria Cross - the UK's top bravery medal.

Lance Corporal James Ashworth's courage was hailed as "beyond words" by friends who served with him until his death last June.

The 23-year-old died in a grenade attack during a fierce battle with the Taliban in Helmand's Nahr-e Saraj district.

He was on foot patrol and battling his way through compounds against enemy fighters when he was fatally wounded.

The cross was first bestowed during the Crimean War

It is expected that the rare VC award to the soldier from Kettering, Northamptonshire, will be officially announced later this month.

The VC has been awarded 10 times to British soldiers since World War Two and only once for bravery in Afghanistan.

At the time of L/Cpl Ashworth's death, his family said: "We are devastated by the loss of our son, brother, uncle and boyfriend. He meant the world to everyone and has left an irreplaceable hole in our hearts."

His father Duane was also a Grenadier Guard, while his younger brother Coran is also a soldier.

He also left behind his mother Kerryann, sisters Lauren and Paige, brother Karl and four-year-old niece Darcy, as well as his girlfriend, Emily.

His company commander, Captain Mike Dobbin, praised the soldier's actions.

He said: "Lance Corporal Ashworth was killed while fighting his way through compounds, leading his fire team from the front, whilst trying to protect his men and he showed extraordinary courage to close on a determined enemy.

"His professionalism under pressure and ability to remain calm in what was a chaotic situation is testament to his character."

Lance Corporal Ashworth's body being repatriated

Guardsman Jordan Loftus also paid tribute to his friend's bravery.

He said: "Selfless, brave, courageous ... words like these don't come close to what Ash demonstrated that day. He will be missed by all as a commander, but most of all a good mate."

L/Cpl Ashworth's Commanding Officer in the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, Lieutenant Colonel James Bowder said: "Lance Corporal Ashworth was an outstanding soldier whose loss has moved us all. A real self-starter, he excelled in everything that he undertook.

"Fit, strong and brilliant at his job, he set the bar very high. Indeed, such was his calmness under pressure, his charisma, and his selflessness that he made an exemplary junior leader."

The previous recipient of the VC in Afghanistan was 29-year-old Corporal Bryan Budd of 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, who died when he single-handedly stormed a Taliban position in Sangin in 2006.

The last living recipient was L/Cpl Johnson Beharry of 1st Battalion the Prince of Wales's Royal Regiment, who twice saved the lives of colleagues under enemy fire in Iraq in 2004.

The medal is the British military's highest bravery award and was first bestowed on troops during the Crimean War in 1854-55.

Johnson Beharry is the last living recipient of a medal

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Primary School Teacher On Child Sex Charges

A primary school teacher has appeared in court charged with sex offences against children.

The 31-year-old defendant was said by North Yorkshire Police to have worked in three primary schools in York.

The man, who appeared before magistrates in the city, has been charged with 23 offences.

They include possessing indecent images of children, voyeurism, making indecent images, sexual touching and sexual activity with a boy under 13.

North Yorkshire Police said he was granted conditional court bail to an address outside the county.

He is due back at York Magistrates' Court for a committal hearing on May 9.

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JT McNamara: Jockey 'Stable' After Surgery

Irish jockey JT McNamara, who was seriously injured on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, is in a stable condition after surgery.

The leading amateur rider was injured in a first fence fall from Galaxy Rock in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup on Thursday.

He was airlifted to hospital after being treated by medics at the Gloucestershire course.

The 37-year-old was conscious following the fall but was put into an induced coma before his transfer to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol.

McNamara was airlifted to hospital after the fall

He underwent surgery on his fractured C3 and C4 neck vertebrae on Friday.

A statement on behalf of the McNamara family has been issued by Dr Adrian McGoldrick, the Irish Turf Club senior medical officer, and Lisa Hancock, CEO of the Injured Jockeys Fund.

It read: "We can report that following lengthy surgery yesterday JT McNamara is in a stable condition. He remains in an induced coma at Frenchay hospital, Bristol.

McNamara has more than 600 wins to his name

"No further updates will be released until Tuesday, March 19. [The family] would ... like to thank everyone for their kind support and best wishes for JT."

McNamara, first names John Thomas, has more than 600 wins to his name, including four victories at Cheltenham.

Galaxy Rock's owner, JP McManus - with whom McNamara has a long association - was said to be in tears when he heard about his injury.

The horse was not injured in the fall.

Speaking after his horse At Fishers Cross won the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle, McManus said: "We're all thinking of JT and what he's going through.

"We feel guilty being here ... we feel we should be doing something for him. All our prayers are with him and hopefully they will be answered."

Victorious jockey Tony McCoy said it was very hard to be happy with his win after the accident.

He added: "I'm very pleased to ride a winner for JP as he was in tears ... over what had happened to John Thomas."

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Missing Prisoner John Anslow Arrested In Cyprus

A prisoner who has been missing since he escaped from a police escort van in January 2012 has been arrested in Northern Cyprus.

John Anslow, 32, has been wanted by police since he escaped near HMP Hewell in Worcestershire while on his way to court.

He is charged with the murder of 27-year-old businessman Richard Deakin in Chasetown, Staffordshire, in July 2010.

Anslow, from Tipton, West Midlands, was arrested on Wednesday in Alancak in Northern Cyprus for immigration offences and deported by the Turkish Cypriot authorities.

He was then arrested at Heathrow Airport on Saturday morning and has been transferred to a high-security prison.

He will appear via video link at Stafford Crown Court on Monday for failing to appear at court in January 2012.

In the past three weeks, nine men have been arrested and charged by West Mercia Police in connection with Anslow's escape.

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Wales v England: Cardiff Six Nations Showdown

By Charlie Thomas, Sky Sports Presenter

So much history, and so much at stake; whatever the outcome at the Millennium Stadium this afternoon, it will be a great occasion.

How can it fail to be? The Grand Slam, the Six Nations and the Triple Crown are all up for grabs. Rugby matches don't come much bigger than this.

Wales, after a stuttering start to the tournament, have shown plenty of character to keep alive their title ambitions.

England, meanwhile, have maintained their upward trajectory since Stuart Lancaster took over, their unconvincing display against Italy notwithstanding.

Now they find themselves one match away from a first Grand Slam since their annus mirabilis of 2003.

The size of their task cannot be underestimated.

Not only will they face a resurgent Wales, full of confidence after victory away to Scotland last weekend; they must also do what no England team has managed previously: that is, to win the Grand Slam in Cardiff.

Five of their 12 Slams have been won away from home: three in Paris, one at Murrayfield and one in Dublin.

Wales after their win against Italy

The permutations are thus: an England victory will secure the Slam, regardless of the margin; an England defeat by six points or fewer would be enough for them to win the Six Nations; if they lose by seven points but outscore Wales by three tries or more, they would also win the title.

But, a Wales victory by seven points or more, providing they stay ahead of England on tournament tries (7 to 5 so far), would see Wales retain the title.

Oh, and there's one more: If Wales win by seven points but England score two more tries then the title would be shared. Clear?

I said at the beginning that it would be a great occasion. But will it be a great match? That's something nobody can predict.

If I had to hazard a guess, I would say it will be brutal, nail-biting and desperately close, with point-scoring at a premium.

That is, after all, the pattern which has been set throughout the tournament.

Penalties rather than tries have been settling matches: so far there have been 31 tries compared with 72 penalties, an unhealthy imbalance.

At Murrayfield alone last weekend an astonishing 28 penalties were awarded, a Six Nations record.

This has merely served to underline the impression that international rugby has become solely about brute force, with the finer subtleties now a thing of the past.

Barry John in 1971

This feeling was brought home to me earlier in the week while watching a poignant documentary about the great Wales fly half Barry John.

Known in his heyday simply as the King, John retired 40 years ago, at the peak of his powers.

The footage showed him ghosting between players, leaving them clutching at air. He seemed to find space where there was none.

But where are those pulse-quickening arts of the sidestep, the dummy and the feint now?

Modern players barely consider going round an opponent; the sole aim is to hammer into them as hard as possible, setting up yet another interminable phase. Progress? I think not.

So while being impressed by the extraordinary fitness and physicality on display at the Millennium Stadium this afternoon, a part of me will be mourning the absence of the kind of brilliance that once brought crowds to their feet and at which Barry John was the undisputed master.

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Schools: Call For 250,000 Extra Spaces By 2014

By Gamal Fahnbulleh, Sky News reporter

More than 250,000 extra school places will be needed by next year to meet a continuing surge in demand, the spending watchdog has warned.

The rise in the number of children born in England between 2001 and 2011 was the largest 10-year increase since the 1950s.

This has led to an increase in demand for primary school places.

The Department for Education has increased the funding it provides to local authorities with a net increase of almost 81,500 primary school places in the last two years. More than £5bn has been invested into new school places since 2010.

It is expected more school places will be needed beyond next year

However, there are still indications of a real shortage, the National Audit Office has found.

In May last year just over 20% of schools were full or over capacity despite the more than 80,000 extra places created between 2010 and 2012.

In the next two years 240,000 of the new places needed are in primary schools - 37% in London.

Julian Wood, Study Director at the National Audit Office said: "I think it's important to say that of the 256,000 (places) there has been a year's further work that hasn't been reflected in these numbers.

"The level of funding has increased to something like that which was originally expected to be needed and local authorities are working hard to deliver these places.

