Alps Murder Suspect Denies Involvement

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Alps murder suspect Zaid al Hilli has denied any involvement in the shooting of his brother Saad and other family members.

Speaking on the first anniversary of the massacre, the accountant said: "I have no idea who killed them. Absolutely no idea."

He refused to discuss any details of his questioning by Surrey police after his arrest in June on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. He is currently on bail.

But French prosecutor Eric Maillaud has accused Mr Hilli, 54, of not co-operating with investigators.

M. Maillaud said: "He doesn't co-operate, which is even more intriguing. Saad was scared of his brother. It's for this reason he changed the locks of the house."

Saad al Hilli was shot dead with his wife and mother-in-law

The house is Saad al Hilli's £1m family home in Claygate, Surrey, which the prosecutor believes was part of a bitter inheritance dispute between the two brothers in the months before the murders.

However, Mr Hilli said before his arrest that he had loved his younger brother Saad and could not understand the murder. He denied they had had a row over money.

Saad al Hilli, 50, was shot dead in his car parked in a lay-by in a mountain road near Lake Annecy in France. Also killed were his wife Iqbal, 47, her mother Suhaila al Allaf, 74, and a French cyclist Sylvain Mollier.

The couple's daughter Zainab, seven at the time, recovered after being shot and pistol-whipped and her sister Zeena, who was four, was found unhurt hiding beneath her mother's body.

French investigators and Surrey detectives have explored several theories, including Saad al Hilli's Iraqi background and his work as a satellite design engineer, but have failed to establish a firm motive.

Saad al Hilli's family home in Claygate, Surrey

The apparent lack of progress in the investigation has angered friends of the family.

Engineer James Matthews said: "At Saad's house they dug up the garden, ripped up his book shelves, cut into his safe and took away his music.

"I thought Saad was the victim, but the police were treating him as though he was responsible for his own death."

Mr Matthews also said that Saad had asked him to be a witness for him if the dispute with his brother Zaid went to court.

Surrey police still have 40 officers working on the case on behalf of the French authorities. They revealed they have seized 5,000 documents, taken 560 witness statements and collected 1,600 other pieces of evidence.

Detective Superintendent Nick May said: "The tragic events of a year ago left four people dead in appalling circumstances.

"We remain committed to finding answers to what happened that day on behalf of their families, particularly for the two young girls who lost their parents.

"This remains a complex enquiry and we continue to have a team of officers dedicated to supporting the investigation."

The prosecutor and Surrey detectives are due to hold a news conference in Annecy on Friday, but are not expected to reveal any breakthrough in the case.

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Teachers To Stage New Strikes Over Pay Row

Teachers are planning a fresh round of strikes in October in a move that will affect thousands of primary and secondary schools.

Members of two teaching unions will walk out in eight areas of England next month in a long-running row over pay, pensions and workload.

A national walkout is likely to follow before Christmas.

The new strikes, on two days in October, are the latest move in the campaign by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the NASUWT over Government education reforms.

They said teachers were "angry, frustrated and concerned" by Education Secretary Michael Gove's plans, accusing him of being "reckless and irresponsible".

Mr Gove hit back, declaring there was "no excuse" for the action and accusing union leaders of undermining the teaching profession by suggesting it was in crisis.

Michael Gove insists he is trying to defend teachers from cynics

The union's members in the East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside and the Eastern region will walk out on October 1.

Those in the North East, London, the South East and the South West will follow on October 17.

There are no strike dates for Wales because the government there has tried to engage with teachers about their complaints, the NUT and NASUWT added.

There is anger that teachers' pay is being linked to performance, with schools setting salaries themselves instead of following a national framework.

Changes have also been made to public sector pensions.

Unions accused Mr Gove of failing to agree to talks, which they claimed had left them no choice but to strike.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower claimed Mr Gove had left teachers facing a "brick wall".

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates added: "This is not a reckless rush to strike action. We have been trying to engage with Mr Gove since he came to office.

