Tory Aide Alan Lewis Held Over Rape Claim

The Conservative Party vice-chairman has been arrested on suspicion of raping a teenager in the 1960s.

Alan Lewis, 75, who was appointed by David Cameron in 2010, was held by police after a woman claimed she was sexually assaulted by him when she was younger.

Mr Lewis, a self-made business tycoon who owns the Crombie luxury menswear chain, was released on police bail after his arrest by Manchester police.

The allegation comes as the Conservatives prepare for their party conference to begin in Manchester on Sunday.

A spokesman for Alan Lewis said: "An allegation has been made against Alan Lewis in respect of an event 46 years ago by a then adult female. He vigorously denies the allegation."

In his role for the Conservative Party, Mr Lewis, is responsible for business relations.

The Manchester-born businessman was made a CBE in 1990 for his services as chairman of the Confederation of British Industry's initiative to prepare British businesses for the single market.

Mr Lewis, who has reportedly amassed a fortune of between £220m and £260m, was appointed treasurer of a special committee dealing with the marginal seats campaign for the 1987 General Election under Margaret Thatcher.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "A 75-year-old man was arrested following a complaint received earlier this year of an historic rape that occurred in the Manchester area in the late 60s.

"The man was later bailed pending further inquiries. Specially trained officers are providing support and welfare to the victim."

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Downing St Denies PM's Catfight With Larry

Number 10 has denied claims made in a new book that Larry the Downing Street cat is disliked by the Cameron family.

Following allegations that the rescue pet was little more than a public relations prop, a "savelarry" hashtag quickly took off on Twitter with users poking fun at the furore.

GlobalPolitico ‏wrote: "The radical anti-cat agenda of this government is revealing itself."

Cumbrian Labour councillor John Burns tweeted: "Is there no end to David Cameron's victimisation of those who cannot speak up for themselves?"

Larry was drafted into Downing Street to catch rodents

Downing Street moved to dismiss suggestions in Matthew d'Ancona's In It Together that the cat was "unloved".

A spokesman said: "Totally untrue. He is very popular with everyone in the building and we all get on purr-fectly well."

The six-year-old-feline, who was rescued by Battersea Dogs And Cats Home, joined the staff at Number 10 in 2011 after a rat scuttled across the doorstep of the PM's residence during a live TV broadcast.

Larry's seemingly complacent approach to his rodent duties led to speculation that his days could be numbered, but in August last year, Downing Street announced he had finally made his first kill.

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'Smart Drug' Modafinil Risks Student Health

Students at some of Britain's best universities are potentially putting their health at risk by using a 'smart drug' bought off the internet, Sky News has been told.

Doctors have warned that increasing numbers of teenagers are using the prescription-only medicine modafinil to stay awake and alert for long periods of time.

The drug is designed to combat the sleeping disorder narcolepsy.

However, research shows it is available to anyone from dozens of online retailers.

Anecdotal evidence suggests there is a black market at universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, with students selling it to each other for around £2 a pill.

Some students are now said to be demanding drug tests before exams to stamp out a practice they believe to be equivalent to cheating.

Some students are turning to the internet to get the drug

One Oxford student told Sky News that he believed up to a quarter of his student friends had taken modafinil.

But academics say that the long-term effects are unknown, and medicines' watchdog the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency says the drug should not be taken without a prescription.

Barbara Sahakian, professor of clinical neuropsychology at Cambridge University, said there had been an increase in the number of students taking the drug in recent years.

"A lot of young people are purchasing these drugs over the internet.

"[It] is a very unsafe way to get these drugs because you don't really know what you're getting and you don't know if it's safe for you as an individual."

She said some students feel peer pressure to take the drug in order to keep up with their fellow students.

There can be pressure to take modafinil, says Professor Barbara Sahakian

"There's this kind of coercion that goes on.

"I think a lot of students feel it's very unfair that other students are taking these drugs during exams and they feel that they're losing out because the other person has a competitive advantage.

"Some students feel when you go into the exam perhaps there should be a test to see whether you're on the drug or not, because otherwise there's no way of detecting whether you are or not."

Prof Sahakian believes that the increasing use of modafinil raises serious concerns both for students and society.

"What are the effects of putting a drug into and changing the chemicals in your brain as your brain is developing?" she asked.

"What will society be like in the future? Will we all be just popping pills to stay awake, and alert and keep working? Will we accelerate into a 24/7 society? Is that what we really want?"

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told Sky News: "I'm very concerned. Let's be clear. This is drug abuse.

"To all those young people we completely understand the pressures of taking exams but you are playing with fire if you take drugs that haven't been prescribed.

"You don't know what the effect will be on your mind and body. It's a very dangerous thing to do and I would strongly encourage students to think again before doing this."

Laurie Pycroft believes around a quarter of his friends have taken the drug

Laurie Pycroft, a masters student at Oxford University, admits taking the drug every few weeks.

He told Sky News: "Some people report that they become very focused or very good at concentrating on a repetitive task.

"I have found the ability to go without sleep, when necessary, quite effective. It's essentially like caffeine, just a bit more effective and with less jitters.

"The people I've met who offer me modafinil for sale, they've all been fellow students, or academic types, rather than your stereotypical wheeler-dealer in a hoodie down a dark alley."

Doctor Anders Sandberg, research fellow at Oxford University's future of humanity institute uses modafinil every one or two weeks.

While he believes he is doing himself no harm, he would rather be able to get the drug from his GP.

Oxford University says it had not seen evidence of a modafinil problem

"Going via an internet drug store means the money ends up in the grey market, and that's problematic. You might be feeding your money into a market that is actually doing a lot of harm in the world.

"It would be much better if it were in the open market, which would mean that we could actually control that it's actually healthy, that side effects get reported, that you could actually study it properly."

He added: "I don't regard the use itself as immoral or problematic. I'm not competing with anyone else. I am taking the risks on my own."

Buying prescription-only drugs is not illegal, however, supplying them is.

Universities UK says there is no firm evidence to suggest taking 'smart drugs' is widespread among students and called for more research to discover how common it is.

In a statement, it said: "We would be very concerned if the impression were given that most students at UK universities are now taking … 'smart drugs'.

"We are not aware of any new research or data to suggest that such drugs are widely used and available among the UK's higher education student population of 2.5 million students."

It said however, that it would have "grave concerns" about students taking drugs not prescribed to them.

An Oxford University spokesman said: "If 'cognitive enhancement' drugs are a particular problem at Oxford we have yet to see any substantive evidence for it."

In a statement, spokesmen for Oxford and Cambridge universities both said they strongly advised students never to take prescription-only medicines without a doctor's recommendation.

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Leicester House Fire Murders: Four In Court

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

Four people, including a 16-year-old boy, have appeared in court charged with murdering a mother and her three teenage children in a house fire.

In the early hours of Friday, September 13, a blaze engulfed the Taufiq family home in the Spinney Hills area of Leicester.

The bodies of the mother Shehnila, 47, her daughter Zainab, 19, and sons Bilal, 17, and Jamil, 15, were all discovered in upstairs bedrooms.