"Nonetheless, we think there's an awful lot more that needs to be done to help that money work as efficiently as it can if those 256,000 places are to be delivered."

The report authors say it's important the right amount of money gets to the areas that need it most to prevent part of a younger generation missing out on the first few crucial years of education.

Lindsey Barrett, manager of the Busy Bees nursery in Ealing, London, told Sky News: "Parents are worried that perhaps they are not going to get a school in their local area, or their first choice.

"Being a parent myself I am completely in empathy with those parents because it is a very big decision that is being made - it's their child's future education."

She added: "As a parent you always want the best education you can get for your child."

Schools Minister David Laws insisted the coalition was tackling the problem and had increased funding for new places to double that spent by the previous government.

He told Sky News: "Unfortunately the last Labour government cut the number of primary school places by 200,000 in the run up to 2010 - a really, truly negligent policy."

He went on: "We think that there will be places for all the children who need them. There will always of course be hotspots across the country - people know that, where there are particular popular schools.

"But we are confident that we will deliver the places that people need."

Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg accused the Government of making the school places crisis "worse".

"David Cameron and George Osborne have cut capital funding by 58% and Michael Gove has wasted £1bn on mismanaging the academies programme.

"Their free school programme is setting up schools in areas which already have enough places. Instead of dogma the Government needs to look at the evidence of where new schools are most needed."

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HS2 High-Speed Rail Scheme's 'Unlawful' Ruling

The Government insists its HS2 high-speed rail project has not hit the buffers after a High Court judge ruled the consultation process for compensating those affected was "unlawful".

It was the only successful case among five in which Mr Justice Ouseley had been asked to send the multi-billion pound project back for reconsideration.

He described the compensation consultation process "as so unfair as to be unlawful".

But despite the decision at London's High Court, Transport Minister Simon Burns insisted the scheme would not be held up.

"This has been a convincing victory for the Government," he said.

"It's a green light to go ahead. It will not hold up us going ahead with the project, which is in the national interest.

"This is a major landmark victory for HS2 and the future of Britain.

"HS2 is the most significant infrastructure investment the UK has seen in modern times and a project the country cannot afford to do without.

The scheme has provoked angry opposition

"The judgement ensures that nothing now stands in the way of taking our plans to Parliament.

"We will now move forward as planned with the crucial business of getting the scheme ready for construction in 2017 and delivering enormous benefits for the country."

The first phase of HS2 would see a high-speed railway line running through Tory heartlands from London to Birmingham.

The decision on compensation was a victory for the High Speed 2 Action Alliance (HS2AA), consisting of more than 70 affiliated action groups and residents' associations.

Human rights lawyer Richard Stein, who helped represent HS2AA, said: "This was never a Nimby argument. Many thousands of people living along the route will not be able to sell their homes for some 15 years because their homes are blighted.

"They should not have to bear the burden for this national project.

"We hope now that proper arrangements are put in place by the Government for compensation for those who live by the proposed HS2 route to make it possible for them to move if and when they wish, in the same way that the rest of us can."

Shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle said: "We've now had nearly three years of dither and delay over HS2 which must now come to an end.

"It is vital that the Government now gets on with introducing the necessary legislation to make this scheme a reality on the ground. When they do so, they will have cross-party support from Labour."

Supporters point to the benefits of a reduction in journey times between the UK's two biggest cities.

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Comedian Norman Collier Dies Aged 87

Norman Collier, the comedian best known for his faulty microphone routine, has died at the age of 87.

The Yorkshire comedian passed away on Thursday evening at a care home in Hull after having Parkinson's Disease for six years.

Collier was a star of the club circuit in the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties, and the Hull-born comedian was also well known for his onstage chicken impressions.

He was also a contemporary of Little and Large, with whom he often worked and the northern funny man got his big break on the Royal Variety Show in 1971.

"It's kept me in good health, making people laugh. And it's kept them in good health too," he said in 2009.

Among those to have paid tribute to him are impressionist Jon Culshaw who tweeted: "Rest in peace Norman Collier.. Funny, funny, wonderfully funny man. People would be permanently laughing whenever they were around him."

Danny Baker added: "Norman Collier has passed away. Expect lots of "broken up" tweets but that really was some act."

Collier was born on Christmas Day 1925, and served as a gunner in the Second World War.

His showbiz career spanned 60 years, beginning in 1948, when he stepped up to do a show at Hull's Perth Street West club at the last minute.

Despite his success after this, Collier chose never to move to London, but stayed in the north where his family was based.

He leaves a wife, Lucy, to whom he was married for 40 years, three children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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Crossbow Siege: Man Taken Away By Armed Police

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

A man has been taken away by police in Greater Manchester following a stand-off with a man armed with a crossbow.

The siege began at 8.30pm last night after the 31-year-old man barricaded himself into his house and threatened police officers and social workers.

Streets were closed near the address at North Lonsdale Street, in Gorse Hill, close to the Manchester United stadium.

The man has been arrested on suspicion of affray and threats to kill. He remains in police custody.

No one was injured in the incident.

Superintendent Simon Retford said: "First and foremost I would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding.

"This was an incident which required a highly sensitive response and it is inevitable that took some time.

"The man in question will get all of the support he needs and we continue to work with our partners to progress this."

Neighbour Kathryn Sherden told Sky News the on-going operation had frightened people nearby who had been given little or no information about what was happening.

"I would have preferred the police to tell us there was an incident going on. My daughter has walked past on her way to school. If I'd known I'd have taken her myself. It terrified me."

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Stephen Lawrence Murderer Drops Appeal

One of the two men jailed for the racist murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence has dropped his appeal against the conviction.

Gary Dobson was handed a life sentence for his part in the 1993 killing at the Old Bailey in January last year.

The second man, David Norris, is continuing his attempt to have the conviction overturned.

A spokeswoman for the Judicial Office said: "Gary Dobson has abandoned his renewed application to appeal his conviction for the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

"David Norris's renewed application seeking permission to appeal his conviction will be heard on a date to be fixed."

Last summer, applications for permission to appeal by both men were rejected by a single judge who considered the papers from the case.

But Dobson and Norris, who are both in their thirties, still had the right to renew their applications before a panel of judges sitting at the Court of Appeal.

The trial judge, Mr Justice Treacy, described the murder as a "terrible and evil crime".

He urged police not to "close the file" on catching the rest of the killers after the Old Bailey heard that a gang of five or six white youths set upon A-level student Stephen in Eltham, south-east London, in 1993.

He said the murder was committed "for no other reason than racial hatred".

Mr Justice Treacy told the pair: "A totally innocent 18-year-old youth on the threshold of a promising life was brutally cut down in the street in front of eyewitnesses by a racist, thuggish gang."

The breakthrough in the investigation came when a cold case team of forensic scientists was called in.

More follows...

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Labour Peer Lord Ahmed Suspended By Party

Labour peer Lord Ahmed has been suspended by the party as it launched an investigation into claims he blamed a Jewish conspiracy for his jail term.

The Muslim peer was jailed for 12 weeks for dangerous driving in 2009 after sending and receiving text messages minutes before he was involved in a fatal crash.

He has now allegedly blamed the sentence on pressure placed on the courts by Jews "who own newspapers and TV channels".

The peer is said to have told an Urdu-language broadcast in Pakistan that the judge who jailed him was appointed to the High Court after helping a "Jewish colleague" of Tony Blair during an important case.

During the interview, Lord Ahmed apparently argued that he should have been sentenced by a magistrate.

"My case became more critical because I went to Gaza to support Palestinians. My Jewish friends who own newspapers and TV channels opposed this," he is alleged to have said.

The peer allegedly suggested High Court judge Mr Justice Wilkie was sent to pass his sentence because other judges refused.

Labour suspended him after the remarks were published in The Times and has launched an investigation.

A party spokesman said: "The Labour Party deplores and does not tolerate any form of anti-Semitism."

Born in Kashmir but raised in Rotherham, Lord Ahmed joined the Labour Party at 18 and was made a life peer in 1998.

However, his political career has been dogged by a series of controversies.

In 2007 he hit the headlines when he criticised the awarding of a knighthood to Salman Rushdie.

And in 2008, he had to publicly deny rumours he planned to defect to the Conservative Party, alleging the speculation was being spread by a Labour minister who was a "sad loser".

He was also suspended by the party for three months last year for allegedly offering a £10m bounty for the capture of US president Barack Obama - which he denied.

After he was jailed in 2009, the peer served only 16 days of his prison sentence before he was freed by the Court of Appeal.

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Hopes Rise Fuel Duty Hike Will Be Scrapped

Hopes are rising that Chancellor George Osborne will scrap a planned hike in fuel duty in next week's Budget to help ease the cost of living.

The move would mean that the coalition has axed or frozen every scheduled rise since 2010 and the prospect has already been welcomed by motoring groups.

The duty was due to rise in the autumn but Mr Osborne will cancel it to appease Tory MPs, according to the Spectator magazine.

He is also tipped to unveil the coalition's long-awaited plans to ease the cost of childcare, with proposals that will apparently go further than expected.

Both moves appear designed to offset criticism from some backbenchers who are concerned the Government is not doing enough to help households struggling to make ends meet.

