Mum's Plea After Teen Was Denied Cancer Drugs

By Liz Lane, Sky Reporter

The family of a teenage girl who died from a rare form of bone cancer is calling for the relaxation of rules governing who is eligible to take part in potentially life-saving drugs trials.

Despite the pleas of her parents, doctors and politicians, Chloe Drury was refused access to treatment being trialled by American pharmaceutical company BioMarin.

Her family says she was told last September, when she was 17, that she was too young to take part, and that her participation could "jeopardise [her] safety and the integrity of the trial data".

Chloe, from Purley in Surrey, died in February, a month after her 18th birthday. She had finally been allowed on the course to treat her Ewing's Sarcoma, but the cancer had progressed aggressively and it was too late.

Her mother, Debbie Binner, says she felt totally impotent.

Chloe's mum, Debbie, wants age restrictions for drugs trials to be lifted

"We were just sitting there watching our beautiful 17-year-old daughter get weaker and weaker, knowing there is something out there she could have had and it just seems totally wrong to me, and not a world that I want to live in that treats young people like that."

BioMarin said in a statement: "Our deepest sympathy goes out to the parents who are grieving the loss of their child. It is precisely because of patients who suffer from devastating rare genetic diseases that BioMarin develops therapies where there are few, if any, options.

"Ewings Sarcoma is a terrible, aggressive disease, and we hope to make a difference in this type of outcome. We are conducting a Phase 1/2 trial in several genetically defined cancers. Not only is this an early stage trial, but it is the first clinical trial that we have ever done with this therapy. It is premature to know if it is safe or effective."

The family wants age restrictions for clinical trials to be lifted. Currently fewer than 20% of 15 to 24-year-olds who have cancer are on one.

Cancer Research UK's clinical research director Kate Law admits the criteria, which sometimes stop teenagers taking part, are not always logical.

Chloe seen meeting Prince William and the Duchess Of Cambridge

"Actually for many trials I think there is no good reason. They could either go down, and join the children's trial, or they could go up and join an adult trial. And in fact the committee that I'm responsible for specifically looks at the age range for each new application. So I think we've taken on board some of the concerns that pre-dated even this sad case."

Concerns about the potential compromising of the integrity of a trial is one of the reasons drugs companies are reluctant to bend the rules, as is the fear of being sued if something goes wrong.

Les Halpin, from Tetbury in Gloucestershire, who suffers from motor neurone disease, wants experimental drugs to be available in return for terminally ill patients giving up the right to take legal action if they experience side effects.

He believes such a move would benefit not just the patient.

"The numbers of trials are very low because of the cost of having them and the current regulations put a lot of risk into drug trials which will slow the whole process down. The protocol will allow willing patients to force the pace of drug discovery and bring it much more in line with the pace of technological science."

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Police 'Taser Fireball' Death Investigation

A man who had covered himself in petrol became a human fireball after police shot him with a Taser.

A police watchdog will investigate whether firing the weapon at Andrew Pimlott, 32, caused fatal burns.

Mr Pimlott suffered serious injuries in the incident in on the evening of April 18.

He was taken to hospital and subsequently transferred to the specialist burns unit at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol where he died five days later.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said two Devon and Cornwall Police officers responded to a 999 call from a caller who said that Mr Pimlott was in a garden with a can of flammable liquid.

Shortly after the police arrived he sustained serious burn injuries and an ambulance was called.

An officer deployed a Taser during the incident in Honicknowle, Plymouth, the watchdog said.

IPCC Commissioner Sarah Green said: "My condolences go to Andrew's family and friends for their loss.

"This must be a very difficult time for them and we have appointed a family liaison manager who is ensuring the family are kept informed.

A Taser gun similar to that used in the fatal incident

"Our investigators have already carried out a number of actions, including interviewing the two police officers who attended the incident and ensuring relevant evidence has been secured.

"A post-mortem was carried out yesterday and further forensic analysis will be carried out.

"The IPCC had informed the coroner of our investigation and we will share our report in due course.

"Our investigation will be looking at what information was known to the officers attending the scene, the officer's rationale for discharging a Taser on a person known to be doused in flammable liquid, whether the discharge of the Taser caused the fuel to ignite and we will look at training and policies."

In separate statements, Mr Pimlott's family paid tribute.

His parents wrote: "Dear darling son Andrew, you were a fantastic son to us, you will always be in our hearts and thoughts.

"We will never forget you. Be in our heart forever and always, we send a million kisses up to heaven.

"All our love Mum and Dad. xxx"

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Hay Fever Sufferers Set For Tough Spring

By Emma Birchley, East Of England Correspondent

Hay fever sufferers could be set for the toughest spring and summer in decades as scientists predict a possible pollen surge in the coming weeks.

Trees, crops and even the grass are playing catch-up after a long and extremely cold winter.

And it is feared the delayed growing season could cause them to release pollen simultaneously, making hay fever symptoms much worse than usual.

Beverley Adams-Groom, a pollen forecaster at the University of Worcester's National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, said: "We've got a late start to the birch pollen season which means people have had a little bit of relief initially.

"But what that means is the birch pollen season is going to run into the beginning of the grass pollen season. People who are allergic to both those types won't get any relief - they won't have a gap.

"And then if we get good weather in June we'll get some very high grass pollen levels - so it could be a long period of time for people to suffer."

Hay fever is caused by an allergic reaction to the fine powder released by plants as part of their reproductive cycle.

The Met Office has latest pollen reports

One in five people in the UK suffers from it.

Ciaran Chapman, who is 14, knows exactly what it is like. He is allergic to at least six different types of pollen.

He said: "If I don't take my medication my eyes would also swell up pretty big and so would my skin because I would scratch the pollen in as would be itchy and it would swell up as well."

Ciaran has six different types of medication for when hay fever is at its worst, and he will be relying on it when it comes to his first GCSEs in a few weeks.

His father, Dr John Chapman, is a paediatric consultant who runs an allergy clinic at the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston, Norfolk.

He expects to see many new patients, particularly teenagers, suffering from hay fever for the first time, once they have been referred by their GP.

Dr Chapman said: "It blocks their noses, which means they can't sleep properly, which means they can't think properly in the day, which is particularly bad at this time of year when children are doing exams and studying."

:: See Met Office pollen reports

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M62 Crash: Hen Party Minibus Victim Named

A woman who died when a minibus collided with a lorry on the M62 has been named as 18-year-old Bethany Jones.

Ms Jones, from Pontefract, died at the scene of the crash about 11.30am on Friday.

On Saturday her family released a statement saying that she would never be forgotten.

"Beth was a fun and bubbly girl who was caring and considerate to everyone she met. She was the apple of her grandad's eye and she will never be forgotten and sadly missed by everyone."

Her uncle, Anthony Jones, posted a message on Facebook in the wake of his niece's death.

The minibus collied with a Farmfoods lorry on the westbound carriage

"Thanking everyone on Facebook for there thoughts sympathy and condolences for the tragic of my niece Bethany Jones rip beth uncle tomy and family and all that new you god bless angle xxx xxx xxx".

Twenty-one people remain in hospital after the collision, which occurred as the minibus travelled to Liverpool for a hen party.

Among the injured is the bride-to-be, who has been named locally as Stefanie Firth.

Seven of those wounded in the collision are suffering serious injuries.

Also among those injured is Ashleigh Warner, who posted a photograph on Facebook with Ms Firth.

Ms Jones, from Pontefract, died at the scene of the crash

Before the accident, Ms Firth's friends had posted excited comments about the upcoming hen-do.

On Friday morning, Ms Warner wrote on Facebook: "Jumping on the Liverpool status bandwagon ......... Cos I'm sooooooo excited had my tshirt on since 8 this morning:))) hope Stefanie Firth has the best time xxxx".

The group had set off from South Elmsall, near Pontefract, West Yorkshire, when their vehicle collided with a Farmfoods lorry at junction 32 of the westbound carriage of the M62.

The driver of the lorry, a local man, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving but has since been released on bail.

In total 21 of the women were injured in the crash, which left the minibus on its side across a carriageway and luggage strewn across the motorway.

The collision occurred on Junction 32 of the M62

Six air ambulances were called to the scene, and four took casualties to hospitals nearby.

Firefighters called the crash "the worst they had seen in a number of years", Dave Walton, assistant chief fire officer at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said.

One patient, a woman in her 40s, suffered suspected serious chest injuries and was anaesthetised before being transported, while another was airlifted to hospital also with chest injuries.

Doncaster firefighter John Nichol was passing the scene of the accident as a passenger in his father's car.

Mr Nichol said: "I got out to see if I could help, and realised there was only me there.

"First I saw a lady at the back of the minibus and realised her leg was severely broken. Then I put my head through the roof and just saw a mass of bodies.

