Child Sex Gang Suspects Held In Police Raids

Police have arrested eight suspected members of a child sex gang during a series of dawn raids on several homes in Buckinghamshire.

The men, aged between 21 and 28, were held on suspicion of committing sexual offences against a girl.

Thames Valley Police said the girl, who is under 18, reported being abused between 2007 and 2012, but investigators believe other victims may have fallen prey to the same group and urged them to come forward.

"We believe that it is likely that there are more victims who have not yet spoken to the police and would like to encourage anyone who is a victim to come forward," said Detective Chief Inspector Vince Grey.

"Our number one priority is to protect the victims, both their identities and well-being in such cases."

The abuse of the girl began in 2007 when she was 12 years old, reports said.

Mr Grey praised the girl for speaking to the police, saying she had been "extremely brave and courageous".

"Obviously we can't imagine what she and other victims have gone through," Mr Grey said.

"She's come forward and she's indicated what offending has happened to her, who's been involved in that, and over what time period."

He added that the girl did not go into "great details in terms of other persons, but we believe in terms of what she told us that there will be other victims".

The arrests were part of an investigation lasting several months and some 100 police officers raided 10 homes in High Wycombe in the operation.

Police believe girls may have been groomed - when abusers make friends with potential victims - by members of the gang.

Mr Grey said grooming, which is a specific offence, can then turn "into an abusive relationship of some sort, which can lead to much more damaging exploitation and sexual offences taking place".

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Brooks And Coulson To Face New Charges

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Former Tory spin doctor Andy Coulson and ex-News International chief Rebekah Brooks face new criminal charges over bungs to public officials in return for stories used in the News Of The World and The Sun.

Coulson, who was editor of the NOTW at the time, and the paper's former royal correspondent Clive Goodman are charged with conspiring to pay for information about the royal family, including an internal phone directory known as the Green Book.

Brooks, who edited The Sun, and the paper's chief reporter John Kay are charged with conspiracy to pay Ministry of Defence employee Bettina Jordan Barber £100,000 for information that led to a series of stories in the newspaper.

Ms Barber faces the same charge.

Kay attended a north London police station on Tuesday morning and was charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. He was bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on November 29.

Solicitor Henri Brandman, who is representing Kay, said: "Neither my client nor I will be making any comment in respect of the matter at the present time."

Coulson pledged to fight the allegations that he is facing and said: "I am extremely disappointed by this latest CPS decision. I deny the allegations made against me and will fight the charges in court."

The charges follow Scotland Yard investigation Operation Elveden, which began in July last year and is likely to continue for many months.

So far, 52 people have been arrested, including 21 journalists from The Sun, armed forces staff and a prison official.

Before today, the only charge brought was against Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector April Casburn, accused of leaking information to the NOTW, which was closed by owner Rupert Murdoch 16 months ago in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.

DCI Casburn has denied the charge.

Two arrested suspects, an ex-police officer and a former journalist, were told recently that they would not face prosecution.

The five charged today are expected to appear in court in the next few weeks. The formal charge against them is conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, which could mean jail if convicted.

Coulson, Brooks and others have already been charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, over allegations they tried to cover up evidence of phone hacking.

In a news conference during a visit to Northern Ireland, Prime Minister David Cameron was queried on his judgment in both hiring Coulson and becoming a close friend to Brooks.

He said: "I've made it clear on many occasions about this issue and I've also said very clearly we should allow the police and prosecuting authorities to follow the evidence wherever it leads, and I think that is very, very important.

"But I think that, particularly as we get to a situation with pending court cases, that probably we should leave it at that."

Pushed further, and asked if it was embarrassing for him, Mr Cameron said: "I think, as I said, with impending court cases we should probably leave it at that."

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Energy Bills: Shake Up Could Push Up Cost

Families could end up paying more after a shake-up in energy prices because cheaper deals will be axed, experts have warned.

New Government plans are expected to force companies to offer just four tariffs per fuel and make them automatically shift customers onto the cheapest.

The tariffs would have to include a standard variable rate and a fixed price for a fixed term, then firms would be able to decide on another two.

Suppliers would be forced to offer one price for each of the options, although they could still offer discounts for dual fuel bills or those paying by direct debit.

The move is aimed to address long-standing concerns about soaring gas and electricity prices and fears the current array of tariffs means many people pay too much.