After a drop in pump prices in recent months, average petrol prices have bounced back to the 140p mark again - crippling many families who rely on their cars for work.

George Osborne's Budget is next week

There has been some respite for drivers this week due to supermarket cuts but many households have to spend a large proportion of their income on petrol.

AA president Edmund King said scrapping the rise would be "very good news for motorists, for businesses and for the economy generally".

The AA had already written to Mr Osborne warning about the high cost of fuel and arguing that scrapping the rise would increase business confidence.

"High fuel costs hit not only drivers but the entire economy. Any scrapping of planned fuel duty increases gives a degree of certainty to the country," Mr King said.

Since the beginning of this year, petrol has risen around 8p a litre to an average of 140p and diesel has gone up 6.5p to an average of 146.38p.

David Cameron was asked about fuel duty during a visit to a Mercedes-Benz plant earlier this week and admitted it was a struggle to run even an "inexpensive family car".

"We've got to do everything we can to help people to get on, help people get to work, help people live their lives," he said.

The Budget on March 20 is probably Mr Osborne's most crucial so far as the Tories suffer in the polls and the economy continues to flounder.

He was widely criticised for his financial statement last year, which was dubbed the "omnishambles" budget because of a series of U-turns.

The Chancellor is likely to be forced to admit that his own economic targets will be broken because of the lack of growth but is not expected to signal a change of course.

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Potholes: 'Crumbling Road Crisis' Warning

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

England and Wales are facing a "crumbling road crisis" according to a report that says the cost of repairing all the countries' potholes would be £10.5bn.

The road survey carried out by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) has found one in five local roads is in "poor condition", which is defined as having five years or less life remaining.

Lack of funding for road repair work is blamed by the group, with local authorities in England reporting a shortfall in their annual budgets of £829m.

Rosemarie Dutton broke her leg after tripping up on a pothole while crossing the road in Middlewich, Cheshire, last month.

She told Sky News: "I was checking on the lights that they weren't going to change on me and before I knew it I was down on the floor due to one of the large potholes on the pedestrian crossing.

"Obviously I was in excruciating pain and no-one came to help me - I was amazed."

Mark Morris' son wrote off his car after he hit a pothole and lost control of the vehicle.

He told Sky News: "He hit a pothole which appears to have disconnected the steering of the car.

"As he came down the hill and turned into the bend his steering just hasn't been engaged with the wheel - and the wheel's turned left straight into a lamp post."

Four million potholes have been fixed over the last two years, the LGA says

The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling on Whitehall to free up money and invest it in resurfacing roads.

Councillor Peter Box, the chairman of the LGA, said: "Keeping roads safe is one of the most important jobs councils do and over the past two years they have fixed almost four million potholes - one every 16 seconds.

"Almost half a billion pounds is being taken away from us and our general fund is being reduced by some 30%.

"Now something has to give. It's no good anyone saying 'well, actually, you should be doing this despite the fact that your budget's being cut'."

But the AIA report says there is a mounting cost to councils of not repairing roads. Last year £32m was paid out in road user compensation claims.

It is estimated that poorly maintained roads are costing small and medium-sized businesses £5bn a year in reduced productivity, increased fuel consumption, damage to vehicles and delayed deliveries.

Andy Jennings runs a taxi firm in Sandbach and has recently had to spend £400 repairing the suspension on two of his vehicles

He told Sky News: "Obviously we can't afford to do this at the moment. In times of recession every penny counts."

Local Transport Minister Norman Baker said: "We are providing councils with more than £3bn between 2011 and 2015 to maintain their roads and pavements.

"In December 2012 we announced an extra £215m to help councils get the best out of their road network.  This is on top of the additional £200m we gave to councils in March 2011 to repair local roads damaged by the severe winter weather in 2010.

"It is ultimately up to local highway authorities to determine how they prioritise their funding, but we want to help them get the best value for money.

"That is why we are funding the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme, which helps councils work together to deliver a first-class service to their residents, at the same time as saving money."

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Philpott Fire Trial: Wife Treated Like 'Slave'

By Darren Little, At Nottingham Crown Court

A man who is alleged to have killed his six children in a house fire has been accused in court of treating his wife like a slave.

Michael Philpott, 56, was accused at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday of controlling his wife Mairead, 31, and treating her like a "skivvy".

The pair, and a third defendant Paul Mosley, are on trial for the manslaughter of their six children in a house fire at their home in Allenton on May 11 last year. All three deny the charges.

On the second day of giving evidence in his own defence, Philpott admitted he had "been terrible to Mairead, I don't deny that".

Shaun Smith, representing Mairead, asked Philpott: "You regarded her as your property, didn't you? Your slave. That's what she was, wasn't she?

"She did everything in that house, didn't she, even when you were having a relationship with another woman? You think you own her, don't you?"

Tributes outside the family home in Allenton after the fire in May 2012

Philpott shook his head and said "no".

The court heard there was "a pattern" to the women Philpott was attracted to.

He began a relationship with Mairead when she was 19 and he was 43, and with Lisa Willis when she was 18 and he was also 43.

Miss Willis, 29, lived with the Philpotts and her five children - four of them fathered by Michael Philpott - until she left with the youngsters in February last year.

He admitted that Mairead had been present when he and Lisa first kissed but rejected claims she was "hurt" when he brought another woman into their relationship.

He said: "Can you help who you fall in love with?

"I didn't actually want two women in my life. It just happened and I regret it.

"It might sound strange to you but I asked Mairead's permission. And I got it. We was one happy family."

Philpott also told the court petrol residue found inside the house came from filling a garden strimmer.

Jade, 10, and brothers John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six and Jayden, five, all died in the fire on Victory Road, Allenton, last year.

Their brother Duwayne, 13, was taken to Derby Royal Hospital but died three days later.

The trial continues.

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HMRC Closing Enquiry Centres In Phone Shake-Up

The taxman is to close 281 tax enquiry centres next year, placing 1,300 jobs at risk, to the fury of a union.

HM Revenue & Customs said it was not anticipating compulsory redundancies as a result of the announcement but refused to say how many might lose their jobs.

The sites, which are drop-in centres for individuals to ask for help rather than tax offices, will be gradually replaced from June with a new phone service.

The centres will close down in 2014.

HMRC calculated that the changes would result in savings of £13m annually.

In a statement to outline what the reforms, HMRC Chief Executive Lin Homer said: ""We will give a more specialised phone service for customers whose affairs can be resolved over the telephone, and face-to-face help to those who need it, visiting them at a place convenient to them, saving them both travel and time."

HMRC said its 281 enquiry centres had seen customer demand drop by 50% since 2006.

That was despite the National Audit Office reporting in December last year that 20 million calls to HMRC enquiry lines went unanswered in 2011/2012.

The PCS union pledged to fight the move and called on the public to write to their MPs, claiming such a decision would have a particularly heavy impact on pensioners and other vulnerable people.

It also suggested that market researchers calling on behalf of HMRC had said that talking to somebody in person was not a valid option when asking whether taxpayers would prefer to deal with the department "by phone, post or online".

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "Closing all face to face tax offices would break the link between people in communities and an essential public service they rely on.

"If, as we fear, flawed research has been used to justify these closure plans then ministers must put an immediate stop to them."

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Bionic Eye 'Enables Blind People To See'

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

A bionic eye has enabled blind people to read letters and simple words.

The implant converts images from an external camera into electronic signals that the brain can "see".

Tests on 21 patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative disease that destroys light-receiving cells at the back of the eye, showed that three quarters were able to correctly identify single letters.

More than half were able to read four-letter words, according to results published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Before being fitted with the device Richard Barrett only had vague light perception in one eye.

Now he can locate objects and find his way around.

He said: "When I am indoors I can see where windows are. To go to a door you can scan and pick up where the door frame is.

"If you have a path and grass down one side, you can pick up the edge of the path. That's where the device comes into its own."

Lyndon da Cruz, consultant retinal surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, said the Argus II device could "restore some meaningful vision in patients that otherwise would have been left blind".

He told Sky News: "At the best end of it they can start to read small 5cm letters formed into words. This was a huge change in perception of what we thought this device could do."

The Argus II is currently the only approved retinal prosthesis. A camera mounted on a pair of glasses feeds pictures along a cable to an electronic chip resting against the retina inside the eye.

The chip stimulates the optic nerve, which carries signals to the visual processing centre of the brain, giving the wearer a highly pixellated black and white view of the world.

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No Smoking Day: Charity Launches 'Hijacking' App

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has pledged to hijack cigarette packs from today - No Smoking Day - by virtually transforming them in smokers' hands into items they could afford if they quit.

The charity is encouraging smokers to "swap fags for swag" by thinking about how much money they could save if they quit.

Someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day could save £7 a day, £49 a week, £210 a month and £2,555 a year if they kicked the habit, the BHF said.

The charity has developed a new smartphone app, Blippar, which virtually transforms a cigarette pack into a puff of smoke, before revealing items they could afford with a week, month, or year's worth of smoking savings.

This year's BHF No Smoking Day campaign

Betty McBride, director of policy and communications at the BHF, said: "The tobacco giants are notoriously protective about their slick cigarette packaging - here's a bit of slick that does some good for once.

"We need to up our game if we are going to help people beat their addiction to tobacco by finding new ways to reach out to them."

