Austrian Alps Fall Kills British Climber

A British climber has died in the Austrian Alps after losing his balance and plunging around 200 metres (650ft) down a slope.

Police said the 42-year-old man, who has not been named, was hiking with a companion in the Tyrol region in western Austria on Friday.

Neither was an experienced climber, according to police.

The Foreign Office confirmed it was communicating with the Austrian authorities.

A spokeswoman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in Austria. We are providing consular assistance to the family." 

The official tourism website for the area said it is popular with novice hikers and seasoned climbers, with a rating system that includes "easy" hiking trails, moderate mountain footpaths and "extreme" Alpine routes.

The latest tragedy comes just over a month after a British skier died when he fell down the north face of the Aiguille du Midi mountain in the French Alps.

The man was with another skier when they were caught in a storm while descending the challenging Vallee Blanche near Chamonix.

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EDL Leader Robinson Arrested Amid Tribute Bid

Two English Defence League leaders have been arrested in London as they attempted to march to Woolwich, where Drummer Lee Rigby was killed in May.

Tommy Robinson shouted, "You are enforcing Sharia law", at officers who held him on suspicion of obstructing police as he tried to enter the London borough of Tower Hamlets.

The EDL had previously announced plans to walk through part of the capital before gathering outside Woolwich Barracks, near where Drummer Rigby was hacked to death in broad daylight.

But the Metropolitan Police put conditions on the march which demanded that it ended at Old Palace Yard, opposite the House of Lords.

As well as planning to lay flowers in memory of Drummer Rigby, Mr Robinson and EDL co-leader Kevin Carroll, who was also arrested, were walking to raise money for a young girl fighting cancer.

Sky Correspondent Tom Parmenter said: "They'd walked six miles when they were arrested outside Aldgate East underground station.

"Police had been tracking the walk across London and had regularly spoken to them about their route.

"The EDL leaders had been warned not to go past a large mosque in east London or enter the borough of Tower Hamlets.

"As they approached the boundary of the borough they were warned again by officers who told them they may be arrested."

Mr Robinson and Mr Carroll repeatedly asked if they would actually be arrested before another man approached the pair and assaulted Mr Carroll. 

Mr Robinson is led into a police van

Parmenter said: "As police officers tried to deal with the situation the EDL leaders continued to walk forward and then a senior policewoman placed the pair under arrest."

The pair, who were wearing T-shirts bearing the words "support our troops", were led into a police van in handcuffs while complaining about their treatment. They were taken to Wandsworth prison, in southwest London, and two other men were arrested over the assault.

At the start of the walk in Hyde Park, Mr Robinson had said: "There's two of us doing a charity walk.

"They're (police) saying it (Tower Hamlets) is a Muslim area but to me there is no Muslim area, there are just areas of my capital city that if I have to walk from A to B then you have to walk through."

"Obviously I don't want to get arrested and I don't want to get in trouble so we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." 

Scotland Yard said the conditions were imposed because of fears the march and the gathering would result in "serious public disorder" and it had warned that a breach would lead to arrest.

The Met said it had attempted to work with the EDL to facilitate the march and gathering and offered them two alternative routes that avoided the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is home to the East London Mosque.

In a statement posted on the EDL's Twitter feed, the group said: "Tommy Robinson & Kev Caroll arrested for obstructing the police and carted off."

The statement claimed "negotiations" for their release were taking place and that the pair still hoped to walk to Woolwich to lay flowers.

Mr Robinson earlier replied to a tweet asking him what weather he was expecting for Saturday: "ill be in a cell by lunch time so won't matter. Ha ha"

The EDL campaigns against what it says is the spread of radical Islam, but it has been accused of Islamophobia and previous rallies have ended in clashes with anti-fascist groups.

Earlier this week, two American political activists who founded an anti-Muslim group were banned by the Home Secretary from entering the UK following reports they were to attend this weekend's march.

Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, who set up Stop Islamisation of America and run the website Jihad Watch, have been forbidden from entering the country on the grounds their presence would "not be conducive to the public good".

The police also banned the British National Party from marching from Woolwich Barracks earlier in June and ordered it to move its protest to Westminster.

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Constable's The Hay Wain Attacked: Man Charged

A man has been charged with criminal damage after Constable's masterpiece The Hay Wain was attacked by a protester at London's National Gallery.

Paul Douglas Manning, 57, was arrested on Friday at the gallery after somebody glued a four-inch photograph of a young boy to The Hay Wain.

Manning, of Kirkstone Road, Sheffield, has since been charged by the Metropolitan Police and he was remanded on bail after appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court. He will next appear at Southwark Crown Court on July 12.

No lasting damage was done to the 1821 painting in room 34, a gallery spokeswoman said.

"Conservation staff were on the scene very rapidly and the painting was removed for treatment," she said.

"No damage to Constable's original paint occurred and there is no lasting damage to the painting."

The incident happened as Fathers4Justice said it was abandoning its five-year "attempted engagement with the political establishment" and called on fathers to take "independent weekly direct action" in the spirit of the Suffragettes 100 years ago.

The Hay Wain is one of the country's most recognisable works of art.

It shows an idyllic rural scene with a cart - the eponymous hay wain - in the river Stour in Suffolk.

The National Gallery spokeswoman said it would investigate the security breach but praised "the prompt action and quick thinking" of staff who intervened.

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Lions Tour: Australia Win Levels Series

Australia beat the British and Irish Lions 16-15 to level the three-Test series in a titanic second Test in Melbourne on Saturday.

The Wallabies scored the clinching converted try four minutes from the end and survived a penalty kick after the full-time siren from Lions fullback Leigh Halfpenny.

Halfpenny slotted five penalties but missed one from the halfway mark with time expired that would have given the Lions victory.

The Lions dramatically beat Australia 23-21 in the first test in Brisbane last week but the Wallabies overcame a raft of injuries to their backline thanks to a late converted try from Adam Ashley-Cooper and three penalties from Christian Leali'ifano.

"There's still a test series up for grabs, by no means is it over," said Lions captain Sam Warburton.

He added: "It sets it up for a great finale."

The third test, which will be a series decider, will take place in Sydney next Saturday.

The Lions are the favourites to win and if they do, it will be their first Test series triumph since they toppled South Africa 16 years ago.

:: Watch the final test between Australia and the British and Irish Lions on Sky Sports 1HD from 10am on Saturday July 6.

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Cameron Visits British Troops In Afghanistan

By Joey Jones, Deputy Political Editor

David Cameron has travelled to Afghanistan to pay tribute to the work of British troops on Armed Forces Day.

The Prime Minister made an unannounced visit to Camp Bastion in Helmand Province where he met troops on the front line, dined with them in their living quarters and took control of a bomb disposal robot.

He also met Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai in the capital Kabul amid faltering efforts to engage the Taliban in a political process of reconciliation.

Mr Cameron's trip to Afghanistan followed comments made by General Nick Carter, a senior British Army officer and deputy commander of the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf).

In an interview with the Guardian, Gen Carter acknowledged there may have been opportunities to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table more than a decade ago.

Mr Cameron was shown some of the latest surveillance equipment

"The problems that we have been encountering over the period since then are essentially political problems, and political problems are only ever solved by people talking to each other," he said.

Speaking in Lashkar Gah, Mr Cameron told Sky News: "I think you can argue about whether the settlement we put in place after 2001 could have been better arranged.

"But at the same time I know that you cannot bank on that, which is why we have built up the Afghan army, built up the Afghan police, supported the Afghan government so that after our troops have left ... this country shouldn't be a haven for terrorists."

Mr Cameron also told soldiers about plans for a permanent memorial to those who have lost their lives in Afghanistan since 2001.

