Baby Boy's Death: Mother Arrested In Oldham

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

Police are questioning a mother on suspicion of murdering her seven-week-old baby in Oldham.

The 23-year-old mother's partner, a man aged 35, and the couple's lodger, a 26-year-old man, have also been arrested on suspicion of murder.

The baby, named locally as Thomas Gacek, was taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital with serious head injuries last Saturday.

Hospital staff contacted police and the child's mother and her partner were originally arrested on suspicion of assault.

Following the baby's death and the results of a postmortem examination they were re-arrested on suspicion of murder.

The baby was taken to Royal Oldham Hospital

Along with their lodger they are also being questioned on suspicion of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

All three remain in police custody.

Police say one line of inquiry they are examining is whether he was shaken to death.

Detectives are searching the house where the child lived in the Clarksfield area of Oldham.

The couple's next door neighbour, who did not want to be named, told Sky News she was "shocked" to hear the news.

She said she understood the couple had only moved into the house in November and said they had put up balloons and banners when the baby was born.

The infant died at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital

Inquiries are ongoing to trace the child's father.

Detective Inspector Andy Cunliffe from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said: "This is a tragic case in which a very young baby has lost his life.

"We are determined to find out exactly what the circumstances were that led to him suffering such injuries.

"News of the death of such a little boy will no doubt come as a great shock to people.

"And I would like to try to reassure the community as much as I can that we have a team of detectives dedicated to working on this investigation, and they will today be interviewing the three people in our custody.

"If anyone has any information at all that they believe may assist us with our enquiries, then please get in touch and tell us what you know."

Anyone with information is asked to contact GMP's Major Incident Team on 0161 856 1722 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Reception Children Face Compulsory Tests

Four-year-old children will have to sit tests when they start primary school under new Government plans.

The compulsory tests, designed to measure each child's level of development at the start of their formal schooling, will come into force by 2016 under the new proposals.

It comes after a Department for Education (DfE) consultation last year which proposed a "baseline assessment" in primary schools in order to measure how children have progressed by age 11.

The tests are to be carefully crafted to estimate a child's academic abilities in very basic literacy, reasoning and cognition, rather than testing their knowledge as in a traditional exam.

As a result, it is believed the current key stage one tests that take place at the end of year two, when most pupils are aged seven, will be scrapped.

The Government is soon expected to shortly announce the results of the consultation and reveal the new reception class test, which was first reported in The Times newspaper.

A DfE spokesperson said: "We have consulted on our proposed primary school assessment and accountability measures and we are considering our response."

Some educational campaigners fear the tests for the younger age group will place children under undue stress.

Deborah Lawson, general secretary of Voice The Union - a union representing education professionals, told Sky News: "I want to know what is the purpose? Why should we be putting children at a younger and younger age through a testing regime.

"I think also we have to remember that developmentally is this the right thing for young children?"

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Lloyds Sets Target For Women Executives

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Lloyds Banking Group is to break new ground in the debate about gender diversity in British business by pledging that 40% of its top 5,000 jobs will be occupied by women within six years.

Sky News can reveal this weekend that the taxpayer-backed lender will become the first FTSE-100 company to establish a formal gender target for its most senior management positions.

The pledge, to be outlined by Antonio Horta-Osorio, Lloyds' chief executive, in a speech next week, will come at a time of unprecedented scrutiny of boardroom diversity and governance.

Mr Horta-Osorio is expected to set the target as part of a broader set of objectives aimed at demonstrating Lloyds' awareness of its wider societal role as the UK's biggest high street lender.

Sources said that he was also planning to establish formal annual goals for lending to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and to first-time house-buyers.

Targets for the number of female executives and a commitment to the level of funding for Lloyds' charitable causes would be made over a six-year period, they added.

It is the gender diversity target, which will entail the appointment of an additional 600 women to senior jobs at Lloyds by 2020, that is likely to attract the greatest attention.

Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Fiona Cannon, the bank's director of diversity and inclusion, said the initiative made sound business sense.

Fiona Cannon says the workforce should reflect the diversity of customers

"One of our visions is to be the best bank for customers. As the largest UK bank we are located in communities across the country and our customers are incredibly diverse," she said.

"There is a whole body of research suggesting that where organisations have a diverse senior management team they are much more financially successful than those that do not."

The Lloyds executive said that a 40% target was stretching but achievable. 28% of the bank's top 5000 jobs are currently held by women, a spokesman said.

"Creating an organisation that is meritocratic is good for everyone, not just for women," Ms Cannon said.

Lloyds' pledge comes amid mixed results from a concerted push in recent years to get more women elevated to board positions, with advocates arguing that greater diversity improves the stewardship of major companies.

That argument has acquired more weight in the aftermath of the financial crisis, although empirical evidence backing the superior performance of boards populated by women remains patchy.

The Government has thrown its weight behind a voluntary campaign to ensure that 25% of the directorships of FTSE-100 companies are held by women by the end of next year and has threatened to impose formal quotas if the objective is not met.

Since the initiative was launched by the former Trade Minister, Lord Davies, the proportion of women on boards has grown from 12% to 20%.

However, amid additional pressure from Brussels for the introduction of legally-binding quotas, there are concerns that the pace of change has been insufficiently rapid.

Vince Cable supports voluntary targets for women on boards

Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, said he supported Lloyds' work and hoped it would become a template for other major businesses.

"We are not tapping into the talents of half the population. If we are going to get proper balanced representation in companies, it has got to start with senior executives, working up to chief executive level," he said.

Mr Cable has been a supporter of voluntary rather than mandatory targets for women on boards, saying there was little evidence that more female leadership of financial institutions would have averted the 2008 banking crisis.

"I don't buy into that stereotype one way or the other," he said.

"All the evidence we have suggests that companies which do make use of the female labour force do very well at the top end. We need to make sure that becomes standard practice in the UK."

Lloyds' plan to announce the gender target is understood to have been signed off by the bank's board on Friday, less than two weeks before it reports full-year results for 2013.

The company, which provoked a row with Mr Cable by axing more than 1000 jobs this week, is preparing for a return to full private sector ownership in the coming months.

Ms Cannon dismissed the idea that Lloyds' proposals could be labelled as a publicity stunt, although critics of gender targets have argued that they are tokenistic and risk promoting mediocrity at the expense of genuine talent.

The 'gene pool' of available women to fill senior positions is questioned

Only four FTSE-100 companies - Burberry, easyJet, Imperial Tobacco and Royal Mail - have female bosses. Severn Trent, the water company, has also named a woman as its next chief executive, although Angela Ahrendts, the boss of Burberry, has resigned to take up a role with Apple.

Even fewer companies have a female chairman, with reform-minded businesspeople urging the pipeline of executives to be bolstered in order to facilitate future boardroom appointments.

Speaking to Sky News, Ruth Lea, an economist and director of Arbuthnot Banking Group, said doubts remained about the "gene pool" of available women to fill senior positions.

"I don't think positive discrimination is the best way forward for women. It breathes tokenism and suggests that somehow women cannot make it on their own merits," she said.

"It isn't a matter of discrimination. There simply isn't the gene pool of qualified and experienced women in comparison with the number of men. Men and women make different choices about their lifestyles and careers."