The new app comes on BHF's 30th annual No Smoking Day. A survey conducted for the 2013 campaign found that 11% of smokers are desperate to kick the habit.

And 82% of 2,000 UK smokers surveyed had tried and failed to quit.

Around one in five people smoke, according to the charity, and the latest data from the World Health Organisation shows that smoking prevalence in Europe is higher than the rest of the world.

A separate poll, conducted on 2,000 ex and current smokers by Pru Health, found that the average smoker spends 11% of income on tobacco.

:: Smokers who want help in quitting are encouraged to visit wequit.co.uk or call 0800 434 6677

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Philpott Trial: Father Denies Starting Fire

A father accused of killing six of his children in a house fire has told a court he did not start the blaze - but he has his suspicions about who did.

Giving evidence at the start of his defence at Nottingham Crown Court, Mick Philpott said he had nothing to do with the blaze.

Anthony Orchard QC, defending Philpott, asked him: "Did you set the fire?"

"No," Philpott replied.

"Are you connected to the setting of the fire?" the counsel continued. Philpott responded: "No."

Mr Orchard then asked the defendant if he knew who did start the blaze, to which Philpott replied that he did not.

Asked by the counsel: "Do you have your suspicions?" - Philpott answered: "I do."

Floral tributes outside the Philpott home in May last year

Jade, 10, and brothers John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six and Jayden, five, all perished in the blaze on Victory Road in Allenton in May last year.

Their brother Duwayne, 13, was taken to Derby Royal Hospital but died three days later after being transferred to a Birmingham hospital.

Mick Philpott, 56, and his wife Mairead, 31, deny killing their six children after a "plan" to frame his ex-mistress Lisa Willis went wrong. A third defendant, Paul Mosley, 46, also denies six counts of manslaughter.

Miss Willis, 29, lived with the Philpotts with her five children, four of whom were fathered by Mick Philpott, until she left with the youngsters in February last year.

Asked about their relationship, he said: "At that particular time I thought that me and Lisa had this bond that was inseparable."

Philpott told the court he spent a lot of time with his wife and slept with Miss Willis in the evenings.

The court heard he openly discussed his desire to divorce his wife and marry Miss Willis, but said his wife would never leave him.

"She was not going anywhere," he told the jury. "Mairead will always be my wife, even if we got divorced."

Whilst giving evidence, Philpott became emotional while talking of his wife's attempted suicide after Miss Willis moved out.

Philpott told the court he was "distraught" when he realised his wife had taken an overdose.

He admitted the suicide attempt was a "wake up call", and admitted he had "made mistakes and had not been the best husband".

Jurors also heard of the family's appearance on television on the Jeremy Kyle Show - a move Philpott said he regretted because his children were bullied and the family received death threats afterwards.

Asked why he decided to go on the chat show by Mr Orchard, Philpott replied: "We all decided. At that time we needed a bigger house."

In response to claims that the fire was set last year because the family wanted a bigger house, Philpott told the court: "The house was quite sufficient."

The trial continues.

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Minimum Alcohol Pricing: Anger Over U-Turn

David Cameron has insisted he will still clamp down on the sale of cheap alcohol after criticism over an apparent U-turn to impose a minimum price on drink.

Sources have told Sky News that the Government is planning to ditch plans for the 45p minimum, prompting anger from supporters of the move.

The Prime Minister had personally backed the proposal for England and Wales, which experts argue would save lives and cut crime.

But it has been blocked by senior Tories, with opponents said to include Home Secretary Theresa May who has been at the centre of recent leadership rumours.

Education Secretary Michael Gove and Commons leader Andrew Lansley also signalled their doubts amid fears about the effect on responsible drinkers already battling the rising cost of living.

Labour leader Ed Miliband suggested at PMQs that the Prime Minister had been overruled by Mrs May.

To roars from his own benches, he asked: "In the light of his U-turn on alcohol pricing, can the Prime Minister tell us is there anything he could organise in a brewery?"

David Cameron insisted he was still "determined" to address the issue

Tory MP Sarah Wollaston also directly challenged Mr Cameron later in the session, warning that abandoning the policy would "critically undermine" attempts to tackle problem drinking.

Earlier the Totnes MP had told Sky News: "We know that when alcohol is too cheap, people die. That is the bottom line. This is about saving lives."

Mr Cameron pledged to take action but notably failed to commit to bringing in a minimum price.

"There is a problem with deeply discounted alcohol in supermarkets and other stores and I am absolutely determined that we will deal with this," he said.

The Government has held a 12-week consultation on the policy, which ended in February, and is now looking at the results before issuing its formal response.

An announcement is expected in the next few weeks.

Senior Tory backbencher David Davis said he would welcome the abandonment of what he called a "blunderbuss of a policy" doomed to failure.

"It will hit poor people, it will hit people in the north, it will hit the pensioner having their one bottle of wine a week, it'll hit the hard-up couple doing the same," he said.

"It will transfer £1bn from the public to the people who sell alcohol and it's not going to work."

But fellow Tory Tracey Crouch insisted the base price would not hit responsible drinkers, who would still be able to buy a bottle of wine for £5.

She said: "We know that the Prime Minister is personally quite committed to this policy so I think we need to continue to press our case."

Campaigners also warned that a change of heart would be a mistake and urged the Government not to give into pressure from the drinks industry.

Eric Appleby, from Alcohol Concern, said: "All the evidence shows it will save lives and reduce crime - and we mustn't allow the interests of big business to derail this important policy."

Ed Miliband suggested Theresa May had "overruled" the Prime Minister

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore from Alcohol Health Alliance UK added: "We are seeing admissions to hospital rising, we are seeing deaths rising every year. If the Government caves in to pressure from the global drinks industry it will be a disaster.

"At the moment, the UK is being praised around the world for taking tough action and to see a U-turn would be very sad indeed for everyone."

But Miles Beale, the chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said consumers would welcome the move.

"Minimum unit pricing would penalise responsible drinkers and treat everyone who is looking for value in their shopping as a binge-drinker," he said. "Evidence has also shown it will do little to tackle problem drinking."

Introducing a 45p base price per unit would mean a can of strong lager could not be sold for under £1.56 and a bottle of wine for under £4.22.

Last year, ministers claimed the change would cut the number of crimes by 5,000, slash hospital admissions by 24,000 and lead to 700 fewer alcohol-linked deaths annually.

Scotland is already set to introduce a 50p minimum price but is facing legal challenges due to claims the price floor could breach EU free trade rules.

Northern Ireland is still examining the issue.

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Danny Nightingale: Under 'Improper Pressure'

By David Bowden, Senior Correspondent

The barrister for an SAS sniper jailed for illegally possessing a weapon and ammunition has told three appeal judges that the soldier was put under "improper pressure" to plead guilty.

William Clegg QC, for Sergeant Danny Nightingale, said his client had been told by a barrister representing him at the military trial that he would get a five-year jail term if found guilty but might not go to prison if he pleaded guilty.

In written arguments presented to the three appeal judges, Mr Clegg said that "undue pressure" had been placed on Sgt Nightingale by barrister Ian Winter QC.

But when outlining arguments orally, Mr Clegg said the "wrong" occurred when the trial judge - Assistant Judge Advocate General Alastair McGrigor - "entered the arena".

Mr Clegg told the appeal court today: "What he (Mr Winter) was forced to say is 'This is what the judge is saying is going to happen'. This is where the improper pressure came from."

The barrister said, in written arguments given to judges, that the "pressure" placed on Sgt Nightingale rendered his conviction "unsafe" and his guilty plea a "nullity".

Sergeant Nightingale and his wife, Sally, upon his release

Sgt Nightingale, who has spent 11 years in Special Forces and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, was sentenced to 18 months in military custody after pleading guilty to illegally keeping a pistol.

He had been given the weapon as a present by Iraqi forces he had been training, but had no recollection of owning it after suffering a brain injury.

His sentence was cut to 12 months and suspended by the appeal court last November after a campaign by his wife Sally gathered huge public support for a man described by the appeal court judge as an "exemplary soldier".

As he arrived for today's hearing in London, Sgt Nightingale said: "I'm hopeful. Always hopeful."

Since his release the highly trained elite soldier has been at home in Cheshire, unable to rejoin his regiment whilst awaiting the outcome of his appeal.

"It's very frustrating wanting to do something (but having) no routine," he said before the hearing.

"And yes, being paid to do not what I'm supposed to do.

Nightingale was given the weapon by Iraqi troops he had been training

"You're trained up to do stuff, and you want to do stuff. You can't stand the futility of not doing it. To be told 'that's it, go and do nothing, you can't do anything'. That's hard."

The situation has meant he has spent a lot of time with his two young daughters, Mara, five, and Alys, two.

"I've probably had more time with my family in the last 18 months than regiment (SAS) guys will have in seven years," he said.

Sgt Nightingale is desperate to get back to work and said: "I still love it. It was the proudest day of my life when I passed (the notoriously tough SAS selection course)."

Mrs Nightingale is more circumspect about the possibility of her husband rejoining the SAS as a frontline soldier after his brain injury, which she believes still affects him.

For the time being though, her main concern is winning the court appeal.

"I feel quite nervous, our life is in their hands," she said - while adding that the lawyers are "quite confident" about their chances of success.

