GCHQ Spies 'Tap Fibre Optic Cables For Data'

British spies have secretly accessed fibre-optic cables carrying huge numbers of emails, Facebook messages and other communications, according to The Guardian.

Documents given to the newspaper by US whistleblower Edward Snowden suggest eavesdropping agency GCHQ can analyse data from the network of cables that carry global phone calls and internet traffic under an operation codenamed Tempora.

The newspaper said data had been shared with the organisation's US counterpart, the National Security Agency.

GCHQ, in Cheltenham, refuses to comment on intelligence matters but insisted it was "scrupulous" in complying with the law.

It is the latest in a string of leaks from Mr Snowden, who has told The Guardian he wants to expose "the largest programme of suspicionless surveillance in human history".

The newspaper said there were two principal components to the agency's surveillance programme, called Mastering the Internet and Global Telecoms Exploitation.

The paper claimed Operation Tempora had been running for 18 months.

GCHQ and the NSA can access communications including recordings of phone calls and a user's entire internet history, the documents suggest - and their scans apparently entirely innocent people as well as specific suspects.

Edward Snowden has been charged with espionage

Mr Snowden, who fled the US for Hong Kong after deciding to reveal the NSA's secrets, told the paper: "It's not just a US problem. The UK has a huge dog in this fight," he said.

"They (GCHQ) are worse than the US."

The Guardian reported that GCHQ lawyers told US counterparts there was a "light oversight regime" in Britain compared with America.

The newspaper said the documents revealed that by last year GCHQ was handling 600 million "telephone events" each day, had tapped more than 200 fibre-optic cables and was able to process data from at least 46 of them at a time.

The intelligence gathered is understood to have led to a number of high-profile arrests and convictions, including a terror cell in the Midlands. It is also claimed to have led to the arrest of London-based individuals planning attacks prior to last year's Olympic Games.

A source close to the intelligence agencies told Sky News' Political Correspondent Sophy Ridge that GCHQ scanned data for possible indications of a threat to national security, and that most of the information is not looked at in detail.

The work is legal and subject to ministerial scrutiny, the source said.

Ridge said: "At the same time this is of course going to reignite the big debate over the balance between protecting national security and making sure that people's personal details aren't compromised."

Privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch's director Nick Pickes said: "If GCHQ have been intercepting huge numbers of innocent people's communications as part of a massive sweeping exercise, then I struggle to see how that squares with a process that requires a warrant for each individual intercept. This question must be urgently addressed in Parliament."

A GCHQ spokeswoman said: "Our intelligence agencies continue to adhere to a rigorous legal compliance regime."

US authorities have filed espionage charges against Mr Snowden, a former CIA technician who formerly worked for the NSA, and have asked Hong Kong to detain him.

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Motorway Speed Limit Plans Put In Slow Lane

Plans to raise the motorway speed limit to 80mph have been moved into the slow lane after it was decided the idea was "not a priority".

The policy change was proposed in 2011 by then Transport Secretary Philip Hammond but his successor, Patrick McLoughlin, is said not to share his enthusiasm.

Mr Hammond claimed the 70mph limit, introduced in 1965, had been "discredited" and a rise to 80mph would boost the economy.

But the idea has been condemned by road safety groups and Downing Street reportedly feared raising the speed limit would alienate women voters.

In an interview with The Times, Mr McLoughlin said the policy was not a priority: "You would have to do trials in certain areas so it's not something that's a high priority."

A source close to the Transport Secretary told the newspaper: "This is not going to happen with Patrick McLoughlin as Transport Secretary.

"Safety is paramount to him and his view of how to run the roads and he would not be confident about how you would do it."

A Department for Transport spokesman confirmed that Mr McLoughlin's reported remarks were correct.

The plans have not been completely abandoned, but are no longer a priority, said the spokesman.

Mr Hammond announced the plan at the 2011 Tory party conference, saying the 70mph limit had resulted in millions of motorists routinely breaking the law.

The 70mph speed limit was first introduced in the 1960s

He said: "The limit was introduced way back in 1965 - when the typical family car was a Ford Anglia."

He claimed a rise to 80mph would "restore the legitimacy" of the system and benefit the economy by "hundreds of millions of pounds".

But last year campaign groups estimated that raising the motorway speed limit to 80mph would cost society an extra £1bn a year, including £766m in fuel bills and more than £62m in health costs.

The groups, which include road safety charity Brake, the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) and Greenpeace, also estimated that the higher limit would lead to 25 extra deaths and 100 serious injuries a year, as well as 2.2 million more tonnes of carbon emissions.

However, Neil Greig, director of policy and research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "Once again we are getting confused messages from the Department for Transport on this issue.

"With a little imagination and some investment the Dutch have shown that you can have a safe 80mph limit on the best parts of the motorway network.

"What Patrick McLoughlin has learned from Holland, however, is that the policy was not as popular as the politicians thought it would be and they promptly lost the next election."

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "The real stumbling block is likely to have been enforcement.

"Police already tend to give speeding drivers some leeway, so it was quite feasible that an 80 mph limit would have actually meant 90 mph in practice and that proved a step too far for ministers."

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Lansley Was Warned Of Baby Deaths In 2010

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

A former Health Secretary was warned about a cover up over baby deaths at a hospital in Cumbria three years ago.

Andrew Lansley received a letter from James Titcombe whose son Joshua died aged just nine days at Furness General Hospital.

In the letter, written on June 4, 2010, Mr Titcombe raises concerns about regulatory bodies, including the hospitals watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

He writes: "Despite all of these regulatory bodies, Joshua's death was preceded by the preventable deaths of other babies, yet no action was taken in time to make a different (sic) to our son."

He continues, "...there seems to be a gap in that the CQC can not investigate individual events and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman do not assess complaints to their office against principles of patient safety".

"In order to save lives in the NHS and react more quickly when things go wrong it is clear to me that the system in place at the moment needs to change," said Mr Titcombe.

Current Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt (L) with Andrew Lansley

He received a response from a Department of Health official on June 15, 2011, stating that "the Department of Health is unable to comment on individual cases and therefore the Secretary of State is not able to intervene personally on your behalf".

Hospital watchdog officials have been accused of a cover-up for allegedly deleting a report which showed they had failed to investigate properly a series of baby deaths.

