Identity Of Man Found Dead In Well Revealed

A man whose bound body was found in a well in Surrey has been identified by police as Damian Chlywka, a 30-year-old Polish national.

Workmen discovered Mr Chlywka's body in the well outside an address in Audley Drive in Warlingham on November 15.

A team of specialist officers, including Metropolitan Police divers, found Mr Chlywka's body showed injuries "consistent with an assault".

He had been tied up and it is thought he had been there for around two years.

Further tests are being carried out as a post-mortem held on November 17 did not provide a cause of death.

A 41-year-old man and a 33-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

They are being held in custody at south London police stations.

Detective Chief Inspector Cliff Lyons, the officer leading the investigation, said: "Damian had lived at various addresses across London including two known to be in the Croydon area. At one point he had lived at 11A Audley Road.

"Our focus now is to build up a fuller picture of Damian's life in the UK.

"We have given the difficult and heartbreaking news to his family who are distraught that this has happened to their loved one.

"I am appealing to anyone who knew or previously worked with him to contact the police and help us to piece together a picture of Damian's life and how it came to end in these distressing circumstances."

Police initially arrested seven men, aged between 21 and 27, on suspicion of murder.

They were subsequently released on bail until a date in late December.

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Romanian PM Warns UK: We're Not Second-Rate

Romania's Prime Minister has called on Britain not to treat Romanians as "second-rate citizens" when work restrictions for Romanian and Bulgarian workers are lifted in January.

It follows Prime Minister David Cameron's pledge to toughen welfare rules for migrants from the European Union, amid concern in the UK that people from Romania and Bulgaria will exploit the British welfare system.

Mr Cameron has said one million people from Central and Eastern Europe are living in Britain, with migration at a level not seen since wartime.

Some fear a rise of Romanian camps, like the 400 estimated sites in France

Romanian leader Victor Ponta said people should be punished for abusing Britain's welfare system, but restrictions should not be used to "generate or justify abuse or discrimination toward European citizens".

"We will not accept being treated as second-rate citizens," Mr Ponta said.

He added that research showed "there is no reason for concern regarding a migrant wave" from Romania to Britain.

Millions of Romanians had already chosen to work abroad in "southern Latin states", referring to Spain and Italy, which have a Latin-based language like Romanian.

Ford has closed facilities in the UK and moved some to Romania

He said he hoped Mr Cameron was not trying "to attack the fundamental principles of the EU, among which the freedom of movement is one of the most important values".

Mr Cameron's comments were criticised on Wednesday by European employment commissioner Laszlo Andor as an "unfortunate over-reaction".

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Ministers To Fund £300m Energy Bill Rebates

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Ministers are to fund a £300m plan for a £12 rebate on every domestic electricity bill in the country as part of a Government effort to combat a round of inflation-busting energy price hikes.

Sky News has learnt that the Government is finalising plans this weekend for a series of measures ahead of next week's autumn statement by the Chancellor, George Osborne.

The debate over energy costs has intensified in recent days as ministers have sought ways to regain the political initiative following the Labour leader Ed Miliband's pledge to impose an energy price freeze for 20 months if Labour wins the next general election.

Five of the 'Big Six' energy companies, including Centrica, the owner of British Gas, and Npower, have announced plans for substantial price increases in the last six weeks. The hikes have sparked a furious row in Westminster and the City about the industry's profitability.

Insiders said on Saturday that the Government package would include an agreement between the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and a group of companies known as distribution network operators, whose charges account for approximately 20% of consumers' energy bills.

The deal between ministers and these companies, which include National Grid, would involve restructuring their cost-profile over the 15-year period during which they have set out their investment plans.

This measure is expected to lead to an average of £5 off customers' bills, although the precise amount will vary by region, with some parts of the country not seeing any such saving, a source said.

Details of the package of measures could be announced as early as Sunday following intense Whitehall horse-trading over what has become one of the Government's most pressing domestic challenges.

The £300m rebate will be funded by altering the funding of the Warm Home Discount, which funds one-off electricity discounts for thousands of vulnerable customers. This is expected to be transferred to general taxation rather than being funded by the energy companies.

A Whitehall source said the £12-per-account rebate would require licence changes to be overseen by Ofgem, the energy regulator, but that this was unlikely to prove a significant obstacle.

DECC is understood to be keen for the £12 rebate to be clearly marked on consumers' bills and is extracting assurances from the big energy suppliers that they will agree to this.

The largest cut to energy bills is expected to be generated by a roughly £40-per-household saving on a green levy called the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO), which was introduced only this year.

The cost of the ECO, which costs the major suppliers about £1.3bn annually, is to be lowered by lengthening a programme of providing home insulation to 2017.

According to a letter from the Government to energy companies cited in reports this weekend, ministers want to introduce legislation to implement the changes.

"The government intends to make changes to the ECO order with a view to extending the period over which the obligation will run and reducing the expected cost of compliance. The government will consult on detailed proposals shortly and will subsequently look to introduce the necessary legislation as soon as possible," the letter said.

"The changes include extending ECO beyond its current March 2015 deadline. The government's specific proposal in this respect is that a new binding target should be set for March 2017."

David Cameron and Nick Clegg are understood to have been discussing the publication of a joint article in a Sunday newspaper to announce the moves, although it is unclear whether that plan will go ahead.

Ed Davey, the energy and climate change secretary, has informed the energy industry of the full package of proposals in recent days although sources insisted that they were not yet finalised.

The Big Six are expected to announce price cuts or reductions to their planned price increases as soon as the Government's proposals are unveiled.

The overhaul of the ECO will represent something of a u-turn by the Government. The levy places legal obligations on the larger energy suppliers to deliver energy-efficiency measures to domestic energy customers.

It operates alongside the Green Deal and is designed to help people make energy efficiency improvements to buildings by allowing them to pay the costs through their energy bills rather than up-front.

On Friday, Downing Street denied a report that it was pressing the Big Six to agree to freeze prices until after the next election, underlining Mr Cameron's sensitivity about Labour's recent eye-catching policies.

In a statement, Jonathan Reynolds MP, the Shadow Energy and Climate Change Minister, said:

"The Energy Company Obligation is David Cameron's scheme. He only introduced it this year and a few months ago he was even boasting that it was bigger than previous energy efficiency schemes.

"Labour has consistently said that ECO should be reformed to make it better value for money and targeted at those in fuel poverty. But what the public really needs is a Labour government implementing a price freeze until 2017 and resetting the energy market so that it works for the long term."

A Downing Street spokeswoman declined to comment while the Treasury could not be reached on Saturday.

A DECC spokeswoman said: "Government is looking closely at the impact of green levies on consumer bills and how the measures they support are paid for. Details of this review will be announced by the autumn statement."

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Glasgow Helicopter: Video Of Crash Aftermath

Video shows the moments after a police helicopter crashed into a crowded pub in Glasgow.

One onlooker filmed the scene as people stood outside The Clutha in Stockwell Street wondering what had caused a huge crash and filled the venue with choking dust.

Customers are seen wandering back into the pub, not realising that a helicopter had spun out of control and smashed into the roof.

Eyewitnesses were watching a live ska band when the ceiling started to cave in.

Emergency services at the scene

Grace MacLean told Sky News: "There was a band on, they were quite loud, and we just kinda heard a whoosh and some smoke.

"We looked around and no-one really knew what was going on. Everyone just carried on listening to the band. And then we kind of looked again and the roof was gradually coming down.

"Someone started shouting and the band cut the music ... and then all of a sudden this cloud of dust came.

"You couldn't breathe for inhaling a mouthful of dust. You couldn't see anything. You were clawing at the walls to see where the exit is. No-one had a clue what was going on. There was no loud noise.

"People were helping each other out. Everyone started helping people who were hurt. People had some head injuries. Lots of people were covered in dust. There were lots of people shocked. No-one knew it was a helicopter crash until people told you."

William Byrne, who was watching the band play with his brother, said: "I thought 'has the band blown something', something electrical like a speaker or something, you could never have foreseen that it was something remotely like a helicopter.

"I didn't know until about 15 minutes later that it was a helicopter. My thoughts were that something just blew and then the ceiling just collapsed. I had no concept of what it may have been that happened."

Firefighters on the roof of the pub where the helicopter crash-landed

Labour's international development spokesman Jim Murphy happened to be driving past the pub immediately after the crash.

"I jumped out and tried to help," he said. "There were people with injuries. Bad gashes to the head. Some were unconscious."

He described how a human chain formed to help pass unconscious casualties out of the pub so that "inch by inch, we could get the people out".

