Domestic Abuse Charities May Not Cope At Xmas

By Isabel Webster, West of England Correspondent

Cuts to domestic abuse charities are "putting victims at risk" as organisations warn they are expecting more cases than ever during the festive period.

The Association of Chief Police Officers reports a much higher volume of 999 calls from women over the Christmas holiday.

Gwent Police Chief Constable Carmel Napier said: "Normal life is not going on. The children aren't at school. People aren't at work.

"The expectation of a good time adds pressure and alcohol can be an aggravating factor.

"This combination of factors seems to cause a combustion of tensions that are already there."

According to the charity Refuge, one in four women in England and Wales experience domestic abuse in their lifetime and two women a week die.

Carol, a mother-of-four from Bristol, managed to escape her abusive relationship with the help of the grassroots charity, Survive.

Over several years her partner physically and mentally abused her, sometimes in front of her young children.

"The first night anything happened he just took his belt off and started whipping me. I was so shocked as I'd never seen him violent before," Carol said.

"He hit me with his mobile phone, so hard it left an imprint on my chest. He said he was going to kill me and threatened to throw me out the window - picking me up by my throat. He said he was going to rip my head off.

"But the worst part was the mental abuse. I had to walk behind him, I was timed if I went out to pick up the kids and had to ask permission to leave the room to go to the loo.

"I thought if I just did what I was told, if I was better, I could make it right for everyone, but I was never going to win."

Survive chief exec Anna Smith says charity is under increasing pressure

Carol is now safe and rebuilding her life, but the effect on her and her children remains.

Breaking down in tears, she sobbed: "If I'd known what I know now - what a bad effect it would have on my kids I would have got out sooner.

"I tried to protect them physically but you can't protect someone mentally from what they hear, what they see."

Carol maintains that Survive is the one good thing that came out of her ordeal.

But the charity, which supports women in South Gloucestershire and Bristol, is under growing pressure.

It has seen a 76% increase in high risk cases in the last year.

Over the Christmas period it estimates it will have to turn away 15% of the women and their families who need emergency refuge.

Chief Executive Anna Smith said: "We've been cut, yet we're seeing more women and children than ever.

"I am seriously concerned about it. Vulnerable people won't necessarily be able to get access to the help that they need this Christmas."

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A Middleton Christmas For Kate And William

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are to spend Christmas Day privately with the Middleton family, St James' Palace has announced.

Kate and William will break with tradition by not celebrating with the Queen and the rest of the royal family in Sandringham.

The decision will help the couple avoid the public eye and allow Kate to rest as she continues to battle acute morning sickness.

But it will come as a disappointment to royal fans who traditionally turn out to see the family attend church on Christmas morning.

Kate at BBC Sports Personality Of The Year

Last year, Kate and William were a huge draw as they made the walk from Sandringham up to St Mary Magdalene Church for the first time as man and wife.

Staying in Berkshire also means that the Duchess of Cambridge will be within closer reach of King Edward VII hospital in London where she was treated for hyperemesis gravidarum.

The move was made with the approval of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and the couple will visit Sandringham at some point over the holiday.

Prince Harry will also not be at Sandringham this year because he is still serving in Afghanistan.

Kate, 30, is now believed to be close to the end of her first trimester after being forced to go public with her pregnancy early due to her illness.

She spent several days in hospital at the start of December after becoming sick during another weekend with her parents.

Since then, she has been resting at Kensington Palace in central London and cancelled all her scheduled appearances.

The Duchess did manage to recover enough to present the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Award to Bradley Wiggins last Sunday.

And she was also seen going to the wider royal Christmas celebrations at Buckingham Palace earlier this week.

Experts have warned that she could continue to suffer with severe sickness throughout the pregnancy.

Kate was a big hit in Sandringham on Christmas Day last year

Kate's sister Pippa has given an insight into her Middleton family's festive plans.

Writing in the latest edition of The Spectator magazine, she said Christmas in Bucklebury was likely to be "blissfully calm".

"Home is, happily, where I'll be this year," she said. "The Middletons' Christmas should be blissfully calm. We're good at keeping each other's spirits up."

And she revealed that her father Michael liked to surprise the family by appearing in fancy dress.