The monument for the 444 British personnel killed in the conflict will be built at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire and will be funded by fines paid by banks following the Libor scandal.

The Prime Minister joined British troops for a meal at Camp Bastion

Meanwhile, a senior British military source suggested that Nato forces would need to assist the Afghans for up to five years after the combat role ends in 2014.

The British military have committed to running an academy for Afghan officers but the source suggested that Nato could also be required to help with close air support, casualty evacuation and logistics.

A senior No 10 source said it will be for the National Security Council to decide what the UK's ongoing role would be but added: "We have done our fair share."

"The Prime Minister has been clear that we have paid a heavy price and already given a lot," he said.

"Our combat troops will leave at the end of next year.

"The only military commitments we have made beyond 2014 are to part-run the officer academy and to provide financial support to sustain Afghan forces. We have not been asked to do anything more.

"The Prime Minister's view is that we have done our fair share and it will now be for other Isaf partners to carry the main burden."

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Police Dog Bites Boy In Oldbury Back Garden

By David Crabtree, Sky News Midlands Correspondent

A 10-year-old boy has been attacked and badly injured by a police dog while playing in his grandmother's back garden.

Tom Cutbill was bitten up to three times by the animal on Sunday afternoon during a police search for metal thieves in the Oldbury area of Sandwell in the West Midlands.

The dog, on a leash with its handler, entered the private back garden where the boy was playing during the pursuit.

The German Shepherd cross mauled the boy's right leg. Tom required two hospital operations and is now recovering at the family home in Rowley Regis.

The boy's father expressed his disgust and shock at what had happened.

Martin Cutbill, 40, a warehouse manager, told Sky News: "I am disgusted and want  to know how this was allowed to happen. I am shocked and amazed.

"My son has gone through a terrible time. He is only recently out of hospital, starting to take his first steps on crutches. It happened on Sunday afternoon.

"There were quite a few puncture wounds and tears to his skin. We haven't heard much from the police."

The child's grandmother is reported to have witnessed the attack, telling local newspaper the Express and Star that it was "like a horror movie".

West Midlands Police issued an unreserved apology to the child and his family.

The force has informed the Independent Police Complaints Commission, and is carrying out its own investigation into how the boy came by the serious injuries while the dog, a German Shepherd-Belgian Malinois cross, was on a leash.

The dog's handler had been sent to support fellow officers who were searching an area near Western Road for four men seen running away from a quantity of copper wiring.

Chief Inspector Ian Marsh said: "This poor young boy has gone through an absolutely horrendous ordeal and my thoughts are with him and his family as he recovers from his injuries.

"We apologise unreservedly for what has happened and have launched an investigation to fully understand exactly how an innocent young lad came to be bitten by a police dog in the safety of his own back garden.

"Police dogs and their handlers receive intensive training and play crucial roles in the arrest of suspects day in, day out, but on the very rare occasions where things go wrong, it's vital we understand why and learn the lessons to ensure it doesn't happen again."

The officer and the dog involved continue to carry out regular duties after an initial independent assessment.

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Hospitals Urged To Ban Junk Food Sales

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

Doctors have backed a call to remove items such as crisps, fizzy juice, burgers and chips from hospital ward trolleys and vending machines.

The motion was put to the annual conference of the British Medical Association (BMA) in Edinburgh by cardiologist Dr Aseem Molhatra, who accused NHS managers of "selling sickness".

He told the conference: "For too long, short term financial considerations of hospital management have taken precedence over the health of the community.

"The obesity epidemic represents a public health crisis, but it is a public health scandal that by legitimising junk food hospitals have themselves become a risk factor for diet related disease by perpetuating the revolving door of healthcare.

"It's time to stop selling sickness in the hospital grounds."

Dr Malhotra claims that the hospital environment legitimises junk food and increases consumption of it - in spite of public awareness of its health dangers.

"Patients in hospitals continue to be served disgraceful meals of poor nutritional value, slowing their recovery, lengthening their stay, and increasing costs," he told Sky News.