Scores of passers-by in the area ran to the venue after seeing or hearing the aircraft go down.

Connor Gillies, from Radio Clyde News, told Sky News of the "scenes of chaos" and "continuous stream of sirens" in the area on Friday evening.

Mr Gillies described seeing "blood on the shirt" of Mr Murphy, who he said was "clearly very shaken, very upset by the whole thing".

Wesley Shearer, who posted pictures on Twitter of the scene, said: "This is unbelievable. Just spent 20 minutes pulling people out of the bar."

MP Jim Murphy helped people out of the venue

Jan Hollands, who also tweeted pictures from the scene, said she heard the crash and described it as "scary".

:: Police have issued an emergency telephone number for concerned relatives - 0800 092 0410.

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Glasgow Helicopter Crash: 'Hopes For Survivors'

Police have warned that the number of people killed when a police helicopter crashed into a busy Glasgow pub will rise in the "coming hours" after confirming one death.

The Chief Constable of Police Scotland said they were now dealing with a "search and recovery operation" after rescue teams worked through the night to try to pull people from the wreckage of The Clutha Vaults pub. 

But he said they were still hoping to find survivors alive in the remains of the building.

According to Sky News sources at least six people died when the helicopter crashed through the roof of the lively city nightspot, which was packed with more than 100 people watching a band, at 10.25pm on Friday.

Firefighters on the roof of the pub

Eyewitnesses have described the helicopter "falling like a stone" on to the roof, while some have suggested that there was a problem with the aircraft's rotor.

Grace MacLean, who was inside the pub when the helicopter struck, told Sky News: "Someone started shouting and the band cut the music ... and then all of a sudden this cloud of dust came.

"You couldn't breathe for inhaling a mouthful of dust. You couldn't see anything. You were clawing at the walls to see where the exit is."

William Byrne, who was listening to the band with his brother, said: "There was a huge bang and there was a couple of seconds of almost stillness after this band and then the whole other side of the pub from where I was collapsed and then the roof and gantry of the bar collapsed."

People at the scene told how they worked to form a human chain to carry unconscious people out of the pub.

The scene of the rescue operation on Friday night

Among the helpers was Labour's international development spokesman Jim Murphy, who told Sky News: "I just saw dozens and dozens of people coming out of the pub. It is a horrible, horrible scene."

Speaking at a news conference on Saturday morning, Chief Constable Sir Stephen House said: "Sadly at this time I can confirm one fatality. We expect that number to increase over the coming hours."

He confirmed that a further 32 people had been taken to Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Western Infirmary with "multiple injuries".

Sir Stephen said that specialist teams were working to stabilise the building in a "difficult and sensitive" operation and said:  "We're still in a search and recovery phase, and as always our prayers are that it is successful and we do recover people alive."

He said: "There are people on the scene trying to make contact with anyone who may be alive... All we can do is confirm there has been one fatality but we are fearful there will be more."

Those inside the pub gather outside after the crash Pic: Paul Agnew

Rescue teams had said they had contacted people inside the pub overnight but Sir Stephen could not say when the last contact had been made.

One worried relative at the scene of the crash, Alice Healy, told Sky News how she had not heard from her cousin who had been inside the pub when the aircraft hit.

Another, John McGarrigle, said that he had been told by someone inside the pub that his father, also called John, had been sitting at precisely the spot the aircraft had come down and that he had been killed but that authorities had not been able to confirm this.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "This is a black day for Glasgow and Scotland but it's also St Andrew's Day and it's a day we can take pride and courage in how we respond to adversity and tragedy."

He praised the "instinctive bravery of ordinary Glaswegians" who went to the rescue of those trapped inside the pub and the emergency services.

John McGarrigle says he is sure his father was killed in the crash

The police have given no details of what has happened to the crew of two officers and a civilian pilot on board the helicopter.

It is still unclear what caused the crash, with one eyewitness saying the aircraft "dropped like a stone" and police have now launched a full investigation into the crash under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. 

Investigators from the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) were on the scene on Saturday morning trying to piece together what had happened.

Aviation expert David Learmount, a pilot and safety editor at the aviation news website Flightglobal, told Sky News: "This type of helicopter is sophisticated and robust. It's a very modern aircraft. I think what has happened here is that you have had an aircraft that became either uncontrollable or partially controllable.

"We just don't know how much control the pilot did have in the final seconds of the flight. Something dramatic has probably suddenly occurred - probably some mechanical failure of some kind."

The British Airline Pilots' Association said that the crash did raise concerns over helicopter safety.

A tent had been erected on top of the pub on Saturday morning over the wreckage of the aircraft, whose rotor could be seen protruding from the roof.

An EC135 T2 like the one that crashed into the Clutha Vaults

The helicopter, a EC135 T2, which is widely used by the police, has a good safety record, with one incident in 2007 after which the AAIB asked manufacturers Eurocopter to look at a stability system switch.

Members of Esperanza, the band playing at the time of the tragedy, all escaped from the wreckage unharmed.

They posted on their Facebook site: "Despite the situation everyone was so helpful and caring of each other. The police, ambulances (and) firefighters all did a stellar job and continue to do so today in extremely difficult conditions.

"Our biggest concern is that everyone is found and can get the care and help they need."

In a statement, Prime Minister David Cameron said: "This is a tragic event and our deepest sympathies are with the families and friends who lost a loved one last night.

"I want to thank the emergency services who worked tirelessly throughout the night and I also want pay tribute to the bravery of the ordinary Glaswegians who rushed to help.

"We have offered the Scottish Government our support in any way we can and we are all wishing a speedy recovery to those who are injured."

The Clutha and the hospitals where the injured were taken

Labour leader Ed Miliband told Sky News: "There will be lots of people worried about their loved ones who are unaccounted for, and my thoughts are with them, and also with the people of Glasgow, who are an incredibly strong people, who showed last night in reaction when the helicopter hit, great bravery, great courage, great calm, in the midst of all this."

A number of St Andrew's Day events were being cancelled on Saturday morning as the tragic toll of Friday night's crash started to become apparent.

Flags across Scotland were flying at half mast throughout the weekend and the Scottish Football Association said there would be a minute's silence at the 13 Scottish Cup games on Saturday.

Members of the public concerned about relatives who may have been involved in the crash can call an emergency helpline on 0800 092 0410.

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Woolwich Trial: 'Killer Nearly Beheaded Soldier'

Lee Rigby's mother and widow left the Old Bailey in tears today after hearing how the soldier was nearly decapitated outside a primary school.

Relatives fled the packed Old Bailey courtroom moments before the jury was shown video footage of the Fusilier being hit by a car, driven by the alleged killers.

There were gasps from the public gallery as the video showed a Vauxhall Tigra knocking the soldier down before crashing into a road sign.

The court was told that the two men then got out of the car, dragged the unconscious soldier into the street, and attacked him with a meat cleaver and knives.

Rebecca Rigby, Lee Rigby's widow arrives at the Old Bailey

The defendants chose to mutilate the soldier in the middle of the road - just yards from a primary school - so people could watch, the court was told.

One witness account, outlined by the prosecution, described how one of the attackers "knelt down" by Mr Rigby and took hold of his hair.

"He then repeatedly hacked at the right side of his neck just below the jawline," Mr Richard Whittam, QC, prosecuting, said.

Another witness described the attack as "like a butcher attacking a joint of meat", Mr Whittam added. 

And another woman, Vikki Cave, told police she heard the taller of the alleged killers talking about "religion".

Mr Whittam said he was "saying things about religion such as 'these soldiers go to our land, kill/bomb our people - so an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"'.

A tribute to Lee Rigby, 25, who died in south east London

The court heard that one of the alleged killers, Michael Adebolajo, handed a letter containing religious references to Ms Amanda Donnelly Martin.

It said: "Fighting Allah's enemies is an obligation", and went on: "Do not spend your days in endless discussion with the cowardly and foolish. 

"It means that it will delay your meeting Allah's enemies on the battlefield. Sometimes the cowardly and foolish can be those dearest to you. So be prepared to turn away from them."

The letter continued: "Muslims will trade with you on fair terms. Understand that the days of your international armed robbery are drawing to a close."

Jurors were also shown a video clip of Adebolajo speaking with blood on his hands, suggesting that the attack was "an eye for an eye".

Lee's mother Lyn, left the court in tears after hearing some of evidence

The video showed Adebolajo saying: "The only reason we've killed this man today is because Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers.

"This British soldier is one - he is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."

Speaking into the camera with bloodied hands, he went on: "I apologise that women had to witness this today but in our lands our women have to see the same.