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Miliband Outlines 'One Member, One Vote' Plan

Ed Miliband wants to scrap the system which gave him a thin victory over brother David in the race for the Labour leadership and replace it with a 'one member, one vote' election.

The proposals will "let people back into our politics" and complete 20 years of unfinished business, Mr Miliband said.

He told The Guardian: "These are the biggest changes to who can become involved in the Labour Party since probably its formation."

Under the current electoral college system for leadership elections, a third of votes go to trade unions, with the same proportion for party members, MPs and MEPs.

The unions will keep their collective voice at party conferences, with 50% of the vote, and their quota of seats on the national executive, although Mr Miliband has pledged to look at this in the future.

Under changes announced by Mr Miliband last year, individual trade union members will no longer be automatically affiliated with the party through the payment of a political levy.

They will be able to take part in elections if they chose to become an affiliated member for a fee of £3, Mr Miliband revealed in the interview.

The electoral college system gave Ed a close victory over David in 2010

The party hopes this will encourage them to become more involved in campaigning and provide a new source of activists.

The reforms were sparked by the controversy surrounding the selection of Labour's candidate in Falkirk.

The Unite union was accused of signing up members in the constituency to try and influence the outcome. An internal inquiry found no evidence of wrongdoing, but some have said it did not have all of the facts.

While he hailed the reforms as a "great advance", Mr Miliband admitted the changes are a risk. There are warnings altering the automatic levy will see the party suffer a significant drop in funding.

To ease these concerns the changes will be implemented over five years.

A decision on whether to adopt the reforms will be made at a special conference in London on March 1.

Some MPs have voiced their unease with the plans. There are warnings the proposals will increase the power of unions, who could try and persuade affiliated members to back their preferred candidate.

"This would be disastrous," one former minister told the Daily Mirror.

"It could be the death of the Labour Party."

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Weather: Rain And High Tides Are 'Risk To Life'

Heavy rain, large waves and strong winds wreaked havoc in Britain and Ireland today, cancelling flights and sparking a "significant risk to life" warning.

The worst of the weather was battering the Republic of Ireland and gusts are expected to pick up across Wales and southern parts of England during the day.

Flooding in central Limerick, Ireland (pic: Sean Keogh/@Fame_For_Sale)

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is to chair a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergencies committee by conference call at 3pm.

The Environment Agency warned "extraordinary measures" may be taken in Gloucestershire today to keep back tidal and river floods.

Keep Calm and Carry On! The Anchor Bleu in Bosham (pic Stephen Sumner)

It issued severe flood warnings - meaning there is an imminent danger to life - for several parts of the county and the coasts of Cornwall and north Devon.

Further warnings are in place along the length of the River Severn amid fears it could burst its banks.

Flood barriers have already been installed in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and Bewdley, Worcestershire, as the water level rises.

The Environment Agency warned against all non-essential travel amid fears drivers could become stranded, while Gloucestershire Police urged people to stay away from river banks.

Lesser warnings remain in place for many parts of Britain, including the already blighted Somerset levels and west Wales, where 49 flood warnings and 15 alerts have been issued this morning.

At the Anchor Bleu pub in Bosham, West Sussex, defiant customers were pictured eating their lunches and supping their beers as water swashed about their feet. 

In the the Republic of Ireland, there were reports of severe flooding in Limerick City with the river Shannon bursting its banks.

River Parrett in Burrowbridge in the 1960s when it was regularly dredged In Spring 2013, without dregdging (pic Flooding on the Levels Action Group) The same river today

With gusts of almost 80mph in coastal areas of the country, several parts were hit by flooding and at one stage 5,500 homes and properties were left without power, 4,000 of them in Ennis, Co Clare.

Flights out of Dublin airport were affected because of the gales force winds. Flights to Manchester, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Cardiff, Paris and Madrid had to be cancelled.

Isabel Webster, reporting from the River Parrett in Burrowbridge, Somerset, tweeted at 8.30am: "High tide in Burrowbridge this morning. It's just touching the sand bags."

The Severn laps over a road in Arley, Worcestershire. Pic: Neill Woodward

Minutes later she tweeted: "Water is seeping through giant sandbags onto road beyond at high tide here in Burrowbridge."

Amid fears the bags would not hold back the water an emergency team from the Environment Agency, rushed to the scene to bolster the defences.

There are fears that flooding in the area will worsen as river levels rise over the coming hours and tomorrow.

Meanwhile, David Cameron has admitted a "long-term" action plan is needed to reduce the devastating impact of flooding on communities.

Residents in Limerick paddle down the road in a boat

He insisted the Government was doing "everything we can to help people recover as quickly as possible".

However, he admitted there was work to do, especially in Somerset, where some residents remain cut off after the wettest January on record.

In a letter to the Western Daily Press, Mr Cameron said: "Like everybody across the country I feel enormous sympathy for the people who live on the Somerset Levels and are suffering from the devastating impact of the flooding."

He added: "We need long-term action to reduce the risk of this happening again. That is why (Environment Secretary) Owen Paterson is working with the Environment Agency (EA) and local agencies in Somerset to deliver a robust plan for the next 20 years."

England and Wales are covered by flood warnings and alerts

The Prime Minister said plans to dredge rivers will begin "as soon it is safe to do so" and the EA will spend "the coming months improving river flows" across the south west, dredging and weed clearance.

Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis has claimed a lack of river dredging for the past 40 years has worsened the impact of the flooding in Somerset.

"The EA decided to abandon the dredging for the sake of the river bank and they sold the wonderful dredging machines for scrap," said the dairy farmer.

"Can you believe it? That was 40 years ago. This (flooding) is the result of that decision."

As heavy rain fell in the South, snow swept across parts of the North

In the Republic of Ireland, Munster, Leinster, Connacht, Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan were told to prepare for possible flooding, while communities in west Wales and along the south coast from Dorset to Kent were also put on alert.

Hundreds of university students in Aberystwyth were told to leave accommodation on the town's seafront amid fears high tides could hit the town for the second time in a month.

Wintry weather swept across northern areas on Friday, closing the Lake District's exposed Kirkstone Pass and causing hazardous driving conditions elsewhere.

Residents in the village of Muchelney, Somerset, have been cut off

The latest forecasts will be met with trepidation in flood-stricken communities in Somerset, where the military is on standby to help with the relief effort.

On Tuesday, Prince Charles will meet people who remain cut off by water after the wettest January on record.

Some residents have criticised the Government and the Environment Agency for what they say is a lack of action to prevent the floods.

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Ditch Killer Dennehy 'Like Shakespeare Villain'

Serial killer Joanna Dennehy was like a Shakespearean villain who bent her alleged accomplices to her will, a court has been told.

Karim Khalil QC, who represents Gary Stretch, one of two defendants on trial at Cambridge Crown Court, said his client had been taken in by the "evil of a woman who described herself as a monster".

While few playwrights or authors would have dared pen such a "ghastly tale of criminality", Dennehy's killings were reminiscent of a Jacobean tragedy, the barrister said in his closing speech.

"Shakespeare and Jacobean writers understood how one foul deed could beget a sequence of tragic circumstances."

Dennehy is awaiting sentence

Killers such as Dennehy surrounded themselves with people they knew to be weak or who they could "bend to their will", he went on.

"In such circumstances, ordinary people behave in ways that they would have thought inconceivable.