"I think there were 11 or 12 in there, with various injuries, and around five people were out of the vehicle, hobbling around.

"I tried to calm people down and, although a bystander had called 999, I called them back to say this was a major incident and that several resources and air ambulances would be needed."

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Late Tax Returns Mean HMRC Fines For Many

By Pete Norman, Sky News Online

More than half a million taxpayers are set to be hit with daily fines after failing to file their tax returns, Sky News has learned.

An estimated 650,000 to 850,000 self-assessment taxpayers still have not given HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) annual returns for the 2011-12 financial year.

The Tax Office cut-off date for the returns was January 31.

HMRC sent out automatic £100 penalties to around 850,000 people by February 20, boosting tax coffers by some £85m.

The defaulting taxpayers were then given three months to file their accounts.

However, it is believed that hundreds of thousands have still to complete their forms.

On May 1, three months after the January deadline, a new daily fine will be levied on those who have not processed the form.

In addition to the earlier £100 penalty they will be hit with the daily £10 fine, up to a maximum of £900.

An HMRC spokesman told Sky News: "Anyone who hasn't yet sent their 2011-12 tax return to HMRC will have already incurred a £100 late-filing penalty.

"Non-filers have to file to avoid further penalties or contact us to ask to be taken out of self-assessment, and provided they meet the criteria, we will take them out of SA and cull any penalties incurred."

Those who allow the filing delay to extend beyond six months are handed another £300 fine or 5% of the tax due, whichever is higher.

HMRC is then entitled to give those who fail to file within 12 months a tax demand up to 100% of the tax due instead.

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Rucksack Suicide Bomb Plotters Jailed

Three ringleaders of a terror plot which could have been more devastating than the July 7 attacks have been jailed.

Irfan Naseer, 31, was jailed for life and must serve at least 18 years, a judge at Woolwich Crown Court told him.

Fellow defendant Irfan Khalid - who promised 'another 9/11' - was sentenced to 23 years for his part in the plot. He will serve a minimum of 12 years.

Ashik Ali, the third terror plot ringleader, was sentenced to 20 years and will serve at least 10 years.

The judge said he did not accept the defendant's portrayal of himself as the group's "tea boy or runner for others".

The gang raised money for terror training with bogus street collections

Mr Justice Henriques said: "Irfan Naseer was the leader, driving force and man in charge and he alone must take responsibility for sending four young men to Pakistan for terrorism training."

Turning to Naseer, who appeared to mutter under his breath during the sentencing hearing, the judge added: "Your plot had the blessing of al Qaeda and you intended to further the aims of al Qaeda."

The judge, who described Naseer as a "skilful bomb-maker", said: "Clearly nothing was going to stop you, short of intervention of the authorities.

"I have no doubt you would have continued with your plan but for that intervention.

"Many deaths were planned by a determined team of individuals who were fully radicalised and you, Naseer, were their leader.

"No lack of assets, skill or manpower was going to stop you."

Police believe it was the most significant terror plot to be uncovered since the 2006 conspiracy to blow up transatlantic airliners using bombs disguised as soft drinks.

The gang, who are all from Birmingham, planned to set off up to eight rucksack bombs and possibly other devices on timers in crowded places.

They raised an estimated £39,000 for terror training and to fund the attacks.

The money was raised through street collections in Birmingham, with gang members falsely claiming they were raising money for Muslim Aid.

But they were also forced to apply for tens of thousands of pounds in loans after losing more than £9,000 playing foreign currency markets.

"Chief financier" Rahin Ahmed, 26, pleaded guilty to collecting, investing and managing money for terrorism, and assisting others to travel to Pakistan for training in terrorism.

He was given an extended sentence of 17 years and will serve six years before he can be released on licence.

Naseer sent aspiring jihadists Shahid Khan, 21, Khobaib Hussain, 21, Ishaaq Hussain, 21, and Naweed Ali, 25, to Pakistan for terror training in August 2011.

But Khobaib Hussain, Ishaaq Hussain and Naweed Ali were forced to return just three days later after a relative got wind of the real reason for their journey.

All four pleaded guilty to engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts by travelling to Pakistan for training in terrorism.

"It is an especially aggravating feature that the four young men were sent without their parents having any knowledge that they were being sent for terrorism training, believing indeed that they were still in the country," Mr Justice Henriques told Naseer.

Naseer was found guilty of five counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, Khalid of four, and Ali of three, all between Christmas Day 2010 and September 19, 2011.

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Winston Churchill To Appear On New £5 Notes

Former British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill is to appear on the next banknotes, it has been announced.

Bank of England Governor Sir Mervyn King revealed the image of Churchill which will be used to members of his family at his former home, Chartwell, on Friday.

Sir Mervyn said: "Our banknotes acknowledge the life and work of great Britons. Sir Winston Churchill was a truly great British leader, orator and writer.

"Above that, he remains a hero of the entire free world. His energy, courage, eloquence, wit and public service are an inspiration to us all. I am proud to announce that he will appear on our next banknote."

The Churchill banknote is due to be issued as a £5 note for use during 2016.

The design on the reverse of the note will include a portrait of Churchill from a photograph taken in Ottawa by Yousuf Karsh on December 30, 1941 and a view of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower from the South Bank looking across Westminster Bridge.

The image of the Elizabeth Tower will feature the hands of the Great Clock at 3pm - the approximate time on May 13, 1940 when Churchill declared in a speech to the House of Commons: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." This declaration is quoted beneath the portrait.

In the background, there will be the Nobel Prize medal which Churchill was awarded in 1953 for literature, together with the wording of the prize citation.

Mervyn King with lady Soames, Churchill's only surviving child.

Sir Mervyn, due to retire later this year, suggested the new note could become known as a "Winston" - and that the spirit of Churchill's inspirational "blood, toil, tears and sweat" speech was just as important during today's times of economic difficulty as during the War.

He said: "We do not face the challenges faced by Churchill's generation. But we have our own.

"And the spirit of those words remains as relevant today as it was to my parents' generation who fought for the survival of our country and freedom under Churchill's leadership."

Churchill's image replaces that of Elizabeth Fry, the philanthropist and penal reformer, who appears on current notes first issued in 2002.

These will be phased out over two or three years, leaving no notes featuring the face of a famous woman - other than the Queen.

The choice of Churchill reflects the fact that, though a political figure, he is widely revered across the spectrum as the man who saved Britain in its darkest hour from the fearful advance of Nazism across Europe.

Another war hero, the Duke of Wellington, is the only other prime minister to have featured on a banknote image - the old £5 phased out in the 1990s.

Speaking in the grounds of Chartwell, Sir Winston's grandson, Mid Sussex Tory MP Nicholas Soames, said featuring on a bank note would have given the former wartime prime minister great pleasure.

He said: "He was an extraordinary man and his ability to capture the mood and the people's mood was one of his great gifts as a statesman.

"The design of the bank note, the quotation and the whole idea behind it is so appropriate and fitting, and my grandfather would have been truly very proud."

Churchill had a long parliamentary career during which he served as home secretary and chancellor before a spell in the political wilderness in the 1930s when he warned of the increasing threat of German rearmament.

In May 1940, he replaced Neville Chamberlain as prime minister in the newly-formed National Government. His leadership and brilliant oratory were credited with helping to steer Britain to victory.

Defeated by Labour in the 1945 general election, he served again as prime minister from 1951 to 1955, when he retired aged 80. Churchill died in 1965 and was given a full state funeral, the first commoner to receive such an honour since Gladstone in 1898.

He was also the first commoner to feature on a British coin - the 1965 crown or five-shilling piece.

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William And Kate Prove They're A Magic Couple

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry have been getting some lessons in wizardry.

The royals officially opened the Warner Bros studios in Hertfordshire where the Harry Potter movies were made, and William and Kate got in some important wand practice.

The large sprawling site close to Watford is home to the popular Making Of Harry Potter tour that has proved a huge attraction.

Props, costumes and models from the movies that chronicle the teenage wizard's adventures were on display for the royal guests.

Futuristic vehicles from the Dark Knight Batman trilogy, made by Warner Bros and starring Christian Bale in the lead role, were the first items on display including the Tumbler - the caped crusaders' Batmobile and his bike the Batpod.

William could not resist jumping on the Batpod and he leaned forward and gripped the handlebars of the vehicle as Harry and Kate looked on.

The Duke joked "Where's the start button?", adding "It's awesome, absolutely incredible" while his younger brother put his fingers beside his head for Batman's ears and said "You need the ears".

The fun with the boys' toys continued with the nearby Batmobile as William smiled and clambered inside.

Harry stuck his fingers in his ears as the vehicle, which has a 5.7-litre engine with 350bhp, was revved hard.

