Weather: Snow Storm Brings M6 To Standstill

Hundreds of drivers spent up to eight hours trapped in their vehicles on the M6 in Lancashire after heavy snow brought the motorway to a standstill.

The motorway became blocked in both directions between junctions 25 and 27, near Wigan, on Friday night after vehicles became stuck in more than a foot of snow and some drivers abandoned their cars.

Many drivers were affected along the stretch between Wigan and Standish after struggling to make it up inclines in the treacherous conditions, while a number of accidents including jack-knifed lorries also blocked lanes.

Prime Minister David Cameroon tweeted: "Huge sympathy for those affected by heavy #uksnow. Govt working closely with transport operators to minimise impact on everyone."

Mountain rescue teams were brought in to help police and the Highways Agency clear roads and assist those who were stranded.

One man had to be taken to hospital after becoming ill in his car while it was stuck.

And some of the stranded drivers passed the time with snowball fights and building snowmen.

The M6 gridlock. Pic Kevin Collister

The M6, as well as the M56 and M58 which were also blocked, are now all moving again but remain heavily congested with long tailbacks, Lancashire Police said.

Motorists contacted Sky News overnight to share their tales of woe.

Kevin Collister, stuck on the motorway just past the M58 junction heading northbound, said: "There is absolutely no movement whatsoever on my side of the carriageway, all the snow is squashed down into ice and there are wagons trying to move and sliding sideways.

"It's an absolute nightmare, we've been here for three hours so far. A few people are saying we might be here for the night but we're just hoping we can get through."

Conservative MP David Morris, stuck on the southbound carriageway, said: "We've ground to a halt on both sides. Nothing is really moving.

"But the emergency services have been fantastic and are doing the best for us, and everyone is in good spirits.

Some M6 motorists made the most of the snow. Pic Ashley Pinches

"I've just seen a snowball fight and the man next door to me has built a snowman on top of his car roof ... it's very surreal."

Barry Pinches, on his way to Blackpool, told Sky News: "At one stage we didn't think we would make it but it looks like things are moving slowly now. We saw some snow ploughs on the southbound carriageway but there doesn't seem to be too many of them - they have their work cut out."

Pete Martin, from the Highways Agency, confirmed to Sky News that the carriageways had been gritted before the snow came down.

"We had an extremely intense fall of snow across Lancashire between 8.30pm and midnight and basically there wasn't enough traffic to keep the lanes moving," he said.

The M6 was blocked both ways in Lancashire

"A number of HGVs lost traction between junctions 25 and 27 and once they blocked the carriageway the snow stacked up and the result was a number of stranded vehicles."

The agency worked throughout the night to clear the routes with snow ploughs. It is urging those who had abandoned their cars to return to them as soon as possible.

A spokesman said: "With the rain falling and ice melting onto very cold road surfaces, we are now warning drivers of the danger of ice."

Hazardous driving conditions led to collisions and delays on many routes across the north of England, including the M18, M60, M65, M56 and M58.

Meanwhile, all flights were suspended at Leeds Bradford International Airport during the morning as a fresh blanket of snow covered most of the Yorkshire region.

North Yorkshire Fire Service said a couple had to be rescued from a snow drift on the North York Moors last night.

North Yorkshire Police said some main roads were blocked by snow and abandoned vehicles including the A59 between Harrogate and Skipton and the B6265 at Rylstone.

Weather experts have warned of the risk of flooding this weekend, as heavy rain moves in and rising temperatures spark a rapid thaw of the built-up snow and ice.

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Armed Robber Pinned Down During Raid Dies

An armed man has died after being restrained by customers during an attempted robbery at a bookmakers, police said.

The man, in his 50s, was believed to be wearing a gas mask and holding a gun when he entered a Ladbrokes branch on Crownhill Road in Plymouth shortly before 7pm.

Customers managed to disarm him and held him on the floor while others raised the alarm, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

Police arrested the man, who was already unconscious, but he was declared dead shortly afterwards.

"It quickly became clear the man was unresponsive and an ambulance was immediately requested by police who carried out CPR until they arrived," a police spokesman said.

"A few minutes later three paramedics arrived at the scene and continued to carry out further CPR. Around 20 minutes later the man was declared dead at the scene by the paramedics."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has been informed of death.

Chief Inspector Ian Drummond-Smith said: "This is a very serious incident. We cannot speculate on what has actually taken place here today.

"A full investigation has now begun and while the IPCC carry out their investigation it is not appropriate to comment further."

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Peter Stringfellow Threatens Nick Clegg Contest

Stripclub owner Peter Stringfellow has suggested he could stand against Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in the General Election due to be held in 2015.

The 72-year-old has twice been singled out by the Liberal Democrat leader as someone who does not deserve state-funded pensioner benefits.

Sheffield-born Mr Stringfellow said that at his age he had "done everything a guy would probably like to do ... and I might take a serious view of moving into politics".

Asked by LBC radio's James Whale about the chances he might stand in Mr Clegg's Sheffield Hallam constituency, he said: "I think 'why not?'. It has opened my mind to the possibility and the idea of going back to my home city and taking him on would be my first choice.

"Everybody knows my clubs are full of beautiful girls taking their clothes off. I don't want to be Hugh Hefner ... so a bit later on in life I like the idea of going into politics and I think I could contribute the reality."

The millionaire nightclub owner has been angered by the Deputy PM using him to highlight his fight to take the winter fuel payment from wealthy pensioners, a move opposed by Prime Minister David Cameron.

"You cannot ask people to take big cuts in their ... benefits, and say it's ok for Peter Stringfellow and Alan Sugar to be given a whole bunch of free benefits when they don't need it, paid for by other taxpayers," he has said.

Mr Stringfellow is a Tory supporter but acknowledged he would probably have to stand as an independent because of his business interests.

And he added that he would live in the South Yorkshire city, saying: "My God, do you know how cheap those bloody big houses are up there."

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Plastic Surgeons Flying In From Abroad 'Pose Risk'

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Doctors have warned of the dangers of 'seagull surgeons' who fly into Britain on daytrips to carry out operations, often without insurance.

Sky News has seen details of patients who have suffered complications from botched cosmetic surgery carried out at British clinics. But they have been unable to trace the surgeons abroad and have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) said patients need better protection - and called on the government to get tough.

Kelly Dean went for a lunchtime liposuction with what she thought was an experienced surgeon in a reputable clinic.

But the £4,000 laser procedure was botched, burning tissue inside her legs and leaving her with lumps on her thighs.

She told Sky News: "I just remember the pain, and thinking: 'Oh my God, what have I done?'"

"I kept telling him: 'I'm in pain, you're hurting me'. And I was crying, really crying."

A solicitor tried to track the surgeon down in Italy, without success, and the clinic which had hired out the room denied any responsibility.

"You think you are in safe hands," she said.

"To them it is just money, you are just a number. They don't care about it.

"As soon as they take your money, that's it, bye-bye."

Leeds-based surgeon Muhammad Riaz has had to treat complications in several patients after their original surgeon had returned abroad.

He said all surgeons should be responsible for their patients' after-care.

"That's the time the patient suffers," he warned.

"If they don't get into the same hospital and are not able to see the same surgeon, the NHS ends up picking up the pieces and dealing with those problems."

Rajiv Grover, presidet of BAAPS, which is the professional body for cosmetic surgeons, said the government must regulate the "fly-in, fly-out" surgeons and insist they have proper indemnity insurance.

"They may be working here for a short time and perhaps it's not cost effective for them to do so," he said.

"But for the protection of the patient it is imperative they have insurance of a level that allows them to work here and explicitly states they can work in the United Kingdom."

The Department of Health spokesperson said: "The NHS Medical Director Sir Bruce Keogh is currently carrying out a review into regulation of cosmetic surgery.

"The review will be published in March. Its recommendations will be evidence-based, with the safety of the patient at the forefront."

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Weather: Flood Warnings As Snow Thaws

There are fears of flooding in the UK as rain moves in and rising temperatures spark a rapid thaw of the snow and ice which built up in the past fortnight.

The Environment Agency has warned there is a risk of surface water and river flooding this weekend across England and Wales.

The agency has issued around 15 warnings, mostly in the South West, and about 80 less serious flood alerts, mainly in the south, the Midlands and Wales.

Warnings mean flooding is expected and immediate action is required, while alerts signify floods are possible.

A spokesman said: "Emergency teams from the Environment Agency will be out in force throughout the weekend to shore up defences, monitor river levels and clear blockages from watercourses."

The Met Office has also issued a severe weather warning about possible localised flooding in many parts of the country on Sunday, and the public should be aware of potential disruption to travel.

Forecasters are predicting up to 50mm of rain on Saturday over high ground.

And temperatures will steadily rise above freezing before reaching more than 10C in the south on Sunday.

Sky News Weather Presenter Isobel Lang said: "During today much of eastern England and eastern Scotland will be fine but rather chilly, with some good sunny spells. This evening and tonight it will turn wet and windy with snow thawing rapidly. It will be mild.

"Across Western Scotland, western England, the Midlands and Wales there will be a few showers but many places should be dry and sunny.