Dr Muhammad Taufiq said he would "deeply miss" his wife and children

The children's father, Muhammad Taufiq al Sattar, was not home at the time. The neurosurgeon was working in Ireland.

In a hearing lasting less than three minutes at Leicester Magistrates' Court, the four accused confirmed their names and addresses and indicated they did understand the nature of the charges against them.

Jackson Powell, 19, Nathaniel Mullings, 19, Shaun Carter, 24 and the 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were remanded in custody.

They are due to appear before Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday, October 1, with a further preliminary hearing fixed for October 12.

Another man, Kemo Porter, 18, was charged on September 19 with four counts of murder. He will appear at Leicester Crown court at a later date.  

Mr Taufiq al Sattar has said he would "deeply miss" his "beautiful" wife, daughter and two teenage sons.

The family are originally from Pakistan, but had a home in Ireland for at least 15 years before the children moved to the UK with their mother around five years ago for an Islamic education.

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Marriage Tax Breaks For Four Million Couples

David Cameron says four million couples will benefit from the Government's new £1,000 marriage tax allowance.

Ahead of the start of the Conservative Party conference, the Prime Minister said the scheme - starting in April 2015 - will be worth up to £200 a year for married couples, including 15,000 in civil partnerships.

They will receive the benefit at the end of the tax year in 2016.

It will work by letting people transfer £1,000 of their personal tax allowance to their spouse or civil partner - an increase on the £750 allowance promised in the Tory manifesto, which would have seen couples gain £150.

The new allowance, which is not available to couples which include a higher rate taxpayer, is aimed at couples where one partner has not used all of their personal allowance or does not work at all.

Bride-to-be Jo Herbert, told Sky News at a west London wedding show that she did not think the proposals were fair and that she felt they would do little to encourage marriage.

She said: "Personally I don't think that it's very fair that they (married couples) are receiving financial rewards and couples that just that just choose not to get married for any reason cannot benefit as well. 

The PM says 'nothing would be possible' without his wife Samantha

"I don't think that it would actually incentivise anyone to get married because £200 - I mean yes thank you very much I will take that -but it is not going to go too far especially in the grand scheme of things, in how much weddings cost."

The announcement comes after a trade-off that allowed the Liberal Democrats to announce free school meals for all children under eight earlier this month.

The proposal, which Downing Street said shows the Government values commitment by recognising marriage and civil partnerships in the tax system, makes good on promises Mr Cameron made when he was running for leadership of the party in 2005.

In an article in today's edition of The Daily Mail, he said: "I believe in marriage. Alongside the birth of my children, my wedding was the happiest day of my life.

"Since then, Samantha and I have been a team. Nothing I've done since - becoming a Member of Parliament, leader of my party or Prime Minister - would have been possible without her."

He said that the new measures would apply "if you're gay or straight - and in a civil partnership or a marriage. This summer I was proud to make Equal Marriage the law. Love is love, commitment is commitment".

Labour's shadow chief secretary to the treasury, Rachel Reeves, said that the marriage tax break would not even help two-thirds of married couples and said he was out of touch if he "thinks people will get married for £3.85 a week".

She said: "And even for the minority who might benefit, it will be far outweighed by what David Cameron's Government has already taken away in higher VAT and cuts to child benefit and tax credits. In most cases, the extra payment will be paid to men, even though it is women who have disproportionately lost out so far."

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Devon Murder Probe After Man Dies In Pub

A murder investigation is under way after the death of an elderly man at a pub.

Officers were called shortly after 10pm on Thursday to the Black Horse Inn in the Devon town of Sidmouth to reports that a man had been assaulted.

A 71-year-old was found at the scene and pronounced dead a short time later, despite the efforts of officers and paramedics.

It is understood that the man was visiting the area and next of kin are currently being sought by police.

A 41-year-old local man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder.

"We believe this is an isolated incident," the a Devon and Cornwall police spokesman said.

"We understand news of this incident will be troubling for many in the Sidmouth area and want to reassure local people there will be some extra officers on patrol in the town."

Anyone with information - particularly those at the Black Horse from late afternoon to early evening - is asked to contact the police force.

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Woolwich Suspects Deny Lee Rigby Murder

Two men have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby earlier this year.

Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale appeared at Old Bailey via videolink before their trial.

Drummer Rigby, a father of one, was stabbed as he returned to the Woolwich barracks in southeast London on May 22.

The soldier's widow Rebecca Rigby watched in tears as Adebolajo, 28, and Adebowale, 22, each denied attempting to murder a police officer on the day of Drummer Rigby's death.

They also denied conspiracy to murder on or before that day.

Adebolajo, from Romford in Essex, has asked to be known as Mujaahid Abu Hamza in court, while Adebowale, from Greenwich, southeast London, has asked to be called Ismail Ibn Abdullah.

They were remanded in custody to face trial at the Old Bailey on November 19.

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Pilots: More Than Half Sleep During Flights

The majority of pilots have fallen asleep while on the flight deck of a passenger aircraft, according to a survey.

Pilots' union Balpa found that 56% admitted to napping in the middle of a flight, with 29% of those saying that when they woke up, they found their co-pilot asleep too.

The results come a day after it was revealed that two pilots had nodded off at the same time at the controls of a flight from London to New Zealand.

That incident, which happened on an Airbus passenger jet which was on autopilot at the time, was reported to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Now Balpa, who polled 500 pilots, have found that 84% of those who responded felt that their abilities had been "compromised" by tiredness at some stage in the last six months.

Nearly half (49%) felt that tiredness was the biggest threat to flight safety - three times more than any other issue.

Balpa released its findings to raise awareness of what it believes are additional dangers posed by new EU regulations.

Pilots are concerned the new proposals - which they say will increase the number of potential early starts from three in a row to seven and the number of flying hours allowed from 95 in 14 days to 110 - will make flying more dangerous.

They say the new regulations, which will be voted on in Europe on Monday, will see Britain having to water down its safety regulations in order to set a pan-European standard, which will apply to those in other EU countries.

Balpa general secretary Jim McAuslan said: "Making every flight a safe flight is the number one priority for British pilots who have helped establish some of the highest safety standards in Europe.

"Tiredness is already a major challenge for pilots who are deeply concerned that unscientific new EU rules will cut UK standards and lead to increased levels of tiredness."

A CAA spokesman said: "The new European rules will increase our oversight role of airline operators and place firm obligations on airlines to introduce comprehensive fatigue management policies and monitoring systems.

"This will maintain the UK's current high safety levels and will increase safety levels in some other EU states."

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Tesco Sorry Over 'Gay Best Friend' Doll

Tesco has withdrawn an inflatable figure labelled "gay best friend" and apologised for selling it.

It comes a day after the retailer was forced to remove a Halloween costume called "Psycho Ward" from its shelves after it sparked widespread criticism.

On its website Tesco said "The Inflatable g*y Best Friend" was suitable for children aged three to four and was an "amusing gift".

Tesco is no longer selling the doll. Pic: Tesco.com

"If SEX in the City and Will & Grace taught us anything, it's that g*y best friends are in this season," the description of the product said.