James Titcombe and other families who lost babies at the hospital are now calling for a police investigation and an independent inquiry to establish who knew about the alleged cover-up.

Mr Titcombe told Sky News he believes the CQC may have been under pressure from senior health officials not to uncover another big hospital scandal.

He added: "What's important now is that there is really a forensic examination of possibly the Department of Health's involvement, what ministers knew at the time, what David Nicolson (head NHS England) knew at the time ... these are really important questions."

He said that there was evidence, for example, that people who worked in the CQC at the time believed that the organisation was "dancing to the tune of the Department of Health".

An extract from James Titcombe's letter to Andrew Lansley

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Concerns about the capability of the CQC were raised with the Department on a number of occasions by different sources, including Mr Titcombe.

"The Department of Health launched a Performance and Capability Review into the CQC which commenced in October 2011. In February 2012, the review concluded and the Chief Executive of the CQC resigned.

"We apologise to Mr Titcombe for not keeping him updated on this process."

Meanwhile the Conservative MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, David Morris, has written to Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary.

Andy Burnham was Health Secretary under Labour until May 2010

Mr Burnham was Health Secretary until Labour lost the General Election in May 2010.

In his letter Mr Morris asks Mr Burnham: "How much 'pressure' did you put on the CQC to 'tone down' its criticism of hospitals? You were the Labour Secretary of State for Health, when the first whitewash inspection of the Morecambe Bay NHS trust occurred in the spring of 2010. This was a crucial pre-election season for you.

"The Chair of the CQC at the time, Baroness Young, later said that Health Ministers - including you, who she specifically named when giving evidence on MidStaffs – had put the regulator under 'pressure' to 'tone down' criticism of hospitals around that period.

"What was she referring to? What is your recollection of these events? Do you now regret your role in suppressing NHS whistleblowers on early 2010?"

He has also requested that Mr Burnham make public any emails, texts and letters in which the CQC was discussed and detail conversations he had with Cynthia Bower, the former head of the CQC, before the hospital was given a clean bill of health.

A Labour spokesperson said: "This is a shocking cover-up on this Government's watch and they're clearly more interested in blaming others.

"David Morris will have a full answer later today and he'll be told in no uncertain terms that he should stop peddling these baseless and groundless allegations.

"People will see it for what it is - a political smokescreen to divert attention from Government and Andrew Lansley.

"Both this week's report and the three-year Mid Staffs inquiry found no evidence of Ministerial pressure."

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Harwich Ferry Crash: 500 Stuck On Board

Almost 500 passengers are stuck on board a ferry after it hit a quay in Essex and started to let in water.

The Sirena Seaways ferry struck the quay at Parkeston near Harwich just after midday, but the water it was taking on was "quickly stopped", said Thames Coastguard.

The master of the ferry is currently in talks with engineers, coastguard and the harbour authority about how they will tow the vessel into the harbour.

There are no reported injuries to the 489 passengers, who are still on board, and no reported pollution.

The vessel will be moved and its ramps lowered, to allow the passengers to exit.

The ferry was pictured tilted to one side after the crash (Pic: Alex Dace)

A spokeswoman for Thames Coastguard said: "We got contacted just after midday today.

"We were told that the Sirena Seaways had struck the quay at Parkeston and was taking on water but that was quickly stopped."

The master of the ferry sorted the water issue, the spokeswoman said.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said that "no-one is trapped" and "there are no casualties", but said there has been "damage to the ship under the water line".

The service said: "Firefighters were sent to assist at the scene while the ship's own crew plugged the hole from inside and built a compartment with water tight doors to stem the leak as part of regular safety precautions.

Almost 500 passengers are currently on board the ferry (Pic: Alex Dace)

"The passengers and their vehicles are still on board but in no danger and the vessel will shortly be re-berthed so that they can continue their journey."

Terry Jewell, station officer, said: "This is one of the regular ferries that comes into Harwich and as it docked it hit the side of the quay making a hole under the water line.

"The ship is stable now and we are standing by as a precaution while the vessel is moved so that ramps can come down and passengers can leave."

Sirena Seaways is part of the ferry operator DFDS Seaways which travels to France, Holland and Denmark.

DFDS Seaways said in a statement: "There is no danger to passengers or crew, and we are working hard to disembark the passengers and vehicles from the ferry as quickly as possible."

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Football Streaming Website Faces Legal Action

Internet service providers in the UK could be forced to block a Swedish-based website which streams live football matches.

The Premier League is in the process of requesting a court order that would make ISPs effectively ban their customers from accessing www.FirstRow1.eu.

The planned legal action by the football governing body follows moves made by the music and film industries.

They have successfully blocked websites which offer the opportunity to download copyrighted material, such as Pirate Bay, under Section 97 of the 1988 Copyright, Design and Patent Act.

The Premier League has agreed a new worldwide television deal worth around £5.5bn over three years, starting with the new season.

BT has paid £246m to the Premier League for three years and BSkyB, the parent company of Sky News, has invested £760m in its football coverage for the next three seasons.

The Premier League has written to the major UK ISPs, which also include Virgin Media and TalkTalk, to outline its plans to apply for a court order to block www.FirstRow1.eu.

The proposals are expected to be put forward by the end of the month.

Should the court order be granted, the ISPs would then have to contest the application, or comply and restrict access.

It is understood that indications are the ISPs have no plans to go against any such application.

The Premier League has for many years monitored various websites during live matches and enforced the removal of any streaming content which breaches copyright.

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Hunt: NHS 'Caused 3,000 Deaths' Last Year

Around 3,000 NHS patients died needlessly last year because of poor care, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.

He also confirmed that nearly 500,000 people were harmed unnecessarily as he called on the NHS to end the "silent scandal of errors".

Mr Hunt's words came amid allegations that top bosses at the Care Quality Commission were involved in a cover-up of its failure to investigate a spate of baby deaths.

In a speech at University College London Hospitals, Mr Hunt revealed that 325 "never events" were recorded last year - incidents so unacceptable that they should never happen.

He said the UK has become "so numbed to the inevitability of patient harm that we accept the unacceptable" and called for a more open culture where errors are constantly revealed and reduced.

Mr Hunt said: "The facts are clear. Last year there were nearly half a million incidents that led to patients being harmed, and 3,000 people lost their lives while in the care of the NHS.

