Archbishop Of Canterbury Snubs Animal Charity

The Archbishop of Canterbury has turned down an invitation to be a patron of the RSPCA.

A spokeswoman for Lambeth Palace said it was because The Most Rev Justin Welby has "reluctantly decided to restrict his patronage".

His predecessor, Dr Rowan Williams, was vice-patron of the animal charity, which was founded by an Anglican priest in 1824.

The spokeswoman said: "Since taking office in March this year, the Archbishop has received many kind invitations to patron a large variety of charities and good causes.

Dog rescued by the RSPCA

"Each invitation has been an honour, and in an ideal world he would like to accept them all.

"However, in light of the sheer volume of the requests the Archbishop receives ... he has reluctantly decided to restrict his patronage to a manageable number of organisations, based on where he feels his support could be most beneficial.

"Nevertheless, the Archbishop has enormous admiration for the RSPCA and hopes to see its work thrive long into the future."

Last year the RSPCA was heavily criticised after it spent £326,000 on legal action against a fox hunt.

Critics claimed the "staggering" expense of bringing the prosecution against the Heythrop Hunt in the Cotswolds was a waste of money donated by supporters.

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Top Officials Get Tax On Perks Paid By State

Some of Britain's top civil servants are having part of their tax bills paid out of public funds - leaving them tens of thousands of pounds better off, it has been reported.

Government departments have been paying the taxes on perks such as official cars, first class rail travel and rent-free accommodation.

One senior Conservative MP expressed surprise at the arrangements, saying they were out of line with what could be expected in the private sector.

However, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) insisted that it was a frequently seen practice for employers to pay the tax bills on benefits for some employees.

According to the Daily Telegraph, officials who have benefited from the system include the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, the head of NHS England, Sir David Nicholson, and the former head of the Serious Fraud Office, Phillippa Williamson.

It said that the effect of the deal was to increase the value of their pay packages by up to £30,000 a year.

The tax is due on benefits - like free travel or accommodation - which is regarded by the tax department as extra income.

Anyone who receives these benefits, which are in addition to their salary, is supposed to pay extra tax. In the case of these individuals, the government is picking up that part of the tax bill.

According to the newspaper, Sir Jeremy has the use of a chauffeur-driven Toyota Prius which, it said, had cost taxpayers £172,100 over the past two years.

The tax bill on the car for which Sir Jeremy was liable has been estimated at more than £49,000.

Sir David Nicholson is head of NHS England

Sir David Nicholson was said have received benefits worth £320,303 over the last six years, including the cost of a rented flat in London, the use of a chauffeured car and first-class train journeys.

Phillippa Williamson has been accused of claiming expenses of more than £98,000 over three years to commute between London and her home in the Lake District.

Her tax bill on that figure was about £40,000, which, the Telegraph says, was picked up by the SFO.

Richard Bacon, a Conservative member of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, expressed concern at the arrangements.

"Most taxpayers would be surprised to find that this sort of thing is tax-free. These are out of line with what one would expect from the way people in the private sector are treated," he told the Telegraph.

"Taxpayers are already paying a lot for these people, I don't think they would be expecting to dig into their pocket to pay for the tax on the benefit as well."

HMRC said it is the choice of the employer whether it wishes to pay an employee's tax bill for any benefits they receive.

"Employers may choose to pay the tax due on the benefit. If so any such payment will constitute an additional benefit - which will also be taxable on the employee.

"This is quite a common practice by employers and is a matter between employer and employee. HMRC makes sure all the tax due is paid."

It cited 20,000 cases over the last year when employers had paid the tax bill due on employees' benefits.

A spokesman for the Department of Health, which pays the tax on benefits received by Sir David Nicholson, told the Telegraph: "Benefits in kind payments are paid to recognise [senior civil servants'] need to travel to carry out their roles."

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A £350m Donation To Nation That Can't Be Used

An unspent donation made to the Government 85 years ago, which is now worth £350m, cannot be touched because it won't fulfil conditions of its use - paying off the national debt.

The anonymous donation of £500,000 was made in 1928 and established a fund which was designed to help the Government pay off the UK's debt.

It was made with a strict request that it should not be touched until it was able to reduce the national debt to zero.

Although it has grown 700-fold since the 1920s, it is unlikely to achieve its target - the national debt currently stands at £1.3trillion.

While the fund is growing at a rate of £5m to £10m a year, Britain's national debt rocketed by an estimated £121bn in 2011/12.

In the meantime, the fund, called The National Fund, is now managed by Barclays and is likely to keep on growing.

The anonymous donor who set it up at its outset is believed to have done so in response by a call from Conservative Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, who wrote to the Financial Times in 1919.

He suggested it would be patriotic for British citizens to contribute towards paying off the national debt, which at that point had reached 140% of the total amount of money earned in one year by the UK (GDP).

Barclays Wealth and Investment Management is the fund's trustee

By 1927, the national debt had reached 160% of GDP and it is thought that the donor was prompted to set up the fund with the belief that it would grow sufficiently to pay it off.

The National Fund has now grown to become one of the largest charities in the UK by net assets.

But unlike most charities, it takes in no donations and provides no handouts to needy causes.

Papers lodged with the Charities Commission in 2012 said: "The aim of the charity is to create a fund, that either on its own or combined with other funds, is sufficient to discharge the National Debt.

"The ultimate beneficiary of the National Fund is the National Debt Commissioners."

The papers say the fund increased in value by £12m in 2012 which all came from dividends on investments. Last year it spent £570,000 on managing the fund and £430,000 on other activities.

Barclays has been trying for four years to get permission to use the money to make charitable grants or to turn it over to the Treasury, but any change would have to be approved by a court.

A spokesman for Barclays said: "We've been working ever since we became the trustee to change the original objects, which say the funds can be used only to pay off the entire national debt.

"We are working with the Charity Commission and the attorney general's office to look at how best to take the fund forward."

This week it emerged Joan Edwards left £520K to the Government

A spokesman for the attorney general's office said: "There has been correspondence between the Charity Commission, the trustees and ourselves over the National Fund.

"We are looking at a number of options for the future of the Fund, consistent with its object of extinguishing or reducing the national debt.

"It would not be right to comment further whilst this process continues."

A spokeswoman for the Charity Commission said is it continuing dialogue with the trustee and the attorney general's office regarding the charity.

This week, the Tories and Liberal Democrats gave up a £520,000 bequest from former nurse Joan Edwards amid confusion over whether she actually meant the money to go to the state or to the political parties in power.

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Briton Drowns 'In Front Of Family' In Lanzarote

A British woman died swimming in the sea off Lanzarote while her husband and three children were on the beach, it has been reported.

The woman is understood to have got into difficulty off the shore of the Spanish holiday island, according to local newspapers.

The website for the publication Diario de Lanzarote said the woman, aged 49, drowned off Famara Beach, on the north side of the Island.

The website said the Emergency and Security Co-ordination Centre received a 112 call at 3.39pm on Thursday reporting that a woman had been brought out of the water with "signs of drowning".

The report said there were fears she could have suffered a heart attack.

Emergency services were sent to the scene and attempted to resuscitate the woman but she could not be revived.

According to eyewitnesses, she was on the beach with her husband and three children, the website said.

Responsibility for the death was handed over to court officials. The victim has yet to be named.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman said:  "We are aware of the death of a British national in Lanzarote on 15 August. We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time."

If confirmed, the death would be the second involving a British national to occur on Famara Beach in a few months.

A map showing the location of Lanzarote, in the Spanish Canary Islands

In April, a British man died on the beach after getting into difficulties in the sea.

Steve Potter was spotted face down in the water after leaving friends on the beach to go for a swim.

The 43-year-old was dragged out of the water unconscious, according to reports, but he was pronounced dead after efforts to revive him failed.

Meanwhile, a body found in Lanzarote in May was confirmed as that of a British pensioner who went missing on the island in 2011.

Margaret Holt, 65, from the Wirral, Merseyside, was seen leaving her hotel in the resort of Costa Teguise, on the south side of the island, on the morning of December 23, 2011.

The experienced walker, who was feared to have fallen, was spotted later in the afternoon in the northerly Orzola region of the island - but then disappeared.

Mrs Holt, who was described as extremely fit, was reported missing after her worried family contacted the Spanish Civil Guard to raise the alarm when she failed to make contact with them over Christmas.