Mrs Nightingale feels her husband has been made a scapegoat by the Army and wants to know why, but acknowledges she will probably never get the answers to the questions she wants.

If he does win his appeal and returns to work then it will be more upheaval for his young girls according to Sally

"At some point in the near future he will be going back to work," she said.

"So they've got to get used to that again because they have had dad to take them to school, to pick them up from school, do clubs with them, take them swimming," she said.

"You know, he does all those extra bits while I'm working and doing other things. So they've had a really good time with dad."

All that will stop if the appeal is successful.

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Brian Lynch: Runaway Killer Held In Manchester

Police have arrested a convicted murderer who fled prison while on day release.

Brian Lynch, 44, was held just before 5am at an address in Gorton, Manchester.

A woman, 40, who was also at the address was arrested on suspicion of harbouring an escaped prisoner.

Lynch fled from Preston city centre last Thursday afternoon while on a day trip from nearby HMP Kirkham.

He was jailed in 1988 for the killing of 21-year-old Chi Yeung Yip in Clayton, Manchester.

A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police said: "Absconded prisoner Brian Lynch was arrested in the early hours of this morning at an address in the Gorton area of Manchester.

"A 40-year-old woman has been arrested for harbouring an escaped prisoner and both are currently in police custody in Manchester.

"Lynch will be charged with absconding and will be sent back to prison."

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UK Economy: Triple-Dip Fears Reignited

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

The pound has fallen by more than half a cent against the dollar as a sharp fall in manufacturing output raised the likelihood that the UK could slip back into recession.

Sterling dropped from just under $1.492 to $1.484 in intraday trading after the Office for National Statistics reported a 1.5% fall in manufacturing output in January.

The figures, which analysts had expected to be flat, feed directly into the first estimate of UK gross domestic product, which will determine whether Britain is back in recession.

They add to growing fears that the UK economy has slumped decisively over the past six months, and will raise the prospect that the Bank of England acts to pump more stimulus into the economy at its next Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

The Bank Governor, Sir Mervyn King, voted for more quantitative easing at last month's meeting.

Overall industrial production, which also includes mining and quarrying, dropped 1.2% in January – far worse than the 0.1% increase economists had expected.

Some analysts said that the figures had been affected by poor weather in the month, but even bearing that in mind, they were worse than anticipated.

James Knightley of ING said: "It looks as though this sector is going to be a major drag on growth in the first quarter of 2013.

"We have already had poor construction numbers for the start of the quarter so the prospect of yet another return to technical recession is very real.

"This will intensify the pressure on the BoE to do more to help support the economy given government officials suggests they have no intention of letting up on austerity.

"As a result more QE remains probable with sterling very much biased to the downside."

The pound has fallen by around 10% against the dollar since the start of the year, and some economists expect it to fall further in the coming months. It has rarely dropped beneath $1.50 in the long run.

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Snow And Ice Cause Chaos On Rail And Roads

Mid-March travel misery has continued for millions with the late blasts of winter closing roads, disrupting flights and cancelling trains.

Ice warnings were in place for much of the country, and drivers in snow-hit areas urged to postpone journeys if possible.

The Met Office issued yellow "be aware" warnings for parts of the South East. South West, northern Scotland and Ireland, as well as western parts of Wales.

Temperatures were expected to stay below freezing in many areas for the next few days, with the minimum as low as -7C.

Up to 10cm (4in) of snow was forecast to settle in the worst-affected areas, including Kent, Sussex and southern Hampshire, and over higher ground in areas like the Pennines.

The M20 southbound remains gridlocked due to the severe weather

Some of the roads where driving conditions were at their worst included the M20 in Kent and the A2.

The Highways Agency earlier warned motorists heading north from the Dover Ports to take the M20 London bound and to avoid the A2, while those driving in and around West Sussex were advised to avoid the A23 and M23.

Rail services also faced disruption. Southern warned of short-notice cancellations and delays of up to an hour on all services.

There were delays to Southeastern services between Paddock Wood and Strood in Kent because of a signalling problem, while some Gatwick Express services were cancelled.

On First Capital Connect, journeys between Bedford and Brighton were also subject to short-notice cancellations, with delays of up to 45 minutes.

Popstars Toyah Willcox and Cheryl Baker were among those trapped

Ice and snow made roads across much of the South East impassable, with Dover and Folkestone among the worst affected.

The Channel Tunnel reopened after technical issues, with delays back to Junction 10 (Ashford) on the M20.

Eurostar suspended its services for the day because of bad weather in France and Belgium.

A message on its website said: "Our advice to passengers is not to travel today and not to come to our stations. Exchanges and refunds will be available to affected passengers."

At the Port of Dover in Kent, cross-Channel ferry operations were operating "as far as possible", but passengers were advised to allow extra time for their journeys amid possible road blockages on the A2 and A20.

Jersey Airport was closed for the day, while travellers heading for Gatwick were warned to allow extra time to reach the West Sussex airport due to snow on the roads in the area.

Poor road conditions have hampered much of the UK

Speed restrictions were in place on the M48 Severn Bridge in Monmouthshire due to strong winds.

About 500 passengers on a ferry from Ireland to France were forced to spend the night anchored off shore after the vessel failed to dock due to high seas.

A number of French children on a school trip to Ireland were among those on board Irish Ferries vessel Oscar Wilde, which made numerous attempts to dock in Cherbourg in the north-west of France

Police in Sussex said they had attended more than 300 crashes during Monday and overnight across the county, where some motorists were trapped in their cars in the snow for up to 10 hours in blizzard-like conditions.

The force received nearly 2,500 emergency and non-emergency calls - around 700 more than an average March weekday.

The British Red Cross sent emergency teams out to help those stranded in the freezing conditions overnight on the A23 with tailbacks stretching 30 miles.

Residents in Crawley wake up to the snow

A spokesman for the police force said it was stretched to "capacity" recovering abandoned vehicles and helping those stranded.

Chief Inspector Phil Nicholas, from the force's roads policing unit, said: "Today is going to be about helping recover vehicles as many people fell asleep in their cars or abandoned them, so even when the roads did become clearer they were still blocked.

"Although the conditions have improved slightly, we are asking people to not make any journeys unless they are essential."

Cheryl Baker, the 1980s pop star with the Eurovision-winning group Bucks Fizz, was among those stuck on the A23 as she tried to make her way to Brighton to her children. At 10.30am she tweeted: "WE'RE HOME!! Only taken 15 1/2 hours!!"

South East Coast Ambulance Service asked the public to only dial 999 in a genuine emergency because staff were struggling to get into work.

The disruption followed a night of chaos on the roads during which snow ploughs and gritters struggled to get through to clear the roads after a number of vehicles jackknifed causing gridlock.

Snow ploughs and gritters were stuck in the traffic. (Pic: Jonathan Lava)

Temperatures plummeted to as low as -3C (27F), forcing many people to abandon their vehicles for service stations.

Abandoned cars had to be moved to allow the gritters, snow ploughs and emergency teams to pass.

Police community support officer Christopher Kingswood, a former soldier, was forced to put his survival training into use when he became stranded after hours of helping drivers on the A259 and A27.

Unable to reach his home at the end of his marathon shift, he bedded down in a cramped police box, with his head and feet touching both ends, before returning to duty at 7am.

A number of motorists questioned why gritters had failed to keep the roads clear despite clear forecasts of heavy snow.

The Highways Agency said extra gritters had been out on the roads since 6am on Monday preparing for the freezing weather.

Forecasters believe Monday was the coldest March day in 27 years, since March 1, 1986. Saughall, in south Lanarkshire, reached -12C (10F).

Ladbrokes said they have been forced to slash the odds of snow reappearing across Easter weekend, March 29 to April 1.

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Soldier Shot At Army Range Unlawfully Killed

A British soldier shot in the head at an army firing range in Wales was unlawfully killed, an inquest jury has found.

Ranger Michael Maguire died after he was hit by a single machine gun bullet at the Castlemartin Ranges on the Pembrokeshire coast.

An inquest in Cardiff heard the 21-year-old was relaxing at a secure location 1km (0.6 miles) inland from a training exercise when he was hit.

Live fire, which should have been safely aimed out to sea, was also directed towards a beach popular with surfers.

Following the inquest, an MoD spokesman said: "We will look very closely at the coroner's comments to ensure that we make all the necessary changes to prevent an accident of this nature happening again.

"Our thoughts are with Ranger Maguire's family and friends at this very difficult time."

Lieutenant Jonathan Price was in charge of live fire exercises on the day Ranger Maguire was shot, the inquest heard. 

It was told how course tutors had recommended Lt Price receive extra training due to perceived weaknesses in his understanding of the course, nine months before the soldier's death.

Jurors were told Lt Price went on to make a series of mistakes in the planning and carrying out of the exercises.

Jimmy Maguire, the soldier's older brother, said that despite the outcome, the family still had unanswered questions.

"We are surprised and puzzled that somebody could have been considered competent to conduct an exercise of this nature, when at the same time he made so many fundamental errors," he said.

Ranger Maguire, a member of 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment, was standing without a protective helmet and body armour when he was shot last May.

He was flown to hospital in Cardiff but pronounced dead within 30 minutes of his arrival.

At the time, his company commander Major Richard Bell described him as an "extremely popular" soldier who had a "cheerful outlook on life, natural charisma and irrepressible good humour".

