Mums-To-Be Admit Drinking Too Much Booze

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs Editor

Thousands of women a year are giving birth after admitting having drunk too much during their pregnancies, a Sky News investigation has found.

Although government guidelines warn pregnant women against drinking more than four units a week - equivalent to two large glasses of wine -  hospitals have recorded a significant number drinking much more.

The first hospital figures of their kind suggest that more than 2,000 babies a year are born to mothers who have breached alcohol guidelines.

Heavy drinking during pregnancy increases the health risks to children

And experts say the problem is likely to be much worse as NHS trusts rely on women to honestly report how much they have drunk.

The figures - obtained by Sky News following a Freedom of Information request - show that in the last three years, 2,496 mothers-to-be told hospital staff in England they were drinking at least four units of alcohol a week.

In the worst cases, South Tees Hospital NHS Foundation Trust recorded four women drinking more than 34 units a week over that period.

Liverpool Women's hospital recorded 17 women drinking more than 20 units a week, and two drinking more than 10 units every day.

However, fewer than half of all England NHS trusts (45 out of 108) were able to supply figures.

Figures obtained by Sky News also reveal gaps in monitoring of consumption

Extrapolating the figures suggests that just over 2,000 mothers-to-be admit to drinking too much during pregnancy.

Overall, the hospital statistics showed around 0.5% of pregnant women admitted drinking more than the Department of Health guidelines.

Heavy drinking during pregnancy increases the risk that babies will be born with foetal alcohol syndrome - a life-long condition that can leave children physically and mentally disabled.

One woman whose son was born with foetal alcohol syndrome after she drunk heavily during pregnancy following years of alcoholism, said little was done to help her break her addiction.

"When I was five months pregnant, I told the midwife that I was an alcoholic and that I couldn't control my drinking," said Samantha Marchant, 40, from Slough.

"They referred me to a drug and alcohol team which put me on a drinks diary ... I'd have liked them to say 'you can have a place in rehab', but it wasn't offered."

Samantha Marchant says more must be done to help mums-to-be break habits

"I didn't know about the biology of what happens if you drink in pregnancy," added Ms Marchant, who is now a recovered alcoholic and works to raise other women's awareness of the dangers of drinking during pregnancy.

Dr Raja Mukherjee, lead clinician for the national foetal alcohol spectrum disorder clinic at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: "All the research has shown that high level alcohol exposure causes significant damage to a developing foetus.

"We know that women are drinking more .. 90% of women in this country drink and they don't all suddenly stop when they are pregnant."

The figures obtained by Sky also reveal significant gaps in the monitoring of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

More than 90% of hospitals do not ask women about their alcohol consumption throughout pregnancy, and three of the NHS trusts did not ask pregnant women about their drinking at all.

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Rude Police To Be Punished Under New Rules

Hillsborough Disaster: Ex-Police Officers Quizzed

Updated: 7:33pm UK, Thursday 27 March 2014

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

Thirteen retired and serving police officers are being questioned over offences related to the Hillsborough football disaster, the national police watchdog has said.

Eleven of the suspects have been interviewed so far and they are all retired. Of the two others to be questioned in the near future, one is a serving officer.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said the 13 suspects were being questioned under criminal caution over a range of offences, including manslaughter, misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice.

It is the first time the IPCC has announced information on suspects.

Trevor Hicks, who lost two daughters in the disaster, said the wheels of justice were "slowly turning".

Ninety-six Liverpool football fans were killed after being crushed against barriers at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield.

The tragedy happened during the FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in April 1989.

Families of the victims will be allowed to present "pen portraits" of their loved ones at the start of new inquests beginning on Monday.

Described as "exquisitely sensitive and important" by a lawyer for the inquests, they will involve family members reading out statements about each of the fans who died.

According to barrister Christina Lambert QC, the contributions will give members of the jury information "concerning personality and character of each of those who lost their lives so that the jury can have a glimpse of who they were...their hopes and plans for the future."

Screens around the vast inquest room will feature a still of each victim as their family statement is presented. The coroner Lord Justice Goldring, who has already read the statements, has described them as "very moving and very important".

A hearing to finalise details of the inquests heard they are likely to last more than nine months and end sometime in 2015.

It was revealed that an hour of previously unseen BBC footage has been discovered. Barristers have asked for the material to be made available.

Many organisations will be represented at the inquest, including South Yorkshire Police, the Police Federation, police match commanders in charge during the disaster, Sheffield Wednesday Football Club and Sheffield City Council.

More than 80 lawyers are involved in the inquests, which were ordered in December last year after the High Court had quashed the original verdicts of accidental death.

One thousand people received a summons to serve on the jury and 150 of those will be called to the inquests on Monday. Eleven jurors will finally be selected and sworn in.

An office block in Warrington, Cheshire, has been converted to house the coroner's court.

An application by some lawyers to put back the inquests because of a delay in pathology reports was rejected by the coroner. However, there will be a break in the early stages of the inquests to give barristers time to consider the reports.

It was revealed that members of the jury will be taken to see the terraces at Hillsborough stadium where the victims were killed.

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Croc On A Plane: Reptile 'May Have Caused Crash'

An escaped crocodile may have caused a plane crash which killed a British pilot and 18 others, an inquest has heard.

Chris Wilson died when the jet he was co-piloting plunged to the ground during a routine flight across the Congo in August 2010.

No cause for the crash has ever been established but an inquest was told a crocodile may have sparked a stampede by roaming around the aisles moments before the aircraft came down.

It is thought the plane, which was travelling from Kinshasa to Bandundu, may have nosedived as passengers and crew members ran from the reptile.

Assistant Coroner David Dooley said it was "apparently quite normal" for animals to be carried on the plane, adding: "It was used like a taxi in this regard."

"There is apparently a video of the crocodile being taken out of the plane," he told the hearing at Gloucester Coroner's Court.

"(Investigators) think it may have frightened the cabin crew member and she ran forward, with the other passengers following.

"The weight shift caused by the panic may have affected the plane, causing it to nosedive or stall."

Mr Wilson moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010 after giving up his job as a cabin crew member to follow his dream of becoming a commercial pilot.

The 39-year-old worked for local company Filair but is said to have become increasingly concerned about the flying ability of co-pilot Danny Philemotte, who owned the firm.

In a statement read to the court, his brother, Martin, said:  "Every time he flew with Mr Philemotte, there was always one incident or another.

"He said he didn't want to fly with him anymore.

"He said if it wasn't for the fact they could see where they were going, they wouldn't ever get anywhere because Mr Philemotte couldn't read the instruments.

"He said he didn't know how Mr Philemotte was still alive (because) his flying was so bad."

Timothy Atkinson, an air accident investigator, said he had reviewed evidence from the Congolese authorities but was unable to draw any definitive conclusions because they were not given the plane's black box data recorder.

"There is no evidence suggesting an engine failure or a nose dive, although I cannot be sure without looking at the plane," he told the court.

"The accident appears to have the hallmarks of a stall and spin, which may have been from a variety of causes.

"Essentially, it fell out of the sky."

Mr Dooley recorded an open conclusion, saying a lack of witnesses and data from the black box "have only resulted in vague guesses as to what happened".

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Northern Ireland Parade Day: Man Stabbed

Tens of thousands of members of the Orange Order have been parading across Northern Ireland.

Around 3,500 police officers are on duty after the discovery of a letter bomb at the country's main sorting office overnight.

A 28-year-old man was stabbed during fighting between republican and loyalist factions at Ormeau Bridge, a normally peaceful spot where predominantly nationalist and unionist communities meet in south Belfast.

Tensions are high as marchers take to the streets

Eight people were arrested overnight for public order offences in north and west Belfast and an attack on an Orange Hall in Ballycastle, County Antrim was declared a hate crime by police.

July 12 is the date when the Orange Order mark Protestant King William's ancient victory over Catholic King James, and is the biggest day in the marching season.

A third of the officers are based at Ardoyne in north Belfast, where the Parades Commission has imposed restrictions on a march.

Bonfires marked the start of the July 12 parades

A parade on Saturday morning passed peacefully but Orangemen are prohibited from returning this evening past the homes of Catholic residents who oppose the march.

It came after police confirmed a suspicious package discovered at the sorting office on Mallusk Road in Newtownabbey, on the outskirts of Belfast was a "viable" letter bomb.

A spokeswoman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said experts from the army were sent to the scene of the bomb find.

Loyalists signalled the arrival of July 12 by lighting bonfires at midnight but were criticised for burning election posters of nationalist and republican politicians.

Six hundred parades were expected to take place around the country as a whole.

A map showing the location of the sorting office

Organisers have called on marchers to make sure all the parades pass off peacefully.

Grand Lodge of Ireland Grand Secretary Drew Nelson said: "I would have a message for young protestants or any protestant or unionist who feels strongly about what's happening now.