"We've had the manbag, we've had leg warmers and iPhone fever, now it's time for the new craze.

"Although not much can be said for his own attire, your Inflatable g*y Best Friend is ready to give you fashion advice, tell you if your bum looks big and b**ch about everyone who doesn't wear Jimmy Choo's."

A Tesco spokesperson said: "This product was uploaded to the website by a third party seller but was removed from sale immediately because we found it offensive.

"The webpage should have been removed at that time and we are looking into why it is still visible two months later.

"We have very clear guidelines for third party sellers who list items on our website, and are very sorry that on this occasion they weren't followed."

The product remains on sale on the Amazon website.

Gay rights charity Stonewall chief Ben Summerskill said selling the item was "like trying to sell ice to Eskimos".

He said: "We can't imagine why any woman would choose to buy an inflatable gay best friend when there are two million of the real thing already available in modern Britain and most of them are much better looking than Tesco's pale imitation."

Asda and Tesco apologised for the Halloween costumes

Tesco and rival supermarket chain Asda both faced a backlash on Thursday over the sale of Halloween costumes which appeared to make light of mental health issues.

Tesco said it was "really sorry for any offence caused" by its "Psycho Ward" offering, which included a bright orange boiler suit.

Asda also apologised after it advertised a fancy dress outfit featuring someone covered in blood and brandishing a machete as a "mental patient fancy dress costume".

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William And Kate Given New Coat Of Arms

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a new coat of arms to represent them as a married couple.

The Conjugal Coat of Arms has been approved by the Queen and combines William's coat of arms and Kate's shield from the Middleton family coat of arms.

Designed by the College of Arms in London, conjugal arms traditionally show the separate shields of a royal husband and wife, side by side.

The left shield on the Cambridges' new conjugal coat of arms is taken from the coat of arms given to William by his grandmother on his 18th birthday and shows the various royal emblems of different parts of the United Kingdom: the three lions of England, the lion of Scotland and the harp of Ireland.

It is surrounded by a blue garter bearing the motto "Honi soit qui mal y pense" - "Shame to those who think evil of it" - which symbolises the Order of the Garter, of which he is a Knight Companion.

The first sighting of Kate and William with baby George in July

Kate's shield on the right shows her family arms, granted to her father Michael in March 2011 before the royal wedding. It is divided vertically with one half blue and the other half red, and includes a gold chevron across the centre with white "cotises" either side.

It also includes three acorns with gold stalks and leaves.

In the couple's arms, the Duchess of Cambridge's shield is surrounded by a wreath of oak, to balance out her husband's garter - a tradition for royal spouses who are not themselves entitled to surround their arms with an order of chivalry.

Both shields are supported by the royal lion and unicorn, each wearing a three pointed collar, known as a label. The label has a red escallop shell derived from the Spencer coat of arms which has been used by William's ancestors on his mother's side for many centuries.

The Conjugal Arms will be the couple's coat of arms forever, but parts of it could change as their own circumstances and roles change.

They will also keep their own coats of arms to represent themselves as individuals, Kensington Palace said.

The Duchess was granted her own coat of arms by the Queen after her marriage to William in 2011. It was made by putting her father's arms next to her husband's, in what is known as an impaled coat of arms.

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Rural Broadband Roll-Out A 'Raw Deal', Say MPs

The roll-out of superfast broadband to homes in rural towns and villages will leave users paying more than they should to get online, according to a spending watchdog.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the programme represented a "raw deal" for consumers despite a "generous public subsidy".

MPs claimed the scheme had been mismanaged by the Government and said sole provider BT would end up "owning assets created from £1.2bn of public money".

They said the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) should cease spending on the scheme until "proper competition and value for money" could be secured.

A spokesman for BT said it was "disturbed" by the report, claiming it was "simply wrong", and insisted the network it is building would be open to its rivals.

BT says it is willing to invest in rural broadband when others are not

"We have been transparent from the start and willing to invest when others have not," he said.

"It is therefore mystifying that we are being criticised for accepting onerous terms in exchange for public subsidy, terms which drove others away.

"The taxpayer is undoubtedly getting value for money."

However, Margaret Hodge, the chairman of the PAC, said all of the 26 contracts awarded by June 2013 had gone to BT and claimed the remaining 18 were "likely to follow suit".

"The DCMS' approach to procurement failed to deliver any meaningful competition to drive down prices and maximise coverage," she said.

PAC chair Margaret Hodge

"Without that competitive tension, it is crucial to have full access to the single supplier's cost information to check that BT's bids are reasonably priced, but the department failed to negotiate that access with the company.

"We now have a situation where local authorities are contributing over £230m more to the programme than forecast in the department's business case, while BT is committing over £200m less."

Concerns about the programme were raised when the Government revised its initial target of 90% of the UK having superfast connections by 2015 to 95% by 2017.

The tender process was also criticised after Fujitsu, which later dropped out, and BT were named as the only approved bidders.

A DCMS spokesman said the PAC's report was "at odds" with the findings of the National Audit Office.

"They found our approach reduced the cost to the taxpayer and reduced risk," he said.

"We put in place a fair commercial process and encouraged different suppliers to bid.

"We are disappointed that the PAC fails to recognise that thousands of rural premises which have never had a decent broadband supply are now getting one, something that is vital for farmers, rural businesses and all those who live outside major cities."

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Iain Dale Given Police Caution For Scuffle

Blogger and publisher Iain Dale has issued a grovelling public apology after accepting a police caution for fighting with a protester.

Mr Dale admitted the scuffle was "frankly idiotic" and that he had embarrassed himself, and also said sorry for his "absurd bravado" after the altercation.

The 50-year-old, who was initially questioned on Tuesday night, was cautioned after returning to Brighton Police Station and admitting common assault.

He fought with veteran protester Stuart Holmes on the seafront after trying to stop any disruption to TV interviews being given by his client Damian McBride.

Mr Dale spotted the pensioner nearby as Gordon Brown's ex-spin doctor spoke to ITV about his controversial memoir and rushed over to haul him away.

The pair ended up tussling on the ground as Mr Holmes' dog barked around them, causing a stir outside the Labour Party conference venue close by.

Hours later, Mr Dale insisted he did not regret the encounter, joking that he should not have had Weetabix for breakfast and calling Mr Holmes an "idiot".

But on Thursday, he struck a far more sombre tone as he admitted Mr Holmes was a "passionate campaigner" and had been "perfectly entitled" to be there.

"It was totally out of character for me to react to him in the way that I did," he said.

"I also want to apologise for the blogpost I wrote after the incident. It was full of absurd bravado and in the heat of the moment, I behaved in a frankly idiotic way.

"I have embarrassed not only myself but my family and my work colleagues and I apologise to them."

The statement added: "Since the events of Tuesday, I have gone through what happened over and over again in my mind. Whatever I felt at the time, nothing can justify what I did."

Mr Dale, from Pembury in Kent, even suggested some "will never forgive me for what I did and I understand that".

He said he had apologised to Mr Holmes in person on Tuesday but also apologised to Labour leader Ed Miliband and those attending the conference.