"You people will never be safe. Remove your governments - they don't care about you.

"Do you think David Cameron is going to get caught in the street, when we start busting our guns, do you think your politicians are going to die? No, it's going to be the average guy, like you and your children.

"So get rid of them. Tell them to bring our troops back so you can all live in peace. Leave our lands and you will live in peace."

The death of the soldier triggered a massive police investigation

More video footage allegedly showed one of the men, Michael Adebolajo, in an Argos store, on the day before the attack - buying five knives. 

On the opening day of the trial, the Old Bailey was told how Mr Rigby was hit by the car from behind as he walked back to Woolwich Barracks, on May 22.

Mr Whittam told jurors that Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, drove the Tigra "straight at" him, at around 30mph to 40mph.

He said: "Both men then dragged his body into the middle of the road. They wanted members of the public to see the consequence of what can only be described as their barbarous acts.

"They had committed, you may think, a cowardly and callous murder by deliberately attacking an unarmed man in plain clothes from behind, using a vehicle as a weapon, and then they murdered him and mutilated his body with that meat cleaver and knives."

Adebolajo clutched a copy of the Koran in the dock as the jury was told how he tried to decapitate the soldier while Adebowale stabbed and cut him.

The soldier was dragged into the middle of the road before being attacked

Mr Whittam said: "They both attacked the motionless body of Lee Rigby.

"He was repeatedly stabbed and it appears it was Michael Adebolajo, the first defendant, who made a serious and almost successful attempt to decapitate Lee Rigby with multiple blows to his neck made with the meat cleaver."

Mr Whittam said one eyewitness, Amanda Bailey, saw the events from inside her Peugeot 206.

She saw the Tigra strike Fusilier Rigby and carry him until the car crashed into a road sign.

"The young man flew off the bonnet and landed about two feet in front of the car," Mr Whittam said.

"She (Bailey) saw that his eyes were open but they looked frozen."

Mr Whittam told the jury that members of the public showed "bravery and decency" in the aftermath of the alleged attack.

"Such heinous behaviour is in distinct contrast to the bravery and decency shown by some of the members of the public present.

Member of Lee Rigby's family arrive at court

"Despite the abhorrence of the scene, one woman went to the lifeless body of Lee Rigby and stroked him to provide some comfort and humanity to what had unfolded.

"Others went to see if they could provide first aid.

"Another woman engaged Michael Adebolajo in conversation despite the fact that he was still holding the meat cleaver and his hands were covered in blood."

The court heard that the two men were also armed with a gun.

Mr Whittam told the jury of eight women and four men that the firearm was part of the plan the pair had made.

It was used partly to frighten off members of the public before the emergency services arrived.

As a police vehicle swung into Artillery Place, both men moved towards it, Mr Whittam said, and Adebolajo raised the meat cleaver above his head.

Adebolajo and Adebowale are both accused of attempting to murder a police officer, and conspiracy to murder a police officer on or before May 22.

Armed officers shot both defendants and they were arrested, the court heard.

Mr Whittam said: "Lethal force can only be used where there is a real danger to life, as clearly there was here."

The events took place within yards of the Mulgrave Primary School, Mr Whittam said, to which children were returning from a visit to the library.

Members of the public turned them back to avoid the "awful" scene.

Young and old people, as well as a heavily pregnant woman, did witness what happened, he added.

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Bodies In Home Of Woman 'Not Seen For Decades'

A woman not seen by neighbours for more than 30 years has been found dead at her home in Oxford, with the body of her daughter nearby.

Police broke into the terraced property after reports of a pungent smell and initially recovered the body of daughter Caroline Jessett.

She is thought to have been dead for several months.

However, officers were unable to go upstairs amid fears the property could collapse and engineers spent a week shoring up the walls.

When police returned yesterday, they discovered the body of mother Pauline Jessett, in her 70s, in an upstairs room.

Sources suspect she may have been dead for months, or even years.

Post-mortem examinations are being carried out and the deaths are so far unexplained. 

Neighbours, in Cowley Road, Littlemore, south Oxford, described both women as reclusive and some said they had not seen Pauline Jessett for 30 years.

They told journalists that the curtains at the home were always drawn and the Jessetts refused to answer calls at the front door.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, told reporters she had not seen Pauline since the 1980s when her husband had died.

Caroline had not been spotted for at least six months and also rarely ventured out, the neighbour added.

Photographs at the property revealed an overgrown garden and furniture piled up inside the house.  

Investigating officer Detective Inspector John Turner said: "There continues to be nothing at this stage to suggest these deaths are suspicious.

"Investigations are now being carried out to determine the circumstances."

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Three Charged Over FA Computer Hacking

Three men have been charged over allegations of computer hacking at the Football Association, Greater Manchester Police have said.

Referee Dean Mohareb, 30, from Woodley, Stockport, has been charged with perverting the course of justice and unauthorised access to computer data.

Liam Cliff, 18, from Manchester, and Vincent Rossi, 46, from Wilmslow, have been charged with perverting the course of justice.

The trio will appear before Stockport Magistrates Court on Thursday, December 5.

Mohareb is a senior member of the FA's Referees Department in his role as national referee development manager.

He was first arrested over allegations that he hacked into a colleague's email account in October last year. Police seized a number of electrical items from his home on that occasion.

Greater Manchester Police have been investigating allegations of computer hacking and the dissemination of private information at the FA.

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Live: Harrowing Evidence At Soldier Murder Trial

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1:47pm UK, Friday 29 November 2013

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Saatchi: I Do Not Know If Nigella Took Drugs

Charles Saatchi has told a court he does not know if he believes allegations his ex-wife Nigella Lawson was a habitual drug user.

Speaking at Isleworth Crown Court, the art dealer said he was "utterly bereft" that a private email he sent Miss Lawson referring to her being "off her head" on drugs has been made public.

"If you ask me whether I actually knew whether Nigella ever took drugs, the answer is no," Mr Saatchi added as he gave evidence in west London, where his two former personal assistants are on trial accused of fraud.

More follows ...

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David Cameron 'U-Turn' Over Cigarette Packaging

Smoke And Mirrors Behind Tobacco 'O-Turn'

Updated: 12:55pm UK, Thursday 28 November 2013

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Flip-flopping? A double U-turn? An O-turn? Whatever you call it, the Government has got itself into a twist when it comes to plain packaging of cigarettes.

First it was doing it, then it wasn't and now it might.

A review into how successful the policy has been in Australia will report in March. If - as is widely expected - it finds in favour the law could be changed by the General Election.

It is a long time since Andrew Lansley said he was convinced.

I interviewed him last April when he was still Health Secretary. In that interview, published in the Times newspaper, he argued persuasively in favour of plain packaging.

"We don't work in partnership with the tobacco companies because we are trying to arrive at a point where they have no business in this country."

By the time David Cameron put the brakes on the plans in July, Mr Lansley was no longer in the Department of Health. The Prime Minister was probably taken aback by the storm of controversy that the decision triggered.

He came under sustained attack because of the suggestion that he might have been influenced by a key strategist. Lynton Crosby, it emerged, was a partner in a company that had advised a tobacco giant.

Mr Cameron insisted he had not been lobbied by Mr Crosby, but did not deny that the two men had discussed the issue.

So why the change of heart now? Some claim it is because the Government felt it was going to lose a vote in the House of the Lords on the issue, after crossbench peers tabled an amendment.

Better to jump before they are pushed?

The Government rejects that notion, saying that it was always prepared to listen to the evidence and will do so now.

Paul Burstow, the Lib Dem MP, was a health minister until late last year and was part of negotiations on this issue. He said plenty of evidence had been gathered already - including 34 different studies - that showed plain packaging could boost the nation's health and stop teenagers from smoking.

He today accuses the Government of "kicking the can down the road" on the issue. He suspects Mr Crosby was to blame for July's delay.

Even as Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, talks about the need for a review he says the evidence is already showing the likely outcome.

But there will certainly be some trying hard to persuade the Government to maintain the status quo. They argue that the move will damage British business - and that while the number of people wanting to quit in Australia has risen, the numbers actually doing it have not.

Those against the ban will not welcome today's change of heart - but they will be glad to have at least a few months to make their arguments.

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Carole Waugh Killer Gets Life Sentence

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky News Reporter

A conman has been sentenced to life in prison after he was found guilty of murdering a wealthy woman who was stabbed to death in her flat.

Rakesh Bhayani, 41, was convicted by the jury at the Old Bailey of killing Carole Waugh, who was said to have been a lonely woman who worked as an amateur escort and who believed that he was her friend.