"The question in this case is, may there have been a reasonable fear of death which caused Mr Stretch to act as he did?"

Recounting a conversation in which Dennehy had laughed when asked by former cell-mate Georgina Page if she felt bad about killing three people, Mr Khalil said: "Mr Stretch did not laugh. He said 'It makes me feel sick. I'm not a killer or a murderer."

Dennehy has admitted killing three men and dumping their bodies in a ditch

Describing his client as a "nodding dog", he added: "It is plain that Mr Stretch was fearful of what she might do, not boasting about it or enjoying it all."

Dennehy, of Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, has admitted murdering Lucasz Slaboszewski, 31, John Chapman, 56, and Kevin Lee, 48, whose bodies were found in ditches in Cambridgeshire last year.

She has also admitted the attempted murders of Robin Bereza and John Rogers, who she randomly selected and stabbed in the street in Hereford, and preventing the lawful and decent burial of all three murder victims.

Stretch - real name Gary Richards - and Leslie Layton, are accused of acting as her accomplices.

Both men accept their involvement but claim they were acting under duress.

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Midwife Shortage 'Putting Mums-To-Be At Risk'

By Enda Brady, Sky News Correspondent

Maternity services in the UK are at risk from a national shortage of 2,300 midwives and lack of NHS funding, MPs have said.

The damning report by the Public Accounts Committee criticised the Department of Health and NHS England for being unable to tell it who is accountable for "ensuring something as fundamental" as whether the NHS has enough midwives.

It said it had gathered evidence that "many maternity services are running at a loss, or at best breaking even, and that the available funding may be insufficient for trusts to employ enough midwives and consultants to provide high quality, safe care".

The cross-party group of MPs also said more than a quarter of maternity units had to close to new patients for half a day or more between April and September 2012, with one of the reasons being a lack of midwives.

Expectant mother Nikki Cornfield, waiting to give birth at St George's Hospital in Tooting, told Sky News that she agreed with some of its findings.

She said: "I think the care is excellent, let me say that first of all. The staff are brilliant and they are doing a really good job.

"But often, there just aren't enough of them. They're just busy, busy, busy.

"At one point yesterday it looked like I was going to be induced, but there wasn't sufficient staff to do it."

The report said: "Although there has been a welcome increase in midwives, there is still a national shortage of some 2,300 midwives required to meet current birth rates.

Expectant mum Nikki Cornfield said there are not enough staff in hospitals

"Pressure on staff leads to low morale and nearly one-third of midwives with less than 10 years' work experience are intending to leave the profession within a year."

Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who chairs the committee, said: "The vast majority of women who use NHS services to have their babies have good experiences, but outcomes and performance could still be much better.

"Despite an overall increase in the number of midwives there is still a shortage of 2,300 that are required to meet current birth rates - a truly worrying figure.

"What's more, the Department of Health and NHS England struggled to tell my committee who is accountable for ensuring something as fundamental as whether the NHS has enough midwives."

But Minister for Health and Maternity Dr Dan Poulter argued that the "NHS remains one of the safest places in the world to give birth" and added that "most women would recommend their maternity care to their friends and family".

He said: "We have reversed the historic decline in midwife numbers. There are now 1,500 more working in our NHS and we have a record 5,000 in training.

MPs have said there is a national shortage of 2,300 midwives

"The number of consultants working on maternity wards has gone up too. But of course there is always much more to do.

"We are investing significantly in improvements to maternity services right across the country so women have more choice and a better environment when giving birth."

The report also found that rates of stillbirth and babies dying within seven days of birth were still higher in England than other UK nations and there was too much variation in the quality of care offered by different trusts.

The MPs also called for women to be given more choice over where to give birth, with research on more than 5,000 women showing that only a quarter wanted to give birth in a hospital obstetric unit.

Nevertheless, 87% of women gave birth in this setting in 2012.

Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: "Maternity services are many thousands of midwives short of the number needed to deliver safe, high quality care.

"The birth rate remains exceptionally high and as this and the National Audit Office report state, births are also becoming increasingly complex.

"This puts even more demands on midwives and maternity services.

"We are seeing areas such as antenatal and postnatal care in particular suffering because trusts often do not have enough midwives to provide consistent and high quality care before and after pregnancy."

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Sellafield Nuclear Workers Told To Stay Home

Non-essential staff at the Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria have been asked to stay at home due to elevated radiation levels.

The plant was operating normally but with "reduced manning levels" while the cause of the higher reading at the north end of the site was investigated.

"Levels of radioactivity detected are above naturally occurring radiation but well below that which would call for any actions to be taken by the workforce on or off the site," it said in a statement.

All day personnel were asked to stay home unless specifically requested to report for duty but that laundry, canteen, utilities and transport staff were told to work as normal.

Those who could work from home were advised to do so if that was approved by their supervisors.

Sellafield later tweeted that it had found no evidence of a nuclear event.

"No risk to the workforce or the public, and no evidence of a nuclear event. All measures taken as a precaution," it said.

Nuclear expert Malcolm Grimston told Sky News that Sellafield was taking sensible steps.

"They have very carefully set out plans for anything of this nature and they'll simply be following those plans," said Mr Grimston.

A 2012 report by the National Audit Office said some facilities at the 68-year-old site had "deteriorated so much that their contents pose significant risks to people and the environment".

Sellafield, the UK's largest and most hazardous nuclear site, stores enough high and intermediate level radioactive waste to fill 27 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

It also has two nuclear plants which are currently being decommissioned.

The cost of cleaning up the waste at Sellafield has been put at £67.5bn.

In 1957, the UK's worst nuclear disaster also occurred at the site when one of the nuclear reactors caught fire, releasing radioactive material that spread across the UK and Europe.

The Government has announced that it wants to build a new nuclear reactor at Sellafield by 2025.

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Hacking Reporter 'Listened Kate Moss Voicemails'

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

A self-confessed hacker has told a court he listened to a voicemail left on Kate Moss's phone from actor Daniel Craig and allegedly heard him say: "I love you, I love you, I love you."

Dan Evans, a former tabloid reporter, was being cross-examined at the Old Bailey where he has been giving evidence in the hacking trial.

Evans admitted that he listened to Ms Moss's voicemails after hacking her phone while he worked at the Sunday Mirror.

The Mirror Group has always denied illegal hacking.

Evans has previously pleaded guilty to phone hacking

Evans, who is a prosecution witness, has already told the trial that while he was at the News Of The World (NOTW) he intercepted voicemails between the actors Daniel Craig and Sienna Miller.

Ms Miller is due to give evidence via video link from the US this afternoon.

Evans's account of his hacking has been challenged throughout his cross-examination.

Brooks and Coulson deny the allegations against them

He denied that he could have mixed up the Kate Moss and Sienna Miller accounts, saying they were "two completely separate events".

In court he admitted fiddling his expenses while working at the NOTW, saying it was "part of the culture at the paper but I don't see what it's got to do with hacking phones".

He also said he regularly abused alcohol and cocaine to help him deal with the pressures of his job.

Evans confirmed: "Yeah, I was a recreational drug user."

Evans has already admitted conspiracy to hack phones at the Sunday Mirror between February 2003 and January 2005, and the same offence at the News of the World between April 2004 and June 2010.