The publisher has vowed to pay for a new placard for the protester and to make a donation to a charity of his choice.

Chief Superintendent Paul Morrison said: "We respect the rights of people to protest peacefully. We will investigate fairly any allegation, regardless of who is involved, and we will seek the most appropriate resolution."

Mr Dale thanked police for their "fair and courteous" treatment.

Mr Holmes, who is originally from Manchester, previously described how "this giant of a guy turned up and grabbed hold of me" as he stood quietly in the background of the interview.

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Pilots Sleep At Controls: Union Warning

A pilots' organisation says a case of two pilots falling asleep at the same time shows why EU changes to flight-time rules are "dangerous".

In a report to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), a pilot revealed that he and his co-pilot nodded off on the Airbus passenger jet while the aircraft was on autopilot last month.

The pilot said both had only five hours' sleep the previous two nights.

A CAA spokesman said: "This was a serious incident but an isolated one. I think lessons will be learnt from this. We are circulating this report within the industry.

"We don't know why the pilots had had so little sleep before this flight. They were taking it in turn to have rest periods, with the one always checking the autopilot and it looks as if both fell asleep at the same time."

But UK pilots' organisation Balpa said the incident "comes as no surprise", adding that it had "repeatedly warned the CAA of the risk of both pilots falling asleep, including in a letter to each member of the CAA board last year".

General secretary Jim McAuslan said: "British pilots want to make every flight a safe flight and tiredness is the biggest challenge they face.

"As the regulator responsible for UK flight safety, the CAA has been far too complacent about the levels of tiredness among British pilots and failing to acknowledge the scale of the under-reported problem.

"In fact, the CAA and Government are backing EU cuts to UK flight safety that will increase tiredness among pilots and the risk of dangerous incidents."

Balpa says the planned EU flight rules will have a "grave impact" on aviation safety as the proposals are "flawed in many areas".

The proposed regulations would see pilots being legally allowed to land an aircraft after being awake for 22 hours.

They would also mean pilots can operate longer-haul flights - such as from the UK to the US west coast - with only two crew rather than the current three.

The proposals would also see pilots working up to seven early starts in a row.

A news agency found out about the pilots falling alseep after asking the CAA for incidents of pilot fatigue.

The CAA did not say which airline was involved nor where the aircraft, an Airbus A330, was travelling.

Of the proposed EU changes, the CAA said: "We understand that Balpa are not happy with the proposals but we think overall it is a good package and not much different to what we have now."

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April Jones Funeral: Machynlleth Says Goodbye

The family of April Jones has said a final farewell to the murdered schoolgirl as the mid-Wales town that shared their grief came to a standstill.

A white horse-drawn hearse led mourners, including the five-year-old's parents Paul and Coral and their two children from their Machynlleth home to St Peter's Church.

Crowds lined the streets and filled the church and its graveyard for the long-awaited service.

Those paying their respects were asked to wear pink, April's favourite colour.

April's body has never been found

The coffin arrived at St Peter's to Emeli Sande's Read All About It played on loudspeakers outside the church.

As it was carried inside by family members, Coral wept, holding her hand to her face, comforted by Paul, while other relatives fought back tears.

A message from April's family, written on the order of service, said they "would like to say a big thank you to everyone for their overwhelming kindness, sympathy and support during this sad, sad time".

Among the crowds were members of the mountain rescue, who helped search for April.

Beginning the service, the Reverend Kathleen Rogers said: "We know that there are no words we can say at this moment to express what we are feeling.

"No words can alleviate our sorrow or take away our pain."

Two poems by a local writer - one called April and the other called An Autumn Night - were read during the service and the words of well-known hymns were changed to suit the family.

No relatives spoke at the packed service, which was organised only after the conclusion of an inquest, 10 days after which April's remains were released.

Following the service, the funeral party left the church for a private burial.

It is almost a year to the day since the five-year-old went missing - with her murderer, Mark Bridger, jailed for his entire life in May - but reminders of the youngster are visible throughout the town.

Flowers from April's grandparents

A memorial garden has been built on the estate of Bryn y Gog, close to the home where she lived for her brief life.

Earlier April's father inspected flowers and dolls left at the garden, which has become a focal point for locals.

A bench bearing her name has been placed among the trees and next to a pink playhouse.

Up in the Welsh hills overlooking her hometown, a tree has been intricately wrapped in knitted pink patches and below in the valley pink ribbons still adorn many of the shop fronts and houses.

But the town is different now, according to Councillor Mike Williams, a friend and neighbour of April's family.

He explained: "It's the magnitude of an event in which a five-year-old girl was ripped from her family, ripped from the community, in such a vile and vicious way.

"But the town has stayed together and together we will be. We will be as one and we will be always with the family in support."

April Jones' funeral reflected the wishes of her grieving parents, who had wondered for months whether it would even be possible as their daughter's body was never found apart from fragments of bone.

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Stuart Hall Faces New Rape Allegations

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Detectives are preparing to question jailed broadcaster Stuart Hall over dozens of new rape allegations.

A woman has told police that Hall raped her regularly over several years when she was a young teenager.

The alleged victim is thought to be a relative of friends of the disgraced presenter.

Hall, 83, could be re-arrested in prison and, if charged and convicted, he may never be freed.

Hall was jailed this year for 15 months after admitting 14 charges of indecent assault on girls aged between nine and 17 between 1967 and 1985.

At the time, a single rape charge was not pursued and was left on the file.

His sentence was later doubled when the Attorney-General appealed after some of Hall's victims complained he had been dealt with too leniently.

If Hall is charged with further offences, prosecutors would have to decide whether more expensive and time-consuming court action is in the public interest. 

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Stephen Lee Banned From Snooker For 12 Years

Snooker star Stephen Lee has been handed a 12-year ban for match-fixing, it has been has confirmed.

The former world number five was found guilty of seven match-fixing charges by an independent tribunal last week.

The case related to seven matches in 2008 and 2009 - three in the Malta Cup in 2008, two at the UK Championship in the same year, one at the 2009 China Open and one at the 2009 World Championship.

Tribunal chairman Adam Lewis QC also ordered that 38-year-old Lee pay costs of £40,000.

A statement from the World Professional Billards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) said: "The suspension is to be calculated from 12 October 2012, when the interim suspension was imposed. Therefore Stephen Lee will not be able to participate in snooker before 12 October 2024."

WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said: "We take no pride in having to deal with such serious issues. However, this demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that snooker is free from corruption.

"It is an important part of our anti-corruption approach that players found to be involved in fixing matches or any aspect of a match are severely dealt with.

"We work closely with partners globally and the message we are sending is that if you get involved in match-fixing you will be found out and removed from the sport."

Lee has not played in a tournament since last year

The WPBSA had been seeking a lifetime ban but the organisation's disciplinary head Nigel Mawer insisted a 12-year suspension was effectively the same thing.

Mawer said: "In effect it is a life ban because I think it is highly unlikely that Stephen Lee will be able to come back to the sport at this level.