"If you lift a stone or a bottle on the Twelfth day you are falling into a republican trap," he said.

Police said on Saturday afternoon that they were pleased with the level of violence.

PSNI assistant chief constable Will Kerr said: "I am pleased that last night was one of the most peaceful in recent years and am encouraged by the responsible behaviour of the vast majority of people involved."

With the bill for policing parades and flag disputes reaching £55m in the last 20 months, the authorities hope that violence will be kept to a minimum.

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Archbishops Split Over Right-To-Die Debate

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has made an extraordinary U-turn by announcing he is backing laws to legalise assisted dying.

His support for Labour peer Lord Falconer's Bill, which will be debated in the House of Lords next week, goes against the Church of England's official line that the law on assisted suicide should not change.

Lord Carey said it would not be "anti-Christian" to legalise assisted suicide and that by opposing reform the Church risked "promoting anguish and pain".

Tony Nicklinson died two years ago

He said the case of Tony Nicklinson - the locked-in syndrome sufferer who died after being refused the legal right to die - had the "deepest influence" on his change of heart.

"Here was a dignified man making a simple appeal for mercy, begging that the law allow him to die in peace, supported by his family," he wrote in the Daily Mail.

"His distress made me question my motives in previous debates. Had I been putting doctrine before compassion, dogma before human dignity?"

Assisted suicide is already legal at clinics like this in Switzerland

Mr Nicklinson's widow Jane said she was "amazed and thrilled" at Lord Carey's U-turn.

His comments come as a surprise because he was part of a coalition that helped stop Lord Joffe's Assisting Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill in 2006 in the House of Lords.

But while the former Archbishop has come out in favour of a change in the law, the current Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, has condemned the Bill as "mistaken and dangerous".

Writing in the Times, Archbishop Welby warned the "deep personal demands" of individuals should not blind people to the pressures others could be put under should the practice become legal.

Lord Falconer's Bill would allow adults to ask for help to die

"It would be very naive to think that many of the elderly people who are abused and neglected each year, as well as many severely disabled individuals, would not be put under pressure to end their lives if assisted suicide were permitted by law," he wrote.

Archbishop Welby said a law that permitted assisted suicide would be "bound" to lead to some people feeling they ought to stop "being a burden to others".

The Church of England said it was "surprised" by the content and timing of Lord Carey's shock intervention.

It called for a new inquiry into assisted dying and said Lord Falconer should withdraw his bill in favour of a Royal Commission on the subject.

Under the 1961 Suicide Act, it remains a criminal offence carrying up to 14 years in jail to help take someone's life.

If successful, Lord Falconer's Bill would allow mentally capable adults in England and Wales to ask for help to die if they were suffering from a terminal illness and had less than six months to live.

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Terror Police 'Failed To Act' Over Twin Sisters

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Anti-terrorist officers have been accused of an intelligence failure following the disappearance from home of two Manchester sisters.

Police confirmed yesterday that twins Salma and Zahra Halane are believed to have fled to Syria after initially travelling in secret from Manchester airport to Istanbul.

Mohammed Shafiq of the Ramadhan Foundation told Sky News that he believed the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) had not acted on intelligence and that the girls had been "left to their own devices".

The sisters' family home in Chorlton, Manchester

The North West CTU today refused to answer questions about the girls' disappearance and specifically whether they had any knowledge that one of their brothers has reportedly joined up with the militant extremist group ISIS in Syria.

In a written statement, the head of the North West CTU said the 16-year-old twins posed a threat to themselves and potentially their community.

But they have refused to say whether or not they had received any intelligence concerning the girls' family prior to their disappearance.

Mohammed Shafiq said the police were generally doing a good job in helping to prevent the radicalisation of young British Muslims but he said they did not appear to have acted on warnings regarding travel routes to Syria.

He said: "There are a lot of question marks concerning this issue and the CTU's conduct. We have been warning for sometime of the route from the UK to Istanbul and then by road to Syria.

British jihadists recently appeared in an insurgent promotional video

"The word on the street is that the girls' brother had been in Syria for a year."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said that their "watchword" on publicity surrounding the investigations concerning Salma and Zahra Halane had been "low-key".

The girls reportedly slipped away from their house on the night of June 26 and were reported missing only when their parents found their bedrooms empty the following morning. 

The sisters have called home from Syria to say they are safe but have reportedly insisted that they will not be returning to the UK.

Meanwhile the Manchester mosque where members of the girls' family are believed to have worshipped have issued a statement condemning their actions.

The Al-Furqan Islamic Centre said: "The Somali community here at the centre is shocked and appalled by the recent news of the missing twins of Somali origin and we hope they are found and return safely to their distressed family.

"We have a firm policy in supporting community cohesion and oppose any criminal or extreme ideologies that contradict the peaceful teachings of Islam."

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Bull Run: Trampled Briton Left Vomiting Blood

A British man was left vomiting blood after suffing serious injuries when he was trampled during the world-famous bull run in Spain.

Tom Hadfield suffered four fractured ribs and a punctured lung after he was mown down by an animal during the encierro, or running of the bulls, in Pamplona's San Fermin festival.

Speaking from his bed in Hospital De Navarro in the city, where he has been recovering since the accident on Tuesday, Mr Hadfield said: "I've never experienced pain like this before. It's agony.

"I think a few of them trampled me. It's a miracle they didn't crush my skull or break my back."

"Afterwards I got up and carried on running for a bit. Then I started to get dizzy and found somewhere safe to keel over.

"Next thing I know I'm vomiting blood on the street and there is a big crowd around me.

Many people are injured in the controversial event each year

"Then I passed out and woke up in the ambulance. Pretty scary. I thought I was paralysed."

Mr Hadfield, who lives and works in Nottingham, but is originally from Dunmow, Essex, travelled to Spain on Monday with friends so they could take part in the bull run before heading to a music festival on the outskirts of Bilbao.

He said he was likely to be in hospital for the rest of this week before flying home and returning to work.

"I did it (the run) last year and it was without doubt the best feeling I've ever had in my life," he said.

"Hemingway said the best feeling in life was to be shot at and missed.

"I guess I just thought I was invincible but now I realise I'm not."

The encierro, or the running of the bulls, is the highlight of the San Fermin street festival in Pamplona.

Many people are injured in the runnings each year, while 15 people are believed to have died since record-keeping began in 1910.

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Missing British Yachtsman Found In North Sea

A sailor who had been missing for a week has been found safe and well on his yacht in the North Sea.

It follows an extensive air and sea search by Humber Coastguard after they were contacted by his family.

They were concerned about the 69-year-old's whereabouts because the last telephone conversation they had with him was on Friday, July 4.

Rescuers found the North Yorkshireman on his 17ft yacht Equinox around 80 miles east of Spurn Point, at the mouth of the Humber.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said they found him "relatively quickly" thanks to an emergency positioning beacon aboard his yacht which was activated.

He had been last seen in the Kiel Canal in Brunsbuttel, Germany, and was said to have been planning his return to the UK.

Coastguards there carried out a similar search from Helgoland.

French, Belgian and Dutch coastguards were put on alert, and police had also logged a missing person's alert with Interpol.

Mike Green, watch manager at Humber Coastguard, said: "We are all absolutely delighted that this gentleman has been found alive and well.

"It is thanks to an excellent effort by all those involved in the search and rescue and is a testament to the value of emergency beacon equipment.

"It is important that yachtsmen planning this sort of passage have adequate communications and log a passage plan with a shore contact.

"The more information that is available to coastguards, the more concentrated we can make our search efforts," he added.

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Teenager Admits Killing Teacher Ann Maguire

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

A 16-year-old has admitted killing teacher Ann Maguire in a classroom stabbing.

The teenager is accused of murdering the 61-year-old Spanish teacher at the Corpus Christi College in Leeds in April this year.

Prosecuting barrister Paul Greaney QC told a hearing at Leeds Crown Court that the boy didn't admit murder but said: "It did amount to an admission of manslaughter."

No formal plea was entered but defence barrister Richard Wright QC said the boy had "accepted responsibility for unlawful killing".

Ann Maguire was the first teacher to be fatally stabbed in a British school

The schoolboy, who cannot legally be identified because of his age, appeared via video link from an undisclosed location.

He wore blue trousers and a red T-shirt and responded clearly to confirm details of his identity and that he understood what was happening. 

Members of Mrs Maguire's family sat in the public gallery for the 10-minute hearing.

A note left among the tributes to Ann Maguire by a pupil

The teacher had worked at Corpus Christi College at Halton Moor for more than 40 years and was just weeks away from retirement when she died. 

It is the first time a teacher has been stabbed to death in a British classroom.

The public was warned at the hearing not to risk contempt of court by commenting on the case through online blogging or social media.

Flowers laid outside Corpus Christi Catholic College in April

Others have been jailed over recent months for doing so, Judge Peter Collier QC said.