Doctors want warnings at fast food outlets in hospitals (Flickr: Al King)

"The fact that a half of the 1.4 million NHS employees are overweight or obese is a clear demonstration that education is ineffective when an unhealthy food environment in the workplace is working against you."

The BMA now intends to lobby the Department of Health and the NHS Confederation to ban hospital junk food sales and to have health warnings displayed where it is on sale. 

Already, however, it has been met with resistance from NHS management.

GP and NHS Confederation director of policy Dr Johnny Marshall told Sky News: "These brands and outlets help normalisation of the hospital environment, which is important for good patient experience.

"Many NHS trusts rent space to commercial outlets, providing a service that is highly valued by patients, their families and other hospital users.

Dr Marshall said that the majority of hospital shops also offer more healthy options such as fruit, smoothies, tea and coffee.

However, he added: "If a patient who has been in hospital a week wants a few mint imperials, or a parent wants to buy their child who has just had a broken arm reset some chocolate buttons, as a doctor I think that is absolutely fine.

"The key thing is that the NHS ensures there are easy ways for patients, staff and other users to make healthy choices"

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Rugby Player Jailed Over Million-Pound Fraud

A man has been jailed for eight months after being caught playing rugby while making a £923,000 claim for wrist injuries.

David Ribchester, 31, was secretly filmed at his local rugby club where he was "seen to grab the ball with both hands and go into a hard tackle" despite claiming he was unable to carry out the most basic of tasks such as tying his shoelaces, the Old Bailey heard.

Ribchester, who exaggerated the injuries he received to his hands and wrists in a workplace accident in February 2006, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at the court last month.

Sentencing him, Judge Nicholas Cooke told him: "David Ribchester, it is greed that has brought you to this and unfortunately there is a lot of greed out there.

"Genuinely injured people putting forward wholly honest claims are viewed sceptically because of the publicity in relation to this sort of matter.

David Ribchester

"Anyone who is tempted to behave in a dishonest way to the extent that you did by attempting to exploit a system which exists to compensate the genuinely injured will end up going to prison."

The court heard Ribchester told doctors he needed help with his personal care including getting in and out of the bath and that he could not open jars, carry out housework, play the drums or drive his car.

He also conned psychiatrists into thinking he was emotionally scarred by the accident and was diagnosed with moderate post-traumatic stress disorder and with showing features of a major depressive disorder.

He even told them he felt as though he was not a proper father as he could not pick up his young daughter.

But insurers began to suspect him after his injuries seemed to be getting worse over time, and referred him to their in-house counter-fraud team who carried out surveillance.

Between February 2008 and October 2009, Ribchester was filmed on a number of occasions driving his car, carrying his daughter, building garden furniture, pushing a trolley, and loading and unloading heavy shopping bags.

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Power Warning: Higher Risk Of Shortages

The energy regulator has warned of a greater risk of power shortages in three years' time - although it says blackouts are unlikely.

Ofgem said electricity margins could tighten in 2015-16 to between around 2% to 5% and the generation industry must get a grip on the problem through greater investment and other initiatives.

But the study did admit it was difficult to anticipate rising demand because of various factors including uncertainty over the strength of the UK economy and the timing and scale of plant closures and mothballing.

Ofgem said the report illustrated the need for the timely implementation of the Department for Energy and Climate Change's capacity market reforms.

It said: "Electricity margins could tighten in 2015-2016 to between around 2% and 5% depending on demand.

"This means that the probability of a supply disruption increases from 1 in 47 years now to around 1 in 12 years for 2015/16 or lower.

"If the projected decline in demand does not materialise margins could fall to 2%."

Ofgem has been working with Government and National Grid to explore options that would provide consumers with additional safeguards against the increased risk to security of supply.

These include giving National Grid the option to buy extra reserve generation to balance the electricity network.