"No one wants to be disrupting children's education. Our experience is parents understand that if you attack teachers' pay and conditions you are putting at risk children's education.

"Since June Mr Gove has taken to going from one public platform to another using megaphone diplomacy rather than sitting down and engaging frankly. It is a reckless and irresponsible way for a Secretary of State to behave."

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), which historically does not take part in industrial action, said it shared the organisations' "frustration".

General Secretary Brian Lightman said: "While ASCL and the teacher unions have different views on the best way to resolve disputes with the Government, we all are united in campaigning for the fairest working conditions and remuneration for teachers and school leaders."

Mr Gove appeared baffled by the row, insisting teachers' pensions were still far better than most deals and that pay reforms would see good performers receive more.

"I fear the reason is that there are people within the executive and leadership of the teaching unions who are for ideological reasons on some sort of kick," he said.

He insisted he was willing to meet with the union bosses for talks "any time, any place, anywhere, to get them to see the error of their ways."

A Department for Education spokesman added: "It is disappointing that the NUT and NASUWT are striking over the Government's measures to allow heads to pay good teachers more.

"In a recent poll, 61% of respondents supported linking teachers' pay to performance and 70% either opposed the strikes or believed that teachers should not be allowed to strike at all."

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Sheppey Crash: 100 Cars Collide On Bridge

A 100-vehicle pile-up on the New Sheppey Crossing Bridge has left hundreds of people injured in a crash witnesses described as "mayhem".

Nobody is believed to have died in the crash around 7.15am, but police say "there could be people trapped" in their cars.

Chief Inspector Andy Reeves, from Kent Police, said it was "truly miraculous" that there were no fatalities from the crash.

"From my perspective, it's truly miraculous. It's very fortunate."

A Kent Police spokeswoman said visibility was a problem at the time, and witnesses say there was "very, very thick" early morning fog hovering over the bridge.

Five people have been cut free from their cars. Pic: Chris Buckingham

There are reports of some motorists driving "like idiots" in the conditions before the crash that closed the A249.

Witnesses told Sky News that some motorists were driving without headlights.

At least eight people have suffered serious injuries, and another 60 people suffered minor injuries.

Lives were probably saved by a quick-thinking lorry driver who used his truck to block the entrance to the bridge and stop more cars piling into the crash.

A driver involved in the incident, Chris Buckingham, told Sky News: "He was going the other way and ... he's gone down to the end of the carriageway, gone across the roundabout and actually blocked off the road so no more cars could actually enter the dual carriageway before the emergency services got there.

Fog across south-east England around 8am today. Pic: MeteoGroup

"Whoever that guy is I'd like to shake his hand because he's probably saved lives."

Up to 30 medical response vehicles were on the scene and motorists have been warned to avoid the area.

The bridge was clogged with buckled cars, lorries and even a car transporter as people waited at the side of the road to receive help from the emergency services.

A witness to the pile-up, Martin Stammers, told Sky News: "I was very, very, lucky. I was the last car out of it, if you like. As I came to the top of the hill, there were about five cars already smashed up, one was across my carriageway.

"I had to hit my brakes hard as well, I just had enough space to get through.

The crash occurred on the New Sheppey Crossing bridge in Kent

"From then on, all you could hear was the screeching of car tyres and the thudding, which was endless.

"It must have been going on for five to 10 minutes. You could hear the screeching, you could hear the lorries thudding into cars, you could hear glass breaking, there was nothing we could do.

"Even after the police turned up, you still heard further down the bridge – a quarter of a mile, half a mile away - cars still going into the back of each other. It was horrendous."

Student Jaime Emmett, 19, was driving through the fog when she became involved in the pile-up.

"There was a man at the side of the road saying to stop. I stopped in time but a van smashed in to me and I smashed in to the car in front," she said.

Some 30 medical response vehicles are on the scene

"I was lucky I was not injured. It was all quite surreal when it happened."