The royal visitors were then introduced to Harry Potter author JK Rowling ahead of viewing set-pieces from the movie series and a speech by William to mark the opening of the film facility in Leavesden.

The £100m studios were the production home of all eight Harry Potter films, the James Bond movie Goldeneye starring Pierce Brosnan, the first of the Star Wars prequel films, and director Tim Burton's gothic horror Sleepy Hollow.

Kate, who is around six months pregnant, wore a black jacket and a £38 polka dot dress from Topshop that showed off her famous baby bump and she, William and Harry were introduced to local dignitaries and senior executives from the film studio.

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'Bulger Killers Photos': Two Men Sentenced

Two men have been sentenced for publishing photographs on the internet said to show James Bulger's killers as adults.

Social media users Dean Liddle and Neil Harkins were given nine-month jail terms, suspended for 15 months.

In February this year, two days after the 20th anniversary of the toddler's murder, they put photos on Twitter and Facebook,  which purported to depict Jon Venables and Robert Thompson as adults.

Liddle and Harkins admitted breaching a January 2001 injunction, that was binding on the whole world and imposed before Venables and Thompson were released.

The injunction prohibits the solicitation or publication of any information purporting to identify their physical appearance, whereabouts, movements or new identities.

Sir John Thomas, President of the Queen's Bench Division, and Mr Justice Tugendhat said Liddle, of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and Harkins, of Bridlington, East Yorkshire,  knew what they were doing was wrong and it was no excuse that others were doing it.

The action against the two defendants was brought by Attorney General Dominic Grieve.

He said the public interest required the injunction's enforcement to mitigate the "very real risk of serious physical harm or death" to anyone who might be identified, whether correctly or incorrectly, as being either of the killers.

More follows...

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M62 Crash: Hen Party Minibus Collision

A minibus carrying a group of women to a hen night has been involved in a motorway crash with a lorry leaving 17 injured and one dead.

Firefighters, paramedics and at least six air ambulances attended the scene of the collision on the M62 in Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

A number of casualties remained trapped in the wreckage of the minibus but have now been freed.

The collision happened on the M62 westbound, near junction 32. Yorkshire Ambulance said there were at least 17 injuries, some serious.

Some of the injured remained trapped in the minibus

Police said the accident had left the motorway closed in both directions and advised motorists to avoid the area.

One man - believed to be the driver of the lorry - has been arrested. The women in the minibus are believed to be from the local area.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Dave Walton said that firefighters had remarked that the crash was "the worst they had seen in a number of years".

Picture by driver Leon Butler

"The crews that arrived described to me a very difficult scene, some of them saying it was the worst they'd seen in a number of years and some very experienced fire officers have been attending this scene.

"However, they very quickly got to work and brought in a range of equipment including cutting and lifting equipment to effect as quick a rescue as we could of those casualties who were still in the vehicle."

Speaking at the scene Chief Inspector Mark Bownass, head of West Yorkshire Police's roads policing unit, said: "We believe the minibus at this time was heading to a hen party in Liverpool."

Map shows the scene of the crash

He said the casualties had been taken to numerous local hospitals.

Assistant Chief Constable Craig Guildford of West Yorkshire Police, added: "Anyone who is concerned about a family member or who has witnessed the collision itself is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police on 101 for information."

A spokeswoman for Yorkshire Ambulance said the alarm was raised at just after 11.30am this morning.

"Due to the scale of the incident we have enacted our major incident plan and dispatched a number of resources to the scene including ambulances, our hazardous area response team, doctors and air ambulance," the spokesman said.

The injured were taken to hospitals including Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield and Leeds General Infirmary.

One man who was stuck in traffic on the motorway tweeted: "Nine ambulances 4 fire engines and god knows how many police cars have gone past."

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Canadian Lynx: Big Cat Prowled UK Countryside

A big cat prowled the Devon countryside over a century ago - in the earliest case of such an animal being at large in Britain.

Scientists identified it as a Canadian lynx, a carnivorous predator more than twice the size of a domestic cat, after its remains were found in a museum's vaults.

The animal, thought to have escaped or been released from captivity, was shot by a landowner in Newton Abbot around 1903 after it killed two dogs, records show.

In recent years, there have been several sightings of mystery "beasts" including the so-called Beast of Bodmin - apparently a wild cat living in Cornwall.

Most of these claims are dismissed as misidentifications or hoaxes, but not this latest one.

The sightings have largely been blamed on the introduction of the 1976 Wild Animals Act, which curbed a growing fashion for exotic and potentially dangerous pets.

Some owners were thought to have freed their animals into the wild to avoid falling foul of the law.

The new research provides further evidence debunking this theory, say the experts.

They claim there is in fact a long history of big cats being at large in the UK. They add there is no evidence that such animals have been able to breed in the wild.

The lynx skeleton was recovered from an underground storeroom at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. It had been stuffed and its remains were preserved.

The skull of the big cat (Pic: Bristol Museum)

"This Edwardian feral lynx provides concrete evidence that although rare, exotic felids (cats) have occasionally been part of British fauna for more than a century," said lead researcher Dr Ross Barnett, from the University of Durham.

"The animal remains are significant in representing the first historic big cat from Britain."

Records also unearthed at the museum indicate the animal had originally been mislabelled by curators in 1903 as a Eurasian lynx - a close relative of the Canadian lynx.

Laboratory analysis of the Bristol specimen's bones and teeth suggest it had been kept in captivity long enough to develop severe tooth loss.

Dr Darren Nash, from the University of Southampton, co-authored the research published in the journal Historical Biology.

He said: "There have been enough sightings of exotic big cats which substantially pre-date 1976 to cast doubt on the idea that one piece of legislation made in 1976 explains all releases of these animals in the UK.

"It seems more likely that escapes and releases have occurred throughout history, and that this continual presence of aliens explains the 'British big cat' phenomenon."

Colleague Dr Greger Larson, from the University of Durham, said: "Every few years there is another claim that big cats are living wild in Britain, but none of these claims have been substantiated.

"It seems that big cats are to England what the Loch Ness monster is to Scotland.

"By applying a robust scientific methodology, this study conclusively demonstrates that at least one big cat did roam Britain as early as the Edwardian era, and suggests that additional claims need to be subjected to this level of scrutiny."

The lynx is now on public display at the Bristol Museum.

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Nationwide Drive To Boost MMR Vaccination

By Gamal Fahnbulleh, Sky News Reporter

One million children will be targeted in a measles vaccination drive across England as an outbreak in Wales continues to grow.

The aim is to prevent measles outbreaks by vaccinating as many unvaccinated and partially vaccinated 10 to 16 year olds as possible in time for the next school year.

The number of people infected with measles in southwest Wales has shot up by 78 in just five days, taking the total who have contracted the disease to 886.

A 25-year-old father-of-one from Swansea, who had the disease, died a week ago.

Experts believe around 330,000 children aged 10 to 16 years remain unvaccinated.

Mairead Flavin is a nurse at a GP surgery in Middlesex. She has seen an increase in the number of parents getting their children vaccinated and believes the message is getting through.

Gareth Williams, who had measles, died a week ago

"It's more standard practice now. Back in the day it wasn't. You had to do a lot of convincing and had to try to encourage parents to vaccinate their children. At this moment in time I think they're very anxious to have it done."

Experts believe the rise in measles cases can be mostly attributed to the proportion of unprotected 10-16 year olds who missed out on vaccination in the late 1990s and early 2000s when concern around the discredited link between autism and the vaccine was widespread.

Professor David Salisbury, director of immunisation at the Department of Health, said: "At the moment the hotspots in particular are in the North East and North West.

"That's quite different from where the vulnerability is and the vulnerability is all over the country. London is a real risk but we must be sure that any child anywhere in the country who has not had two doses of MMR gets vaccinated."

Dr Paul Cosford, Director for Health Protection at Public Health England, said: " We believe this national framework for a catch-up programme sets out an appropriate response to the situation in England, using the range of expertise and skills across the new public health system.

"Although nationally the numbers needing catch-up vaccination is quite large, the are relatively few in each local area.

"We are confident that local teams have the resources to identify and vaccinate those children most at risk, and the NHS has sufficient vaccine to cover the approaches described in the action plan."

The most effective time to vaccinate babies, Public Health England says, is at 13 months, with a booster follow up at three to provide 95% protection. A baby under the age of 12 months can be vaccinated if he or she comes into contact with a case of measles.

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Wootton Bassett Terror Plotter Jailed

A Muslim convert who plotted a terror attack on Royal Wootton Bassett has been jailed for six years.

Richard Dart, 30, who appeared in a BBC 3 documentary about Islam in 2011, had also planned to target members of the security services after receiving training at camps in Pakistan.

Dart, the son of Dorset-based teachers, was jailed at the Old Bailey with his co-conspirators Jahangir Alom, a former police community support officer, and Imran Mahmood.