Andrew Wright, Ofgem's Chief Executive, said: "(Our) latest report on electricity security of supply highlights the need for reform to encourage investment in generation.

"This is why Ofgem welcomes DECC's (Department for Energy & Climate Change) commitment to introduce a capacity market that will provide a longer term solution to this problem at a time when Britain's energy industry is facing an unprecedented challenge to secure supplies."

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Oxford Sex Ring Brothers Jailed For Life

Two sets of brothers have been jailed for life for their sadistic abuse and rape of young girls as part of a sex ring they operated for seven years.

Sentencing the seven men who abused the girls as part of a gang, Judge Peter Rook said: "These were sexual crimes of the upmost gravity. The depravity was extreme, each victim was groomed, coerced and intimidated."

Judge Rook jailed brothers Akhtar Dogar, 32, and Anjum Dogar, 31, for a minimum of 17 years telling them they had been found guilty of "exceptionally grave crimes".

Mohammed Karrar was given life with a minimum of 20 years for the 18 "dreadful offences" he committed, including raping a child under 13. His brother Bassam Karrar, was jailed for life with a minimum of 15 years.

Brothers Akhtar and Anjum Dogar were jailed for life

Kamar Jamil, 27, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years. Assad Hussain, 32, and Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, were both jailed for seven years.

The judge said the gang, all of whom were of Pakistani or north African origin, had targeted vulnerable girls, and said on occasions "the depravity was extreme".

"You targeted the young girls because they were vulnerable, underage and out-of-control," he said.

He said each of the six victims had shown "enormous courage" in giving evidence during the trial.

The guest house where the girls were taken and forced to have sex with men

He said they had come "knowing that they would be accused of lying, knowing they would have to relive their ordeals, knowing that they have not been believed in the past".

The seven men, including another set of brothers, exploited girls as young as 11 and were found guilty of a catalogue of offences including rape, trafficking and organising prostitution last month after a five-month trial.

The girls were plied with alcohol and drugged with crack cocaine and heroin, then trafficked for sex across the country.

Operating from their Oxford base for seven years, the men targeted vulnerable and "out-of-control" youngsters aged between 11 and 16, many of whom were in care homes.

A room at the Nanford Guest House

They groomed them into believing they were in love and then exploited them, injecting them with heroin, forcing them into prostitution and even branding one of them with an electronic cigarette lighter.

The girls were taken to the grubby Nanford Guest House, where they were forced to have sex, often with a number of men.

Most of the six girls who were abused were too scared to face their abusers in court and gave their evidence from behind a curtain.

But one, who was repeatedly raped and sold for sex between 2004, when she was just 12, and 2007, faced down her attackers and told the court: "I am here to tell my story and see the people who abused me found guilty."

Belongings in a room at the Nanford Guest House

Another girl's evidence told how she was told she would be shot if she did not have sex with one of the men when she was 14 and how she rang police after being taken to a flat and realising she was with 11 men who wanted to have sex with her.

Another told how she was plied with drugs and forced to have sex with strangers while being filmed at the age of 13.

The most harrowing account came from a girl who was groomed from the age of 11 and forced to have an illegal abortion on the living room floor of a house in Reading, aged 12.

Mohammed Karrar during his interview with police

A string of failings by social workers and police allowed the Oxfordshire gang to brutally exploit vulnerable schoolgirls, selling them for sex for seven years.

Some of the victims reported their treatment at the hands of the men to police, but their complaints were ignored. One was threatened with arrest if she persisted with her claims.

One of the victims, who had reported her treatment to the police on a number of ocassions told the jury at the trial: "Any self-respecting police officer would have seen something was wrong.

"If you pick up a child who is covered in cigarette burns and bruises, something is fundamentally wrong.

"Adults should be doing their jobs, it's not down to a child."

Following the trial, Joanna Simons, the Oxfordshire County Council's chief executive, apologised to the girls. She said: "We are incredibly sorry we were not able to stop it any sooner."

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