Sentencing Bhayani, Mr Justice Wilkie said he "ruthlessly targeted" Ms Waugh and "left her body to rot".

The judge said the killer must serve at least 27 years for the murder.

Bhayani caught on CCTV after withdrawing some of Ms Waugh's money

Bhayani had admitted perverting the course of justice by concealing the death.

Co-accused Nicholas Kutner, 48, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of perverting the course of justice by concealing the death. He was sentenced to seven years in jail.

Both men - described in court as professional conmen and lifelong gamblers who knew each other through prison - admitted conspiracy to defraud.

Ms Waugh, 49, died at her flat, where she lived alone, in Marylebone, central London.

Her body was found in a rented garage in New Malden, southwest London, nearly four months after she disappeared.

Bhayani's co-accused Nicholas Kutner was jailed for seven years

During that time, Bhayani withdrew money from Ms Waugh's accounts and on one occasion pretended to be her brother in an attempt to sell her £600,000 home.

He also hired a number of women to impersonate her and buy expensive handbags from Chanel and Selfridges.

The 41-year-old claimed in court that he only found out about Ms Waugh's death seven days after she was killed.

He said he did not contact police because he was involved in a fraud with Kutner and Ms Waugh and feared he would be linked to her murder.

Ms Waugh's body was found in a Surrey lock-up

Bhayani, of Wembley, northwest London, told the court that he went with Kutner to Ms Waugh's flat to remove her body from under a bed.

He said he put the corpse into a bag which was carried to a blue Volkswagen Golf that was initially left in a central London car park before being driven to the lock-up.

The judge said the murder and subsequent dumping of the body was done with "greed, callousness and total lack of any regard" for Ms Waugh.

The judge described Ms Waugh as a 'risk-taker' vulnerable to conmen

The murder was "arising out of an argument about money", and the judge described Ms Waugh as a "risk-taker and manifestly vulnerable to conmen".

The judge told Bhayani: "Without a second thought, you calmly and comprehensively set about stealing her identity.

"You took steps to ensure her body would not be found for a sufficient time."

Mr Justice Wilkie said Bhayani embarked on the complete "asset-stripping of her persona".

Ms Waugh's family were in court for the sentencing and heard the murder was "not premeditated or pre-planned".

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Plane Bomb Threat Accused: No Case To Answer

Two men - dubbed "idiots not terrorists" - have been cleared of threatening to blow up a plane.

Tayyab Subhani, 30, and Mohammed Safdar, 42, were arrested on May 24 after a Boeing 777 heading from Lahore, Pakistan, to Manchester, was forced to make an emergency landing at Stansted Airport in Essex.

It had been claimed Mr Safdar, supported by Mr Subhani, had made threats to kill crew and passengers after an argument broke out with air stewards at 30,000 feet.

But jurors at Chelmsford Crown Court were instructed to find the men, from Nelson in Lancashire, not guilty of endangering an aircraft.

Judge Charles Gratwicke described the case as "tenuous and peppered with inconsistencies".

He added: "Under the circumstances no jury can properly convict these men."

Prosecutor Brian O'Neill said: "In light of the state of the evidence, it has been decided it is no longer appropriate to seek convictions in this case."

The Boeing 777 was forced to make an emergency landing at Stansted Airport

A series of witnesses told the court that although the men had acted like idiots, they had not heard a bomb threat.

In statements read outside court, both men said they were relieved that their ordeal was over, and they had cleared their names after wrongly being branded terrorists.

Solicitor Raza Sakhi said: "This is a victory for Mr Safdar, his loved ones and those that knew he was innocent of the allegations he was facing."

The court heard that Pakistan International Airlines had released its own internal inquiry, which contradicted evidence given by its staff to police and in court, only when ordered to by the court.

Barristers for both men said they did not blame the police or Crown Prosecution Service for the case being brought to court.

Speaking for Mr Safdar, Mr Sakhi added: "Due to the misinformation supplied to the UK authorities by members of the crew of flight PK709, the UK was put to considerable expense.

"Mr Safdar was wrongly vilified as a terrorist based on the same information.

"Mr Safdar was separated from his family and remanded in custody for 73 days as a result of this misinformation."

Biant Bansai, speaking on behalf of Mr Subhani, said: "This case has collapsed after it became clear that witnesses against him had not told the truth.

"This brings an end to six months of stress and anxiety for Mr Subhani and the cost to him and his family has been very high.

"He's delighted that his name has now been cleared and we will press for a full inquiry as to the conduct of Pakistan International Airlines in this case."

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Professionals Star Lewis Collins Dies In LA

Lewis Collins, 67, who played Bodie in the iconic British 1970s TV series The Professionals, has died after suffering from cancer for five years.

The actor, who played Bodie in the crime drama alongside co-star Martin Shaw as Doyle, died on Wednesday, his agent said.

"He died peacefully at his LA home surrounded by his family. Privacy is asked for at this very sad time."

The Professionals, which made stars of Collins and Shaw, was based around the adventures of a fictional crime fighting unit called CI5.

The Professionals was a huge hit in the 1970s and 80s

Its memorable theme tune and action-packed plots made it a huge hit on ITV in the late 1970s and early 1980s for 57 episodes.

Martin Shaw said: "I was very sad to hear today that Lewis has died.

"We spent a very tough four years together in making The Professionals, and shared in the production of what has become an icon of British television.

"He will be remembered as part of the childhood of so many people, and mourned by his fans. I send my love and condolences to his family, and the great many who will miss him."

Collins' other most notable role came in 1982's Who Dares Wins, when he played a member of the SAS.

Bodie and Doyle sped around in a series of iconic British cars of the day

His Professionals character was a former paratrooper and SAS soldier.

In real life he passed the actual selection course for 23 SAS, one of the SAS' two Territorial Army battalions, but was turned down because of his celebrity status.

He also auditioned for the role of James Bond but was turned down by Cubby Broccoli who, the actor said, was really looking for another Sean Connery.

Collins is quoted as saying the producer found him "too aggressive".

He said: "It would be nice to get back to the original Bond, not the character created by Sean Connery, but the one from the books.

Lewis Collins (r) with co-stars Martin Shaw (l) and Gordon Jackson

"He's not over-handsome, over-tall. He's about my age and has got my attitudes."

Collins was born on Merseyside and worked as a drummer in local bands and as a hairdresser before getting into acting.

He married teacher Michelle Larrett in 1992 and they had three sons, Oliver, Elliot and Cameron.

Although he still dabbled in acting, he ran a successful computer business in LA, according to his biography on the film website IMDb.

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Man Jailed For Life For Ding Family Murders

Anxiang Du, who murdered the Ding family of four in revenge after a business deal turned sour, has been jailed for at least 40 years.

University lecturer Jifeng 'Jeff' Ding, his wife, Ge 'Helen' Chui, and their two daughters, Xing 'Nancy', 18, and Alice, 12, were murdered on April 29, 2011, the day of the Royal Wedding.

Du fled the country and later, after admitting the killings, said he should be convicted for manslaughter on the basis of either diminished responsibility or loss of control.

The two girls were hiding in an upstairs bedroom

Jurors at Northampton Crown Court took just over four hours to convict him of murder.

Sentencing Du, who stared down at his hands, Mr Justice Flaux said: "What is clear from the evidence and the verdicts is that these were cold-blooded murders which, in my view, were pre-meditated and were considered acts of revenge in which you wiped out an entire family.

The Dings had been involved with Du in a herbal medicine business

"I'm quite satisfied that hatred and anger and your desire for revenge was what motivated you to act as you did on the April 29, not the moderate depression you suffered."

The judge said he believed Du had formulated his plan on the night of April 28 or the morning of the next day before carrying out the "frenzied attack".

He said CCTV footage that showed him travelling to the Dings' home revealed he was "calm and methodic" and a "man on a mission."

CCTV footage has shown Du had taken the family car

The killings were "savage butchery" with an intent to kill, the judge added.

He went on: "You did not lose your self control in killing Jeff Ding In effect, you executed the man you hated."

During Du's two-week trial, the jury heard that he carried out the killings with "ruthless efficiency" after he lost a 10-year legal battle with the Ding family and ended up owing £88,000 in court costs.

Post-mortem examinations showed Du stabbed Mr Ding 23 times and Mrs Ding 13 times, leaving them to bleed to death in their kitchen.

The family lived at Wootton in Northamptonshire

He then went upstairs and knifed Nancy 11 times, and Alice four.

Mr Justice Flaux continued: "Not content with the slaughter of the parents downstairs, you then went upstairs to the back bedroom where the two young Ding girls were cowering.

