Weather: Hot Spell Set To Last Rest Of Week

The hot weather is set to continue until at least the weekend with Wednesday expected to be another contender for the hottest day of the year.

Sky News Weather Producer Joanna Robinson said: "The summery spell is set to continue for many this week, with temperatures rising further over the next couple of days.

"Wednesday looks to be the hottest day of the week, with temperatures widely in the high twenties across England and Wales.

"In fact, 32 or 33C (91.4F) is possible across southeast England, which would be the highest temperature of the year so far."

Scotland and Ireland are forecast to see a more gradual rise in temperature, reaching the mid to high twenties by the end of the week.

Millions of people have been outside taking advantage of the sunshine

Northwest Scotland will be the main exception to the hot weather, where it will be relatively cloudy and cool with rain at times.

Last week's blazing temperatures peaked on Saturday with the mercury hitting 31.9C (89.4F) in Southampton - making it the hottest day of the year and the hottest day in July since 2006.

Sunday was another scorcher with temperatures into the high 20s in many regions and the Met Office issued a level three heatwave alert for southwest England.

But the soaring temperatures are still some way off the highest ever recorded in the UK, which stands at 38.5C (101.3F) - at Faversham in Kent on August 10, 2003.

The latest heatwave has seen shoppers spend thousands of pounds on the high street and online, buying barbecues, food, sunscreen and garden furniture.

Emergency services have warned about the dangers of swimming in open water

Paddling pool sales are up 816%, said online retailer Amazon, while Tesco predicted a sausage surge of nine million bangers over the weekend.

But the searing heat has prompted warnings from health authorities urging the public to take care in the potentially "dangerous" conditions.

And with people taking to the water to cool off, emergency services have warned against swimming in lakes and quarries after three people died in the West Midlands in the last week.

"Please think twice about going into open water," said Commander George Marshall, of Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.

"If you must take a dip please do it in the safety of a public swimming pool where there are lifeguards on duty."

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Murder Victim 'Tried To Help Paedophile'

CCTV images have been released as police hunt an "extremely dangerous man" over the murder of a pensioner.

Graham Buck may have died trying to help his neighbour, believed to be convicted paedophile Francis Cory-Wright, who was apparently being attacked at his home.

Police urgently want to speak to Ian John McLoughlin, also known as Ian John Baker, in connection with the killing in Little Gaddesden, near Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire on Saturday afternoon.

Police are trying to trace McLoughlin

They have released images, thought to be of 55-year-old Mr McLoughlin, to highlight the clothes he was wearing on the day of the murder.

The suspect is described as being a white male, around 6ft tall with greying hair.

He was believed to be wearing sunglasses, blue jeans and a dark, blue, light blue and white checked short sleeved shirt with a button down collar. He is of average build.

Mr Buck, 66, was found dead at the scene by police while Cory-Wright was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Francis Cory-Wright was thought to have been attacked in his home

DCI Martin Branning from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit said: "We would like to reiterate that we continue to search for an extremely dangerous man and our focus is on finding Ian McLoughlin as soon as possible.

"The nature of this murder investigation is one of significant violence and until he is caught the public are asked not to approach him as he is a very dangerous man."

Officers have been conducting additional patrols in the "quiet residential" area to provide reassurance to residents.

In November 2011, Cory-Wright was jailed for 30 months for indecently assaulting a young boy in the 1970s.

:: Anyone with information should contact police on 101, quoting Operation Acaria, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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New London Airport Shortlist Revealed

By Enda Brady, Sky News Correspondent

Boris Johnson has unveiled a shortlist of three locations on which a new London airport will be built.

He put forward his outer Thames Estuary, artificial island plan - dubbed "Boris Island" - for a new four-runway hub airport in a report published on Monday.

He also said that a new, four-runway airport on the Isle of Grain on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent - a plan already outlined by architect Lord Foster - should be considered and was his first choice.