Energy Secretary Ed Davey

A consultation has now been launched and will run until January, with the Government aiming to have all customers on the cheapest deal by summer 2014 at the latest.

Details of the proposal come weeks after Prime Minister David Cameron sparked confusion by vowing in the Commons that firms would be forced to charge customers the lowest price.

Energy Secretary Ed Davey said: "For too long, people have been stuck on the wrong type of energy tariff, paying more than they need to.

"Our new proposals will make things much clearer and easier to understand so that bill payers can get the best deal and feel the benefits in their pockets."

The Prime Minister added via Twitter: "My promise to ensure energy customers get the lowest tariff is being delivered, despite Labour saying it couldn't be done."

It has been suggested the changes could save families hundreds of pounds a year, but industry figures say some may have to pay more.

They warn a simplification would lead to some of the cheapest offers currently available being axed, because firms will be far more limited.

Energy UK chief executive Angela Knight, representing the energy companies, admitted the shake-up would create a simpler system where people could switch provider more easily.

But she also told Sky News: "Some of the choices will reduce because you can't have a variety of choice, including tariffs that offer you a particularly low rate for a particular time."

Guy Newey, head of energy and environment at centre-right thinktank Policy Exchange, added: "Cutting the number of tariffs and forcing energy companies to put households on the 'best' rate could end cheap deals.

"This risks punishing families who do the right thing and shop around. There is a danger this move could see fewer people switching, reduce competition and therefore push up bills in the long term."

Corin Taylor, an adviser at the Institute of Directors, claimed the reforms "miss the point" because firms would just increase their lowest tariff to compensate.

He argued: "Instead, the Government should be promoting competition and making it easier for new companies to enter the energy market."

Mr Davey, speaking to Sky News, admitted he could not "guarantee" lower energy prices because they were dictated by the world gas market.

But he added: "What I can do is the very best for consumers by making sure we have simpler bills, more competition and help people save energy."

The coalition's plans follow a spate of price hikes among the UK's "big six" power firms, who control 99% of the domestic energy supply.

In October, SSE prices rose by 9%, then British Gas and Npower went up by 6% and around 9% respectively this month.

In December, Scottish Power will hike its bills by 7% and EDF by 10.8%. Meanwhile, German-owned E.ON has denied reports it is planning a 11% increase.

The firms all blame rising wholesale prices, which they say are out of their control.

One firm, Co-operative Energy, has bucked the trend by unveiling plans to slash its electricity charges by 2% from December 21.

Shadow energy and climate change secretary Caroline Flint said: "The cheapest deal in an uncompetitive market will still not be a good deal.

"Unless David Cameron stands up to vested interests in the energy market and creates a tough new watchdog with powers to force energy companies to pass on price cuts, his warm words will be cold comfort to people worried about paying their fuel bill this winter."

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UBS Rogue Trader Adoboli Jailed Over Fraud

A rogue trader who lost £1.4bn in bad deals that nearly brought down Swiss bank UBS has been jailed for seven years for fraud.

At one point during his run of losses, rising star City trader Kweku Adoboli stood to run up losses of £7.5bn for the bank.

The 32-year-old had admitted to the losses, but denied any wrongdoing.

Jurors convicted him of two counts of fraud by abuse of position linked to the £1.4bn loss, but cleared him of four counts of false accounting between October 2008 and September last year.

Judge Mr Justice Keith, sentencing, told Adoboli: "There is a strong streak of the gambler in you. You were arrogant to think the bank's rules for traders did not apply to you."

Adoboli maintained during the two-month trial that senior managers had been fully aware of his activities and had encouraged him to take risks to make profits for UBS.

He wept as he gave evidence for the first time last month, saying everything he had done was aimed at benefiting the bank, where he viewed his colleagues as "family".

Adoboli also said the multi-billion-dollar deals happened at a time when he was suffering from burnout and had "lost control" of his trading.

But prosecutors painted a different picture, saying Adoboli had exceeded his trading limits, failed to hedge trades and faked records to cover his tracks in a bid to boost his status and ego.

They said he saw himself as having a "magic touch" as a trader.

Prosecution lawyer Sasha Wass told jurors that he was "a gamble or two away from destroying Switzerland's largest bank for his own gain".

"Mr Adoboli's motive for this behaviour was to increase his bonus, his status within the bank, his job prospects and, of course, his ego," she said.

The Ghanaian-born Adoboli joined UBS as a graduate trainee in 2003 and, at the time of the fraud, was a senior trader on the Exchange Traded Funds desk at UBS' investment banking arm in London.