He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office between January 2008 and June 2010, and perverting the course of justice by giving a false statement in High Court proceedings.

The seven defendants, including former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and former NOTW Editor Andy Coulson, deny the charges they face.

The trial continues.

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Moira Anderson Murder: Cold Case Breakthrough

By Jane Chilton, Scotland Correspondent

One of Scotland's longest unsolved child murders has taken a significant step closer to being solved.

The Cold Case Unit within the Scottish Crown Office, which has been investigating the disappearance of 11-year-old Moira Anderson in 1957, has issued a statement claiming main suspect Alexander Gartshore would be indicted for her murder if he were alive today.

The bus driver was a convicted paedophile who was always the key suspect in the disappearance of Moira, but he was never charged. He died in 2006.

Gartshore's daughter, Sandra Brown, who campaigned for the evidence against her father to be reviewed, claims her father abused many children and believes Moira was not the only girl to meet an unpleasant fate at his hands.

Suspected murderer Alexander Gartshore died in 2006

She suspects he was part of a paedophile ring operating in the central belt of Scotland.

Moir disappeared after leaving her grandmother's house in Coatbridge in 1957. Her body has never been found.

It is widely believed she was abducted and murdered.

Scotland's senior law officer, Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland QC, said: "I welcome the statement issued by the Cold Case Unit.

Sandra Brown, Gartshore's daughter, claims her father abused many children

"This will hopefully bring closure to the family of Moira Anderson who have had to wait more than half a century for answers.

"I would like to pay tribute to the campaigners who refused to allow the memory of Moira Anderson to become forgotten.

"I would like to pay tribute to the prosecutors in the Cold Case Unit and the officers of Police Scotland who worked so hard on the case.

"It is important that unsolved homicides are not allowed to become a forgotten file gathering dust on a shelf.

"The work of the Cold Case Unit will ensure that this does not happen."

A grave was exhumed last year in Lanarkshire

He added: "Indicting someone for a crime is not the equivalent of finding someone guilty.

"The trial process is the only place in which guilt or innocence can be determined.

"We are not saying that the suspect is guilty, only that there is sufficient credible and reliable evidence to indict him and there would be a reasonable prospect of conviction had he still been alive."

In January last year, a grave in Old Monkland Cemetery in Lanarkshire was exhumed, following claims that Moira's body had been concealed there. But investigations proved inconclusive.

The whereabouts of Moira's body is still a mystery.

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Red Cross Brings Somerset Flood Relief

By Roddy Mansfield, Sky News Producer, In Somerset

Red Cross volunteers have been providing support and winter fuel to residents left stranded by weeks of floods in the Somerset town of Muchelney.

The charity's 7.5-ton Unimog all-terrain vehicle is part of a multi-agency relief effort to deliver essential supplies to Somerset communities worst hit by the disaster.

The monster-sized vehicle is usually deployed overseas for emergencies in disaster zones, where aid is urgently required in remote areas only reachable through harsh terrain.

On Thursday, it powered its way through flood water to reach stranded communities that have been isolated and without power.

Jill de Monceaux, Cheryl Murray and Alistair Mullineux on dry land

Alistair Mullimeux, chair of the Muchelney parish, said: "We've been warm and dry as we haven't had water in our house but it's important to see the Red Cross. They're providing a fantastic service.

"What we really appreciate is the communication. The Government was slow to respond at first, we had a boat here in about a week but then it's been another three weeks until today."

Cheryl Murray, of the Red Cross, said: "We visited a lady yesterday who has only been able to heat the house for one hour per day to conserve fuel.

"People have been able to maintain stocks of food with the boat service but it's heavy items like wood that people need right now."

As Cheryl dropped off logs in the village, Muchelney resident Jill de Monceaux said: "You've saved my life. I can't tell you how important this is for us."

A support boat ferries residents in Somerset

With winter not yet over, communities in Somerset are bracing themselves for the possibility of more rain and floods in the weeks to come.

The latest Met Office weather statistics reveal south east and central southern England had its wettest January since records began in 1910, with some areas experiencing twice the average amount of rain for the month.

Taken together, all parts of the UK have received 35% more than the long-term average rainfall of 164.6mm.

Forecasters say an unusual predominance of west and south-west winds bringing mild air across the Atlantic to the UK along with unsettled, stormy conditions are responsible.

As the relief effort got under way in Somerset, the political fallout of the flooding crisis continued.

The Environment Agency and the government have come under fire for not doing enough to shore up flood defences and prepare embattled communities in the southwest.

Somerset County Council welcomed David Cameron's comments in Parliament on Wednesday that dredging rivers prone to flooding will commence "as soon as it is practical".

Flooded farmland surrounding Burrowbridge

Rivers are dredged using machines or barges to suck-up silt from the river to make them deeper and therefore less likely to burst their banks following heavy rain.

There has been concern that a decision by the Environment Agency to stop dredging local rivers has created a 25-mile square "disaster area" in Somerset.

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Record Rainfall For January, And More To Come

Heavy rain will sweep across most of the UK on Friday bringing the risk of further flooding in Somerset as new figures show parts of the south saw the wettest January since 1910.

The Met Office said the UK would see between 10mm and 20mm of rain, which, combined with high spring tides and saturated ground, could cause more misery for places like Somerset.

Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "During tomorrow an Atlantic frontal system will sweep across us bringing in strong winds, heavy rain and mountain snow

"The highest rainfall is likely to be across the west, especially across Wales and southwest England, although the south still looks more at risk from flooding due to a combination of recent rain, high ground water and river levels."

A military Land Rover negotiates a flooded road in Somerset

The forecast is being taken seriously at Aberystwyth University, which is evacuating students from halls of residence on the seafront over the weekend as a precautionary measure.

The promenade of the mid-Wales town was severely damaged in violent storms early in January.

An email sent to students on Thursday said: "Following advice from Natural Resources Wales and Ceredigion Council the university has taken the decision to cancel all teaching activities on Friday, January 31 and Monday, February 3.

"To ensure your safety during the high tides and stormy weather, the Seafront University Residences will close at 4pm on Friday, January 31 until you hear differently, which could be Monday, February 3."

A flooded road in Somerset

It comes as southeast and central southern England recorded the wettest January since records began in 1910.

The Met Office statistics reveal both regions have received more than twice their average rainfall with 175.2mm between January 1 and 28. This beats the previous record of 158.2mm set in January 1988.

A large area from East Devon to Kent and inland across parts of the Midlands has already seen twice the average rainfall for the month.

Southwest England and south Wales saw the fifth wettest January on record with rainfall reaching 222.6mm up to January 28. It was the wettest since 1995, when 224.4mm fell.

The wettest January on record in this region was in 1948, when 244.3mm of rain was recorded.

Although the UK as a whole has seen above average rainfall in January, Scotland only saw a 6% increase while Northern Ireland saw a 25% rise and England 35%.

Inverness and Kinross in Scotland were drier than normal.

"For the UK as a whole, 164.6 mm of rain has fallen so far this month, 35% above the long-term average, with all nations having above average rainfall," a Met Office spokesman said.

"We have seen quite a contrast from south to north across the UK, with northern Scotland having received 85% of its long-term average rainfall so far this month, a sharp contrast to the 200% over southern England."

The wet weather has been accompanied by milder temperatures with the mean temperature across the UK up to January 28 at 4.9C, 1.2C above average.