"Through the afternoon, cloud will increase from the west bringing outbreaks of rain by to most places by evening. Winds will strengthen too bringing in mild air overnight and leading to the rapid thaw of snow.

"Around 30 to 50mm (two inches) of rain is possible over high ground exposed to the strong southerly wind. Some local flooding is possible."

She added: "Sunday will see rain and strong, gusty winds clearing eastern Britain followed by sunshine but scattered blustery showers."

Forecasters are predicting a very wet spell through the latter part of Monday and through Tuesday.

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Elsa Salama: Plea For Abducted Girl's Return

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The mother of a little girl who was snatched by Egyptian relatives while on a family holiday has pleaded for her to be returned.

Naomi Button, 39, has not seen her daughter Elsa Salama since she was abducted in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh on December 27, 2011 while visiting relatives.

Elsa's father, Egyptian-born Tamer Salama, 35, is in prison in England for refusing to comply with court orders to return Elsa to her mother.

Standing in her daughter's bedroom in Leeds, which has been kept just as she left it, Ms Button said she finds it difficult to cope.

Elsa was abducted in December 2011

"The worst times are when I wake up in the middle of the night, sometimes I wonder if that's because she's woken up and she's crying for me," she said.

Elsa will be six on February 2 and her mother has set up a Facebook page hoping that making a public appeal will finally bring her daughter home.

"I don't know what she's been told, I don't know if she thinks I didn't want her and I just left her in Egypt and that's mortifying to me," she said.

Salama was jailed in January 2012, having said Elsa was with his mother, but refusing to say where she was being held.

Ms Button is making a public appeal for the return of her daughter

Sentencing him, the judge Mr Justice Mitchell said: "It is unspeakably harmful to the emotional welfare of your daughter.

"It shows me that you are a man with a hard heart, determined only to get your own way."

Last week Salama was jailed for a further 12 months for his continuing failure to comply with court orders to return his daughter to her mother.

The couple met in Sharm el Sheikh in 2005 and were married in Egypt the following year, before moving to Leeds in 2007.

They separated in 2009 but agreed that Elsa should continue to see her family in Egypt.

Elsa's father is in jail for refusing to say where she is being held

Ms Button has a custody order in Egypt and the support of the Child Abduction Section of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Her lawyer, Kate Bannerjee, who heads the children's department at Jones Myers and is a panel member of the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit, warns that parental child abduction is on the increase.

"The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Child Abduction Section is receiving an average of four calls per day," she said.

"Understanding of parental child abduction is alarmingly low and cases can take years to resolve."

Ms Button has kept a pile of unopened Christmas presents in her daughter's room.

"I know that she wants to be back home with Mummy," she told us.

"My mission in life is to find my daughter and, no matter how long that takes, to be here for her.

"I want her to come back and see how her life was, so I do everything I can to find her but also to maintain the life she had, and that's what I get up for every day."

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Chelsea Kick Ballboy's 'Crazy 24 Hours'

The Swansea ballboy kicked by Chelsea's Eden Hazard has broken his silence as the player is set to find out if he will face further disciplinary action.

Charlie Morgan tweeted that the last 24 hours had been "crazy", adding he had spoken to the footballer and the teenager would not be pressing charges.

Hazard claims he was trying to wrestle the ball away from Morgan in Wednesday's Capital One Cup match at the Liberty Stadium.

The ballboy, 17, had apparently refused to hand over the ball after it had gone out for a goal kick towards the end of the semi-final second leg game.

Charlie Morgan appeared in pain after the kick

Hazard was sent off by referee Chris Foy and Chelsea will not appeal his red card for violent conduct - which carries a minimum three match suspension.

But the Football Association could hit him with a disrepute charge as it continues to review the midfielder's dismissal.

The match ended 0-0, the Welsh side going through to the final 2-0 on aggregate, and the kick affair became a worldwide talking point, including on Twitter.

Marseille midfielder Joey Barton tweeted: "Hazard only crime is he hasn't kicked him hard enough", while Manchester United Rio Ferdinand said in a tweet: "17 year old ballboy….is that a wind up!!? Is being a ballboy now a career move??".

Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore tweeted: "Hazard deserved red (violent conduct rule). Kid is a prat. Ball boy job is to give ball quickly. End of."

Chelsea's Eden Hazard (right) was sent off

Morgan and his father, Swansea's largest shareholder Martin, decided not to press charges, although South Wales Police are following up complaints from members of the public in Sussex, Kent and south Wales.

Hazard and the teenager, who stands to inherit a fortune reported as £42m in 2008, apologised to each other in the Chelsea dressing room after the final whistle.

Swansea will not face any action over Morgan's role in the controversy, as any complaint of time-wasting is considered an issue to be handled by the officials during the game.

The Welsh side stated after the game they had not told their ballboys to delay giving the ball back to the players, although Morgan, who now has over 100,000 followers on Twitter, had used the words "needed for time-wasting" in a post on the microblogging site a few hours before kick-off.

Meanwhile, a well-known opticians has run tongue-in-cheek press adverts poking fun at the row.

Hazard is not facing criminal charges but the £32m player has earned a rebuke from the Belgian FA and could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines if the football authorities here decide to increase his automatic three-game ban.

The player has been warned by the boss of Belgium's football association that he must learn to control himself after his "unpleasant" actions.

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Newcastle Utd Striker Arrested For Rape

Newcastle United striker Nile Ranger has been arrested on suspicion of rape, sources said.

The 21-year-old Premier League footballer was held by Northumbria Police following an allegation made by a woman that she was attacked at a hotel in Jesmond, Newcastle between Wednesday and Thursday.

London-born Ranger, who lives in Forest Hall, North Tyneside, was still being questioned today.

Nile Ranger was arrested after an alleged incident at a hotel

A police spokeswoman said: "On Thursday January 24 a woman reported to police that she had been raped overnight at a hotel in Jesmond.

"A 21-year-old man has been arrested at an address in Forest Hall on suspicion of rape."

Ranger, a former England under-19 player, angered fans by criticising them for booing after Newcastle lost to Reading at the weekend.

He has had a troubled time at Newcastle, with loans to Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley. A Newcastle United spokeswoman declined to comment.

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River Wye Crash: Dad Killed On School Run

A father has been killed during a family school run after the car he was driving veered into a river - moments before the same thing happened to his wife.

David Cox, 42, was driving his 11-year-old daughter to school along a bridle path near to the Monsal Trail, north of the A6, when the Toyota Aygo plunged into the River Wye.

His wife, Ruth, was driving their nine-year-old son in another car behind him which also slewed into the water.

Derbyshire Police said the two children and their 39-year-old mother managed to escape unhurt from the cars and swim to safety but the father could not be saved, despite attempts from local residents, and died a short time later.

The Toyota Rav4 driven by Mr Cox's wife is recovered from the water

Paul Hawker, station manager at Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, was one of the first on the scene and said the wintry weather in the area was a contributing factor in the accident, a fire service spokeswoman said.

Both mother and father were taking their children to school when the tragedy happened just after 8.30am.

Neighbours waded into the river to try to help the man and when police arrived on the scene an officer also plunged into the water to try to aid the rescue attempt.

Victoria Bamber, 32, said the man's son came running down the country lane shouting for help.

She said: "He came banging on the door saying 'There's been an accident, Daddy is trapped'. When I got to the scene, I could only see the silver 4x4 upside down in the water and Ruth was desperately trying to find David."

Emergency vehicles and personnel, local mountain rescue volunteers, land ambulances, and the air ambulance, attended to take all four passengers to hospital.

Police said the man later died at Stepping Hill Hospital.

Mr Cox worked for the BBC as part of the Future Media team in Salford.

Tim Davie, the corporation's acting director general, said: "We are very sad to learn of David's tragic death.

"He was a popular member of the Future Media team in Salford and had been key to the success of the red button service during the Olympics in the summer.

"Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues here at the BBC at this difficult time."

Deaths linked to the recent cold snap have now hit double figures and forecasters are predicting more heavy snow before a thaw at the weekend.

The Met Office said it has amber warnings in place for much of Scotland, the north of England, east of England and East and West Midlands, with yellow warnings in Wales, southwest England and London and the South East.

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Man Jailed For 25 Years For Toddler's Murder

A man has been ordered to serve at least 25 years for murdering the 15-month-old daughter of his former partner.

Barry McCarney, 33, of Co Tyrone, was found guilty last month of Millie Martin's murder in Enniskillen in 2009.

Setting the minimum tariff McCarney must serve before being considered for release, Mr Justice Ben Stephens told the labourer at Belfast Crown Court he was a "deeply manipulative man" who had carried out a "sadistic sexual assault"  on the child.

Millie was 15-months-old when she died in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital after being badly beaten at a house in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, the day before.

Millie was subjected to a 'sadistic sexual assault' by McCarney

Millie's mother Rachel, 25, had gone briefly to a local shop in December 2009, but when she returned home her daughter and partner were not in the house.

She later said: "I was literally minutes away and when I got back... I got a phone call telling me to get to the Erne hospital quick - Millie wasn't well - I was in hysterics."

McCarney was filmed on hospital CCTV carrying Millie into the emergency ward before she was transferred to Belfast's Royal Victoria hospital where she was put on a life-support machine until members of her family arrived to say goodbye.