"He buys a new costume each year and typically gets a bit carried away - a couple of Christmases ago, he appeared in an inflatable sumo outfit," she wrote.

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Road Tolls Would Be A 'Poll Tax On Wheels'

Introducing further road tolls would be "electoral suicide" and a "poll tax on wheels", motoring campaigners have warned the Government.

Motorists will not stomach any further charges on the cost of driving on top of the already high vehicle tax and the soaring cost of fuel, they cautioned.

And they said that a massive political backlash would be meted out at the polls, if the coalition pushed ahead with proposals to charge drivers to use roads.

A Whitehall feasibility study, which will look at whether it is possible for private companies to own new roads, is due to report in the New Year.

It has also been suggested the coalition's mid-term review will include reforms allowing private firms to charge motorists to use new major roads.

The Department for Transport insisted that it was not considering breaching a commitment to restrict tolls to new major roads or those upgraded "literally beyond all recognition".

Peter Roberts of the Alliance of British Drivers said there would be a massive backlash from voters - pointing to his 2007 petition against nationwide road pricing which attracted 1.3 million signatures.

Road tolls are levied on the M6 at Birmingham

"I think people have made their views on road tolling, road pricing, very very clear. I think it would be electoral suicide...kind of like the poll tax on wheels.

"Most drivers already believe they are paying too much for the roads," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

AA president Edmund King said: "Drivers don't like paying more taxes, but our research suggests they don't want the roads privatised or have to pay tolls and access charges."

He added: "The Government needs to go back to the drawing board or they could end up with a poll tax on wheels."

Robert Oxley, campaign manager of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: "Hard-pressed motorists are already over taxed.

"Introducing new toll charges to use part of Britain's road network would create a two tier system where only the drivers who can afford it would get access to the motorways while the rest of us are stuck on the back roads."

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Royal Prank Call: CPS To Consider Charges

Lawyers are now deciding whether to bring charges over the prank call to the hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was treated.

A nurse working at the King Edward VII Hospital, where the Duchess was suffering from severe morning sickness, killed herself after being duped by the hoax by two Australian radio presenters.

Jacintha Saldanha, 46, transferred the call from the DJs pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles to the ward where the Duchess was being treated. Another nurse gave them details of her condition.

Ms Saldanha, a mother-of-two, was found dead in nurses accommodation just three days later on December 7. She had hanged herself.

Jacintha Saldanha and her husband Ben Barboza

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will now consider whether any potential criminal offences may have been committed, Scotland Yard said.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Following the death of Jacintha Saldanha, officers have liaised with the CPS as to whether any criminal offences had been committed in relation to the hoax call made to King Edward VII Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday December 4.

"On Wednesday December 19, officers submitted a file to the CPS for them to consider whether any potential offences may have been committed by making the hoax call."

About 2,000 people turned out for the funeral of Ms Saldanha earlier this week in the small Indian town of Shirva, near Mangalore, where her husband Ben Barboza was born.

Mr Barboza and the couple's two children, Lisha, 14, and Junal, 16, have said that her death has left them "shattered" and her loss has left an "unfillable void".

Ms Saldanha left three notes, the opening of an inquest into her death has heard. It has been reported that one was critical of the hospital and its treatment of her.

The Australian DJs Michael Christian and Mel Greig have had death threats

However, officials at the hospital have insisted that they offered her a great deal of support during the fall-out from the hoax and did not criticise her or discipline her.

In a letter to the MP Keith Vaz, who has been supporting the family, John Lofthouse, the Chief Executive of King Edward VII Hospital, said: "Jacintha was reassured on a number of occasions by senior management that no blame was attached to her actions and that there were no disciplinary issues involved, because she had been the victim of a cruel trick."

Following the death of Ms Saldanha, the two DJ's Mel Greig and Michael Christian and other staff at the radio station 2DayFM received death threats.

As many as a dozen staff were moved to safe houses while executives at the broadcaster were given bodyguards.

Miss Greig and Mr Christian gave a television interview apologising to Ms Saldanha's family and saying they too were shattered.

They said their prank had prompted "a tragic turn of events no-one could have predicted or expected".

Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), the parent company of 2Day FM, has ended the DJs' Hot 30 show and suspended prank calls across the company in the wake of Ms Saldanha's death.

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Weather: Floods Bring Christmas Misery

Families preparing for Christmas have been hit by floods and travel chaos as heavy rain batters Britain.

The south west of England has been particularly badly affected by the downpours and four severe flood warnings for Devon and Cornwall are now in place.

Conditions are so bad that train passengers in the south west and in Wales have been told not to travel unless it is essential.

Some residents in Helston, Cornwall, were evacuated overnight after river levels rose and the Environment Agency warned that widespread flooding was "imminent".

There are fears about the River Cober in the town with more rain expected later on Saturday, raising fears some families may not be back home for Christmas.

Cornwall Council spokeswoman Trisha Hewitt said: "There is expected to be 30mm of rainfall during a six hour period from 5pm.

"As this is falling on saturated ground, this could cause further flooding."

Floods in Helston, Cornwall, led to homes being evacuated

Across the county, more than 100 homes have been affected so far and three severe flood warnings remain in place in Cornwall.

Braunton, in north Devon, was effectively cut off after the river burst its banks.

Liz Spear, chairman of Braunton Parish Council, said a river was running through the centre of the town.

Mark Ridge, landlord of The London Inn, only moved into the pub seven months ago with his family and had spent £70,000 on renovation work.

"We were hoping this weekend would be our bumper weekend, to carry us through January, February, trade wise, but it's just killed it now," he said.

"You just can't put words to it how devastated you are, you work hard all year round and this happens three days before Christmas.

"It's not just the lack of trade and finances coming in, but having to replace everything as well."

There are a further 125 flood warnings across the country, where flooding is expected, and another 337 alerts where it is considered possible.

Flood-hit streets in York

The water has already led to major issues on road and train networks, spelling trouble for Britons travelling this weekend.

First Great Western urged passengers to avoid any journeys west of Taunton because of flooding and landslips and its Plymouth to Taunton service has been cancelled.

People were being transported by road but this replacement service has also been hampered by the amount of water.

Services between Par and Newquay and Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple have also been suspended.

In South Wales, signal problems are causing major disruption with no services currently between Newport and Cardiff Central. Flooding at Neath is also affecting Swansea services.

Near Brighton, a major signalling problem caused by a fire yesterday that affected electrical cables and railside signalling equipment at Preston Park has sparked problems.

Diversions are in place, with trains between Brighton and Gatwick airport travelling half-hourly and buses laid on for some passengers.

There are also signalling problems affecting some Cross Country and London Midland routes in and around Birmingham.

Flooding near Rhoose Cardiff International Airport is causing disruption on Arriva Trains Wales.

A man wading through Braunton, Devon

And there remain problems on all London Midland routes because of driver shortages that have been an issue since October.

Replacement bus services are also in place between Bedford and Bletchley because of a lack of crew and in Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall due to flooding.

A landslip has caused rail problems in the Glazebrook area near Warrington, affecting some First TransPennine Express services and links to Manchester.

On the roads, the A38 from Bodmin towards Exeter is currently closed because of flooding. The northbound exit slip road on the A19 in Cleveland at the junction with the A139 is also shut.

There are also delays on the A27 eastbound between B2144 and A285 near Chichester because of flooding.

Mike Williams, from the Environment Agency, said: "This is the last weekend before Christmas, so it will be particularly busy with people travelling through the region.

"We would urge people to take extra care when planning their journeys and we aware of the risk of flooding.

"Our teams have been out around the clock to minimise the risks and prepare for flooding.

"People need to keep up to date with the weather forecast and remain prepared for flooding in their area and stay away from dangerous flood water or attempting to drive through it."

Rain is affecting much of the UK (Pictures: Met Office)

Britons attempting to get to Heathrow have also been hit by changes to the Heathrow Express service, which on Friday forced thousands of passengers onto the Underground.

Trains are running normally on Saturday but are due to start later on Sunday and will then not run at all on Christmas Day and Boxing Day because of engineering work.

British Airways alone is set to handle nearly 31,000 passengers on Christmas Day as an estimated four million Britons travel abroad for the rest of the holidays.