"The main reason for the mild and wet weather so far is that we have seen a predominance of west and south-west winds, bringing in mild air from the Atlantic - as well as the unsettled and at times stormy conditions."

The wettest winter on record was in 1915 with 437.1mm of rainfall.

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Flooding: Military Ride To Rescue In Somerset

Military planners have swung into action as part of a ramped up relief effort to help areas hit by severe flooding.

Service personnel on the ground told Sky News that they were assessing the situation, and seeing what practical help they can give to residents cut off by flooding in Somerset.

The Government's emergency Cobra committee is to meet again later.

It comes as more heavy rain and high winds are forecast into the weekend, raising concerns of further flooding.

Troops accompany a local authority official to survey flood-hit areas

Speaking about the military operation in Somerset, Major Al Robinson of the Royal Engineers told Sky News: "We are currently on reconnaissance, working in support of Somerset County Council.

"We are looking at the key areas under threat, and specifically at routes in and out the area, particularly at what we might be able to do in terms of assisting the local authority, particularly in the removal of waste and rubbish, and support current planning."

A local authority official accompanying the troops, said: "It's a general reconnaissance, showing them the flooding situation."

The Ministry of Defence has tweeted that personnel involved in helping with Somerset floods are drawn from all three services, with the majority from Taunton-based 40 Commando Royal Marines.

In addition to vehicle crews, up to 100 military personnel are on stand-by for duties likely to include sandbag filling and loading.

The Red Cross has also sent the 7.5-tonne Unimog, an emergency supply vehicle capable of driving through deep floodwater, which has also been used to help people stranded on the Somerset Levels after nearly a month of flooding.

On Wednesday, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said specialist Army vehicles could be drafted in to help tackle the flooding, delivering food and sandbags and transporting people.

Parts of the Somerset Levels have been flooded since Christmas

His intervention came after David Cameron said rapid action is needed to deal with floodwaters in the Somerset Levels and promised the dredging of rivers would begin as soon as water levels were reduced to a safe level.

The Government said the first time Somerset County Council had requested assistance was on Wednesday, but the deputy leader of the authority David Hall told Sky News they had been asking for help "for weeks".

Welcoming the deployment of troops, he said: "We will have more support for the things we are already doing, supplying the essential services and support for people who have really in some cases been cut off and marooned for very many days and weeks.

The British Red Cross has sent a Unimog supply vehicle to the affected area

"We will have more capacity to help us with that."

They would also provide the flexibility to "react very quickly" if weather conditions worsened.

Sky's weather presenter Isobel Lang said Somerset is particularly at risk of further flooding given the low-lying nature of the Somerset Levels and Moors, and that the forecast rain will probably be heaviest in the west.

The arrival of the military came as farmers, politicians and church leaders demanded immediate action to alleviate what furious residents describe as "Third World" conditions.

Microbiologist Nathaniel Storey, who took samples from the flood water, said it was "absolutely teeming with bacteria and viruses."

Sky's Kay Burley tweeted this picture of the road to Muchelney in Somerset

He said it posed a risk to health and advised parents to take particular care with young children, whose toys may become contaminated.

Many parts of the Levels have been flooded since Christmas and there are fears it could be months before the water is completely pumped away.

Teams from the Environment Agency (EA) have been running dozens of pumps around the clock to drain away an estimated 1.5 million tonnes of water - the equivalent of 600 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Drainage experts blame two decades of under-investment in flood defence work for turning the Levels into a "disaster area" and said it was "very, very urgent" that rivers are dredged to prevent more damage to homes, livelihoods and wildlife.

Flood warnings in place across the UK

Despite coming under fire from MPs and local councils, the EA insists that increased dredging of the rivers would not have prevented the recent flooding and was "often not the best long-term or economic solution".

But Bryony Sadler of the Flooding on the Levels Action Group argued it would have made a "massive difference", and said there would be no let up in the demand for action.

She said: "The land is just flooded beyond belief."

Flood victims had become so desperate that Somerset County Council leader John Osman said the authority had been prepared to place its own order for amphibious vehicles out of public funds.

He added that some residents were being forced to pay insurance excesses of up to £35,000 in some of the worst-hit areas.

The Environment Agency has issued 35 flood warnings - where flooding is expected and immediate action required - mostly in the Southwest and Midlands. Another 158 flood alerts are also in place.

Labour's shadow environment secretary Maria Eagle said: "Almost a week after Somerset County Council declared the flooding a major incident, the Government has finally decided to respond."

She accused Mr Paterson of "dithering" and failing to take flooding seriously.

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Immigration Bill: Govt Climbdown Over Rebellion

David Cameron has caved in to a Tory rebellion seeking to block foreign criminals appealing deportation by claiming a right to a "family life" in the UK.

The Prime Minister has ordered Conservative ministers to abstain in a key vote on an amendment to the immigration Bill tabled by Tory MP Dominic Raab which would give the Home Secretary - rather than judges - the final say over whether deportation would breach the human rights of foreign criminals.

More than 200 foreign criminals successfully challenge deportation on human rights grounds every year, with around 90% relying on the "right to private and family life" set out under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Foreign criminals who can prove they face torture, ill-treatment or death in their home country would still be able to overturn deportation orders under separate human rights measures.

David Cameron wants to avoid a confrontation with his own backbenchers

Downing Street said Mr Cameron had "a very great deal of sympathy"  with Mr Raab's intentions but feared that his proposals might not be workable, as they could trigger a large number of appeals to the courts.

The PM's decision splits the Coalition on the issue, as Liberal Democrat ministers have been told to vote against Mr Raab's amendment later in the House of Commons on the grounds that it is illegal.

The right to family life is deemed by the courts to be a basic human right, which is why some people have not been deported.

Mr Raab told the Commons human rights had become "dirty words" and warned foreign criminals were using their right to a family life as the "joker" to escape deportation.

He said victims of crime wanted foreign criminals deported and argued his amendment would stop "serious offenders" from using Article 8 "as the joker to wheel, pull out, trump deportation".

"Unless there is a tangible threat to life or limb, these convicted killers, rapists, drug-dealers and other very serious criminals should be sent home. They should not stay on the streets of Britain," he said.

Joey Jones, Sky's Deputy Political Editor, said: "It is a fairly extraordinary state of affairs.

"Normally, the Government would go through the usual tactics - the arm-twisting, the persuasion, maybe some tweaks to the language themselves laying down government amendments.

"But the fact that they have been utterly unable to do that illustrates that they are in a very considerable mess and they are backing away from a confrontation at the moment, and hoping they can muddle through in the Lords.

Home Secretary Theresa May addressing MPs during the debate

"What the Prime Minister is saying, is that he feels that he doesn't want to vote against an amendment whose values - the deportation of foreign criminals - he is basically in line with and feels them to be his own values.

"But he can't vote for it because it is non-compliant with the ministerial code, it breaks the law, basically.

"If they have another go and try and find a new formulation later and a new amendment in the Lords, I'm not certain that Dominic Raab and his colleagues are going to accept that, so it may just be forestalling the confrontation."

The Esher and Walton MP's proposal is supported by more than 100 MPs, including Nick de Bois, who told Sky News the PM's decision showed his "instincts were to get behind" the amendment.