The boy was remanded in custody until the next hearing on September 26. 

Psychiatric reports will now be prepared before the trial, which is due to start on November 3.

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Motor Racing On UK's Streets A Big Step Closer

Councils are to be given powers to stage motor races on public roads, it has been revealed.

Downing Street said legislation would be introduced this year to allow speed limits to be lifted and competitive events held.

Such races - including the Birmingham Superprix between 1986 and 1990 - have previously required specific permission from parliament.

David Cameron hailed the decision as he opened the new Williams F1 engineering facility in Oxfordshire.

"We're going to change the rules so that local councils are able to make decisions, so you don't have to have a private member's bill through parliament," he said.

The Birmingham Superprix in 1988

"We think (this will be) great news British motorsport. More races, more events, more money coming into our country and more success for this extraordinary industry."

The change, which follows a consultation earlier this year, brings the prospect of a Monaco-style Grand Prix on the streets of London closer.

Legislation will be added to the Deregulation Bill in the autumn, and could be in force before the general election next year.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said local authorities would have to consult with local people and ensure all necessary safety precautions were in place.

Thousands of people turned up watch the second city's street-circuit race

"We have seen in recent years a great number of successful sporting events here in the UK, of various sizes," the spokesman said.

"Alongside that I think this country has a long tradition ... of engineering excellence, particularly in motor sport."

It comes after the country hosted the first three stages of the Tour de France this month, which attracted around six million spectators and is estimated to contributed more than £100m to the economy,

Martin Hone, the organiser of the original Birmingham Superprix, had previously called on the city's leaders to show "political will" to secure the event's return.

"I still have the energy and vitality and would love to do it," he told the Birmingham Mail.

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Who Am I? Man With Amnesia In Public Appeal

A hospital in Cambridgeshire has launched an appeal for help identifying an amnesia sufferer who is unable to remember any details about his life, including his name and age.

The man, believed to be in his early 20s, was found in a park near Peterborough bus station at 6am on May 18.

He told police he had no memory of who he was or how he came to be there.

He was not carrying any personal documents, a phone or a wallet.

Experts at the Cavell Centre at Peterborough City Hospital say the man, who they have named Robert, is suffering from a very severe case of amnesia.

Robert said: "The last few weeks have been truly horrible. I go through so many different emotions.

"At times I am angry, frustrated, depressed, lost and confused. I just need to find out my name and I hope someone out there will recognise me and help."

Robert is 5ft 9ins tall, weighs 13st and has dark hair and blue eyes.

His accent is thought to be eastern European, although he speaks English. He also understands some Lithuanian and Russian.

Despite efforts to help him regain his memory, doctors say he has made little improvement over the last two months and are now calling for help.

Dr Manaan Kar Ray, clinical director of acute care at the Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Clearly this is very upsetting for him as he cannot recall any details of his life including his own name, age, where he is from, or what he does for a job.

"We have made strenuous efforts to help him with his memory - including taking him back to where he was found - but nothing has been successful so far.

"Our staff have spent a lot of time with him, helping him to recall day-to-day activities, and he can use a computer and play football and basketball, but we are still no closer to finding out who he is.

"Understandably, he is now getting very frustrated and I hope this appeal will mean someone will recognise him and come forward."

Anyone with information has been asked to contact the Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust on 01733 776014 between 8am and 8pm.

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New 'Snooping' Law 'Needed To Keep UK Safe'

Emergency Data Retention Laws 'Deeply Worrying'

Updated: 2:59pm UK, Thursday 10 July 2014

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

David Cameron assures us that the new emergency surveillance laws are being introduced merely to "maintain" existing powers.

Except that the European Court of Justice declared back in April those very powers are illegal, and "interfere" with citizens' fundamental right to privacy.

The UK has been told its snooping powers are now illegal. So now it's simply changing the law to make them legal.

The Government is at pains to point out that no content can be accessed without a warrant, just metadata - which is data about communications.

Metadata is extraordinarily powerful, though. The Government can tell who I called, when I called them, and for how long.

And with smartphones constantly tracking location data, they can know your exact movements for the last year.

According to the ECJ, this data allows "very precise conclusions concerning private lives" - including where you live, where you move, your social relationships and your social environments.

This is exactly why they removed the Data Retention Directive.

They decided that the blanket surveillance of citizens is unacceptable.

The Government needs these powers to investigate terrorists, paedophiles and criminals.

Apparently they are finding new ways to communicate with each other - a veritable League of Evil.

Except that we have seen how local councils have abused surveillance powers to catch people putting their rubbish out on the wrong day.

Organisations like the Royal Mail even had access to the phone records of every citizen in the UK for the last year.

New oversight is promised to prevent this sort of abuse. But local government and Government departments will still be able to access this data.

We are also promised a wide ranging review of Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.

That should be welcomed, but from Theresa May's answers in the House of Commons, it sounds like it's as much about extending the powers of security services as it is creating accountability.

And then there's the framing of this as emergency legislation, rushed through Parliament.

We may well be approaching a cliff edge, as David Cameron says, when companies start to delete stored data useful to investigations.

But we have known we were approaching this particular cliff edge for three months, when the ECJ made its decision. As David Davis noted, this is a very predictable sort of emergency.

When such fundamental rights are at stake, the public deserve a proper debate, rather than all parties secretly joining agreeing to rush laws through.

Much will depend on what's in the Bill itself - a draft version of the Bill is being published today.

But this legislation, both what it enables and how it's been presented, is deeply worrying for those who value privacy and individual freedom.

Having looked through the draft law and its explanatory notes - recently published - there are a couple of further points.

First, buried in Paragraph 43 of the notes are the purposes for which communications data can be looked at.

Along with interests of national security, and in preventing crime, there is this: "For the purpose of assessing or collecting any tax, duty, levy or other imposition, contribution or charge payable to a government department."

That seems pretty broad – not just collecting, but assessing, and by any government department. Yikes.

Second, as David Meyer notes over at Gigaom, the UK government can ask foreign companies for data outside the UK, about activities conducted outside the UK.

If anything , it looks like this emergency legislation is expanding powers, rather than merely restoring them.

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Brixton Riots Death Caused By Police Failures

The death of a mother whose shooting sparked the 1985 Brixton riots was partly caused by police failures, a jury has found.

Dorothy Groce, known as Cherry, died at the age of 63 from kidney failure in 2011 - 26 years after the shooting which was witnessed by her son Lee Lawrence, who was 11 at the time.

The mother of eight was wounded and paralysed during a planned armed raid by police officers at her home in south London - which jurors found should have been called off.

Officers were looking for her son Michael Groce - but had not been briefed beforehand that he was no longer wanted by the police.

It was understood he had fired at police two days earlier and had fled with a shotgun, when in fact he had fired accidentally and the weapon had been recovered, jurors found.

His mother's shooting sparked two days of unrest in Brixton during which shops were looted and petrol bombs thrown.

Shops were looted and petrol bombs thrown during the Brixton riots

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday also found police failed to properly communicate and adequately check who was living at the address - including women and children - before they entered the property.

After a six-day inquest and three days of deliberations, jurors concluded: "Dorothy Groce was shot by police during a planned surprise, forced entry raid at her home and her subsequent death was contributed to by failures in the planning and implementation of the raid."

Mrs Groce's family said in a statement afterwards: "After 29 years, it is now a matter of public record that the shooting of our mother and grandmother was not an accident.

"Instead the truth is that Cherry Groce was shot as a result of a series of astonishing failures by officers across the ranks to follow procedures designed to protect innocent members of the public."

The jury found there were eight failures in total made by the Met Police

Mr Lawrence said: "My mother was an innocent victim. I knew, she knew and we knew that what happened that day was wrong."

He added: "The inquest has given us the only opportunity to get down to the truth about what really happened the day she was shot.

"That's a battle we should never have had to go through to get answers that the Met knew that day."

Metropolitan Police Inspector Douglas Lovelock stood trial in 1987 for the shooting of Mrs Groce, who spent nearly three decades in a wheelchair.

He was charged with inflicting unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm and was acquitted.

The officer, who admitted being responsible for the wound, told the inquest he had apprehensions about going on the job.

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Polar Bear In Schoolboy Attack 'Had Toothache'

The polar bear that mauled a British teenager to death in the Arctic was hungry and had toothache that was likely to have made it more aggressive, an inquest has been told.

A coroner in Salisbury is hearing evidence from a wildlife pathologist about the death of 17-year-old Horatio Chapple.

The inquest was told the bear, estimated to be more than 20 years old, was likely to have been stressed because of pain and therefore acting "unpredictably" when it attacked the camp in Norway's remote Arctic island group of Svalbard.