Dart, who changed his name to Salahuddin al Britaini when he converted to Islam, was jailed for six years, Alom for four years and six months and Mahmood for nine years and nine months.

Mr Justice Simon told the trio they held "radical Islamist beliefs and have shown yourselves to be committed to acts of terrorism".

A surveillance image of Richard Dart and Imran Mahmood taken in London.

Dart, who was also formerly a BBC security guard, refused to stand when he was sentenced, saying: "I don't wish to stand up, I believe ruling and judging is only for Allah."

His extremist beliefs were exposed in the BBC television documentary made by his step-brother Rob Leech, called My Brother the Islamist, in which he is seen having close contact with the radical preacher Anjem Choudary.

Bearded Dart, who had only been a Muslim for six months at that point, declared: "I support the cause of jihad, that's part of being a Muslim."

Dart and Alom had travelled to Pakistan to get terrorist training and took advice from Mahmood who had already visited the country.

Dart and Mahmood discussed bomb-making and also that Royal Wootton Bassett, the military repatriation town, could be a potential target.

In fragments of computer conversations between Dart and Mahmood, which they attempted to hide by writing in Word documents and then deleting them, forensics experts discovered a reference to the town.

They had added: "If it comes down to it it's that or even just to deal with a few MI5 MI6 heads."

The trio admitted engaging in conduct in preparation of acts of terrorism between July 2010 and July last year at a hearing last month.

Hearses carrying the bodies of fallen soldiers move through Wootton Bassett

Mr Justice Simon said: "I'm satisfied to the required criminal standard that neither of you had ruled out an attack in the United Kingdom, and that you, Mahmood, were looking at arming yourself with a bomb."

Dart, 30, of  Ealing in west London, Mahmood, 22, of Northolt in west London, and Alom, 26, of Stratford in east London, had all been stopped at airports while travelling to and from Pakistan.

When Mahmood was stopped at Manchester in 2010, traces of explosives were found on two rucksacks that he had with him.

He later admitted that he had received rudimentary training in explosives while in Pakistan.

The three were arrested on July 5 last year just before the start of the Olympics.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, from the Met's counter-terrorism command, said: "These are dangerous men.

"Mahmood had received terrorist training in Pakistan and suggested he had knowledge of how to make home-made explosives, while Dart and Alom made great efforts to travel to Pakistan and aspired to seek training from terrorist groups there."

He added: "This case serves as a classic example of how terrorists live in our midst while preparing their acts and their determination to travel overseas to train before returning to the UK."

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'Devil' Rapist John Hinton Jailed Indefinitely

A "highly dangerous" man who raped a young girl and attacked three others in a single night of terror has been jailed indefinitely.

John Hinton, 23, who described himself as "the Devil", preyed on the girls near Central Park, Peterborough, in the early hours of June 5 last year.

Each was left fearing for her life, Peterborough Crown Court heard.

After raping the final victim, a 15-year-old girl who cannot be named for legal reasons, he asked her on a date and bragged about attacking two other women earlier that night.

John Lloyd-Jones QC, representing Hinton, described how his client had "extremely dark and disturbing fantasies".

Following his arrest, the court heard, he wrote dozens of pages of disturbing diary entries while being held in prison.

One said: "I still feel like killing and eating somebody. I'll catch the prey and tie her up."

Hinton went on to describe how he wanted to cut a victim up, send her body parts to her family and drink her blood.

Later he wrote: "I am the devil."

Describing the attacks, prosecutor Jonathan Seely said: "The defendant engaged in a series of serious sexual attacks on young women, culminating in the most serious rape and assault of a 15-year-old."

The attacks began shortly after midnight when Hinton assaulted two acquaintances before chasing one of them, pinning her to the ground and attempting to pull her clothes off.

He only fled when he was disturbed by residents living nearby, the court heard.

After attacking the two friends, Hinton followed another unnamed young woman.

"He approached her from behind and put a hand over her mouth," Mr Seely said.

"She started to scream out and yell 'rape'. He stopped and ran off when a vehicle passed by."

Mr Seely said that in the final incident, the girl had been walking alone when Hinton approached from behind and punched her to the ground.

Mr Seely said: "She fell unconscious and when she came round he told her to shut up or he would kill her and ordered her to come with him to the park.

"He threatened to slit her throat before he raped her. She believed if she tried to run away he would kill her. The attack lasted about 20 minutes."

Afterwards he showed her a magic trick and said he would like to start a relationship with her, Mr Seeley added.

Hinton, of Wesleyan Road, Peterborough, appeared in court via video link from HMP Peterborough after admitting rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, causing actual bodily harm and wounding and assault by beating at an earlier hearing.

Mr Lloyd-Jones said Hinton had been diagnosed with a personality disorder and posed a high risk to the public.

"This was one night of madness by somebody who has been a witness and victim of serious physical and sexual abuse as a child," he said.

Judge Nic Madge imposed an indeterminate sentence and said Hinton should serve at least six years in jail.

He said: "There is a serious risk of danger to the public by further offences by you. You will be released only when it is no longer necessary for you to be detained for the protection of the public."

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Hillsborough Disaster: Inquests Set For 2014

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

New inquests into the deaths of the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster will begin in early 2014.

At the pre-inquest hearing at the High Court, Lord Justice Goldring said he will not be able to set a firm date until June. 

The judge explained he needed time to consider where the inquests would take place and would announce his decision next week.

Relatives of the victims have fought for more than two decades to get the original inquest verdicts of accidental death quashed.

The High Court overturned the verdicts in December. New evidence of a police cover up in the aftermath of the crush was published in the Hillsborough Independent Panel report last September.

Relatives hold up a picture of Anne Williams with a photo of her son Kevin

About 30 relatives of the 96 Liverpool fans who died have travelled to London to be at the hearing. Family members who could not make the journey have been watching via videolink at Liverpool Crown Court. They would like fresh inquests to return verdicts of unlawful killing.

Opening the proceedings Lord Justice Goldring paid tribute to the families who he said "have not ceased in their pursuit of understanding the details of the events of that day".

Submissions have been heard from barristers representing the families, some of whom would like the inquests to take place in London while others say they would be unable to attend unless they were held with a commutable distance of Liverpool.

There was a gasp of horror from the families watching in Liverpool when Lord Justice Goldring said if he waited for criminal investigations to run their course the inquests would not begin for another two to three years.

He went on to say that the recent death of Anne Williams, whose son Kevin died at Hillsborough, was a reminder, if one were needed, of the urgency to proceed with the process.

Anne Williams, who died last week, lost her son Kevin at Hillsborough

Mrs Williams passed away last week after being diagnosed with terminal cancer last year. She had been one of the most prominent campaigners for fresh inquests into the deaths.

Meanwhile the police watchdog, the IPCC, has issued an update on its investigation into the Hillsborough disaster, describing it as "the biggest criminal and misconduct investigation ever conducted into the police in England and Wales".

It has confirmed it is seeking legal advice because a small number of organisations have been resisting disclosure of documents. However, it said it was unable to name the organisations in question.

It has managed to obtain in excess of 20,000 documents, including some from the Thatcher archive. Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister at the time of the Hillsborough disaster in 1991.

The IPCC is continuing to work through a long list of police officers who are believed to have some connection to the Hillsborough disaster. This includes a list of 1,444 from South Yorkshire Police, plus an additional list of around 400 people from about 30 other police and non-police organisations.

A fan looks at the memorial to those who died

It has confirmed it has already interviewed five retired officers from West Midlands Police. The force carried out the initial independent investigation into events at Hillsborough.

IPCC Deputy Chair, Deborah Glass, said: "It is six months since I announced our independent investigation into the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster.

"I am very aware that the recent 24th anniversary of the disaster, and the very sad deaths of John Glover and Anne Williams, remind us all of the impact of time passing, and that everyone affected wants to see timely progress.

"I explained at the time that this was the largest investigation ever undertaken by the IPCC - and the biggest criminal and misconduct investigation ever conducted into the police in England and Wales.

"I said that it would be conducted in phases with the first, focusing on laying the foundations, likely to take several months.

Liverpool fans remember those who died

"That foundation work is almost complete and we are now moving fully into the criminal and misconduct investigation phase. We have made great progress in the recovery of documentation, securing of resources including new premises, development of terms of reference and investigation plans.

"We have been developing our lines of enquiry alongside the review of the documentation and some police officers have now been interviewed.

"But this a huge and complex investigation which must be closely co-ordinated with the investigation into the deaths being led by Jon Stoddart, as well as the needs of the inquests.

"The coroner, Lord Justice Goldring, will hold the first pre-inquest hearing today and we have made it clear that we will be fully supportive of any decisions he makes on the procedure to be adopted at these inquests, including their timing.