"It is time for a major rethink - a different kind of culture and leadership, where staff are supported to do what their instincts and commitment to patients tell them.

"We must make sure that patients know where the buck stops and who is ultimately responsible for their care.

The CQC failed to investigate deaths and injuries at Furness General

"And above all, we must listen more to NHS staff, so we can design systems that encourage them to act safely whatever pressures they face."

Concerns were first raised about the Morecambe Bay NHS Trust in 2008, but in 2010 the CQC gave it a clean bill of health.

Mr Hunt said the CQC's decision to reveal the names of three managers who were present when the deletion of a critical review of the watchdog's inspections there was discussed is a sign that the culture is changing.

In his speech, Mr Hunt added: "In the wake of Mid Staffs, Morecambe Bay and many other shocking lapses in care, we must ask ourselves whether we, along with other countries, have become so numbed to the inevitability of patient harm that we accept the unacceptable."

The Health Secretary called for the NHS to become the "world's safest health system" and a return to the days when the name of the responsible doctor and nurse were clearly written above every hospital bed.

Figures for 2011/12 show 70 patients as having received "wrong site" surgery, where the wrong part of the body or even the wrong patient was operated on, and 41 people were given incorrect implants or prostheses.

Despite such failings, health officials said the NHS tops a comparison on patient safety, beating France, Germany, Sweden, Norway and the US.

It sees nearly three million people every week and around 0.4% of those appointments ended up with incidents of harm while 0.003% ended with a person's death.

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Google Threatened With Criminal Proceedings

Internet giant Google has been threatened with criminal proceedings if it does not destroy personal data collected from wifi networks.

The internet giant has been handed an enforcement notice by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) after further personal data unlawfully collected by its Street View cars was discovered last year.

The watchdog has demanded that it destroy four discs containing information it took from unsecured wifi networks.

It discovered the extra information on four disks in July 2012 and told Google not to take action until it had carried out an investigation.

Google had previously pledged to destroy all data collected in this manner - but admitted last year that it had "accidentally" retained the additional discs.

The ICO carried out its investigation and on reaching its conclusion, on Friday morning issued its enforcement notice.

The ICO has warned Google that failure to comply with the legal order will be considered as contempt of court, which is a criminal offence.

A statement from the ICO said an investigation found that the collection of payload data by the company was the result of procedural failings and a serious lack of management oversight, including checks on the code behind the software.

But, it added, the investigation also found there was insufficient evidence to show that Google intended, on a corporate level, to collect personal data.

Stephen Eckersley, ICO Head of Enforcement, said: "Today's enforcement notice strengthens the action already taken by our office, placing a legal requirement on Google to delete the remaining payload data identified last year within the next 35 days and immediately inform the ICO if any further disks are found.

"Failure to abide by the notice will be considered as contempt of court, which is a criminal offence." 

"The early days of Google Street View should be seen as an example of what can go wrong if technology companies fail to understand how their products are using personal information.

"The punishment for this breach would have been far worse, if this payload data had not been contained."

The ICO's decision followed the reopening of its investigation into the Google Street View project in April last year.

The decision followed the publication of a report by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which raised concerns around the actions of the engineer who developed the software previously used by the cars, and his managers.

The ICO added that its investigation into whether Google's privacy policy complies with the Data Protection Act is on-going.

This investigation is part of coordinated action by data protection regulators across Europe, to assess whether Google's latest privacy policy clearly explains how individuals' personal information is being used across the company's products and services.

The ICO said it would shortly be writing to Google to confirm its preliminary findings.

Google says it has every intention of complying with the order to destroy the disks.

A Google spokesman said: "We work hard to get privacy right at Google. But in this case we didn't, which is why we quickly tightened up our systems to address the issue.

"The project leaders never wanted this data, and didn't use it or even look at it.

"We cooperated fully with the ICO throughout its investigation, and having received its order this morning we are proceeding with our plan to delete the data."

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Jeremy Forrest Jailed For Five And A Half Years

A teacher who fled to France with his pupil and spent a week on the run has been jailed after admitting five counts of sexual activity with a child.

Jeremy Forrest, who was convicted by a jury yesterday of abducting the schoolgirl, pleaded guilty to the additional charges and was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison.

During his trial, the prosecution labelled him a "paedophile" and said he "groomed" the vulnerable teenager.

The 30-year-old insists he still loves the youngster, who broke down in tears and told him she was "sorry" as he was found guilty of her abduction.

She did not attend court for his sentencing but in a victim statement her mother said she had been "robbed" of her childhood.

"I feel like the worst mother in the world," she said. "Someone has got my child and I never saw it coming."

Forrest is led onto a plane to be extradited from France last October

Passing sentence, the judge at Lewes Crown Court said Forrest "chose to ignore the cardinal rule of teaching" by starting a sexual relationship with the teenager shortly after her 15th birthday.

"Your behaviour in this period has been motivated by self-interest and has hurt and damaged many people - her family, your family, staff and pupils at the school and respect for teachers everywhere," Michael Lawson QC said.

"It has damaged you too but that was something you were prepared to risk. You now have to pay that price."

He added: "I have seen nothing in the evidence which shows that at any stage you tried to provide proper boundaries between yourself and her, to discourage her, or let other staff deal with the matter appropriately.

"Indeed all the evidence shows that you encouraged her infatuation and provided opportunities for her to communicate with you and be alone with you."

Forrest arrived back in the UK with his head covered

Rumours of Forrest's relationship with the teenager surfaced in February last year, when the pair were spotted holding hands during a flight on a school trip to Los Angeles.

The girl, now 16, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted having a crush on Forrest, who taught at Bishop Bell Church of England School in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

They exchanged flirty text messages, tweets and photographs but denied any wrongdoing when pressed by the school.

Fearing their relationship was about to be exposed when police were alerted last September, Forrest abducted the youngster and took her on a cross-Channel ferry to France, where they spent a week on the run.

The couple dyed their hair, assumed false names and dropped a mobile phone into the English Channel in an effort to avoid being caught, but were tracked down after a Europe-wide search.

The family of Jeremy Forrest give their reaction to the sentencing

In a statement read outside court, Forrest's family said he was "very sorry for his actions" during what they described as a "sorry episode for all concerned".