And Mr Johnson's third proposal for a four-runway hub would be at Stansted in Essex, where the existing airport would be expanded.

Mr Johnson's plans, which rule out expansion at Heathrow airport in west London, will be submitted later this week to the Government-appointed Airport Commission headed by Sir Howard Davies.

A list of 20 options were whittled down to the final three.

Mr Johnson said that a new hub airport would be able to support more than 375,000 new jobs by 2050 and add £742bn to the value of goods and services produced in the UK.

He said a new hub airport could be delivered by 2029, with a hybrid bill being passed by parliament to secure approval for the airport, the surface access and the acquisition of Heathrow.

He also wants to shut Heathrow at a cost of £15bn and create a new London borough for 250,000 residents, with housing and a university.

"This is a global race and we can still win it," Mr Johnson told reporters as he unveiled the plans at City Hall.

"Ambitious cities all over the world are stealing a march on us and putting themselves in a position to eat London's breakfast, lunch and dinner by constructing major airports that plug them directly into the global supply chains that we need to be part of.

"Those cities have moved heaven and earth to locate their airports away from major centres of population in areas where they have been able to build airports with four runways or more."

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British Woman Dies Swimming English Channel

A British woman has died after collapsing while attempting to swim across the English Channel.

Having set off in the early hours of Sunday, married accountant Susan Taylor was just a mile off the coast of France, near Sangatte.

The 34-year-old was pulled from the water by her paramedic brother David, who then battled to save her life on the boat accompanying her attempt. The support team alerted French emergency services and requested a defibrillator.

She was airlifted by a French naval helicopter to a hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer, where she was pronounced dead at 7.15pm on Sunday.

Tributes were left on Mrs Taylor's Create A Ripple Channel Swim page

Speaking at the family home, Mrs Taylor's father, 68-year-old Arthur Wright, said: "I'm devastated. I've lost the best person in the world. She was just wonderful.

"She had swum 30 miles and she got to the last part and that's when it happened. That's as much as I know."

He said the family had celebrated Mrs Taylor's birthday and her brother's birthday at a restaurant last Thursday and that he last saw his daughter on Friday night.

"I saw her to say I hope it goes well and gave her a kiss," he said.

Mr Wright said his daughter had given up her full-time job to carry out charitable work and was working part-time as an accountant.

She had also done wing-walking and a parachute jump, and was a qualified rally driver.

"She was certainly not a boring accountant," he said.

The tracker map showing Mrs Taylor's progress stopped near the French coast

Also on the boat was Mrs Taylor's husband Stephen, her coach who has been training her since she was eight years old, and a support swimmer.

She had been attempting to raise money for Rainbows Hospice and Diabetes UK through her Facebook page Create A Ripple Channel Swim.

A message apparently posted by her sister on the page said: "Thank you for your messages of support. If you would like to leave a sign of respect please feel free to donate to her fund raising page."

She set off from Samphire Hoe at around 1am on Sunday and weather conditions were reported to be relatively good when she encountered difficulties, with water temperatures of 15C.

Mrs Taylor before starting her swim (pic: Create A Ripple Channel Swim)

Posts on her Facebook page show supporters began to fear for Mrs Taylor at around 9pm.

Sarah Taylor wrote: "Any news Susan Taylor? Can't seem to get any track since 6.30? Xxxxxxxx."

A short time later, Clare Biddle posted: "Hope all is ok?? Tracker has stopped!! Susan you are a star xxx."

At around 11pm, a user called Maverick Marc Richardson wrote: "What's going on no news and tracker doesn't look good."

The messages reflected mounting concerns among her supporters, with Lauren Boat writing at 10am today: "Really hope your OK Susan, thinking of you xx."

More than 100 comments followed within an hour of the message from Mrs Taylor's sister.

One post, from Rebecca Adie-Drackley, said: "RIP Susan. Swimming was your life all through school from Barwell Infants we all grew up together. I am so sad I cannot think of any words at this time. God bless you, it was an honour to grow up with you xxx."

