Trader Robin Clark Shot By Hitman In Essex

A City trader has been seriously injured after being shot by a hitman at an Essex railway station.

Police believe Robin Clark, 44, was "deliberately targeted" as he got out of his car in the car park at Shenfield station at 5.50am on Friday.

The gunman, who was wearing a balaclava, fled the scene in a vehicle parked nearby.

Robin Clark suffered serious injuries. Pic: Robin Clark/Twitter

Mr Clark, who lives in Essex, works for City brokerage firm RP Martin.

He was shot in the leg and is being treated at Basildon Hospital for his injuries, which are not life-threatening.

A British Transport Police spokesman said: "As he got out of the car he was approached by an unknown man and received a single gunshot to the leg."

Detective Superintendent Gary Richardson said: "At this stage we believe the victim of this assault was deliberately targeted.

"We do not believe this incident was gang-related and I would like to reassure the public that there is no reason for any undue concern.

"Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances, including the motive behind the attack."

A spokesman for RP Martin said: "We are aware of this morning's incident and are giving Robin all the support we can.

"It would not be appropriate to comment any further at this stage."

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Hidden Camera Pen Catches Thief Red-Handed

A carer has been jailed after a surveillance camera hidden in a pen caught her stealing thousands of pounds from an elderly couple.

Lisa Mitchell, 38, helped herself to £35,000 in cash over four years when she worked for 81-year-old Sheila Read, who had dementia, at their home in Dereham, Norfolk.

But the couple's son, Allan Read, suspected money was disappearing so he set up the secret CCTV camera in the pen and strategically placed it in an office in the house, Norfolk Police said.

Mitchell was filmed on two occasions in the office, which she had no reason to be in.

Mitchell was sentenced to 18 months' jail

The footage showed her going through a desk and the elderly man's wallet.

Allan Read had made a note of serial numbers on the bank notes, which police used along with the images to prove the offence.

Mitchell, of Masefield Mews, Dereham, pleaded guilty to theft and was jailed for 18 months at Norwich Crown Court.

Detective Constable Gemma Weeks said Mitchell used the stolen cash to buy jewellery and designer handbags.

"Over four years Lisa Mitchell took advantage of an elderly couple whom she was trusted to care for," she said.

"She thought nothing of helping herself to their personal money and cash from their family business, which she spent on jewellery and designer handbags.

"Even when presented with CCTV evidence, Mitchell denied stealing from this vulnerable couple, and could not account for living beyond her means.

"Over and above the financial impact of her crime is the emotional one, particularly when it appeared that Mitchell was searching for money instead of caring for the elderly lady."

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Palace Seeks Housekeeper To Run Baths

Buckingham Palace is looking to appoint a housekeeping assistant who will be busy looking after guests of the Royal Family, according to the job description.

The advertisement, which appears on the Royal Household website, says the new recruit's duties will include personal maiding and valeting for guests, including taking care of the dry-cleaning, arranging tea and breakfast trays and looking after the Queen's jewellery.

The 40 hours-per-week job will also include running baths for guests and cleaning "internal glass", although its unclear whether that includes the palace's 760 windows.

The ad goes on to say that the Royal Household employee will be rubbing shoulders with members of the Royal Family and so must have an ability to "maintain confidentiality".

The job description for the housekeeping assistant

The successful applicant for the £14,400-a-year post will be "meticulous, with a close attention to detail" and be "committed to achieving exceptional standards of service provision", the ad says.

Although based at Buckingham Palace in London, the person who is taken on will also be required to work at other royal residences for up to three months each year.

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Labour Would Restore 50p Top Rate Tax

Labour would restore the 50p top rate of tax if it gets into power at the next general election, the shadow chancellor has confirmed.

Ed Balls made the announcement in a pitch to run Britain's economy, during which he promised to balance the nation's books and cut national debt.

In his speech to the Fabian Society's annual conference in central London, he described Labour as the "party of radical economic change" and said it was "speaking up ... for working people" facing a "cost of living crisis".

He said the country is "crying out for real and lasting change" and claimed the Prime Minister and the Chancellor are "out of touch" with voters.

Mr Balls said: "When the deficit is still high, when tough times are now set to last well into the next parliament, when for ordinary families their real incomes are falling and taxes have risen, it cannot be right for David Cameron and George Osborne to have chosen to give the richest people in the country a huge tax cut.

"That's why, for the next parliament, the next Labour government will reverse this government's top rate tax cut so we can finish the job of getting the deficit down and do it fairly.

"For the next parliament, we will restore the 50p top rate ... reversing this unfair tax cut for the richest 1% of people in the country."

In his speech, Mr Balls said Labour would introduce a 10p starting rate of tax, which he claims would "help make work pay and cut taxes for 24 million people on middle and lower incomes".

He also announced Labour would create the British Investment Bank to support small businesses, commit to building 200,000 new homes a year by 2020 and expand free childcare for working parents to 25 hours a week.

"By supporting the long-term growth that will earn our way to higher living standards and help reduce the deficit, by rooting out waste in public spending, by making fairer choices on tax and benefit reform ... Labour can change Britain," he said.