A search and rescue operation was launched by authorities on the island, but was stood down after 72 hours. Local expatriates and other residents organised their own searches for her.

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Four Arrested Over Cornwall Murder

Four people including a 16-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a man in Cornwall.

The 57-year-old victim was found unconscious in St Marys Road, Biscovey, near the Eden Project, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Devon and Cornwall Police said he was taken to Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, where he later died.

Three men - aged 21, 19, and 18 as well as the 16-year-old - have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

The victim was found just after 2am and police have appealed for witnesses.

The area around St Marys Road and Robbins Close has been cordoned off while forensic officers examine the scene.

A force spokesman said: "Following police inquiries, at 4.05am three local men aged 21, 19 and 18 and a local youth aged 16 were arrested at a property in the area on suspicion of murder.

"They remain in custody at Launceston and Newquay custody centres.

"Police are appealing for witnesses who were in the vicinity of St Marys Road and Robbins Close between midnight and 2am or anyone who has any information regarding this incident to contact them."

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Peru Drugs: Melissa Reid Reunited With Father

The father of a British woman being held on suspicion of drug-smuggling in Peru has had an emotional reunion with his daughter.

William Reid told Melissa Reid, who turns 20 today, to "be strong" and vowed to bring her home after flying to the capital Lima.

Ms Reid, from Kirkintilloch in East Dunbartonshire, and Michaella McCollum Connolly, 20, from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, are suspected of trying to leave the country with £1.5m worth of cocaine in their luggage.

They were detained while trying to board a flight from the Peruvian capital to Spain last week.

The pair both deny the accusations, and say they are victims of a violent gang who coerced them into carrying the drugs.

Lawyer Peter Madden, who is representing Ms McCollum Connolly, is expected to arrive in Peru later on Friday.

As he left Belfast for Lima he said she would deny any allegations if charged, but warned that legal proceedings could be lengthy.

He said: "She is saying she has done nothing wrong, that she is innocent and that as far as any offences are concerned, if she is charged she will be denying it."

According to the Daily Mail, during their meeting at the Dirando police station,  Ms Reid told her father: "They made me do it."

She told him that while she worked on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza she was introduced to a British man who eventually forced her into meeting a gang of Colombian gangsters, who put a gun to her head.

She told her father the gang forced her to fly to Peru, saying: "I wanted to tell the air hostesses or anyone in the airports, but the men said they would know if we had spoken to anyone, that they were watching all the time.

"It was a choice between doing what I was told and getting it over and done with and hopefully getting back to Spain or trying to escape and being killed."

Ms Reid said she fears evidence in Peru has been contaminated by police because they did not wear gloves as they handled the food bags in which the drugs are said to have been stored, according the newspaper.

When she was told to return to her cell, her father told her: "We will do everything we can to get you out of here. We will work something out."

He told the Irish Independent that he "of course" believes his daughter is innocent, saying she was in the "wrong place at the wrong time".

He added that he is hoping to raise money for his daughter's defence with a new business he is setting up.

He told the newspaper: "It's a new venture, but it's not an easy time to do anything with all this going on.

"At the same time, it'll take loads of money to fund this situation so I'm going to have to get this going and try and earn some money to put into funding my daughter's case."

Police are waiting for a translator before officially questioning the two women, which is expected to happen in the next few days.

They may be held pre-charge for up to 30 days and could then spend up to three years in prison before a trial.

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Sterilisation Case: Vasectomy Agreed By Court

A High Court judge has agreed to the sterilisation of a man because it is "in his best interests".

It is the first time a UK court has made such a decision.

Referred to as "DE", the 37-year-old has an IQ of 40, meaning he has the mental age of a child aged between six and nine.

The judge said a vasectomy could take place after hearing that DE does not want to become a father again, and another child could cause him "psychological harm".

He already has a young son, born in 2010, with his girlfriend.

Experts said DE was capable of consenting to sexual relationships but could not properly make decisions about contraception.

They said he could not be relied on to use condoms or other birth control methods effectively.

The case came to court because of evidence that DE lacks the capacity to decide whether or not to agree to the sterilisation.

A routine was in place to stop the man meeting his girlfriend without supervision to "keep them safe", the court was told.

Sky News' Senior Correspondent Michelle Clifford, who was at the High Court, said experts believed the man "did not have the power to resist unprotected sex".

There were worries that the man's partner - who also has learning difficulties - could become pregnant again.

Clifford said the first pregnancy had caused "great distress" to the man.

"In the beginning he could not even understand how the birth of the child had anything to do with what he had done.

"He was very unhappy and very disorientated."

The man's mother - as well as expert witnesses - all said he was adamant he does not want another child.

It is hoped the vasectomy will give the man greater independence in his relationship and that he can see his girlfriend without supervision.

A local NHS trust made the application for sterilisation with the support of DE's parents and his GP.

Some critics have said giving consent for the vasectomy could pave the way for sterilisation of other people with learning difficulties.

Judge Mrs Justice Eleanor King acknowledged the sensitivities of the case and said her decision required "strong justification".

However, she added: "In my judgement it is overwhelmingly in his best interests to have a vasectomy."

Mental health charity Mencap previously said it would support the decision if all the man's interests were properly weighed up.

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Hannah Smith: Funeral For Cyberbullying Teen

Full Statement From Ask.Fm Founders

Updated: 5:52pm UK, Thursday 08 August 2013

We would firstly like to again express our sincerest sympathies to the family of Hannah Smith, whose death was a true tragedy.

As we explained to the press earlier this week, as soon as we heard the news we approached the Leicestershire police and have been speaking to them throughout this week.

We are committed to supporting the Leicestershire police in their investigation to ensure that they are able to uncover the true circumstances surrounding Hannah's suicide.

We ask the press and public to respect that for legal and privacy reasons neither we - nor the police - are able to discuss the circumstances surrounding Hannah's case any further. We will therefore not be giving any interviews on this subject.

However, in view of the unprecedented press interest in the role of social media platforms such as Ask.fm, Facebook, Twitter and others, we would like to reassure all users and parents of users that we are committed to ensuring that our site is a safe environment.

We do not condone bullying of any kind, or any form of unacceptable use of our site.

We have implemented various measures over the past months to continue to improve our users' safety, and we have implemented improved reporting policies.

We have been working with experts at the UK's Safer Internet Centre, and thus the wider EU InSafe organisation, and are in constant discussions with them regarding our privacy and safety policies and the ways in which we may be able to enhance them.

This is an on-going activity, which Ask.fm is wholly committed to.

In view of this week's events, we wish to highlight a number of existing "safety" features available for users for Ask.fm:

1) The site has an 'in-question' reporting function, which has been in place since 2012, and is similar to the in-Tweet function announced by Twitter this week. This feature enables our users to report with just one click any question that they may find objectionable or offensive.

2) It is integral to the site that users should have control over what appears on their Ask.fm feed. We have never allowed questions to be published on the site before they've been answered.

Thus - if a user receives a question that they find objectionable or offensive, they don't need to respond and we encourage them to report the question to us.

3) We believe one of our site's advantages is that everything is open - rather than hidden in private inboxes. This means that anyone can report anything they see that may be of concern.

If parents see something on their teenager's Ask.fm page that they are concerned about, they too can click the in-question reporting button and alert our moderators.

4) Anonymity can be switched off in a user's privacy settings - our users have always been able to elect not to receive anonymous questions, and equally our users can also elect never to ask an anonymous question.

5) Although it is possible to post anonymously to the site, we would like to reassure parents that in almost all cases it is possible for Ask.fm to identify users - through IP technology, everything on the internet is traceable.

And in extreme circumstances such as those we've experienced this week we work through existing legal frameworks to ensure this information is accessible to the appropriate legal authorities.

6) While many sites use automated machines to monitor content, we have a team of human moderators that works around the clock - 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days per year.

They manually check every photograph or video that is posted to our site - ensuring that anything of a sexual, pornographic or violent nature is removed.

Our moderators also read and deal appropriately with every concern or report that is raised by a user; we remove content if we feel it infringes our Terms of Service.

7) We have a direct working relationship between Ask.fm and the EU's InSafe organisation. This means that if a concern is ever raised through the EU InSafe channels, they have a designated contact liaison at Ask.fm.