Mrs Taylor's crossing was being overseen by the Channel Swimming Association, one of the two official British organisations who authorise the attempts.

Dr Julie Bradshaw, secretary of the association, told Sky News: "Susan was a bubbly person, full of life and always doing things for other people."

Kevin Murphy, who is secretary of the other official body, the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation (CS&PF), oversaw Mrs Taylor's six-hour assessment swim - which everyone attempting to swim the Channel must undertake.

He told Sky News: "She was a very nice woman, a very good swimmer and we're all very upset.

"I got to know her while overseeing her assessment swim. It is an extreme sport but has a safety record that is second to none among extreme sports. Both the official organisations work within the strictest of conditions in terms of safety.

"Susan has passed away doing something she loved and raising money for two fantastic causes. I would hope people recognise that and feel moved to donate money to those causes in her memory."

He said the zig-zag pattern on the tracker charting her progress was normal and reflected the tidal flows that affect swimmers' routes during the attempts.

Mrs Taylor is the eighth person to die while trying to swim the channel since the first recorded attempt in 1875.

Geoff Ellis, chief executive at Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People, said: "Susan was a wonderful woman who would do anything for anybody.

"She has been a much loved ambassador at Rainbows for over two years, helping out at events and tirelessly fundraising for us.

"She was more than an ambassador; she was part of the Rainbows family."

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Soldiers Died 'On First Day Of SAS Assessment'

Two TA soldiers who died while attempting to get into the special forces were on the first day of a week-long assessment when they collapsed with suspected heat exhaustion, according to Sky sources.

Police are investigating the deaths of the two servicemen on the hottest day of the year while a third serviceman is in a serious condition in hospital. The Ministry of Defence has named one of the servicemen as Lance Corporal Craig Roberts.

The three were part of a group training in the Brecon Beacons, some of Wales' most rugged terrain, on Saturday when temperatures topped 29.5C (85.1F).

It is understood that the men were on the first day of a week-long assessment as part of the Territorial Army section of the SAS.

The selection process was running alongside regular SAS trials and has now been abandoned due to the deaths.

For the regular version of the special forces elite, the trials would involve a 40-mile speed march with about 55lb on their backs, including a replica rifle, normally completed over a 20-hour period.

It is likely that the process would be slightly reduced for the reservist version or split up, but nevertheless gruelling.

Sky News Defence Correspondent Alistair Bunkall said the "very rigorous selection process" would have meant "long yomping walks carrying an awful lot of weight".

Police are investigating the deaths

With military sources indicating soaring temperatures may have been to blame for their deaths, Bunkall added that the investigation into their deaths was like to focus on the climate and whether enough preparations were put in place.

Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British troops in Afghanistan, pointed out the difference between the selection processes for the regular Army and the special forces, where the onus is on individual achievement and self-motivation.

He told Sky News: "The Army relies a lot on the buddy-buddy system, in other words of either a commander or fellow soldier looking out for their mates to see if they are exhibiting any symptoms of heat illness.

"Of course if they are doing SAS selection ... then a lot of that is done as individuals."

Chris Hunter, a former special forces bomb disposal officer who was training for a marathon on the Brecon Beacons over the weekend, told Sky News that every member of the armed forces is taught how to survive in extreme heat as soon as they join up - using techniques such as carrying lots of water, rehydrating with salts and adding and removing layers of clothing as necessary.

But he added: "Of course when they are trying to meet very tight timelines, carrying lots of equipment, literally speed marching up the mountains, running down them and navigating at the same time it can be quite difficult to do so."

Mr Hunter said a medical assessment by a doctor is always carried out before "any extreme training" and "the individual soldiers would certainly have been physically fit".

The Ministry of Defence and police are both investigating what happened. The soldiers' families have been informed.

The MoD has refused to confirm that the three were members of the TA aspiring to join the reservists' branch of the SAS.