At the time, Millie's grandmother Margaret said the child "could never be replaced - it's just a nightmare, a nightmare every day."

During McCarney's trial the jury heard Millie had received a fatal blow to the back of her head as well as a number of other injuries, including serious internal injuries which could also have proved fatal.

It was claimed that Injuries to her abdomen had been caused by regular punching in the weeks before her death.

McCarney had also found guilty of grevious bodily harm with intent and sexual assault of Millie. He must serve at least six years and two years for those crimes respectively, but those terms will run concurrently with his murder tariff.

McCarney showed little emotion as the judge delivered his sentencing remarks.

Millie's mother Rachael Martin looked on from the public gallery. She was previously acquitted of charges of allowing her daughter's death and cruelty through wilful neglect.

Outside court, Ms Martin criticised the length of tariff handed to her ex-boyfriend.

"I don't think it was long enough, 25 years isn't long enough," she said.

More follows...

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Cost Of Raising A Child Soars To £222,000

The cost of raising a child from birth until their 21st birthday has rocketed to £222,000, according to a study.

The overall figure is more than £4,000 up on last year and £82,000 more than a decade ago - an increase of 58%.

The most expensive areas to raise children over the past decade remain London (£239,123), the South East (£237,233) and the East of England (£233,363).

Families in the South West have seen the biggest hike in costs, now paying £10,077 more per child than they were 10 years ago.

Education and childcare remain the biggest costs, with 76% of parents forced to make cutbacks to meet the financial demands of raising their offspring, the survey for insurer LV= found.

The cost of education, including uniforms, after-school clubs and university costs has rocketed from £32,593 to £72,832 per child in the last decade - a 124% rise. This does not include private school fees.

Childcare costs alone have risen by 61% from £9,613 in 2003 to £6,738.

From birth to the age of 21, parents spend an average of £19,270 on food and £16,195 on holidays per child.

Of the 2,013 mums and dads that took part in the poll, some reported feeling under pressure to keep up with the latest technological advances, even for children as young as three years old.

More than a quarter of parents (27%) had bought their child an electronic gadget in the last 12 months, with 16% buying a laptop or tablet computer.

On average, they revealed they spent around £302 on gadgets for their children.

The survey found costs have risen in all areas of expenditure apart from clothing, which has seen a 5% drop since 2003.

LV= spokesman Mark Jones said: "The cost of raising a child continues to soar and is now at a 10-year high. Everyone wants the best for their children but the rising cost of living is pushing parents' finances to the limit.

"There seems to be no sign of this trend reversing. If the costs associated with bringing up children continue to rise at the same pace, parents could face a bill of over £350,000 in 10 years' time."

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Burger King Dumps Products Over Horsemeat Row

Burger King is dumping thousands of beefburgers from the supplier at the centre of the horsemeat scandal - despite insisting its food was not contaminated.

Staff have been ordered to box up Whoppers and Angus burgers and ensure they are not sold to customers.

The fast-food giant was bitten by the controversy last week after tests showed the Silvercrest meat processing plant in Ireland and another site in Yorkshire had supplied burgers with traces of equine DNA to supermarkets.

Several supermarkets took burgers off the shelves, but Burger King said last Thursday it would not be following suit.

By the weekend its restaurant managers were being ordered to remove all Silvercrest burgers.

Burger King has now said it is switching to a different supplier for its British and Irish restaurants as a "voluntary and precautionary measure".

The ABP Food Group, one of Europe's biggest suppliers and processors, stopped work at its Silvercrest plant in Co Monaghan after new tests last week revealed contamination in frozen burgers.

But ABP has insisted that meat for Burger King was stored and processed separately and there is no evidence that its burgers are affected.

Work was stopped at Silvercrest after new tests revealed contamination

Burger King said the withdrawal could lead to shortages of burgers in its restaurants.

It said: "We apologise to our guests for any inconvenience. However, we want to let them know that they can trust us to serve only the highest quality products.

"We take this matter seriously and will continue with our investigations to determine how this situation occurred and what lessons can be learned."

Ten million burgers have been removed from supermarkets across Ireland and the UK as a result of the scandal.

Tesco took out full-page adverts in a number of newspapers apologising for selling the contaminated beefburgers, and Aldi, Lidl and Iceland also withdrew burgers after they were found to contain horsemeat, which is safe to eat.

Sainsbury's, Asda and the Co-op later withdrew some frozen products but stressed that the move was "purely precautionary" and they had not been found to be selling contaminated food.

Meanwhile, Labour has claimed a drug with the potential to cause cancer in humans might have entered the food chain through meat from horses slaughtered in UK abattoirs.

The anti-inflammatory drug, phenylbutazone, is banned from being allowed in the human food chain in the EU.

Labour's shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh told the Commons there was evidence the drug - also called Bute - was found in "several" horses slaughtered in the UK last year.

Britain's Food Standards Agency (FSA) said Bute was found in five cases during checks on slaughtered horses in 2012. None of the meat had been placed for sale in the UK and foreign safety authorities were informed, the FSA said.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has retested all burgers found to contain traces of horsemeat and all were negative for Bute.

Companies involved in the separate horsemeat scandal that emerged last week have blamed meat suppliers on the Continent rather than British abattoirs.

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Police In 'Muslim Vigilantes' Victim Appeal

Officers investigating "Muslim vigilante" attacks are appealing for a victim who was abused by the gang for being "gay" to come forward.

Scotland Yard says the man is crucial to their investigation into a number of incidents where a gang calling themselves Muslim Patrol have harassed members of the public.

Videos of the attacks in east London where the self-styled gang appear to have started to operate have been posted on YouTube.

The police are appealing for the man in the footage, titled Muslim vigilantes in London harass and taunt gay male, to contact them.

In the film, the gang can been seen to abuse and intimidate the man using homophobic language, shouting: "Get out of here you f** …don't stay around here any more."

Investigating officers from the Community Safety Unit on Tower Hamlets borough said they are unsure where and when the video took place.

In a second video, posted online, men from the gang in Whitechapel, east London, tell another man "no drink in this area, it's a Muslim area" before ordering him to pour away his alcohol.

Another video posted on YouTube featured a woman wearing a miniskirt being told not to "expose" herself near a mosque.

Detective Chief Inspector Wendy Morgan from Tower Hamlets borough said: "The Met takes such homophobic behaviour very seriously.

"This man is a crucial witness in the investigation and would encourage him and anyone else with information relating to this incident to make contact in confidence as soon as possible."

Additional police patrols are being mounted across east London to reassure the public.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the investigation.

A 22-year-old man was arrested in Acton, west London on Sunday, and a 19-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday after going to an east London police station.

The pair were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and public order offences and were bailed to return to an east London police station in February and March pending further inquiries.

A police spokesman said: "The Metropolitan Police Service takes these incidents very seriously and is pursuing various lines of inquiry with a view to identifying and prosecuting the individuals concerned."

Islamic leaders in east London condemned the vigilantes.

A spokesman for the East London Mosque said: "These actions are utterly unacceptable and clearly designed to stoke tensions and sow discord. We wholly condemn them.

"The East London Mosque is committed to building co-operation and harmony between all communities in this borough. The actions of this tiny minority have no place in our faith nor on our streets.

"We advise anyone who has been harassed by these individuals to contact the police.

"We will monitor the situation closely and our Imams will be speaking out against such actions."

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Man Arrested For 'Leaking Ian Brady Stories'

An ex-healthcare worker has been arrested over allegations he leaked stories about Ian Brady, according to Sky sources.

The 59-year-old man was held at around 6.30am at his home in the Knowlsey area on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, corruption and conspiracy to commit both those offences.

He is being questioned at a police station in Merseyside and his home is being searched.

The alleged offences took place while Moors killer Brady was a patient at Ashworth Hospital, a high security psychiatric hospital in Maghull, Merseyside.

The arrest, under the Metropolitan Police's Operation Elveden, is as a result of information given to police by News Corporation's Management and Standards Committee.

It brings the number of people detained under the operation into alleged corrupt payments to public officials to 57.

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Baby In Stolen Car: Thief Drives Off With Child

A thief drove off with a seven-week-old baby in a car after stealing the vehicle as the father stood near by talking to a friend.

The 24-year-old man suddenly became aware someone had snuck in the driver's side door and was driving off with his son on the back seat.

He tried to open the passenger door shouting that his baby son was in the back seat but the thief drove on.

It was a frantic 15 minutes before the child was found safe and well in the car, which had been left close to a pub.

Police are now appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident in Wigan at 7.35pm on Tuesday, at Moor Road, in Orrell, to contact them.

Detective Constable Brendan Greally, from Wigan CID, said: "We can only imagine the distress that the parents of this young baby must have gone through after their son was taken from them in this manner.

"Thankfully, their nightmare was only short-lived after the baby was found safe and well inside the vehicle around 15 minutes later."

Police were told that the baby had been left in the abandoned blue Subaru Impreza on Maine Street, Billinge, by an anonymous caller.

The thief is described as a white man in his 20s, wearing a dark-coloured hat, a dark hooded top and lighter coloured trousers or tracksuit bottoms.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Stuart Hall: Rape Charge For BBC Presenter

BBC presenter Stuart Hall has been charged with further sexual offences - including an alleged rape.