"We have said that our investigation will take two years but we have not said that the inquests should be delayed as a result, and we will as necessary prioritise our investigative work to support the inquests. We will be reviewing our investigation plan after the hearing.

"I understand that our timescale may cause frustration.

"However in our correspondence and discussions to date with the families and survivors we have sought to explain the complexity of this investigation and that we and all the other organisations involved want to ensure the mistakes that have been made by inquiries into the disaster in the past are not repeated."

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Weather: Britain Set For Year's Hottest Day

Spring sunshine could see parts of the UK enjoy the country's hottest weather of the year so far - before plummeting temperatures and a sudden cold snap take hold.

Large swathes of east Wales and southern and eastern England have been basking in clear skies and bright sunshine, with 20.5C (68.9F) recorded at Frittenden in Kent on Tuesday.

And while temperatures will plunge by Friday, Wednesday is expected to be the warmest day yet of 2013.

Sky News Weather Producer Joanna Robinson said: "Southeast England looks to keep the warmth over the next few days, but there will be more in the way of cloud around than on Tuesday.

"Temperatures could reach 21C (69.8F) or 22C (71.6F) in the best of the sunny spells there, which would equal the highest temperature we've seen so far in 2013, in Manston and Gravesend on April 14."

But she added that the mercury could drop below double figures in many parts of the country later in the week.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the warmth will last into the weekend," she said.

"Rain will spread across south-east England on Thursday night, allowing the cooler air further north to set in.

"Friday and Saturday look to be fairly cold nationwide, with temperatures reaching a high of just 10C (50F) or 11C (51F) in the South East.

"Scotland and Northern Ireland will see temperatures around 8C (46.4F). It will feel even colder in the northerly wind and we'll also see the return of overnight frosts too.

"Spring is a changeable season so it's not unusual to see spells of warmth along with cold snaps."

Meanwhile, hay fever sufferers have received some good news as experts predicted a shorter hay fever season this summer.

Cold weather over recent months is thought to have delayed the release of silver birch and grass pollen.

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Eye Poster Puts Off Bike Thieves, Says Study

Bike thefts have been cut sharply at a university just by placing a poster of watchful eyes above the cycle racks, according to researchers.

The two-year experiment at Newcastle University was suggested by a security manager at the campus who had seen similar studies indicating that people behave better when they feel they are being watched.

Academics found that bike racks where the poster was present had 62% fewer thefts than the previous year, while those without the poster saw thefts rise by 63%.

For the first year, the team monitored the level of bike thefts from all racks across campus for a control figure.

They then placed the posters in three locations, leaving the rest of the racks without signs. Crime levels were monitored at all the sites for a year.

Professor Melissa Bateson and Professor Daniel Nettle, of the Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, and Ken Nott, of Newcastle University's security team, were behind the study.

"We don't know exactly what is happening here but this just adds to the growing evidence that images of eyes can have a big impact on behaviour," said Professor Nettle in the journal PLoS ONE.

"We think that the presence of eye images can encourage co-operative behaviour. One strong possibility is that the images of eyes work by making people feel watched. We care what other people think about us, and as a result we behave better when we feel we are being observed."

Mr Nott said: "I had followed previous work done by this team and thought it might be able to make a difference to levels of crime, so I decided to suggest this experiment.

"The results were clear and we have now put these pictures up across all the bike racks on the campus."

A 2006 study found that staring eyes made people pay almost three times as much into a tea-room honesty box.

And research in 2010 showed that people using a canteen were more likely to clear away their tray after a meal when there were eyes watching them.

The crime-fighting idea is now being tried by British Transport Police, with train company C2C, on a route between London's Fenchurch Street station and Southend in Essex.

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Motorist Admits Killing Couple On Tandem

By Isabel Webster, West Of England Correspondent

A driver has admitted killing a couple after mowing them down in his car as they rode their tandem.

Nicholas Lovell entered guilty pleas to causing the deaths of Ross Simons, 34, and his wife Clare, 30, in a crash in Hanham, near Bristol, on January 27 this year.

Lovell fled the scene of the crash, leaving his partner Louise Cox to give a false account of who was driving the vehicle to the officers.

Louise Cox owns the car driven by Lovell

He handed himself into police hours after the collision and was arrested.

The 38-year-old pleaded guilty at Bristol Crown Court to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one of driving while disqualified.

He spoke only to confirm his name and enter the guilty pleas during the 10-minute hearing.

Ross and Clare Simons died less than 24 hours after celebrating the news that they could undergo fertility treatment to start a family.

Friends described them as "two peas in a pod" and "the perfect couple".

Cox, who owns the Citroen Picasso driven by Lovell, has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

The 35-year-old from Bristol admitted providing police with a false name and description when she was asked to identify who had been driving her car.

The judge remanded Lovell in custody while Cox was released on police bail.

They will be sentenced on May 22.

Tributes left at the scene in Hanham

Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Williams, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "The pleas entered today by both Nicholas Lovell and Louise Cox reflect that both have taken some responsibility for the deaths of Ross and Clare.

"While these pleas will never bring Ross and Clare back, I hope they go some way to providing comfort for their families."

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Sun's Royal Editor Faces Misconduct Charge

The Sun's royal editor Duncan Larcombe is to be charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The CPS said that Mr Larcombe will be charged alongside John Hardy, who served as a Colour Sergeant at the Royal Military Training Academy at Sandhurst, and his wife Claire Hardy.

All three are to be charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office between February 9, 2006 and October 16, 2008, the CPS said.

The charges have come as a result of investigations under Operation Elveden, Scotland Yard's probe into alleged corrupt payments to public officials.

It is alleged that between February 10, 2006 and October 15, 2008, 34 payments were made to either John or Claire Hardy totalling more that £23,000, the CPS said.

Alison Levitt QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), said: "Following a careful review of the evidence, we have concluded that Duncan Larcombe, John Hardy and Claire Hardy should be charged with a conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

"Duncan Larcombe was employed as chief royal correspondent at The Sun, John Hardy served as a colour sergeant based at the Royal Military Training Academy in Sandhurst and Claire Hardy is his wife."

A fourth person, Tracy Bell, who was employed by the Ministry of Defence as a pharmacy assistant at Sandhurst Medical Centre, is also to be charged with misconduct in public office, Ms Levitt announced.

"It is alleged that Tracy Bell received £1,250 between October 17, 2005 and July 7, 2006 relating to five articles published in The Sun regarding matters at Sandhurst," Ms Levitt said.

All four defendants are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on May 8.

There is insufficient evidence to charge a second member of the public with any criminal offence, Ms Levitt added.

"These decisions were considered carefully in accordance with the DPP's guidelines on the public interest in cases affecting the media," she said.

"These guidelines require prosecutors to consider whether the public interest served by the conduct in question outweighs the overall criminality before bringing criminal proceedings."

The charges come as a former Surrey police officer became the latest person to be arrested under Operation Elveden, which is being supervised by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and is running in conjunction with phone-hacking inquiry Operation Weeting.

The 41-year-old man was arrested at 6am this morning at his home in Sussex on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, Scotland Yard said.

The arrest was the 62nd under Operation Elveden. Of those arrested so far, 13 people, including four former police officers, seven journalists and two other public officials, have or will face court action.

Last week Sun executive editor Fergus Shanahan, 58, from Dunmow in Essex, was charged with conspiring with a public official and a journalist to commit misconduct in a public office after allegedly authorising a journalist to make payments to a public official.

He is also due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on May 8.

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Luis Suarez Bite: 10-Game Ban For Striker

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has received a 10-game ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a game.

The player's club immediately released a statement saying it was "shocked and disappointed at the severity" of the Football Association's punishment, decided by an independent regulatory commission.

An FA statement said: "A three-person independent regulatory commission today upheld the FA's claim that a suspension of three matches was clearly insufficient and the player will serve a further seven first-team matches in addition to the standard three.

"The suspension begins with immediate effect."

Suarez has until midday on Friday to appeal the additional suspension.

Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre said in a statement: "Both the club and player are shocked and disappointed at the severity of today's Independent Regulatory Commission decision.

"We await the written reasons tomorrow before making any further comment."

Suarez was banned in 2011 for racist insults he directed at Patrice Evra

The 26-year-old had issued statements apologising to Ivanovic in the wake of the 2-2 draw at Liverpool's Anfield. The incident was missed by referee Kevin Friend but could be seen clearly on television replays.

Suarez was banned for seven matches in 2010 for biting PSV Eindhoven player Otman Bakkal while playing for Ajax in the Dutch league.

He was also suspended for eight games in December 2011 for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during a match.

The player has been repeatedly accused of diving to win penalties and free kicks, and was criticised after scoring a goal despite a blatant handball in an FA Cup tie this season against minor league Mansfield Town.

Many commentators have suggested that Suarez will leave English football in the summer following his latest controversy.