The 50p - or 50% - "additional rate" tax, which is payable on income above £150,000, was cut to 45% on April 6 last year.

Mr Osborne abolished the higher rate, introduced by Labour in 2010, in his 2012 Budget, amid claims it raised just a third of the £3bn initially predicted.

"No Chancellor can justify a tax rate that damages our economy and raises next to nothing," the Chancellor said at the time.

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Teenage Boy Held On Suspicion Of Girl's Murder

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a teenage girl in Surrey.

The 17-year-old victim was found dead at house in Amy Road, Oxted, at 5.20pm on Friday.

Police say they believe the pair were known to each other, although the investigation is still in the early stages.

A police spokeswoman said: "A murder investigation has been launched by the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team following the death of a 17-year-old girl in Oxted.

"Officers were called to an address on Amy Road at around 5.20pm on Friday, 24 January after the body of a girl was discovered at the property. Her next of kin has been informed.

"The investigation is still in the early stages but it is believed that the victim and the offender are known to each other.

"A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in police custody."

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New Ultrasound Could Mean End Of Stethoscope

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

The days of the doctor's stethoscope could be coming to an end thanks to modern unltrasound devices.

The latest point-of-care devices are becoming increasingly more accurate and portable.

They scan for trauma, can reduce complications, assist in emergency procedures and improve diagnostic accuracy.

It is all a far cry from the limitations of the trusty old stethoscope, which has been hanging around the necks of doctors since 1816.

An editorial in Global Heart, the journal of the World Heart Federation, said: "Several manufacturers offer hand-held ultrasound machines slightly larger than a deck of cards, with technology and screens modelled after modern smartphones. 

Thames Valley & Chiltern air ambulance trust carry portable ultrasound kits

"Many experts have argued that ultrasound has become the stethoscope of the 21st century."

The journal asks why we do not see ultrasound machines in the pockets of every clinician. Several factors are said to play a play a role, including cost.

Ultrasound can diagnose heart, lung and other problems with much more accuracy than the 200-year-old stethoscope, therefore potentially saving time and money.

A number of air ambulance services in the UK use ultrasound, including the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust.

Dr Syed Masud, a consultant in pre-hospital care, said: "We have to kind of bring the hospital to the patient at the roadside or at their home and the ultrasound has fitted in there, because it is a diagnostic window.

Modern ultrasound devices are becoming increasingly more accurate

"In the past we used to use the stethoscope. Well, actually, if you think about it, a stethoscope on the roadside with the noise level and everything else it is probably not that useful.

"In cardiac arrest, putting the finger on someone's neck and trying to feel for a pulse is less useful than actually using an ultrasound.

"The ultrasound can tell us whether the lungs are up; it can tell us what the heart is doing; whether it is beating; whether there are any particular injuries.

"We can look inside the abdomen rather than just feeling the abdomen to see whether there is fluid inside which could be potential bleeding."

The demise of the stethoscope is likely to be a very gradual process, especially among older GPs who are being appraised and reassured about ultrasound technology and its versatility.

They will also be weighing up the potential of increased power and speed of diagnosis against increased cost.

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Take-Home Pay 'Rising Faster Than Prices'

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky Political Reporter

Prime Minister David Cameron has claimed the benefits of the recovering economy are now being felt, with the vast majority of people seeing a significant rise in their take-home pay.

In a counter attack on Labour's so-called cost of living crisis, the Government said workers' take-home pay was now rising faster than inflation.

According to figures released by the Treasury, nine out of 10 British workers have seen their take-home pay increase in the past year.

Nearly everyone except the richest 10% saw their take-home pay rise by at least 2.5% once tax cuts were taken into account.

This is above the Consumer Price Index inflation rate which stood at 2.4% in the year ending April 2013.

However, the statistics are being fiercely disputed by Labour, who have accused the Conservatives of being "highly selective" with their statistics and failing to "understand the cost-of-living-crisis".

The Treasury says all but the top 10% of earners saw a rise last year

Ministers claim conditions have improved most for the bottom 50% of earners with take-home pay rising three quarters faster than CPI inflation.

Though the figures take into account cuts to income tax and national insurance, they do not include cuts to benefits to people in work.

Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise Matthew Hancock MP said: ‪"Of course as a consequence of the Great Recession people who work hard have been made poorer and times are tough for families as a result.

‪"That's why, as part of our long-term economic plan, we are cutting taxes for hardworking people so they have more money in their pockets and are more financially secure.

"Last year, our tax cuts meant people's take home pay rose faster than prices. So while there is still a long way to go, these figures show our plan is working.

"Only by continuing to work through our long-term plan will we secure a better future for Britain."

Labour though argued that for most - real wages have fallen.

Overall, wages rose by a third more than the rate of CPI inflation

Shadow Treasury Minister Cathy Jamieson said: "The truth is that under David Cameron real wages have fallen by over £1,600 a year and analysis of IFS figures show families are on average £891 worse off as a result of tax and benefit changes since 2010.

