'Mummified Boy': Hutton Jailed For 15 Years

Timeline: Hamzah Khan Case

Updated: 3:42pm UK, Thursday 03 October 2013

Here is a timeline of events leading to the death of Hamzah Khan and the discovery of his mummified body:

May 28, 1996 - Amanda Hutton and partner Aftab Khan have an argument in the street. She complained to police that Khan had hit her, giving her a black eye

March 18, 2003 - Amanda Hutton tells a police officer she was suffering from domestic violence at the hands of Aftab Khan

June 2, 2003 - Amanda Hutton complained Khan had assaulted her.

September 25, 2004 - Police investigate alleged assault of Amanda Hutton by Aftab Khan

February 24, 2005 - Amanda Hutton fails to attend appointment for hospital scan while pregnant with Hamzah

March 2005 – Second missed appointment

April 7, 2005 – Third missed appointment

June 17, 2005 - Hamzah born weighing 5lb 4oz

July 7, 2005 - The last time Hamzah is seen by any healthcare professional - a health visitor. Previously on the same day a midwife visits and records Hamzah putting on weight and "doing well."

October 2005 - Four attempts by health visitors to gain access. Door slammed on nurse on at least one occasion.

December 18, 2005 - Police called over claims of domestic violence

December 24, 2005 - Amanda Hutton's mother dies. She claims it affects her badly

February 2006 - Failed attempt to gain access by health visitor

March 14, 2006 - GP writes to Amanda Hutton because Hamzah has not been registered with them.

July 10, 2006 - Health visitor denied access.

August 12, 2006 - The Registrar of Births contacts the health visitor after unsuccessful attempts to contact Amanda Hutton about the birth of Hamzah.

The registrar subsequently contacts the health visitor to say she has seen Amanda Hutton at home, she had a "puffed up" eye and smelt of alcohol.

August 23, 2006 - Amanda Hutton goes to her GP complaining of depression.

September 2006 - Health visitor contacts social services child protection unit over "significant concerns" about non engagement with all health professionals.

September 7, 2006 - Amanda Hutton goes to GP. Records read: "Came with eldest son. Has been drinking with partner "too much". 

Has had 2 glasses of vodka a day since mother died in January (sic). Helps to numb things says that family are not aware. Feels as if has hit rock bottom. Wants to change"

September 19, 2006 - Amanda Hutton registers Hamzah with her GP. He was never seen at the practice.

November 2006 - Letter sent (unclear by whom) to children's social care to express concerns about child neglect by Amanda Hutton

November 15, 2006 - Social worker visits, could not get in, left a note.

November 23, 2006 - Social worker returns, sees Hamzah who was "well cared-for and well dressed". Amanda Hutton tells her she's lost faith in the NHS, but would seek help for Hamzah if he was ill.

November 2006 - April 2007 - Amanda Hutton "off the radar" of official health & social care records

December 13, 2006 - Domestic violence report to police

December 30, 2006 - Police called to the house after an argument, Amanda is "obstructive and reluctant to give information to police".

April 2007 - Social worker is told by health visitor that Amanda Hutton says she is willing to engage with healthcare and family centre services.

April 2007 - Hamzah misses a GP appointment for vaccinations

May 2007 - Amanda Hutton and Hamzah suspended from GP practice list with note saying: "too many failed appointments"

December 2007 - Tests on Hamza's bones and teeth after he died showed he was not eating enough food from at least this point

December 7, 2007 - 999 call made claiming domestic violence

February 26, 2008 - Complaint made to police of domestic violence

April 10, 2008 - Amanda Hutton makes tearful call to domestic violence unit.

April 17, 2008 - Amanda speaks to the PC at the domestic violence unit, says she had been drinking heavily but has now stopped.

May 5, 2008 - Complaint made to police of domestic violence

June 9, 2008 - Domestic violence unit police officer contacts health visitor asking her to make contact with Amanda Hutton.

June 13, 2008 - First multi-agency MARAC meeting organised by social services. Discusses concerns about Amanda Hutton and Hamzah because they are at risk of serious domestic violence

August 2008 - Second MARAC meeting. Amanda Hutton reported to have refused help from a domestic violence charity.

December 4, 2008 - Amanda Hutton dialled 999 alleging domestic violence.

December 09, 2008 - Aftab Khan arrested, tells police they should check on Hamzah.

December 22, 2008 - Injunction granted preventing contact by Aftab Khan

December 2008 - Amanda Hutton moves house, police arrange fitting of panic alarm and anti-arson letterbox

January 19, 2009 - Complaint made to police of domestic violence

January 2009 - Third MARAC meeting. Concerns over GP non engagement discussed.

February 17, 2009 - Domestic violence unit police officer sent on welfare visit, told can't see Hamzah because he's upstairs with a dirty nappy because it's half term

February 2009 - Girlfriend of Hamzah's brother Qaiser stays at house, says Hamzah was 'definitely underweight, like a baby" was eating only milk, bananas and half a pasty for tea and "whatever was lying around" and that he was often locked in a bedroom in the dark.

An 11-year-old girl who had been to the house told the police after his body was found that Hamzah was not fed much.

February 17, 2009 - Domestic violence unit police officer visits Amanda, she didn't see Hamzah as was playing upstairs, house was clean and tidy.

March 11, 2009 - Text from Aftab Khan to Amanda Hutton: "Don't wori its not me whose going to land u in the shit ur going to do that ur self turnd in to the biggest lyer stop drinking wat [has Hamzah] had today think about wat ur doing to everi body"

March 16, 2009 - Amanda Hutton moves house for last time, tells neighbour the move is to escape from abusive relationship.

April 21, 2009 - Police called by childcare professional who reports concerns about child neglect

April 21, 2009 - PC Marie Furness visits house, speaks to Hamzah, leaves "satisfied that he was fit, well, clean, healthy-looking." She was the last police officer to see him.

June 9, 2009 - Aftab Khan admits battery against Amanda Hutton on  December 4, 2008

September 2009 - Hamzah expected in school, but not seen

October 2009 - Amanda Hutton and Hamzah fully removed from the GP practice list.

October 14, 2009 - Amanda Hutton meets a domestic violence charity worker and says she wants to help other victims of child abuse.

December 15, 2009 - Hamzah dies aged four and a half. Tests later showed his bones were the same size as a child of 12 to 18 months.

August 10 - Nurse at the school Hamzah was expected to attend was asked about him by the health visitor. Nurse says he was not attending the nursery.

September 2010 - Hamzah had to start school by law. He was never seen.

March 16, 2011 - Anonymous tip-off to social services to report concerns about significant problems in the house.

September 05, 2011 - A police community support officer goes to house after neighbour complains about rubbish. She is suspicious about smell and flies, calls social services who tell her Amanda Hutton lives there with a child.

September 21, 2011 - Hamzah's body found mouldy and mummified in Amanda Hutton's bedroom. His body had no muscle and almost no flesh.

He was dressed in a baby grow for a six- to nine-month-old baby, which fitted him comfortably.

There were five other children, aged between five and 13, in the home at the time. The fridge was found to contain rotten food.

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Help To Buy: Doubts Over Success Of Scheme

By Poppy Trowbridge, Business and Economics Correspondent

The second phase of the government mortgage guarantee scheme Help to Buy is due to launch next week, three months earlier than expected - but experts are sceptical the initiative will help buyers.

Lack of capacity in the housing market, and a statement from one bank saying it cannot confirm whether it will take part in the scheme, means some would-be buyers could be left empty-handed.

Exclusive research by Sky News shows interest from potential buyers has skyrocketed since the Government surprised the market.

Property website Rightmove says clicks on its Help to Buy pages numbered 14,807 on Saturday, the day before last Sunday's surprise announcement.

When David Cameron revealed, on the eve of the Conservative Party conference, that the launch date had been brought forward from January - clicks, measuring potential buyer interest, spiked to 59,571.

Now, almost a week later, they remain far above average at 23,660.

There is concern that pent-up demand cannot be met by existing market services, while Barclays has issued a statement saying it is not able to guarantee a launch date.

The policy offers homebuyers loans of up to 20% towards a property

"Whilst we cannot take a decision over participation in the new scheme before the terms are set, we are encouraged by the tone of the discussions so far," the bank said.

RBS and Natwest however, have said they are ready to take part in the scheme when it goes live and are planning to extend opening hours in many branches to deal with demand.

"From launch date customers will be able to visit any of our 2000 branches or call us to see how we can help them to get ahead on the property ladder through the scheme," said a statement.

Lloyds Banking Group will also be participating in the second stage of Help to Buy - but exact timings are currently unclear.

"We will be introducing a range of products shortly through our Halifax (and Bank of Scotland) brand, enabling customers to benefit from 95% borrowing this year," said a spokesperson.

However, some estate agents are still worried about a lack of capacity to deal with interest in the scheme.

Robert Ellice, of Clarke Hillyer, told Sky News: "At the moment we've got big delays in the whole process anyway, mortgages are still taking a long time to be offered and taking a long time to be verified on values."

Despite the concerns, the government insists that the scheme is still on track to be a success.