The 83-year-old veteran broadcaster was arrested on Tuesday after attending a Cheshire police station.

The Radio 5 Live football presenter was charged with 14 offences of sexual assault involving 10 girls aged between nine and 16 between 1967 and 1986.

He is also accused of raping a 22-year-old woman in 1976.

In December, Hall was charged with three counts of indecent assault against young girls in the 1970s and 80s. He denied these three charges at a court hearing earlier this month.

Following the latest charges he was bailed to appear before magistrates in Preston on February 7.

Hall, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, has worked for more than a half century in British broadcasting and was awarded an OBE in this year's New Years Honours.

He presented the It's A Knockout show in the 1970s.

The BBC has previously said he would not be working at the corporation while he is facing allegations.

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Lloyds Confirms 940 More Banking Job Cuts

Lloyds Bank has confirmed it is to axe another 940 jobs, taking job loss announcements at the firm to 1,300 in the past few days.

Sky News has confirmed that the cuts will occur in the group operations, insurance, retail, wealth and international and commercial divisions.

In a statement, the bank said: "Lloyds Banking Group is committed to working through these changes with employees in a careful and sensitive way.

"All affected employees have been briefed by their line manager today.

"The Group's recognised unions Accord, Unite and LTU were consulted prior to this announcement and will continue to be consulted."

But unions have reacted with anger to the job cuts.

the Unite union expressed "fury" at the latest cuts, adding that 25% of Lloyds' workforce has now been cut since 2009.

The Accord union said almost 200 posts were being moved offshore to India.

Unions said it was the third job loss announcement from Lloyds in the past few days.

Unite national officer Dominic Hook said: "Since 2009 Lloyds have slashed a quarter of the workforce. It is a complete disgrace that the bank, which is 41%-owned by the taxpayer, continues to cut jobs in such a cavalier manner.

"In the middle of an economic crisis, a bank part-owned by the public should be keeping jobs in the UK, not exporting them abroad.

"Unite has warned Lloyds Banking Group that if they are looking for a period of stability and growth to return it to profitability, this cannot and will not be achieved by continuous and damaging job loss announcements.

"Unite opposes these cuts and will be doing everything possible to stop compulsory redundancies."

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Weather: Drivers Rescued After More Snow

More snow has fallen across some parts of the UK causing disruption to schools and travel networks and stranding motorists in their cars.

Motorists walk back to their cars after a fire in Dartmoor blocked the road

Up to 9cm fell overnight across parts of south and south-west England, the West Midlands and parts of Wales, but it has been generally light.

In Somerset, 30 people were forced to abandon their cars and spend the night in a shelter after heavy snow and fallen trees blocked the A39 between Bridgwater and Wilton.

Police rescued the stranded drivers in the early hours of the morning and took them to a local village hall where they spent the night.

Ablaze: a car fire on the B3212 at Dartmoor, Devon

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset police said: "At 1am we became aware that about 30 people were stuck on a road that was impassable, primarily because of snow but also because of fallen trees.

"Officers from different districts in 4x4s were first on the scene to help and we asked the local fire station to open up and serve hot drinks and spoke with the council and identified a key holder for a nearby village hall.

"It was a group effort by the emergency services and a bit of community spirit."

Driver Matthew Shipton was on his way home from work when the blaze started

Another driver had a lucky escape after his car caught fire on the B3212 at Dartmoor in Devon. Matthew Shipton, 21, was driving home from work when his engine suddenly burst into flames.

Firefighters were called and put out the blaze.

Emergency services were called to Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield where a boy, believed to be 15, had apparently tried to walk on the frozen surface of a large pool of water.

Fire crews use a raft to reach a boy who fell through the ice (Pic: WMFS)

After falling through he managed to escape the icy water and reach an island about 30m from the shore, but was suffering from the effects of the cold.

Fire crews from Sutton Coldfield, Erdington and Perry Barr were sent to the park, along with the police and ambulance service.

They were able to rescue the boy using an inflatable raft, and he was taken to hospital.

Children make their way through the ice to school in Princetown, Dartmoor

A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: "This incident is a very timely reminder about the need for us all to stay safe and sensible in these very cold weather conditions.

"As sturdy as it might look, there is no way of knowing the thickness of ice on pools, lakes and other waterways. Please stay off it, and make sure that any children you know are aware of the dangers.

"People who put themselves at risk by venturing on to ice also endanger the lives of anyone who might have to rescue them.

Snow today is expected to be generally light

"We're also urging dog owners to keep them on leads, so that they and their pets don't get into difficulties."

The icy weather has already caused problems across the country this week with hundreds of schools closed, dozens of flights cancelled and train networks disrupted.

It has also led to the deaths of at least nine people, including a man who is believed to have died after slipping on ice near his home in in Accrington, Lancashire after a night out.

Police said 54-year-old James Hurst fell over after he had been dropped off by taxi following an evening at a local pub on Saturday.

Blizzard: People struggle across a car park in Shepton Mallet

Neighbours saw his body lying near a doorstep at about 8am the next day. Police confirmed Mr Hurst suffered a head injury which they were treating as an accident.

Tributes were also paid yesterday to postman John Bircham, who collapsed as he approached the end of his deliveries in and around the Somerset down of Dulverton on Saturday.

It is understood that the 57-year-old father of two was towed out of a snowdrift by a farmer before collapsing soon afterwards.

A woman found dead in a garden early on Sunday is believed to have collapsed in the snow after a night out.

Icy: Snow and ice covers Bradgate Park in Newtown, Leicestershire

Bernadette Lee, 25, was discovered in the front garden of the house next to her sister's by a man walking his dog in Church Meadows, Deal, Kent, at 7.30am.

Kent Police are investigating the cause of death but there have been reports that she had no visible injuries and was found without a coat.

Temperatures are expected to become milder at the weekend; however melting snow coupled with rainfall could lead to flooding.

Sky's weather producer, Joanna Robinson, said: "The next few days will be quieter in terms of snowfall, but ice and freezing fog will remain hazards.

Snow is cleared by a farmer on a road near Auchterarder, Scotland

"The next spell of heavy, possibly disruptive, snow will be on Friday in the north and east, but it will be fairly short lived as it will turn milder over the weekend. Flooding will then be an issue.

"In terms of snowfall today, there will be patchy outbreaks across the West Midlands, Wales and south-west England, but it will be much lighter than last night.

"Parts of Wales and south-west England could see another 2-5cm, locally 10cm over the hills.

"Generally the snowfall should ease today but there may be some very local issues of disruption across the south-west.

"Tonight and Thursday night look very cold, with temperatures dropping below minus 10 Celsius in some rural spots."

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David Cameron Promises 'In-Out' EU Referendum

Mixed Reaction To Cameron Speech

Updated: 12:59pm UK, Wednesday 23 January 2013

David Cameron's key speech on Europe has sparked a predictably mixed reaction from within Britain and beyond. Here are the key quotes.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg

"It's entirely for the Prime Minister, as leader of the Conservative Party, to set out what he wants to put in the Conservative Party manifesto and what he wants to do if there was a Conservative majority government.

"My priority remains, and will always remain: yes, reform in Europe; yes, a referendum where the circumstances are right, as we've set out in law; but above and beyond anything else, promoting growth and jobs and building a stronger economy in a fairer society."

Labour leader Ed Miliband

Mr Miliband said that his party "do not want an in/out referendum".

"He is going to put Britain through years of uncertainty and take a huge gamble with our economy. He has been driven to it not by the national interest, he has been dragged to it by his party...

"He is running scared of Ukip and has given in to his party and he can't deliver for Britain."

Mayor of London Boris Johnson

"David Cameron is bang on. What most sensible people want is to belong to the single market but to lop off the irritating excrescences of the European Union.

"We now have a chance to get a great new deal for Britain - that will put the UK at the heart of European trade but that will also allow us to think globally."

Labour peer Lord Mandelson

Claims Mr Cameron has conceded "game, set and match to the hardliners in his party".

"It is not a search together in unity with our partners in Europe. Effectively, it's an ultimatum to them with a deadline.

"In my view, what he is doing is treating the European Union like a cafeteria service at which you arrive with your own tray and try to leave with what you want.

"Whether you believe that Mr Cameron's European gamble is a sincere attempt to reform and improve the European Union or a cynical ploy to head off opposition to his leadership in his own party, there is no mistaking he is playing for very high stakes indeed and I do not believe he is going to get what he wants by attempting to put a pistol to the heads of his fellow member states."

UKIP leader Nigel Farage

"Winning this referendum, if and when it comes, is not going to be an easy thing but I feel that UKIP's real job starts today.

"For the first time, a British prime minister is at least discussing the fact that leaving is an option. I remember many long, very lonely years in UKIP when, without a friend in the world, we were advocating this point of view.

"What today means is that in terms of the overall debate, the genie is out of the bottle and from now on the European debate will be taking place on terms that UKIP wants."

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna

"After this speech, we know that global companies looking to situate European headquarters are probably going to shy away from the UK, which will cost growth and cost jobs."