There was some good news after two main line rail strikes that threatened to cause travel chaos over the Christmas period were called off.

But the train drivers' union Aslef is still striking on Boxing Day in a move that will hit the Underground and has already forced the cancellation of the Arsenal-West Ham United football match.

The other main train problem for the festive period is likely to be engineering work on the West Coast Line.

There are no direct services from London Euston to Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool or Glasgow on December 23 and 24.

Direct services resume on December 27 but with two of the four lines closed up to and including New Year's Eve.

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Weather: Flooding Ahead Of Xmas Getaway

Britain has been warned it faces further flooding in some areas as more rain is set to sweep in over the next few days.

So far, southern and south western England have been the worst affected, with deluges in Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire leading to more than an inch of rain in some places.

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "There'll be a brief respite from the rain on Friday with drier and brighter conditions across southern parts of England, many central areas and Ireland.

"But, as we head into tonight, there are further heavy and persistent downpours across southwestern parts of England into Wales, continuing to sweep north and eastwards in Scotland.

"About 25-35mm of water is expected, which is more than an inch, and falling on already saturated ground. So localised flooding is likely.

Friday is expected to be the busiest of the festive period for travelling

"Saturday will continue to be another unsettled day with rather heavy and persistent downpours spreading northeastward across all parts of the UK and Ireland."

On Thursday, residents in Wallington, Hampshire, were advised to leave their homes because of fears that the River Wallington could burst its banks.

The weather is forecast to remain unsettled for up to seven days.

The Environment Agency has more than 200 flood alerts in place across the UK, where people should be prepared for flooding, and more than 60 flood warnings, which means flooding is expected and immediate action is required.

It comes as the great Christmas getaway is set to begin, with airports, ports and the transport network braced to cope with high demand.

Some 123,000 passengers are expected to leave through Heathrow Airport today, with thousands more heading across the English Channel by ferry or through the Channel Tunnel.

On the roads, the Highways Agency said more than 250 miles of roadworks will have been completed before Christmas.

A further 57 miles of works will be suspended between today and January 2.

But busy sections of the M4, M25 and M5 will still have works taking place.

Engineering work is also affecting a number of train lines, although strike action over the Christmas period has been called off.

VisitEngland said that as many as 12 million Britons intend to take at least one trip over the festive period, generating around £2.1bn for the economy.

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Stunt Rider Eddie Kidd: Wife's Assault Charge

The estranged wife of paralysed motorbike stunt rider Eddie Kidd has been charged with assaulting him.

Samantha Kidd is due to appear in court next month accused of assaulting the 53-year-old six times in four months.

The 44-year-old, of High Street, Seaford, allegedly beat her husband between July and October this year.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said they received a report of domestic abuse on December 11.

He said Mrs Kidd was charged after a "prompt and thorough investigation" and bailed to appear before magistrates in Brighton on January 9.

Eddie Kidd received his OBE earlier this year

She must not contact Mr Kidd or visit the area where he lives during that time.

Mr Kidd, who made more than 10,000 daredevil jumps during his career, was paralysed and suffered brain damage in a motorbike accident near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, 16 years ago.

In 1984, aged 18, he broke a world record by jumping 190ft over 14 double-decker buses in London.

He jumped the Great Wall of China in 1993 and was challenged to a duel by Robert 'Evel' Knievel in the same year.

His stunts have also featured in a number of films, including Hanover Street, Riding High and the James Bond movie Goldeneye, in which he appeared as Pierce Brosnan's double.

Mr Kidd carried the Olympic torch through Lewes in July and was made an OBE at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in October.

In 2011, he completed the London Marathon in 50 days, raising nearly £100,000 for the charity Children With Cancer UK.

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'Miracle Baby' Jessica Home For Christmas

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

A baby born with a rare combination of potentially fatal heart problems has defied the odds to be allowed home for Christmas.

Jessica Muse had open heart surgery within minutes of being born at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital in July and has spent almost all of her life on a high dependency ward.

Her parents, Claire, 31, and Dom, 29, said Jessica had had eight separate operations since then - and that each time they were told she might not survive.

"Up to six weeks, she was sedated most of the time," said Mrs Muse.