A Treasury statement said: "Two major lenders - Lloyds and RBS representing around 30% of total mortgage lending - have already announced that they will be launching new mortgage products because of Help to Buy.

"This is great news for those who can't get on - or move up the property ladder because of the huge cost of deposits."

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Ondine's Curse: Girl With Ventilator Can Go Home

By Stephen Douglas, Sky News Reporter

A toddler is preparing to go home for the first time in her life after spending almost three years at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Maisie Harris suffers from a rare condition called Ondine's Curse, which means her brain does not tell her body to breathe, so she needs a ventilator to do it for her.

Now, thanks to a smaller, more portable ventilator, Maisie will be able to leave hospital and head home to Gillingham in Kent.

The new ventilator is intelligent enough to know when she is able to take her own breaths and when she is likely to have an episode and require ventilation.

Her mother Rachel Bridger told Sky News: "It's exciting, I'm nervous. It's all new going home. It'll be good to just be a normal family. You don't feel normal being in hospital so long.

"The last three years have been up and down, good and bad. You give up sometimes. I thought it might be the end of the road but she pulled through which is great news. I'm looking forward to taking her to the park and to her nan's.

"The new ventilator is the best thing she's ever had."

Maisie will leave hospital soon

Maisie, who turns three on October 23, has been at London's Great Ormond Street so long that staff held a going-home party. Maisie will leave the hospital with her family on Monday.

Ward manager Kate Harkus said: "It means a lot to the staff that she's going home. We feel very proud. We've nursed her through rocky times.

"There are very few machines in the world that will be able to support her at home. Technology is advancing so much that more companies are coming out with these ventilators that you can manage at home."

Maisie's parents have mostly been living in hospital accommodation ever since she was transferred to Great Ormond Street from Medway Maritime Hospital when she was three months old.

Her father Andrew Harris told Sky News: "It's been difficult. She was in intensive care going backwards and forwards. Now she's ready to go home it's all been worth it.

"I'm looking forward to seeing her go to school and growing up. We didn't think she'd get to this stage."

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Dale Cregan: Three Charged With Helping Killer

Three people have been charged with helping jailed police killer Dale Cregan while he was on the run.

Marvin Herbert, 41, was arrested at a gym in Puerto Banus, near Marbella, in Spain, and extradited to the UK on Thursday.

He was charged on Friday at Manchester City Magistrates' Court with conspiracy to assist an offender.

Herbert, who was born in Liverpool and has lived in the London area, was remanded in custody and will appear at Manchester Crown Court on October 18.

Two others - Raj Mohammed Khan, 41, of Bradford, and Patricia Kelly, 55, of Droylsden, Greater Manchester - were charged with the same offence on Friday.

They will appear in custody at Manchester Magistrates' Court later.

Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes were lured to their deaths

The charges relate to the period between August 10 and September 17 last year when Cregan and accomplices Anthony Wilkinson and Jermaine Ward were wanted by police.

One-eyed killer Cregan was given a whole-life sentence earlier this year for the murders of PC Nicola Hughes and PC Fiona Bone and father and son David and Mark Short.

Last month, Cregan was moved to maximum-security Ashworth Hospital - where Moors Murderer Ian Brady is serving his sentence - from Strangeways jail in Manchester because of his behaviour.

While in HMP Manchester, he was segregated from other prisoners for fear of reprisals. Reports suggest there is an underworld bounty of £20,000 on his remaining eye.

In protest, Cregan is said to have have started refusing food. He was put in the hospital wing at the jail before his transfer to Ashworth.

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Norfolk: Hospital Worker Held Over 'Murder'

A hospital staff member has been arrested for murder after a patient died from a suspected drug overdose in Norfolk.

James May, 76, from Great Yarmouth, died at the James Paget Hospital, in Gorleston, on September 20.

An allegation of medical malpractice in connection with his death was reported to police 10 days later.

Officers arrested a member of the hospital's medical staff, a middle-aged man, on suspicion of murder on Saturday morning. He remains in police custody.

Mr May died from heart failure according to a post-mortem examination carried out at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Wednesday.

Police are waiting for the results of further toxicology tests, which they say will help their murder investigation.

The hospital called police after investigating Mr May's death

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Durham, leading the inquiry, said: "We are investigating an allegation that a drugs overdose was administered to a patient, leading to his death.

"We understand that this news may generate concern and it's important for us to underline that our investigation, which is still at an early stage, is based on a single report of an isolated incident and that the hospital trust is co-operating fully with the investigation. "

Mr May's family have been informed and are being supported by Police Family Liaison Officers. It is understood he was admitted to hospital the day before he died.

In a written tribute to local newspaper The Eastern Daily Press, friends of Mr May wrote: "You were one in a million and will be sadly missed. Sleep peacefully."

Mr May died at the hospital in Great Yarmouth two weeks ago

Christine Allen, chief executive of James Paget University Hospitals trust, said doctors called in police after an internal investigation into Mr May's death.

"Our thoughts are with the family of this patient at what is a very difficult time," she said. "Our priority is patient safety and we understand that this news will cause concern. At this time, we believe it is an isolated incident and relates to the alleged action of a single member of staff.

"The member of staff against whom the allegation has been made is absent from the Trust and will not return until the investigation is completed.

"Throughout this difficult period, the James Paget University Hospital will continue to provide the best possible care to our patients and we are fully co-operating with the police."

:: Police said anyone with concerns can contact Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team on 01953 424533 or 424528.

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'Yid Army' Chant: Spurs Fans Face Arrest

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Spurs fans have been warned they face arrest if they persistently use "the Y word" while supporting their team.

The north London club has many Jewish supporters and chants of "Yid Army" and "Yiddos" are often heard at White Hart Lane.

But the Metropolitan Police has said the team's Premier League clash with West Ham on Sunday will see officers taking the matter more seriously.

Match Commander Chief Superintendent Mick Johnson told Sky News: "It does actually cause offence to some members of the Jewish community.

"We are going to go up to people first, engage firstly and try to explain to them what it means.

"Hopefully people will take that warning and desist from using the Y word.

"Anyone who continues to use it or fails to take on our advice may be subject to arrest."

A consultation has been taking place at the club but large groups still use the chants and recently chanted "we sing what we want" in response to the ongoing debate.

PM: Fans should not be prosecuted if the chant was not motivated by hatred

Chief Superintendent Johnson added: "It will take time but it is about making sure they understand the message but also understand the seriousness of the message."

Last month, the Prime Minister said fans should not be prosecuted if the chant was not motivated by hatred.

David Cameron said: "There's a difference between Spurs fans self-describing themselves as Yids and someone calling someone a Yid as an insult.

"You have to be motivated by hate. Hate speech should be prosecuted - but only when it's motivated by hate."

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust said it was aware of the police statement and was trying to clarify the position with club officials.

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Madeleine McCann: Police Probe Phone Records

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent

Scotland Yard detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2007 are analysing the mobile phone details of everyone who was in the Portuguese holiday resort from where she disappeared.

They are set to reveal new information about the hunt for the missing girl in a televised appeal in 10 days.

There are around three dozen British police officers working on what has been designated Operation Grange, but the officers leading the investigation say there has been increasing cooperation with the authorities in Portugal. 

Six Portuguese police officers based in Faro have been appointed to liaise with officers in London. 

The Metropolitan Police stress that they are "professional and committed" and were not involved in the original investigation, which remains closed.    

Assistant Commissioners Mark Rowley and Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood are also sending formal International Letters Of Request to 30 other countries asking for assistance with their inquiry, reflecting the range of nationalities likely to have been in the town on May 3, 2007. 

Detectives want to cross reference mobile phone data with other lines of inquiry, especially with individuals they have previously identified as "persons of interest". 

Madeleine was three-years-old when she vanished from her parents' rented apartment in the Algarve seaside town of Praia Da Luz. 

The Portuguese authorities closed their investigation after initially investigating her parents Kate and Gerry as possible suspects. 

The Home Office agreed to order a review of the case by the Metropolitan Police and in July it became a full blown investigation.

Officers have been looking into the backgrounds of 41 individuals, 15 of whom are UK nationals. 

Assistant Commissioner Rowley said three of these British citizens are on the verge of being eliminated from the inquiry.

It is a huge undertaking requiring extensive international cooperation. 

The phone data has always been available, and some of it has been examined before, but the trawl through thousands of phone numbers is the most thorough yet undertaken. 

DCI Redwood said the phone records could be the key to solving the mystery and he that it is not a "general trawl" for information but a "targeted attack" on possible key numbers.

"We've got a data set of phone traffic. Within that phone traffic you can see we've got some of those numbers we can attribute to people, but a large number of them we can't. So in a targeted way, we're trying to say in a particular moment in time, that is around the moment of opportunity, who's there."

"What we're trying to do is to use every route available to us to identify as many of them as possible and the phone data is one route into that, as are appeals. If you were in Praia da Luz at the time, you may get a routine phone call from the police."

The Metropolitan Police team say they have collated 39,148 documents from previous inquiries by both the Portuguese authorities, and eight different teams of private detectives hired by the McCanns.

So far 21,614 have been processed. Some 4,920 of those have necessitated follow up action and 2,123 lines of inquiry have been completed.