"At the same time this government has given a huge tax cut to people earning over £150,000."

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank, said the Government's figures did not take account of benefit reductions and so did not reflect what has happened to household incomes overall.

Mr Johnson said it appeared that pay was now rising faster than inflation for most workers, but predicted that - after inflation is taken into account - incomes will remain "well below" their pre-recession levels by the time of the 2015 general election.

"There are two problems with this which one needs to take into account," he said.

"First, we have other sets of data - the Office for National Statistics publishes an average weekly earnings index. That went up quite a lot less quickly than inflation in the most recent months.

"And of course they are not taking account of reductions in things like benefits which were occurring over the time.

"So if you are looking at household incomes, that will be different from what's happened to take-home pay," he told BBC Radio.

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Older Cancer Patients Are Being 'Written Off'

Some patients with cancer are being denied treatment because they are too old, according to charity Macmillan Cancer Support.

Elderly patients are being "written off" for treatment after being assessed on age rather than fitness, claimed the charity.

The claim comes despite research showing tens of thousands of pensioners have survived the disease for 10 years or more.

"It's wrong to write off older people as too old for treatment," said Macmillan chief executive Ciaran Devane.

Some 130,000 patients over 65 survived at least 10 years with the disease

"With a proper assessment and appropriate treatment, our research shows that many older cancer patients can live for a long time and can even be cured.

"While it's good news that so many older people are benefiting from treatment, many thousands more could live longer if our survival rates for over-65s matched those in comparable countries.

"The barriers to getting treatment - which include age discrimination and inadequate assessment methods - must be tackled now so older people can survive cancer and live for many years."

For cancers such as prostate, breast, lung, stomach, ovary and kidney, the UK and Ireland have a lower five-year survival rate than the rest of Europe, a spokesman said.

At least 130,000 patients in the UK have survived for at least 10 years after being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 65 or above, including more than 8,000 patients diagnosed at age 80 or over.

Dr Mark Porter, chairman of council at the British Medical Association, said: "It is important that all healthcare professionals ensure that patients are treated on the basis of their clinical need.

"With an increasingly ageing population, it should be a key part of medical professionalism to guarantee that older patients are treated with the care and respect they deserve."

Sean Duffy, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: "We need to deliver better services for people over 65 and 75 because we know there's an issue and interventions need to be designed to that end."

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UK's 20 Worst Burglary Hotspots Revealed

Full List Of The UK's Burglary Hotspots

Updated: 1:04am UK, Friday 24 January 2014

Here are the top 20 burglary hotspots by postcode in the UK, according to the number of previous claims made per thousand people:

1. M21 - Chorlton-cum-Hardy; Barlow Moor, Manchester, 45.2

2. SE24 - Herne Hill; Tulse Hill (part), London, 41.8

3. N10 - Muswell Hill, London, 40.9

4. RM8 - Dagenham; Becontree; Becontree Heath, London, 35.9

5. N2 - East Finchley; Fortis Green; Hampstead Garden Suburb (part), London, 34.5

6. L18 - Allerton; Mossley Hill, Liverpool, 33.3

7. L22 - Waterloo, Liverpool, 32.6

8. N18 - Upper Edmonton; Edmonton (part), London, 32.3

9. UB6 - Greenford; Perivale, London, 30.9

10. SE27 - West Norwood; Gipsy Hill (part), London, 30.5

11. B73 - Boldmere; New Oscott; Wylde Green, Birmingham, 29.5

12. E8 - Hackney Central; Dalston; London Fields, London, 29.4

13. DN2 - Intake; Wheatley; Wheatley Hills, Doncaster, 28.7

14. N20 - Whetstone; Totteridge; Oakleigh Park, London, 28.0

15. E9 - Homerton; Hackney Wick; South Hackney; Hackney Marshes; Victoria Park, London, 27.8

16. N11 - New Southgate; Friern Barnet; Bounds Green; Arnos Grove (part), London, 27.7

17. N16 - Stoke Newington; Stamford Hill (part); Shacklewell; Dalston (part); Newington Green (part), London, 27.7

18. LS16 - Adel, Bramhope; Cookridge; Eccup; Far Headingley; Holt Park; Ireland Wood; Lawnswood; Moor Grange; Tinshill; Weetwood; West Park, Leeds, 27.6

19. B24 - Erdington; Tyburn, Birmingham, 27.6

20. HP10 - High Wycombe; Flackwell Heath; Handy Cross; Hedsor; Loudwater; Penn; Tylers Green; Wooburn; Wooburn Green; Wooburn Moor, Buckinghamshire, 27.3

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Winter Weather To Hit After Weeks Of Floods

Britain looks set for a distinctly colder end to January with the possibility of snow, widespread frost and cold winds.

After saturated southern England is hit by further flooding this weekend, low pressure will start to bring change across the UK next week.

The change comes as a "major incident" was declared on the Somerset Levels which have seen weeks of severe flooding and remain underwater.