"Despite the verdict and today's sentence, there are many factors in this case which need to be examined and addressed, including the failure to properly act on early warnings," they said.

"We sincerely hope these are looked into and not simply swept under the carpet."

A spokesman for Bishop Bell School said the staff had only "very limited anecdotal hearsay and no evidence of relationship" when concerns were first raised.

He said that before Forrest fled the country, the school had intended to remove him from the classroom while an internal investigation into possible professional misconduct was carried out.

A jury took just two hours to find Forrest guilty of abduction

The spokesman said staff remained "deeply shocked by the actions of Mr Forrest and his betrayal of the trust that was placed in him".

"It is important that the strongest possible message is sent to all who work with children that they hold a position of responsibility and trust for the lives, and wellbeing, of those in their care," he said.

"We take our responsibility extremely seriously and our safeguarding policies and procedures are robust.

"However, we are determined to implement any learning from these events to ensure that all pupils at the school are as safe as they possibly could be."

Jeremy Forrest was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Ling, of Sussex Police, said Forrest was in a "position of responsibility, authority and trust over the children in his care, which included this young, vulnerable victim".

"He grossly abused the trust placed in him and his actions caused distress and anxiety amongst parents, family members and the school community," he said.

Nigel Pilkington, of the Crown Prosecution Service, added: "We're pleased that Forrest has been sentenced for the full extent of his criminality, sparing his victim and her family from having to go through another trial."

Forrest, of Petts Wood, London, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for each count of sexual activity. The sentences will run at the same time. A one-year sentence for abduction will run consecutively.

The judge also imposed a sexual offences prevention order on Forrest, banning him from working or volunteering with children and unsupervised contact with children forever.

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Robber On The Run After Fleeing Court Dock

Police are searching for a teenage robber who fled a court dock as a judge was about to send him to jail.

Unemployed Ricky Kerry, 19, ran from the dock at Southend Crown Court after being sentenced to 28 months in prison for robbery, said Essex Police which has begun a manhunt.

A spokesman added: "He made off on foot at just after 12.45pm in the direction of Baxter Avenue. He was wearing a grey tracksuit and has brown eyes."

It is understood Kerry, of Southend, escaped through heavy double doors at the entrance to the court and down two flights of stairs.

Security guards chased him but could not catch him.

The force said Kerry was being sentenced for a robbery in Southend in April in which he punched a man and took his mobile phone.

Anyone with information should contact Essex Police on 101.

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Baby Deaths: CQC Exec 'Wanted To Speak Out'

Care Quality Commission media manager Anna Jefferson says she wanted to speak out after being implicated in an alleged cover-up of the organisation's failure to investigate baby deaths in Cumbria.

The health watchdog has revealed its ex-chief executive Cynthia Bower, her former deputy Jill Finney and Ms Jefferson were present during a discussion about deleting an internal review which criticised CQC inspections of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, where a number of mothers and babies had died.

The three women deny that they tried to cover up the report and Ms Bower insists she "gave no instruction to delete" the report.

Since their names were revealed, Ms Bower has resigned from her current post as a non-executive trustee of the Skills for Health lobbying body, while Ms Finney has been sacked as chief commercial officer of internet domain company Nominet.

More than 30 families have taken action against Furness General - run by Morecambe Bay NHS Trust - in relation to deaths and injuries to mothers and babies since 2008.

It is claimed Ms Jefferson, who still works for the CQC, said during the key meeting, "Are you kidding me? This can never be in the public domain nor subject to FOI (a Freedom of Information request)."

Anna Jefferson denies suggesting the CQC review should be suppressed

But Ms Jefferson told Sky News she "felt sick" and wanted to waive her anonymity when she realised she was implicated in a review by City consultants Grant Thornton, which was published on Wednesday.

She said she does not remember any instruction to delete the review being given and denies suggesting it could never be made public.

She claimed she pushed for proper external scrutiny of the CQC's actions regarding Morecambe Bay "several times", the last time on July 17, 2012, during a meeting where the CQC's current chief executive David Behan was present.

She said: "The thought of what the families who have lost babies at this hospital have gone through is heartbreaking.

The Health Secretary said those behind any "cover-up" could lose pensions

"I would never have conspired to cover up anything which could have led to a better understanding of what went wrong in the regulation of this hospital and I am absolutely devastated that I have been implicated in this way."

James Titcombe, whose son Joshua died at Furness General Hospital, called for police to interview Ms Bower and senior colleagues after it emerged the CQC's former head and two officials previously declined to speak to officers about the baby's death.

The CQC told Cumbria Police in an email that statements from the trio would "not add any value" as they had no "direct day-to-day" involvement in the case.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has suggested that current or former CQC staff found to have been involved in a cover-up could be stripped of their pensions.

Joshua Titcombe's family raised concerns after he died at Furness Hospital

He said the CQC must follow "due process" but he would back the regulator "absolutely to the hilt" if it chose to take action against individuals.

Asked what action should be taken against those responsible, Mr Hunt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "These are very, very serious allegations and they should have very, very serious consequences if they are proved.

"I know the CQC are looking into disciplinary procedures and what can be done, what sanctions are available, whether you can have forfeiture of pensions, all those things.

"There has to be due process, but... it is totally appalling that this kind of thing should happen. It's exactly what shouldn't be happening in our NHS.

"It lets down the millions of doctors and nurses who do an amazing job day in, day out, and we have to root it out."

Downing Street said Prime Minister David Cameron agreed that all sanctions should be on the table.

Tory health select committee member Charlotte Leslie called for an inquiry into a "sinister, Mafia-like network at the centre of NHS".

Meanwhile, Mr Behan and current CQC chairman David Prior are to be summoned to appear before the Commons health select committee.

Its chairman, Tory former health secretary Stephen Dorrell, said he has asked for them to be given an "early opportunity" to give evidence.

Morecambe Bay NHS Trust was given a clean bill of health by the CQC in 2010, but an internal review was ordered by the hospital regulator in 2011 into how failings resulting in deaths had gone unnoticed.

Grant Thornton's investigation found that the report was not made public because it was decided it was too critical of the CQC.

The investigators concluded this "might well have constituted a deliberate cover-up" by the CQC employees who decided it should not be made public.