The new lines of inquiry will be publicised in a BBC Crimewatch programme on Monday, October 14. 

The police will not confirm if new photo-fits or artist impressions of possible suspects will be issued, but there will be a reconstruction of events in Praia Da Luz, and Madeleine's parents will be interviewed during the programme. 

Mr Rowley said: "It's important to stress, the Crimewatch appeal is not simply 'this is a live investigation has anyone got any information?' It is more than that. There is new information not previously presented. Fresh, substantive material upon which to make an appeal."

The McCanns will be accompanied by DCI Redwood, making it the first time the couple have made an appeal for information alongside an investigating officer. 

Every other public appeal they have made during the past six years has been on their own initiative. 

Press conferences in the days immediately after their daughter's disappearance were not organised by friends and advisers rather than the Portuguese Judicial Police. 

It will be a symbolic moment in the long inquiry , with Kate and Gerry McCann, once labelled "aguidos" in Portugal, and investigated as possible suspects, now officially supported by detectives investigating the case.

DCI Redwood said: "I have no reason to be anything other than confident in the McCanns. They have been thoroughly supportive of our inquiry and our relationship is very strong."

There will be similar appeals on TV programmes in Germany and the Netherlands, reflecting the high number of tourists from those countries who were in Praia Da Luz when Madeleine went missing.

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Clifford: My Sex Charge Nightmare Continues

Max Clifford protested his innocence as he arrived at court to enter pleas on charges of indecent assault on teenage girls and women.

The PR expert, from Hersham in Surrey, faces 11 counts relating to seven alleged victims, aged from 14 to 19, between 1966 and 1985.

Clifford, who denies the charges, was arrested last December and was charged in April.

As he arrived at Southwark Crown Court, in London, he told reporters: "I'm OK.

"Obviously I am totally innocent of these charges.

"It's been a very hard time for myself, my wife, my family, loved ones. I have been helped tremendously by the public support, everywhere I go. That obviously has made a huge difference."

After leaving court he said: "The nightmare continues, it has done since last December.

"I want to thank everyone for their support, in this country and abroad.

"It is a nightmare for myself and everyone close to me. I am totally innocent.

"Next March (the date of Clifford's trial), as long as the truth comes out, it will be fine and I can get back to a normal life."

His trial is expected to last up to four weeks.

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Striker Gary Madine Jailed For Attacks

A Championship footballer has been jailed for 18 months after he was found guilty of two separate nightclub attacks.

Sheffield Wednesday striker Gary Madine, 23, who has a previous conviction for knocking a man out in a Carlisle pub, punched Wednesday fan Daniel Beresford in the Paris Bar in Sheffield city centre in February last year, breaking his nose.

Four weeks later, he punched bricklayer and Sheffield United fan Reece Hall in the city's Viper Room club, shattering his cheekbone.

He was jailed at Leeds Crown Court after being found guilty by a jury following a week-long trial last month.

Judge Rodney Jameson QC sentenced the footballer, who will now automatically be sacked by his club, to six months for the Actual Bodily Harm (ABH) on Mr Beresford, and 12 months for the offence of Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) against Mr Hall.

Alison Dorrell, defending Madine - known by some Wednesday fans as Goal Machine - said he had thrown away his talent due to "drink, childish behaviour and a temper problem".

"He is not an asset to his club any more," she said, and added he would struggle to re-start his career after serving a prison sentence.

Judge Jameson said the assaults occurred when the footballer "lashed out" when drunk with "little, if any, thought for the consequences".

He said: "When sober there is no reason to suppose that you would misbehave but I have to sentence you for serious offences which reflect the other side of your character.

"The side which comes out when you are in drink, which causes unprovoked violence causing serious injuries to innocent members of the public."

The judge said Madine had chosen not to "suppress" that side of his character.

However, Judge Jameson said other professional footballers had rebuilt careers after serving time in jail and there was no reason why he could not.

Madine, who used to earn £5,000 a week, was also told that he would have to pay £1,500 in compensation to Mr Beresford and £4,200 court costs.

Ms Dorrell believed this would be difficult for the defendant, who has not been paid by the club since he was convicted last month.

She said was he struggling to pay a mortgage on the house where his family lived.

More follows...

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'Mummified Boy': Hutton Jailed For 15 Years

Timeline: Hamzah Khan Case

Updated: 3:42pm UK, Thursday 03 October 2013

Here is a timeline of events leading to the death of Hamzah Khan and the discovery of his mummified body:

May 28, 1996 - Amanda Hutton and partner Aftab Khan have an argument in the street. She complained to police that Khan had hit her, giving her a black eye

March 18, 2003 - Amanda Hutton tells a police officer she was suffering from domestic violence at the hands of Aftab Khan

June 2, 2003 - Amanda Hutton complained Khan had assaulted her.

September 25, 2004 - Police investigate alleged assault of Amanda Hutton by Aftab Khan

February 24, 2005 - Amanda Hutton fails to attend appointment for hospital scan while pregnant with Hamzah

March 2005 – Second missed appointment

April 7, 2005 – Third missed appointment

June 17, 2005 - Hamzah born weighing 5lb 4oz

July 7, 2005 - The last time Hamzah is seen by any healthcare professional - a health visitor. Previously on the same day a midwife visits and records Hamzah putting on weight and "doing well."

October 2005 - Four attempts by health visitors to gain access. Door slammed on nurse on at least one occasion.

December 18, 2005 - Police called over claims of domestic violence

December 24, 2005 - Amanda Hutton's mother dies. She claims it affects her badly

February 2006 - Failed attempt to gain access by health visitor

March 14, 2006 - GP writes to Amanda Hutton because Hamzah has not been registered with them.

July 10, 2006 - Health visitor denied access.

August 12, 2006 - The Registrar of Births contacts the health visitor after unsuccessful attempts to contact Amanda Hutton about the birth of Hamzah.

The registrar subsequently contacts the health visitor to say she has seen Amanda Hutton at home, she had a "puffed up" eye and smelt of alcohol.

August 23, 2006 - Amanda Hutton goes to her GP complaining of depression.

September 2006 - Health visitor contacts social services child protection unit over "significant concerns" about non engagement with all health professionals.

September 7, 2006 - Amanda Hutton goes to GP. Records read: "Came with eldest son. Has been drinking with partner "too much". 

Has had 2 glasses of vodka a day since mother died in January (sic). Helps to numb things says that family are not aware. Feels as if has hit rock bottom. Wants to change"

September 19, 2006 - Amanda Hutton registers Hamzah with her GP. He was never seen at the practice.

November 2006 - Letter sent (unclear by whom) to children's social care to express concerns about child neglect by Amanda Hutton

November 15, 2006 - Social worker visits, could not get in, left a note.

November 23, 2006 - Social worker returns, sees Hamzah who was "well cared-for and well dressed". Amanda Hutton tells her she's lost faith in the NHS, but would seek help for Hamzah if he was ill.

November 2006 - April 2007 - Amanda Hutton "off the radar" of official health & social care records

December 13, 2006 - Domestic violence report to police

December 30, 2006 - Police called to the house after an argument, Amanda is "obstructive and reluctant to give information to police".

April 2007 - Social worker is told by health visitor that Amanda Hutton says she is willing to engage with healthcare and family centre services.

April 2007 - Hamzah misses a GP appointment for vaccinations

May 2007 - Amanda Hutton and Hamzah suspended from GP practice list with note saying: "too many failed appointments"

December 2007 - Tests on Hamza's bones and teeth after he died showed he was not eating enough food from at least this point

December 7, 2007 - 999 call made claiming domestic violence

February 26, 2008 - Complaint made to police of domestic violence

April 10, 2008 - Amanda Hutton makes tearful call to domestic violence unit.

April 17, 2008 - Amanda speaks to the PC at the domestic violence unit, says she had been drinking heavily but has now stopped.

May 5, 2008 - Complaint made to police of domestic violence

June 9, 2008 - Domestic violence unit police officer contacts health visitor asking her to make contact with Amanda Hutton.

June 13, 2008 - First multi-agency MARAC meeting organised by social services. Discusses concerns about Amanda Hutton and Hamzah because they are at risk of serious domestic violence

August 2008 - Second MARAC meeting. Amanda Hutton reported to have refused help from a domestic violence charity.

December 4, 2008 - Amanda Hutton dialled 999 alleging domestic violence.

December 09, 2008 - Aftab Khan arrested, tells police they should check on Hamzah.

December 22, 2008 - Injunction granted preventing contact by Aftab Khan

December 2008 - Amanda Hutton moves house, police arrange fitting of panic alarm and anti-arson letterbox

January 19, 2009 - Complaint made to police of domestic violence

January 2009 - Third MARAC meeting. Concerns over GP non engagement discussed.

February 17, 2009 - Domestic violence unit police officer sent on welfare visit, told can't see Hamzah because he's upstairs with a dirty nappy because it's half term

February 2009 - Girlfriend of Hamzah's brother Qaiser stays at house, says Hamzah was 'definitely underweight, like a baby" was eating only milk, bananas and half a pasty for tea and "whatever was lying around" and that he was often locked in a bedroom in the dark.