Horatio suffered fatal injuries to his head and upper body

Wiltshire and Swindon assistant coroner Ian Singleton revealed that a post-mortem examination of the animal found that it had worn-down teeth, with a cavity in one tooth, and swollen and red gums.

The post-mortem report indicated that the pain it was in would have affected its behaviour.

The injured were flown by helicopter to hospital

Mr Singleton said: "(It) had badly aligned teeth causing them to wear down more than normal. It's probable it affected the bear's ability to gain food and if the bear is in pain it would have increased levels of stress causing it to behave more aggressively and unpredictably than it would otherwise."

Horatio was part of an adventure holiday in August 2011 organised by the British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) when he died.

The campsite was in a remote part of Norway's Arctic

The Eton pupil, who was from Salisbury in Wiltshire, was asleep in his tent when the bear crossed trip wire alerts and attacked the group.

He died from fatal injuries to his head and upper body.

Mr Singleton added: "The teeth suggest the bear is very old, more than 20 years based on the appearance of the teeth.

"The fatality rate for bears in Svalbard is high after 15 years, and very high after 20 years, it's rare for a polar bear to reach 25 years."

Cargo was taken away from the campsite after the 2011 attack

A total of four other people in the group, known as Chanzin Fire, were hurt in the attack before the bear was shot dead.

Those injured were trip leader Michael "Spike" Reid, from Plymouth, Devon, Andrew Ruck, from Brighton, Patrick Flinders, from Jersey, andScott Bennell-Smith, from Cornawll's St Mellion.

High Court judge Sir David Steel produced an independent report on behalf of the BSES.

He said the animal was seriously underweight at some 39-stone (250kg) - around 40% below normal.

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Striking Workers Accuse Ministers Of 'Hypocrisy'

Unions: Workers Can't Feed Their Families

Updated: 8:59am UK, Thursday 10 July 2014

Unions say they are angry at 'abysmal pay', working conditions and pensions. Here is a snapshot of each union's main complaints.

:: Unite

Members: 1.4 million from various sectors, ranging from industry and manufacturing to education and agriculture - 70,000 of them are in local government and are directly affected by Thursday's strike.

Unite national officer for local government Fiona Farmer said: "Our members have endured four years of pay cuts in real terms and they voted overwhelmingly to strike on July 10 to drive home the message to ministers that poverty pay in local government must end.

"The depth of feeling on the pay issue is reinforced by the fact that local government unions, GMB and Unison, and members of the National Union of Teachers are all taking action on tomorrow.

"Poverty pay is widespread across local councils. Household bills continue to soar, but our members' buying power is constantly being eroded. The national minimum wage will soon overtake local government pay scales; members are choosing between heating and eating."

:: NUT

Members: 300,000 qualified teachers

Christine Blower, General Secretary National Union of Teachers, said: "Despite months in talks with Government officials, the real issues of our dispute have not been addressed. Teacher morale is at a low ebb.

"Changes to pay, pensions and a workload of 60 hours are unacceptable and unsustainable. Thousands of good, experienced teachers are leaving or considering leaving their job and a teacher shortage crisis is looming.

"The fact that teachers are prepared to take strike action is an indication of the strength of feeling and anger about the Government's imposed changes. Strike action is a last resort but, due to the intransigence of the coalition Government, it is one which we cannot avoid."

:: Unison

Members: 1.3 million workers from a range of roles within all public service areas, including people employed by public service authorities, private companies and community organisations.

Dave Prentis, Unison General Secretary, said: "Unison's local government and school members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland hold their first one day strike over an abysmal 1% pay offer. Faced with soaring food, fuel and housing costs, they have had to put up with three years of frozen pay, and now yet another below inflation offer.

"They have seen the value of their pay fall by nearly 20% since the coalition came to power and many struggle to make ends meet, to feed their families and pay their bills. Our charity is seeing more and more people asking for help and we know that many have had to resort to food banks to put food on the table.

"This is a national disgrace that these workers, who keep vital services running for their communities should be paid so badly, that they can't pay all their bills. And the lowest paid are still waiting for £250 promised by the Chancellor for two years' running. They have now voted to take strike action; that is not something they do lightly. But they are saying enough is enough. Work should pay enough for people to be able to live on."

:: GMB

Members: 617,000 workers, including school meal servers, street cleaners, binmen and carers.

GMB National Secretary, Brian Strutton, said: "We have tried sensible discussions, we've sought to negotiate reasonably, we've said we are willing to accept ACAS arbitration rather than go on strike - but to everything we've tried the employers have said 'no'. So we have no choice.

"GMB members serving school meals, cleaning streets, emptying bins, looking after the elderly, helping children in classrooms and in all the other vital roles serving our communities are fed up with being ignored and undervalued.

"Their pay has gone up only 1% since 2010 and in October even the national minimum wage will overtake local authority pay scales. Their case is reasonable, the employers won't listen and don't care, no wonder they have turned to strike action as the only way of making their voices heard."

:: PCS

Members: 270,000 civil servants.

A PCS spokesman said: "We're striking because, as well as tens of thousands of job being cut from the civil service since 2010 and the ongoing threat of more of the civil service being privatised, wages have been frozen and capped to such an extent that by next year incomes for many civil servants will be 20% lower than they would have been if they'd kept pace with increases in the cost of living. That is a huge hit in salary to take.

"There are other endemic issues, such as unequal pay. For example, staff in the Passport Office - in the eye of the storm at the moment - can be paid £3,000 less than their colleagues doing similar work elsewhere in the Home Office.

"Across the civil service, women are paid 10% less than men, 14% less for part-time workers. We've tried to negotiate but the Government refuses. Faced with this, it's inevitable that people will want to take industrial action."

:: RMT

Members: 80,000, of whom 361 TfL (Transport for London) backroom staff will be on strike.

RMT's Acting general secretary Mick Cash said: "While the political class, the bankers and the idle rich have all got their snouts in the trough, of course we are right to stand up and fight for the millions of workers told to take a hit despite the fact that they had no part in creating the financial crisis.

"We would be foolish not to maximise the unity of the trade union movement in the face of an aggressive, anti-union government that is mired in its own cesspit of scandal. We will take no lectures in morality from them.

"The front line of defence against cuts and austerity is the organised working class and that is why the Tories and big business want to tighten the legal noose around our necks. They will have a fight on their hands."

:: FBU

Members: 44,000 firefighters

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: "The government must realise that firefighters cannot accept proposals that would have such devastating consequences for their futures, their families' futures  - and the future of the fire and rescue service itself.

"We have tried every route available to us to make the government see sense over their attacks.

"Three years of negotiations have come to nothing because the government is simply unwilling to compromise or even listen to reason despite a huge amount of evidence showing their planned scheme is unworkable."

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Reigning Champ Froome Out Of Tour De France

English Leg Of Tour De France Ends At Palace

Updated: 9:10pm UK, Monday 07 July 2014

The Tour de France bid a dramatic au revoir to the UK as one million people turned out to watch the race from Cambridge to Buckingham Palace.

Tens of thousands of spectators watched a high-speed crash in wet conditions outside Big Ben, while a spectator was hit by a rider outside the Olympic Park.  

The last of the three English stages ended with the same winner as Saturday's opener in Yorkshire - Giant-Shimano's German sprinter Marcel Kittel was first to the line on the Mall.

After the race, the riders headed to France on four chartered planes from London City Airport. 

After glorious weather in Yorkshire, the first rainfall of the race arrived after the riders passed the Olympic Park in East London.

And the rain made the final approach slippery and dangerous, with the high-speed crash happening on a right-hand bend by Big Ben.

In another accident, a spectator was hit by a rider as the fan attempted to take a picture near east London's Olympic Park.

The fan was clipped by Team Sky's Diego Lopez Garcia, knocking him to the ground, along with Garcia and fellow riders Andy Schleck, Simon Gerrans and two others.

The extent of the fan's injuries are unknown.

The accident came after some riders criticised British fans for stepping into the road and taking "selfies".

American rider Tejay van Garderen, of BMC Racing, said on Twitter: "A dangerous mix of vanity and stupidity. Standing [in] the middle of the road with you[r] back turned while 200 cyclists come at you, just to take a selfie. #think #TDF2014."

He added: "That being said, I love the crowds and thank you for your support. But please give us room."

Meanwhile, Kittel compared winning in London to triumphing on the Champs- Elysees in Paris last year.

"Winning on The Mall, that's what I dreamed of but, even though I had a good chance to make it come true, it's not something I could take for granted," he said.

"It's really fantastic to win here. On the finishing line, the crowd was fantastic. I love the atmosphere."

Slovak Peter Sagan was second, with Australian Mark Renshaw in third. Italian Vincenzo Nibali kept the race leader's yellow jersey.

Defending champion Chris Froome, of Team Sky, negotiated a tricky opening in fifth place after finishing 28th in London.

But fellow British rider Mark Cavendish will undergo shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will be out for around for six weeks after a crash on Saturday.