Sedgemoor District Council chief executive Kerry Rickards said: "With significant rainfall expected over the coming days we feel this situation needs to be escalated as a major incident."

The council said it would continue to provide practical support to residents whose properties are flooded or are predicted to flood.

The Somerset Levels have seen weeks of flooding this winter

Next week's drop in temperature will come as a shock following a wet but exceptionally mild December and January, Sky News Weather Presenter Isobel Lang, said.

"The low bringing us rain this weekend will slip away southwards allowing significantly colder air to seep west and southwestwards across us on a biting east or northeast wind.

"It will be a shock to the system after a mild December, the mildest since 1988, and a mild first half of January with a mean UK temperature up to January 15 of 5.1C, which is 1.5C above average.

"Snow is likely, especially over hills, with more widespread frosts too."

But Lang said the change looked unlikely to last.

"At this stage the Atlantic influence still looks strong and it could be that the cold air pushes back into continental Europe again by the end of the week," he said

The Met Office has warned of a wet and windy Sunday.

Muchelney village in Somerset has been cut off by floods for three weeks

It will then turn colder and "increasingly wintry, particularly across northeastern parts", its UK five-day forecast reads.

Its summary for the 10 days from Tuesday warns of biting easterly winds and temperatures near or just below normal.

The change to weather more like the January we expect comes after weeks of rainfall that have left large areas of the UK waterlogged.

The Environment Agency has 10 flood warnings in place in southwest and southeast England and 91 lower level flood alerts in place, mainly in the southeast and southwest but also in other parts of England and Wales.

The UK has largely escaped a big freeze this winter, unlike the United States which saw a polar vortex bringing some of the lowest temperatures ever seen across many states followed by heavy snow this week. 

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Murder Case Misconduct Detective To Keep Job

A detective disciplined for not following arrest guidelines in the Becky Godden-Edwards murder case will keep his job, police say.

Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher had previously been found to have breached murderer Christopher Halliwell's rights by failing to caution him and denying him a solicitor in an attempt to force information out of him.

Although 49-year-old taxi driver Halliwell was jailed for life for killing Sian O'Callaghan, the charge that he murdered Rebecca Godden-Edwards was dismissed due to Mr Fulcher's mistake.

Steve Fulcher will have a final written warning

But Ms Godden-Edwards' mother, Karen Edwards, told Sky News she was pleased the police officer had not been fired over the matter.

"I'm absolutely elated," she said.

"I felt for Steve. We were sat behind him in the court. It was said 'he went from hero to zero in three days'. I couldn't believe he'd been (accused of) gross misconduct.

"An outstanding police officer that only a couple of years ago was going to be given a medal by the Queen.

"At the end of the day, if Steve hadn't done what he did, we would have never known about Becky. She would have still been laid out in that field and possibly Sian could have still been there.

"This is what this is all about: He breached Pace [Police and Criminal Evidence Act]. But he brought Sian back. On the way back to the police station, out of the blue, Halliwell said: 'Do you want another?'."

A police disciplinary upheld three allegations of gross misconduct over alleged breaches of Wiltshire Police's policy and the Pace.

Becky Godden-Edwards and Sian O'Callaghan

Two related to the execution of his duty during the Sian O'Callaghan and Becky Godden-Edwards case in March 2011 and one related to inappropriate contact with the media around a year later.

The police watchdog report found Mr Fulcher breached the act and ignored orders from his own force during the high-profile inquiry in Swindon.

"The panel have upheld the allegation that Detective Superintendent Fulcher committed gross misconduct by breaching the standards of professional behaviour as outlined by the Police Conduct Regulations 2008," a force spokesman said.

"The panel has decided the most appropriate action is for Detective Superintendent Fulcher to be given a final written warning.

"He will remain within Wiltshire Police."

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Boy's Hospital Ward Death 'Not Gross Failure'

A coroner has ruled there were "missed opportunities" in the care received by a four-year-old boy recovering from heart surgery.

Recording a narrative verdict, Avon coroner Maria Voisin found no "gross failures to provide basic care" for Sean Turner.

Sean, from Warminster, Wiltshire, was a patient on Ward 32 of Bristol Children's Hospital and died in March 2012 from a brain haemorrhage.

He had previously suffered a cardiac arrest, six weeks after he underwent corrective heart surgery.

Sean's parents Steve and Yolanda Turner, aged 47 and 45, told the inquest at Avon Coroner's Court how they pleaded with doctors and nurses to help him.

Mr and Mrs Turner accused doctors of transferring their son to Ward 32 from intensive care too soon and said they missed signs of his worsening condition, with rising blood pressure, vomiting and fluid loss from his chest.

His mother told the inquest: "Sean was deteriorating. We could see it but nobody listened to us.

"We asked so many times and so many staff - from ward doctors, outreach nurses, cardiac liaison nurse and the nurses - if Sean could go back to intensive care as he had been better there.

Sean died at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children

"We were told no beds or that simply he was not critical enough. Over four days Sean had increasing heart rate, was constantly being sick and was becoming so chronically dehydrated he was grabbing tissues used to cool his forehead and suck the water out of them.