8) We comply with the United State's Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (1998) and we are working with a renowned expert to ensure that our moderation policies continue to lead the way in this area.

As we stated above, we are constantly working to improve our site, including its safety features. We are currently working on a series of updates with more safety features and information.

In view of some of the recent press reporting, what is important to note is that the vast majority of our users are using the site appropriately and are just having fun.

However, we would like to reiterate that it's really important that anyone who sees anything they do not like or feel uncomfortable with uses the appropriate reporting mechanisms to bring these issues to our team's attention as soon as possible.

Our site has grown rapidly over the past year and one of our greatest challenges (like any fast growing business) has been ensuring that our internal resources and capabilities are able to expand at a proportional and appropriate rate.

We strive to ensure we have the best people and this includes our moderators and customer services staff, where we have invested heavily to reflect this growth. We will continue to do this.

We hope that this corrects some of the recent media reports and offers reassurance to our users and their parents that our site has safety features which are in-line with, if not better than, other social networking sites.

The vast majority of our users are very happy teenagers, who use Ask.fm to converse with their peers around the world about the things that interest them. Bullying is an age-old problem that we in no way condone - and while its evolution online is disturbing, it certainly is not unique to our site.

We will continue to work with the appropriate organisations to safeguard against bullying on Ask.fm - and we would welcome the opportunity to align with the rest of industry and society in fighting it on a higher level.

We are proud of the phenomenal popularity of the social network we have created and strive every day to make it better and safer.

Mark and Ilja Terebin

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One Direction Fan Suicide Rumours Hit Twitter

Twitter has been flooded with rumours that One Direction fans have committed suicide after a watching a Channel 4 documentary on the group.

Crazy About One Direction, broadcast in the UK on Thursday, has prompted an angry response from fans unhappy about being portrayed as "obsessive".

#ThisIsNotUs is currently one of the top trending hashtags worldwide, as is #RIPLarryShippers - which refers to a sub-group of One Direction fans.

Some users of the site claimed 42 people had committed suicide after the programme - but not one case has yet been confirmed.

Liam Payne from the UK pop group hit back at the programme and tweeted his concern at the suicide rumours.

"Hearing some horrible things... Really hope this isn't true," said the singer.

He added: "We couldn't give a **** what any documentary says there dramatised for entertainment and full of ******** anyway we all know how hard you work for us and see it everyday at our shows."

The singer's responses to the documentary have all been retweeted tens of thousands of times.

Fans on Twitter reacted instantly to their portrayal in the programme.

"Shame on Channel 4 in the UK airing #CrazyAboutOneDirection and showing Directioners in a negative light to troll for ratings. #ThisIsNotUs," said one fan.

Another user posted: "Channel 4 showed the 1% of the fanbase and forgot to include the 99% of directioners who are actually the nicest people ever."

In its description of the programme, the channel describes "death threats to band members' girlfriends" and fans "being willing to chop off limbs and kill kittens to just be in the same room".

The broadcaster has not yet responded to a request for comment.

An authorised film about the group comes out in the UK on August 29.

Directed by Supersize Me film-maker Morgan Spurlock, it is being billed as a 3D 'warts and all-style' documentary.

One Direction have had phenomenal success in Britain and around the world since they found fame on the X Factor in 2010.

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Royal Wedding: Kirsty Crooks Marries Prince

A teacher from Northern Ireland got a wedding day fit for a princess when she tied the knot with the Crown Prince of Lagos in County Armagh.

Kirsty Crooks, 27, of Loughgall, became a royal after marrying Nigerian Prince Mustapha Oniru on Thursday, the Portadown Times reported.

Prince Mustapha Oniru with his parents. Pic: Portadown Times

The small village welcomed royal guests from Africa including the Prince's father HRM Oba (King) Idowu Abiodun Oniru and Queen Olori Arike Oniru as well as an entourage of officials and chiefs.

Prince Mustapha wore a wedding suit while his parents wore traditional Nigerian dress in what the bride's mother described as a "very traditional Irish wedding".

Kirsty Crooks with her mother. Pic: Portadown Times

The bride first met Prince Oniru while teaching in the British International School in Lagos, which is owned by the King, according to the News Letter.

The newspaper adds that the new princess plans to return to Lagos next year after completing the coming school year in Uxbridge, London, where she teaches French and German GCSE and A-level.

The couple are heading to St Tropez and Monaco for their honeymoon.

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Ed Miliband Is Egged On Campaign Visit

Ed Miliband has been pelted with eggs on his first public appearance in weeks as he attempted to reboot the Labour party.

The Labour leader was campaigning in London when a volley of eggs was thrown at his back.

At least one hit the politician on the head and jacket as he visited East Street market in Walworth, south London.

The egg thrower, who gave his name as Dean Porter, said it was an "opportunistic moment" as he was led away by security.

"They should stop giving favouritism to the banks. They do nothing. The Government do nothing. The shadow government do nothing," he said.

"I don't believe him at all. If you are poor, you are considered a burden. All they care about is the banks."

Dean Porter gloated about throwing the eggs on Twitter

An aide hurriedly removed Mr Miliband's jacket and he continued his tour, chatting to shoppers and stallholders apparently unperturbed.

"This is not the first time it's happened to me, I'm sure it's not the last," he said. "I'm always looking for new ways to connect with the voters."

Mr Porter had earlier written on Twitter: "Watch the news tonight. I suspect I might be on it."

He later wrote: "I tried to egg Ed Milliband as he came down to East Street in southwark, watching the news to see if its on."

Minutes later, he sent a message to the Prime Minister saying: "@David_Cameron hi pleb, can you come to East Street Market so I can egg you like I've egged your chum @Ed_Miliband lol."

He also wrote: "I got the b*****!!! Lol."

Ed Miliband shrugged off the attack, saying: 'It's not the first time'

The incident distracted from the Labour leader's attempts to galvanise his party after a difficult summer and attack the coalition over the cost of living.

Senior figures have questioned the shadow cabinet's "deafening silence" and warned the party must "shout louder" or face electoral defeat in 2015.

The jitters have been compounded by a rise in Tory fortunes thanks to a string of data suggesting the British economy is at last turning the corner.

New figures on Wednesday showed unemployment fell by 4,000 between April and June and average earnings rose by 2.1% in the year to June.

On Tuesday, data revealed inflation fell to 2.8% in July and house prices rose by 3.1% in June and last month growth of 0.6% was given for the second quarter.

Mr Miliband dismissed the criticism from within Labour's ranks and flatly rejected shadow health secretary Andy Burnham's warning the party's message was not getting through.

He insisted he was addressing voters' concerns about the "cost of living crisis" and offering a "comprehensive alternative" to the coalition on the economy.

"What we are doing as a Labour Party is setting out how we would change the country," he said.

"Just take this area of the cost of living crisis. Have Labour got answers? Absolutely we have got answers on rail fares, on energy prices, on a fairer tax system.

"They are all the things I believe the country wants and that is what we are going to be talking about in the coming months."

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Sky News Cameraman Killed In Egypt

Sky News cameraman Mick Deane has been shot and killed in Egypt this morning.

Mick, 61, had worked for Sky for 15 years, based in Washington and then Jerusalem.

The married father of two was part of our team covering the violence in Cairo. The rest of the team are unhurt.

The Head of Sky News John Ryley described Mick as the very best of cameramen, a brilliant journalist and an inspiring mentor to many at Sky.

Mick Deane was described as an inspiring mentor

"Mick Deane was a really lovely, lovely guy," he said. "He was great fun to work with, he was an astonishingly good cameraman who took some brilliant pictures.

"But he also had a first class editorial brain. He had brilliant ideas.

"He was also good fun after the job was done. He was laid back, and I'm really going to miss him, like lots of people here."

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall called Mick "a friend, brave as a lion but what a heart… what a human being".

He added: "Micky was humorous in a dry way, he was wise and when you're on the road with small teams, people like that are diamonds to be with.

"Our hearts go out to his family. He died doing what he'd done so brilliantly for decades."

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "I am saddened to hear of the death of cameraman Mick Deane, covering Egyptian violence.

"My thoughts are with his family and the Sky News team."

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Two Charged Over $6bn 'London Whale' Scandal

The United States has indicted two ex-JPMorgan traders over the so-called 'London Whale' scandal that resulted in losses of $6.2bn (£4bn).