Earlier on Monday, crowds lined the streets of Cambridge to watch the start of the third stage. Riders passed King's College before the race began in nearby Trumpington.

The 197 riders then passed through picturesque villages in Essex shortly after 1pm before heading into the capital.

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Bomb Fears: 'Charge All Gadgets' For UK Flights

Airlines To Scrutinise Smartphones Amid Threat

Updated: 8:12am UK, Friday 04 July 2014

Airlines with direct flights to the US have been told to tighten their screening of mobile phones amid fears terrorists could use them in bomb attacks.

US officials singled out Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy handsets for extra security checks.

They will apply to US-bound direct flights from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the officials said.

The new precautions come in response to requests from US authorities, who fear attacks on planes flying to America.

US security officials said they fear bomb makers from the Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have worked out how to turn the phones into explosive devices which can avoid detection.

They also are concerned that hard-to-detect bombs could be built into shoes.

A US official said that other electronic devices carried by passengers also are likely to receive more intense scrutiny.

Airlines or airport operators that fail to strengthen security could face bans on flights entering the US.

On Thursday, the US Homeland Security Department announced on plans to step up general security checks, but offered few details on how airlines and airports will implement them.

An official familiar with the issues said the US believes that while it is possible there may be some additional delays at security checkpoints, at most major airports passengers will not be seriously inconvenienced.

The official said most passengers taking long-distance flights arrive well in advance of scheduled departures, leaving time for extra screening.

But he said the US could not rule out disruptions in countries where airport infrastructure and security procedures are less sophisticated.

In the UK, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the additional security was not expected to cause "significant" disruption to flights.

He told Sky News: "There will be extra security checks but they will be made in the course of events people already go through and I hope there will not be significant delays."

But British aviation security expert Philip Baum said heightened security will inevitably mean longer queues and increased waiting times to board flights at UK airports.

"It will mean (more) random searches, secondary searches and an increase in the number of passengers asked to remove shoes and possibly all passengers being asked to remove shoes if they're going on certain flights," he said.

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Assassins Creed Gamer Killed Screaming Newborn

A father has been jailed for eight years for killing his five-week-old daughter who screamed while he played a computer game.

Mark Sandland suddenly lost his temper at his flat in East Sussex, where he picked up Aimee-Rose and violently shook her.

The 28-year-old later told officials he had suffered an epileptic fit and had regained consciousness to find the baby trapped underneath him.

Lewes Crown Court heard Sandland, of St Leonards-on-Sea, had logged onto a website offering tips on how to play Assassin's Creed 3 on November 5, 2012.

The prosecutor, Sally Howes QC, said there would have been little point in him reading the site's step-by-step instructions unless he was playing the game at the time.

The court was told Sandler dialled 999 less than 20 minutes after accessing the website, telling the operator he had suffered a fit.

But the judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, said: "It's obvious that ... you appreciated what you had done and ... lied and sought to cover up what had actually happened."

Dr Hannah Cock, a consultant neurologist, found it was "highly unlikely" that a seizure contributed to Aimee-Rose's injuries.

Miss Howes added: "Even if he had fallen on to Aimee-Rose, her pattern of injuries is not consistent with a fall and crushing alone.

"Dr Cock would have expected more disturbance to adjacent furniture than reported."

The court also heard about a text message sent by Aimee-Rose's mother to Sandland on the day of the attack, in which she asked how her daughter had been while she attended the first class of her university course.

She received a reply which read: "She hasn't shut up since about half an hour after you left."

Sandland, who will serve half his sentence before being released from jail on licence, was charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of lack of intent.

The judge said the attack was a "momentary" event that was not pre-meditated.

However, he said there were a number of aggravating factors, including that Aimee-Rose was a vulnerable child and that Sandland was in a position of trust, had lied to authorities and had shown no real remorse.

Lewis Power QC, for the defence, said Sandland would forever "carry the heavy burden" of knowing he had killed his daughter.

"There can be no greater tragedy in life than the death of a child - a young child, a life extinguished, compounded by the fact it was at the hands of a loving parent," he added.

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Airline Gadget Rules: What You Need To Know

Passengers have been warned they may not be able to take their electronic devices onto any plane to or from the UK unless the device can be switched on.

:: The Department for Transport (DfT) says the rules apply to any flights into or out of the UK, although not every flight will be affected.

:: The rules apply to all portable electronic devices, including cameras, tablets, ebook readers, laptops, MP3 players and phones.

:: The DfT says that in the event a passenger arrives at an airport gate with a device that does not switch on, it will be at the discretion of the airline what happens next.

All phones must have some charge before they will be allowed on flights

:: British Airways and Virgin are the only airlines which have told Sky News they have a contingency plan if passengers try to bring an uncharged device on board.

:: A BA spokesman told Sky News its contingencies are as follows:

- If a non-charged device is found, the device can be charged at the gate. The airline has, or will have, a range of chargers available.

- If the passenger does not have an appropriate charger, the airline will courier (at its expense) the device to a destination of the passenger's choice.

- Or, if a passenger needs the device with them on the flight, the airline will transfer the passenger onto a later flight (again at its expense) to give the passenger time to find or buy a charger.

:: Virgin Atlantic, however, said it will charge a passenger a courier fee in the event a device has to be sent on. If a passenger wants to change flight to enable a charger to be located, the change will be allowed free of charge.

:: Other airlines contacted by Sky News have yet to issue a response.

:: Sky News reporter Harriet Hadfield said: "The advice is to travel to the airport with some charge in your device if you want to take the device on the plane with you. Otherwise, check with your airline to see what contingency plans they are offering."

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Two Killed By Freight Train At Level Crossing

Two people have been killed after being hit by a freight train at a level crossing near Lincoln.

Emergency services were called to the accident at Croft Lane, Cherry Willingham, just before noon.

Both people were declared dead at the scene and police are currently not treating the incident as suspicious.

The train involved was heading for Immingham Docks in Humberside.

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokesman said: "Our officers are currently in attendance at a level crossing in Croft Lane, Cherry Willingham, where two people have been struck by a train.

"The incident was reported to British Transport Police at 11.57am and colleagues from Lincolnshire Police are also on scene.

"Paramedics from the East Midlands Ambulance Service are in attendance and both people have been pronounced dead at the scene.

"Officers are now working to establish the full circumstances of the incident, which is currently being treated as non-suspicious.

"The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has been informed."

Recent official safety figures revealed the number of deaths from trespass and suicide on the railways rose from 278 to 300 in 2013/14 - the highest annual figure on record.

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Woman 'Hid Cash In Knickers For Jihadists'

A 27-year-old British woman is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of attempting to smuggle 20,000 euro (£15,800) in her underwear to fund jihadists fighting in Syria.

Nawal Msaad was taking the money to Turkey on behalf of her close friend Amal El-Wahibi, also 27, whose Muslim-convert husband Aine Davis, left London last July to pursue the jihadist cause, the court heard.

Msaad was stopped by police as she approached the departure gate at Heathrow Airport on January 16 this year.

She told officers the three-day trip to Istanbul was a "short break" to buy gold for her mother.

Prosecutor Mark Dennis, QC, said: "She was then taken to a private room where she pulled out a roll of banknotes from inside her underwear and handed it across to the officers. The banknotes were tightly rolled and were wrapped in cling film.

Amal El-Wahibi also denies funding terrorism

"It would appear that it would have been further hidden inside her body, wrapped in a condom."

Both Msaad, of Holloway, north London, and El-Wahabi, of northwest London, are on trial accused of funding terrorism. They deny the charge.

Jurors were told the arrangements were made in the days before the planned flight in phone calls and WhatsApp messages between the pair and 30-year-old Davis, who was also born in London and has two young sons with El-Wahabi.

Mr Dennis said: "It is alleged in this case that the money that the second defendant was attempting to take out to Turkey was money that had been raised in this country and had been destined to support the jihadist cause which Davis was now pursuing with like-minded supporters.

"The allegation in this case is that each defendant, when becoming concerned in the arrangement of the smuggling of this money to Turkey at the behest of Davis, knew of, at the very least had reasonable cause to suspect, that the money was or might be used for the purposes of terrorism."

After her arrest, Msaad refused to explain the money and gave "no comment" police interviews, while El-Wahabi said an iPod, Kindle and iPad found at her address belonged to Davis, who was now living in Turkey.

She denied knowledge of any terrorist activities or their funding.

But her mobile phone showed Davis had sent her photos including a "selfie" while he had been away, as well as videos containing jihadist propaganda, including one of a "boy martyr" aged between 10 and 13 holding a Kalashnikov rifle, jurors heard.

The trial continues.

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Unipart Automotive Woes Put 1,600 Jobs At Risk

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Britain's biggest independent car parts supplier was on the verge of appointing administrators on Tuesday, putting up to 1,600 jobs at risk.