"He kept asking for drinks but we were told he was on a fluid restriction to clear out his drains and this was normal procedure after a Fontan procedure."

After collapsing Sean was transferred to intensive care, where he remained for 11 days before being returned to the ward.

Mrs Turner described it as the "worst news" when they were told Sean was being returned to Ward 32 and the "beginning of the end".

She said nurses did not respond to automatic alarm calls on her son's monitoring equipment, did not complete regular fluid checks and did not fill in his record charts.

He suffered a cardiac arrest on February 16 and returned to the intensive care unit where he remained until he died on March 15.

Up to 10 families are believed to be taking legal action against the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust over treatment on Ward 32.

Ms Voisin said there were "lost opportunities" in the treatment of Sean but said this did not amount to a neglect verdict because there was not a gross failure to provide basic care.

Ms Voisin said she would not be writing to the hospital trust to recommend that changes are made to prevent future deaths.

"I am aware that the trust has made lots of changes since Sean's death and I do not consider that I need to make any report in connection with this matter," she said.

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Syria Terror Offences: Two UK Women Charged

Two women have been charged in relation to funding terrorist activities in Syria, Scotland Yard has said.

Amal Elwahabi, 27, and Nawal Msaad, 26, both from northwest London, were arrested on January 16.

Msaad was detained at Heathrow Airport while Elwahabi was held later that day in northeast London.

Scotland Yard said the pair is accused of "becoming concerned in an arrangement as a result of which money was made available or was to be made available to another, and they knew or had reasonable cause to suspect that it would or may be used for the purposes of terrorism".

The alleged offences are said to have taken place between January 13 and 16 and relate to terrorist activity in Syria, a spokesman said.

He added: "SO15, the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, will continue to pursue individuals and networks in the UK seeking to support terrorists engaged in the Syrian conflict."

The women will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later.

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Lib Dems Dismissed Hancock Sex Claims In 2012

The Liberal Democrats dismissed sex claims against MP Mike Hancock in 2012, a letter obtained by Sky News reveals.

The allegations against the politician by a woman constituent had been raised with Liberal Democrat central office and separately in a letter to Nick Clegg in 2011.

However, a letter, dated February 2012, said that the claims of sexual impropriety against Mr Hancock, who also sits as a Lib Dem councillor at Portsmouth City Council, had been considered but that they did not merit an investigation by the party.

The letter says: 'That has to be an end to the matter'.

In response to the 2011 letter written by the lawyer of the woman at the centre of allegations, the Liberal Democrats' official reply said: "Taking into account the contents of that correspondence, and applying the Party Constitution and membership rules, the committee decided that it would not commence any investigation or take any other action in respect of the matter that you have raised.

"In reaching this decision, the committee also took into account the nature of the police investigation and the stance of the Office of the Parliamentary Commission for Standards (OPCS).

"As a result, that has to be an end to the matter."

It has also emerged that former Lib Dem Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael spoke at length to the alleged victim and to Mr Hancock.

Mr Hancock, 67, was suspended by the Liberal Democrat party on Wednesday after a report into the matter was leaked on the internet.

The report - carried out by a barrister on behalf of Portsmouth City Council - described "compelling" evidence of "serious and unwelcome sexual behaviour" towards the woman constituent.

The development intensified the sex claims scandal which has engulfed the party, and led to significant criticism of Nick Clegg's leadership.

It follows the fallout from the case of the former party chief executive Lord Rennard, who was accused of sexually harassing women party activists.

The party is already in turmoil over the Lord Rennard sex claims scandal

As the new details emerged this morning, a 37-year-old man was arrested outside Mr Hancock's home in Fareham, Hampshire, on suspicion of assaulting a television reporter at 9.21am on Thursday. The reporter received an injury to his nose, according to police.

The report into Mr Hancock's behaviour by Nigel Pascoe QC concluded that the barrister had no doubt that the complainant had provided "compelling prima facie evidence of serious and unwelcome sexual behaviour" carried out towards her by Mr Hancock.

Mr Pascoe described the woman as "a straightforward and vulnerable person, angry and hurt by what she said had happened to her".

He also acknowledged that Mr Hancock, who was exposed in 2011 for having an affair with a Russian aide 40 years his junior, was not motivated "solely by sexual desire" and that he had sought to help her "wholly properly" as a local councillor.

The Liberal Democrats said it was the first time the party had seen the report, which was released last year, and that given its conclusions they had decided to suspend Mr Hancock.

Mr Hancock had an affair with Katia Zatulliveter, who was accused of spying

However, it is clear from the February 2012 letter obtained by Sky News that the party was made aware of the severity of the allegations against Mr Hancock.

In a letter to Liberal Democrat Central Office in October 2011 from the woman's lawyer, Harriet Wistrich, she points out that her client had written to Mr Clegg to raise her concerns but that she had not received a response.

Mr Hancock has been accused of sexually assaulting the woman after she contacted him in 2009 for help dealing with a difficult neighbour.