And a spokesman said there are no plans to change "routine exercises" in light of the incident.

The Brecon Beacons is one of several locations British military use as part of their training. The deaths occurred near the Storey Arms activity centre.

The area's rugged and sprawling terrain helps prepare soldiers physically and mentally for warfare as well as put their logistic skills to the test, making it an ideal area for elite forces personnel like the SAS.

However the Beacons' jagged topography can prove dangerous even to the most hardened and physically fit.

Earlier this year, an army captain was found dead on a snow-covered Corn Du mountain.

It was thought that Rob Carnegie had been taking part in a gruelling 17-40 mile march in freezing conditions in the Brecon Beacons as part of a selection process for the special forces regiment, when he collapsed and died.

However, this time investigators are examining whether hot temperatures played a major factor.

The soldiers who died were thought to be trying out for the SAS

A source said: "It is a case of the people succumbing to being affected by the training that they were doing."

The Army's website said the Brecon Beacons were used because they are so demanding and prepare soldiers for the "extraordinary things" they have to do on deployment.

The website says: "Training for high-intensity, light-role war fighting is the way soldiers and officers are prepared for any operational situation they may face - conventional war, counter insurgency, security sector reform, peacekeeping or supporting civil authorities.

"This ensures that the training is as close to current operations and pre-deployment training as possible, whilst maintaining the ability to train for high intensity war fighting."

News of the deaths has been met with shock in the nearby town of Brecon, which is home to The Infantry Battle School.

Brecon mayor and Powys county councillor Matthew Dorrance said: "It's incredibly sad for the friends and family of the people who have lost their lives and our thoughts are with the person who is injured.

"In one way we've been blessed with the weather but for people working in this heat, they're tough conditions."

Members of all four of South Wales' mountain rescue teams said they had been called out to assist when the two servicemen died.

Thirty members of Central Beacons, Brecon, Western Beacons and Abergavenny-based Longtown Mountain Rescue Teams joined the operation near Pen y Fan, which is the highest mountain in south Wales.

Mark Moran, from Central Beacons MRT, paid tribute to its members who took part in the rescue operation.

"They are all volunteers, who are highly trained and dedicated" he said.

"We were working alongside military personnel who remained extremely calm and professional during this tragic incident. Our thoughts are now with the families of those involved."

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Manchester Firefighter Was 'Loving' Father

The firefighter killed tackling a blaze in Manchester has been remembered as "loving" father who made his family proud.

Father-of-two Stephen Hunt was part of a team responding to a fire at Paul's Hair World in Oldham Street, in Manchester city centre, when he and a colleague got into difficulties last night.

Both were rescued by firefighters and taken to hospital, but the 38-year-old Mr Hunt died.

Stephen Hunt was a father-of-two

His family said in a statement: "It is extremely hard to capture all of what Stephen means to our family.

"Stephen was an old fashioned gentleman with manners that are rare in this day and age. With core values which included loving his family, being the best father that he could be, loving and affectionate to those that were close to him.

"Stephen lived to serve his country having served for 7 years in the Royal Signals and then becoming a firefighter, which was a career that he was very proud of.

"The whole family will miss spending time with Stephen - none more so than his son, daughter and grandmother. We loved his sense of humour and are very proud of him and what he brought to our lives."

Two teenage girls arrested on suspicion of manslaughter have been released on bail. The two girls, both 15, have been bailed until September pending further investigation.

The fire began around 2.50pm on Saturday.

A second firefighter pulled from the blaze remains in hospital but his injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

The fire started in the store room of the shop

Both men got into trouble inside the building at around 8.35pm.

The fire, which started in the store room of the shop, has been particularly difficult to tackle due to the complex layout of the building and the amount of materials inside, a spokeswoman for the fire service said.

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Belfast: Police Arrest 13 People After Riots

Police have arrested 13 people following a second successive night of violence in parts of Belfast in Northern Ireland.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said 11 people had been arrested last night and two today.