An 11-year-old girl who had been to the house told the police after his body was found that Hamzah was not fed much.

February 17, 2009 - Domestic violence unit police officer visits Amanda, she didn't see Hamzah as was playing upstairs, house was clean and tidy.

March 11, 2009 - Text from Aftab Khan to Amanda Hutton: "Don't wori its not me whose going to land u in the shit ur going to do that ur self turnd in to the biggest lyer stop drinking wat [has Hamzah] had today think about wat ur doing to everi body"

March 16, 2009 - Amanda Hutton moves house for last time, tells neighbour the move is to escape from abusive relationship.

April 21, 2009 - Police called by childcare professional who reports concerns about child neglect

April 21, 2009 - PC Marie Furness visits house, speaks to Hamzah, leaves "satisfied that he was fit, well, clean, healthy-looking." She was the last police officer to see him.

June 9, 2009 - Aftab Khan admits battery against Amanda Hutton on  December 4, 2008

September 2009 - Hamzah expected in school, but not seen

October 2009 - Amanda Hutton and Hamzah fully removed from the GP practice list.

October 14, 2009 - Amanda Hutton meets a domestic violence charity worker and says she wants to help other victims of child abuse.

December 15, 2009 - Hamzah dies aged four and a half. Tests later showed his bones were the same size as a child of 12 to 18 months.

August 10 - Nurse at the school Hamzah was expected to attend was asked about him by the health visitor. Nurse says he was not attending the nursery.

September 2010 - Hamzah had to start school by law. He was never seen.

March 16, 2011 - Anonymous tip-off to social services to report concerns about significant problems in the house.

September 05, 2011 - A police community support officer goes to house after neighbour complains about rubbish. She is suspicious about smell and flies, calls social services who tell her Amanda Hutton lives there with a child.

September 21, 2011 - Hamzah's body found mouldy and mummified in Amanda Hutton's bedroom. His body had no muscle and almost no flesh.

He was dressed in a baby grow for a six- to nine-month-old baby, which fitted him comfortably.

There were five other children, aged between five and 13, in the home at the time. The fridge was found to contain rotten food.

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Melanie Hall Murder: 'Significant' New Clues

Missing Melanie Case: Timeline Of Events

Updated: 8:48am UK, Thursday 03 October 2013

Bones found in a bag near a motorway slip road are those of missing hospital clerk Melanie Hall, according to Sky sources.

Here is a timeline of events since the 25-year-old disappeared.

:: 1996
June 9: Miss Hall goes missing after a night out at Cadillacs nightclub in Bath with her boyfriend of three weeks, German doctor Philip Karlbaum.

Police interview 850 people who were at the club and around 1,250 taxi drivers and mini-cab drivers.

Underwater search units begin a four-week trawl of a one-mile stretch of the River Avon.

June 17: Dr Karlbaum describes his devastation at his girlfriend's disappearance.

November: A reconstruction of Miss Hall's last-known movements is shown on BBC's Crimewatch.

:: 1998
June: Miss Hall's parents Steve and Patricia say they are almost certain she has been murdered as they make a new appeal on the second anniversary of her disappearance.

Mrs Hall says: "Not only has the person responsible deprived us of our daughter's life, but they have deprived us of laying her to rest with the love and dignity she deserves.

"She is out there on her own and we have nothing to grieve over."

:: 1999
August: Police divers search the River Avon again between Cleveland Bridge and Chatham Row after a tip-off from someone who remembered hearing a man and woman argue on the riverbank.

:: 2003
March: Two men from the Bath area, both in their 30s, are arrested over Ms Hall's death and later bailed.

Police spend two weeks searching fields in Inglesbatch village near Bath.

April: Officers appeal for a new witness, believed to be called Shelley, to come forward. The woman was drinking in a Bath pub the night Miss Hall disappeared.

August: The two men arrested in March are released without charge due to lack of evidence.

:: 2004
November 17: An inquest records an open verdict.

Coroner Paul Forrest says there was no explanation for her disappearance but speculates that she was killed soon after she went missing.

Her family make another appeal for information about her final moments.

:: 2006
June: Miss Hall's parents make another appeal on the 10th anniversary of her disappearance.

Mrs Hall said: "We feel somehow that we're running out of time - we would just like an outcome."

Mr Hall said: "You have to try to lock the awfulness of the truth at the back of your mind."

:: 2009
October 5: A workman finds a bag of bones as he is clearing vegetation on the M5 slip road at junction 14, north of Bristol.

October 8: Police confirm the remains have been identified as those of Melanie Hall.

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Dave Lee Travis Denies Fresh Sex Charges

By Tom Parmenter, at Westminster Magistrates' Court

DJ Dave Lee Travis has denied two new sex charges against him.

In a five-minute hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London he only spoke to confirm his name, age and address.

The 68-year-old appeared under his real name David Patrick Griffin and faces two allegations of indecent assault.

They relate to a woman who says she was assaulted between January 1992 and December 1993, she was over the age of 16 at the time.

In court his lawyer Martin Bale indicated his client would plead not guilty to the new charges.

The two allegations have been added to 12 others he faces of indecent or sexual assault that span the last three decades.

His next court appearance will be on October 21st and a trial is scheduled to take place next March.

The 68 year old DJ has consistently denied any wrongdoing since he was first arrested at his home near Leighton Buzzard in November 2012.

His arrest was part of Operation Yewtree which investigated the Jimmy Savile scandal but the allegations faced by Dave Lee Travis are not linked in any way to his disgraced former BBC colleague.

During a long career in broadcasting the DJ was known as DLT and hosted the BBC Radio One breakfast show between 1978 and 1980.

Recently he had been working for the Magic Network of radio stations but has been taken off-air pending the outcome of court proceedings. 

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Driver Dies As Car Breaks Free From Tow Truck

A driver has died after his car broke free from the AA van towing it and collided with another vehicle.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, suffered a heart attack in the crash in Croydon, south London just after 9am on Tuesday.

Paramedics tried to resuscitate the driver as he was taken St George's Hospital in Tooting, but he died two hours later.

A second man, travelling in another car, suffered chest injuries and taken to another hospital.

Witnesses described how the black Vauxhall Zafira, which was being towed on a rigid bar, swerved and crashed into a verge before breaking away from the tow-truck.

Police said no arrests had been made in connection with the crash but investigations were continuing.

In a statement, the AA said: "We are aware of an incident in the Croydon area this morning, 1 October, and that tragically the AA member involved has died.

"We would like to express our sincere condolences to the member's family. While the circumstances are under investigation, we are unable to comment further."  

The family of the victim have been informed.

:: Anyone with information is asked to contact the witness line on 020 8285 1574.      

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Payday Lenders Facing Unlimited Fines

Tougher controls on payday lenders could see unlimited fines for companies which break the rules amid claims some are even lending to children.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which will take over regulation of consumer credit from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in April 2014, said the sanctions were among a host of proposed new rules that would go out to consultation.

The organisation, which will cover tens of thousands of firms offering services such as overdrafts, credit cards and debt advice, was formed six months ago with the promise of strengthening protection for consumers.

Among its other recommendations are: limiting to two the number of times a payday loan can be rolled-over, banning misleading adverts and compulsory affordability checks for all loan applicants.

Payday loan firms have come under intense scrutiny in recent months after a damning report by the OFT found "deep-rooted" problems.

The payday industry denies lending to kids

The Competition Commission is carrying out a full-scale investigation of the industry and will reveal its findings next year.

After details on the proposed new rules emerged, assistant chief executive of Citizens Advice, Mike Dixon, alleged that some firms had loaned money to children under 16, telling Sky News they were "breaking all kinds of rules."

The OFT, which referred the £2bn industry to the commission, is worried firms are emphasising the speed of the loan over cost and are "skimping" on affordability checks.

There have also been complaints of payday firms unexpectedly draining people's bank accounts through a type of recurring payment called a continuous payment authority.

Payday firms would be limited to doing this twice per customer under the proposals.

The FCA's chief executive Martin Wheatley said: "Today I'm putting payday lenders on notice: tougher regulation is coming and I expect them all to make changes so that consumers get a fair outcome.

"The clock is ticking," he added.

Payday lenders have said they have been working to improve standards and ensure loans are given only to those who can afford them.

Russell Hamblin-Boone, chief executive of the Consumer Finance Association (CFA), which represents many short-term lenders, said: "The CFA and its members have always supported well-designed, well-implemented regulation in order to protect consumers and drive up standards.

"Our tough code of practice and independent monitoring, which is unique in the industry, has paved the way for FCA regulation, so we look forward to seeing the detail of the draft rulebook."

In response to the allegation that some firms were lending to children the CFA added: "CFA members do not lend to children.

"Loan applicants must be over 18, have a bank account and regular income as part of the robust affordability checks completed."

The FCA has asked for feedback from consumers as well as lenders before implementing its rules next year.