It is not yet known how Labour plans to vote on Mr Raab's amendment, which has been selected by the Speaker and will be voted on.

Meanwhile, Up to 70 Tory backbenchers are expected to support an amendment tabled by Nigel Mills MP, calling on the Government to reinstate restrictions on migrants from Romania and Bulgaria working in Britain until the end of 2018.

Home Secretary Theresa May has tried to appease potential rebels by unveiling proposals that would mean terror suspects can be stripped of British citizenship even if it leaves them stateless.

Addressing MPs earlier, she said Mr Raab's amendment "would not strengthen" the country's ability to deport foreign criminal, "but could weaken" it.

"I have received advice this is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. But I think there are other aspects of this I have concern with," she added.

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Lee Rigby Killer Adebolajo Lodges Appeal

Michael Adebolajo, one of two men found guilty of murdering off-duty soldier Lee Rigby, is appealing his conviction.

The 29-year-old's decision follows his conviction along with co-defendant Michael Adebowale, 22, last month.

Adebolajo's brother, Jeremiah, told Sky News he knew of the application but did not want to comment on the details.

He said he was not aware anything had changed in his brother's outlook since he tried to justify his actions while giving evidence during the trial.  

The pair, who had been lying in wait near Woolwich Barracks, assumed the 25-year-old was a soldier as he was wearing a Help for Heroes hooded top and carrying a camouflage rucksack.

Lee Rigby had served in Cyprus, Germany, and Afghanistan

The British Muslim converts ran Fusilier Rigby down in a car before hacking him to death with a meat cleaver and knives in a frenzied attack.

They dumped his body in the middle of the road close to the barracks in southeast London on May 22, 2013.

Shocking footage of Adebolajo, with bloodied hands confessing to the killing and claiming his actions were "an eye for an eye", was shown during the trial.

Both men were shot by police in scenes captured by CCTV.

Adebowale (pictured) said he was a 'soldier of Allah'

Adebolajo was seen dropping the meat cleaver as he sprinted across the road towards a police car. He collapsed to the ground when he was shot.

Adebowale was seen folding over as he was shot by one of three armed officers.

Both men asked to be called by their adopted Islamic names in court - Adebolajo as Mujahid Abu Hamza, and Adebowale as Ismail Ibn Abdullah.

They claimed they carried out the murder because they were "soldiers of Allah".

Mr Justice Sweeney said he will sentence the pair after a key Court of Appeal ruling on the use of whole-life jail terms.

A date for the ruling has not been announced following a recent hearing before a panel of five leading judges.

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Failures Blamed For Red Arrows Pilot's Death

Red Arrows pilot Sean Cunningham died because of "serious communication failures" and RAF training issues, an inquest has decided.

Giving a narrative verdict, the coroner described as "very serious" ejector seat manufacturer Martin Baker's failure to pass on a "risk to life warning" about ejector seat bolts to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). It had warned other users.

Flight Lieutenant Cunningham died because he did not separate from the Mk10 ejector seat and his parachute did not deploy because a shackle jammed, the verdict said.

The 35-year-old Iraq War veteran suffered fatal injuries when he was propelled 200-300ft in the air from his Hawk T1 aircraft while it was on the ground at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, in November 2011.

Central Lincolnshire coroner Stuart Fisher said: "There was a very serious failure of communication by Martin Baker (the manufacturer) in my view. It is unexplained by the evidence. It seems there is no logic to warn and inform some but not others."

Mr Fisher has heard nearly three weeks of evidence concerning the death. 

In his verdict, he described how a shouldering bolt fitted by Martin Baker in 2013 to fix the problem that caused the accident could have been fitted as long ago as 1991.

The RAF's failure to ensure crew were aware that a pin could be in seat firing handle but still be unsafe had also clearly contributed to Flt Lt Cunningham's death, said Mr Fisher

He added that there was a repeated failure to notice that a pin had been incorrectly replaced, leaving the ejector handle raised.

Flt Lt Cunningham also missed in his checks that the pin was not correctly housed and the seat firing handle was unsafe.

More follows...

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Smoking In Cars With Children Ban Bid

By Ashish Joshi, Sky Correspondent

Smoking in cars when children are present could soon become illegal.

Peers are set to vote on the issue and Labour wants to see the creation of a specific offence claiming the move will help save to lives.

A ban is already in place in parts of the world including some states in America, Australia, Canada and a few countries in Europe.

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham says it is time Britain followed suit.

He said: "When it comes to improving the health of children, we are duty bound to consider any measure that might make a difference.

"Adults are free to make their own choices but that often does not apply to children and that's why society has an obligation to protect them from preventable harm.

"Evidence from other countries shows that stopping smoking in the confined space of a car carrying children can prevent damage to their health and has strong public support."

But pro-smoking groups think a ban is disproportionate.

They insist most adult smokers choose not to smoke when they are in a car with children.

They are also angry at what they see as a stealth ban, after smoking in enclosed public spaces was made illegal.

They fear the prohibition will eventually be extended into people's homes.

Simon Clark, director of Forest, said: "I think this legislation is very heavy-handed, totally unnecessary and according to surveys 84% of adults wouldn't dream of lighting a cigarette in a car, in a small enclosed space with a child present.

"So adults already know how to behave, they don't need the state interfering in their lives like this. If there are still some people who smoke in a car with children, then lets educate them, but lets not legislate.

"It's almost going to be impossible to enforce anyway and the danger is that the police will have to ban smoking in all cars.

"We could have a situation were a lone driver, in his own car will be committing an offence by lighting a cigarette and what's the next logical step after that? Are we going to ban smoking in the home as well if children are present."

According to supporters of the ban there is overwhelming public support.

Labour cites a YouGov poll from 2011 that found 78% of adults in Great Britain agreeing that smoking should be banned in cars carrying children younger than 18 years of age, while 44% agreed that smoking should be banned in all cars.

And to support its case further it quotes a Mumnsnet survey that found 86% of respondents supported a ban (including 83% of smokers).

Some smokers think leaving a window open will protect their younger passengers from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke, but that argument has been dismissed by experts.

Professor Robert West , from UCL, has extensively studied the potential dangers of second hand tobacco smoke: "We know that the smoke is toxic, we know that the smoke has carcinogens in it.

"If you imagine someone lighting up a cigarette in a club lets say, you would know about it within seconds the other side of the room. In a car it is a much more confined space.

"If you can smell smoke you are being exposed to carcinogens, so you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that even if you are trying to smoke out the window the child in the back is going to be exposed to carcinogens."

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Corrie's William Roache Was 'Perfect Gent'

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent, Preston Crown Court

Coronation Street's William Roache always behaved impeccably in the company of young women, his co-star Anne Kirkbride has told a court.

The actress, who plays Roache's on-screen wife Deirdre Barlow, said she had known him since joining the soap's cast in 1972.

Roache, of Wilmslow in Cheshire, who has played the role of Ken Barlow since 1960, denies four charges of indecent assault and two of rape and has told the jury he is not sexually attracted to underage girls.

All the offences are alleged to have happened between 1965 and 1971 and all are said to be against girls aged 16 or under.

Roache arrives at court with his son Linus and daughter Verity

Kirkbride started giving evidence for the defence by recalling the time when she joined Coronation Street as a "terrified and very nervous" young actress and met Roache for the first time.