Another witness, David Ingram, described the scene of the crash as "mayhem".

"People were going quite fast, too fast. We were about 50 to 60 cars back. Luckily people coming on to the island were flashing their lights and waving their arms like mad (to warn us).

"It's carnage, it really is. The fog was very, very thick today. You could not see a vehicle in front of you as you came on to the bridge.

"We managed to stop .. the people in front of us weren't that lucky. It was mayhem."

Witnesses say the fog was very thick at the time of the crash

Valentine Elad, a 46-year-old teacher whose car was struck from behind in the crash, told of the eerie aftermath of the pile-ups.

He said: "There were cars upside-down on other cars. There was a black four-wheel-drive Mitsubishi upside-down on a small white car, and an Audi upside-down on the bonnet of another car. It was horrible."

A statement from the Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: "There are no fatalities but ambulance crews are dealing with a large number of walking wounded casualties.

"Firefighters have used hydraulic cutting equipment to release five people from their vehicles."

AA president Edmund King said the pile-up may have been caused by "stupid driving".

"It's really bad to travel too close to the car in front in good conditions and if you do it in foggy conditions it's an absolute recipe for disaster.

"In dense fog you cannot see the brake lights ahead. By law, you don't have to have fog lights on, although it's recommended.

"Unfortunately many people don't know how to turn their fog lights on. You may only need them once a year but it's vital they get used."

A statement from Kent Police said: "Emergency services are currently at the scene dealing with the incident.

"Officers are urging motorists to avoid the area but if a journey to the Island is essential, the old Kingsferry Bridge remains open but expect long delays."

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Michael Le Vell 'Devastated' By Rape Claims

Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell has told a court he's "devastated" and "like a lost soul" after being accused of child sex abuse.

Giving evidence on the fourth day of his trial at Manchester Crown Court, he said: "I am lost. I don't know where this has come from. It has left such a hole in my life. I am like a lost soul."

He added: "I'm fighting for my life."

Asked about the rape allegations he said: "I promise you, never in a million years would I do anything like that ever."

Le Vell said the alleged victim had a "tendency to lie" after the court heard him describe her in police interviews as a "silly girl" who is "seriously deluded".

"I think it was one of those lies that just escalated and she couldn't stop it," he said.

Earlier the court had been hearing details of four interviews the star, who plays car mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV soap, gave to police after his arrest.

After the actor was accused of rape by the alleged victim's mother, he told police: "When she told me you could have just blew me over. My legs just went to jelly."

The 48-year-old continued: "I just said to the girl's mother, 'Please tell me you are f****** joking. Please, this has got to be a joke'. I was in total shock."

Later in the police interview the officer said Le Vell said: "This is a life changing thing. It will cost me my job."

During the interviews, he said the alleged victim's mother "thinks I am the devil reincarnated".

Le Vell is accused of 12 charges in all - five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a child and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

The alleged offences relate to one complainant and are said to have taken place between September 2002 and September 2010.

Le Vell told the court he had never been arrested or cautioned before.

Asked about his drinking, Le Vell said he had the "working-class mentality" of a "bloke" - working, then drinking to unwind - and went to the pub most nights.

"I know it sounds a bit chauvinistic but that's the way I was brought up," he added.

He admitted he was "an alcoholic" and had twice tried Alcoholics Anonymous without success.

Earlier in the trial, the court heard Le Vell was alleged to have raped the girl while she clutched a teddy bear during one attack.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, wept as she told the court that Le Vell told her it was their "little secret".

But Le Vell told police: "I did not rape her and I certainly did not try to smother her."

The 48-year-old, who lives in Hale, Cheshire, is charged under his real name of Michael Turner.

He denies all the charges and has called the claims "an absolute pack of lies".

:: A man has been arrested and bailed over publicly identifying Le Vell's alleged victim in a tweet.

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Father Jailed For Son's Cancer Charity Theft

A man who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from children's cancer charities - including one he set up to help his own son - has been jailed for five years.