Liverpool are facing their fourth season outside the Champions League next year and the player recently said: "I am very happy at Liverpool but you never know in football.

"A player's ambition is always there, the ambition of wanting to play in elite teams is always there.

"If another team comes around with more prospects of competing in international club competition games, which is willing to have me, they are welcome."

More follows...

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Abandoned Baby Alia Was Alive When Born

A newborn baby found abandoned by dog walkers was not stillborn, police have revealed.

Detectives believe the girl, given the name Alia, lived for a short period of time after her birth.

They have released images of items which were recovered along with her body in the hope of tracing her parents.

The child was discovered shortly before 4.55pm on Thursday March 14 in Ox Hey Lane, Lostock, near Bolton, by a man and woman out walking their dog.

The cotton trousers found at the scene

She had been wrapped in clothing and placed inside a plastic bag, and there was a message requesting that she receive an Islamic burial.

Following discussions with the Bolton Council of Mosques, detectives named her Alia, meaning beautiful.

A specialist neonatologist has established that she was born alive and lived independently of her mother for up to two hours.

However, the cause of her death has yet to be established, as does her ethnicity.

Three items recovered along with her body included a Tesco bag, with the words "Please please bury him Islamic way please please" written on it in English

It is believed baby Alia was wrapped in a white shirt and cotton trousers and placed in this bag, which was in turn placed in a JD Sports bag.

A pair of three-quarter length, paint-stained cotton trousers were also found at the scene.

Detective Inspector Aaron Duggan, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "Despite the passage of time, our primary concern still remains the welfare of baby Alia's parents, in particular her mother.

"She was found almost six weeks ago and we still need to make sure both mum and dad are OK, both physically and mentally.

The JD Sports bag in which the Tesco bag was placed

"This will have been a traumatic experience for them, particularly if they are young."

DI Duggan added: "What we don't know, and what we are trying to establish, is how, where and when she died and when she was placed at Ox Hey Lane and by whom.

"I want people to think about someone that perhaps they knew or suspected was, up until recently, pregnant and, coupled with these images, now think they know who the mother or father is and to call us in confidence.

"I want to appeal to the parents directly to come forward, to talk to us and explain what happened to their daughter. I want to reassure them that specialist help is still available if required."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 5448, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Measles Cases Hit New High Of 886 In Wales

The number of people infected with measles has shot up by 78 in just five days, taking the total who have contracted the disease in southwest Wales to 886.

Public Health Wales (PHW) revealed the latest number of people affected as officials urgently called for more to get vaccinated.

The fresh call comes following the death of a 25-year-old father-of-one from Swansea, who had the disease.

PHW director of health protection Dr Marion Lyons warned the current epidemic is showing no signs of ending.

"There is still an urgent need to vaccinate more children if we are going to end this outbreak," she added.

More than a week ago people used drop-in centres for the MMR jab

"The hardest-hit age group is those between 10 and 18 so we would remind those young people and their parents that now is the time to be vaccinated.

"We have seen in the last few days that measles can be potentially fatal and no one should be complacent about the severity of measles.

"It can kill but can be prevented by a simple, safe vaccine."

PHW said its latest figures related to cases of measles between November 1 last year and April 22 this year.

Of that total, 712 have been in the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg area while 99 were in the Hywel Dda region and 75 in Powys' health board zone.

Typical symptoms of measles include fever, cough, conjunctivitis and a rash.

Complications are quite common even in healthy people, and about 20% of reported measles cases experience one or more complication.

These can include ear infections, vomiting and diarrhoea, pneumonia, meningitis and serious eye disorders.

Gareth Colfer-Williams died last week at his home

Before the introduction of the MMR jab in 1988, about half a million children caught measles each year in the UK. Approximately 100 of those died.

While the latest epidemic is centred on Swansea, cases have continued to be reported across Wales.

Last week, PHW revealed that tests are to be carried out on the body of Gareth Colfer-Williams, 25, who died at his home in Swansea on April 18.

While Mr Colfer-Williams had measles, officials are still trying to establish whether it was the disease that killed him.

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Becky Godden Murder: Mother's Plea To Killer

A mother whose daughter was murdered has pleaded with the man who led police to her daughter's remains to "come clean".

Karen Edwards urged taxi driver Christopher Halliwell to confess to killing Rebecca Godden, who was known as Becky.

Halliwell, 49, is serving life imprisonment after admitting murdering Swindon office worker Sian O'Callaghan, 22.

A narrative verdict was recorded at an inquest into Miss Godden's death on Tuesday.

Oxfordshire Coroner Darren Salter said it was likely that she had died an "unnatural and violent" death due to an "unlawful act of a third party".

Miss Godden, 20, who turned to prostitution after becoming addicted to heroin, was murdered and buried in a shallow grave on farmland in a Cotswold beauty spot.

Pathologists were unable to ascertain the cause of death due to the length of time between the body being buried and it being found.

The family of Miss Godden listened to detailed post-mortem reports about the state of her decomposed body. Her mother, Karen Edwards, cried as the court heard that her skull, arms and parts of her feet were missing. They have never been found.

Halliwell admitted her murder but was not charged because he had not been cautioned by the police.

Halliwell pleaded guilty to the murder of Sian O'Callaghan

Speaking after the inquest, Mrs Edwards appealed directly to the father-of-three.

"I feel that, as her mum, I will get to the root of this even if it's with the last breath in my body; I will get a conviction of some description," she said, fighting back tears.

"And I'd also like to appeal to Christopher Halliwell - this is your chance now. Come clean, please, please, what have you got to lose?

"My personal opinion, I don't think he's ever going to come out, so why not put everyone out of their misery?"

Mrs Edwards said: "What I would like to do today is appeal to anybody out there who knows anything at all - any tiny, tiny, little bit of evidence - anything that may help to convict Becky's murderer.

"Any tiny little thing and I would be eternally grateful... just please get in touch with the police.

"This is still very much an open murder investigation. The police are working very, very hard behind the scenes and I would like to think that I am working with them.

"I want Becky's murderer found and I want a conviction."

The inquest heard that the last positive sighting of Miss Godden, then aged 20, was by a police officer on December 27, 2002, in the Manchester Road area of Swindon.

Her family did not know where she was and thought she was living in the Bristol area.

It was not until police knocked on their door on what would have been her 29th birthday - April 4, 2011 - that they discovered the horrific truth.

She had broken off contact with her family after saying she could not put her mother through the pain of watching her succumb to drugs.

Her family had previously paid for private rehabilitation treatment in an effort to help her "get clean".

Detectives had been led to the field in Eastleach, Gloucestershire, by Halliwell in March 2011.

He had confessed to killing Miss Godden and Miss O'Callaghan, taking Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher to where he hid their bodies.

But Mr Fulcher's failure to follow the rules meant the murder charge in Miss Godden's case had to be dropped.

The hearing also heard that the police investigation remains open and officers are determined to bring Miss Godden's murderer to justice.

Detective sergeant Peter Ritson said police were working on the basis that Miss Godden died in either December 2002 or early 2003. He added that there was no known location for her death.

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Godolphin Trainer 'Sorry' Over Doping Scandal

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent

British racing is facing its biggest-ever doping scandal after 11 horses at one of the country's top racing stables tested positive for anabolic steroids.

Trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni will have to attend a disciplinary hearing and faces a lengthy ban from the sport after admitting administering the drugs at the Godolphin stables in Newmarket.

The positive tests at the stables owned by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum were revealed after spot tests on 45 horses by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

The animals who failed included Certify, the ante-post favourite for next month's 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, and 2012 Royal Ascot Gold Cup runner-up Opinion Poll.

Mr Al Zarooni admitted that he had administered two steroids but he claimed he did not know it was an offence to use the drugs when the horses were not racing.

In a statement, he said: "I deeply regret what has happened. I have made a catastrophic error.

"Because the horses involved were not racing at the time, I did not realise that what I was doing was in breach of the rules of racing.

"I can only apologise for the damage this will cause to Godolphin and to racing generally."

Sheikh Mohammed congratulating his jockey after winning the Dubai World Cup

The episode is deeply embarrassing for Godolphin's patron Sheikh Mohammed, who has invested hundreds of millions of pounds in British racing over the last 20 years.

His racing manager Simon Crisford said the findings marked a "dark day" for the stables.

"His Highness Sheikh Mohammed was absolutely appalled when he was told and this is completely unacceptable to him.

"We will await the outcome of the BHA inquiry before taking any further internal action.

"Sheikh Mohammed has instructed me to begin an urgent review of all of our procedures and controls. That is already underway and we will take advice from the BHA in completing it," he said.

It is highly unusual for performance-enhancing drugs to be revealed by doping tests in racing.

Most of the 25-30 positive tests revealed in an average year are for medication used in breach of the rules.