"It is apparent from the fact that Nancy's mobile made the 999 call, that they had heard what was happening downstairs and she was frantically trying to ring the police for help.

"At that moment it seems you came into the room and within a short period of time you had also murdered those poor defenceless girls.

"It is clear from their terrible haunting screams on the 999 call that it was during that call that you murdered them."

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Lostprophets Ian Watkins: Appeal For 'Victims'

Police have appealed for possible further victims of Ian Watkins to come forward after the ex-Lostprophets singer admitted a string of sex offences.

The charges included attempting to rape a woman's baby in a case the lead officer called "the most shocking and harrowing child abuse evidence I have ever seen".

Detectives are continuing their investigation into the Welsh rock singer, 36, amid speculation there could be more victims in the UK and overseas.

Officers from South Wales, where he lived, have been working with agencies including Interpol, the NSPCC and the Department for Homeland Security in the US.

Watkins also confessed to aiding and abetting another woman to sexually abuse her own child.

And he pleaded guilty to possessing and making indecent photographs of children as well as having extreme pornographic material involving bestiality on his computer hard drive.

He had faced 24 sex offence charges but admitted 11 at the last minute as his trial was due to begin at Cardiff Crown Court alongside the two women, who pleaded guilty to 13 offences in total between them.

Watkins is due to be sentenced in December

Lead investigator Detective Chief Inspector Peter Doyle said: "There is no doubt in my mind that Ian Watkins exploited his celebrity status in order to abuse young children."

He added Tuesday's "outcome does not mark the end of our investigations and we will work tirelessly to identify any other victims or witnesses and seek the justice they deserve".

He went on: "Above all this investigation has been focussed on the protection of children and my thoughts today are with those victims.

"We would encourage anyone who has been affected by this case or other cases of child abuse to contact South Wales Police on 029 20634184 or the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000."

Meanwhile, a child expert has warned the sex abuse of young children is increasing in number and severity as the age of defenceless victims continues to go down.

Des Mannion, NSPCC Wales national head of service, spoke of his "horror" as the extent of Watkins' secret abuse was made public.

"The desire to sexually abuse small babies is something most of us find too horrific to comprehend," he said.

"However within the significant rise in the number of child abuse images being distributed online over the past year, agencies have noted both an increase in their severity and a significant decline in the ages of the children involved."

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Ding Family Murders: Anxiang Du Guilty

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

A man who killed a family of four with "ruthless efficiency" has been found guilty of murder by a jury at Northampton Crown Court.

Anxiang Du, 54, showed no mercy as he stabbed the family a total of 51 times.

The Chinese businessman wanted revenge after a lengthy legal battle with the Ding family left him with an £88,000 bill and facing financial ruin.

University professor Jifeng 'Jeff' Ding, his wife Ge 'Helen' Chui and their daughters Xing 'Nancy', 18 and 12-year-old Alice were "slaughtered" in their own home at Wootton in Northamptonshire on April 29, 2011, the day of the royal wedding.

Nancy and Alice Ding had cowered in an upstairs bedroom

Anxiang Du left a farewell note to his wife and travelled to the home with a kitchen knife.

Mr and Mrs Ding died in their kitchen. The killer then went upstairs to find their two daughters cowering in a bedroom. The court heard that he showed them no mercy.

As the family lay dead, Du stole their car and went looking for another former business associate, but he wasn't at home.

The killer drove to London and took a bus to Paris before travelling to Spain. He then took a boat to Morocco.

He was eventually tracked down to a building site and was extradited to the UK in February this year to stand trial.

Jeff Ding's brother Jee-Shang said: "I want to ask him. How could you stab a knife into an innocent girl's heart, not once but twice?"

It is possible that Du could have been caught much sooner. A screaming 999 call from Nancy's mobile was traced to the wrong house.

Anxiang Du was found guilty of four murders

Acting on other information officers visited the house two days later - but pushed a card through the door when there was no answer. All four lay dead inside.

Detective Chief Inspector Tom Davies from Northamptonshire Police said: "I recognise people will look at the 'three 9s' call in particular and be critical of that. We've dealt with that, the Independent Police Complaints Commission were involved in an extensive investigation.

"The important aspect for the investigation team was to deal with the challenges we were presented with. We did have several challenges to overcome and make sure we identified where he was residing, in this case Tangiers and get him back to the UK to face justice."

Du had been involved with the Dings in a herbal medicine business. But that "turned sour" descending into a 10-year legal battle.

The day before the killings Du was served with an injunction preventing him from dissipating his assets.

Post-mortems revealed the terrible extent of his revenge. Mr Ding was stabbed 23 times, his wife 13 times. Nancy had 11 stab wounds and Alice had four.

CCTV footage showed Du with the family's car

There was never any dispute about Du's responsibility for the killings. His fingerprints were found in blood at the scene. But he denied four counts of murder, hoping instead to be convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Helen Ding's father Ding Zuyao Cui said: "The evidence being presented in court felt like I was being stabbed in the heart.

"The 999 call sounded like it was asking me to help, but I wasn't there. So it is very sad."

Helen's brother Xin Cui said: "This has really hurt me. I am really angry."

Police said it is unlikely the Dings could have been saved, even if the emergency call had been handled differently.

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Nigella Lawson Called 'Habitual Criminal'

TV cook Nigella Lawson has been described in court as a "habitual criminal" a day after her ex-husband Charles Saatchi accused her of taking drugs.

The latest claim was made as lawyers argued over whether the trial should go ahead of two of their former employees charged with fraud.

Francesca Grillo, 35, and Elisabetta Grillo, 41, are accused of using a company credit card to buy themselves designer handbags and flights while working as their personal assistants.

But the defendants' lawyers argued the case should not go ahead due to the "manipulation of the court process" by the couple, who had a high-profile divorce earlier this year.

Isleworth Crown Court in west London heard on Tuesday Mr Saatchi alleged Ms Lawson was so high on drugs she was unaware of what she had or had not permitted the Italian sisters to spend money on.

Anthony Metzer QC, for Elisabetta Grillo, argued the case should be dropped as the pair were at "loggerheads" and the alleged drug use damaged the celebrity cook's "credibility as an honest witness".

He said if the trial did go ahead, "it's a convenient forum for Mr Saatchi and Ms Lawson to rehearse disputed issues between them ... in the criminal courts where, of course, the possibility of libel is not possible".

"If Mr Saatchi is telling the truth, then Ms Lawson is a habitual criminal."

Prosecutor Jane Carpenter, who argued against dropping the case, said: "The suggestion that these defendants are sacrificial lambs in order to discredit Ms Lawson I do not accept at all."

After hearing submissions, Judge Robin Johnson ruled the trial should go ahead.

The Grillos deny the charges.

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Mafia Boss Rancadore 'Has Heart Attack'

A suspected mafia boss arrested in London after nearly two decades on the run is believed to have had a heart attack in prison.

It comes on the day of a High Court challenge against a decision to grant bail to Domenico Rancadore, 64, who was found living in Uxbridge in August.

Proceedings were adjourned to enable Rancadore's legal team to seek information about his condition after he is understood to have suffered a heart attack.

Rancadore's QC, Alun Jones, told Lord Justice Goldring and Mr Justice Ouseley, he had received little information about his client's condition from police or the hospital.

The case has been delayed provisionally until Thursday. Lord Justice Goldring said it was "crucial" Jones' legal team provided information on Rancadore's condition.

Rancadore was granted bail at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday, but he was not released after prosecutor Hannah Hinton issued notice to lodge an appeal against the decision.

He was one of Italy's most wanted criminals and had been sentenced to seven years in jail in his absence for Mafia association.

Rancadore was arrested at his west London home

Rancadore was head of a crime family involved in extortion, racketeering and drug trafficking, Italian police said.

Until his arrest, Rancadore, using the name Marc Skinner, was living with his English wife and kids in an upmarket semi-detached home in Uxbridge.

He was running a travel agency with his wife and said by Italian police to be "living a golden life" in Britain, with a comfortable home as well as top of the range Jaguar and Mercedes cars.

Italian detectives knew he was living in London and had failed to have him arrested in the past because the crime of Mafia association is not recognised by authorities in Britain.

However Sky sources said in August that "circumstances changed" and police were able to arrest him.

Rancadore told officers upon his arrest that he was not going back to Italy because "they will kill me", the court heard previously.

The conditions of bail set out by the chief magistrate included £50,000 security, residency at his home, a curfew, reporting to a police station twice daily, providing his phone number, keeping his mobile switched on and not applying for foreign travel documents.