Sky News understands that Unipart Automotive, which has a network of 200 branches, has filed a notice of intention to appoint KPMG to act as administrator following protracted trading difficulties.

Sources said on Tuesday that the company was hopeful of securing a rescue deal prior to KPMG's formal appointment that would preserve most, if not all, of the 1,600 jobs.

A deal could be struck before the end of the week, they added, although it was unclear where any new funding would come from.

Unipart Automotive, which was once part of the British Leyland industrial group, is majority-owned by H2 Equity Partners, a Dutch private equity firm, having been sold by Unipart Group in 2011.

According to the company's website, it is the largest independent supplier of car parts, workshop consumables and garage equipment to the after-market.

A report in the Daily Telegraph in May said that Unipart Automotive had completed a refinancing which included new injections of capital from its shareholders.

KPMG declined to comment.

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Mikaeel Kular 'Assaulted Over Four Days By Mum'

The mother of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular assaulted him over four days, wrapped his body in a duvet and shut it inside a suitcase, a court has heard.

Rosdeep Adekoya, 34, is accused of assaulting her son at their home in Ferry Gait Crescent, Edinburgh, before hiding his body in a wood more than 20 miles away.

It is claimed she murdered Mikaeel after punching him, causing his body to hit against a hard object and inflicting blunt force injuries on his head and body between January 12 and 15, 2014.

She is also charged with attempting to defeat the ends of justice by lying to police, having allegedly made a 999 call in which she claimed her son had gone missing after climbing onto a stool and unlocking the front door of his home.

Mikaeel's disappearance in January sparked a huge search involving police officers, firefighters, mountain rescue teams and the coastguard, as well as members of the public.

His body was eventually found hidden beneath a bush in woodland behind a house in Dunvegan Avenue, Fife.

Adekoya, who is being held at Cornton Vale prison in Stirlingshire and has not yet entered a plea, made a two-minute appearance at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The judge Lord Boyd continued the case until July 25 at the request of both the prosecution and the defence, who said the case had a "number of complexities".

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Polar Bear Killing: Trip Leader 'Wrestled' Animal

Polar Bear Victim Was 'Fearless' - Family

Updated: 7:37pm UK, Saturday 06 August 2011

A British teenager mauled to death by a polar bear in Norway has been described by his family as "strong, fearless and kind".

Horatio Chapple, 17, from near Salisbury in Wiltshire, was killed while camping with the British Schools Exploring Society in the country's remote northern Svalbard archipelago.

A statement issued by his family said: "Horatio was so excited about his plans to be a doctor, strong, fearless and kind with an amazing sense of humour and an ability to laugh at himself.

"He was on the cusp of adulthood and had a clear vision of where his life was going."

Four other group members were badly injured - the group's leaders Michael Reid and Andrew Ruck along with two of the participants in the trip, Patrick Flinders and Scott Bennell-Smith.

But officials told a press conference all four had undergone surgery to treat head injuries and were now well enough to be transferred back to hospitals the UK.

It is understood the bear will now be forensically examined to try to determine the cause of the attack.

A series of emotional tributes to Mr Chapple having been pouring in on a special page set up on social networking site Facebook.

One post, from a Magnus England Chapple said: "You were the best brother and still are. I love you and rest in peace."

Another, from Harry Cunliffe, one of Mr Chapple's godparents, said: "Horatio, I will miss your smile, your impish grin, your sensitivity, your graciousness and your genuine care and interest in others.

"Your sense of adventure, your hard work, commitment and determination have been inspiring to me."

The chairman of BSES, Edward Watson, also paid tribute to Mr Chapple.

He said: "Horatio was a fine young man, hoping to go on to read medicine after school. By all accounts he would've made an excellent doctor."

Horatio's grandfather, Sir John Chapple, 80, was the head of the Army from 1989 to 1992, the former governor of Gibraltar and the former president of the BSES.

Mr Reid, who is a member of staff at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), was leading the group as part of his summer break and is thought to have shot the bear.

His father, Peter Reid, 65, from Plymouth, said: "He told us the bear attacked the tent with three people in it, and he and another leader went to help and were viciously attacked by the bear.

"He managed to get away, ran to get a gun and shot the bear."

He added: "The other members of the group wanted to know how Spike was, and they said he was very, very brave."

An RGS spokesman told Sky News: "He is a member of staff however his role in the BSES expedition is not connected with his employment at the (RGS).

"Mr Reid's involvement with BSES was a personal undertaking in his own time and he joined the BSES expedition this summer using his holiday time allowance."

The group was attacked while on a trip near Spitsbergen, in the Svalbard islands, and were part of a larger group of around 80 people.

The BSES's Mr Watson added: "We and the Norwegian authorities are currently establishing the full circumstances of his tragic death and will not be releasing this until we have discussed it with the family."

He later said the expedition had been called off and all members would be brought home.

"This tragic incident has affected everyone involved and we believe ending the expedition is the appropriate decision to make," he said.

The victims were staying in a campsite containing 13 people which was attacked by the bear.

A helicopter photographed shocked survivors at the site, in an area covered by glacial rubble, where tents were pinned down by large rocks.

In an interview with ITV Channel Television Patrick Flinders said he was inspired by the BSES to make the trip after they gave a talk at his school.

Mr Flinders, from Jersey, tried to fend off the bear but was injured when it lashed out.

"It was an organised group. They had a camp set up and this attack happened in the camp," he said.

A spokeswoman for the governor of Svalbard said explorers usually set up trip wires which fires off a rocket if animals enter the camp.

British ambassador to Norway, Jane Owen, said the group had taken adequate precautions to minimise risks and increase safety.

The attack took place near the Von Post glacier and it is believed the expedition group undertook firearm training prior to the incident.

After the attack the group alerted authorities by a satellite phone.

The deputy governor Lars Erik Alfheim told Sky News: "We deployed a helicopter with medical and police personnel, upon arrival one person was declared dead and four people injured.

The injured are being treated at University hospital in Tromso, and the British ambassador has travelled to the area.

The trip which began on July 23, was due to continue until August 28.

Kyle Gouveia returned early from the trip due to frost-nip.

Speaking to Sky News, he described the group as a "friendly bunch" and said he had not seen any polar bears on the trip.

In a statement, Norwegian authorities said the bear, which weighed 250kg, had been shot dead before it was transported back to a nearby base.

Earlier this year the governor of Svalbard issued a warning about the animals after several were spotted close to Longyearbyen, the nearest major town.

:: If you are concerned about a relative's safety you can call +47 7902 4305 or +47 7902 4302

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Sex Abuse: Missing Files 'Probably Destroyed'

Sex Abuse Inquiries: The Unanswered Questions

Updated: 7:52pm UK, Monday 07 July 2014

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Theresa May went a long way to satisfying MPs' demands for a wide-ranging inquiry into child sex abuse allegations.

But there are still plenty of unanswered questions arising out of the affair and the so-called "Dickens dossier" presented to then-home secretary Lord Brittan in 1983.

In fact, the Home Secretary told MPs there was no such thing as a "single Dickens dossier", despite Lord Brittan confirming last week that the late Tory MP went to him with a "substantial bundle of papers".

Mrs May has set up two inquiries, the first a "review of a review", as she put it, to look into an investigation carried out by her permanent secretary, Mark Sedwill, last year.

The second is a much wider inquiry carried out by a panel of experts into allegations of abuse which the Home Secretary said could become a full public inquiry like that into the Hillsborough disaster.

According to Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, Mrs May had "changed her position" by bowing to the demands from MPs led by the Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, who exposed the activities of Cyril Smith.

The Government denies charges of a U-turn, of course. But it's significant that her widely welcomed announcement followed talks with the Prime Minister on Sunday.

All the signs are that David Cameron ordered her to agree to a wide-ranging investigation. It was Number 10, after all, that announced on Sunday evening that the Home Secretary would make a Commons statement.

The unanswered questions will now be put to Mr Sedwill when he gives evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, exactly a week after Mr Danczuk challenged Leon Brittan's handling of the Geoffrey Dickens allegations.

"The Committee will be interested to hear what has happened to the missing files, understand further details of the review Mr Sedwill has set up, including how this fits into the Home Secretary's inquiry, and why the Committee were not directly informed about the original investigation beforehand," said Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee.

Let's take those one by one:

:: The missing files

This was the issue that most exercised MPs of all parties during questions following Mrs May's Commons statement.

Mr Sedwill has admitted 114 files are missing. Until he provides satisfactory answers about what happened to them, conspiracy theorists will cry, "cover-up!"

:: The Home Office review

Presumably Mr Vaz is referring to the review which will now be carried out by Peter Wanless, the NSPCC chief, into what happened when Mr Sedwill carried out a review last year in response to parliamentary questions from Labour MP Tom Watson.