The Health and Safety Executive is continuing to investigate how he died.

Set within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the Castlemartin Ranges were first used by the Army in 1939.

On non-firing days, members of the public can walk through part of the range along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.

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Christina Edkins: Man Faces Murder Charge

A 22-year-old man is to be charged with the murder of 16-year-old Christina Edkins on a Birmingham bus, police confirm.

West Midlands Police said they have been given authority by the Crown Prosecution Service to charge 22-year-old Phillip Simelane with killing Christina Edkins.

Meanwhile, the force also issued a statement in which Christina's parents said their world had been torn apart by the loss of their "beautiful princess".

Simelane, from Walsall, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act following the stabbing in Birmingham last Thursday and will be charged with murder in due course, a police spokesman said.

Making their first public comment about their daughter's death, Christina's parents Jason and Kathleen described her as a "bubbly, beautiful and intelligent" teenager.

In their statement, Mr and Mrs Edkins said: "We are heartbroken by the loss of our beautiful princess, Christina, and it's hard to find words to describe the pain we're all feeling.

"Her family and friends will remember her as an amazing individual with her whole life ahead of her - a life that was tragically cut short on that Thursday morning.

"Our lives will never be the same again."

The grieving parents added: "We are truly overwhelmed by the kindness that's been shown by friends and neighbours, people who knew Christina well and also those who never got the chance to meet her."

Christina, who lived near Birmingham city centre but was a pupil at Leasowes High School in Halesowen, died from a single stab wound to the chest.

Her parents' tribute said she was "just like most 16-year-olds" and had been studying hard for forthcoming exams while looking forward to her school prom.

The statement continued: "We'd bought Christina's prom dress the week before and recall the day she tried it on... she looked like a princess.

"Christina was studying extremely hard for her exams and weighing up which college to attend.

"In many ways she was like most 16-year-olds - worried about her appearance, what fake tan to wear, how her hair and nails looked and about 'hot boys', as Christina would call them!

"We would like to thank everyone for their kind words, flowers, teddies, balloons and candles... the support has been fantastic and shows what good, kind people there are in this world.

"We'd like to thank West Bromwich Albion for their half-time tribute at the weekend and to the fans for their heartfelt applause, which was very emotional.

"Finally, we'd like to thank West Midlands Police for all the help and support they've given us through this difficult and distressing time.

"We're relieved to hear a man will soon be charged and, hopefully, we can soon get justice for Christina."

Simelane was arrested near the scene of the attack in Hagley Road, Edgbaston, and has been assessed at a secure mental health unit.

Detective Superintendent Rich Baker said: "This was a horrific, random attack and one that's understandably shocked many people.

"I'm pleased to announce we now have authority to charge the suspect with murder.

"I'd like to thank Christina's family for their continued support and patience during our inquiry. Everyone wants to see justice for Christina and her family and from day one we've been determined to help deliver that justice for them."

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Huhne And Pryce In Court For Sentencing

Chris Huhne and his ex-wife are in the dock where they are this afternoon expected to be sent to prison for lying about his penalty points.

The former Cabinet minister, 58, is sitting just one empty chair from Pryce, 60, who exposed the deception to exact revenge after he left her for another woman.

Huhne's girlfriend, Carina Trimingham, who arrived in a bright red coat, is watching from the public gallery as the hearing unfolds.

Vicky Pryce clutching her small suitcase outside court

The couple, and the politician's former wife of 26 years had to battle through a media scrum as they arrived separately at Southwark Crown Court in London.

Pryce, who was clutching a small, black suitcase, was bizarrely handed a single rose by a bystander as she made her way inside.

She kept the rose with her in the dock, where it could be seen sticking out of her handbag. Huhne too arrived with an overnight bag.

Prosecutors are now outlining their case against the man who was once one of the leading lights of the Liberal Democrats.

Lawyers for both sides will then give their pleas in mitigation before sentencing. Mr Justice Sweeney, who is presiding, has already warned that they both face prison.

Perverting the course of justice carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with an average sentence of around 10 months.

Huhne is also facing a hefty legal bill after the Crown Prosecution Service announced plans to recoup the costs of his "sustained challenges" against the prosecution before his 11th-hour guilty plea.

The sentencing comes after an ugly and protracted trial which saw Pryce claim she had been coerced into taking speeding points for her husband in 2003.

Huhne's girlfriend Carina Trimingham followed him through the scrum

Huhne admitted lying to police on the first day of the planned joint trial, ending months of denials, but ex-wife continued to claim she was forced.

It was revealed during the court case that Pryce told The Sunday Times about the swap to "nail" her ex-husband after he left her for Ms Trimingham in 2010.

During the trial, she also claimed that the senior Lib Dem had forced her to have an abortion in the 90s - in a bid to show how much influence he had over her.

The wreckage of their marriage was laid bare in court and bitter text messages between Huhne and his youngest son Peter were also disclosed.

Pryce, a prominent economist and mother-of-five, was convicted last week after a retrial. The first trial collapsed when the jury failed to reach a verdict.

The case brought an end to Huhne's once-promising political career. His charge forced him to stand down as energy secretary and his guilty plea prompted his resignation as Eastleigh MP.

Despite the impact of his prosecution on the party, Huhne was lavished with praise at the weekend's Liberal Democrat spring conference.

Party leader Nick Clegg described him as an "effective" and "outstanding" politician.

He told a fringe event on Saturday: "Not only was he an outstanding local constituency MP, he was also an extremely powerful thinker and indeed a very effective secretary of state."

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Missing Grandmother: Partner's Murder Charge

A man has been charged with murdering his partner, following her disappearance more than a week ago.

More than 40 officers and specialist police staff are working on the case of Pamela Jackson, 55.

Adrian Muir, 50, from Halifax, West Yorkshire, has been charged with her murder.

Mrs Jackson, who is also known as Cris or Crissie, was reported missing on Thursday evening after her son, Joe, 21, became concerned.

A Durham Police spokesman said there has been no definite sighting of her since Saturday March 2 when she was last seen at her home in The Crescent, Chester-le-Street.

He said there had been no activity on her mobile phone for several days and her Facebook page had also not been updated in the same time.

Detective Superintendent Ken Donnelly said: "Our main focus is on finding Pamela and we have a number of actions to follow up in our continuing search for her."

Mrs Jackson does not drive and does not work due to health issues. She also has two other adult sons, Andrew and Christopher, police said.

The grandmother is described as petite and is 5ft tall, slim and with very long, black hair which is usually straight.

She has a black rose tattoo to the upper right arm and large Celtic style letters to the upper left arm and usually wears what is described as vintage-style clothing with rings and costume jewellery.

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Birmingham Terror Charge Teen Pleads Guilty

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A 16-year-old boy who claimed he was going to stage a school massacre has admitted possessing explosive chemicals and bomb-making books and diagrams.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to two terror charges and another offence at a hearing at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

He admitted possessing sulphur powder and potassium nitrate and 20 e-books including The Terrorist Handbook, CIA Explosives for Sabotage Manual, The Anarchist Cookbook and a book on how to make the explosive Semtex.

The boy, who was arrested at his home in Northamptonshire, in February last year, also admitted possession of a quantity of prohibited images of children.

The court heard the boy had been on an internet chatroom, where he told a user in the US of his plan to stage a massacre at school using handguns before shooting himself.

The FBI was alerted, and the boy's IP address was traced to the UK.

He had told the US user "in 20 minutes I am going to storm my high school" and he would continue shooting until the police arrived.

Police arrested the teenager and found a notebook where he had written down his plan to kill classmates.

It included a plan of the classroom, where each pupil sat, and who would be targeted.

The youth court, which was sitting at the magistrates, heard the boy had an interest in 'lone wolf killers'.

These included the Zodiac Killer, a serial killer who operated in California in the 1960s, and Dennis Nilsen, who murdered 15 young men in London between 1978 and 1983.

Since his arrest, the boy has been detained under the Mental Health Act in secure accommodation in the West Midlands area, said Mark Topping, prosecuting.

He has a severe form of Asperger's syndrome which "causes him to be less inhibited about putting ideas into effect", the court heard.

The boy recorded in his notebook that he felt "weak" and "powerless" and described himself as a "social retard with no friends whatsoever".

He said in interviews that it had all been "fantasy" and he did not plan to carry it out. He said he wished he had not done it, saying it was the "biggest mistake" of his life.

The boy's father told the court he had raised concerns when the boy was 10 that his son was researching satanism and Nazism.

The boy will be continue to be detained in a secure hospital.

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Weather: Snowfall Causes Rush Hour Accidents

Heavy snowfall across parts of Britain has caused travel disruption, as the possibility of a white Easter looms.

The southern counties of England are taking the brunt of heavy, repeated snow showers moving in from the South West.

That will be followed by a second band of wintry weather which will hit eastern and central parts of Scotland and a dusting of snow is expected in all other areas, bringing with it the risk of travel problems for morning and evening rush hours.

At 12.30pm, there were yellow weather warnings in place across the south east coast of England, and northern and eastern parts of Scotland.

Allendale in Northumberland pictured after snowfall

Jersey Airport was shut due to snow, and on the roads there were hazardous conditions on many major routes.

Blizzard conditions were reported on the M40 in Warwickshire and there were numerous rush-hour accidents.