Former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell

"This is more about Ukip than it is about the UK. The Prime Minister's efforts to reconcile his own position with that of his eurosceptic backbenchers leads logically to the position that if he could not get what he wanted out of Europe, he would be willing for the UK to leave.

"This will hardly commend his approach to those in the EU whose co-operation he requires."

Tory MP Dominic Raab

The Tory hailed a "moderate, statesman-like approach ... rightly focused on a fundamental change in strategic direction rather than tactics". "The ball is now in the EU's court," he said.

CBI director general John Cridland

"The EU single market is fundamental to Britain's future economic success, but the closer union of the eurozone is not for us.

"The Prime Minister rightly recognises the benefits of retaining membership of what must be a reformed EU and the CBI will work closely with Government to get the best deal for Britain."

Tory donor Lord Ashcroft

"Tories must remember that we can only get what we want once we win an election. The more we talk about changing our relationship with Europe, the less likely it is to happen.

"The new policy will be in the manifesto. The only question is whether we will get a chance to implement it - and that depends on whether we get a majority at the next election.

"And that depends on how voters think we are doing on the economy, jobs, public services, welfare, crime, immigration: whether we are on their side and understand their priorities.

"It is time for Tory Eurosceptics to declare victory and talk about something else."

Fiona Hall, leader of the Liberal Democrat delegation in the European Parliament

"David Cameron spoke not as Prime Minister but as a Tory Party leader backed into a corner by his outspoken tea-party backbenchers.

"Cameron has failed to reassure our European partners over the UK's commitment to push for EU-wide reform rather than unilateral repatriation and cherry-picking.

"As a result, the UK will lose further influence in Europe as other member states anticipate a 'Brexit' and discount the UK's views altogether."

Simon Walker, director general of the Institute of Directors

"A future referendum to decide the workings of our relationship is the best way to affirm Britain's participation in a free-market Europe which is competitive and deregulated.

"It is far better to deal with these issues than to shy away from them. British business is resilient. It is flexible and it can cope with change - or uncertainty. The eurozone crisis is the source of far more uncertainty than a referendum."

UKIP MEP and ex-European Commission chief accountant Marta Andreasen

"Mr Cameron fundamentally fails to understand the federal EU freight train. Whilst flexibility sounds great and was probably dreamed up by the Prime Minister whilst sitting in his slippers in Chequers, there is a different reality in Brussels.

"I can assure the Prime Minister that there is no such thing as flexibility when it comes to the EU's objective: a deeper federal Europe where member states' sovereignty becomes an anachronism.

"His speech, therefore, was naive. The train is on a one-way track."

Daniel Hannan Eurosceptic MEP

"This is David Cameron's finest speech."

French foreign minister Laurent Fabius

"We are like a football club, and if you want to join the football club, you can't then say you want to play rugby."

Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament

Mr Schulz accused Mr Cameron of "playing a dangerous game for tactical, domestic reasons".

"The Prime Minister increasingly resembles the sorcerer's apprentice, who cannot tame the forces that he has conjured - forces that want to leave the EU for ideological reasons, to the detriment of the British people.

"Attempting to revisit major parts of the Acquis Communautaire and picking and choosing the bits of which the UK approves, sets a dangerous precedent.

"Indeed, it could lead to piecemeal legislation, disintegration and potentially the breakup of the Union.

"In a globalised world, it is not in the UK's interest to seek to downgrade to some kind of 'second class' EU membership and so choose to weaken its own influence on European and global affairs.

"We need a UK as a fully fledged member, not harbouring in the port of Dover."

Guido Westerwelle, German foreign minister

"Germany wants the United Kingdom to remain an active and constructive part of the European Union."

However, he insisted EU membership was an all-or-nothing proposition, saying: "Cherry-picking is not an option."

Ex-Belgian prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader in the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt

"By holding out the prospect of renegotiating the terms of Britain's membership of the EU and subjecting it to a referendum, David Cameron is playing with fire.

"He can control neither the timing nor the outcome of the negotiations and in so doing is raising false expectations that can never be met.

"There can be no question of individual renegotiation or opt-out by a single member state from agreed policies.

"To do so would precipitate the unravelling of the internal market as other countries sought their own concessions in return.

"Mr Cameron will not succeed if he attempts to hold his European partners to ransom."

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Police Officers 'Abuse Positions For Sex'

Police officers are buying steroids from criminals and abusing their positions to have sex with vulnerable women, a police leader has warned.

Mike Cunningham said that most forces were investigating cases where officers had become embroiled with criminals after gym use escalated to taking body-building drugs.

There were also probes into claims of officers using their positions to persuade vulnerable women to sleep with them, he said.

Mr Cunningham, the Chief Constable of Staffordshire, said the two were the greatest corruption risks among the country's police officers.

He said: "We do our own assessment of corruption threats, one of them is steroid abuse and gym use by officers.

"What that starts off is very often officers going to the gyms, beginning to dabble in steroids, then the relationships they form when they're using steroids become corrupt and corrosive.

Stephen Mitchell who was given two life sentences

"There is good evidence of officers getting way out of their depth with serious criminals who they are beholden to."

He also said that dozens of officers across England and Wales were abusing their positions to have sex with vulnerable women.

Mr Cunningham said: "We found that when we asked force professional standards departments that again most forces were investigating allegations against individual officers abusing their position for sexual favour."

One example is Stephen Mitchell, who worked for Northumbria Police and was given two life sentences in 2011 for two rapes and three indecent assaults.

The court heard how the 42-year-old abused women he met on duty, including a disabled teenager, heroin addicts and shoplifters.

Chief constables are to discuss plans for tackling corruption.

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TweetDeck: Twitter Bosses Sent Closure Letter

By Pete Norman, Sky News Online

Sky News has obtained a letter sent to one of Twitter's UK companies by the business regulator, giving it written warning of impending closure.

Cardiff-based Companies House sent the letter to the two American directors of TweetDeck, at their registered London address.

The letter, dated January 22, stated: "The Registrar of Companies gives notice that, unless cause is shown to the contrary, at the expiration of 3 months from the above date the name of TweetDeck Ltd will be struck off the register and the company will be dissolved."

The letter sent by Companies House on January 22

The two directors are also top executives of the social media giant's San Francisco-based parent firm, Twitter Inc.

Dick Costolo is the social media giant's chief executive and Alex Macgillivray is general counsel and head of trust and policy.

TweetDeck is a platform used by 'power users' of Twitter and helps integrate the programme with other social media platforms, but has repeatedly failed to file compulsory accounts.

It was bought from British founder Iain Dodsworth in May 2011 for a reported £25m, but has not filed any accounts to Companies House since that time.

TweetDeck missed account filing deadlines last September and again last month.

In December Sky News revealed that both of the social media giant's British firms, TweetDeck and Twitter UK Ltd, had been fined £375 each by Companies House for separate filing oversight.

Twitter UK, which is controlled through a Dublin-based parent firm, subsequently filed its abbreviated accounts for 2011, revealing a profit of £16,500.

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo (l) and general counsel Alex Macgillivray

But TweetDeck has still not delivered accounts and has now been fined £750 and is now at heightened risk of closure and legal action.

According to Companies House, more than 2.7 million firms are actively registered and 99.1% are up to date in their filings.

Approached by Sky News, Twitter Inc declined to address the issue of continued regulatory filing problems in Britain.

Asked if it had plans to wind-down its UK subsidiary, a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement: "TweetDeck gives the Twitter experience more flexibility and allows advanced users to gain valuable insight into what's happening at this moment on Twitter.

"The TweetDeck team has been steadily innovating and improving the product, and we expect to see much more of that to come."

Last week Companies House informed the London Gazette of "a proposal to strike off" TweetDeck from the register.

TweetDeck has failed to file its compulsory accounts

The London Gazette is the official Government journal of record and allows officials at HM Revenue and Customs, along with creditors, to see firms at risk of being dissolved.

There is no suggestion TweetDeck has any outstanding tax liability.

Corporate solicitor Maung Aye, of Mackrell Turner Garrett, told Sky News: "It is particularly important for globally recognised companies to ensure that members of their group comply with any requisite filing deadlines set by the Companies Act 2006 and any other relevant legislation, to the extent it applies to them.

"What can be perceived by the directors as a relatively minor issue such as the late filing of a company's accounts, can potentially have very serious consequences including the directors of the offending company being prosecuted and ending up with a criminal record and the company being subject to a fine."

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London House Fire: Two Dead In North Finchley

Two people have been found dead after a fire at a house in North London early this morning, police say.

Six fire engines and around 35 firefighters as well as several police officers were called to the blaze in Fallow Court Avenue, North Finchley.

Police say the cause of the deaths is 'unexplained'.

They were described by a neighbour as an elderly couple who lived in separate flats on the two storeys of the house.

The neighbour, who called herself Sheila, said: "She was a lovely woman. I think husband and wife lived separately. Her husband lived in the top flat. They had two flats.

The blaze happened in Fallow Court Avenue.

"There was a lot of fire brigade and ambulance ... they wouldn't tell me. I went to the neighbours house. I couldn't do anything. I just sat in the lounge."

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, a male and a female.

"Inquiries continue and the fire is being treated as unexplained."