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'Mummified' Boy: Mother Amanda Hutton Guilty

Timeline: Hamzah Khan Case

Updated: 3:42pm UK, Thursday 03 October 2013

Here is a timeline of events leading to the death of Hamzah Khan and the discovery of his mummified body:

May 28, 1996 - Amanda Hutton and partner Aftab Khan have an argument in the street. She complained to police that Khan had hit her, giving her a black eye

March 18, 2003 - Amanda Hutton tells a police officer she was suffering from domestic violence at the hands of Aftab Khan

June 2, 2003 - Amanda Hutton complained Khan had assaulted her.

September 25, 2004 - Police investigate alleged assault of Amanda Hutton by Aftab Khan

February 24, 2005 - Amanda Hutton fails to attend appointment for hospital scan while pregnant with Hamzah

March 2005 – Second missed appointment

April 7, 2005 – Third missed appointment

June 17, 2005 - Hamzah born weighing 5lb 4oz

July 7, 2005 - The last time Hamzah is seen by any healthcare professional - a health visitor. Previously on the same day a midwife visits and records Hamzah putting on weight and "doing well."

October 2005 - Four attempts by health visitors to gain access. Door slammed on nurse on at least one occasion.

December 18, 2005 - Police called over claims of domestic violence

December 24, 2005 - Amanda Hutton's mother dies. She claims it affects her badly

February 2006 - Failed attempt to gain access by health visitor

March 14, 2006 - GP writes to Amanda Hutton because Hamzah has not been registered with them.

July 10, 2006 - Health visitor denied access.

August 12, 2006 - The Registrar of Births contacts the health visitor after unsuccessful attempts to contact Amanda Hutton about the birth of Hamzah.

The registrar subsequently contacts the health visitor to say she has seen Amanda Hutton at home, she had a "puffed up" eye and smelt of alcohol.

August 23, 2006 - Amanda Hutton goes to her GP complaining of depression.

September 2006 - Health visitor contacts social services child protection unit over "significant concerns" about non engagement with all health professionals.

September 7, 2006 - Amanda Hutton goes to GP. Records read: "Came with eldest son. Has been drinking with partner "too much". 

Has had 2 glasses of vodka a day since mother died in January (sic). Helps to numb things says that family are not aware. Feels as if has hit rock bottom. Wants to change"

September 19, 2006 - Amanda Hutton registers Hamzah with her GP. He was never seen at the practice.

November 2006 - Letter sent (unclear by whom) to children's social care to express concerns about child neglect by Amanda Hutton

November 15, 2006 - Social worker visits, could not get in, left a note.

November 23, 2006 - Social worker returns, sees Hamzah who was "well cared-for and well dressed". Amanda Hutton tells her she's lost faith in the NHS, but would seek help for Hamzah if he was ill.

November 2006 - April 2007 - Amanda Hutton "off the radar" of official health & social care records

December 13, 2006 - Domestic violence report to police

December 30, 2006 - Police called to the house after an argument, Amanda is "obstructive and reluctant to give information to police".

April 2007 - Social worker is told by health visitor that Amanda Hutton says she is willing to engage with healthcare and family centre services.

April 2007 - Hamzah misses a GP appointment for vaccinations

May 2007 - Amanda Hutton and Hamzah suspended from GP practice list with note saying: "too many failed appointments"

December 2007 - Tests on Hamza's bones and teeth after he died showed he was not eating enough food from at least this point

December 7, 2007 - 999 call made claiming domestic violence

February 26, 2008 - Complaint made to police of domestic violence

April 10, 2008 - Amanda Hutton makes tearful call to domestic violence unit.

April 17, 2008 - Amanda speaks to the PC at the domestic violence unit, says she had been drinking heavily but has now stopped.

May 5, 2008 - Complaint made to police of domestic violence

June 9, 2008 - Domestic violence unit police officer contacts health visitor asking her to make contact with Amanda Hutton.

June 13, 2008 - First multi-agency MARAC meeting organised by social services. Discusses concerns about Amanda Hutton and Hamzah because they are at risk of serious domestic violence

August 2008 - Second MARAC meeting. Amanda Hutton reported to have refused help from a domestic violence charity.

December 4, 2008 - Amanda Hutton dialled 999 alleging domestic violence.

December 09, 2008 - Aftab Khan arrested, tells police they should check on Hamzah.

December 22, 2008 - Injunction granted preventing contact by Aftab Khan

December 2008 - Amanda Hutton moves house, police arrange fitting of panic alarm and anti-arson letterbox

January 19, 2009 - Complaint made to police of domestic violence

January 2009 - Third MARAC meeting. Concerns over GP non engagement discussed.

February 17, 2009 - Domestic violence unit police officer sent on welfare visit, told can't see Hamzah because he's upstairs with a dirty nappy because it's half term

February 2009 - Girlfriend of Hamzah's brother Qaiser stays at house, says Hamzah was 'definitely underweight, like a baby" was eating only milk, bananas and half a pasty for tea and "whatever was lying around" and that he was often locked in a bedroom in the dark.

An 11-year-old girl who had been to the house told the police after his body was found that Hamzah was not fed much.

February 17, 2009 - Domestic violence unit police officer visits Amanda, she didn't see Hamzah as was playing upstairs, house was clean and tidy.

March 11, 2009 - Text from Aftab Khan to Amanda Hutton: "Don't wori its not me whose going to land u in the shit ur going to do that ur self turnd in to the biggest lyer stop drinking wat [has Hamzah] had today think about wat ur doing to everi body"

March 16, 2009 - Amanda Hutton moves house for last time, tells neighbour the move is to escape from abusive relationship.

April 21, 2009 - Police called by childcare professional who reports concerns about child neglect

April 21, 2009 - PC Marie Furness visits house, speaks to Hamzah, leaves "satisfied that he was fit, well, clean, healthy-looking." She was the last police officer to see him.

June 9, 2009 - Aftab Khan admits battery against Amanda Hutton on  December 4, 2008

September 2009 - Hamzah expected in school, but not seen

October 2009 - Amanda Hutton and Hamzah fully removed from the GP practice list.

October 14, 2009 - Amanda Hutton meets a domestic violence charity worker and says she wants to help other victims of child abuse.

December 15, 2009 - Hamzah dies aged four and a half. Tests later showed his bones were the same size as a child of 12 to 18 months.

August 10 - Nurse at the school Hamzah was expected to attend was asked about him by the health visitor. Nurse says he was not attending the nursery.

September 2010 - Hamzah had to start school by law. He was never seen.

March 16, 2011 - Anonymous tip-off to social services to report concerns about significant problems in the house.

September 05, 2011 - A police community support officer goes to house after neighbour complains about rubbish. She is suspicious about smell and flies, calls social services who tell her Amanda Hutton lives there with a child.

September 21, 2011 - Hamzah's body found mouldy and mummified in Amanda Hutton's bedroom. His body had no muscle and almost no flesh.

He was dressed in a baby grow for a six- to nine-month-old baby, which fitted him comfortably.

There were five other children, aged between five and 13, in the home at the time. The fridge was found to contain rotten food.

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Benefit Cap: Families In High Court Challenge

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

The families of three toddlers have taken the Government to court to argue that the "benefit cap" policy is unlawful.

The two three-year-olds and one-year-old have all been put forward along with their mothers to fight a test case at the High Court.

All three families live in London and say the high cost of living in the capital means the benefit cap could leave them destitute.

Currently, they say they are forced to live in expensive temporary accommodation which would suck up the majority of the £500-per-week benefit limit being imposed on claimants.

The principle of the cap is to ensure it pays to work and that benefits claimants do not earn more than the average working family.

Rebekah Carrier, the solicitor representing the families, told Sky News there were many others facing similar scenarios.

"It is thousands rather than hundreds of thousands, but the effect on these thousands of people is very, very extreme," she said.

She described the limit as a "cruel and arbitrary policy".

"It will have a catastrophic impact on our clients and many thousands more vulnerable families. They face street homelessness and starvation," Ms Carrier said.

The judges are being asked to rule that the cap breaches the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to respect for home and family life.

Campaigners argue that the impact of the cap is most acute in London because of the lack of affordable housing and high housing benefit costs.

One of the families taking action includes an illiterate single mother with four children.

Their private rented accommodation costs £395.50 per week. The benefit limit will mean they will be left to get by on £104.50 per week for all living costs and utilities.

In a witness statement the mother said her current home was cold, damp and infested with mice.

She said they were desperate to live elsewhere but there was no cheap accommodation available locally and that the waiting list for council housing for such a large family was over 10 years. 

The families in the High Court case each have several children.

A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spokesman said: "We are confident that the measures are lawful.

"The benefit cap sets a fair limit to what people can expect to get from the welfare system - so that claimants cannot receive more than £500 a week, the average household earnings."

The case, which is an application for a Judicial Review, is expected to conclude on Friday.

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Bus Stabbing Death: Man Admits Manslaughter

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A psychiatric patient who stabbed a teenager to death on a bus has admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Christina Edkins, 16, was on her way to school during the morning rush hour when she was killed in the "random attack" on Birmingham's Hagley Road.

Phillip Simelane, 23, who has a history of mental illness, was sentenced to be detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act after entering the plea at Birmingham Crown Court.

He had been released unsupervised from prison despite warning signs over the state of his mental health and questions are being asked about how authorities dealt with his case.