Police decided that no action should be taken against Mr Hancock but the woman is taking her case to the High Court in a civil claim on Friday.

Mr Hancock has always denied the claims and resigned the Liberal Democrat whip last year to fight the case. However, he remained a councillor in Portsmouth.

The council opposed calls from Conservative and Lib Dem councillors to publish the report at a council meeting this week, claiming it would be inappropriate ahead of a civil court case brought by Mr Hancock's accuser.

It has postponed taking any disciplinary action against Mr Hancock until the civil case has been heard.

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Military Cuts: 1,500 Personnel To Lose Jobs

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

More than 1,500 military personnel are to lose their jobs as part of defence cuts, the Defence Secretary has announced.

Philip Hammond said that 1,425 of the losses would fall in the Army along with 70 RAF medical and dental officers redundancies and 10 in the Royal Navy, in the fourth and final round of cuts.

Among the Army units affected by the cuts will be the Brigade of Gurkhas, Mr Hammond confirmed, saying they would lose 350 posts.

The redundancies are part of the Defence Secretary's controversial policy of reducing the number of permanent Army personnel while expanding the number in the Army reserves.

By 2020 Mr Hammond aims to have reduced troop numbers from 102,000 to 82,000, while the reserve force will increase from 19,000 to 30,0000. 

Announcing the cuts Mr Hammond said: "For the men and women of our armed forces, I know that this has been a painful process but completion of this final tranche will mark a turning point.

"With the bulk of our troops back from Afghanistan by the end of this year and coming back from Germany over the next four years, they will be able to enjoy the peace of mind that comes from belonging to armed forces that have put a period of change and restructuring behind them and are focused on building their skills and capabilities for the future."

Chief of General Staff Sir Peter Wall

As has previously been the case, anyone currently serving on operations will be exempt, as will those serving on the date the exact redundancies are announced - expected to be mid-June.

There will be the option for people to transfer to areas of the military that need bolstering, although those opportunities will be limited.

And financial incentives will be offered to anyone leaving the regular force but willing to join the Reserves.

Shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker accused the Government of putting Britain's safety at risk.

He said: "Labour is clear about the need to reconfigure our armed forces after withdrawal from Afghanistan and the end of a presence in Germany. But we would never do anything that would leave Britain's security under threat.

Soldier currently deployed on operations will be exempt from the cuts

"The Government is letting down our armed forces and their families, and taking risks with our nation's safety."

Speaking ahead of the announcement, the Chief of the General Staff General Sir Peter Wall said this demonstrated the military has done what was asked of it:

He said: "It's the end of a period of significant uncertainty, albeit the relatively small number affected in this final tranche who will get our particular attention in making sure that they are fairly treated and support their transition to civilian life.

"This actually draws a line and we are now concentrating on drawing in the right talent to populate the future Army structure which is all about our operational readiness for future challenges."

It was originally thought as many as 5,000 could be made redundant in this round.

However, the number is significantly smaller, in part due to problems with recruitment meaning that not so many jobs need to go.

"The defence review of 2010 set very clearly the requirements of defence going into the future," explained Major General David Cullen, Assistant Chief of the General Staff.

"We certainly don't need any further redundancies to achieve that target and to deliver the policy outputs that are required of us."

Earlier this month the military launched another recruitment campaign - the third in the space of just a year.

It is a response to inadequate recruiting figures, and a flawed recruitment process, described by one senior military source as being "clunky".

In the case of the Army Reserve, there are now fewer soldiers than six months ago.

However, the MoD is confident that many of the problems have been ironed out.

The number of staff in the national recruiting centre has been almost doubled and there is a simplified online application process.

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Benefits Street: White Dee Invites Nick Clegg

Nick Clegg has been invited to visit the residents of a street which features in a documentary about benefit claimants.

One of its main stars, Deirdre Kelly, known as White Dee in the show, called the Deputy Prime Minister's weekly phone-in programme on LBC radio and told host Nick Ferrari: "We would love him to come to Benefits Street."

Channel 4's Benefits Street is a five-part series which focuses on residents of James Turner Street in Winson Green, Birmingham, and "the reality of life on benefits".

Ms Kelly, who describes herself as the mother of the street, asked Mr Clegg if he thought the programme was "a fair reflection of people on benefits".

In response to the invitation to visit the street, Mr Clegg said he was not going to make any promises on air.

He admitted he had not seen the show, but said he had heard differing opinions about it.

He said: "Some people say all people on benefits are like this ... they are scroungers and living off the state. Others say it is demonising people and it shouldn't have been made."

Mr Clegg said he wanted a "compassionate" welfare system, and one where "receiving help from the generosity of others shouldn't be a permanent way of life".

Ms Kelly said the show was "very cleverly edited" and producers had told her the programme was going to be a documentary "based around community spirit, how we get on, how we help each other out".

"It has been a shock. We didn't think it would be this big," she said.

Ms Kelly said if Mr Clegg was to pay the residents a visit he would find "a very clean street, people getting together, helping each other, children going to school", not people "scrounging and lying around".