The samples were taken from the Godolphin stables in Moulton Paddocks, Newmarket, on April 9.

Seven horses were found to have ethylestranol in their system, and four the drug stanozolol, the steroid used by disgraced Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson at the Seoul Olympics.

Adam Brickell, director of integrity, legal and risk for the BHA, said: "Ethylestranol and stanozolol are anabolic steroids and therefore prohibited substances under British Rules of Racing, at any time - either in training or racing."

He added: "The horses which have produced positive tests will also not be permitted to race with immediate effect and for an extended period of time.

"As part of the ongoing process a decision will be made as to what period this suspension will be imposed for."

The National Trainers Federation's chief executive Rupert Arnold said he had been "shocked" by the test results.

"The Godolphin management, for whom Mr Al Zarooni trains, is a byword for the highest levels of professionalism, integrity and sportsmanship," he said.

"News reports so far suggest this case is an aberration and is not indicative of wider use of anabolic steroids in British horseracing.

"We fully endorse the British Horseracing Authority's testing in training regime and all efforts to prevent the use of any prohibited substance to gain an unfair advantage.

"Without wanting to diminish the seriousness of this case, in some ways it is a positive message that the presence of these substances was detected so the sport is kept clean."

The Godolphin stable was founded in 1992 and has won more than 2,000 races worldwide, with winners in 14 countries.

Mr Al Zarooni has trained a series of big-race winners since joining Sheikh Mohammed's operation three years ago.

They include the richest race in the world - the Dubai World Cup - with Monterosso last March, and then the St Leger at Doncaster with Encke in September.

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Qatada: New Court Blow For Theresa May

Court of Appeal judges have rejected the Government's bid to take their fight to deport Abu Qatada to the Supreme Court.

The ruling is the latest blow to Home Secretary Theresa May, who is battling to send the radical cleric back to Jordan to face terror charges.

Now the only avenue left is for the Home Office to appeal directly to the Supreme Court - which it immediately vowed to do.

A spokesman said: "We are disappointed with the Court of Appeal's decision but will now request permission to appeal directly from the Supreme Court.

"The Government remains committed to deporting this dangerous man and we continue to work with the Jordanians to address the outstanding legal issues preventing deportation."

Theresa May arriving for Cabinet on Tuesday

The normal process is to submit a permission to appeal application which would then be considered by three Supreme Court justices.

They would decide whether or not the application raised a point of law of general public importance.

The Government had been trying to launch an appeal after the Court of Appeal last month rejected the latest in a long line of attempts to deport the terror suspect.

In March, judges backed an earlier ruling by immigration judges that he could not be deported due to fears that evidence obtained through torture would be used against him.

Qatada, who featured in hate sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the 9/11 bombers, has for eight years thwarted every attempt by the Government to put him on a plane.

A resident in the UK since September 1993, he was returned to jail last month after he was arrested for alleged bail breaches.

A hearing over whether he should be granted bail again was due to be held last month, but was delayed.

Police searched Qatada's family home in London before he was held and have since said that he is being investigated over extremist material.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said Mrs May's strategy had "completely failed" and warned it could lead to Qatada being released.

"The Home Secretary must tell us urgently what she is going to do now to get Abu Qatada deported or tried, and keep him off our streets," she said.

"What is Theresa May going to do now? Is she going back to Jordan? Is she going to seek to prosecute Abu Qatada here instead? We need to know."

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Weather: Spring Sunshine As Temperatures Rise

Parts of the UK are set to bask in unseasonably warm temperatures this week - with the mercury expected to break the 20C mark.

The South East, East Anglia and the South West will receive a blast of spring sunshine on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

But while temperatures are forecast to soar well above the April average of 13C in the south, the rest of the UK will be stuck with colder weather and patchy rain.

Meteorologists say the north-south split is down to a frontal system.

Sky News weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "There will be some spring warmth this week, but it will be limited to southeast England and looks to be fairly short-lived too.

"Mild air will extend across southeast England allowing temperatures to reach about 21C by Wednesday. There will be a fair amount of cloud around, but sunny spells are likely.

"Elsewhere it will be cooler and more unsettled, with rain stalling over northern England, north Wales and the Republic of Ireland by the middle of the week."

She added that those in the warmer parts of the country should make the most of the midweek weather.

"Unfortunately it doesn't look like the warmth in the South East will last into the weekend, with rain on Friday allowing cooler air to set in," she said. 

"Saturday looks to be fairly cold nationwide, with temperatures reaching a high of just 10 or 11C in the South East.

"Scotland and Northern Ireland will see temperatures around 8C, but a strengthening northerly wind there will make it feel even colder.

"A patchy overnight frost can be expected too. 

"Spring is a changeable season so it's not unusual to see spells of warmth along with cold snaps."

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Luis Suarez: 'Anger Management' After Bite

Liverpool's Luis Suarez has been offered counselling after he apologised for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovich during a Premier League clash.

The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) said on Monday the Uruguayan will be approached over anger management counselling following the incident during the 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday.

The striker, 26, revealed on his personal Twitter account that the club has fined him for the altercation.

He wrote: "For my unacceptable behaviour yesterday the club has fined me today, I have asked the club to donate money to the Hillsborough Family Support Group for the inconvenience I have created to the Liverpool fans and to Ivanovich."

The striker also used Twitter to apologise around three hours after the final whistle blew on the game.

He wrote: "I'm sad for what happened this afternoon, I apologise Ivanovic and all football world for my inexcusable behaviour. I'm so sorry about it!!"

Suarez revealed on his Twitter page he had been fined by Liverpool

In a statement issued through his club, he added: "I have issued an apology and have tried to contact Branislav Ivanovic to speak to him personally.

"I apologise also to my manager, playing colleagues and everyone at Liverpool Football Club for letting them down."

The FA says it will review match footage - seen by millions of television viewers - that shows Suarez biting the Chelsea defender on the arm.

A spokesman told Sky News: "We will speak to match officials today and review any report in relation to the matter and decide on an appropriate course of action."

The spokesman added that the FA "governance team" were looking at the incident and any video footage would be "very important" to that process.

Merseyside Police confirmed officers had spoken to Ivanovich after the game and he did not wish to make a complaint.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers told Suarez the bite was 'unacceptable'

Cameras captured the striker appearing to sink his teeth into his opponent's upper arm during the second half.

Ivanovic remonstrated with referee Kevin Friend following the incident and the match official briefly spoke to Suarez before allowing the game to continue.

The match ended 2-2, with Liverpool's controversial star - who is a contender for this year's player of the season awards - scoring an equaliser in the dying seconds.

In a later Twitter message, Suarez said he had spoken to Ivanovic and his apology had been accepted.

He wrote: "I've just spoken to Ivanovic on the phone and I could apologise directly to him. Thanks for accepting."

A Chelsea spokesman said: "Luis Suarez called Branislav Ivanovic this evening. Branislav appreciated the call and his apology."

Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre, who cancelled a trip to Australia to deal with the fallout from the incident, said on Monday the incident would have no bearing on his future at the club.

He told liverpoolfc.com: "It affects his future in the sense that we have to work with him on his discipline - but Luis is a very important player to the club.

Suarez said he spoke directly to Branislav Ivanovic after the incident

"As we keep saying, he signed a new four-year contract last summer and we'd all love to see him here throughout that contract.

"He's a fantastic player, top scorer and everything we'd want in a striker, so there's no change there.

"This is more about getting him back on the right track and it's largely down to (manager) Brendan (Rodgers) now to work with him on that side of his character."

Brendan Rodgers added: "Having reviewed the video footage and spoken to Luis, his behaviour is unacceptable and I have made him aware of this."

Speaking on Sky Sports, former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness said the Uruguayan striker had "crossed a line".

He said: "I'm not sure what to make of it. Embarrassing. He's making it very difficult for himself to stay at Liverpool, that puts him in the last chance saloon.

"Most important is safeguarding the good name of the football club. Liverpool are world renowned. People will be talking about this for a long, long time, and it will show Liverpool in a very bad light.

Suarez's new Twitter follower: Tyson, who took chunk out of his challenger

"This is not the first time he has bitten someone in the football match. He is risking everything this great club stands for. I've never seen something like that in a football match before.

"There are lines you just can't cross, and he has crossed it today."

PFA chief Gordon Taylor said the union would offer the striker help to deal with his temper.

He said: "There is no doubting his football ability, that's why it is so disappointing and embarrassing when he lets himself down.

"We have to work hard on anger management now. We have trained counsellors in this field and we will be offering their services to Liverpool and the player to try and improve matters."

But Marseille's Joey Barton took to Twitter to urge Liverpool to back their player.

He wrote: "Suarez is a good as a player as there is in world football at the minute. Yes, he's messed up and shouldn't have bitten another player but a player like him has to play right on the edge.