He was arrested in September 2011.

The Crown Prosecution Service said, behind all the technical jargon heard during the trial, the case ultimately rested on whether Adoboli had acted dishonestly.

"He did so, by breaking the rules, covering up and lying," said Andrew Penhale, deputy head of fraud at CPS.

"At the heart of any complex fraud is a simple notion of dishonesty which is something that we can all understand."

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SAS Sniper's Case Review 'Inappropriate'

Attorney General Dominic Grieve has said it would be "inappropriate" for him to review the decision to prosecute an SAS sergeant for illegal possession of a weapon.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond wrote to Mr Grieve asking him to examine if proper consideration had been given to whether a prosecution of Sgt Danny Nightingale was in the public interest before the case was brought to court martial.

Sgt Nightingale is serving an 18-month sentence in military detention after pleading guilty to having a prohibited firearm and ammunition.

The father of two, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, suffers medical problems which affect his memory and says he did not remember having the weapon, which was a gift from Iraqi soldiers he had been training.

A spokesman for the Attorney General's office said: "It would be inappropriate for the Attorney General to review either the decision to prosecute or comment on the appropriateness of the sentence.

"That is a matter for the Court Martial Appeal Court, in due course."

MPs will be able to raise concerns about the case with Solicitor General Oliver Heald later today after Canterbury MP Julian Brazier secured a debate in the House of Commons.

SAS veterans have been outraged by the case, and four special forces veterans, including the former commanding officer of the SAS, have written an open letter to Prime Minister David Cameron, claiming Sgt Nightingale was "the victim of a monstrous miscarriage of justice".

Sgt Nightingale pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a 9mm Glock pistol which had been packed up and returned to him by colleagues after he had to leave Iraq in a hurry to help organise the funeral of two friends killed in action.

He also admitted possessing ammunition.

Sgt Nightingale's father Humphrey has told Sky News his son was bullied into pleading guilty at the court martial.

Humphrey Nightingale said: "We knew Danny was not guilty but the judge made it quite clear that if he did not plead guilty he would be sent to a civilian jail for a minimum of five years.

"Our hands were tied and we had no other option - Danny has a lovely wife and a young family. We expected a lenient sentence - maybe suspended - but instead he was sentenced to 18 months."

Lawyers for Sgt Nightingale plan to lodge an appeal against his conviction and sentence later this week, as well as applying for bail.

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James McClean: Death Threats Over Poppy Snub

Premier League star James McClean has received death threats after refusing to wear an embroidered poppy on his shirt during a top-flight match.

The Irish winger did not wear a jersey with a poppy emblem during Sunderland's match against Everton on November 10.

The poppy commemorates Remembrance Day, and honours those who sacrificed their lives in wars.

Sunderland's Danny Rose pictured with a poppy emblem on his shirt

The footballer has since been targeted on social networking site Twitter, including by one user who posted pictures of bullets and wrote: "He deserves to be shot dead + body dragged past the cenotaph!!"

McClean was booed by fans during his side's 3-1 win over Fulham on Sunday, but manager Martin O'Neill said it was the player's "free choice" not to wear the poppy.

"James will deal with it. I think it's probably to do with the issue of last week," he said.

"It's a free choice in this world. James has lived with a lot of things. He's getting death threats as well so that doesn't help."

The footballer was subjected to abuse on Twitter earlier this year after switching national teams from Northern Ireland to Ireland.

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Houseboat Fire: 'Human Bones' Found In Oxford

Bones thought to be human have been found on a houseboat that was devastated by a fire.

Police launched an investigation after the boat was set on fire while moored on the canal in Wolvercote in Oxford at around 11pm on Friday.

Detectives believe the boat could have been torched some nine hours earlier but are yet to establish the cause.

The severity of the fire has so far hampered investigations.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Bird of Thames Valley Police, leading the investigation, said: "We have been working closely with the fire service to establish the full circumstances surrounding how the fire happened and now believe that the boat could have been alight at around 2am on Friday morning.

The boat caught fire on a canal in Wolvercote

"The boat has been badly burnt by the fire and so it has been difficult for us to carry out our investigation.

"We have, however, found some bones on the boat which we believe to be human and are working hard to identify these further.

"I urge anyone who might have seen what happened or has information to help us with our inquiries and has not yet spoken to a police officer to come forward."