:: The Home Secretary's inquiry

This is all a bit vague so far. We don't yet know who will lead it and what form it will take.

It sounded from her statement as though the Home Secretary hasn't decided this yet and may not even have found a chairman or chairwoman yet.

:: Why was the Home Affairs Select Committee not told in advance about the original inquiry?

This sounds a bit like Mr Vaz being self-important. But he may have a good point if the Home Secretary was trying to hush up the inquiry or keep it secret from MPs.

But let's ask a fifth question, not posed by Mr Vaz, but by Labour MP Lisa Nandy and Tory MP Mark Reckless in the Commons earlier:

:: How much did Government and Opposition whips know about the sex abuse allegations? 

Whips often boast about their "little black book", containing colourful details of MPs' sexual exploits.

Will they be asked to spill the beans? Almost certainly not.

John Wakeham, Margaret Thatcher's great fixer and now in the Lords, was Tory Chief Whip from 1983-87 and Derek Foster, also now in the Lords, was Labour's Chief Whip.

Knowing the inscrutable Lord Wakeham as I do, I'd be very surprised if he were to reveal the secrets of the "little black book".

But whether or not Theresa May was ordered by the PM to bow to pressure from MPs, with her skilful and adept handling of the rapidly escalating child abuse crisis she has defused the tension for now.

But the allegations won't go away and if either inquiry uncovers some explosive discoveries, the Home Secretary - and her Tory predecessor Leon Brittan - will have more uncomfortable questions to answer.

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Polar Bear Killed Teen As He Struggled To Escape

A polar bear ripped through a teenager's tent, dragged him out and killed him as he struggled to free, an inquest has heard.

Eton schoolboy Horatio Chapple, 17, died during a British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) trip to Svalbard, Norway, in August 2011.

The inquest heard from his father, David, who revealed he had discussed the risks of a polar bear attack with Horatio before he and 12 other teenagers set off.

The family were given a risk assessment, Mr Chapple said, which reassured them there would be trip wires, bear watches and flares to protect against an attack.

The bear was eventually shot dead and airlifted from the scene

Hortatio's mother, Olivia, added: "I believed and trusted all the things they listed would happen. Otherwise I wouldn't have let Horatio go."

Sir David Steel described the incident, which took place at 7.30am and "lasted no more than a few minutes", in his report commissioned by the BSES.

He described how the bear had approached through the north-western side of the trip-wire system but none of the warning mines had exploded.

Eton schoolboy Horatio Chapple wanted to be a doctor

The report, in which names have been replaced with coded letters, said: "It would appear likely that the bear must have ripped open the tent on Horatio's side. It then dragged Horatio out causing serious, indeed, probably mortal wounds to his head.

"The screaming and shouts of 'bear' woke the rest of the camp.

"L2 emerged from the Leaders' tent at about the same time though not yet armed with a rifle. Horatio appeared to try and sit up or even attempt to stand whereupon the bear reared up and slammed into him. He fell to the ground. He was not seen to move again."

In the meantime, one of the group leaders tried to shoot the bear - but "on each occasion a bullet was ejected on to the ground leaving the rifle empty".

The bear then mauled the leader before being deterred by a stone and eventually shot dead.

A post-mortem examination on Horatio concluded that his death was caused by "extensive soft tissue and bone injuries to the face and neck including destruction of the right facial artery".

The camp where the attack happened

Sir David went on to praise the group members for their "great courage".

But he criticised the reliance on a trip-wire warning system and advised the adoption of a bear watch and an overhaul of rifle training to prevent future tragedies.

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Five Arrested Over Fake Government Websites

Five people have been arrested over fake Government websites created to con people out of money.

People trying to order official documents such as passports and car tax discs have fallen victim to fraudsters who have mocked up sites.

Almost 6,000 complaints about the sites have been made to Citizens Advice.

The arrests were made under the Fraud Act and consumer protection laws. Those detained are now on police bail.

Lord Harris, chairman of the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB), said his team is "making it as difficult as possible for these online hoaxers to operate".

"We have been working with search engines such as Google and Bing to remove adverts from online search results and we continue to gather intelligence across the country to help tackle this issue," he added.

"We urge you to avoid unofficial websites which could leave you out of pocket or at risk of identity theft. Only use the GOV.UK website to find Government services. If you come across copycat websites, report them to Citizens Advice."

The fraudsters use URLs with words such as govuk and directgov in them, to appear similar to the official sites.

Martin Lewis, creator of the consumer financial advice site MoneySavingExpert, urged people to go directly to the official Government site, rather than using search engines.

He said: "Copycat websites disguise themselves as the real thing, but charge you for a useless service. I've lost count of the number of people who contact me upset and want to know how to get their cash back."

Consumer Affairs minister Jo Swinson said: "It's great that it's becoming easier and more common to use the internet to order official documents such as passports or tax discs, but people should be aware of rogue websites that are out there trying to exploit them."

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Channel Tunnel Passengers Evacuated From Train

Hundreds of passengers have been evacuated from a broken-down train inside the Channel Tunnel, causing delays of up to four hours for other services.

The Eurotunnel shuttle train, which was heading to France, came to a halt around 7.30am, seven miles into the 30-mile long tunnel.

It stopped after a problem with the overhead power line.

Some 382 passengers and four dogs were taken off the train and then transferred to the French terminal where they waited for it to be brought out of the tunnel so they could get their cars back.

Passengers were transferred to the French terminal. Pic: Richard Byrom

Services using the one unblocked passenger tunnel were able to continue.

But Eurotunnel warned services were delayed, with hold-ups possibly lasting for the rest of the day.

The company said in a statement: "Our passenger service is currently operating with some timetable disruption. This is due to an incident in the tunnel which is in the process of being resolved."

For people travelling from its UK terminal in Folkestone, Kent, there was a waiting time of around 90 minutes.

For those going from its French terminal in Calais, there was a waiting time of about two-and-a-half hours before check-in and 90 minutes on the terminal.

It added: "We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this will cause to your journey. "

The company carries passengers in vehicles on board trains between Folkestone and Calais.

Eurostar, which does not take cars, said if journeys were not essential passengers would be able to exchange tickets, free of charge, to another available service within the next four months.

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7/7 Memorial Defaced On Anniversary Of Attacks

The memorial commemorating the victims of the London bombings has been defaced nine years to the day after the rush-hour attacks.

A series of slogans was found stencilled on to the stainless steel columns in Hyde Park, hours before a ceremony marking the ninth anniversary of the attacks got under way.

One, written in vivid red paint, said: "Blair Lied Thousands Died."

Another read: "4 Innocent Muslims," in an apparent reference to the four suicide bombers who struck London's transit system on July 7, 2005.

The al Qaeda-inspired attack left dozens of people dead and hundreds injured.

A spokesman for the Royal Parks said the graffiti was cleared before survivors and relatives gathered for the memorial ceremony.

The prime minister has sent flowers to be placed at the monument

She said: "We found it this morning. It has now been removed and the memorial can go ahead as planned. Obviously, we are very disappointed."

The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into the damage which Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman described as "deplorable".

A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain also spoke out against the incident.

He said: "This is a shocking case of vandalism which we condemn, 7/7 is an atrocity etched on all our minds, and Muslims joined fellow Britons in speaking out against this terrorism.

"This monument to those who lost their lives should be considered as a point of solemn reflection and unity for us all."

The 11.5ft (3.5m) columns remember each of the 52 people who were killed in the simultaneous attacks.

They are clustered into four groups, symbolising the four locations of the bombings - Tavistock Square, Edgware Road, King's Cross and Aldgate.

The monument was unveiled in 2009 at a ceremony attended by the Prince of Wales and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Police have urged anyone with any information regarding the vandalism to call 101.

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City Of Cycling Sends Le Tour On Its Way

Crowds lined the streets of Cambridge to watch the start of the third stage of the Tour De France on its final day in the UK.

After a weekend that saw over two-and-a-half million spectators supporting the riders in Yorkshire, the East Anglian city has been criticised for not extending a warmer welcome to the biggest cycle race on Earth.

Unlike many Northern towns, Cambridge was notably short of the welcome banners and homemade decorations sported by so many homes in Yorkshire as its stage of the race was being held on a weekday.

But this is a city with more bikes per square mile than anywhere else in Britain, and with its ancient colleges bathed in summer sunshine, the excitement mounted as the team buses negotiated the narrow streets.

Many schools in the area closed for the day to let pupils watch some of the finest names in cycling pass through their neighbourhoods en route to London.

And by the time the race got under way, crowds were four deep in much of the city and the only complaint then from spectators was that it was too busy.

Locals hung out of windows and climbed into roofs to get a decent view of the action. 

Eleven-year-old Tom Field from Dunstable was determined to catch a glimpse of his hero.

"I'm here to see Chris Froome," he said. "I love cycling and seeing the Tour here inspires me to try and get as good as them."