"Without it he wouldn't be the talent he is. LFC would be mad not to back him IMO. If they don't I'm sure the queue of Champions League clubs would stretch round the block."

It is the second biting incident in Suarez's career. He served a seven-match ban in the Netherlands while at Ajax after biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal.

Meanwhile, Suarez has found a new brother in arms in former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, who famously bit the ear of opponent Evander Holyfield.

According to Tyson's profile page on Twitter, he made Suarez his 432nd and most recent follow.

Tyson took a chunk out of Holyfield's right ear in the third round of a bout in Las Vegas in June 1997, after which Holyfield, nicknamed the 'Real Deal', became known as the 'Meal Deal'.

Tyson was disqualified from the fight and fined $3m (£1.9m).

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Tube Woman's 'Racist' Rant Caught On Camera

A YouTube clip which appears to show a woman hurling racial abuse at a man on a Tube train is being investigated by police.

A fellow passenger filmed the foul-mouthed tirade, which is believed to have happened on an eastbound District Line train as it passed through Stepney Green and Mile End stations.

The woman can be heard shouting and swearing at the man throughout the three-minute clip.

A fellow passenger filmed the confrontation

At one point she gets up from her seat and makes obscene gestures towards him.

Detective Constable Lawrence Murphy, of British Transport Police, said: "We have isolated images of a woman we believe may be able to help us with our investigation.

"At this stage, we urge anyone who witnessed this incident, or who recognises the woman, to get in touch and help us build up a full picture of exactly what took place.

The woman gets up from her seat and leans over the man

"We treat all allegations of racism very seriously and urge anyone with information about this incident to contact us."

British Transport Police were alerted to the video when it was uploaded to the internet earlier this month.

However, detectives have been since been shown another version of the clip that was first shared in November 2010.

The investigation comes almost a year after Jacqueline Woodhouse, from Romford, Essex, was jailed for ranting at passengers on a Central Line train.

She pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault and was sentenced to 21 weeks in prison.

:: Anyone with information should contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Chris Huhne Faces £108,000 Costs Bill

Disgraced former Cabinet minister Chris Huhne and his ex-wife Vicky Pryce are expected to be freed on electronic tags next month.

The pair could be free as early as May 3 after serving just a quarter of their eight-month prison sentences for perverting the course of justice over a speeding offence in 2003.

Their imminent release emerged as it was revealed Huhne is facing a claim to pay more than £100,000 in prosecution costs over the penalty points swap.

Prosecutors are demanding a total of £108,541.15 from the ex-energy secretary, who fought for months to have the case against him thrown out.

After his attempts failed, Huhne - on the day his trial was due to start - finally admitted giving penalty points to Pryce in a bid to avoid prosecution.

Pryce continued to protest her innocence but was eventually convicted after a retrial when a jury rejected her insistence she was coerced into taking the points.

Huhne's girlfrend Carina Trimingham was at the costs hearing (file pic)

During the first trial and then a second, it was revealed that she exposed the swap herself out of revenge after Huhne left her for another woman.

The mother-of-five, who has three children with the politician, admitted to a journalist that she wanted to "nail him" for walking out on their 26-year marriage.

Their identical prison sentences in March completed the drama started by the infidelity of a top Lib Dem once tipped as a future party leader.

Huhne was allowed out of prison for the costs hearing on Monday and was supported in the public gallery by his father and girlfriend Carina Trimingham.

Southwark Crown Court his legal team had offered to pay £25,000 towards the case but prosecutor Andrew Edis QC insisted the six-figure claim was "just and reasonable".

He said: "All of this occurred because Mr Huhne decided to do everything he could to try and get away with what he had done and gave in only at the last minute when defeat was inevitable.

Vicky Pryce outside court before she was jailed

"This was essentially predominantly caused by Mr Huhne's decision to make two applications - first to apply to dismiss on the grounds of insufficiency of evidence and secondly to apply to stay the proceedings as an abuse of process."

He said an "enormous amount of work" was done by the Crown Prosecution Service, counsel, and the police because of Huhne's assertions.

The former politician's barrister John Kelsey-Fry QC argued that it was "simply unjust and unreasonable" to expect him to pay "every single possible penny that anybody could think of".

"In our view, a reasonable, indeed arguably generous, but reasonable figure which we would have been prepared to offer had the door not been closed on the day of sentence, would be £25,000," he said.

Pryce, who was found guilty of perverting the course of justice at a re-trial and also given an eight-month jail sentence, was not in court for the costs hearing.

The CPS is seeking a total of £48,695.56 from the former top economist and her legal team are in the process of agreeing how much she should be liable to pay.

The amounts could increase slightly to include the cost of the latest hearing.

Mr Justice Sweeney is expected to make a ruling in the case next week.

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Paedophile Hunting Group Leads To Arrests

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky Reporter

A group of parents who aim to trap potential paedophiles by posing as teenagers online has told Sky News it is providing a valuable service.

The mothers and fathers from the Midlands have set up around 80 fake profiles on Facebook, chatrooms and dating websites pretending to be underage girls. 

They then collect information about possible sex offenders and arrange to meet them.

Instead of a teenage girl turning up, the target is confronted by a team of adults, a video camera and a dossier of the alleged offences.

Police have confirmed that four arrests have been made as a result of the video evidence gathered by the group.

They have confronted individuals in Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire.

The leader of the group, known as 'Scumm Buster', told Sky News he had set up the group in January after finding out a friend had been abused as a child.

He said all the members had children and wanted to keep them safe.

He added that the group had approached police to make sure they were gathering the right kind of evidence to help prosecutions.

When asked whether their actions were counterproductive, Scumm Buster said: "We know we are ruining people's lives, but they don't seem to care that they are ruining children's lives."

But police forces have warned the activities could interfere with criminal proceedings.

In a statement, Leicestershire Police said: "The main focus of any paedophile investigation has to be the victim - protecting the victim, getting justice for the victim.

"Unfortunately, these kinds of public naming and shaming activities can actually have a negative effect on victims of child abuse.

"While we understand the strong feelings that motivate this kind of activity, it can seriously affect the chances of success in court, preventing victims from getting justice and increasing the chances of offenders walking free.

"The best thing people can do, if they have evidence of child abuse or paedophile activity, is report it to the police, Crimestoppers or the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) so that we can conduct a thorough investigation and make sure measures are put in place to ensure the safety of any potential victims."

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Waterloo Good, But Not UK's Greatest Battle

Waterloo and the D-Day landings have lost the title of Britain's greatest battle to a vital - but lesser known - clash against the Japanese in World War Two.

The Battle of Imphal and the simultaneous Battle of Kohima saw British Empire troops fight Japanese forces in horrendous jungle conditions in northeast India in 1944.

Imphal/Kohima was picked over the more celebrated land battles in a contest organised by the National Army Museum in London.

Rorke's Drift in the 1879 Zulu War and the Battle of Aliwal in the Anglo-Sikh War in Punjab in 1846 brought up the rear.

"Great things were at stake in a war with the toughest enemy any British army has had to fight," historian Robert Lyman said of Imphal/Kohima.

Gurkhas supported by an M3 Grant tank advance along the Imphal/Kohima road

If Lieutenant General William Slim's army of British, Indian, Gurkha and African troops had lost, the consequences for the Allies would have been catastrophic, he said.

The criteria of the contest included the battles' political and historical impact, the challenges the troops faced, and the strategy and tactics employed.

Waterloo had topped an online poll which produced a list of 20 land battles fought since the English Civil War. The top five were then debated at the museum before going to an audience vote.

The winner was something of a surprise given the enduring prominence of Waterloo and D-Day/Normandy in Britain.

The troops who fought in India and Burma in World War Two called themselves The Forgotten Army.

Rorke's Drift saw just over 150 troops fight off up to 4,000 Zulu warriors

The Battle of Imphal/Kohima took place in 1944 in Nagaland when Japanese troops poured over the Burmese border to strike at India.

Fought over a vast area of jungle and mountain, it was marked by vicious hand-to-hand fighting.

The successful British defence meant they were then able to push into Burma and roll back the Japanese from mainland Asia.

"The victory was of a profound significance because it demonstrated categorically to the Japanese that they were not invincible," said Mr Lyman.

"This was to be very important in preparing the entire Japanese nation to accept defeat."

Saving Private Ryan depicted the US view of the Normandy landings

He ranked it with Midway, El Alamein and Stalingrad as the main turning point battles of World War Two.

His adversary in the debate, former Parachute Regiment Colonel Stuart Tootal, argued a strong case for the D-Day landings and subsequent Battle for Normandy against Nazi Germany in 1944.

Although movies such as Saving Private Ryan have highlighted the US role in the campaign, the operation was under the command of Britain's Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery.

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