"He was friendly...we had a really nice chat and he offered me a cigarette," she said.

"We shared a lot of the same interests in spiritual things. I just found him very easy to talk to."

Asked to describe the defendant in one word she replied: "Lovely."

With Roache smiling from the dock, Kirkbride, 59, went on to say that he behaved "impeccably" towards her.

"He was always the perfect gentleman," she said.

Defence barrister Louise Blackwell QC asked: "Was there anything about his behaviour towards young women which would worry you?"

The actress replied:  "Not at all...never. We have obviously had several young actresses playing our daughter.

"He has never been anything other than helpful, supportive. Never a suggestion of anything else in all of the years I have known him."

In a brief appearance in the witness box, Chris Gascoyne, who plays Roache's fictional son Peter Barlow in the soap opera, said the defendant was "kind, warm and open" with a great sense of humour.

He told the jury: "Bill kind of sets the precedent for everybody. Decent, time for everybody, not a 'star'."

He went on to say that Roache was a calm and relaxed man.

"He takes every day as a new day which is inspiring to me,"  Gascoyne said.

Helen Worth, who plays the character of Gail Platt, is also at court and is expected to give evidence in support of Roache.

Granada location manager John Newman told the jury that security at the Coronation Street studios in Manchester was very tight.

He said that strangers found in the corridors would be challenged.

Mr Newman said he had once had Manchester's Lord Mayor removed because he had not recognised him.

Under cross-examination, Mr Newman said he had had no connection with the Granada studios in the 1960s and that the security level had intensified in recent years.

For live updates from the trial, click here.

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Missing Student 'Fell In River After Drinking'

Student Megan Roberts, who has been missing in York since Thursday, probably fell into a river "affected by alcohol", police say.

Detective Superintendent Phil Cain described the last known movements of the York St John University student almost a week after the 20-year-old went missing.

He said: "The strongest and most probable line of inquiry being pursued by police is that Megan, affected by alcohol, has entered the river.

"On balance, this presents as a group of young friends on a night out that is likely to have ended in tragedy."

Police have concentrated their search around the bank of the River Ouse where it runs through the city. A police diver has been scouring the area around Lendal Bridge.

They say there is nothing to suggest foul play in relation to the disappearance of Ms Roberts who is from Wetherby, West Yorkshire.

Det Supt Cain said officers had established that Ms Roberts was with a group of friends who had been drinking "for several hours" before leaving the Popworld nightclub, in York city centre, at around 2.10am on Thursday.

He said: "All the group, including Megan, were heavily affected by alcohol."

Police have been searching the River Ouse in York

The group were spread out and some of them ran down a street called Tanner's Moat, past The Maltings pub, where Ms Roberts - the last in the group - was spotted bumping into a row of cycle racks.

"CCTV evidence does not show Megan running back up the same street with the others to rejoin the main group," he said.

Officers are confident that none of her friends is directly responsible for her disappearance.

"The possibility still exists that Megan is elsewhere safe and well but, realistically, given the passage of time, such a possibility is increasingly remote," Det Supt Cain said.

Police say there is nothing to link her disappearance to the case of Claudia Lawrence - the university chef who went missing in York in 2009 and who police believe has been murdered.

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Carney Warns Of Risks Of Scots Independence

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

Scotland will have to settle for less independence than most other nations enjoy if it secedes from the United Kingdom, the Bank of England Governor has warned.

Mark Carney warned of "clear risks" associated with the economics of Scottish independence, adding that the country would have to surrender some of its sovereignty if it were to retain the pound.

In a closely-watched speech in Edinburgh he said: "A durable, successful currency union requires some ceding of national sovereignty."

He said that might entail having to sign up to stringent fiscal rules to ensure an independent Scotland does not overspend, or allowing London a degree of control and oversight in its finances.

Although the Governor was at pains not to spell out whether Scotland would be better or worse off under independence, his speech raised the prospect of a euro-style crisis, warning that the currency union was largely responsible for "sovereign debt crises, financial fragmentation and large divergences in economic performance".

The speech is likely to come as a disappointment for the Yes campaign, which has sought to reassure Scottish voters that a Yes vote in September would not leave the country prone to economic instability.

First Minister Alex Salmond met Mr Carney ahead of the speech and told Sky News the two had had a productive meeting.

Mr Carney and Mr Salmond after their private meeting

The Governor's speech warned of two primary areas of concern in the event that Scotland became independent and sought to keep the pound.

The first was that in order to maintain competitiveness with the rest of the United Kingdom, without having control over its own interest rates, the country would need to keep tight control on public spending.

Without its own currency to depreciate, it would also potentially have to impose deeper wage cuts on workers in the event of a crisis - such as is happening currently in Greece and Spain.

Second, the Governor said that an independent Scotland would probably need to establish a banking union with the UK, if it wanted to maintain the Bank of England as a potential Lender of Last Resort in the event of a banking crisis.

This would, again, entail potential interference from London.

He concluded: "Decisions that cede sovereignty and limit autonomy are rightly choices for elected governments and involve considerations beyond mere economics.

"For those considerations, others are better placed to comment."

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Lloyds Cuts 1,390 Jobs Amid Strategic Review

Lloyds Banking Group is cutting 1,080 jobs and outsourcing another 310 roles, the company has confirmed.

It said the losses are part of the strategic review, previously announced in 2011.

The cuts affect the retail, risk, operations and commercial banking divisions.

The company said 90 new roles would be created within the risk, operations and commercial departments.

The taxpayer-backed group hoped a number of roles would be shed through natural wastage.

Voluntary redundancy would be an option and compulsory cuts taken where necessary as a "last resort".

Lloyds said that since the strategic review about a third of job losses have resulted in redundancies.

The bank said in a statement: "Lloyds Banking Group is committed to working through these changes with employees in a careful and sensitive way.

"All affected employees have been briefed by their line manager today. The Group's recognised unions Accord, Unite and LTU were consulted prior to this announcement and will continue to be consulted."

The Unite union slammed the job losses and said nearly 35,000 people have been affected at the bank since 2008.

Unite national officer Rob MacGregor said: "While staff at Lloyds Banking Group continue to work hard to deliver half year profits of £2.1bn, management has confirmed it is to give 1,390 staff another kick.

"Lloyds Banking Group is well on the road to recovery, with the CEO being recently rewarded handsomely with a share bonus in the region of £2.5m, yet staff are being made redundant.

"Unite will continue to oppose these job losses and has sought an urgent meeting with Lloyds to outline the union's concerns."

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Royal Estate Overspend Leaves £50m Repair Bill

By Rachel Younger, Sky News Correspondent

Financial mismanagement within the Royal household is putting the future of some of our finest buildings at risk, according to the parliamentary watchdog responsible for scrutinising Royal finances.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) believes over a third of the Royal estate, which includes both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, is in disrepair and has put the cost of fixing it at around £50m.

Margaret Hodge MP, who chairs the committee, told Sky News: "Forty per cent of it needs something doing to it.

"The boilers at Buckingham Palace haven't been replaced for 60 years.

"Windsor Castle has problems with the bedrooms and the Royal Picture Gallery has buckets to catch the water coming through."

It is the first time that Parliament has scrutinised the Sovereign Grant given to the Queen to support her public duties.