"From then on she's had a couple of little hiccups, but it's mainly been ups and she got stronger and stronger until she eventually came off the ventilator at 20 weeks old."

Jessica was diagnosed in the womb at 20 weeks with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a collection of problems with one half of the heart that are fatal unless operated on.

But later doctors discovered she also had a much rarer problem at the top of her heart, which meant major surgery was required as soon as she was born.

Jessica was delivered in one operating theatre as a cardiac team waited in the theatre next door to operate on her heart, which was the size of a walnut.

Consultant paediatric cardiologist Dr Milind Chaudhari said the Freeman is one of only three hospitals in the country capable of providing the multidisciplinary care needed by a baby with such complicated heart problems.

Dr Chaudhari described Jessica's treatment as "a massive effort" involving obstetricians, cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, intensivists, respiratory physicians and gastro-enterologists.

"Jessica was born with a very serious form of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, with intact atrial septum," he said.

"She's a bright, alert infant now and she's gaining weight. She still needs a second and third stage operation, but she's on course for that, which is great."

Jessica will return to hospital for her next operation in January, and although her parents know her heart will never work properly, they are delighted to have her home for a family Christmas.

It is no surprise the couple describe Jessica as their "Christmas miracle".

Gazing down at his daughter, Mr Muse said: "It's amazing to have her home, the time we've been through over the past five or six months, it's been unbelievable.

"We've been living at the Freeman Hospital for five months now, so that's basically become our home. It's just nice to get back to some normality and spend Christmas with my family."

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Wayne And Coleen Rooney's Second Baby Boy

Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen are expecting another baby boy.

The couple confirmed the sex of their second child after Coleen, 26, went for her three-month scan.

The new arrival, due in the spring, will be a brother for the couple's three-year-old son Kai, who was born in November 2009.

Coleen Rooney made the announcement on Twitter

Mrs Rooney announced the news to her 900,000 followers on Twitter, posting: "Absolutely loved seeing our baby on the scan yesterday!!! We decided to find out the sex... It's a ... BOY!! So exciting @WayneRooney."

She announced she was expecting in October and said at the time she was "bursting with excitement".

Her husband, 27, who visited the children's ward at Manchester's Christie Hospital on Thursday, has yet to give his reaction to his 5.5m Twitter followers.

He previously described becoming a father as the "proudest moment of my life".

The Rooneys, who are both from Liverpool, were childhood sweethearts and married in a lavish ceremony in June 2008 when they were both aged 22.

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X Factor Hopeful Who Glassed Man Avoids Jail

An X Factor hopeful who was axed from the show after she glassed her boyfriend has avoided jail.

Lucie Slater, 21, was sentenced to 51 weeks in prison suspended for two years, a two-year supervision order and 120 hours of community service.

Slater, from Ryton, Gateshead, had pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding DJ William Aitken in June.

Lucie Slater was part of a girl band called Quantro

The couple were drinking wine together at his house when she came across a message on Facebook that she did not like, the court heard.

"We were cuddling," Mr Aitken recalled. "Next thing I knew she swung round and hit me with a glass and my face began to pour with blood."

The woman also threw a laptop across the room.

Slater then drove him to hospital, where she first claimed he had fallen down the stairs but later admitted what happened, the court was told.

Slater, a bar promotion worker, was part of girl band Quantro but they were thrown off the ITV talent show when the attack came to light.

'I still love her and I want to know why she did it,' says Mr Aitken

Judge Toby Hedworth said: "Drink played a greater role than is now suggested.

"I also take into account the effect of your actions on Mr Aitken. All that he has ever sought in these proceedings was an acknowledgement of what happened."

Mr Aitken called the assault 'life changing'

Due to his injuries and the time he spent in hospital, Mr Aitken lost his business and modelling career, the court heard.

Mr Aitken said the experience was "life changing" and called the assault "an act of stupidness" that caused a lot of damage.

"I really did not think she was capable of something like that. We are not speaking to each other now," he said.

"I still love her and I want to know why she did it. It's a really sad love story. We did not plan our future like this. Instead of us breaking up, we have been ripped apart."

Slater was initially charged with the more serious offence of wounding with intent but her plea to the lesser charge was accepted by the prosecution.

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