"We don't take great pleasure out of that - this is a case of a fantastic snooker player who has thrown it all away through making the wrong decisions."

Mawer added that he believed snooker was overwhelmingly a clean sport.

He said: "I am independent and outside the organisation and have a law enforcement background, and all the intelligence on irregular betting comes to me.

"Hand on heart I believe it is a very, very clean sport - I have only had to investigate four incidents in 7,000 matches and two of those have led to suspensions, which puts it in context."

In his written findings, tribunal chairman Lewis pointed out that life-time bans were not part of the disciplinary rules at the time of the offences but that he had the discretion to impose one of that length.

The findings state: "These breaches occurred when Mr Lee was in a financially perilous state not entirely of his own making and was finding it difficult to obtain entry to enough tournaments.

"As a weak man in a vulnerable position he succumbed to temptation. I consider it unlikely that he was the prime mover or instigator of the activity. It seems to me likely that advantage was taken of him."

Lee's agent Adam Quigley has confirmed he will lodge an appeal.

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Firefighters Go On Strike In Row Over Pensions

Firefighters across England and Wales have walked out on strike in a bitter row with the Government over pensions.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) left their stations and set up picket lines as they started a four-hour protest at midday.

The union is campaigning against changes it says will force firefighters to work longer, pay more into their pensions and receive less in retirement.

The move will also see firefighters having to work on frontline duties until they are 60 which could put the public at risk, the union argues.

The Government maintains that the changes are fair and will still give firemen and women decent pensions when they retire.

Fire brigades have had to draw up their own contingency plans to deal with the strike because military Green Goddess machines, used as cover in previous disputes, have been sold.

Some brigades, including London and Surrey, hired private contractors to stand in but the public has been warned that non-emergency calls may not be answered.

The London brigade, which is using 27 fire engines during the strike period, said it would not be able to respond to calls about flooding, trapped animals and rubbish fires.

Firefighters stopping work at Kensington Community Fire Station

Officials in the Department of Communities and Local Government stressed that it had a "strategic back-up" it could initiate if necessary.

Royal Navy and Royal Air Force firefighters with fully-trained Army crew members have been deployed as a reserve in England in case there is a major incident.

In Wales, they are acting as frontline firefighters with others poised if more support is required.

A war of words raged between the Government and the FBU as the strike went ahead.

Fire minister Brandon Lewis insisted the pensions package was still "one of the most generous" schemes in the public sector.

Firefighters earning £29,000 and retiring at 60 after a full career would receive a £19,000-a-year payout rising to £26,000 with the state pension, he said.

"An equivalent private sector pension pot would be worth over half a million pounds and require firefighters to contribute twice as much," he added.

"The firefighter pension age of 60 was introduced in 2006 and is in line with the police and armed forces.

"We have been clear with the Fire Brigades Union our pension reforms are not introducing a national fitness standard.

"Firefighter fitness remains a local fire and rescue authority matter. Government is helping local employers and the union to work together on this issue."

General Secretary Matt Wrack countered: "This initial strike is a warning shot to government. Firefighters could not be more serious about protecting public safety and ensuring fair pensions.

"Governments in Westminster and Cardiff have simply refused to see sense on these issues.

"It is ludicrous to expect firefighters to fight fires and rescue families in their late 50s: the lives of the general public and firefighters themselves will be endangered.

"None of us want a strike, but we cannot compromise on public and firefighter safety."

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady added: "There won't be many members of the public who would feel confident about being rescued from a serious fire if the only route out of the inferno was down a ladder on the back of a firefighter who was about to turn 60."

Almost 80% of FBU members voted in favour of industrial action and union bosses have not ruled out further steps if the dispute continues.

Labour leader Ed Miliband urged them and the Government to get "round the table" to resolve the conflict.

He told Sky News: "What I say about any industrial dispute is that it's a sign of failure. Both sides should be getting round the table because we need an effective fire service that is actually going to serve people.

"What Government should be doing is not ramping up the rhetoric but getting round the table with the firefighters to try and prevent this happening and sort it out."

Firefighters in Scotland are not striking because union officials there are still discussing proposals put forward by the Scottish Government.

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Caroline Lucas Faces Fracking Protest Charges

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas is to be prosecuted for taking part in a protest against fracking at a site in Sussex.

The politician was arrested last month after demonstrating outside the gates of energy firm Cuadrilla's drilling site in Balcombe.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced Ms Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion and former Green Party leader, will face charges.

Officials said she will be prosecuted for "breaching a police order on public assemblies and wilful obstruction of the highway".

The announcement came as Ms Lucas was due to join firefighters in East Sussex as they strike in a row over pensions and retirement age.

CPS lawyer Nigel Pilkington said: "Following an investigation by Sussex Police, the Crown Prosecution Service has received a file of evidence in relation to Ms Caroline Lucas MP, who was arrested during the anti-fracking demonstrations at the Cuadrilla drilling site in Balcombe last month.

"After careful consideration, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to prosecute Ms Lucas for breaching a police order on public assemblies and wilful obstruction of the highway."

Both offences are alleged to have taken place on 19 August 2013.

Mr Pilkington said the decision had been taken based on official guidance about cases involving the public interest.

He added: "These are summary offences which can only be tried at magistrates' court."

Ms Lucas confirmed the charges and said in a statement: "I firmly believe in the right to peaceful protest and remain deeply concerned about the impact of fracking on climate change and the wider environment.

"I have been advised by my lawyer to make no further comment at this stage."

She will appear at Crawley Magistrates' Court on October 9.

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Breast Cancer: Nice Approves New Test

Thousands of women with breast cancer could be spared chemotherapy every year following the approval of a test for use on the NHS.

Almost 50,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK and most of these have the early-stage disease.

Studies have suggested that half of women with the most common form of early-stage breast cancer given the Oncotype DX test could be spared chemotherapy.

The test involves the examination of genes taken from a sample of a tumour removed during surgery to help doctors decide whether chemotherapy would actually benefit patients and reduce the risk of cancer returning.

Doctors will use the test, in combination with other information such as the size and grade of the tumour, to work out if chemotherapy could be beneficial.

A woman undergoes a mammogram to screen for breast cancer

Current evidence suggests some people are over or under-treated because of uncertainties about whether their cancer will actually spread.

Those with early-stage breast cancer face intensive treatment, with possible side effects including nausea, vomiting, insomnia, hair loss and fatigue.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has approved the Oncotype DX test for people with oestrogen receptor positive (ER+), lymph node negative (LN-) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) early breast cancer who are at intermediate risk of the cancer spreading.

Nice director Professor Carole Longson: "Breast cancer patients face significant emotional and psychological strain when considering chemotherapy.

"A test that can help to predict better the risk of the breast cancer spreading, and therefore the potential likely benefit of additional chemotherapy, represents a significant step forward for patients."

Some 15 studies on more than 6,000 patients worldwide have taken place using Oncotype DX.

The results show that around one third of treatment plans are changed as a result of the test.

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Hamzah Khan: 'He Died In My Arms', Mum Says

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The mother of four-year-old Hamzah Khan, whose mummified body was found in her bedroom almost two years after he died, told police he died in her arms, a court has heard.