Christina's family arrive at Birmingham Crown Court

Superintendent Richard Baker from West Midlands Police, said: "Because of the mental health issues we now know he was suffering, this attack probably could have occurred anywhere, against anyone."

Simelane, who was homeless, boarded the number 9 bus at 5am on March 7. He had been challenged by the driver for sleeping on the back seat on the top deck.

Christina got on the bus at 7.30am on the city's Broad Street, a journey she made every day. Seven minutes later, she was dead.

Jason Edkins, Christina's father

Without warning, and for no reason, Simelane got up and thrust a kitchen knife into her chest once. He then casually walked down the aisle, down the stairs, and briefly spoke to the driver before getting off.

There was just one other passenger upstairs, a 14-year-old boy, who only realised what had happened when Christina cried out for help. Downstairs passengers rushed to her aid, but she could not be saved.

Officers scoured the city centre for Simelane and arrested him more than four hours later.

A family statement issued after the guilty plea said: "Christina was a beautiful, bright, caring girl, loved by everyone.

"The loss of a child is the worst thing that can ever happen, made even more grievous be such a senseless crime as this.

Christina was preparing to take her GCSEs when she died

"The family are all the victims and must pay the penalty as we stand by helplessly and watch the lives of the people we love shattered like precious glass, knowing we can never put the fragile pieces back together."

Christina's great uncle, Chris Melia, told Sky News: "It's such a horrific senseless crime. I don't know how you come to terms with it. I haven't."

"He quite clearly shouldn't have been out in society, there had been enough warning signs that he was a danger.

"As I understand it, in October, whilst he was in prison, the appropriate mental health experts noted he should, when he was released, be in some way supervised and helped to get back into society in an acceptable manner, but it didn't happen.

"He was released on 13th December, basically with no fixed abode, and in less than three months he killed an innocent young girl in the prime of her life."

Mr Melia paid tribute to Christina as a "popular", "attractive" and "quietly confident" girl.

"The family want to be sure that this person is put away, removed from society permanently, so that he cannot repeat this crime or any similar crime," he said.

Police say Simelane was known to have mental health problems from the age of 14, but was only diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia following his arrest for the attack on Christina.

He had previous convictions for assault, drugs offences and vehicle crime.

West Midlands Police say they were called to Simelane's home in Walsall by his family 21 times. On one occasion he held a knife to his mother's stomach.

Supt Baker said: "There doesn't appear to be any care plan since his release from prison in December 2012.

"There's currently an independent review being conducted by all agencies who had contact with Phillip Simelane during that period, not just police but probation, prison, and Birmingham and Solihull mental health team will also conduct independent reviews to understand exactly what support Simelane had in place."

He added it was "highly unlikely" that Simelane would ever be released.

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Bridger Attacker 'In Bid To Find April's Body'

A prisoner slashed child killer Mark Bridger's face to get him to reveal where April Jones' body was hidden, a court has heard.

Convicted murderer and rapist Juvinal Ferreira, 24, used a knife fashioned out of a razor to cut Bridger from temple to chin at the top security Wakefield Prison, West Yorkshire, in July.

Ferreira was given a second life sentence at Leeds Crown Court and had five years added to his minimum term, meaning he will not be released before 2036.

Ferreira, who was born in Guinea and grew up in Gambia, had previously admitted wounding with intent.

Police were told Ferreira and other life prisoners had talked about attacking Bridger to make him reveal the whereabouts of April's body.

Bridger has never revealed the whereabouts of April's body

Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting, said: "He said that Bridger's crime had been discussed, and he claimed people had suggested that if Bridger was attacked, rather than say befriended, Bridger would then be more likely to reveal where April Jones' body was."

The premeditated attack happened three days after Bridger was allowed to associate with other prisoners.

Ferreira fashioned a weapon out of a prison-issue razor with extra blades attached to the handle.

Mr Sharp said: "The defendant saw him and walked directly up to him with the blade held between thumb and forefinger.

"He then slashed him down the face, causing a deep wound extending from temple to chin.

"He paused for a moment and looked Bridger directly in the eyes, in Bridger's own words 'as if to admire his work or show me who it was'."

The court heard he also suffered a cut to his arm as he tried to defend himself.

He required more than 30 stitches to the face wound, which required surgery under general anaesthetic. He will be scarred for life.

Mr Justice Coulson, who sentenced Ferreira over a videolink, said the motive for the attack was no mitigation.

"Convicted murderers cannot appoint themselves as unpaid investigators of another crime, no matter how serious," he said.

"They plainly cannot do that by themselves committing violent crime to do so."

Extensive searches continued for weeks in and around Machynlleth

Robin Frieze, defending, said Ferreira did not attack Bridger to enhance his own status in prison, for reward or because he was incited to do it.

"He does not suggest he was put up to it, but he listened to talk within the prison and he was under the impression that if he put the complainant in a state of fear then it was more likely it would achieve closure for the family of his victim," Mr Frieze said.

"He appreciates that was a wholly misguided and wrong thing to do."

When the judge told Ferreira he was about to be sentenced, the life prisoner replied: "No problem."

April was kidnapped by 47-year-old Bridger outside her home in Machynlleth, mid-Wales, on October 1, 2012. He is serving a life sentence for her murder.

Despite police launching one of their biggest ever search operations, April's body has never been found. Bridger has repeatedly claimed he cannot remember what he did with her.

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Mummified Baby: 'Mum Drank While Boy Starved'

Alcohol was more important to Amanda Hutton than her starving son, a jury has been told.

Hutton is accused of the manslaughter of her four-year-old son, Hamzah Khan, whose body was found in her bedroom nearly two years after he died.

In closing speeches at Bradford Crown Court, prosecutors claimed Hutton had breached her fundamental duty of care to feed her child.

Paul Greaney QC said: "As the child wasted away, she (Hutton) did nothing but sit in her bedroom and drink vodka."

He added: "Drink was more important to her than her child - a terrible thing to say about a mother, but it's the truth."

Hutton sat in the dock listening to the prosecutor's speech, dressed in black and shaking her head through much of what was said.

Mr Greaney said the cause of Hamzah's death was "blindingly obvious".

He said: "It was malnourishment and she caused it."

The court has heard that police found Hamzah's mummified and insect-infested body in a cot in Hutton's bedroom in September 2011. He had died in December 2009.

His malnourishment was so severe, claim prosecutors, that he was wearing clothes for a six to nine-month-old.

Hutton, 43, denies manslaughter and maintains her son died naturally.

For the defence, barrister Stephen Meadowcroft QC described media coverage of the trial as "awful" and told jurors to carefully examine all the evidence they had heard.

Mr Meadowcroft then took the jury through a series of instances when professionals, family members and even gas engineers went into Hutton's home before Hamzah died.

He said that in each case no-one saw anything that concerned them.

"Can we be sure that his death didn't occur as a result of something else?" he asked.

Mr Meadowcroft earlier called on expert evidence to suggest that Hamzah's malnourishment could have been the result of him being a "bad eater".

A verdict in the case is not expected before Thursday.

:: Get live updates from the trial from Sky News correspondents

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Pregnant Briton Dies At Spanish Airport

A pregnant British woman has died after fainting at an airport in northeastern Spain, officials say.

A spokeswoman for Catalonia's regional emergency health service said the woman, believed to be 20 years old, was dead by the time an ambulance arrived at Girona airport.

She had been due to travel with her family to Birmingham before she collapsed, according to a Spanish airport authority spokeswoman.

Further details about the woman's death were not immediately available.

She has not been identified.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman told Sky News: "We are aware of the death of a British national at an airport in Girona, Spain.

"We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time."

The woman's body has been taken to Girona for a post-mortem examination.

Reports in Spain offered conflicting accounts on the length of time it took for medical staff to arrive at the scene.

Some said it took 25 minutes to get to the stricken woman, while others said it was closer to 15 minutes.

An emergency services spokesman said the response time for the ambulance was considered within normal standards in such situations.

Joan Muntada of the UGT workers' union said it was considering some sort of legal action against authorities over the case after the health assistance service in the airport was closed a year ago.

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Minimum Wage Rises As Rogue Firms Targeted

Employers who fail to pay the statutory minimum wage face being named and shamed from today as the latest increases come into effect.

The adult rate has risen by 12p an hour to £6.31 and by 5p to £5.03 an hour for 18 to 20-year-olds.

The minimum for 16 and 17-year-olds increased by 4p to £3.72 while the apprentice rate goes up by 3p to £2.68.

The Government estimates that 890,000 people will receive a pay rise because of the changes.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said the Low Pay Commission recommended a rate which supported low paid workers without damaging their chances of getting a job.

"As signs of an economic recovery start to emerge, we need to do more to make sure that the benefits of growth are shared fairly across the board.

"That is why in addition to their ongoing annual remit, I am asking them (the commission) to extend their expertise to help the Government and business understand how we can deal with the issue of low wages in the economy.

In particular I have asked them to look at what economic conditions would be needed to allow the national minimum wage to rise in the future by more than current conditions allow," he said.

Unions have demanded the proceeds of growth are shared with workers.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Years of below-inflation rises mean that the UK's lowest-paid workers are now facing an historic living standards crisis.