Strong winds added to drivers' problems, with falling trees blocking some roads.

On the trains, poor rail conditions led to delays in Sussex and Hampshire, while there was also a number of signalling problems.

The closure of Jersey Airport meant a number of flights had to be cancelled.

On the roads, there were hazardous driving conditions on the A69 and A6 in Cumbria and on the A54 in Cheshire.

In Sussex, police said there had been "a number" of crashes caused by the snowy conditions as they warned motorists to take extra care on the roads.

While drivers contended with heavy snow on the M40 in Warwickshire, motorists in Wales had to put up with strong winds.

One lane of the M48 Severn Bridge was closed and falling trees blocked some Welsh roads.

Some of the roads where driving conditions were at their worst today included the A46 in Nottinghamshire, the A14 in Suffolk and the A353 in Dorset.

Fallen trees blocked roads in Newquay in Cornwall and in Lynton in Devon.

Condor Ferries services between Jersey and St Malo were affected by the bad weather.

Up to 10cm (4in) are likely to settle in the worst-affected areas, including Kent, Sussex and southern Hampshire, as well as over higher ground in areas like the Pennines, while large areas could see around up to 4cm (1.6in) accumulate.

After snowfall on Monday and Tuesday, temperatures will remain below freezing in many areas for the next few days, with minimum temperatures as low as -7C.

Ladbrokes said they have been forced to slash the odds of snow reappearing across Easter weekend, March 29 to April 1.

On Sunday evening it was even money for snow to fall in any major city, and there is a 4/1 chance it is the coldest Easter on record, the bookmaker said.

Spokeswoman Jessica Bridge said: "The odds of snow falling over Easter are dropping as quick as the temperatures."

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Tony Gubba: Sports Commentator Dies Aged 69

Sports presenter Tony Gubba has died following a short illness, his family have announced. He was 69.

Gubba spent much of his career with the BBC but most recently worked as a commentator on the ITV series, Dancing On Ice.

Dancing On Ice presenter Philip Schofield said his colleagues on the show would miss him "terribly".

"We were all aware how poorly he was but this is very sudden and is dreadful for everyone who knew and loved him," he said.

"A genuinely delightful, kind, dedicated and talented man."

Schofield, who said he was speaking with the "saddest of hearts", went on: "All my love and condolences to his family.

"I'm so glad I had the privilege of working with him and getting to know him. All of us at Dancing On Ice will miss him terribly."

Gubba had been with the show since its launch in 2006.

He started out in print, working for a local newspaper in Lancashire before moving to the Daily Mirror.

Gubba joined BBC Sport in 1972, replacing David Coleman as the presenter of the midweek sports programme Sportsnight.

He later went on to work on Match Of The Day - both as commentator and front man - and to introduce Grandstand as a stand-in for Frank Bough.

As well as football, Gubba commentated on hockey, table-tennis, golf, tennis, bobsleigh, ski-jumping, darts and ice-skating.

He also covered every Olympic Games, both summer and winter, from 1972 to 2012 and every World Cup from 1974 to 2006.

He leaves his partner of 15 years, Jenny, his two daughters, Claire, 40 and Libby, 38 and three granddaughters.

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Paul Gascoigne Returns Home After US Rehab

Former England football star Paul Gascoigne has told how he thought he was about to die as doctors tied him to a bed to help him beat his alcohol addiction.

The player, who has fought a lengthy battle against alcoholism, said his body went into seizure during a detoxification treatment at an American clinic.

He said doctors said it was the "worst detox" they had ever seen.

"Three doctors didn't think I would make it. It has got to inspire me to never let this happen again.

"I've come through that - death. I was dead," Gascoigne told The Sun newspaper.

He added: "I thought I was on my way out. I looked like a corpse. I was a total wreck."

Gascoigne: once one of England's most naturally gifted players

The 45-year-old said he was in a coma for three days and was admitted to intensive care.

Gascoigne has returned to Britain after more than a month at the rehabilitation clinic in Phoenix, Arizona.

His treatment was organised by former England cricketer Ronnie Irani and radio presenter Chris Evans, a long-term friend.

The move came following a charity appearance in Northampton during which the star appeared unwell and shaking, before breaking down and sobbing on stage in front of a room full of fans.

The world of football has shown its concern at the latest troubled period in the life of Gascoigne, one of England's most naturally gifted players ever.

Gascoigne was sectioned five years ago under the Mental Health Act.

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Qatada: May Pledges To Scrap Human Rights Act

Theresa May has pledged that a Conservative government would scrap the Human Rights Act, which she claims has stopped Britain from deporting the radical preacher Abu Qatada.

The Home Secretary also went so far as to indicate the Conservatives could go further by pulling out of its European obligations on Human Rights altogether, an association dating back more than 60 years.

Ms May, who is being touted as a possible future Conservative leader, told Tory activists that the party must "consider very carefully our relationship" with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

She said that Britain must stop human rights laws interfering with its ability to protect the nation.

She pointed to the case of Qatada, once described as Osama bin Laden's right hand man in Europe, who was on Saturday returned to custody following his arrest for allegedly breaching his bail conditions.

Ms May said that the Strasbourg-based court had constantly moved the goalposts on Britain's request for his deportation to Jordan.

"We need to stop human rights legislation interfering with our ability to fight crime and control immigration," she told the Victory 2015 conference.

"That's why, as our last manifesto promised, the next Conservative government will scrap the Human Rights Act, and it's why we should also consider very carefully our relationship with the European Court of Human Rights and the convention it enforces.

Qatada arrives at his London home after his release from prison in November

"When Strasbourg constantly moves the goalposts and prevents the deportation of dangerous men like Abu Qatada, we have to ask ourselves to what end are we signatories to the convention?"

She added: "So by 2015 we'll need a plan for dealing with the European Court of Human Rights. And yes, I want to be clear that all options - including leaving the convention altogether - should be on the table."

The Government is to make a bid at the Court of Appeal on Monday to overturn a judge's decision to allow Qatada, who has been convicted of terrorism charges in Jordan, to remain in Britain.

Ms May made her comments to Tory grassroots as part of a wide-ranging speech in which she also said that she expects the Conservative's public sector reform agenda to "become even more radical" and could include allowing companies to make a profit delivering frontline services.

The country's most senior judge, Lord Neuberger, last week pointed out that if Britain was to scrap the Human Rights Act and end its association with the European Convention on Human Rights, it would also have to withdraw from the United Nations.

He pointed out that it is under the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights that terrorists could not be deported to countries where they might be subjected to poor treatment.

Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, said: "She says she wants freedom yet she wants to abolish the Human Rights Act which protects freedom of speech, freedom from torture and freedom of religion.

"And she wants to pull out of the European Convention which is protecting basic freedoms in emerging democracies across Europe and has nothing to do with her failure in deporting fewer foreign criminals."

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Sex Trafficking Victims 'Failed' By Authorities

Full Interview With Sophie Hayes

Updated: 12:52pm UK, Sunday 10 March 2013

Sophie Hayes speaks to Sky's Richard Suchet about her life as a sexual and domestic slave at the hands of the man she thought was her boyfriend.

SOPHIE: "I'd known my trafficker for five years before I was actually trafficked, from the UK to Italy. We'd become friends. Very good friends. Then I went on holiday ... and ... just that it would be a holiday ... until three days in, he told me that he hadn't waited five years for me to just leave and that actually I was there to work for him as a prostitute, and if I didn't there would be severe consequences."

SUCHET: "So you did?"

SOPHIE: "Yeah I did. The first night I thought 'this isn't real, this can't happen' and really believed that maybe the next day I could say 'actually, I just want to go home now' until ... I saw that he just wasn't the person that I thought he was. Everything that he was, everything that I knew had completely changed.

"He'd become aggressive, violent. Threats against me, threats against my family. My younger brother was only thirteen at the time and he was the one that had all of the death threats ... and ... the night that he told me, he strangled me, pinned me up against the wall, and told me that if I didn't do as I was told, I would be punished."

SUCHET: "Mentally, how do you cope with that? What goes through your head the first day, the second day, the third day? Where does your mind take you?"

SOPHIE: "Total disbelief. So ... going from a world where I had a good job, a relatively happy life, to another world with someone who had pretended to be something that he wasn't ... it just didn't feel like that was possible or that that could really happen. There's no way I could have done what he expected me to do.

"But as the days went on, I knew that actually there was no way out because he told me that he had friends in the police, that if I tried to run then someone would be there to catch me and ... the more .... the more time past ... I knew. I knew I would never escape him, I couldn't run anywhere ... until a few weeks later I just ... I just switched off.

"There was nothing left anymore. I wasn't me anymore and ... the best thing to do was ... just ... pretend it wasn't happening, that it was happening to someone else and ... just accept it."

SUCHET: "So you just switch off inside, do you?"

SOPHIE: "Completely. To begin with, I tried to hold on. I would look in the mirror and just ... want to scream. And I'd see bruises which I'd never had before.

"Until one night everything changed, with one of the men that came. After that night, I just let go. To the point that I stopped caring. Because nothing I could do or say, no matter how many tears, how many screams, nothing would change the situation ... because I was too afraid to run.

"Many people have asked me: 'Why? Why would you not run away? Why would you not ask for help?' ... but he was the person who kept me from asking anybody to help me, knowing that my family were at risk - my younger brother could be taken.