Amanda Hutton, 43, is on trial accused of Hamzah's manslaughter after his remains were discovered in her Bradford home in 2011.

In her police interviews read out to the jury, she said Hamzah had been a difficult child who shouted and screamed and would only eat bananas and milk.

Hutton said her son lost a large amount of weight in December 2009 and lay in a travel cot "really silent and still and peaceful".

She claimed Hamzah told her in "the kind of gabble" that he spoke: "Oh, I love you mum, are you alright mum?"

Hutton told officers she went to a Morrisons supermarket chemist for something to build up his strength when her eldest son Tariq rang her, saying: "Mum, you need to come back, Hamzah's eyes are rolling into the back of his head."

She said she picked him up when she returned home, adding that when he died in her arms, she did not know what to do next.

The moment Hamzah's body was discovered was described to the jury by the police officer who found it.

DC Richard Dove, of the child protection unit at West Yorkshire Police, was searching Hutton's bedroom after the alarm was raised about her lifestyle and the filthy house she was living in.

DC Dove said as he stood in the bedroom looking at a travel cot, he could sense there was something wrong.

"There was clothing and shoes and bedding piled up in the cot so I started taking them off," he explained.

In the dock, Hutton buried her head in her hands as DC Dove was asked: "What did you find?"

DC Dove replied: "The body of a small child, Asian in origin."

Hutton denies manslaughter and the trial continues.

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Rolf Harris In Court On Child Sex Charges

Rolf Harris has appeared briefly in court charged with nine counts of indecent assault and four counts of making indecent images of a child.

The 83-year-old entertainer arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court with his wife Alwen at his side.

Wearing a dark suit, striped shirt and patterned tie, he said nothing to reporters as he walked into the building flanked by security guards.

He left court around 30 minutes later, surrounded by a throng of reporters and photographers as he climbed into a waiting car.

Harris, 83, said nothing as he walked into court

Harris is accused of assaulting two alleged victims, who were aged 14 and 15 at the time, between 1980 and 1986.

The charges of making indecent images of a child date back to last year.

During the hearing, Sonia Woodley QC, defending, said Harris had indicated he would plead not guilty.

The Australian-born artist, musician and TV presenter was questioned under caution last November by officers working on Operation Yewtree, the investigation into abuse claims against Jimmy Savile.

He was arrested in March and charged in August.

The allegations against him have no connection to Savile.

Harris, who has lived in Bray, Berkshire, for more than 50 years, has been in the public eye for decades.

He fronted the popular TV programme Animal Hospital and had several musical hits, many of which featured his famous wobble board.

He painted a portrait of the Queen in 2005 and performed at her Diamond Jubilee concert last year.

His next court appearance will be at Southwark Crown Court on October 7.

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Labour Wants Bank Levy Hike To Fund Childcare

Working parents with children aged three and four would receive 25 hours of free childcare a week under new Labour plans.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls has pledged to increase the hours covered by state funding from 15 to 25, where a single parent or both parents work.

The move, unveiled in his keynote speech to the Labour party conference in Brighton, comes after another proposal to extend childcare at primary schools from 8am to 6pm.

Under Labour's plans, which it suggests would be funded through an increase in the bank levy, the 15-hour early years entitlement would also remain universal.

Ed Miliband congratulating Ed Balls after his speech

Mr Balls dismissed Tory claims of a £27bn black hole in his economic plans as "nonsense" as he and Ed Miliband battle to restore public trust in Labour on the economy.

And he also appeared to signal a significant weakening in Labour support for HS2 rail link, suggesting the potential £50bn price-tag might be better spent elsewhere.

"The question is - not just whether a new high speed line is a good idea or a bad idea, but whether it is the best way to spend £50bn for the future of our country," he said.

The shadow chancellow has written to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) asking for an audit of his spending commitments but the watchdog cannot go ahead under its current remit.

He has therefore called on parties to unite and push for a change so that both the opposition and Government can be scrutinised independently.

Ed Balls playing football on Sunday

"This is the first time a shadow chancellor - the first time any political party in Britain - has ever said it wants this kind of independent audit," he told delegates.

"It's a radical change from what's gone before, but the right thing to do to help restore trust in politics."

The call came after Treasury analysis commissioned by the Tories suggested Labour promises would require more than £1,000 in extra borrowing per household in 2015.

OBR chairman Robert Chote warned there would be "practical issues" if its remit was altered, with questions about resources and access to the right data.

And Tory Treasury minister Sajid Javid branded it a "stunt to try and distract attention from the fact that Labour have been found out for making unfunded commitments that would just mean more borrowing and more debt."

"Nothing has changed - it's the same old Labour. Ed Balls and Ed Miliband still want more spending, more borrowing and more debt - exactly how they got us into a mess in the first place."

But Mr Balls insisted Labour would show "iron discipline" if it regained power. "There will be no more borrowing for day-to-day spending," he vowed.

He admitted there would be "tough choices" if it does return to Government in 2015 and that it would not be able to reverse all of the coalition's measures.

Growth and jobs "cannot magic the whole deficit away at a stroke" and the coalition's spending totals for 2015/16 would have to be Labour's "starting point", he said.

"Any changes to the current spending plans for that year will be fully funded and set out in advance in our manifesto."

With the conference focusing on the cost of living, Mr Balls argued that the recovery was not translating into any change for struggling British families.

He accused David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne of condemning Britain to "three wasted and damaging years" and only helping a "privileged few".

He claimed the Government's bank levy has raised £1.6bn less than the coalition promised and that institutions paid £2.7bn less in overall tax in 2011 compared to 2010.

"At a time when resources are tight and families are under pressure that cannot be right," he told delegates.

"So I can announce today the next Labour government will increase the bank levy rate to raise an extra £800m a year.

"And we will use the money, for families where all parents are in work, to increase free childcare places for three and four- years-olds from 15 hours to 25 hours a week.

"For the first time, parents will be able to work part-time without having to worry about the cost of childcare."

However, he confirmed plans to scrap the so-called "bedroom tax" that cuts housing benefit for council tenants with extra space.

A compulsory jobs guarantee for young people and long-term unemployed would be funded via the tax on bank bonuses and cuts to pension tax relief for top earners, he added.

And he vowed Labour would go ahead with a 10p tax rate paid for by a mansion tax on properties worth more than £2m, as well as improvements to the national minimum wage.

Some have suggested that asking the OBR to assess the credibility of Labour polities would just extend what is already in place.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said there was an "established process" allowing ministers to ask Treasury officials to cost opposition ideas.

This was most recently used by Mr Javid and led him to make the claim about a £27.5bn black hole of unfunded Labour plans.

The tool has been used by all sides - Labour asked for 38 Tory policies to be costed before the last election, including moves on inheritance tax and stamp duty.

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Cumbria School Bus Crash: Children Injured

A school bus driver has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving after a crash with a lorry left around 20 people injured.

The two vehicles collided on the A685 in the village of Lowgill, near Kendal, at around 8.30am.