"As the recovery takes hold we will need to see far bigger increases to the minimum wage to ensure that ordinary people and not just the super rich benefit from economic growth.

"This will need more than any one-off pre-election boost - we will need sustained stronger rises if the real value of the minimum wage is to be restored."

The Resolution Foundation think-tank said the minimum wage will be falling in real terms for the fifth year in a row despite the increase, because it is not keeping pace with rising prices.

Campaigners called for more companies and organisations to pay a so-called living wage, currently set at £7.45 an hour for the UK and £8.55 for London.

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GP Plan To Bring In Out-Of-Hours Surgeries

David Cameron has told Sky News he wants doctors' surgeries to be open for longer to ease the pressure on overstretched A&E departments.

The Prime Minister confirmed plans for a £50m trial to have surgeries open from 8am until 8pm, seven days a week.

He insisted the pilot scheme in areas across England, which is expected to cover up to half a million patients, would be properly funded.

Almost one in five patients in a recent NHS survey said inconvenient appointments were a concern, with more than 70% backing weekend and after office opening hours.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will outline the plans at the Tory conference

The scheme, which was unveiled at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, will offer extra cash to groups of GPs proposing the most effective ways to improve patient access.

As well as extended surgery hours, ministers hope they will pioneer more effective use of technology, such as consultations with patients via video calls, email and by telephone.

Electronic prescriptions, online appointment booking and allowing people to visit a number of different surgeries across an area are among other measures which could be introduced.

Mr Cameron told Sky: "Sometimes people using Accident & Emergency really just need to see a GP but for hard-working people it is often too difficult because you are at work, you can't get an appointment at the time that fits.

"Let's see if we can have GPs' surgeries open 12 hours a day, seven days a week so you can always get that appointment you need.

"We are starting with pilot schemes in nine regions of England. We are spending the money to help GPs achieve this. We will be able to see how it works."

He added: "I believe that will work well and then our ambition is to roll that out across the country. That is good for hard-working people but I also think it is right for our health service.

"If you look at A&E, since 2004 when the GP contract changed we see four million more people a year going to Accident & Emergency so I think we are not getting the balance right at the moment."

The first pilot projects are due to be operating by April 2014.

Similar initiatives are already being trialled in some parts of the country, including parts of Manchester, where some surgeries will move to seven-day opening.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who will talk about the initiative in his speech to the conference, said: "We live in a 24/7 society and we need GPs to find new ways of working so they can offer appointments at times that suit hard-working people.

"Cutting-edge GP practices here in Manchester are leading the way, and we want many more patients across the country to benefit."

Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector for General Practice, said: "This move towards seven day services is great news for patients and should be embraced by GPs.

"I want to see brilliant access to GP services for patients across the country and will be assessing this in each practice I inspect."

However, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham accused Mr Cameron and his Conservative Party of "taking the NHS backwards".

"This announcement is a major admission of failure and a U-turn of fairly epic proportions," he said.

"Patients are also finding it harder to get appointments, and turning to A&E instead, after he removed Labour's guarantee of an appointment within 48 hours."

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GTA V: Rockstar Warns Of 'Online Problems'

Grand Theft Auto V fans looking forward to the multiplayer version of the game could end up experiencing glitches and connection problems.

The UK developer of the hit game, Rockstar North, said "plenty of issues are bound to occur" and it was "working around the clock to buy and add more servers" to support Grand Theft Auto Online.

Some users - posting shortly after Tuesday's launch - said they were already having problems connecting.

Cal tweeted: "GTA V online is a waste of time at the minute. Absolute server overload!! Going to have to make do with reality."

The online game will let up 16 players team up

Tyler Deshaun ‏added: "Am I the only one that can't get online on GTA V right now?? Server is terrible."

Sales of GTA V are estimated to have easily topped 10 million since its launch on September 17 - more than expected. It also broke sales records by pulling in £496m ($800m) in just 24 hours.

But the online feature could suffer as a result of its own success as gamers rush to team up with one another.

In a blog post ahead of launch, Rockstar said: "One thing we are already aware of, and are trying to alleviate as fast as we can, is the ... additional pressure on the servers due to a significantly higher number of players than we were anticipating at this point."

The Edinburgh-based company will be hoping to avoid the backlash Electronic Arts received over its botched SimCity launch in March, when many gamers reported long delays logging on to the internet to play, as well as crashes.

The game made nearly $1bn in its first day - a record for a game or film

SimCity developer Maxis later admitted it had been "dumb" not to anticipate the level of demand.

Rockstar also warned that potentially-amusing in-game "crashes, glitches, crazy bugs" would likely be discovered in the first few weeks of online GTA V.

As it noted, such teething troubles are not uncommon and it wants gamers to provide feedback so they can be ironed out.

GTA V Online will let up to 16 players team up over the internet to carry out heists or indulge in a spot of racing around the Southern California landscape. The multiplayer game narrative is set a few months before the storyline in the single-player mode.

Many players on the Rockstar blog are already posting invitations for other gamers to join their "crews".

The 18-rated guns and gangsters game - which had a £170m ($274m) budget - has been widely praised by critics and the public.

Games website IGN called it a "masterpiece", and one of the greatest video games ever made.

Edge magazine called it a "remarkable achievement" that sent a message to the rest of the industry.

However, the game has also reignited concerns among some people about video game violence and the portrayal of women.

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Mummified Boy: Mum Says She Wasn't Worried

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

A mother accused of starving her son to death has told a jury she knew he was thin, but thought he would grow out of it.

Hamzah Khan died in December 2009 aged four-and-a half, and his body lay undiscovered in Amanda Hutton's Bradford home for almost two years.

Experts say tests on his mummified remains show he had the bones of a 12 to 18-month-old baby, and his body had no muscle and almost no flesh when he died.

Amanda Hutton, giving evidence in her trial for manslaughter, said Hamzah's older brother Qaiser had been "really, really thin" until he was five.

Ms Hutton claimed Hamzah's father Aftab had been violent towards her

Asked by defending QC Stephen Meadowcroft if she was worried about Hamzah, she said: "No I wasn't, because Qaiser had been the same and he'd grown out of it. I thought he'd grow out of it."

Miss Hutton said Hamzah's father Aftab Khan had been violent towards her for most of their long relationship, but admitted Mr Khan told her Hamzah needed help "on occasions".

The jury has heard that Hamzah, whose body was found only after a neighbour complained about rubbish from the house, had not been eating enough for at least two years.

Earlier the jury was told when a police officer found his remains in September 2011 the fridge contained only rotten food and ready meals five months past their sell by date.

The oven contained a takeaway container with a slice of rotted pizza in it, and the freezer could not be opened because of the depth of rubbish piled up.

Hutton has admitted child neglect, but denies manslaughter, saying Hamzah would not eat the food she gave him.

:: See live updates from our correspondents covering the trial. 

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Dave Lee Travis Charged With New Sex Offences

Broadcaster Dave Lee Travis has been charged with two further offences of indecent assault.

The allegations relate to a woman aged over 16 between January 1, 1992 and December 31, 1993, Scotland Yard said.

They are in addition to 11 counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault the 68-year-old has already been charged with.

Travis, of Mentmore, in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, has already appeared in court to face those 12 counts.

During that hearing he indicated that he would be pleading not guilty to the charges.

He was released on bail on condition that he lives at his Bedfordshire home and does not contact the alleged victims.

The case was adjourned for a plea hearing on October 21. A trial date was also fixed for March 4 next year with a view to it lasting for up to four to five weeks.

Travis is due to appear on bail at Westminster Magistrates' Court in relation to the new charges on October 3.

He was charged when he attended a police station by prior appointment, the Metropolitan Police said.

The ex-Radio 1 DJ was first charged on August 15 as part of Operation Yewtree, the police investigation prompted by the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal.

However, the accusations against Travis have no connection to the disgraced television presenter.

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Baby P's Mother Could Be Given Parole In Days

The parole board is expected to decide this week whether to release the mother of Baby P, who died aged 17 months after extensive abuse.

Tracey Connelly was jailed indefinitely in May 2009 with a recommendation she serve a minimum of five years for causing, or allowing, her son Peter's death.

Known as Baby P during Connelly's trial, Peter died at the family home in Tottenham on August 3, 2007 after suffering some 50 separate injuries.

Although he was on the at-risk register following some 60 visits from social workers, police and health professionals, the warning signs were not acted upon

A series of reviews identified missed opportunities when officials could have saved him had they acted sooner.

The letter Tracey Connelly sent to the judge before sentencing

Connelly wrote a letter to the judge presiding over her trial on the eve of her sentencing, expressing remorse for the death of her son.

"Dear judge ... I accept I failed my son Peter," she wrote.

"By not being fully open with social services I stopped them being able to do a full job. As a direct result of this, my son got hurt and sadly lost his short life.

"I have lost all I hold dear to me. Now every day of my life is full of guilt. I am trying to come to terms with my failure as a mother.

"There is not a day that goes by that I don't cry at some point. I have let down my family, my ex-husband, myself and most importantly my darling son.