London Fire Brigade said the fire affected around three quarters of the ground floor, half of the first floor, as well as the staircase and roof of the semi-detached house.

Firefighters found the body of the woman in the property's kitchen and the body of the man in a first-floor bedroom.

No-one else is understood to have been in the property at the time of the blaze.

It took firefighters around two hours to extinguish the flames.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "The brigade was called at 6.06am and the fire was under control by 8.09am.

"Crews from Finchley, Southgate, Barnet and Hornsey fire stations were at the scene."

The cause is under investigation by London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police.

More follows...

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Sun Reporter Faces Corruption Charges

A Sun journalist and a former police officer will be charged over alleged corrupt payments, prosecutors have said.

Ex-Metropolitan Police constable Paul Flattley and The Sun's defence editor Virginia Wheeler are accused of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

It is alleged that Flattley was paid at least £4,000 in cheques and £2,450 in cash in exchange for information, including about the death of a 14-year-old girl.

The payments allegedly occurred between May 2008 and September 2011.

Alison Levitt QC, adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, said: "The information provided included information about the tragic death of a 14-year-old girl, as well as details about both suspects and victims of accidents, incidents and crimes.

"This included, but was not limited to, information about high-profile individuals and those associated with them."

The charges are being brought as a result of Operation Elveden, Scotland Yard's inquiry into alleged corrupt payments to public officials.

So far, 56 people have been arrested as part of the inquiry, six have been charged, and two - a retired police officer and a former journalist - have been told they will face no further action.

Those charged include former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, Sun chief reporter John Kay and Ministry of Defence employee Bettina Jordan-Barber.

Both Coulson and Brooks have been charged in Operation Elveden

It is alleged that Brooks and Kay conspired to pay Jordan-Barber around £100,000 for information.

David Cameron's former spin doctor Andy Coulson and former News Of The World royal correspondent Clive Goodman also face charges.

They are accused of conspiracy to pay for information including a royal phone directory known as the 'Green Book'.

It contained contact details for the Royal family and members of their households.

Coulson and Goodman face two counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office - one between August  2002 and January 2003, and the other between January and June 2005.

All five are due to appear at the Old Bailey for a plea hearing on March 8.

In a separate case, Detective Chief Inspector April Casburn was found guilty of misconduct in public office earlier this month for offering to sell information to the News of the World.

She will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on February 1.

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Defence Cuts: 5,300 Soldiers To Lose Jobs

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

More than 5,000 soldiers will be made redundant in the latest round of job cuts, the Government has announced.

The Army will bear the heaviest burden in this third wave of redundancies because the Navy and RAF have already completed most of their necessary cuts.

Up to 5,300 soldiers will lose their jobs, although anyone serving in Afghanistan when redundancy notices are issued on June 18 will be exempt.

It will also not affect soldiers recovering from a recent tour of duty or those preparing to deploy within the next six months.

No-one will actually be made redundant immediately and the announcement marks the start of the process for the latest round of cuts. Final decisions will be made by June.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: "The Army is actively managing recruitment to reach the target numbers, but unfortunately redundancies are unavoidable due to the size of the defence deficit that this Government inherited and the consequent scale of downsizing required in the Army.

"We will have smaller Armed Forces but they will in future be properly equipped and well funded, unlike before. These redundancies will not affect current operations in Afghanistan, where our Armed Forces continue to fight so bravely on this country's behalf."

Chief of the General Staff General Sir Peter Wall added: "The Army is unfortunately reducing to 82,000 by 2015 and this tranche of redundancy is essential to achieving that.

Around 9,000 British personnel are deployed to Afghanistan

"I fully recognise the unwelcome uncertainty and pressure for those who will be liable in the employment fields announced today. For some it may present an opportunity; for others it will curtail their Service prematurely.

"Our aim now is to apply the process as fairly as possible and to prepare to support those individuals who are selected as they and their families transition to civilian life."

In the last stage of cuts, in June 2012, 72% of the redundancies ended up being voluntary. Military leaders and politicians are hoping for a similar outcome this time round.

Anyone accepted for voluntary redundancy will be expected to work a six-month notice period and those selected for compulsory redundancy will have a full year to find alternative employment before leaving the service.

They will also be given resettlement support.

By the end of the process, the Army will have shrunk to 82,000 soldiers - a reduction of around 20,000 - mostly through a redundancy process but also achieved through slower recruitment.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed on Tuesday that further cuts to the Army, Navy and RAF are "likely" but gave no indication of timing.

The job losses are part of a strategic review driven by budget cuts which aims to produce a new look military by 2020.

The biggest commitment by some way is in Afghanistan - 9,000 personnel are deployed in the country - but the withdrawal process is due to start this year and by the end of 2014 most soldiers will have returned home.

Final numbers have not been announced.

In October last year the Defence Secretary announced plans to rename the Territorial Army the "Reservists" and double its members to 30,000.

There is also a hope that some of those leaving the military because of the redundancy scheme might sign up to the TA so that their experience is not lost.

By the end of the redundancy process, the number of serving personnel in all three services will be reduced to 150,000 from 180,000.

It will result in the smallest army since the 18th century and plenty of concerns over effectiveness.

It is not just serving military personnel taking the hit - the Ministry of Defence is in the process of cutting around 25% of its staff.

The aim is to save £3.8m a year and to make the department less top-heavy with management.

The UK still faces real or potential threats around the globe, demonstrated in the past few weeks by the hostage situation in Algeria and conflict in Mali.

Some, particularly retired service chiefs, question the UK's ability to face these threats with a reduced military and gaps in the equipment locker.

The Government will again need to convince detractors, home and abroad, that the UK military can still earn international respect despite its reduced size.

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Ecstasy: Police Warning After Third Death

By Nick Martin, North Of England Correspondent

Police in northwest England are warning drug users that a possible contaminated batch of ecstasy tablets could be on the streets.

It comes after two men died in Greater Manchester and another collapsed and died in Liverpool.

Up to six other people were admitted to hospital with symptoms including shaking, shivering and complaints of a fever.

Detective Chief Inspector Howard Millington from Wigan CID, talking about the men who died in Greater Manchester, said: "We are very concerned at how these deaths of two apparently fit young men have occurred.

"It is possible that they are linked and this is something we are exploring as part of the investigation.

"Our main concern is that there may be a contaminated quantity of illegal drugs and if this goes unchecked it could result in further deaths.

One of the men was admitted to Wigan Infirmary on Monday (pic:David Long)

"If you are suffering adverse effects after taking one of these tablets I would advise you to go to hospital for a check up.

"I would always urge people not to take illegal drugs and remind them that you do not know what they have been made up with. They can contain poisons and illicit chemicals that can have potentially fatal effects."

The ecstasy tablets are said to be heart-shaped in purple, green, yellow and blue.

Greater Manchester Police have urged anyone who may have purchased such pills to contact them.

Superintendent Andrea Jones, said: "Two relatively fit young men have taken ecstasy pills which we believe they purchased in the Wigan area.

"These deaths were closely linked, both had taken drugs prior to admitting themselves to hospital.

"We want to raise awareness in the community of the risks and dangers of taking illegal drugs. No one knows what poisons these drugs contain.

"If anyone out there has heart-shaped ecstasy pills, bright in colour, purple, green, red and yellow, please come forward".

Deadly: the batch of ecstasy pills are known to be heart-shaped (file pic)

The men who died in Greater Manchester were 19-year-old Jordan Chambers, who was treated at the Royal Oldham Hospital on Sunday and 28-year-old Gareth Ashton, who died at Wigan Infirmary on Monday. Both had similar symptoms.

In Liverpool, a 26-year-old man collapsed and died in the early hours of Sunday. Merseyside Police say they believe it was drugs related.

A spokesman said: "Emergency services were called at about 3.30am to a guest house in Tuebrook to a report that a male guest was unwell and had collapsed. Paramedics attended and the 26-year-old was taken to hospital where he unfortunately died a short time later.

"Although the investigation is in the early stages it appears that the deceased man visited Liverpool on Saturday and is believed to have taken tablets, possibly ecstasy somewhere in the city."

Anyone with information has been urged to phone police on 0161 856 7149 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. (Wigan Infirmary pic: David Long)

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Algeria Crisis: Missing Brit Hostages Sought

David Cameron is to update MPs on the aftermath of the Algerian hostage crisis - as the death toll from the violent siege rose to 80.

Three Britons are now known to have died in a four-day siege at the BP gas plant and three more are believed to be dead. A UK resident is also thought to have died.

At least 48 hostages are thought to have been killed, along with 32 terrorists who stormed the remote desert facility.

Algerian security sources say that two of the dead militants were Canadian.

Veteran terrorist Mokhtar Belmokhtar's Mulathameen Brigade has threatened to carry out more attacks unless Western powers cease operations in neighbouring Mali, according to a Mauritanian news agency.

Paul Morgan

In a statement the al Qaeda linked group, whose name means "The Masked Ones", reportedly said the hostage-takers offered negotiations on freeing the gas plant captives but that Algerian authorities responded with a military assault.

The first of the British victims to be officially named was 46-year-old Paul Morgan, from Liverpool.