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CCTV: Theft Victim Flung From Stolen Car

Dramatic CCTV footage showing a grocer clinging on to his stolen 4x4 before slamming into an oncoming car has been released by police.

Fruit and vegetable merchant Stuart Timmins was left with crippling leg injuries following his attempt to stop the thief making off with his Mitsubishi truck.

Chase Edwards, aged 30, of Lower Gorenl, was jailed for seven years and four months for a string of offences including theft, robbery and driving while disqualified and without insurance

He pleaded guilty to charges including the theft of the vehicle and trailer containing nine boxes of apples from the grocer in Dudley, in the West Midlands.

Mr Timmins described leaving his office to investigate last March after hearing the door of his truck slam.

He saw the thief in the driver's seat and grabbed on to the roof rail while trying to smash the window and grab the keys from the ignition.

After being dragged a few hundred metres along the road, he realised it was too dangerous to hang on any longer as the pick-up accelerated away.

"I let go and everything seemed to happen in slow motion, although it was only seconds," he said.

"I bounced off a car coming in the opposite direction, which had stopped on seeing what was happening and the trailer went over my leg."

Mr Timmins is still unable to walk and is undergoing physiotherapy.

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South Wales School Car Crash: Several Casualties

A car has overturned after smashing into children and adults outside a primary school in South Wales, injuring nine people.

Karin Williams

An air ambulance was scrambled to the "very serious" accident at Rhoose Primary School and treated casualties at the scene.

Five children and four adults - including the driver of the car and a lollipop lady - were taken to hospital.

Police said no-one had been killed in the collision, which was not thought to have been deliberate. They say the 61-year-old male driver of the vehicle is assisting officers with enquiries.

The lollipop lady was named locally as 50-year-old Karin Williams.

A black Audi was seen on its roof on the pavement just yards from a pelican crossing near the school, before being removed by recovery workers.

A lollipop stick lay on the ground near various items of clothing.

The overturned Audi was removed from the scene

Jeff James, the Vale of Glamorgan councillor for Rhoose, said the driver of the Audi "had a coughing fit and he hit the accelerator instead of the brake".

"I'm on site at the moment," he told WalesOnline.

"What I can tell you is that it was an incident whereby a car was manoeuvring in a lot of traffic and the person who was driving the car had a coughing fit and he hit the accelerator instead of the brake.

"The main brunt was borne by the crossing attendant. Several children were hit as well. I'm not sure how the car ended up on its roof but I would imagine it was due to the driver trying to swerve."

Ellie Stuart, a pupil at the school, told Sky News one of her close friends had been hurt in the accident.

"There was a massive crowd of people and everyone was screaming and crying," she said.

The school is in the Vale of Glamorgan

Local radio reporter Lucy Short spoke to Sky News from outside the school in Fontygary Road.

"Reports that I've got from people who witnessed the accident say that the car was pulling off at quite a slow rate of speed and accelerated suddenly," she said.

"It's not known why that happened. It would appear to be a sad but freak accident.

"It appears that as it went over the speed bump where the crossing is, it may have turned over because of that and the collision with the pedestrian."

South Wales Police say the accident caused a mixture of serious and minor injuries, but no fatalities. The ages of those hurt is not yet known.

Steve Francis from Capital radio told Sky News that witnesses reported hearing an "incredible bang".

A lollipop lady's sign could be seen lying at the side of the road

He said he could see "blood everywhere" outside the school, which teachers could be seen attempting to clear.

A number of people at the scene were said to be in tears.

Ian Morris, divisional manager for surgery at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, said: "The emergency unit at University Hospital of Wales is treating adults and children involved in the incident in Rhoose."

A spokeswoman for Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust said a "major incident" had been declared and that casualties had been treated at the scene for more than an hour before being taken to hospital.

The road has been closed and emergency services have asked motorists to avoid the area in the Vale of Glamorgan.

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Jeremy Forrest: Teacher Guilty Of Abduction

How Search For Teacher Unfolded

Updated: 3:29pm UK, Thursday 20 June 2013

Jeremy Forrest was found guilty of abducting a 15-year-old pupil less than a year-and-a-half after rumours of their relationship first unfolded.

These are the key events which led to his arrest and, ultimately, his conviction:

:: February 2012: During a half-term school trip to Los Angeles, the girl and Forrest are spotted holding hands on a flight.

:: Spring: Tweets, including private messages, are exchanged between the pair, which become increasingly flirtatious. The school speak to them but both deny anything inappropriate.

:: September 19: Police and a social worker visit the girl's home amid continuing rumours of a relationship and pictures being exchanged between them.

:: September 20: The girl asks her mother if she can stay overnight at a friend's house. Fearing their relationship was about to be exposed, Forrest books them on a cross-Channel ferry. They arrive in Calais in the middle of the night and later head to Paris before moving on to Bordeaux.

:: September 21: The girl is reported to police as missing after failing to arrive at school. Forrest's wife, Emily, is contacted by police as he is absent from school too.

:: September 22: The girl's family appeals for her to get in touch, saying: "We are worried and miss her terribly."

:: September 23: Police say they are at a "critical stage of the investigation" as the girl's family and friends make appeals on social networking websites. Officers urge Forrest or the girl to get in touch.

:: September 24: Details emerge of a blog post apparently written by Forrest four months earlier under his music stage name, in which he mentions a "moral dilemma". Meanwhile, Terry Boatwright, executive headteacher at Bishop Bell C of E School in Eastbourne, East Sussex, where Forrest was a teacher, says the school is "deeply concerned" and "shocked" by the disappearance of their pair.

:: September 25: A European Arrest Warrant is issued for Forrest for child abduction. Interpol, the UK Border Agency, the British Embassy in France and the French authorities are all working to help trace the youngster.

:: September 26: The Europe-wide search has no new sightings of the pair.

:: September 27: Forrest's tearful parents, Jim and Julie Forrest, appeal directly to their son to get in touch, saying: "We are all here for you both. Please, please get in contact."

:: September 28: Sussex Police confirm the girl has been found and Forrest arrested at the same time. Both are "safe and well".

:: October 10: Forrest is extradited to the UK and charged with child abduction later the same evening.

:: January 25, 2013: Appearing at Lewes Crown Court via videolink from HMP Lewes, Forrest pleads not guilty to child abduction.