Kevin Wright stole a total of £171,500 from the Bobby Wright Cancer Fighting Fund, with the cash used to fund his "interests, investments and personal lifestyle".

The 49-year-old was found guilty of 10 counts of theft and two of fraud by false representation following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court last month.

He also stole cash and credit balances from appeals he set up to raise money for cancer treatment for three-year-olds Callum Kaye and Armani Mohammad.

Jurors were told he gave £20,000 to a friend who ran a used-car business and that he put £60,000 into Premium Bonds.

Another £30,000 was used to buy the Toad In The Hole restaurant in Exeter, Devon, while a further £30,000 was invested in the Royal Oak pub in a village close to his home.

More follows...

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Young Brits 'Could Miss Digital Jobs Boom'

Up to 750,000 jobs could be created in the next five years to fuel Britain's "burgeoning" digital economy, a report has predicted.

Mobile phone giant O2 said the continued growth of the digital sector offers "fantastic opportunities for tech-savvy young people", but warned not enough was being done to harness their skills.

Ronan Dunne, chief executive of the company's parent firm Telefonica, told Sky News: "If we don't generate those jobs using British youngsters with the right skills, businesses will have to look overseas.

"With the situation in the UK, where one million young people are out of work, we have to make sure we get the schooling elements right, the employer elements right and the readiness for work right."

Research by O2 suggests that 20% of the 750,000 possible vacancies would be entry-level jobs, suitable for people entering the world of work for the first time.

Many roles would be linked to the nationwide roll-out of 4G technology, which offers faster mobile internet speeds.

However, Mr Dunne said employers must show a greater willingness to recruit school leavers in order for the digital jobs boom to have a noticeable impact on youth unemployment.

"The onus cannot be on the Government alone," he said.

"Businesses must proactively seek out opportunities to collaborate to maximise the digital growth opportunity and harness the potential of the next generation.

"As digital natives, young people possess valuable skills that will be the future fuel of our economy, but not enough is being done to harness them."

Mr Dunne's comments came at the opening of Campus Party Europe, one of the world's biggest technology festivals.

Up to 60,000 young people are expected to attend the week-long event at The O2 in London.

As well as 100 guest speakers, the event features a digital skills marketplace, where school leavers can meet potential employers, and a hackathon, which aims to teach young people basic coding skills.

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Jon Venables: Bulger Killer Freed From Prison

Jon Venables, one of the killers of two-year-old James Bulger, has been freed from prison for the second time.

Venables was freed from prison after being locked up in 2010 for downloading images of child abuse after previously serving eight years for murdering two-year-old James in Liverpool in 1993.

Legal sources confirmed his release to the Press Association.

The killer has reportedly been given his second new identity at a reported cost of £250,000.

But James Bulger's father, Ralph, believes Venables, 31, will commit more crime, a friend said.

Ralph Bulger pictured in 2011

"He hasn't put a time on it but he is convinced he will reoffend," she said.

She added that James' family were given little information about Venables' release and Mr Bulger was told via his lawyer.

"As ever they are kept in the dark.

"They don't explain the terms of his release, I don't know whether they are going to.

James' mother, Denise Fergus, believes Venables should still be in jail

"But I don't think Venables can enter Merseyside, however that was one of the conditions which he repeatedly broke before."

The toddler's mother, Denise Fergus, told The Sun that Venables is "a danger to the public".

"He lies for his own sick ends," she said.

Venables was 10 years old when he and his friend, Robert Thompson, tortured and murdered James after abducting him from a shopping centre in Bootle.

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "We do not comment on individual offenders."

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Rush: Lauda Shocked By F1 Movie Crash Scenes

By Richard Suchet, Arts and Entertainment Correspondent

F1 legend Niki Lauda had no idea what happened in the crash that left him with horrific facial burns - until he saw the hospital scenes in a new movie depicting his infamous rivalry with James Hunt.