He was reported to be a former Foreign Legion soldier and Gulf War veteran who was in charge of security at the In Amenas plant.

His mother Marianne, 65, and partner Emma Steele, 36, described him in a statement as a "true gentleman".

Another image shown on Algerian TV

They said: "Paul was a true gentleman, a family man, he very much loved his partner Emma, his mum, brothers and sister, of whom he was very proud.

"He loved life and lived it to the full. He was a professional man proud to do the job he did and died doing the job he loved.

"We are so proud of him and so proud of what he achieved in his life. We are devastated by Paul's death and he will be truly missed."

The siege ended on Saturday and Algerian authorities warned the figure of 23 hostages killed at the remote facility would rise sharply.

Bomb squads searching for booby-trap devices left by the Islamist militants discovered 25 bodies, some so badly disfigured they could not be identified.

A Filipino survivor of the siege has told how foreign hostages were used as human shields to prevent Algerian troops firing on them from helicopters.

Father-of-four Joseph Balmaceda said: "Whenever government troops tried to use a helicopter to shoot at the enemy, we were used as human shields.

"We were told to raise our hands. The government forces could not shoot at them as long as we were held hostage."

Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal is expected to give details later about the hostage crisis, which left British, American, French, Japanese, Norwegian, Filipino and Romanian workers dead or missing.

Mokhtar Belmokhtar sent a video to a Mauritanian-based news website in which he claimed one of his cells, known as "Those Who Sign In Blood", was responsible for the attack.

Foreign Secretary William Hague branded the militants "cold-blooded murderers" and said reports they had "executed" seven of their hostages before the final battle could well be true.

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Avalanche Survivor Leapt To Safer Ground

A survivor of an avalanche that killed four climbers in the Scottish Highlands escaped by leaping from the collapsing sheet of snow and wedging his ice pick into firmer ground.

The man, who did not want to be named, said in a statement: "All in the group loved the mountains and are experienced winter walkers.

"My sincere thanks goes to the members of the public, mountain rescue teams and other emergency services who assisted."

PhD students Christopher Bell and Tom Chesters, and junior doctor Una Finnegan, were swept 1,000ft (305m) to their deaths while descending from a mountain in Glencoe on Saturday afternoon.

A second woman was also killed in the accident. Her next of kin have asked for her name to be withheld until her extended family have been informed.

Another survivor, a 24-year-old woman, remains in a critical condition after suffering severe head injuries.

She is being treated at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital, where she was flown after initially being treated at Belford Hospital in Fort William.

Christopher Bell and Una Finnegan died in the avalanche

Friends have been paying tribute to the three young climbers killed.

Mr Bell, 24, from Blackpool, Lancashire, was studying for a PhD in ocean mapping in Oban, while 28-year-old Mr Chesters had been living in Leeds and working towards his qualification at Hull University.

Their friend Sam Morris, 35, said both were elite outdoor pursuits competitors who spent most of their free time on the mountains.

"It was so few years lived but I know there's not much either one of them would have done differently," he said.

"They seized every opportunity. They'd do things that people who spend their whole lives sitting behind a desk wish they could have done.

"When they died they were with the people they loved, doing what they loved."

Ms Finnegan, 25, who was living in Edinburgh, was originally from Coleraine in Co Londonderry.

Independent councillor David McClarty said his thoughts and prayers were with the Finnegan family.

"This young woman, a qualified doctor, had her whole life ahead of her and then it is tragically cut short.

"The family is a Christian one and hopefully they will get some comfort from the fact that she died doing something she enjoyed."

Prayers were held for the victims at St Munda's Church in Glencoe on Sunday

The tragedy struck at about 2pm as the group of six made their descent on Bidean Nam Bian.

A major search operation was launched involving both Glencoe and Lochaber mountain rescue teams, and specialist police dogs.

Andy Nelson, deputy head of Glencoe Mountain Rescue, who co-ordinated the rescue, said the avalanche would have unfolded in "a split second".

"Being in an avalanche is literally like standing on a carpet and having it pulled out from underneath you. Any thoughts of trying to swim out from out of it is futile," he said.

"You are on steep ground, essentially standing on a raft of snow that is sliding downhill at speeds of maybe 40mph to 50mph.

"It would have unfolded in a split second, they would have felt the snow moving and then they would have been travelling at a speed that was impossible to stop.

"The man that survived was standing above the snow and we think he actually jumped and got his ice axe into firmer snow.

"They slid over some very rocky ground and ended up about 1,000 feet below, under between 1.5 and two metres of snow.

"It's a brutal experience. There are enormous forces at work and you are being twisted about at high speed," he added.

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British Grandfather Wrestles Shark in Oz

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

An heroic British holidaymaker helped wrestle a 2m (6ft) shark off the Australian coast to stop beachgoers being attacked.

Paul Marshallsea, 62, from Wales, was on a month's break with his family when the shark swam right up to swimmers and children paddling on the shore on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

A local TV crew, which was on the beach filming another story, captured the moment when Mr Marshallsea and two other men  ran into the water and grabbed the shark in an attempt to get it to swim away.

At one point the shark is seen thrashing about in the water as Mr Marshallsea tries to stop it lunging at beachgoers. It eventually breaks free, pushing one of the other men over.

The grandfather, from Merthyr Tydfil, told Wales Online: "We got hold of his tail and pulled with all our might to get the shark back into deep enough water so that the poor thing could survive.

"While I was pulling the shark by the tail back into deeper water her 2ft-long babies were swimming through my legs. They must have got lost and marooned by the shallow sand banks and got beached.

"But the trouble was when we got the shark to just over knee deep it then turned on us and just missed me with a bite which was a fraction away from my leg.

"A shark that one minute ago was so docile now just nearly took my leg off in a split second - it was that quick."

Holidaymakers and locals watched as the men tried to persuade the distressed dusky whaler shark to head back out to sea. 

Lifeguards on the beach advised the men to stay clear of the shark, but in the end the man helping Mr Marshallsea managed to push it out to deeper waters.

Lifesaver Luke Turner was on duty at the time and told Sky News: "A shark beaching itself means one of two things, it wants to die because it is either really sick or because it's really hungry."

Tourist Tash Kimlin was with her family at Bulcock Beach when the drama happened.

She shouted out to her two young children when the alarm was raised.

"It was pretty scary, yeah, I was just calling out to them and they couldn't really understand what I was saying," she said.

The dusky shark, which reaches 4.2m (14ft) in length and weighs 347 kg (765 lb), is considered dangerous to humans and has been known to attack.

It has a slender, streamlined body and can be identified by its short round snout, long sickle-shaped pectoral fins, the ridge between its first and second dorsal fins, and faintly marked fins.

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Devon Murder: Woman Charged Over Son's Death

A woman has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with murdering her two-year-old son.

Angela Vane, 40, appeared before magistrates in Torquay, charged with the murder of Shaun Riley O'Neill.

Vane, of Champernowne in Modbury, Plymouth, spoke only to confirm her name, age and date of birth.

Wearing a beige cardigan and a striped top, she wept throughout the two-minute hearing, flanked by two female security guards.

She was remanded in custody to appear at Plymouth Crown Court on Wednesday.

She is expected to enter a plea in April, the court heard.

Police were called to Champernowne at 8am on Saturday following a report to officers.

Police have carried out door-to-door inquiries and initial forensic work, although it is believed a post-mortem examination has yet to be carried out.

That process is expected to take place in the coming days by a Home Office pathologist or specialist paediatric pathologist.

On Sunday detectives re-appealed for information from the public.

Devon and Cornwall Police said they want to hear from witnesses who may have seen a woman in Modbury in the early hours of Saturday morning.

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Two Die As Winter Weather Continues Grip On UK

A 25-year-old woman found collapsed in the snow could have died after falling in sub-zero temperatures after a night out, Kent police said.

The woman, named as Bernadette Lucy Lee by Sky sources, was discovered by a man walking his dog in Church Meadows in Deal at 7.30am on Sunday morning.

A man also died following a crash in snowy conditions on the A12 near Kelvedon in Essex about 7pm on Sunday.

Ms Lee was found dead in Deal

Police are still investigating the cause of Ms Lee's death but confirmed they are looking at the possibility that the she got into difficulties as she made her way to her sister's house, which was near to where she was found. 

A police spokesman said: "There are other possibilities we are looking out but one theory is that this is a tragic accident where a young woman was on her way home from a night out, but she didn't make it to where she was staying.

"We don't know if that was because of the cold, or she slipped or she was drunk or she became ill."

Earlier, police said the woman was pronounced dead at the scene and the death was not being treated as suspicious but it was unexplained.

A post-mortem examination will be held later this week.

The man killed in the car crash was a 59-year-old from the Colchester area, police said. He died at the scene after his car left the road and crashed into a tree on the embankment.

His passenger, a 57-year-old woman, also from the Colchester area, was taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries. 

And a teenager who was badly injured while sledging in Middlesbrough remains critically ill in hospital, police said.

Liam Stafford, 16, hit a tree in Flatts Lane Country Park, Normanby, about 1pm on Sunday.

He would usually be playing football for his team North Ormesby FC Under-16s, but the game was cancelled due to the weather.