:: June 10: Forrest stands trial at Lewes Crown Court.

:: June 20: Forrest is convicted of child abduction.

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Rubbish Chute Baby: Mum Guilty Of GBH

A woman has been found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm but cleared of attempted murder after throwing her baby down a rubbish chute.

Jaymin Abdulrahman, 25, wrapped her six-week-old daughter in material and dropped her more than 40ft (12m) down a chute at a block of flats in Wolverhampton in September 2012.

The child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was discovered with serious head injuries, including a fractured skull, in a bin by her father and taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital.

Birmingham Crown Court had heard how the baby would have taken 2.2 seconds to fall down the chute, reaching a maximum speed on 29 mph, before hitting a metal plate designed to deflect rubbish into a bin.

Abdulrahman was also cleared of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. She had denied all three charges.

Her defence barrister told the jury that she had been suffering from a form of postnatal depression known as postpartum psychosis, which prevented her from forming an intent to kill or cause serious injury to her daughter.

Abdulrahman initially told police that her child had been kidnapped by strangers.

Prosecutors alleged that the Iraqi national deliberately placed her daughter into the chute with the intention of killing her.

But Abdulrahman, who accepted that she put her baby into the chute, told the jury she had not planned the incident and had "lost control of her thoughts".

The jury heard that she was "tired, sad and exhausted" in the week after her daughter's birth and unaware of why she was crying.

Rachel Brand QC, defending Abdulrahman, described her a competent and loving mother.

Speaking through a Kurdish interpreter, Abdulrahman told the court she was in tears while cleaning her bathroom shortly before placing the baby in the chute.

She told jurors: "I was extremely sad. I went to the living room, I put the baby in a rubbish bag and I threw her away.

"After I had done so, I just couldn't believe what I had just done, and I couldn't understand why I did it. I was in shock."

Answering questions from Ms Brand, Abdulrahman added that she had not "planned" to do what she did and had not thought about what she was going to do.

"Even now as I am speaking to you, I am still in a state of disbelief of what I have done. I have lost control of my thoughts when I did so.

"I can't tell whether I was crying at the time or not, but I have done this. I wasn't aware of what I was doing.

"If I thought that by doing so I would do some harm to the baby, I wouldn't have done it."

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Three Named In Baby Deaths 'Cover-Up'

Three people allegedly involved in a cover-up of an NHS regulator's failure to investigate a spate of baby deaths have been named.

Former Care Quality Commission chief executive Cynthia Bower, her deputy Jill Finney and media manager Anna Jefferson have been implicated in the scandal.

More follows...

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Baby Deaths 'Cover-Up': Health Sec Apologies

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said the covering-up of failures by an NHS watchdog to properly investigate baby deaths should never have happened.

The Care Quality Commission has been accused of destroying their own report into maternity units that were part of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust.

An independent investigation found the CQC failed to properly inspect the Morecambe Bay Trust, where up to 16 babies died.

Joshua Titcombe died in Furness General Hospital after staff failures

In one of a raft of measures the government plans to prevent problems in the future, Mr Hunt said President Obama's former health adviser Prof Don Berwick was being taken on to ensure a new safety culture.

The Health Secretary, in a statement to the House of Commons, said: "What happened at Morecambe Bay is above all a terrible personal tragedy for all the families involved.

Furness General Hospital in Cumbria, which has been criticised

"I want to apologise on behalf of the Government for all the appalling suffering they have endured.

"A culture in the NHS had been allowed to develop where defensiveness and secrecy were put ahead of patient safety and care. Today I want to ... ensure this kind of cover-up never happens again.

MP Tim Farron called for an urgent question to be tabled in the Commons

"Events at Morecombe Bay and many other hospitals should never have been covered up, but they should never have happened either."

Concerns were first raised in 2008, but in 2010 the CQC gave the trust, which serves 365,000 people in South Cumbria and North Lancashire, a clean bill of health.

Wednesday's report suggests that CQC bosses were so concerned about protecting the watchdog's reputation that they ordered an internal review to be deleted because it showed that their original inspection was flawed.

Mr Hunt said a number of actions were being taken to prevent problems occurring in the future.

He said he had every confidence in the two bosses that had recently been appointed at the CQC to put the changes that were necessary into place.

He said the CQC would appoint three new inspectors, there would be a new Chief Inspector of Hospitals and a new regulatory approach would put in place Ofsted-style ratings so people could know how well their local hospital was performing.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is to make a statement after PMQs

He said failure by hospital administrators to adhere to new requirements could result in criminal prosecution.

Andy Burnham, the shadow Health Secretary, said: "Today's report will leave people stunned. What is never acceptable is when people try to hide ... mistakes.

"Today's report says the order to cover up may constitute a broader cover-up.

"I would like to ask the Health Secretary, ... is anybody who was involved in the decision to delete still working at the CQC or anywhere else in the NHS?

"If they are, people will find it hard to accept that. This matter doesn't end with the deletion of the report."

Joshua Titcombe died in 2008 aged just nine-days-old in Furness General Hospital, one of the hospitals overseen by Morcambe Bay NHS Trust, after staff failed to spot and treat an infection.

Earlier, his father James had described the report into the cover-up as "shocking".

Westmorland General Hospital, where Morecambe Bay NHS Trust is based

"It embodies everything that is wrong with the culture in the NHS. It's something that's been rotten really about the system," he said.

"We need it to change. We need that culture to change. Patient safety should be the number one priority, and organisations that work within regulation need to be aligned with that principle."

Responding to the report's findings, the regulator said: "We let people down, and we apologise for that."

New CQC chairman David Prior said: "The publication draws a line in the sand for us. What happened in the past was wholly unacceptable.

"The report confirms our view that at a senior level the organisation was dysfunctional. The board and the senior executive team have been radically changed."

The CQC, which faces at least 30 civil negligence claims, is to be subject to a public inquiry.

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Kate To Give Birth At Same Hospital As Diana

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Duchess of Cambridge will give birth at the same hospital wing where Diana, Princess of Wales, had Princes William and Harry.

Sky News has also learned that Kate is expected to have a natural birth at the private suites of the Lindo Wing in St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, next month.

Despite months of speculation, she and Prince William have chosen not to find out the gender of their first child in advance of its arrival.