Prosecutors in Manhattan accuse former London-based traders Julien Grout and Javier Martin-Artajo of wire fraud and a conspiracy to falsify books and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) records, according to court papers.

A news conference is expected to confirm later that another former employee Bruno Iksil, who was nicknamed the London Whale, will not face any charges relating to the allegations.

The case, filed in federal court, claims Grout and Martin-Artajo deliberately tried to hide hundreds of millions of dollars in losses on trades in a portfolio of synthetic credit derivatives.

Lawyers for both men have previously stated that their clients did nothing wrong.

It is understood that Spanish national Martin-Artajo supervised JPMorgan's trading strategy in London while his French colleague recorded the value of any bad investments.

More follows...

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Diabetes: Glucose Testing Strips Recalled

More than 1.7 million blood glucose testing strips used by diabetics are being recalled over potential false readings.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said people with diabetes should not use the strips over fears they could give inaccurate results, potentially leading to a patient injecting too much insulin.

There are no reports at present of patients being harmed by using the strips, the MHRA said.

The strips have been subject to a manufacturing fault. They are GlucoMen LX Sensor blood glucose test strips for use with the GlucoMen LX and GlucoMen LX PLUS blood glucose meter.

The affected lots are 3212219249 (expiry date 31/08/2014) and 3212214249 (expiry date 31/08/2014).

More follows...

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Lord King Given £10,000 Gift For Retirement

Mervyn King has been given a £10,000 painting of himself from the Bank of England.

The portrait was one of several gifts the Bank's former Governor received following his retirement last month.

His leaving presents totalled £13,000 and also included a £597 silver napkin ring and a £2,505 sculpture of German politician and writer Johann von Goethe.

The cost to the Bank for marking Lord King's departure escalated further as it put on three events that added up to more than £10,000.

An evening reception was held on 26 June and cost £4,672 while there was also a £3,450 dinner the following day.

Another meal came in at £3,800, with flowers and invitations for all occasions costing £1,501.

The most recent figures to be published put Lord King's pension pot at £198,200 a year, but some reports suggest it is now worth much more.

Canadian banker Mark Carney succeeded Lord King, taking up the post as the Bank of England's new Governor on July 1.

Related stories:

Forward Guidance: A Monetary Policy Gamble

Carney Starts As Bank Of England Governor

King Heads Towards Bank Exit With A Smile

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Britain's Most Wanted Fraudsters Revealed

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Police have released the faces of 25 of the most wanted identity fraudsters who have been caught in the act.

They allegedly stole other people's personal details and then tried to use their own photographs to get passports, driving licences and other official documents.

Some of their victims may have had information taken in burglaries or muggings, others may simply have been intimidated into revealing it.

The scam is often used by organised gangs to commit crimes such as money laundering, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, say investigators.

Nigel Kirby, of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), said: "Be in no doubt, these fraudulently obtained documents are being used by criminals for criminal purposes.

"Passports and driving licences do not just allow you to travel and drive, they are important identity documents that can be used to support applications for mortgages, bank loans and benefits."

The Crimestoppers charity wants the public's help in tracking down the 25 alleged fraudsters.

Director of operations Roger Critchell said: "We need to protect ourselves from such criminals, particularly now with data-driven identity crimes making up the vast majority of all fraud in the UK."

Identity theft is the fastest growing type of fraud in Britain, and hit an all-time high last year with 150,000 identifiable victims, according to the UK's Fraud Prevention Service CIFAS.

:: Anyone who recognises any of the suspects can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online

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Asda Parking Space Killing: Man In Court

A man has appeared in court charged with manslaughter over the death of a 64-year-old in an alleged row over a disabled parking space.

Alan Watts, 65, appeared before magistrates and was remanded on bail following the death of Brian Holmes.

Mr Holmes, from Sandy, Bedfordshire, died from head injuries the day after the August 3 incident at the Asda supermarket in Biggleswade.

His family were at his bedside when he died.

In a statement released through police, they said: "The family are devastated by the loss of Brian in such shocking circumstances.

Mr Holmes died from a serious head injury the day after the incident

"A wife has lost her husband, best friend and carer all in one go.

"Brian was a family man who adored his grandchildren and family, and had only this week been given the all-clear following treatment for cancer.

"Brian and his wife were only just starting to make plans for the future that they only dared to dream of."

Alan Watts appeared at Bedford Magistrates' Court only to confirm his name and address and that he understood the charge.

He will next appear at Luton Crown Court on August 28 for a preliminary hearing.

Mr Watts has surrendered his passport as part of bail conditions and must also report daily to a local police station.

He is also barred from driving and must not visit the Asda store where the alleged row took place.

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Charlatans Drummer Jon Brookes Dies At 44

The Charlatans drummer Jon Brookes has died at the age of 44, three years after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

The band's frontman Tim Burgess wrote on Twitter: "Jon Brookes, my friend, our drummer and inspiration to so many, passed away this morning.

"We are torn apart. Love & thoughts to Jon's family."

Brookes was diagnosed with the tumour after he collapsed on stage during a gig in Philadelphia.

Brookes with the band at the Isle of Wight festival in 2004

The musician is survived by his wife and three daughters.

A statement on the band's website said Brookes died on Tuesday morning.

"Following a seizure on tour in Philadelphia in 2010, Jon had been receiving treatment for a brain tumour and had undergone several operations, although he had been working on new material with the band over the summer," the statement said.

"He passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning with his family at his bedside.

Burgess is the band's frontman

"Jon was a brilliant drummer, an inspiration, a founding member of The Charlatans, part of our family and a friend to everyone in and around the band.

"Losing someone who was always so full of life is a tragedy that will be shared by so many. Our thoughts are with Debbie and all of Jon's family."

Another founding member of the band, keyboard player Rob Collins, died in a road accident in 1996.

The Charlatans have had more than 20 hits after releasing their debut single, Indian Rope, in 1990.

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Coalition Gets £520k From Mysterious Donor

A mysterious donor left more than £500,000 to the Tories and Lib Dems in her will after pledging the sum to "whoever is in government".

The bequest of £520,000 in total made Ms Joan L B Edwards the biggest individual donor to both parties between April and June.

Her inclusion in the latest donations list sparked intrigue among pundits who wondered whether she had been won over by the coalition's record.

But it is understood the shared donation came about because she had specified the money should go to "whoever was the party of government of the day".

After some initial confusion about how to proceed given the Tories and Lib Dems currently share power, it was decided to divide the money.

The sum was split based on each party's number of ministers and MPs, with the Tories pocketing £420,576 and the Lib Dems £99,423.

No other details about Ms Edwards are currently known, although reports indicate she was not active politically during her lifetime.

Nigel Farage saw donations for UKIP more than double

The latest figures from the Electoral Commission also lay bare Labour's continued reliance on trade unions.

Unions handed more than £2.4m to the party in the second quarter of the year. Unite was the biggest donor, contributing £772,195. The GMB gave £485,830 and Unison £458,080.

The data shows the challenge facing leader Ed Miliband, who has pledged to reform Labour's union ties following allegations of ballot fixing in Falkirk.

In total, Labour received less than the Tories - on £3,136,447 compared to the Conservatives on £4,116,006.

The largest gifts to the Conservatives were £280,770 and £263,600 respectively from party co-treasurers Michael Farmer and James Lupton.

The Lib Dems raised £801,448 from donations over the three months, down from £842,710 in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) was buoyed by its receipts more than doubling to £160,000.

Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps said: "Despite Ed Miliband's promise of change, these independent figures prove his Labour Party is still dominated by the trade unions.

"They choose the candidates, pick the leader and remain Labour's biggest donors - providing three quarters of the Party's money."

Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan hit back: "The Tories have raked in over £1m from private dinners with David Cameron and senior ministers in the last quarter.

"More than two thirds of that comes from the City - the bankers and hedge fund bosses whose taxes David Cameron cut.

"Hardworking families are seeing their living standards squeezed, with prices rising faster than wages.

"Meanwhile, David Cameron shows how out of touch he is, standing up for the millionaires who fund his party."

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Teen Stabbing Death: Arrest Over Poplar Killing

A 16-year-old boy, named as Ajmol Alom, has died and another is in hospital with facial injuries after a knife attack in east London.