"He'd already taken me to a lake to show me that if I did something wrong, that's where he would take me. He would put a knife to my neck, a gun in my mouth, a gun inside of me. I knew there was no boundary for him. All I was to him was money. Other than that he didn't care."

SUCHET: "Was it always sexual? Or were there other things you had to do, like chores round the house, or looking after him in some other way? Or was it purely a sexual thing?"

SOPHIE: "It's always more than just sexual when someone holds you in that way. I was only allowed to speak when he said that was ok. When I cleaned, it had to be cleaned in a certain way. If I didn't do it properly, he would ... hurt me again. 

"If I cooked in the wrong way, there would be consequences. For example, I tried to make pasta one night and he told me there was too much sauce. So he smashed the plate ahead of me, and cleaned the floor up with my hair and then told me he was going to shave my hair off in punishment because I couldn't clean properly, I couldn't cook properly and what kind of a person was I that couldn't even do the most basic things?"

SUCHET: "I don't think people can really imagine how you end up in a situation like that. I mean, people might think you would see it coming?"

SOPHIE: "The general perception is that this happens to girls from a different country, from poor backgrounds, and that they perhaps should see it coming, when actually it's the opposite.

"The traffickers are professional businessmen. They have been doing this for years. How to groom a girl. How to make somebody feel completely isolated so that you don't see it coming. And then you're at the point that you're so frightened of them that you can't think about anything anymore, you can't do anything anymore and ... there's no other choice. No way of escape. They have you as a total prisoner."

SUCHET: "So how did you get out?"

SOPHIE: "During the time, I'd lost quite a lot of weight, so I'd gone down to about six stone. I was only allowed to eat once a day. I'd had pneumonia twice, a broken shoulder blade, and at the point I came out I'd been really ill.

"I couldn't have sex anymore. Because some nights I would have sex with up to 35 different men and it was just so painful. So I managed to go to a hospital. The hospital kept me there for a week. But they told me I had no passport, no ID, and that I would have to pay 10,000 euros.

"I managed to steal a moment to call my mum and they drove over to come and collect me, and drove me back from Italy, back to the UK."

SUCHET: "So, effectively, you became useless to him? That's how you managed to get out of his sight?"

SOPHIE: "I was still with a client when I managed to go to the hospital. I didn't tell him where I'd gone. He told me after three days of being in hospital that he was taking me out because he'd actually met some Russians, and he was going to take some girls. And ... I don't know whether or not I would have been sold to the Russians.

"And when I did come back to the UK, he took my credit card off me, and booked me a ticket to go back to Italy, and that I had to go back to work. He was never willing to just let me go. He would have just carried on. To him, he said I was a gold mine, and that because I was British I was actually the perfect person because I could stay freely in [Italy], and people paid more for me, so I was the perfect person for him."

SUCHET: "What was the reaction from the authorities when you got back to the UK?"

SOPHIE: "I had quite a challenging time with the authorities when I came back because at that time no one really knew - or understood - actually what is human trafficking and, because they'd never dealt with cases of somebody being British being taken out of the country and then back in, there wasn't really anywhere for me to go, or any real understanding.

"One policeman actually told me: "Well, you won't do that again," which ... just .... again made me lose all faith ... and ... I had no one. I was on my own. I had my mum, and my mum helped me through it. And I just .... had to pick myself up and carry on and try to live a normal life again."

SUCHET: "How did you finally extricate yourself from him?"

SOPHIE: "It turns out he was wanted in this country for an attempted shooting, years back. The police had him under surveillance and had an arrest warrant out for him. In 2008, when he returned to the UK, they performed a stop and search on him - but made it look completely random.

"They obviously knew he'd have fake documents and that they could arrest him on those grounds. And they knew that his fingerprint would then link him to other crimes. They sent me abroad for a week while all that happened so it would look as if I had nothing to do with his arrest. Anyway, he went to prison and was eventually deported back to Albania."

SUCHET: "You seem to me like the most stoic and normal person, if I may say. No one would ever be able to tell what you've been through. But is there a part of you that feels a little bit damaged? Do you ever get over something like that?"

SOPHIE: "This is something that I will never get over. But can I manage it? Yes, it has become more manageable. Although many people still don't know who I really am.

"I still have a lot of physical problems. After he broke my shoulder blade, I still have therapy and I need a lot of treatment on my back. And also ... mentally I have to stay really strong ... because ... something like that can't happen for no reason.

"And this is why I feel I have to try and help other women and other girls who are in the same situation, or could be at risk of that situation. I tell myself a lot that I can't let my past steal my future. And no matter what happened, I am still alive. And regardless of how painful it is, how many memories I have, how many times I cry ... actually it's the future, and the hope, and the hope I bring to others, that keeps me strong."

SUCHET: "Do you still cry about it?"

SOPHIE: "Yeah, if I see things or hear things and generally when I can see another women being abused or beaten - that brings it all back to me. Every day I can still picture how much he hurt me and how much he frightened me. What he made me do, hurts me. What he did to me and what he said to me is the memory that stays with me and the echoes that I can still hear."

SUCHET: "Do you trust men? Do you have problems trusting men anymore?"

SOPHIE: "I ... I would like to believe that I can still have trust in people because I can't allow one person to take over how I feel and how I behave in the future, and dictate how I have relationships. So I really try and make sure it doesn't, again, take over me, and absorb, and change my perception on men."

SUCHET: Where is the man who trafficked you? And do you now feel safe?

SOPHIE: "I don't know where he is. We've tried to locate him and police have markers on him so to speak. Potentially he's in prison (abroad). But no, I will never feel 100% free and safe. He will always be on my shoulder.

"So on a mental level, there's always a part of me that won't be free, that can't escape. But setting up the Sophie Hayes foundation has made me feel like he can't dictate my future. I can take a grip of my future, and, in that sense, I'm now free."

:: Sophie Hayes is not her real name. There are only a handful of people who know both her real name and her story and she says it's important that she remains anonymous.

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'Mummy Tax': Benefit Changes Criticised

By Tadhg Enright, Business Correspondent

The new Archbishop of Canterbury has chosen Mother's Day to fire a warning to the Government over planned cuts to welfare.

In his first significant intervention since being appointed, the Most Rev Justin Welby is among 43 bishops who have written an open letter condemning changes to the benefit system.

He warned that "children and families will pay the price" if the plans go ahead in their current form.

The Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill will cap benefit rises at 1% a year until 2016.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, who is attempting to steer the reforms through Parliament, has said they are needed to help get spending "back under control" and create a fairer deal for taxpayers.

But the archbishop, who will be formally enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral on March 21, said the legislation would remove the protection given to families against the rising cost of living and could push 200,000 children into poverty.

His predecessor, Dr Rowan Williams, was strongly criticised for expressing his views about Government policy.

The Most Rev Justin Welby has criticised the planned reforms

Faith and communities minister Baroness Warsi told Sky's Dermot Murnaghan: "The Government takes seriously the concerns the church raises.

"But we are in very difficult circumstances and we have to make some tough decisions. And at a time when people's incomes are frozen and not going up in line with inflation, it is also right that we look at the possibility of freezing benefits."

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister had a Mother's Day card delivered to his door by campaigners for new mums whose benefits are about to be capped.

Labour has accused the Government of imposing a "mummy tax" and said the welfare reforms are part of a series of austerity measures which unfairly target mothers.

Shadow minister for women Yvette Cooper MP told Sky News: "It's like David Cameron and George Osborne have a blindspot about women because they're paying three times more than men in tax and benefit and pay and pension changes.

"That is so unfair when women earn less and own less than men.

"It shows that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor just don't get it and it's outrageous that new mums are hurt hardest."

Around 340,000 women claim either statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance every year.

Until now their benefits have gone up in line with inflation, which currently stands at 2.7%, according to the Consumer Price Index.

Yvette Cooper has slammed the benefit cap

But from next month new mothers' benefits will go up by just 1% every year as part of a three-year cap on welfare increases.

So by 2015 critics have calculated the benefits will be effectively cut by £180 because they will not increase by as much as the cost of living will.

Schools minister, Liberal Democrat David Laws MP, defended the planned welfare reforms and said the Coalition had tried to help those on lower incomes.

He told Murnaghan: "We've had a public sector pay freeze. We've also had a 1% cap in the future on public sector pay. So we've have had to take difficult decisions not just for some of those on lower incomes but for everybody in society.

"And actually we've tried to help some of those on lower incomes by raising the tax free personal allowance and also exempting some of the lowest paid public sector workers from the effects of the pay freeze."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: "In difficult economic times we've protected the incomes of pensioners and disabled people, and most working age benefits will continue to increase 1%.

"This was a tough decision but it's one that will help keep the welfare bill sustainable in the longer term. By raising the personal allowance threshold, we've lifted two million people out of tax altogether, clearly benefiting people on a low income."

Single mum-to-be Helen Mockridge has one clear suggestion for a better way to reduce the deficit.

"Taxing really rich people, obviously, that's where the money should come from," she said.

"For me it's a real no-brainer and it makes me really angry that certain parts of society are very, very wealthy and the gap between rich and poor is getting bigger.

"That's where the money should be coming from, not from single mothers or the disabled or any other vulnerable group."

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