While Kate's exact due date remains a closely-guarded secret, Kensington Palace says Prince William intends to be by his wife's side during labour, despite being on duty in Anglesey in the run up to the Duchess' due date.

Details have also emerged about the medical team set to be alongside the Duchess once she is admitted to hospital.

The Queen's former gynaecologist, Marcus Setchell, will deliver the baby.

Charles and Diana leaving St Mary's Hospital with baby William in 1982

Mr Setchell, who delivered the Countess of Wessex's two children, also assisted Kate after last year being admitted to hospital suffering from acute morning sickness.

Assisting Mr Setchell will be the Queen's current gynaecologist Alan Farthing, the former fiancé of murdered TV presenter Jill Dando.

Having undergone extensive refurbishment and now comprising 17 en-suite rooms, the Lindo Wing boasts on its website it is a "dedicated facility which provides modern, world-class consultant-led care in one of the UK's leading teaching hospitals".

At a cost of well in excess of £5,000 for the first night, the Duchess is expected to take up one of the suites equipped with satellite television, radio, a fridge and a choice of newspaper brought to the room each morning.

"We offer a comprehensive wine list should you wish to enjoy a glass of champagne and toast your baby's arrival," the website adds.

Kensington Palace told Sky News: "This will be a deeply private moment. But the couple recognises that this is also a moment for national celebration."

The Duchess at her last solo public engagement before the birth

It has also become clear how the announcement will be made upon the birth of the future monarch who will become third in line to the throne.

Taking precedence over new media such as Twitter, the first indication Kate has given birth will be when a bulletin or 'notice of birth' is publicly transferred from the Paddington hospital by car to Buckingham Palace.

The notice, signed by key medical staff, will confirm the time of birth, weight and gender of the couple's baby, and will be placed by a footman on an easel on the Palace forecourt in public view.

The easel is understood to be the same as that used for the announcement of Prince William's birth in 1982.

But the bulletin will be transferred from the hospital only once key members of the Royal family, including the Queen, and the Middleton family have been notified about the good news.

But birth announcement plans will likely be adapted should the Duchess of Cambridge be admitted to hospital late in the evening or during the night.

Kensington Palace says it is unclear at this stage when the name of William and Kate's baby will be announced.

In the case of Prince Harry, it was on the day he was born, but it took a few days before the name 'William' came to light.

After pausing for photographs as a family for the first time on the steps of the Lindo Wing once Kate is discharged, it is understood Prince William will take the statutory two weeks paternity leave before returning to work as a search and rescue pilot.

The length of maternity leave for the Duchess is thought to be a personal and private matter for the couple.

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Army Cuts: Thousands Told They Will Lose Jobs

Nearly 4,500 Army staff have been given their redundancy notices in the latest round of staff cuts, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

A total of 4,480 are being axed as the Government tries to reduce the number of regulars by about 20% to 82,000.

Sky's Defence Correspondent David Bowden said those who take voluntary redundancy will be leaving within six months, and compulsory redundancies will be complete in a year.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the move was necessary to help balance the books, but insisted operational capability would not be affected.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has confirmed there will be no further reductions in manpower in the next round of spending cuts.

Announcing the latest tranche of redundancies, the third to arise from the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, he said: "It is with great regret that we have had to make redundancies to deliver the reduction in the size of the armed forces, but unfortunately they were unavoidable due to the size of the defence deficit that this Government inherited.

 "Although smaller, our armed forces will be more flexible and agile to reflect the challenges of the future with the protection and equipment they need.

Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said the redundancy notices being issued today "represent not just broken promises but a failing strategy" to reform the Army.

"There is a huge effort going into sacking soldiers, but nowhere near as much is being done to plug the gap by recruiting new reservists," he said.

"These redundancies represent not just broken promises but a failing strategy, and the level of voluntary applicants will be a signal of morale."

The MoD said: "Tough decisions needed to be made to address the multibillion-pound deficit and bring the defence budget back into balance.

"This unfortunately included making some redundancies across the armed forces. However we can be clear that these reductions will not affect our operational capability.

"The end of combat operations in Afghanistan and the restructuring of our armed forces means they will be more reflective of the complex global situation and more adaptable to future challenges and threats."

Chancellor George Osborne, speaking from the G8 summit in Northern Ireland earlier, said Britain had to make "difficult decisions" about spending to "live within its means".

He told Sky News: "We've got to have an Army we can afford ...

"And when it comes to the military what we've said is we want to make sure that Britain can still project itself abroad, defend itself at home, and that our soldiers have all the latest equipment they need to do that.

"As part of these changes, yes there have been difficult decisions about getting the size of the Army right, but we're also purchasing for them the latest equipment."

Both the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir David Richards, and the Head of the Army, General Sir Peter Wall, are concerned about the impact of further defence cuts.

Sir Peter has exclusively told Sky News that Britain's chances of success on the battlefields of the future could be at serious risk if the Army was downsized in the latest spending review, the results of which will be announced next week.

The Prime Minister was forced to respond to Sir Peter's comments by saying there would be no further staff cuts to the Army, Navy or Air Force.

British Army spokesman Major General James Chiswell told Sky News it was a "hard day" for staff but that the redundancies had been carried out "as fairly as we could hope for".

Personnel are being offered help with resettling into civilian life.

:: Britain's Last War? The Jeff Randall documentary on the impact of Army spending cuts is on Sky News, Tuesday at 8.30pm.

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UK Weather: Hottest Days Of Summer So Far

Britain is expected to bask in its hottest days of the year so far today and tomorrow, forecasters say.

Temperatures are expected to reach highs of 26 to 30°C (79-86°F) in the south east of England.

But it does not look to be a completely dry day.

The heat will trigger some heavy showers and thunderstorms across southern England and East Anglia, lasting into the night.

Weather experts say this wet end is not unusual.

Sky News Weather Presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "This pattern of weather is not unusual at this time of year.

"In fact, it is well summarised by the well-known, if somewhat tongue in cheek, definition of a British summer - three fine days then a thunderstorm."

For those further north and in the west of the UK and in Ireland it will remain drier but not as hot.

On Thursday, temperatures will fall back to the low 20Cs.

The welcome warm blast follows what the Met Office said was the coldest spring since 1962.

There was a mean temperature across March, April and May of 6C (43F), which is calculated as being 1.7C below the long-term average.