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

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McAlpine Wants Larger Settlement From ITV

Lawyers for Lord McAlpine have revealed he is seeking a larger payout from ITV than the £185,000 settlement he agreed with the BBC.

ITV is thought to have until this afternoon to respond to demands from the former Tory politician's legal team to pay damages over false claims linking him to child sex abuse.

It found itself brought into the row when This Morning host Phillip Schofield ambushed David Cameron live on air with a list of alleged paedophiles.

Schofield briefly showed the names to viewers as he handed over the list and asked the Prime Minister if he would investigate them.

He took the step after fevered speculation online following a BBC Newsnight report claiming a senior Tory from the Thatcher era had been involved in a notorious child sex abuse case.

It did not name the politician, but Lord McAlpine was identified on social media.

Lord McAlpine has said his reputation will never recover

The peer put out a statement protesting his innocence 24 hours after This Morning's stunt and later that day his alleged victim confirmed he had accused the wrong man.

The BBC has already paid out £185,000 plus costs after admitting its programme was broadcast without the "basic journalistic checks" being done.

But ITV has yet to settle and is set to be hit harder because it is a commercial broadcaster and also because of the manner of its coverage.

"This was also done in broad daylight in a premeditated way in front of the Prime Minister. It was that programme that prompted Lord McAlpine to come out with his statement," his spokesman told The Times.

Lawyers had made clear ahead of the BBC settlement last week that they were mindful of the effect on the licence payer and had "tempered" their demands accordingly.

An ITV spokesman said: "We have received correspondence from Lord McAlpine's representatives and we will be responding in due course."

The broadcaster has already taken disciplinary action, with Schofield and members of the production team believed to have received written warnings.

Lord McAlpine's lawyers are also preparing action against a large number of Twitter users who identified the peer in connection with the false sex abuse claims.

They could include Sally Bercow, the wife of the Commons Speaker, journalist George Monbiot and actor and comedian Alan Davies.

Both ITV and the BBC are being investigated by media watchdog Ofcom for their handling of the allegations.

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Teen Paralysed In Car Crash Gets £23m Payout

A teenager who was paralysed in a car crash that killed her mother is to receive record compensation worth £23m.

Cheltenham Ladies College pupil Agnes Collier, now 17, was left with no use of her legs and little function in her arms after the March 2009 accident on the A436 in Gloucestershire.

Damages were awarded against the insurers of motorist Anthony Norton, who caused the accident when he pulled out of a side road, causing the car Ms Collier was travelling in to be hit by an oncoming lorry.

Composed of a £7.25m lump sum plus annual payments of £270,000, the sum is believed to be the highest ever for personal injury, topping the previous record of £12.2m.

The youngster's 48-year-old mother Karen Hood, a teacher, died in the crash.

Norton, of Andoversford, Gloucestershire, was sentenced to six months jail suspended for a year for causing death by driving without due care and attention.

Agnes's father, investment banker Dominic Collier, and stepmother Jannene, were at London's High Court for Monday's hearing.

Agnes' counsel, William Norris QC, told Mr Justice MacDuff that she was a "truly remarkable young lady" and a very bright girl who had done astonishingly well in returning to school and taking her AS-levels.

But he said the need to use a scribe and overwhelming burden of tiredness had affected her exam results to some extent.

She's unlikely to achieve the university place she had hoped for, but she already had one offer and was set on a career, he added.

"Her determination is extraordinary, but she has been blessed with a family who are thoroughly supportive, and her stepmother has been a tower of strength," Mr Norris said.

After the hearing, the family's solicitor, Paul Paxton, of Stewarts Law, said the award would be paid out over her lifetime.

He added: "While it is a lot of money, Agnes's needs are great and she needs those for the rest of her life.

"The family want to be able to move on with their lives now this chapter has closed."

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Cavendish Collides With Car During Training

Mark Cavendish said he is "relatively ok" after his cycle hit the back of a car that braked suddenly in Italy.

The 27-year-old from the Isle of Man wrote on Twitter: "Went & hit the back of a car that slammed on today in training. Wasn't ideal. Apart from a bruised arm, I'm relatively ok. If anyone cares."

The collision happened less than two weeks after Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins and British Cycling head coach Shane Sutton were knocked off their bikes.

Mr Cavendish, the 2011 world road race cycling champion, left Team Sky for Omega Pharma-Lotto last month.

More follows...

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