"I would like to say I am sorry for all the pain and suffering my failures have caused."

Connelly's boyfriend Steven Barker, and his brother Jason Owen

News of her possible release was met with anger from Peter's grandmother, Mary O'Connor.

"She should never come out," she said. "But even if she does I won't be seeing her again; she's out of my life."

Connelly's boyfriend Steven Barker and his brother Jason Owen were also imprisoned after being convicted over Peter's death.

Barker, who Peter called "Dad", was jailed for 12 years for his "major role" in Peter's death. He was also jailed for life with a minimum term of 10 years for raping a two-year-old girl.

Owen was jailed indefinitely with a minimum three-year term but later won an appeal to lower it to a fixed six-year term. He was freed in August 2011 but was recalled to prison again in April this year.

Connelly is understood to be held at Low Newton jail near Durham.

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Aldi Grows UK Supermarket Jobs And Profits

Aldi has looked to build on its growth in the UK by confirming it is planning to create 6,000 jobs this year.

The discounter said it was opening 50 new stores as it announced that UK pre-tax profits rose 124% in 2012 to £157.9m.

The company said its customer base had grown by one million over the year on the back of 34 store openings during the period.

Its expansion plans contrast with some of its so-called "Big Four" rivals, with market leader Tesco and number four player Morrisons calling time on the supermarket space race in favour of building their online offerings.

Aldi, which started out in Germany, said "polarisation" in the grocery market was driving its growth alongside upmarket Waitrose.

Cash-strapped households are flocking to the chain as budgets shrink amid the squeeze on consumer spending as stubbornly high inflation outpaces wage rises.

Joint managing director Matthew Barnes said Aldi was attracting a "broader demographic."

He said: "We have opened in affluent locations like Knutsford and Winchester and have quickly won over local customers with our award-winning quality and value.

"If we can open more stores, we will make Aldi a more convenient place for people to do their weekly shop."

Its market share now stands at 3.7%, up by almost a third from a year earlier.

Fruit and vegetable sales soared by almost 50% in 2012, Aldi said, while meat sales have risen 60% year on year for the past three years.

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Philpott Fire Deaths House Being Demolished

By Adele Robinson, Midlands Correspondent

The house where six children were killed in a fire started by their parents is being demolished.

Mick Philpott, his wife Mairead and their friend Paul Mosley were jailed in April after using petrol to set fire to the house on Victory Road in Derby in May 2012.

Their six children Jade Philpott, 10, and her brothers John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five, were killed in the blaze. Duwayne, 13, died days later in hospital.

The demolition work started just after 8am on Monday morning on the neighbouring property and then moved to the scene of the fire.

Neighbours watched as the house was torn down more than two years after the tragedy.

Cathy Perry, who lives on the street, welcomes the fact that new social housing is to be built in the same place.

Mick Philpott, Mairead Philpott and Paul Mosley were jailed

She said: "New life is coming from it, so people are going to be moving in, and they're going to be having new homes and new experiences in that place.

"I think we just feel sad that it happened and it's been a loss for all of us."

Her mother, Peggy Perry-Tarrant, says there is relief that the houses are being torn down.

"We will never forget what happened to them - we will never forget those kids," she said.

"We have got to get closure. This is closure."

The demolition could take a further two weeks to complete.

Derby Demolition, John L Morgan & Sons, Maxplant and Ward Recycling have each agreed to donate their fee for the demolition work to Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre in Skegness, which provides disadvantaged local children with holidays.

Neighbours say the demolition gives them closure

The managing director of Derby Demolition, Daniel Walsh, says it feels right to give the money to charity.

"We didn't really want to profit out of the tragedy that has happened," he told Sky News.

"All the local companies have been very good with it and said we will all donate our work and our fee to charity."

Mick Philpott was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years after being convicted of six counts of manslaughter following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court earlier this year.

The trial heard that Philpott used petrol to set fire to his home to frame his former mistress during a child custody battle.

His wife Mairead, and Mosley, were told they would each serve half of a 17-year sentence for their part in the plan to set fire to the property.

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Irvine Welsh: Why Ladies Like My New Film Filth

Writer Irvine Welsh has told Sky News he is really proud of the new film based on his book Filth and said it "might be stronger" than previous hit Trainspotting.

Filth is about a drug-using policeman, played by Scottish actor James McAvoy, who manipulates people to try to secure promotion and win back his wife and daughter.

Welsh said he thinks the movie looks set to be a hit with the ladies and not just because of the leading man.

Irvine Welsh speaking on Sky News

He said: "It's supposed to be a very hard-edged film. But women have been responding well to it.

"In some ways, it is a twisted romance about someone who has lost love and is looking for it.

"From a women's point of view it is a bit of a fantasy because that's the state you want to leave a guy in when you pack him in.

"There's no comeback for him. He's ruined, he's in pieces."

Welsh added: "I think it's quite interesting and empowering for women because they have all been out to a greater or lesser extent with a kind of nutty guy like that."

Asked about whether he would back Scottish independence next year, Welsh declined to say but did admit he believed independence was an "inevitable part of what is going on in the UK".

He said: "There's been a big growth in English consciousness over the last 10-20 years and I think it's the same in Scotland and Wales.

"They seem to want to get on with their separate agendas."

The fim, which also stars Joanne Froggatt and Imogen Poots, will be premiered in London on Monday.

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Alistair Wilson Murder Hunt: New Police Appeal

Detectives have revealed new information about the weapon and ammunition used to kill a banker on his doorstep almost nine years ago as they made a fresh plea for help.

Police hope the details will jog memories about the murder of Alistair Wilson, 30, from Nairn in the north of Scotland.

The father-of-two was gunned down at his home on Sunday November 28, 2004, sparking a major manhunt.

The gun is a Haenel Suhl Model 1 Schmeisser patent handgun, manufactured between 1920 and 1945 at a factory in Germany, Police Scotland said.

The ammunition is .25 calibre made by Sellier and Bellot between 1983 and 1993 in what is now the Czech Republic.

Council workers found the small gun on December 8, 2004, in a drain in the coastal town, about 16 miles east of Inverness.

Detective Superintendent Malcolm Stewart said: "Alistair's loved ones are still grieving for his loss and they deserve answers. They deserve justice. We cannot lose sight of that and we are determined to get it for them.

"Our investigation remains firmly open. As with all long-running cases, it is good practice to periodically take a fresh look at the evidence and identify any new opportunities or lines of inquiry.

The ammunition is .25 calibre made between 1983 and 1993

"That is why the public appeal for information is so important and, in particular, why we have released pictures and details of the murder weapon."

About 30 officers, led by Mr Stewart, are working on the case. They hope to hear from anyone who recognises the weapon or thinks they may know anything about it.

"No matter how small or insignificant it may seem, please let myself and the inquiry team make that assessment. It may be that it is the vital piece of information we are looking for," Mr Stewart said.

"This type of event is very rare in a town like Nairn and has attracted considerable interest over the course of the investigation.

"We need to keep an open mind and it is important that we don't rule anything in or out, particularly when there is a real chance this could put anyone with genuine, relevant information off of coming forward."

Mr Wilson, known to his family and friends as Al, was with his sons on the evening of his murder. The doorbell rang and his wife, Veronica Wilson, went to the door and saw a stocky man wearing a baseball cap and holding an envelope.

He asked for Mr Wilson who went to the door and was then shot.

Mr Wilson was taken to hospital in Inverness but was later pronounced dead.

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Skin Cancer: New Drugs 'Can Cure' Disease

Skin cancer sufferers could be cured of the disease with breakthrough drugs, experts claimed, as they hailed the "beginning of a new era".

Seriously ill patients are said to have seen "spectacular effects" after receiving the medication which could eventually be used to combat other forms of the condition.

It is the first time scientists have come this close to providing a remedy for advanced melanoma, which is diagnosed when the disease has spread and can no longer be surgically removed.

Until now the prognosis for advanced melanoma has been very poor and many patients die within months of diagnosis.

Professor Peter Johnson, chief clinician at Cancer Research UK, said: "We're just at the beginning of a new era of cancer treatments using the immune system.

"These drugs that can turn the body's own defences against a tumour are starting to show real promise for melanoma and other types of cancer.

"It's only through research that we can gain the insights needed to develop new treatments for cancer patients."

Test for malignant melanoma

The new cure contains two types of drug - ipilimumab (known as ipi) and anti-PD1s which break down the defences of cancer cells and are still in clinical trials.

Doctors can effectively reboot a patient's immune system by combining the two.

One in six patients are already being saved by the ground-breaking treatment, the European Cancer Congress has been told.

A new combination of drugs could mean more than half are cured of the deadly condition.

Professor Alexander Eggermont, of the Institut Gustave Roussy in France, told The Mail on Sunday: "Advanced melanoma could become a curable disease for perhaps more than 50% of patients within five to 10 years.

"If I'd made this bizarre prediction five years ago, people would have said I was mad.

"But it now looks like we are going to have control of advanced melanoma for years, in a substantial proportion of patients."

Malignant melanoma is the fifth most common cancer and the 18th most common cause of cancer death in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK. It kills around 2,200 Britons every year.

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