:: Proud of your photo skills? Upload your pictures to the glorious summer section on Sky's Your Photos.

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Saatchi: 'Nigella Lawson Caution Was Best'

Advertising guru Charles Saatchi says he took a police caution for assaulting his wife Nigella Lawson to avoid having the incident "hanging over all of us".

The 70-year-old voluntarily attended a central London police station and accepted the caution after photographs emerged showing his hand around Lawson's neck.

The pair were pictured having an argument on the terrace of a restaurant on June 9.

Lawson, 53, the daughter of former chancellor Lord Lawson, was reportedly seen weeping following the episode outside Scott's in Mayfair, central London.

Speaking to the London Evening Standard, Saatchi said: "Although Nigella made no complaint, I volunteered to go to Charing Cross station and take a police caution after a discussion with my lawyer because I thought it was better than the alternative of this hanging over all of us for months."

Police cautions are not criminal convictions and are given to adults who admit minor offences. Failure to agree to be cautioned can lead to an arrest or charge.

Earlier, Saatchi told the Standard: "About a week ago, we were sitting outside a restaurant having an intense debate about the children, and I held Nigella's neck repeatedly while attempting to emphasise my point.

"There was no grip, it was a playful tiff.

"The pictures are horrific, but give a far more drastic and violent impression of what took place.

"Nigella's tears were because we both hate arguing, not because she had been hurt.

"We had made up by the time we were home. The paparazzi were congregated outside our house after the story broke yesterday morning, so I told Nigella to take the kids off till the dust settled."

Lawson's spokesperson said there would not be any comment on Saatchi's explanation, but did confirm that she "isn't at the family home".

Police confirmed they had not received a complaint of assault from Lawson or anyone else.

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Girl Killed With Friend On Rail Line Named

A teenage boy and girl from the same school have died after being hit by a high-speed train in Hertfordshire.

The youngsters - one of whom has been named as 15-year-old Charleigh Disbrey - are believed to have climbed over a fence close to Elstree and Borehamwood station.

There are no level crossings near the station and the deaths are not being treated as suspicious.

Miss Disbrey, a singer whose music videos have been viewed thousands of times on YouTube, was in year 10 at Hertswood Academy in Borehamwood.

The teenagers' friends at Hertswood Academy are being offered counselling

The other teenager - an 18-year-old sixth form pupil who was midway through his A-level exams - has not yet been named.

Their headteacher, Paul Gillett, said: "As a close community, obviously we are devastated by this tragedy. Both students were talented, hard working and well respected members of our academy. 

"Our thoughts are with their families at this most difficult time.  We are supporting our students and staff in coping with this terrible loss."

The teenagers were struck by a train in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire

Friends of the two teenagers paid tribute to the pair on social networking sites.

One Twitter user wrote: "I'm actually so shocked. I saw them walking together like nearly everyday on the way to Hertswood. They looked so happy. #RIP"

"I will never forget you and the memories we made," a friend of Miss Dibrey posted on Facebook.

A spokesman for British Transport Police said both teenagers were pronounced dead at the scene.

The youngsters were struck close to Elstree and Borehamwood station

"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the two teenagers involved in last night's tragic and acutely sad incident," Superintendent Phil Wilkinson said.

"Although my officers are continuing their investigations, as part of our work to prepare a file for the local coroner, there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances and no one else is believed to have been involved."

The empty First Capital Connect train was travelling from St Albans to Sutton when the youngsters were struck.

A spokesman for the train operator said: "This was a shocking incident and our hearts go out to all those involved."

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Forrest Trial: Wife Found Message From Girl

The wife of a teacher accused of abducting a schoolgirl has told a court how she asked him to stop communicating with the pupil on Twitter after she found a message from the teenager.

Lewes Crown Court has been hearing from Emily Forrest, who said her marriage to 30-year-old Jeremy Forrest was in trouble by the end of 2011.

He is said to have begun a sexual relationship with the pupil and allegedly took the then 15-year-old to France in September of the following year.

Mrs Forrest, who was in tears at one stage as she gave evidence and asked the court for a break, told how her husband had become "really distant" in their marriage and that they would sleep in different beds.

The 32-year-old, who married the defendant in 2009, said she was concerned he would get into trouble with his boss at Bishop Bell C of E School in Eastbourne, East Sussex, after finding the tweet from the schoolgirl.

She asked him to stop sending messages to her because it was "not appropriate", the court heard.

She said: "Teachers shouldn't be tweeting children from their school. They shouldn't even be friends with them."

Earlier the schoolgirl's mother told the court how she had learned of rumours about the pair in the months before they went missing.

She said she was first warned by the school about claims surrounding her daughter and Forrest after a school trip to Los Angeles in February of that year.

Her daughter "broke down" when she confronted her and said they were "just nasty rumours".

The court heard that in the summer of last year, Forrest called the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The mother said he was "seriously concerned" about his career and that he wanted to "nip (the rumours) in the bud" before the new school year.

"He alluded that (my daughter) was being a bit of a pain, he said (she) kept hanging around him," she told the court.

"He was upset about it getting worse, he kept going on and on about his career."

She said she apologised over her daughter's behaviour and that she was "mortified that my daughter could put someone in that position".

"I was horrified, ashamed and I had a go at her," she said.

"She said 'It's not true', she was in tears, she broke down, she said 'It's not true, it's not true'."

A police officer turned up at the girl's home in September and told the mother there were reports of indecent images of Forrest on her daughter's phone, the court heard.

Her daughter was "angry" about the claims and handed over her phone for them to look at.

The court has heard that, fearing they were about to be exposed, Forrest booked them on a cross-Channel ferry from Dover to Calais on September 20 before spending seven days on the run in France.

The mother said she did not know the whereabouts of her daughter for the seven days before she was found and had feared she was dead.

The court also heard evidence from friends of the girl, who is now 16.

One told police that the girl had stayed at Forrest's house while his wife was away.

The teenage witness, who counted herself among the schoolgirl's best friends, told police that the schoolgirl would be picked up by Forrest in his car after school and they would go to a crematorium to talk.

She said they would spend time at hotels as well as his home.

Scots-born Forrest, of Chislehurst Road, Petts Wood, Kent, denies child abduction.

More follows...

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