The Austrian returned to racing just weeks after his Ferrari left the track in the 1976 German Grand Prix as he tried to stop Hunt from being crowned champion.

Australian actor Chris Hemsworth plays 1976 F1 champion James Hunt

Speaking at the world premiere of Rush, Lauda, who was trapped in his burning car for over a minute, told Sky News: "I was inside so I was busy staying alive.

"The movie is done very realistically and I, too, was shocked when I saw the hospital scenes, how they treated me, what they had to do to keep me alive.

"So even the movie for me was a shock in one way."

Olivia Wilde, who plays Hunt's first wife Suzy Miller, signs autographs

Ron Howard's new movie tells the story of the Hunt-Lauda rivalry - widely considered to be one of the fiercest sport has ever known.

"It's a gauntlet, emotional and physical, that they put themselves through to try to achieve greatness, to fulfil that need that they had [to win]," said Howard. 

"All of that was only intensified by the fact that it was played out in Formula 1 - a world that is dangerous, that is visual, that is cinematic, that is so visceral - so I thought it was a fantastic combination."

F1 drivers Sergio Perez and Jenson Button were at the premiere

Rush stars Australian actor Chris Hemsworth as playboy British racer Hunt - a risk-taker, with a penchant for drugs, women and alcohol.

Germany's Daniel Bruhl plays the dour, detail-obsessed Lauda.

Niki Lauda says he now feels "very warm" about his great rival

Asked how he feels about his rival now, Lauda said: "I wish James could be here tonight, because this would be my best day.

"I feel very warm about him."

Hunt died from a heart attack in 1993, aged just 45.

David Hasselhoff and Hayley Roberts arrive at the world premiere

His son Tom, was also on the red carpet, said he was happy with his father's portrayal in the film.

He told Sky News he understood why Howard had covered his father's playboy lifestyle.

"There were bits of that involved in dad's life. That's part of who dad was - that's partly why he was so famous and popular."

Rush is released in the UK on September 13.

In real life Lauda and Hunt were friendly rivals

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Ray Mears Helped Track Down Raoul Moat

Survival expert Ray Mears has broken a two-year silence to speak of his role in the hunt for killer Raoul Moat.

The bush tracker and TV presenter joined a Tornado fighter jet and scores of armed police officers in the £1 million-plus search for the former doorman.

They were called in after Moat and his accomplices went to ground in woodland surrounding Rothbury, Northumberland, in July 2010.

Mr Mears, 49, contacted a police search adviser he had met at a lecture years earlier to offer his skills and after police discovered an abandoned campsite on the outskirts of Rothbury, he was called in to help.

In an interview with the Gloucestershire Echo, the bushcraft expert said that at one point he was within 20ft of the gunman after eight hours of moving stealthily through dense forest.

He described the scene when he arrived in Rothbury as like something "out of a Hollywood film set" with bright lights, police snipers, helicopters circling overhead and the Tornado making reconnaissance sorties.

Raoul Moat went in the run in the Northumberland countryside

He told the newspaper: "It was all a bit surreal. This is the first time I've talked about it and it's because I feel there has been sufficient water under the bridge."

Mr Mears, who was speaking ahead of the publication of his autobiography later this month, added: "It was such a unique set of circumstances. I have experience of tracking for 40 years.

"I can't imagine there would be that many people in the country who would have been in a position to help the police find someone who had gone into hiding who needed to be found.

"It was a real-life hunt; within my skill set but outside of my comfort zone."

Mr Mears told the newspaper that police disclosed afterwards that Moat's emergence from hiding was a direct result of his presence with armed officers.

Moat went on the run after shooting Chris Brown, 29, who had started a relationship with his ex-girlfriend Samantha Stobbart.

Police pictured after cornering Moat near Rothbury

The spurned lover killed Mr Brown and seriously injured Ms Stobbart in theshooting in Birtley, Gateshead, two days after he was released from prison.