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Migrant Benefit Clampdown: PM Under Fire

David Cameron has been sharply criticised over his announcement of immigrant benefit curbs amid fears of an influx of Romanians and Bulgarians in the new year.

The Prime Minister was accused of "hysteria" by the European employment commissioner Laszlo Andor, who said he risked making Britain the "nasty country" of the EU.

The Romanian ambassador Ion Jinga has told Sky News the majority of EU migrants did not claim benefits.

Under the new rules announced by Mr Cameron today, EU migrants are to be barred from claiming out-of-work benefits, such as Jobseeker's Allowance, for their first three months in the UK.

Those who do go on to claim the benefits will now only be able to get payments for a maximum of six months. Migrants caught sleeping rough could be deported and would not be allowed to return to the UK for 12 months.

The moves have been sparked by a January 1 deadline when Romanians and Bulgarians will be entitled to come to the UK for work and can then claim benefits like other EU citizens.

Unveiling his plans in the Financial Times, Mr Cameron said he "shared concerns" of many of his MPs over the ending of restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarian workers.

There are doubts over how quickly Mr Cameron could introduce the new rules

He said: "We are changing the rules so that no one can come to this country and expect to get out-of-work benefits immediately; we will not pay them for the first three months.

"If after three months an EU national needs benefits - we will no longer pay these indefinitely.

"They will only be able to claim for a maximum of six months unless they can prove they have a genuine prospect of employment.

"We are also toughening up the test which migrants who want to claim benefits must undergo.

"This will include a new minimum earnings threshold. If they don't pass the test, we'll cut off access to benefits such as income support. Newly arrived EU jobseekers will not be able to claim housing benefit."

Other measures include fines of up to £20,000 for firms that pay below the minimum wage - an attempt to prevent undercutting of British workers.

Dozens of Conservative MPs want the Government to ignore EU law and extend existing controls on when new arrivals can claim the same benefits at UK citizens until 2018.

Currently some immigrants can access Jobseeker's Allowance within a month of arrival in the UK, according to Downing Street aides.

However, the Government's own figures for 2011/12 show that only 7% of those claiming Job Seeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Income Support were foreigners and only 31% of those were from within the EU.

A University College London report earlier this month found that immigrants had contributed £25bn to the UK economy between 2000 and 2011 - significantly more than they had claimed in handouts. They were also 45% less likely to receive benefits than British people.

There are doubts over how quickly Mr Cameron could introduce the new rules, given the impending January 1 deadline.

His aides insisted that the six-month limit and the 12-month bar on returns could be brought in under existing legislation but the three-month delay on claiming benefits would need legislation, which is to be brought forward to early in the new year.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the Liberal Democrats were behind the tougher rules and called them "sensible and reasonable reforms".

"The right to work does not automatically mean the right to claim," Mr Clegg said.

In his criticism, Mr Andor accused Mr Cameron of not presenting the "full truth" about the issue and suggested the reaction in the UK was based on "hysteria".

"The unilateral action, unilateral rhetoric, especially if it is happening at this time, is not really helpful because it risks presenting the UK as the kind of nasty country in the European Union," Mr Andor told the BBC.

"We don't want that. We have to look into the situation collectively and if there are real problems react proportionately."

And the Romanian ambassador told Sky News: "More than 1.5m Britons live and work in another EU member state, Romania included, and when speaking about benefits abuse … there are very few cases where Romanians have been involved in abusing the British benefits system."

Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, said: "These measures fall way short of what the British public want though. Our borders will remain open. Migrants will still be entitled to out-of-work benefits after just three months. It isn't nearly good enough."

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the Prime Minister was "playing catch-up" after failing to take action earlier.

"Why has it taken him eight months to copy Labour's proposal to make the Habitual Residence Test stronger and clearer?" she said.

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Belfast: Explosion At Victoria Square Centre

Police are blaming dissident republican terrorists for a 60kg (132lbs) car bomb that partially exploded outside a shopping centre in Belfast.

Masked men in boiler suits hijacked a car in the north of the city at 9.30pm on Sunday and ordered the driver to take the bomb to the Victoria Square centre, the PSNI said.

The device - made of homemade explosives packed into a beer keg - was left at a car park entrance and detonated at 11.15pm as army bomb disposal experts prepared to examine it.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes before the explosion near one of Belfast's main police stations and the city's court complex.

The security alert ended without any reports of injuries and the city centre has reopened, although Monday morning commuters faced traffic delays.

PSNI Chief Superintendent Alan McCrum told BBC Radio Ulster the bomb could have been "catastrophic" for the city.

The silver Renault Laguna car used in the attack, registration number CJZ 4697 car, was hijacked in Jamaica Street, in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast.

Victoria Street and Chichester Street were closed during the alert and people were evacuated from their homes and a nearby cinema, with dozens spending the night in the Ulster Hall concert venue.

PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott said there would be an increased police presence in the city in response to the latest incident.

He said dissident republicans seemed to be involved in a "bizarre competition" driven by a philosophy that is "simply hatred".

Northern Ireland's Justice Minister David Ford said the bomb could have caused "untold death and injury".

He said: "Those responsible for this attack have shown a total disregard for life, including that of the driver they forced to carry the device.

"They also have a disregard for the people of Belfast."

The incident was the third security alert to hit Belfast on Sunday and Sky News Ireland Correspondent Vicki Hawthorne said it follows a surge in terrorist activity from dissident republicans opposed to the peace process.

She said: "Last week a female bus driver was also forced by hijackers to drive a bomb to a police station in Londonderry.  The driver abandoned the bomb before she got to the station and was praised for her heroism.

"Terrorists also targeted a former police officer when they planted an booby trap bomb under his car in east Belfast.  The former officer managed to raise the alarm before the device exploded.

"And last month several letter bombs were sent in the post to the Chief Constable and another senior officer as well as the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers."

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London 'Slavery' Case: New Homes Investigated

Detectives say they are investigating 13 addresses as part of their probe into claims that three women were held as slaves in London.

The inquiry began after one of three alleged victims told a charity she had been kept against her will for more than 30 years in a house in south London.

The three women - a 30-year-old Briton, a 57-year-old Irishwoman and a 69-year-old Malaysian - are believed to have suffered years of physical and mental abuse at the hands of a couple.

Police carried out house-to-house enquiries over the weekend in and around Peckford Place in Brixton, where the three women were found.

It has emerged that the couple - a man aged 73 and a 67-year-old woman - were previously arrested in the 1970s, although police have not said why.

They are of Indian and Tanzanian origin.

Police outside the property where the women were allegedly held

Officers have recovered a birth certificate for the 30-year-old woman, who is believed to have lived her entire life in servitude, but no other official documents for her have been found.

The case came to light after the Irish woman rang the Freedom Charity last month after seeing its founder Aneeta Prem in a Sky News report about forced marriages.

The Metropolitan Police said part of the agreement on October 25 when the women were removed from the address was that police would not take any action at that stage.

None of the women was reported missing after being rescued, police said. All three are now in the care of a specialist non-governmental organisation.

Some 37 officers from the Met's human-trafficking unit are working on the case.

On Sunday, Home Secretary Theresa May said tackling modern slavery in Britain was a "personal priority", saying many other victims were "hidden in plain sight" across the country.

"It is walking our streets, supplying shops and supermarkets, working in fields, factories or nail bars, trapped in brothels or cowering behind the curtains in an ordinary street: slavery," she wrote in The Sunday Telegraph.

"Something most of us thought consigned to history books, belonging to a different century, is a shameful and shocking presence in modern Britain."

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Government To Publish 50,000-Page HS2 Bill

The Government is to make its case for the £50bn high speed rail line amid claims it is not giving campaign groups long enough to make their objections to the plans.

The Hybrid Bill with its environmental statement – effectively the Government's planning application for the first phase of HS2 from London to Birmingham – will be published later today.

Those opposing the bill claim that at 49,910 pages, the eight-week consultation limit is not long enough for them to respond sufficiently.

Campaigners say they will have to read 891 pages a day simply to get through the documents and then respond to the points raised. It is the largest bill the UK has ever seen.

Woodland Trust: 21 ancient woodlands destroyed or badly damaged

Woodland Trust policy director Hilary Allison said: "We have recruited a new full time conservation expert whose sole priority over the coming weeks will be the dissection of these documents.

"The enormity of the task being asked of all who have something to contribute to this consultation is undeniable; given its immense length, we feel the timescale given to read and respond is unfair."

The trust has calculated that 21 ancient woodlands will be destroyed or significantly damaged by the first phase of the project.