Windsor Castle needs repairs to its bedrooms

Since the Civil List was abolished in 2013, the Royal household has been given a percentage of revenue from the Crown Estate and is meant to be more accountable to the taxpayer.

But the committee has criticised the household for spending over its means.

According to the committee report, in 2012/13 it received £31m from the taxpayer, but spent £33.3m, raiding its reserves.

That has left a contingency of only £1m - a historic low - with no plan drawn up to pay for the backlog of repairs.

The report demands that the household "must get a much firmer grip on how it plans to address its maintenance backlog", adding "it has not even costed the repair work".

It also calls on the Palace to do more with less.

In a financial climate where many public institutions have had to make dramatic cuts the Royal household has only managed to reduce its expenditure by 5% in the last six years.

The Queen receives the Sovereign Grant to support her public duties

The committee believes there is scope to generate more income and reduce costs - possibly by opening Buckingham Palace to the public for more than just one month a year.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "The Royal household was charged by the PAC in 2009 to generate more income to supplement the funding it receives from Government.

"This has been done successfully. In 2012-13 the household generated £11.6m in comparison with £6.7m in 2007-8. Work on income generation continues.

"A significant financial priority for the Royal household is to reduce the backlog in essential maintenance across the occupied Royal palaces.

"Recent examples of work include the renewal of a lead roof over the royal library at Windsor and the removal of asbestos from the basement of Buckingham Palace."

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Economy Grows At Fastest Rate Since Crash

The British gross domestic product (GDP) figure for the fourth quarter of 2013 stood at 0.7%, with growth for the full year reaching 1.9%.

Output for 2013 reached its fastest annual rate of growth for six years, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The figures were in keeping with forecasts made by economists and the FTSE 100 was trading up slightly after the data was released at 9.30am.

The preliminary result shows the important service sector - which accounts for around three-quarters of the economy - was up 0.8%.

The ONS said construction was 0.3% down on the previous three months, due to weak figures being recorded in November.

Agriculture was up 0.5% in the October to December period, while production was up 0.7% in the same three months.

Manufacturing was up 0.9% in the quarter, which was its biggest quarter-on-quarter rise since Q3 in 2010.

ONS chief economist Joe Grice said the service sector is now above the pre-recession levels, but both production and construction are still below that level overall.

Mr Grice said: "We have now seen four successive quarters of significant growth and the economy does seem to be improving more consistently.

"Today's estimate suggests over four-fifths of the fall in GDP during the recession has been recovered, although it still remains 1.3% below the pre-recession peak."

The latest figures have given a boost to the Chancellor and come just weeks after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) did a U-turn on its forecast for the UK economy.

George Osborne said: "These numbers are a boost for the economic security of hard-working people, growth is broadly based, with manufacturing growing fastest of all.

"It is more evidence that our long-term economic plan is working.

"But the job is not done, and it is clear that the biggest risk now to the recovery would be abandoning the plan that's delivering jobs and a brighter economic future."

The IMF now forecasts growth in 2014 of 2.4%, a figure which is in line with the Office for Budget Responsibility.

The Bank of England's current forecast is for growth of 2.8% in 2014.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander added: "2013 was the first year since 2007 to see economic growth in all four quarters and to ensure the recovery is long term and sustainable, we need business to invest now."

"Britain is on the right track and we will not waver from the coalition economic plan that is delivering jobs, growth and the right climate for investment."

But shadow chancellor Ed Balls Sky News: "This is not yet the strong and balanced recovery we need.

"It's not a recovery driven by business investment - that's still very flat - or by exports - they've been weak -  what's going on at the moment is consumers are saving less and consumer spending is picking up somewhat.

"That's happening because housing demand and house prices are going up.

"We're not building the houses we need to match that that's why construction output is still falling. There's a lot more to do."

Mr Balls added: "For working people facing a cost-of-living crisis this is still no recovery at all."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Corrie's William Roache: I Did Not Abuse Girls

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

Coronation Street star William Roache has flatly denied raping or indecently assaulting girls.

The actor also told jurors at his trial that he did not know any of the five alleged victims who accuse him of the offences.

As soon as he went into the witness box on the first day of his defence case, his barrister Louise Blackwell QC asked him: "Have you committed any of the offences with which you are charged?"

The actor replied: "No. I have not."

The lawyer continued: "Do you have any memory of being in the company of any of these people who have made the allegations against you?"

Roache: "No. Not one of them."

He went on to say that he had an interest in things "beyond the norm and spiritual matters".

The celebrity told the jury that he was hard of hearing because of a mortar bomb explosion he had witnessed while in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Roache arrived at court with his family

He said he had wanted to follow his father into the medical profession but found he performed better in arts subjects.

He was asked about his life in the 60s, which he said was dominated by the pressures of rehearsing and filming for Coronation Street.

Speaking from a glass witness box in an assured voice he said that autograph hunters would gather outside Granada studios in Manchester where the programme was filmed.

"I would always stop," he said. "People had been waiting there all day so I liked to give autographs.

"You would wind down your window in the car, you would sign them and then on you go."

He denied ever inviting young fans into his dressing room or onto the Coronation Street set during filming.

"It was an extremely difficult and dangerous thing to do.  Basically no - other than occasionally very close family," he said.

Roache's children Verity, James and Linus, have been in the public gallery every day of the trial so far.

The actor denies four charges of indecently assaulting girls and two charges of raping a 15-year-old girl in 1967.

The trial continues.

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Missing Megan Roberts: Police Search River

Police looking for a missing university student in York are focusing their search on the river that runs through the city - and CCTV footage that shows the last time she was seen.

Megan Roberts disappeared in the early hours of Thursday morning during a night out, but friends and family only realised on Monday that she was missing.

Officers are scouring the bank of the River Ouse in York.

CCTV footage shows the York St John University student with a group of friends on one side of the river - but absent from the group when they are on the other.

Officer searching the River Ouse near where Megan was last seen

The 20-year-old was reported missing by her mother on Monday morning after a friend raised concerns.

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said she was last seen at around 2am on Thursday in the Popworld bar in George Hudson Street, having gone out with friends on Wednesday evening.

Miss Roberts was seen in the CCTV with a group of people on the corner of Rougier Street near Lendal Bridge at around 2.20am. But when the group was picked up on camera a short time later at the other side of the bridge, on Museum Street, the student was not with them.

Police say they are concerned for Megan's welfare

While police are searching the riverbank in the city centre, an underwater search unit has also been deployed.

Superintendent Phil Cain said: "We are very concerned for Megan's welfare and are urging the public to help us establish her movements in the early hours of Thursday 23 January 2014.

"As with all missing persons inquiries we are doing everything we can to locate Megan and make sure she is safe and well.

"Her disappearance and the fact that she has not had any contact with her family and friends for almost five days now is extremely unlike her and adds to our concern.

Megan had been on a night out at the Popworld nightclub

"Megan's family are understandably very distressed by her disappearance and I would appeal for anyone who has any information at all about where she might be to get in touch with the police as soon as possible."

Miss Roberts is described as around 5ft 6in and of medium build with long dark brown hair. When last seen she was wearing a cream knee-length dress which had large brown and orange flowers on it and black plimsolls-type shoes.

Police said that specially trained officers are supporting the missing student's family.

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