The two teenagers were attacked by a group of men wearing bandanas and hoods in Spey Street, Poplar, east London at around 9.50pm on Monday.

Ajmol Alom was described as a "splendid young man"

Ajmol was pronounced dead at hospital while the other 16-year-old is still being treated for his injuries, which are not life-threatening.

A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Tuesday morning and is being questioned.

Ajmol's headteacher at Langdon Park School, Chris Dunne, described Ajmol as a "splendid young man" who had a bright academic future ahead of him.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Chalmers said Ajmol, who was of Bengali origin, was with Bengali friends when he was attacked.

Speaking at the scene, he said: "Initial indications are that Ajmol was with four friends. They were peaceful, they were conducting conversations at the location, Spey Street, which is behind me.

"They were then confronted by five to six other males who were wearing bandanas and were hooded. There appears to have been an unprovoked attack when the victim received his facial injuries and then Ajmol was stabbed."

Ajmol Alom had a bright future says his headteacher

Mr Chalmers said police were keeping an open mind as to whether the incident was gang related, adding that "initial indications are that Ajmol was not linked to any gangs".

Mr Dunne said the youngster was due to receive "good" GSCE results next Thursday.

He said: "Hardworking, industrious, but also a very caring and thoughtful young man. He was very able in all areas, but that didn't mean he didn't work incredibly hard."

A second 16-year-old was hurt in the stabbing in Poplar

Mr Dunne added that Ajmol was planning to take A-levels before going on to a "very good university" where he had spoken of studying medicine.

He said the teenager had recently taken part in a conflict resolution project with other young people from Northern Ireland, in which he was "hugely active".

A man who said Ajmol's father was his cousin said he believed the teenager was predicted to get an A* in his maths GCSE but "was hanging around with the wrong crowd".

A forensic team searches an area on Spey Street

"He was really quiet, he was into sports. He was really into boxing and got a medal for it," he said.

Ajmol's family has been told about his death and a post-mortem examination will be held, Scotland Yard said.

Former mayor of Tower Hamlets Doros Ullah said he visited the murder scene after hearing what had happened.

He said: "The chap that got killed was a very good boy. He used to pray five times a day. He was not someone who had been involved in any trouble in the past."

Mr Ullah said he had been told the teenager was the victim of mistaken identity.

He said: "There was an incident in the past involving the boys from this area and another area and we believe that it is a repercussion of that, that the boys from the other area decided to come back and take revenge so it's a territorial gang problem."

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Neil Heywood's Wife Seeks China Murder Payout

The family of a British businessman murdered by the wife of a senior Communist Party official in China are seeking compensation for his death.

Neil Heywood was killed in November 2011 by Gu Kailai, the wife of the head of the communist party in Chongqing, Bo Xilai. Gu was found guilty after a trial in September last year.

During her trial, Gu admitted to poisoning Mr Heywood, claiming that she had acted after he threatened her son, Bo Guagua, after a business deal turned sour.

Before he was found dead in a Chongqing hotel room in November 2011, Mr Heywood had been a long-time friend of Bo and his wife and helped their son settle into Britain, where he went to two private schools.

Mr Heywood's Chinese wife and British mother have now said compensation that would have been due to his family after a normal murder trial should be paid.

A source told Reuters, Mr Heywood's widow Lulu wants to sue Mrs Gu to get compensation for herself and their two young children

Mrs Heywood and the children are believed to be still living in Beijing.

Gu Kailai, was sentenced to life in jail for killing Mr Heywood in a case that also led to a corruption probe into Bo.

It is customary for a murderer to be ordered to pay court-sanctioned compensation to the victim's family.

Gu Kailai was given a suspended death sentence for Neil Heywood's murder

It follows a statement from Mr Heywood's mother, Ann Heywood, who told the Wall Street Journal the family had seen no progress in seeking compensation from the authorities.

"Given the circumstances of Neil's murder, I have been surprised and disappointed that, despite repeated discreet approaches to the Chinese authorities, there has been no substantive or practical response," she said.

She urged China to show "decisiveness and compassion" to ease the effects of his death on the family, especially the children.

Bo, once a candidate for China's top leadership team, was sacked as Communist Party chief of the southwestern city of Chongqing last year when his wife was named as an official suspect in the murder.

He is now awaiting trial on charges of corruption, taking bribes and of bending the law.

The government originally implicated Bo in helping to cover up Mr Heywood's murder, but a legal indictment listing charges against him issued last month made no mention of that.

The British Embassy in Beijing said it had passed on the family's concerns about a lack of progress on the compensation request to the Chinese government.

"We've made the Chinese authorities, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aware of the family's concerns on several occasions since the trial, most recently twice during July," said an embassy spokesman, who did not elaborate.

China's Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

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Savile Police Arrest Man Over 'Sex Offences'

An 80-year-old man has been arrested as part of the investigation prompted by sexual abuse claims against Jimmy Savile.

Officers working on Operation Yewtree arrested the man in south London on suspicion of sexual offences.

The investigation has been run in three strands - those involving Savile, those involving Savile and others, and those involving others.

The latest arrest comes under the category of Savile and others.

A number of celebrities have been arrested as part of the operation, including former pop star Gary Glitter, comedians Jim Davidson and Freddie Starr, and TV artist Rolf Harris.

All deny any wrongdoing and are on police bail.

So far, two people have been charged in separate cases - driver David Smith, who is due to face trial in October, and high profile publicist Max Clifford, who will be tried in March.

Prosecutors have received full files of evidence in relation to DJ Dave Lee Travis, Davidson and a 53-year-old man who was arrested on January 2.

They have given early investigative advice to police in relation to Harris, Starr and Glitter.

More follows...

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Missing Erika Kacicova: Police 'Closing In'

Police searching for a missing 13-year-old have admitted "we still don't have Erika" despite making a second arrest over her disappearance.

In the latest police update on the search, Detective Inspector Helen Tate said she believed that Erika is still alive.

"Although he we made a second arrest, unfortunately we still don't have Erika," she said.

But she added that police were "closing in" as they investigate what has happened to the teenager.

South Yorkshire Police earlier said they had arrested a 37-year-old man on suspicion of child abduction.

Erika's disappearance has been described as 'out of character'

Det Insp Tate said: "The arrest is most certainly a man known to Erika and I feel he's had some contact with her in the last 48-96 hours."

Police also used a Slovakian interpreter to make a direct appeal to Erika to return home if she can.

The arrest came as the 13-year-old's father told Sky News he has not been eating or sleeping since his daughter went missing.

Detectives have said they "will not stop" until they find Erika.

Police have stressed "she is not in trouble", but have called on her to return to her "distraught" family.

Erika was last seen leaving her home in the Darnall area of Sheffield at around 4pm on Monday, August 5.

Police have been conducting house-to-house inquiries there, and have expanded their search to Bradford, where the suspect was arrested.

He is being taken to Sheffield where he will be questioned by officers from South Yorkshire Police.

There have been a number of unconfirmed sightings of the youngster and police say they have some "really positive" lines of enquiry.

But they are still asking the public for any information they have about the missing child.

Her disappearance has been described as "out of character".

Erika is described as being slim and around 4ft 11ins tall. She has long, dark-brown, straight hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a pink polo-style shirt and a silvery-grey coloured jacket.

A 22-year-old man from Bradford was released on police bail on Sunday after being arrested on suspicion of child abduction.

He approached police on Friday, the day officers made an urgent appeal for information about Erika's whereabouts.

:: Anyone with information about missing Erika is asked to call police on 101.

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Prince Philip: 'Great Pleasure' To Be Back

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Prince Philip has told guests at his first public engagement in two months that it is "a great pleasure to be back in circulation".

His comments came during a 40-minute visit to the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), where the Duke is an Honorary Fellow.

Still convalescing after an operation in June, Prince Philip appeared cheerful as he was greeted outside the Royal Society of Edinburgh to a round of applause by the crowd.

The 92-year-old, who arrived in the city centre by car, ignored reporters asking "how are you feeling?" and instead waved to well-wishers.

Pausing only briefly in the street as he met senior members of the RSE, the Duke appeared anxious to get on with the engagement and led his welcoming committee inside.

"He seems better than ever," said one member of the public who had waited outside for the Prince to arrive.