Trouble flared in the north of the city on Friday as the Orange Order protested against the decision to ban a contentious July 12 parade from a north Belfast flashpoint.

It resumed on Saturday night, when petrol bombs, bricks, bottles and other missiles were thrown at officers on Woodvale Road.

Seven police officers were injured.

Over 30 police officers were injured in the first night of clashes

Police used plastic bullets against protesters, saying they fired the so-called attenuated energy projectiles (AEP) in the Woodvale area of north Belfast on Saturday night.

Water cannon were also deployed against demonstrators in several areas.

Sky News Ireland Correspondent David Blevins said: "For a second consecutive night police came under sustained attack.

"It is mainly from youths pelting police lines with bricks, bottles, masonry and fireworks.

Youths set fire to bins and threw objects at officers

"There has also been a number of petrol bombs."

The PSNI also responded to isolated incidents elsewhere in north Belfast, at Rosapenna Street and North Queen Street.

Police said the disorder in the Woodvale area was "sporadic", but said one officer was struck by a petrol bomb.

The PSNI said the officer had been examined by medical personnel and remained on duty.

The Woodvale Road and the Newtownards Road in east Belfast witnessed the worst violence on Friday, with 32 police officers injured.

Over 30 police officers were injured in the first night of clashes

MP for North Belfast Nigel Dodds was taken to hospital amid the clashes in Woodvale after being struck by a brick.

He was discharged from hospital on Saturday morning.

Around 400 extra police officers have been sent to Northern Ireland after the clashes.

More than 600 officers from forces in England, Scotland and Wales were already in the region supporting the PSNI operation.

On Saturday PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott condemned those responsible for the trouble.

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Royal Baby: Prince At Play As Wait Goes On

While the world awaits the birth of the royal baby, Prince William has taken time out to compete at a polo match.

The expectant father looked relaxed as he was joined by his brother Prince Harry at Cirencester Park Polo Club.

They chatted with onlookers and played on the same team in the charity Jerudong Trophy match. 

With press from around the world camped out outside St Mary's Hospital in London, the princes also took part in another charity polo match in Kent on Saturday.

Prince William has taken a couple of days off from his job as a search and rescue helicopter pilot, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.

The Duchess of Cambridge is due to give birth sometime in July, but the exact date has not been confirmed.

However, that has not stopped the media frenzy.

Bookmakers say most people have bet on a royal birth today, Monday or Tuesday.

When it does come, the birth will be announced by a bulletin posted on an easel outside Buckingham Palace. The news also will go out on Twitter.

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'Up To 13,000 Needless Deaths' In NHS Hospitals

Up to 13,000 people may have died needlessly in NHS hospitals since 2005, according to a report to be published in the coming days.

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS's medical director, will expose failings in 14 of the worst trusts in England.

He was commissioned by the Government to look into hospitals with high mortality rates after the scandal at Stafford Hospital.

The report, to be released on Tuesday, will criticise care standards and management failures, fuelling concerns about a problem with the NHS's culture where whistleblowers are afraid to speak out and regulators often fail to do their job.

It is expected to confirm fears that the 1,400 excess deaths at Mid Staffs were not a one-off.

The findings have prompted a political row with the Conservatives accusing current Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham of shouldering some of the responsibility.

Robert Francis QC issued a scathing report on Stafford hospital

One of the 14 trusts investigated, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation trust, had 1,600 more deaths than would have been expected in seven years, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

At Tameside - which is around half the size of Basildon - there were more than 830 excess deaths.

The study goes back before the Conservative government took over power from Labour. Andy Burnham was Labour's last Health Secretary from June 2009 until May 2010.

A source close to the Health Secretary told Sky News that Jeremy Hunt is likely to put several hospitals on special measures as a consequence of Sir Bruce's report and warning signs being missed over many years.