She told him she voted Labour in the last general election, but added: "You can win me back Mr Clegg."

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Cable Vows Fight Over Royal Mail Chief's Pay

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

An explosive executive pay row is brewing between Vince Cable and Royal Mail over the £1.5m package earned by the newly privatised company's chief executive.

Sky News can reveal that the Business Secretary is preparing to face down moves by Royal Mail's board to hike Moya Greene's annual remuneration just months after the Government sold a 70% stake in the company.

Mr Cable is understood to be willing to consider going as far as using his vote as the postal operator's biggest remaining shareholder to try to block any such increase.

If that were to happen, it would represent a remarkable new chapter in the privatisation of Royal Mail, which was bitterly opposed by Labour and the Communication Workers' Union.

The Government has been heavily criticised since last October's £3.3bn stock market listing, with the company's soaring share price leaving ministers vulnerable to accusations that it had been seriously undervalued.

The conflict over executive pay has been simmering since last weekend, when Donald Brydon, the boardroom veteran who chairs Royal Mail, said in a newspaper interview that increasing Ms Greene's pay was necessary if the company wanted to retain her services.

"I think it's only fair to pay Moya the right market rate for her job," he told The Sunday Telegraph.

"I'm not in the school that says top executive pay is without fault, there are parts of it that are egregious and wrong. But happily we are so far away from that end of it that to try and right-size her a bit I think is a necessary part of making sure we keep her."

Mr Brydon did not quantify the perceived shortfall in the Royal Mail chief's pay, although Ms Greene is paid less in aggregate than any of her peers at the helm of companies in the FTSE 100. She is also paid substantially less than her predecessor, Adam Crozier.

Last year, she received just under £498,000 in basic salary with further sums totalling nearly £1m based on her performance and directors' judgements about her success at modernising the company.

Royal Mail has pledged not to give Ms Greene a significant pay rise until after the current financial year.

Mr Cable is said to be irritated at Mr Brydon's intervention in the context of a row last year which led to Ms Greene returning a £250,000 housing allowance after he objected to the "material" payment.

The sum was disclosed in Royal Mail's annual report last summer. A review of Ms Greene's employment contract by Sky News after the company's flotation found no further discretionary payments of that kind.

At the time, Mr Cable said: "I am pleased that this unapproved payment is being returned. The company acted quickly to rectify the situation.

"A mistake was made in not seeking my approval: I would not have approved it. The chairman is sorry; the payment is being returned. I now regard the matter closed.

"Moya Greene is an exceptionally good CEO and she and the board have my full support to take the company forward."

Under laws passed at Mr Cable's instigation, most listed companies will face for the first time in 2014 a binding shareholder vote on their future pay policies for senior executives.

The prospect of one of the first big protest votes under the new regime being orchestrated by Mr Cable himself would stun the City.

It is not clear whether Mr Cable is opposed to any increase at all in Ms Greene's salary while the Government remains a shareholder in the company, but he is understood to be determined to hold Royal Mail's board to account over the issue.

However, the Business Secretary's stance may leave the Government vulnerable to accusations of hypocrisy given that both Antonio Horta-Osorio and Ross McEwan, the chief executives of state-backed Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland, are paid far higher sums than Ms Greene.

There is a widespread expectation that ministers will sanction the sale of the remaining stake before next year's general election, which would leave Royal Mail's board answerable only to external investors.

The Business Secretary is said to be keen to avoid the "nuclear option" of using the Government's vote to oppose Royal Mail's remuneration report.

Unions are likely to apply intense pressure on him to do so, however, with Unite national officer Ian Tonks saying this week: "Calls to boost Moya Greene's huge salary even further is proof the rushed privatisation of Royal Mail is descending into a farce. The Government should step in and make clear it opposes this sort of corporate greed."

If Mr Cable did vote against it, it could leave some Royal Mail directors feeling that their positions were untenable because they were not able to act in the interests of all shareholders by securing the services of the company's chief executive.

It would also revive memories of the vote by UK Financial Investments against Royal Bank of Scotland's pay report in 2009 following its taxpayer bail-out, although that vote was only on an advisory basis.

Mr Cable will give evidence later on Wednesday to the Business, Innovation and Skills select committee about the department's annual report, when he may face further questioning about the Royal Mail sell-off.

A spokeswoman for Mr Cable declined to comment.

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Unemployment Rate Falls To 7.1% In Job Surge

The UK unemployment rate fell to 7.1% during the three months to the end of November, prompting concerns of a rise in mortgage rates.

It was the biggest ever quarterly increase in employment. A total of 280,000 jobs were created in the period.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of those jobless fell by 167,000 between September and November, to 2.32 million.

The ONS said a total of 30.15 million people are now in work. The number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance last month fell by 24,000 to 1.25 million, the ONS said.

It said average earnings increased by 0.9% in the year to November - excluding bonuses. The pay figure was unchanged on the previous month.

Base rate and unemployment rate since June 1992

The drop in the unemployment rate has potential implications for both savers and borrowers.