Inside, he showed his sense of humour is still very much intact.

After presenting Royal Awards to three scientists, the Duke joked: "I only wish to God I could understand what they've been doing."

The Duke of Edinburgh has been an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh since 1951 and has presented Royal Medals on nine occasions over the past 13 years.

Professor Mike Ferguson, who received a Royal Award, said the Duke was "on the ball as usual and everyone was absolutely delighted to see him".

Award winner Professor Sir John Cadogan added: "The man's on fire, he's great. I'm no doctor, but he looks great."

Earlier this month royal aides were left surprised by the Duke's speed of recovery when he made it known he felt well enough to honour this public engagement.

He was in hospital for 11 days after an exploratory operation at The London Clinic.

The Duke will now spend the rest of the summer in Balmoral with the Queen.

He is yet to meet his three-week-old great grandson, Prince George of Cambridge, but royal aides have not ruled out a visit by William and Kate in the coming weeks.

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Gibraltar: Spain Defiant As Border Row Hots Up

Spain has said it will not back down over extra checks at the border with Gibraltar despite the threat of legal action by the UK.

Downing Street said it was looking at the "unprecedented step" after the Spanish government failed to lift the additional controls over the weekend.

A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said the new measures, which have caused tailbacks of several hours for people trying to cross the border, were "politically motivated and totally disproportionate".

But Spain remained defiant, saying it would not abandon the checks and claiming they were "legal and proportionate" as the diplomatic row between the two countries intensified.

The European Commission plans to send a team of investigators to the border in the next couple of weeks, who will observe the controls, following complaints from several MEPs and EU citizens about long waits there.

It comes as three Royal Navy warships set sail for the Mediterranean in what defence officials stressed was a long-scheduled deployment.

The vessels included the flagship HMS Bulwark, helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious and frigate HMS Montrose.

HMS Westminster will visit Gibraltar for three days

As part of the operation, a fourth warship, the frigate HMS Westminster, will dock in the UK overseas territory of Gibraltar for a routine visit for three days this month, while other ships in the task group are expected to go to Spanish ports.

A No 10 spokesman said: "Clearly the prime minister is disappointed by the failure of Spain to remove the additional border checks this weekend. We are now considering what legal action is open to us."

The diplomatic spat between the UK and Spain was sparked by the creation of an artificial reef by the Gibraltarian authorities, which the Spanish claim will destroy fishing in the area.

Madrid responded by beefing up border controls, leading to lengthy queues, and suggesting that a 50 euro (£43.30) fee could be imposed on every vehicle entering or leaving the Rock through the fenced border with Spain.

The Royal Gibraltar Police tweeted on Sunday that Guardia Civil checks had caused queues of up to two hours at the border, with Spanish officers checking "every car" going into the Rock.

There have been queues of up to two hours at the border

Reports in the Spanish media suggested that the diplomatic row could escalate to the United Nations, with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government receiving support from Argentina.

Spanish foreign minister Jose Garcia-Margallo is expected to propose that the two countries present a "united front" over Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands, the El Pais newspaper reported.

Mr Garcia-Margallo will sound out his Argentinian counterpart, Hector Timerman, during a meeting in Buenos Aires next month as he prepares for a "180-degree turn in policy towards the colony", the newspaper said.

Meanwhile, Spanish defence minister Pedro Morenes has said it is "totally normal" for British warships to dock in Gibraltar in what is a "routine visit", according to reports.

Mr Morenes reportedly told the Europa Press news agency: "Neither the British nor the Spanish government have an interest in there being bad relations."

He also said that aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious had requested and been granted permission to stop off at the southern Spanish naval base of Rota on August 18, proving that there was no military escalation between the two countries.

The MOD's operation in the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Gulf - codenamed Cougar 13 - is due to last around four months and will include a series of exercises as well as escort duties and counter-piracy operations.

Four Royal Navy warships, the lead commando group from 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines and elements of naval air squadrons will be supported by five vessels from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

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High Street Housing Plans Come Under Fire

Store Vacancies Hit New High Level

Updated: 11:50am UK, Monday 20 May 2013

A surge in shopping centre vacancies means almost one in every eight British stores is now empty, according to a new survey.

Empty shops now account for 11.9% of retail space, after failures including Comet and Jessops knocked holes in the shopping hubs and out-of-town retail parks.

The percentage of UK shop vacancies in April worsened from 10.9% in January and was the highest rate since the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard survey began in 2011.

It said high streets have been "vastly outperforming" malls and retail parks, boosted by a 5% increase in evening drinkers, diners and clubbers.

The retail sector has been battered by a wave of failures this year, with entertainment retailer HMV and camera chain Jessops both entering administration in January.

Electricals retailer Comet slumped into administration in November.

BRC director general Helen Dickinson said: "It's a major concern that the vacancy rate has reached a record high, driven by increases in almost every part of the UK, with some regions like the South West seeing a significant leap in empty shop numbers."

But rising temperatures lifted April footfall 1% on a year earlier, a marked improvement on the 5.2% fall in March, as more shoppers ventured out compared with a rainy April 2012.

Ms Dickinson added: "The unsettled weather at the start of the month seems to have created pent-up demand, which brought many of us out to shop when more spring-like weather finally made an appearance."

High street footfall was up 3.4%, the strongest performance since December 2011, but shopping centre visitors fell 3%.

Greater London was the strongest-performing region with footfall rising 4.2% and just 7.4% of its shops vacant.

Footfall in Northern Ireland slumped 6.4% in April, while its shop vacancy rate hit 18.1%. In Wales, shoppers were down 2.1%, with a vacancy rate of 17.9%.

The South West saw footfall slide 1.3% and shop vacancies hit 14%.

The UK's surging vacancy rate follows recent downbeat sales figures from the BRC, which showed retail sales slumped at the fastest rate for a year in April as the timing of Easter and a freezing start to the month offset improvements in fashion and beauty.

Like-for-like sales fell 2.2% in April from a year earlier, with the early Easter hitting food sales in particular, it said.

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Mobiles: Phony Chargers Spark Safety Concerns

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky News Reporter

Mobile phone users are being warned about the serious risks of buying fake chargers as safety experts fear a growing number are ending up in UK homes.

The Electrical Safety Council (ESC) says the counterfeit chargers are now one of the main fake electrical products entering the UK and have given some people electric shocks or even started fires.

"There is possibly going to be an increase in the problem due to them agreeing to sell mobile phones without the chargers in the box and that's to comply with European mandate to reduce electrical waste," Steve Curtler, from the ESC, told Sky News.

"This is why we're working with the mobile phone operators and doing as much as we can to raise awareness of the situation to ensure that people aren't lured into purchasing substandard and counterfeited products."

A charger being tested at a lab

New mum Katie Vines, from Bristol, paid less then £5 for a phone charger online.

It was plugged in close to her baby's cot when it exploded. The seller sent her a replacement but the second charger was also faulty and blew up.

She told Sky News: "I plugged it into my socket in my bedroom, I went off to the bathroom, my boyfriend was changing the baby at the time and I heard a loud bang and went to see what it was and unfortunately the phone charger had exploded into the socket."

According to the ESC, more than four million counterfeit goods were seized in the UK last year - with mobile phone chargers now one of the top electrical fakes.

A cheap charger bought online for a few pounds

Figures from Intellectual Property show just under 10,000 phone accessories were taken in by Trading Standards but it's suspected there are many more being sold and used.

Some have damaged expensive gadgets, electrocuted people and even started fires.

Bristol Trading Standards has been dealing with a growing number of these cases over the past 12 months, but said that because many of the products come from abroad it isn't easy to stop the trade.

Spokeswoman Sarah Saunders said: "It is very frustrating for Trading Standards to see these on the market. It's worrying for us also. There is legislation that controls plugs and sockets and that's there for a reason.

"It's there to protect the UK consumers and those that are in the EU. When these products are bought from outside of the EU it makes it very difficult for the regulatory authorities to do much about it."

This week Apple announced plans to run a type of amnesty reducing the price of their chargers if shoppers hand in a fake.

It comes after a woman in China was electrocuted and died using her phone while it was plugged in to a counterfeit charger.

The ESC has produced a 'Safe Shopping' guide which gives advice on what to look for when buying third party electrical goods. They advise checking the voltage and the packaging of the item.