The Conservatives are seizing on the study to attack Mr Burnham, who was forced to defend his actions on Sky News' Murnaghan programme on Sunday.

It came after one of the contributors to the report, Professor Sir Brian Jarman, told Sky News that part of the blame resided with the last government.

Mr Burnham is expected to come under increasing pressure as the week goes on, despite the fact that he was just one of several health secretaries under Labour.

The report was commissioned in February by the Prime Minister after the results of the inquiry by Robert Francis QC into how the NHS failed to stop the Stafford hospital scandal happening.

The inquiry exposed appalling lapses in both the care of patients and the regulation of hospitals.

The 14 hospital trusts with the worse mortality rates over the last two years are Basildon and Thurrock, in Essex; United Lincolnshire; Blackpool, Lancs; The Dudley Group, West Midlands; George Eliot, Warwickshire; Northern Lincolnshire and Goole; Tameside, Greater Manchester; Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire; Colchester, Essex; Medway, Kent; Burton, Staffordshire; North Cumbria; East Lancashire; and Buckinghamshire Healthcare.

Jeremy Hunt is likely to put some hospitals on special measures

Sir Bruce examined not just mortality rates, but measurements including infection levels, the number of patients suffering from preventable and potentially fatal signs of neglect, and the numbers harmed by so-called "never events" such as operations on the wrong part of the body, or surgical instruments left inside a patient.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "We are not prepared to speculate about the contents of Sir Bruce's review, or our response to it. We've shown consistently that we expect the NHS to be accountable where things go wrong.

"That is why the Prime Minister ordered an investigation to get to the bottom of these issues."

Mr Burnham told Sky News' Murnaghan programme he would account for all decisions he made in office and defended his record.

The shadow health secretary said he had warned about a number of hospitals when he left office but that several of the hospitals involved had deteriorated since the coalition took over.

He said: "I will account for all of the things I did as secretary of state. I took actions to reveal what happened at Stafford, I took actions at Basildon, at Tameside, I left warnings in place on five hospitals.

"The Conservative Party briefed this week they were wanting to target me personally. That is what they are wanting to do."

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Brecon Beacons Military Deaths In Heatwave

Two soldiers have died during a training exercise on the Brecon Beacons in Wales, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The pair were among three army personnel thought to have been affected by heat exhaustion on Saturday, the hottest day of the year for many parts of the country.

A statement released by the MoD said: "The MoD can confirm that it is working with Dyfed Powys Police to investigate an incident during a training exercise on the Brecon Beacons on Saturday in which two members of military personnel died.

"The two servicemen's next of kin have been informed. More information will be released in due course but it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

Temperatures in the Brecons are normally cooled by the 600m (2,000ft) and higher elevations that military personnel train at but on Saturday temperatures in Usk in nearby Monmouthshire reached 29.2C (84.5F).

Sky News' Defence Correspondent Alistair Bunkall said sources had told him that two men had been "affected by conditions", with heat exhaustion thought to be involved.

All those affected were male, he said, and all were in the army. He said the MoD is releasing no details about what sort of training they were on.

Police confirmed a third man was taken to hospital and is in a serious condition.

The Brecon Beacons are well known as a training destination for both the regular army and for special forces like the Special Air Service.

The SAS has its regimental headquarters in nearby Hereford and the Army infantry has its Infantry Training Centre in the town of Brecon.

Earlier this year Army Captain Rob Carnegie was found dead on Corn Du mountain. He is thought to have been attempting a 17-40 mile march in freezing weather through the Brecon Beacons as part of a selection process for the Special Air Service.

The mountain range is among the highest in the UK, with peaks like Pen y Fan reaching 886m (2,907ft).

In winter, conditions are regularly gruelling, which army chiefs say mimic the toughest conditions soldiers may have to face.

:: Dyfed-Powys Police have been called to Cantref Reservoir, in the Brecon area, on Sunday afternoon after reports of a missing man. Searches are being carried out to locate the man.

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