A spokesman for the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust said 10 people, including six children with minor injuries, had been taken to hospital.

The school bus was travelling through a village near Kendal, Cumbria

Three adults - one with a head injury, another with a rib injury and a third with neck pain - were taken to the Royal Lancaster Hospital, where the youngsters are also being treated.

Another patient was airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital with head, arm and neck injuries that are not life-threatening.

A spokesman for Cumbria Police said local schools had been informed of the crash.

"Parents are advised to contact their (child's) school if they have any concerns," he added.

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Police Officer's Death: Man Appears In Court

A man has appeared in court charged in connection with the death of a police officer who was hit by a car during a speed enforcement operation in south London.

The defendant, who was charged under the name Gary Bromige - but appeared at South Western Magistrates' Court, in Lavender Hill, south London, under the name Gary Cody - is accused of causing death by dangerous driving.

The 25-year-old is also charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident, failing to report an accident and driving without insurance.

He was remanded in custody, to appear at Kingston Crown Court on October 7.

Traffic officer PC Andrew Duncan, 47, was taken to hospital following the collision in Reigate Avenue, Sutton, south London, at around 1am on Friday, but died on Sunday morning.

Tributes to the father-of-two were issued by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe.

He said: "On behalf of the Metropolitan Police family, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to his wife and children, parents, family and friends.

"Andy was a hard-working and courageous policeman. He served the community as both a police officer and as a Scouting volunteer.

Flowers are left at the scene where PC Andrew Duncan was hit

"The night he was injured, he was doing a job that he loved and we all had every right to expect he would return safely to his home and family - tragically that was not the case.

"We will continue to professionally and objectively investigate this incident under the oversight of Her Majesty's Coroner.

"I would urge anyone with information to contact us."

PC Duncan was married with a son and a daughter.

He had joined the force on March 19, 1990, and was originally posted to Battersea.

Six years later he transferred to the South-West Territorial Support Group where he served for almost seven years before moving to Hammersmith and Fulham Borough.

He subsequently joined the South-West Traffic Unit on May 17, 2004.

The Met said two men, aged 19 and aged 20, who were arrested on Sunday evening in connection with the investigation, remain in custody at a south London police station.

A woman who was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of perverting the course of justice has since been bailed.

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Esme Smith Found Safe After 11-Day Search

Missing 14-year-old Esme Smith, from Surrey has been found safe in north London, say police.

The schoolgirl disappeared 11 days ago.

She was last seen by friends after school in her home town of Farnham on Thursday, September 12. She told them she was going to Woking 16 miles away and then on to a party.

But instead the teenager, described as "extrovert, vivacious, (and) normal", changed out of her school uniform and caught a train from Aldershot just after 4pm and arrived at London Waterloo about an hour later.

The secondary school pupil was pictured on CCTV as she walked down steps near Charing Cross station in London at about 5.30pm that day.

Esme's safe return is thought to be as a direct result of media appeals

A police spokesman said: "A call was made to Surrey Police by the Metropolitan Police around 9.40am today to say that the 14-year-old, who went missing on September 12, was at a north London police station.

"Her safe return is thought to be as a direct result of the media appeals, and the media and public are thanked for their assistance."

Her father Mark Smith, who works at Nato's Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger, Norway, said the family had been "worried sick" by her disappearance.

More than 4,000 people had "liked" a Facebook page called Find Esme Smith, dedicated to raising awareness of her disappearance and her sister Sian released a video appeal asking her to return.

In it, Sian said: "We just want her back. I think she's maybe met somebody out there or planned to meet somebody. We just don't know at the moment, and that's the worrying thing. She's not in trouble. We just want her back. We are incredibly worried."

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Labour: UK Apprentice For Each Foreign Worker

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Ed Miliband has launched a Labour fightback after a difficult summer - with policy pledges on the economy and immigration.

The party leader announced plans to increase fines for employers who fail to pay the minimum wage and force bosses to train an apprentice if they hire a foreign worker.

The moves come on the opening day of Labour's conference in Brighton, at which the party will attempt to spell out a series of policies which appeal to voters.

Mr Miliband addresses the crowd in Brighton

The conference begins with the party's high command reeling over the damaging revelations of plots, smears and feuds in the memoirs of Gordon Brown's spin doctor Damian McBride.

It also follows a summer in which senior party figures were accused of being invisible and a gradual shrinking of Labour's opinion poll lead over the Conservatives.

Senior Labour figures claim the new policy announcements signal a new approach on the economy and a new approach on immigration.

In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Mr Miliband said the Labour Party was "changing under my leadership" and had "learned lessons from the past".

He said: "I want a high wage British economy, not a low wage brutish economy. We've got plans to make that happen, to drive up skills.

"So we are going to say to any firm that wants to bring in a foreign worker that they also have to train up someone who is a local worker, training up the next generation.

"We think that can create up to 125,000 new apprenticeships over the course of five years and that is a massive boost for skills for our young people."

Mr Miliband said the tenfold increase in fines for the minimum wage would "stop the exploitation which undercuts workers that are already here".

Senior party figures spoke out on Sunday morning to back up Mr Miliband's pledges.

Labour's shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna told Sky News the proposal aimed to deal with the reason why large companies employed people from abroad.

He said: "(Large companies) say that there are skills gaps and we do not have enough people with the skills they need.

"What we are saying is that if they are bringing people in (from abroad), they also ensure that we are skilling people (with) the provision of training apprenticeships."

Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, sought to explain how the policy would work, adding: "Already, if people want to bring in what's called the tier-two worker from abroad, they have to meet certain conditions.

Mr McBride (far left) with Gordon Brown

"We don't think it's good for the long term health of our economy for companies to be reliant on bringing in skilled workers always from abroad and not supporting investment in skills and training we need to have at home."

On Sunday morning, Mr Miliband told the BBC's Andrew Marr he urged Mr Brown to sack Mr McBride over concerns the spin doctor was briefing against senior Labour colleagues.

Mr McBride's memoirs are being serialised in the Daily Mail.

On voting intentions Labour's lead over the Tories is barely changed, at eight points: Con 28% (0), Lab 36% (-1), UKIP 17% (-2), LD 10% (+2) and Others 9% (+1).

But Mr Miliband's ratings are poor, with 52% saying that he doesn't have the qualities to be an effective prime minister.

However, more people say they and their families would be better off if Labour won the election (30%) than if the Conservatives did (22%).

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Pelka 'Failings' Boss Quits Top Children's Job

A children's services boss criticised for failings by his former council over murdered schoolboy Daniel Pelka has stepped down from his new post.

Tower Hamlets Council said Colin Green had decided to withdraw from the role of chairman of the Local Safeguarding Children Board "with immediate effect".

Mr Green took up the post at the London borough council after retiring from his role as director of children's services at Coventry City Council last month.

His departure followed revelations about failings by his department over the four-year-old's death.

A serious case review found key opportunities were missed to intervene in his case by the city's children's services team, health professionals, school staff, police and other child protection agencies.