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Murder Arrest As Man Dies In Stab Attack

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a stabbing in Bristol.

The 41-year-old was held after police were called to an address in Egerton Road, in the Bishopston area of the city, amid reports a 24-year-old had been attacked.

The victim was taken to hospital on Friday evening but later died.

A police spokeswoman said: "A 41-year-old man from the local area has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

"He is being held in police custody."

Forensics officers were still at the scene of the attack on Sunday morning.

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Labour Attacks Tesco Over Foreign Staff

Labour has ignited a row with supermarket giant Tesco by planning to attack the chain for employing foreign workers.

Shadow immigration minister Chris Bryant is due to condemn Tesco and other leading companies for being "unscrupulous" and pursuing cheap labour from Eastern Europe.

In a speech on Monday, he is expected to claim Tesco moved its distribution centre to Kent where a "large percentage" of the staff are from the eastern bloc.

The firm has already hit back, denying having a distribution centre in the county and insisting it does not actively seek to recruit abroad.

A spokesman said: "It is wrong to accuse Tesco of this. We work incredibly hard to recruit from the local area and have just recruited 350 local people to work in our Dagenham site."

The company is also understood to be writing to Labour to complain about the "unfair" slight.

Controversial: Frontbencher Chris Bryant

Mr Bryant's speech appears to be the Opposition's latest attempt to wrestle back the initiative on immigration, which is a top concern for British voters.

The party is also battling to get on the front foot after a quiet summer which has seen their poll lead slip and Ed Miliband face internal criticism for failing to set the agenda.

Mr Bryant will admit immigration can have a negative effect on labour markets, according to extracts from the draft speech reported in The Sunday Telegraph.

"The biggest complaint I have heard, from migrants and settled communities alike, is about the negative effects migration can have on the UK labour market. And I agree," he is due to say.

"It is unfair that unscrupulous employers whose only interest seems to be finding labour as cheaply as possible will recruit workers in large numbers in low-wage countries in the EU, bring them to the UK, charge the costs of their travel and their substandard accommodation against their wages and still not even meet the national minimum wage.

"That is unfair. It exploits migrant workers and it makes it impossible for settled workers with mortgages and a family to support at British prices to compete."

He will claim Tesco had recently decided to move its distribution centre in Kent but slashed pay for existing staff, penalising Britons.

"The new centre is larger and employs more people, but the staff at the original site, most of them British, were told that they could only move to the new centre if they took a cut in pay," he will say.

"The result? A large percentage of the staff at the new centre are from [the] Eastern bloc."

As well as highlighting the recruitment of hundreds of local staff, Tesco made clear that the distribution centre is in the east London borough of Barking and Dagenham and was formerly in Essex, not Kent.

Next is also criticised for allegedly seeking out Polish staff

Mr Bryant's address is also set to target high street chain Next, who he accused of printing leaflets in Polish to attract workers from the country.

Extracts from his speech say: "Look at Next Plc, who last year brought 500 Polish workers to work in their South Elmsall warehouse for their summer sale and another 300 this summer.

"They were recruited in Poland and charged £50 to find them accommodation. The advantage to Next? They get to avoid Agency Workers Regulations, which apply after a candidate has been employed for over 12 weeks, so Polish temps end up considerably cheaper than the local workforce, which includes many former Next employees."

The MP's speech will make clear that neither firm has broken the law.

After the extracts emerged, Next admitted using Polish agency workers to help fill slots during the summer sale but vehemently denied it was done to cut costs.

A spokesman said: "We are deeply disappointed Mr Bryant did not bother to check his facts with the company before releasing his speech.

"In fact agency workers from Poland cost us exactly the same as local agency workers, and our existing employees.

"The only reason we seek the help of people from Poland is that we simply can't recruit enough local people to satisfy these spikes in demand for temporary work."

The firm also made clear the nationality of workers had no effect on their rights under Agency Workers Regulations.

"We very much hope that Mr Bryant, being apprised of the facts, will reconsider his claims when he comes to make his speech," it said.

Tesco, which is the third largest retailer in the world, has 3,146 stores in the UK and employs more than 300,000 staff here.

Next has more than 500 shops across the country, employing around 54,000 people.

Tory MP for Harlow Robert Halfon attacked Labour for allowing "uncontrolled immigration" during its time in office, but also joined the row against Tesco.

On Sky News, he accused the supermarket chain of behaving "disgracefully" towards staff when it closed its distribution centre in his constituency.

"They said they were building a new Dagenham plant and the Harlow plant in my own constituency would be alongside it," he said.

"The moment the plant was built it was suddenly announced the Harlow plant would close. They then said to the British Harlow workers yes, they could have jobs in Dagenham, but it would be at lower pay after transitional costs had been taken in.

"As a result the majority of them couldn't afford to work in Dagenham and had to take redundancy. Tesco in my view behaved quite disgracefully and quite ruthlessly."

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Missing Teen Erika Kacicova: Suspect Bailed

Detectives looking for a 13-year-old schoolgirl who vanished from her home have received a number of reports of possible sightings.

Police, who believe Erika Kacicova is with people she knows, made a direct appeal to the teenager on Sunday afternoon, calling on her to return to her "distraught" family.

She was last seen leaving her home in the Darnall area of Sheffield at around 4pm on Monday, August 4.

Police have been conducting house-to-house inquiries there, and have expanded their search to Bradford.

A 22-year-old man from Bradford was released on police bail earlier after being arrested on suspicion of child abduction.

He approached police on Friday, the day officers made an urgent appeal for information about Erika's whereabouts.

Detective Inspector Helen Tate said: "Please remember she is a young girl who has never been away from home for this long before and we want her to return safe and well."

Erika's home in Poole Road, Darnall, in Sheffield

She added: "Erika, if you are reading this, please let us know you are okay. You're not in any trouble."

She said members of the public had come forward with information and reports of sightings but that "time was of the essence" as they search for the teenager.

Her disappearance was described as "out of character".

Erika is described as being slim and around 4ft 11ins tall. She has long, dark-brown, straight hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a pink polo-style shirt and a silvery-grey coloured jacket.

:: Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.

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High Street Housing Plans Come Under Fire

Store Vacancies Hit New High Level

Updated: 11:50am UK, Monday 20 May 2013

A surge in shopping centre vacancies means almost one in every eight British stores is now empty, according to a new survey.

Empty shops now account for 11.9% of retail space, after failures including Comet and Jessops knocked holes in the shopping hubs and out-of-town retail parks.

The percentage of UK shop vacancies in April worsened from 10.9% in January and was the highest rate since the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard survey began in 2011.

It said high streets have been "vastly outperforming" malls and retail parks, boosted by a 5% increase in evening drinkers, diners and clubbers.

The retail sector has been battered by a wave of failures this year, with entertainment retailer HMV and camera chain Jessops both entering administration in January.

Electricals retailer Comet slumped into administration in November.

BRC director general Helen Dickinson said: "It's a major concern that the vacancy rate has reached a record high, driven by increases in almost every part of the UK, with some regions like the South West seeing a significant leap in empty shop numbers."

But rising temperatures lifted April footfall 1% on a year earlier, a marked improvement on the 5.2% fall in March, as more shoppers ventured out compared with a rainy April 2012.

Ms Dickinson added: "The unsettled weather at the start of the month seems to have created pent-up demand, which brought many of us out to shop when more spring-like weather finally made an appearance."

High street footfall was up 3.4%, the strongest performance since December 2011, but shopping centre visitors fell 3%.

Greater London was the strongest-performing region with footfall rising 4.2% and just 7.4% of its shops vacant.

Footfall in Northern Ireland slumped 6.4% in April, while its shop vacancy rate hit 18.1%. In Wales, shoppers were down 2.1%, with a vacancy rate of 17.9%.

The South West saw footfall slide 1.3% and shop vacancies hit 14%.

The UK's surging vacancy rate follows recent downbeat sales figures from the BRC, which showed retail sales slumped at the fastest rate for a year in April as the timing of Easter and a freezing start to the month offset improvements in fashion and beauty.

Like-for-like sales fell 2.2% in April from a year earlier, with the early Easter hitting food sales in particular, it said.

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Mobiles: Phony Chargers Spark Safety Concerns

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky News Reporter

Mobile phone users are being warned about the serious risks of buying fake chargers as safety experts fear a growing number are ending up in UK homes.