As part of the bill, opponents will be given the chance to petition Parliament and have their case heard by a committee of MPs.

The first phase will run from London to Birmingham

The Government is expecting up to 25,000 objections, according to the Financial Times.

The publication of legislation for phase one marks a significant milestone in the project. The Government hopes it will be passed by 2015.

Once Royal Assent has been achieved, the Government will be able to start forcibly purchasing land needed to build the line.

It is expected that construction of the line from London to Birmingham will begin in 2016/2017 allowing it to open in 2026.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "HS2 is the most ambitious and important infrastructure project in the UK since we built the M25 30 years ago, and in 30 more it will be just as integral a part of the nation's prosperity.

"The Bill will give us the powers we need to get the railway built and start delivering the extra room on our railways that this country so desperately needs. It will also start the process of rebalancing the economy and bringing our great cities closer together."

Phase two will run from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds

There have been significant objections that the rail line will have a devastating environmental impact on vast swathes of England's countryside.

In addition Labour has raised concerns over the increasing costs of the project.

The TSSA transport union has warned that high speed rail must not become a "rich man's toy" and that fares must be affordable.

The British Chambers of Commerce said HS2 had to be built "to avoid crippling delays, stifling carriage conditions and weekend chaos that conventional upgrades will bring" while the city councils of Manchester, Derby and Leeds are among the local authorities fully backing the project.

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Monty Python Tickets Sell Out In 44 Seconds

Four new dates have been announced after tickets for the first Monty Python live show for 30 years sold out within 44 seconds.

The veteran comedy troupe - John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones - announced they were getting back together last week.

A spokesman for the Pythons said the July 1 event sold out in 43.5 seconds on Monday morning and tickets for four further shows had immediately gone on sale.

Tickets for the show appeared for resale on ticket listing websites within minutes for up to £3,000 each.

The concerts at the venue in Greenwich, southeast London, come more than 30 years after their last stage performance.

Speaking at last week's news conference, they said they would include some of their most famous routines, including the dead parrot sketch.

But Cleese ruled out a rerun of one of his best loved moments, the Ministry of Silly Walks, saying: "I have an artificial knee and an artificial hip ,so there's no chance of that".

Idle said fans could "expect a little comedy, a lot of pathos, some music and a tiny bit of ancient sex".

Their last major live show was at the Hollywood Bowl in 1982.

The Pythons amassed millions of fans for their comedy series and films, which also launched their own successful solo careers.

Monty Python's Flying Circus was made for TV between 1969 and 1974. The team went on to make films including Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975) and Monty Python's Life Of Brian (1979).

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Melanie Hall Murder: Man, 44, Arrested

A man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Melanie Hall who went missing 17 years ago.

The 44-year-old was held at his home in Bath last week as part of the investigation into the death of the 25-year-old clerical worker, whose body was found dumped by the side of the M5 near Bristol in 2009.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said the man had been released on bail until December 19.

Detectives also searched a property in which the man had previously lived.

Miss Hall's parents Steve and Pat had been informed and kept up to date of the developments.

Miss Hall, who worked at Royal United Hospital in Bath, disappeared after a night out at Cadillacs nightclub in Bath.

A worker clearing vegetation from the side of the motorway near Thornbury, Gloucestershire found her remains on October 5, 2009 and she was identified as the victim two days later.

The investigation team has taken about 250 statements and collected 1,200 pieces of evidence since Miss Hall went missing.

Last month, on the fourth anniversary of the discovery of her body, police said they had uncovered "significant and very interesting" information and that forensic experts were examining a white Volkswagen Golf which may be relevant to the murder.

Last month Miss Hall's father said: "This is very positive news. Gradually the pieces of the jigsaw are being put together to bring Melanie's killer or killers to justice.

"We always knew it would take a long time, but these new developments appear very encouraging."

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Policing: 'More Bobbies On The Beat Needed'

Putting more police officers on the beat should be at the forefront of efforts to restore public confidence, according to a blueprint for reform by a former Scotland Yard commissioner.

Lord Stevens will unveil the Independent Police Commission report on Monday and set out a raft of recommendations to transform policing in England and Wales.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Lord Stevens, who introduced neighbourhood policing to the Metropolitan Police 10 years ago, said a community approach was needed.

Police are "sadly deteriorated" in the public's eye, he said, and fewer crimes are being solved.

The commission believes the Government should have a Local Policing Commitment, giving every neighbourhood a guaranteed level of policing.

It says there should be guaranteed response times and that every crime should be investigated - or an explanation given as to why not.

Lord Stevens said: "This is the level of service that the public has a right to expect but that has deteriorated in front of its eyes."

Police are returning to a "discredited" style of policing, reacting to incidents rather than responding to the root causes of crime, he said.

Among the 37 recommendations by Lord Stevens' commission are that the social purpose of the police should be enshrined in law, bringing "much-needed consensus" to what the public expect of the police.

Lord Stevens, who was commissioned to carry out the report by the Labour party, said the current programme for reform was "confused" and "fragmented".

He said: "With fewer crimes being solved, a return to merely reactive policing that the public do not favour, Plebgate, Hillsborough and the identity crisis of Police and Crime Commissioners, it is no secret that policing in England and Wales faces challenges."

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the findings of the Stevens commission would be consulted on as Labour draws up its manifesto for 2015.

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Miliband Accuses PM Of 'Reaching A New Low'

Labour leader Ed Miliband has accused the Prime Minister of resorting to a strategy of mud-slinging in an effort to win the 2015 election.

He hit out at David Cameron for using the Paul Flowers scandal to attack his party's links to the co-operative movement.

Writing in the Independent on Sunday, Mr Miliband said Mr Cameron "hit a new low by trying to use the gross errors and misconduct of one man, Paul Flowers, to impugn the integrity of the entire Labour movement".

He said: "We all want proper answers as to what went on at the Co-operative Bank, and the public deserves better than the desperate attempts by the Tory party to score the cheapest political points, including ludicrous claims that Labour's historic links with the Co-op movement were the invention of Rev Flowers.

"Of course, the credibility of their smears was undermined when it emerged that the Chancellor himself was promoting the Co-op's bid to take over Lloyds Bank branches."

The Tories have attacked Labour's links with the Co-op Bank

The Tories have sought to highlight the close links between Labour and the Co-op, including "soft loans" at preferential rates and a £50,000 donation to Ed Balls' office from the Co-operative Group.

But Labour have used the row over the near collapse of the lender to put pressure on George Osborne over the Co-op's aborted bid for Lloyds branches.

Mr Miliband claimed the heated exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions over Labour and the Co-op, along with attacks over the trade unions and seeking to blame Andy Burnham for NHS failings, were part of a plan to fight the "dirtiest general election campaign" for 20 years, masterminded by Tory strategist Lynton Crosby.

"David Cameron cannot resist a low blow when the British public craves a politics on the high ground. His main political strategy is now to sling as much mud as possible in the hope that some of it sticks. When he does so, he demeans his office."

Mr Shapps accused Mr Miliband of 'evading serious issues'

Tory chairman Grant Shapps hit back at the Labour leader, highlighting the activities of Gordon Brown's former spin doctor Damian McBride.

"This is a pathetic attempt to evade the serious issues. Labour have big questions to answer, and when they are asked, they simply try to avoid them by claiming they are smears," he said.

"It is an obvious tactic from the party that brought you the most disgraceful smear operation of modern times, fronted by Damian McBride, and known about, encouraged and tolerated by Ed Balls and Ed Miliband.

"And McBride was simply the latest in a long line of bullying Labour spin doctors, including Alastair Campbell and Charlie Whelan. Incredibly, Labour's new campaign chief Michael Dugher used to be McBride's right-hand man - it's the same old Labour.

"We suggest they explain how the corruption at Falkirk happened, and how the Rev Flowers was allowed to become and remain an adviser, rather than dismiss legitimate questions as smears."

:: Mr Miliband has also been speaking about how his relationship with his brother David has not fully recovered, more than three years after they fought for leadership of Labour.

He told BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs the relationship was "healing" and that David was still his best friend.

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Scottish Independence Date In 'Blueprint'

Scotland could become an independent country on March 24, 2016 if voters back leaving the UK in next year's independence referendum, the Deputy First Minister has announced.

The date is included in the Scottish Government's white paper, described as a "blueprint" for independence, which will be published on Tuesday.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it is a "landmark document" which has economic growth, jobs and fairness at its heart.

She said the 670-page document will drive the independence debate, providing the positive case for a vote in favour of independence.

She said: "This guide to an independent Scotland will be the most comprehensive and detailed blueprint of its kind ever published, not just for Scotland but for any prospective independent country.