He was flown by the Great North East Air Ambulance to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough suffering from head injuries.

Spennymore in County Durham

In Kent, a man was taken to hospital with broken bones in his face when he was racially attacked after confronting a group of youngsters throwing snowballs at him.

Also, a young woman who was seriously hurt in an avalanche that killed four of her friends in the Scottish Highlands remains in a critical condition in hospital.

The freezing temperatures and icy conditions are once again causing delays and disruption, with more than 1,500 schools shut and motorists being urged to take extra time and care on roads.

As much as 10 to 20cm (four to eight inches) of snow is expected across Scotland and northern England, prompting the Met Office to issue amber warnings which urge the public to be prepared.

Yellow warnings - which advise people to take extra care - continue for parts of the north, east and southeast England as well as Northern Ireland, where up to five centimetres (around two inches) of snow could fall. 

"Today's snowiest areas will be northeast England and eastern Scotland," said Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang.

"Although sleety on the east coast, it will be snow inland where 10 to 20cm is forecast. Drifting snow, poor visibility and blizzard conditions are likely over higher routes.

A man walks his dog in the snow in Gunthorpe, Nottinghamshire

"The snow will continue in the northeast tonight and into Tuesday although it should turn drier across northeast England.

"Later tonight and during Tuesday morning the weather is set to deteriorate across the southwest with the potential for some heavy snow across South Wales and parts of southwest England."

The temperatures will not start rising until the weekend, said Lang.

"Until then there will be further problems with ice and snow and daytime temperatures will continue to struggle to climb much above freezing," she said.

"Wednesday and Thursday look largely dry and cold with ice and patchy fog. Friday should see a slow change spread eastwards and westerly winds bring a rise in temperature later and a slow thaw."

On the roads, there are lane closures on motorways up and down the country, with hazardous driving conditions on the M4 at Bristol.

Heavy snowfall has closed two major roads across the Pennines, the A628 Woodhead Pass and the A66 between Brough and Bowes.

Freddy the Boston Terrier plays in the snow in Nottingham

The Highways Agency said both routes were closed for some hours and advised drivers to find alternative routes across the Pennines.

A section of the M6 in Cumbria was temporarily closed after a Land Rover vehicle towing a trailer of bullocks overturned.

Heavy falls in the North East made for a tricky morning commute for many. Northumbria Police said the A68 in Northumberland was blocked, with problems at its junction with the A69.

Drivers were advised to avoid the B6341 at Rothbury and reported a four-vehicle collision on the Spine Road at Cramlington, next to the 3 Horse Shoes roundabout.

Officers also said the A1 in the Newcastle area suffered traffic congestion.

There is also another day of snow and ice-related delays and cancellations on the country's rail network.

Virgin Trains warned of some cancellations in its services between London and Birmingham and the North West, while services into London King's Cross were also affected.

Raby Castle in County Durham

Eurostar said snow and ice in the UK and northern France were leading to speed restrictions and delays on all its trains. Six services were also cancelled, with customers told they could exchange their tickets for another date.

South West Trains said it was running a revised timetable throughout its network because of the weather, and would be concentrating on its mainline services.

The company said there would be no services between Ascot in Berkshire and Ash Vale in Surrey, between Virginia Water and Weybridge, or from Salisbury to Bristol. It was also running revised timetables on other routes.

Southern said trains were unable to operate between Lewes and Haywards Heath in Sussex or between Horsham and Dorking or Reigate and Redhill in Surrey. The Southern service between South Croydon and Milton Keynes was also suspended.

At Heathrow Airport planes are due to be grounded for a fourth day and passengers are advised to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport. More than 160 flights have been cancelled - about 10% of the day's capacity.

Flights have also been suspended at Leeds Bradford, Doncaster Sheffield, Norwich airports and East Midlands airports.

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Dogs To Help The Disabled: More Needed

By Richard Suchet, Sky Reporter

The number of British troops injured in Afghanistan who are applying for assistance dogs has contributed to a severe shortage of the trained animals.

The dogs are trained to help with a range of practical tasks both inside and outside the home, like switching on lights, fetching the phone, picking up items from the floor, unloading the washing machine, collecting the post, and flushing the toilet.

Cerebral Palsy sufferer Lorna Marsh, 34, was unable to do any of these things until Canine Partners matched her with Eli.

Eli - a cross between a Labrador and a Golden Retriever - carries out approximately 306 different tasks for Lorna, and his training has been specifically tailored to her needs.

Ms Marsh told Sky News: "He's my best friend. He's the door to independence, to a level I never thought I was going to reach. He means the absolute world to me because he means I can do more stuff on my own, which, as a disabled person, is gold dust.

"I never thought I'd be able to do half the stuff I'm doing and I never thought I'd be able to feel as close to Eli as I do.

"I think every disabled person who wants an assistance dog has the right to apply for one and see how far they get. It's just really sad that money gets in the way of somebody being that little bit more independent than they were before," she said.

Over the course of its life, each assistance dog costs £20,000 to train and support but with 1.2 million wheelchair users in the UK, it's impossible to provide for everyone.

Those who are paired with a dog are not charged a penny, so the help does not depend on a client's financial ability to pay.

Canine Partners relies solely on donations from the public.

The charity's main training facility near Midhurst, West Sussex, is at full capacity with 25 dogs being schooled there at any one time, each on an 18-week course.

Jenny Moir, from the charity, said: "We've got as many trainers and probably as many dogs as we can train from here, but because the demand is increasing - not least because we place dogs with service people coming back from Afghanistan - we've decided to purchase new premises in Leicestershire which we are developing as we get money in."

A new premises is currently being developed as and when money comes in, at an estimated final cost of £3m.

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Weather: Snow And Ice Forecast To Stay

Britain faces another week of travel disruption as forecasters warn there is more snow and ice on the way.

With travel chaos across the country and Britain's busiest airport cancelling more than 110 flights, forecasters predicted further misery in the coming days.

Following Friday's deluge of snow, a blanket of snow is expected to sweep across more of the nation today, hitting London and the South East of England first before spreading into the Midlands, north east Wales, East Anglia and central England.

Freezing temperatures will ensure icy conditions endure for some time, with more snow in northern England expected as the week begins.

A man was killed on Saturday when his car was involved in a crash with a bus and also hit a lamppost in Coventry, where temperatures had plunged to -1.3C at the time of the accident.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for ice over much of the country, but a red, severe warning for South Wales which experienced the worst of the weather has been downgraded.

BA says it has cut its flights by a fifth because more snow is on the way

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "The heaviest snow will be across East Anglia and Kent where around 5-8cm (2-3inches) is expected.

"Further west, from the west of London into the Midlands and Wales around 2-4cm (0.8-1.6inches) could fall.

"Overnight the snow will move northwards into Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, The North East and eastern Scotland and it will be very cold with a risk of ice."

Heathrow Airport in west London said it was reducing the number of flights scheduled for today by at least a fifth after forecasters predicted another 2-6cm of snow and low visibility in the area.

Passengers are being urged to check with their airlines before travelling to the airport - where bosses are warning weather conditions at other European airports could further decimate schedules.

Emma Gilthorpe, executive director of Heathrow Ltd (formerly BAA), said the airport had very little leeway to cope with the kind of disruption caused by the weather in recent days.

She told Sky News: "The fact that we operate at almost full capacity means that when there's disruption and we do have to space the aircraft at a greater distance we have little room to manouevre, which is why it's so important we make decisions ahead of time so we don't cause disruption to more passengers than we need to."

Ground staff clear the pitch of snow ahead of Tottenham v Manchester United

:: Are you stuck at Heathrow? Contact the Sky news desk on news@sky.com

Passengers at Heathrow have been facing disruption after many were stranded on planes for seven hours or forced to spend a night on the floor.

More than 100 Saturday flights were cancelled and travellers complained about check-in queues of up to two hours as staff battled to clear a backlog caused by 400 cancellations on Friday.

BA and the airport have insisted they were doing everything they could in difficult circumstances.

Travellers at regional airports including Leeds Bradford, Humberside and Newcastle were also frustrated by delays and disruption caused by the wintry weather.

Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester airports were running normally but advised passengers to check with their airlines.

Train passengers did not fare much better, with reduced services across the country.

Virgin Trains cancelled a number of services from the capital to Birmingham and Manchester, and others were delayed.

The freezing temperatures also prompted motoring organisations to issue warnings.

Some have been making the most of the snow this weekend

Darron Burness, the AA's head of special operations, said: "With the snow compacting down and turning icy, we're likely to see treacherous driving conditions throughout the weekend. Any fresh snow on top will just add to the problems."

The RAC said it had dealt with nearly 9,000 breakdowns - 10% more than usual.

:: Send in your weather photos and videos

A young woman from Peterborough was killed in a crash involving a number of vehicles shortly after 6pm on Friday, Lincolnshire Police said.

It is not known if anyone else was injured in the accident, which happened in bad weather on the A1 at Little Ponton, near Grantham.

Humberside Fire and Rescue said seven passengers were taken to hospital after a double-decker bus collided with two cars and ploughed into a garden.

In Edinburgh, a 16-year-old broke his leg when his sledge ran out of control and he plunged down a 150ft embankment.

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