The following day the 37-year-old bodybuilder blasted unarmed PC David Rathband in the face, leaving him blind.

The officer was found hanged at his home in Blyth, Northumberland, in February last year.

The huge search for Moat, involving officers from 18 forces, was one of the biggest police operations seen in the UK.

The rapidly evolving manhunt gripped the nation as newspapers, television and radio stations concentrated on the search, bringing close scrutiny of the police's actions.

The 17-stone steroid addict was finally cornered at the edge of the River Coquet on the evening of July 9.

Following a five-hour stand-off with armed police the father-of-three shot himself in the head at the moment officers used Tasers to try to disable him. He was later declared dead at hospital.

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Corrie Le Vell 'Raped Girl On Regular Basis'

The mother of Michael Le Vell's alleged victim says she believes her daughter was raped by the actor "on a regular basis".

The Coronation Street star is at Manchester Crown Court for the second day of his child rape trial.

On Monday, his alleged victim told the court the actor first raped her when she was six years old as she clutched her teddy bear.

Her mother, who cannot be identified, was in the witness box today and cried as she recalled the moment her daughter told her about the alleged rape.

The woman told the court: "I believe he molested and abused her on a regular basis and there had been a number of rapes."

She said her daughter told her how Le Vell held a teddy bear against her mouth while raping her and he would force the girl to give him oral sex.

The victim's mother said when she confronted Le Vell about the alleged sex abuse, he replied: "You are joking. You are having a laugh."

Le Vell, 48, who plays car mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV soap, denies committing the offences.

Le Vell, at court today, plays car mechanic Kevin Webster in the soap

Earlier, the girl, 17, was cross-examined by Le Vell's defence barrister Alisdair Williamson, who accused her of lying.

The girl, who is giving evidence from behind a screen in the court, cannot be identified for legal reasons.

During the cross-examination, Mr Williamson questioned the girl's story and her motivations.

The barrister said the girl went to an "inspirational self-help" conference where she heard a motivational speech from a woman who was raped at a young age.

Mr Williamson said the rape victim who gave the talk then went on to rebuild her life and become a success.

The lawyer said: "Is that what some of this is about? You heard this lady talking about how she was raped when she was very young and how she went on and became a model? You want to become an actress or a dancer, is that right?"

The girl replied: "I wanted to, I don't anymore."

During further questions from Eleanor Laws QC, prosecuting, the girl said she could not remember seeing the motivational speech from the rape victim.

The alleged victim also told the court that Le Vell smelt strongly of alcohol the first time he raped her.

She cried as she told the court: "I hated him because what he did was so wrong and I was so young and I did not know at the time."

Le Vell outside the court on Monday

The girl said Le Vell took her to an award show and arranged a visit to Coronation Street after he raped her.

As the girl gave evidence, Le Vell repeatedly shook his head.

Earlier, the barrister asked the girl about alleged inconsistencies in what she had told police.

Mr Williamson told the court the witness had initially told police she had never talked to anyone about the alleged abuse.

But the lawyer claimed the witness "told lots of girls" about it.

"I told two friends because they saw me crying," the witness replied.

But when police were called in the witness told the officer she had not told anyone, the court heard.

Mr Williamson continued: "The officer came to see you because ... you told people and you told the officer a little lie.

"You told him you had not told the girls, they had just guessed.

"I suggest that was a little lie?"

"No," the witness replied.

Le Vell is facing 12 charges in all - five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a child, and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

The alleged offences relate to one complainant and are said to have taken place between 2001 and September 2010. The girl was aged between six and 14.

After his arrest Le Vell, a father of two, told officers the allegations were a "pack of absolute lies" and he has maintained his innocence throughout.

Le Vell, of Hale, Cheshire, is one of TV's most famous faces after playing Kevin Webster for the past 30 years.

ITV has said he will not be appearing in any further episodes of Coronation Street pending the outcome of legal proceedings.

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