But one family from Bury St Edmunds who had followed the Tour down from Yorkshire felt Cambridge could have done more to welcome the riders.

"In Harrogate the streets were packed seven hours before the race arrived. I don't think they've embraced the Tour here in the same way Yorkshire did," Trevor Slark-Hollis, watching alongside his wife and three young children, said.

The Tour's director Christian Prudhomme told Sky News he was thrilled to be in a city with "cycling in its DNA".

"Cambridge to London is a prestigious stage - it's a great day for us," he said. "But what we saw in Yorkshire exceeded our wildest expectations. We will be back."

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Hamilton Wins On Silverstone's 50th Anniversary

British Formula 1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton has won the British Grand Prix - as Silverstone celebrates its 50th race.

The former world champion sped across the line some 28 seconds ahead of second place Valtteri Bottas after his main rival and teammate Nico Rosberg dropped out after suffering gear box problems.

Britain's Jenson Button came fourth, just 0.8 seconds behind Australian Daniel Ricciardo, on whom he was gaining before they both crossed the finish line.

Hamilton was heard saying over his cockpit radio: "England! What a great feeling guys - I couldn't be happier" before stopping his car and hugging his team mates.

Tens of thousands of supporters cheered as he crossed the line and later took to the podium for the national anthem.

Lewis Hamilton celebrates after winning the British Grand Prix

Hamilton is the first British winner of the Silverstone Grand Prix since 2008, when he won the event for the first time.

His win takes him to within four points of his main rival in the Formula 1 Drivers' Championship, team mate Nico Rosberg, whose lead had looked increasingly secure.

Silverstone hosted its first Grand Prix in 1948

The result was tough for Jensen Button who had started the race in third place and has yet to score a podium place at his home Grand Prix event.

The start of the race began in dramatic fashion, with a red flag brought out by the marshals following a crash after only one lap.

Button restarted the race in second, with Hamilton fourth.

Today Silverstone contributes £9bn to the British economy

Hamilton's win came on a day when Formula 1 legends descended on the motor racing circuit for a special parade to mark the 50th Grand Prix at the world famous Northamptonshire track.

Nigel Mansell and Emerson Fittipaldi were among the F1 heroes to take part in front of a bumper crowd.

The first British Grand Prix at the track was won in 1948 by Italian driver Luigi Villoresi in a Maserati.

Two years later, the World Championship was founded and Silverstone was given the honour of staging the first round, with a huge crowd of 150,000 turning out, only for star attraction Juan Manuel Fangio to break down mid-race.

The first ever British winner was Peter Collins in 1958, whose victory came just weeks before his death in the German Grand Prix.

Nine other Britons have won at Silverstone.

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New Airport Security Checks 'Unavoidable'

Airlines To Scrutinise Smartphones Amid Threat

Updated: 8:12am UK, Friday 04 July 2014

Airlines with direct flights to the US have been told to tighten their screening of mobile phones amid fears terrorists could use them in bomb attacks.

US officials singled out Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy handsets for extra security checks.

They will apply to US-bound direct flights from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the officials said.

The new precautions come in response to requests from US authorities, who fear attacks on planes flying to America.

US security officials said they fear bomb makers from the Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have worked out how to turn the phones into explosive devices which can avoid detection.

They also are concerned that hard-to-detect bombs could be built into shoes.

A US official said that other electronic devices carried by passengers also are likely to receive more intense scrutiny.

Airlines or airport operators that fail to strengthen security could face bans on flights entering the US.

On Thursday, the US Homeland Security Department announced on plans to step up general security checks, but offered few details on how airlines and airports will implement them.

An official familiar with the issues said the US believes that while it is possible there may be some additional delays at security checkpoints, at most major airports passengers will not be seriously inconvenienced.

The official said most passengers taking long-distance flights arrive well in advance of scheduled departures, leaving time for extra screening.

But he said the US could not rule out disruptions in countries where airport infrastructure and security procedures are less sophisticated.

In the UK, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the additional security was not expected to cause "significant" disruption to flights.

He told Sky News: "There will be extra security checks but they will be made in the course of events people already go through and I hope there will not be significant delays."

But British aviation security expert Philip Baum said heightened security will inevitably mean longer queues and increased waiting times to board flights at UK airports.

"It will mean (more) random searches, secondary searches and an increase in the number of passengers asked to remove shoes and possibly all passengers being asked to remove shoes if they're going on certain flights," he said.

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Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic Wins Men's Title

Novak Djokovic has defeated Roger Federer in the men's singles final on Wimbledon's Centre Court.

After losing the first set in a tie-breaker, the Serbian fought back to defeat his Swiss opponent 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4.

The victory - which is Djokovic's second at Wimbledon, and his seventh Grand Slam win - sees the 27-year-old return to number one in the world rankings.

It also denied the 32-year-old Federer the chance to take a record-breaking eighth win at the All England Club.

More follows...

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Scotland Moves To Slash Drink-Drive Limit

By Niall Paterson, Scotland Correspondent

Drinking a pint or a single glass of wine could soon put you over the legal driving limit in Scotland, under proposals due to reach the Scottish Parliament in the next few weeks.

Currently more than 80mg of alcohol in the bloodstream per 100ml would make you a drunk driver - the Scottish Government wants to reduce that to 50mg.

That would bring Scotland into line with Germany, France and Spain - but create a situation where crossing the Scottish border after consuming one drink could lead to a drink-driving conviction.

Thirty people are killed on Scottish roads each year as a result of alcohol, and 150 seriously injured.

Across Scotland almost 7,500 people are convicted of drink-driving offences each year.

First Minister Alex Salmond recently branded Scotland a "nation of drunks".

A pint of beer could be enough to push drivers in Scotland over the limit

The proposals have been welcomed by many families of those injured or killed by drunk drivers.

Stacey Muldoon, a 23-year-old mother from Lanarkshire, was killed in 2008 when the driver of the car taking her home from a night out crashed into a lamppost.

He was later found to be twice over the legal limit. Her sister, Leigh Payne, believes lowering the limit will in future prevent many other deaths.

"We're coming into line with most of Europe and some of America", Ms Payne told Sky News.

"We've done loads of research and definitely bringing it down to 50mg is the way to go.

"I think that people will now realise that it's not acceptable to have a drink . Physically ordering a drink and drinking it with your dinner you cannot do with 50mg.

Stacey Muldoon died in a car where the driver was over the limit

"Stacey left a twin sister, Kelly. She left two wee girls. They are now 10 and eight. My mum and dad have lost something they can never get back."

The Scottish Government says lowering the limit is a priority. Yet it has been two years since it first consulted on the issue and, as a devolved matter, it does not require legislative action by Westminster.

There has been resistance from the alcohol and pub sector. 

"I think it will lead to loss of business," says Bridgit Simmons, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association.

"Of course pubs serve many soft drinks, there's been a growth in coffee, people eat there, but inevitably people do go to the pub to have one drink...

Bridgit Simmons is concerned the change will damage business for pubs

"They've understood what they can do until now but confusion will mean they just won't go out, and that's of concern to us."

The Scottish Government said it hopes to introduce a bill affecting the change some time in August.

A spokesperson said: "We are working with Police Scotland and the UK Government to prepare for a lower limit, including obtaining the necessary type approvals for the devices used by the police to test drivers. 

"As a lower limit cannot be brought in until the necessary approvals are obtained through the UK Government, we have made clear to the UK Government that we view introducing a lower limit in Scotland as a key priority which we want to introduce as soon as possible."

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Two Men Escape From Open Prison In Lancashire

Two inmates - one serving a sentence for firearms offences - are on the run after escaping from an open prison in Lancashire.

Philip Stephenson, 33, and Gareth Robinson, 24, both from the Oldham area, fled together from HMP Kirkham on Saturday.

Robinson was in prison for burglary, Greater Manchester Police said.

Stephenson, according to the Oldham Chronicle, had been charged with selling or transferring an illegal firearm and possession of ammunition.

They are believed to have got into a silver Volkswagen Golf before heading in the direction of Oldham.

Anyone who offers the men help has been warned they may face action themselves.

Detective Chief Inspector John Mazzolai said: "Neither of these men has been seen since they escaped from prison on Saturday.

"They are not to be approached by members of the public, but if anyone sees them or knows of their whereabouts, please contact GMP on 101 immediately.

"If you would prefer to pass on information anonymously, then you can do this by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

"I would also like to remind people that if anyone is found to be assisting or harbouring these wanted men, they too will face being arrested and a possible prison sentence of their own. So please get in touch if you know where they are."

Open prisons have sparked controversy in recent months after a spate of incidents when inmates have gone on the run.

In the most high-profile case, Michael Wheatley, who is known as the "Skull Cracker", carried out a raid on a building society while on the run from HMP Standford Hill in Kent in May.

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