The Electrical Safety Council (ESC) says the counterfeit chargers are now one of the main fake electrical products entering the UK and have given some people electric shocks or even started fires.

"There is possibly going to be an increase in the problem due to them agreeing to sell mobile phones without the chargers in the box and that's to comply with European mandate to reduce electrical waste," Steve Curtler, from the ESC, told Sky News.

"This is why we're working with the mobile phone operators and doing as much as we can to raise awareness of the situation to ensure that people aren't lured into purchasing substandard and counterfeited products."

A charger being tested at a lab

New mum Katie Vines, from Bristol, paid less then £5 for a phone charger online.

It was plugged in close to her baby's cot when it exploded. The seller sent her a replacement but the second charger was also faulty and blew up.

She told Sky News: "I plugged it into my socket in my bedroom, I went off to the bathroom, my boyfriend was changing the baby at the time and I heard a loud bang and went to see what it was and unfortunately the phone charger had exploded into the socket."

According to the ESC, more than four million counterfeit goods were seized in the UK last year - with mobile phone chargers now one of the top electrical fakes.

A cheap charger bought online for a few pounds

Figures from Intellectual Property show just under 10,000 phone accessories were taken in by Trading Standards but it's suspected there are many more being sold and used.

Some have damaged expensive gadgets, electrocuted people and even started fires.

Bristol Trading Standards has been dealing with a growing number of these cases over the past 12 months, but said that because many of the products come from abroad it isn't easy to stop the trade.

Spokeswoman Sarah Saunders said: "It is very frustrating for Trading Standards to see these on the market. It's worrying for us also. There is legislation that controls plugs and sockets and that's there for a reason.

"It's there to protect the UK consumers and those that are in the EU. When these products are bought from outside of the EU it makes it very difficult for the regulatory authorities to do much about it."

This week Apple announced plans to run a type of amnesty reducing the price of their chargers if shoppers hand in a fake.

It comes after a woman in China was electrocuted and died using her phone while it was plugged in to a counterfeit charger.

The ESC has produced a 'Safe Shopping' guide which gives advice on what to look for when buying third party electrical goods. They advise checking the voltage and the packaging of the item.

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Murder Arrest As Man Dies In Stab Attack

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a stabbing in Bristol.

The 41-year-old was held after police were called to an address in Egerton Road, in the Bishopston area of the city, amid reports a 24-year-old had been attacked.

The victim was taken to hospital on Friday evening but later died.

A police spokeswoman said: "A 41-year-old man from the local area has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

"He is being held in police custody."

Forensics officers were still at the scene of the attack on Sunday morning.

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Labour Attacks Tesco Over Foreign Staff

Labour has ignited a row with supermarket giant Tesco by planning to attack the chain for employing foreign workers.

Shadow immigration minister Chris Bryant is due to condemn Tesco and other leading companies for being "unscrupulous" and pursuing cheap labour from Eastern Europe.

In a speech on Monday, he is expected to claim Tesco moved its distribution centre to Kent where a "large percentage" of the staff are from the eastern bloc.

The firm has already hit back, denying having a distribution centre in the county and insisting it does not actively seek to recruit abroad.

A spokesman said: "It is wrong to accuse Tesco of this. We work incredibly hard to recruit from the local area and have just recruited 350 local people to work in our Dagenham site."

The company is also understood to be writing to Labour to complain about the "unfair" slight.

Controversial: Frontbencher Chris Bryant

Mr Bryant's speech appears to be the Opposition's latest attempt to wrestle back the initiative on immigration, which is a top concern for British voters.

The party is also battling to get on the front foot after a quiet summer which has seen their poll lead slip and Ed Miliband face internal criticism for failing to set the agenda.

Mr Bryant will admit immigration can have a negative effect on labour markets, according to extracts from the draft speech reported in The Sunday Telegraph.

"The biggest complaint I have heard, from migrants and settled communities alike, is about the negative effects migration can have on the UK labour market. And I agree," he is due to say.

"It is unfair that unscrupulous employers whose only interest seems to be finding labour as cheaply as possible will recruit workers in large numbers in low-wage countries in the EU, bring them to the UK, charge the costs of their travel and their substandard accommodation against their wages and still not even meet the national minimum wage.

"That is unfair. It exploits migrant workers and it makes it impossible for settled workers with mortgages and a family to support at British prices to compete."

He will claim Tesco had recently decided to move its distribution centre in Kent but slashed pay for existing staff, penalising Britons.

"The new centre is larger and employs more people, but the staff at the original site, most of them British, were told that they could only move to the new centre if they took a cut in pay," he will say.

"The result? A large percentage of the staff at the new centre are from [the] Eastern bloc."

As well as highlighting the recruitment of hundreds of local staff, Tesco made clear that the distribution centre is in the east London borough of Barking and Dagenham and was formerly in Essex, not Kent.

Next is also criticised for allegedly seeking out Polish staff

Mr Bryant's address is also set to target high street chain Next, who he accused of printing leaflets in Polish to attract workers from the country.

Extracts from his speech say: "Look at Next Plc, who last year brought 500 Polish workers to work in their South Elmsall warehouse for their summer sale and another 300 this summer.

"They were recruited in Poland and charged £50 to find them accommodation. The advantage to Next? They get to avoid Agency Workers Regulations, which apply after a candidate has been employed for over 12 weeks, so Polish temps end up considerably cheaper than the local workforce, which includes many former Next employees."

The MP's speech will make clear that neither firm has broken the law.

After the extracts emerged, Next admitted using Polish agency workers to help fill slots during the summer sale but vehemently denied it was done to cut costs.

A spokesman said: "We are deeply disappointed Mr Bryant did not bother to check his facts with the company before releasing his speech.

"In fact agency workers from Poland cost us exactly the same as local agency workers, and our existing employees.

"The only reason we seek the help of people from Poland is that we simply can't recruit enough local people to satisfy these spikes in demand for temporary work."

The firm also made clear the nationality of workers had no effect on their rights under Agency Workers Regulations.

"We very much hope that Mr Bryant, being apprised of the facts, will reconsider his claims when he comes to make his speech," it said.

Tesco, which is the third largest retailer in the world, has 3,146 stores in the UK and employs more than 300,000 staff here.

Next has more than 500 shops across the country, employing around 54,000 people.

Tory MP for Harlow Robert Halfon attacked Labour for allowing "uncontrolled immigration" during its time in office, but also joined the row against Tesco.

On Sky News, he accused the supermarket chain of behaving "disgracefully" towards staff when it closed its distribution centre in his constituency.

"They said they were building a new Dagenham plant and the Harlow plant in my own constituency would be alongside it," he said.

"The moment the plant was built it was suddenly announced the Harlow plant would close. They then said to the British Harlow workers yes, they could have jobs in Dagenham, but it would be at lower pay after transitional costs had been taken in.

"As a result the majority of them couldn't afford to work in Dagenham and had to take redundancy. Tesco in my view behaved quite disgracefully and quite ruthlessly."

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Missing Teen Erika Kacicova: Suspect Bailed

Detectives looking for a 13-year-old schoolgirl who vanished from her home have received a number of reports of possible sightings.

Police, who believe Erika Kacicova is with people she knows, made a direct appeal to the teenager on Sunday afternoon, calling on her to return to her "distraught" family.

She was last seen leaving her home in the Darnall area of Sheffield at around 4pm on Monday, August 4.

Police have been conducting house-to-house inquiries there, and have expanded their search to Bradford.

A 22-year-old man from Bradford was released on police bail earlier after being arrested on suspicion of child abduction.

He approached police on Friday, the day officers made an urgent appeal for information about Erika's whereabouts.

Detective Inspector Helen Tate said: "Please remember she is a young girl who has never been away from home for this long before and we want her to return safe and well."

Erika's home in Poole Road, Darnall, in Sheffield

She added: "Erika, if you are reading this, please let us know you are okay. You're not in any trouble."

She said members of the public had come forward with information and reports of sightings but that "time was of the essence" as they search for the teenager.

Her disappearance was described as "out of character".

Erika is described as being slim and around 4ft 11ins tall. She has long, dark-brown, straight hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a pink polo-style shirt and a silvery-grey coloured jacket.

:: Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.

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