"It demonstrates Scotland's financial strengths and details how we will become independent - the negotiations, preparations and agreements that will be required in the transition period from a vote for independence in September next year to our proposed Independence Day of 24th March 2016 and in time for the first elections to an independent Scottish Parliament in May of that year."

Ms Sturgeon said the document is designed above all for the public and urged people to read it, compare it with any alternative future for Scotland and make up their own minds.

Ms Sturgoen has urged everyone in Scotland to read the document

"The white paper has economic growth, jobs and fairness at its heart. The route to a successful Scotland is greater economic growth that benefits all and which supports greater participation - particularly amongst women - in the workplace and the economy as a whole," she said.

"Ensuring that work pays, for example through a decent minimum wage, is central to our economic and social approach.

"We won't succeed and reach our full potential as long as we are locked into an unbalanced Westminster-controlled economy that disproportionately benefits one region and one section of society."

Ex-Chancellor Alistair Darling, who is leading the charge to retain the union, has told Sky News that Scotland would be left vulnerable if it broke away from the UK. Negotiations that would follow an in-out vote could be "totally destructive", he told Sky's Murnaghan show.

A Scotland Office spokesman said naming the date of independence ahead of the referendum result "would only weaken the Scottish Government's negotiating position" if Scotland voted to leave the UK.

"People in Scotland still don't know the full terms the Scottish Government would try to negotiate but the 28 members of the EU, Nato and the rest of the UK would all know that for the Scottish Government the date is more important than the deal," he said.

"We agree people should read the White Paper and the UK Government's evidence and make up their own mind on the referendum issue.

"We are confident the case for staying in the UK is far stronger than the untested, uncosted and unconvincing claims the Scottish Government have made to date."

An initial print run of 20,000 copies of the Scottish Government's white paper has been produced but it will be made available to everyone who requests a copy.

The independence referendum will take place on September 18 next year.

The proposed Independence Day of Thursday, March 24, 2016 follows the dissolution of the current Scottish Parliament, which is set to be scheduled to take place at midnight on Wednesday, March 23, 2016.

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'Comet Of The Century Has Much Margin For Error'

By Adele Robinson, Sky News Reporter

A comet which is hurtling towards the Sun may not live up to its expectations of becoming one of the "brightest for a century", say experts.

Comet Ison is due to graze the surface of the Sun at the end of the month and astronomers were hoping it would put on a dazzling display.

Earlier this week, Nasa said the sungrazer "will likely become one of the finest comets in many years" and could be the "brightest for a century".

But some scientists say that it could break up and evaporate before it completes its trip.

Josh Barker, from the National Space Centre in Leicester, said the Sun threatens to destroy Ison with its gravitational pull and solar energy.

A Nasa image of Ison's approach, taken from a space-based observatory

He said: "It could be the comet of the century, if all goes to plan.

"If all the little pieces line up just properly, we could have one of the brightest comets that we've seen certainly in current human life and one of the brightest in history.

"It could potentially be very exciting although there's a lot of margin for error."

Experts say a break-up of the comet would pose no threat to Earth because the fragments would continue to follow the same trajectory the comet was heading in.

On November 28, it will pass within 724,000 miles of the sun's surface when it reaches perihelion, the point when it is at its closest to the Sun.

Ison is thought to be a few miles in diameter and will be travelling at 845,000mph.

The Sun's rays will heat the ball of ice, metal and rock to 2,760C (5,000F), meaning it should be able to be seen with the naked eye anywhere from late November until the middle of January.

Astronomy enthusiasts are trying to track the comet's progress.

Among them is Dr Jo Jarvis, from Rugby, who said: "When you get things like comets coming through the solar system, they're something new and interesting to look at, something you don't get to see very often.

"With comets like this everyone is kind of on the edge of their seat because you kind of bond to it a little bit. You really want it to survive that trip round the Sun."

Ison was discovered on September 21, 2012, by Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok, two Russian astronomers of the International Scientific Optical Network (Ison).

The best time to view it will be in the morning before sunrise on the eastern horizon.

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Slavery Crackdown Is Home Secretary's Priority

Modern slavery is an "abhorrent crime" and tackling it is a "personal priority", the Home Secretary has said.

Speaking after the discovery of three women allegedly held as slaves for more than 30 years, Theresa May said many victims are "hidden in plain sight".

She said that although details were still emerging as police continue their investigations in Brixton, south London, "one positive" of the case was that more people were aware of slavery.

Three women were allegedly held as slaves in Brixton for more than 30 years

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mrs May said: "It is all around us, hidden in plain sight.

"It is walking our streets, supplying shops and supermarkets, working in fields, factories or nail bars, trapped in brothels or cowering behind the curtains in an ordinary street.

"Something most of us thought consigned to history books, belonging to a different century, is a shameful and shocking presence in modern Britain."

Police stand outside the block of flats where the women were allegedly held

Mrs May said the new modern slavery bill, which will increase the maximum sentence for trafficking offences to life imprisonment and create the role of anti-slavery commissioner, will be "the first of its kind in Europe".

"The first step to eradicating the scourge of modern slavery is acknowledging and confronting its existence," she said.

"The second is accepting it is the responsibility of us all to abolish it once and for all."

Police spoke to people living in Peckford Place as part of their inquiries

Police have carried out door-to-door inquiries in Peckford Place, where three women - a 69-year-old from Malaysia, a 57-year-old from Ireland and a 30-year-old Briton - were taken from a property last month after calling a support charity asking for help.

Officers believe the British woman has lived her entire life in servitude.

Police said the alleged victims, two of whom lived in a "collective" with a 67-year-old man they met through a "shared political ideology", had suffered "emotional and physical abuse".

The man and a woman, also 67, who came to the UK in the 1960s and are of Indian and Tanzanian origin, were arrested and released on bail.

Frank Field, the MP for Birkenhead and chairman of the modern slavery bill review, said: "The case we had last week was not only horrendous for the length of time those women were enslaved, it was the first example ... that we know of of a person being born into slavery in this country.

"To me, that was even more shocking than the 30 years of slavery, as shocking as that was."

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London 'Slavery': Neighbours' Shock At Claims

People living near to a house where three women were allegedly held as slaves for more than three decades have spoken of their shock at the claims.

The women - a 69-year-old from Malaysia, a 57-year-old from Ireland and a 30-year-old Briton - were taken from the property in Brixton, south London, last month after calling a support charity asking for help.

Police said the women, two of whom who lived in a "collective" with a 67-year-old man they met through a "shared political ideology", had suffered "emotional and physical abuse".

The man and a woman, also 67, who came to the UK in the 1960s and are of Indian and Tanzanian origin, were arrested and released on bail.

Commander Steve Rodhouse, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "Somehow that collective came to an end and the women ended up continuing to live with the suspects.

"How this resulted in the women living in this way for over 30 years is what are seeking to establish, but we believe emotional and physical abuse has been a feature of all the victims' lives."

Kamal Francis described the women as having unkempt appearances

As police carried out door-to-door inquiries to establish more details about the alleged victims, neighbours described the area around the block in Peckford Place, where the women had been living, as a "quiet" area.

One woman, who gave her name only as Valerie, said: "Seeing all this going on is quite surprising to me. It's shocking really."

Abdul Rogers said many people did not speak to each other, adding: "I don't even know my next door neighbour. If I met them on the street now I would not be able to tell it was my next door neighbour, which is not good for community cohesion."

Kamal Francis is a regular visitor to the block of flats as his partner lives directly above where the women were held.

He told Sky News: "One would be wearing a long, baggy, cardigan and a long skirt touching the floor. They had messy hair. They were not neat people."

Investigators believe the youngest of the alleged victims may have spent her entire life as a domestic slave.

Cmdr Rodhouse said police had found her birth certificate but no further documentation.

The women lived in the Angell Town estate in Brixton

"We believe she has lived with the suspects and the other victims all her life, but of course at this early stage we are still seeking out evidence," she said.

The woman who called Freedom Charity asking for help said she had been held against her will for more than 30 years.

Aneeta Prem, who founded the organisation, said it had seen an "extraordinary" rise in calls to its helpline since the rescue of the three women came to light.

"These women have had traumatic and distributing experiences," she said.

"What needs to happen now is that the three victims, who have begun a long process of recovery, are able to go through their rehabilitation undisturbed, without being identified."

Officers said they were taking "every step" to protect the "emotionally fragile and highly vulnerable" victims.

Lambeth Council has told Sky News it is investigating whether it had ever come into contact with any of the women.

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