Luczak and Krezolek were jailed for a minimum of 30 years

Geoffrey Robinson, Labour MP for the area of Coventry where Daniel and his family lived, had condemned Mr Green's move to the Tower Hamlets position, claiming it was "an affront to public opinion".

"Like myself, I am sure the whole of Coventry will be stunned to learn that Colin Green, former director of children's services at Coventry City Council, has gone off to become chair of the safeguarding children board at Tower Hamlets," he said.

"This is a clear example of senior civil servants operating their own network for the benefit of themselves, at the expense of front-line staff who have faced the real challenges on a daily basis.

"The appointment is an affront to public opinion and confirms that I was right to call for a wholly independent inquiry. These boards are not truly independent."

A spokesman for Tower Hamlets Council said: "The new chair of Tower Hamlets Local Safeguarding Children Board, Colin Green, has decided to withdraw from the post with immediate effect."

The London borough council said Mr Green had been appointed by a multi-agency panel in June with all such decisions "based on the merits of each applicant".

Daniel died of a head injury in March 2012, after a systematic campaign of emotional and physical abuse by his mother Magdelena Luczak and stepfather, former soldier Mariusz Krezolek, both originally from Poland.

The pair were jailed for a minimum of 30 years each.

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Food Price Rises 'A Source Of Stress'

Rocketing food prices are a "source of stress" for four in 10 UK consumers, while a third say they are struggling to feed themselves or their family.

Almost eight in 10 shoppers (78%) are worried about the increasing cost of food, with almost half (45%) spending a larger proportion of their available income at the supermarket compared to a year ago, the survey of 2,028 consumers for Which? found.

Food prices have risen over and above general inflation by 12.6% over the past six years, according to the Office of National Statistics, while incomes have stagnated.

The poll found 60% are worried about how they will manage their future spending on groceries if prices continue to rise.

A separate survey by the consumer watchdog found one million more households are feeling financial pressure compared to a year ago, leaving 9.5 million households struggling to cope with the cost of living.

It found 40% are likely to cut back spending on food in the next few months.

Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director, said: "While people seem to have accepted their grocery bill going up, stagnating incomes and rocketing food prices are causing stress and worry and leaving people wondering how they are going to cope.

"Supermarkets need to make it much easier for consumers to spot the best deal by ensuring pricing is simple and making special offers genuinely good value for money.

"Politicians need to put consumers at the heart of their economic policies to tackle the rising cost of living and to support growth and prosperity."

Dan Crossley, executive director of the Food Ethics Council charity, added: "As the global food system becomes more deeply trapped in the strangleholds of resource constraint, climate change and population growth, rising food prices are an almost inevitable fact of life.

"Food businesses and government need to start planning now for that future by taking urgent action to tackle the issue of food affordability, including the introduction of measures such as a living wage.

"They also need to develop robust policies that make healthy food affordable, rather than peddling 'cheap' food that is costing us dear in terms of our health and our environment."

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A&E Departments Failing To Hit NHS Targets

The number of NHS Foundation trusts in England failing to see A&E patients within four hours has doubled in the last year, according to new figures.

A quarterly report by regulator Monitor found 31 trusts missed the waiting times target in April-June compared with 13 over the same period in 2012.

The report said: "We are concerned about waiting times in A&E which normally improve in the spring and early summer, but which this year remained challenging for 31 foundation trusts which failed the four-hour target in the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

"This compares to 13 in the same period last year.

"Long waits in A&E may result in patients experiencing unsatisfactory care and the persistence of problems means that it is essential for trusts to plan appropriately and have the right funding in place if the challenges of next winter are to be dealt with effectively."

The report also said the number of foundation trusts running a financial deficit increased from 36 in the first quarter of 2012/13 to 48 for the equivalent period this year.

The overall deficit was £74m, although the regulator stressed that figure was mostly due to a small number of "particularly financially troubled trusts".

Long waits could result in 'usatisfactory care', the report says

During the first quarter of 2013/14, trusts generated £57m less in cost savings than originally planned.

Jason Dorsett, Monitor's financial risk and reporting director, said: "Our analysis of returns from foundation trusts shows that patients are still waiting too long at A&Es in a number of foundation trusts.

"Increased demand means more than ever that trusts need better and earlier planning to make sure they deal with these problems.

"The increased demand has also prevented trusts from delivering their planned financial savings.

"We expect to see trusts planning now for how the increased demand will impact on their finances, so that they are not storing up trouble for the future."

Responding to the figures, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "A&E is the barometer of the whole of health and care.

"It is telling us that there are severe storms ahead for the NHS this winter unless the Government urgently faces up to problems with front-line staffing and in social care.

"Close to one million people have waited longer than four hours to be seen at A&E in the last 12 months - the worst year in decade.

"The Government has brought the NHS to the brink and cannot continue to ignore the warnings that are mounting by the day.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said A&Es saw 95% of patients within their targets since the end of April - as they were before last winter.

She said: "This is testament to the hard work of staff working throughout the health and care system.

"But we know that more work needs to be done to make sure that patients have access to the urgent and emergency services that they need.

"That's why we are investing £500m over the next two years to help ensure A&E departments are prepared for winter."

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Sutton Hit-And-Run: PC Trying To Stop Car Dies

A police officer who was run over while attempting to stop a car in Sutton, south London, on Friday has died.

PC Andrew Duncan, known to colleagues as Andy, was hit after signalling to a driver to pull over in the early hours.

The father-of-two was taken to hospital following the collision in Reigate Avenue at around 1am, but died on Sunday morning.

Tributes have been issued by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe.

He said: "I was so sad to hear that PC Andrew Duncan died this morning.

"On behalf of the Metropolitan Police family, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to his wife and children, parents, family and friends.

"Andy was a hard working and courageous policeman. He served the community as both a police officer and as a Scouting volunteer.

"The night he was injured, he was doing a job that he loved and we all had every right to expect he would return safely to his home and family - tragically that was not the case.

"We will continue to professionally and objectively investigate this incident under the oversight of Her Majesty's Coroner.

"I would urge anyone with information to contact us."

A map showing Reigate Avenue and Rose Hill

A Met Police spokesman said PC Duncan was married with two children, a son and a daughter. He was 47 years old.

He had joined the Metropolitan Police Service on March 19, 1990, and was originally posted to Battersea.

Six years later he transferred to the South-West Territorial Support Group where he served for almost seven years before moving to Hammersmith and Fulham Borough.

He subsequently joined the South-West Traffic Unit on 17 May 2004.

On Friday, the officer was working on a speed enforcement operation with a colleague, when they noticed a car driving at speed along A217 Reigate Avenue, close to its junction with Rose Hill.

A Met spokesman said PC Duncan attempted to stop the car by signalling for the driver to pull over but the driver collided with the officer and drove off towards Rosehill.

The car was found abandoned nearby, and officers are continuing to appeal to anyone who was a passenger in the car at the time to come forward.

Reigate Avenue is a residential area and officers are appealing for any witnesses who may have seen the incident to get in touch.

A 25-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury whilst dangerous driving on Friday 20 September after attending a south London police station remains in custody. He has now been arrested on suspicion of murder.

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