The Bank of England's monetary policy committee said it would consider a base rate rise, from the current record low of 0.5%, when the unemployment rate reached 7%.

The 0.5% is the lowest sustained base rate since 1964.

Forecasters had not expected the threshold to be reached until later in the year.

The 7% jobless rate will not trigger an automatic rate rise, according to the bank.

The latest unemployment rate of 7.1% is down by 0.5% from June-August, and by 0.6% from a year earlier.

But youth unemployment reached its highest rate since 1993.

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Flood Victims Demanding More Protection

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

Flood victims across the country are hoping for reassurances that more will be done to prevent a repeat of their recent problems, as those responsible for defences are quizzed in Parliament today.

None more so than the people of Muchelney, the village on the Somerset Levels that has now been cut off for three weeks.

The only way in and out of the picturesque and historic hamlet is by boat, and for the residents here the novelty, and their patience, is wearing thin.

Most of the villagers think the severe flooding here in recent weeks, and in November 2012, has been due to the rivers around the Somerset Levels not being dredged, a practice that was stopped because of the expense involved.

"It's not rocket science," says resident Paul Belding.

"If you let the rivers silt up to half their size, it'll have a massive impact, and dredging is the only way ahead.

"Eighteen years ago the dredgers were out in force in this area. I haven't seen them since."

Defra Minister Dan Rogerson and Environment Agency chief executive Paul Leinster will today face questions from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.

The thousands of people affected by the floods will be hoping the meeting will prompt some positive action.

Retired doctors Peter and Elizabeth Nightingale now own a smallholding in the village of Muchelney Ham.

They were flooded for the first time in almost 90 years in 2012, and there is still a foot or more of water still in their home after it flooded again this year.

The village of Muchelney has been cut off to road traffic

The couple have around 60 sheep that should have been sold at market in the past couple of weeks, but they simply can't get them there.

"The place is a disaster zone. It's ridiculous in a first world country that the Government doesn't do more to help us and protect us from this sort of thing. It's laughable really," says Mr Nightingale.

"This needs a major effort by the government, not just bits of spending here and there."

Many of the local pumping stations on the Levels are not in use at the moment, because with the rivers still full, there is nowhere for the water to go.

:: Government and Environment Agency officials will face questions from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee later. Watch it live from 3pm on Sky News - Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Electric Shock Collars 'Should Be Banned'

By Adele Robinson, Sky News Correspondent

Calls to ban the sale and use of electric shock dog collars in England are being debated in the House of Commons.

Matthew Offord, Conservative MP for Hendon, is presenting the argument during a Ten Minute Rule Bill.

He is being backed by dog welfare organisations the Dogs Trust and the Kennel Club.

Tory MP Matthew Offord believes electric collars are cruel

The Bill follows the publication of research, funded by Defra, which shows that the collars can cause negative behavioural and physiological changes in dogs.

Mr Offord said Defra was ignoring its own research.

He said: "In 2013, Defra published its two studies which showed that electric shock collars can cause some dogs negative welfare issues even when trained by a professional using 'relatively benign training programmes', so therefore many would deem them unsafe.

"Very few people who buy these devices would have the skill set of an experienced training and behaviour adviser, so there would surely be a heightened chance of long-term negative impacts.

"... As a dog will have no idea what has caused the pain, it is far more likely to associate it with something in its immediate environment than to connect it with its own behaviour at the time.

Electronic dog collars are banned in Wales

"This is why cases of dogs attacking other dogs, their owner, or another animal close by at the time of the shock are common."

It is believed there are several hundred thousand electronic dog collars in use in the UK.

The Dogs Trust and The Kennel Club believe positive training methods have a greater influence over a dog's behaviour than the collars.

The sale and use of electronic dog collars was banned in Wales in 2010.

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Motorway Pub Opens Despite Opposition

A new £1m pub has opened at a motorway service station, in the face of fierce criticism from road safety and alcohol campaigners.

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon says The Hope & Champion will be open from 4am to 1am, seven days a week.

The venue is located in the Extra Motorway Service Area at junction 2 of the M40 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.

The first person to order a pint was a man called Tom who told Sky News he had heard on the news that it was the first motorway pub to open so he had stopped on his way into work.

He ordered his pint at 9.20 and, when asked what he thought of the idea of selling alcohol on the motorway, he said it was "frankly ridiculous".

Tom, who was "slightly surprised" by the number of photographers on hand to record the moment, had a few sips of his pint and then put it down, saying he was driving.

It is the first pub ever to be opened at a motorway service area, and will sell real ale from local and regional brewers.

But critics say the location of the pub is "at odds" with public opinion.

Wetherspoon's is defiant about the opening, despite critics' complaints

The RAC said a survey of 2,000 people showed only 12% of respondents supported putting pubs into motorway service stations.

Around two-thirds said they did not agree with the move, with older drivers more likely to oppose the sale of alcohol at motorway service areas.

Only 8% of over-55s were in favour, with 71% against, while almost one in five of those aged between 18 and 34 were in support.

The RAC's head of external affairs Pete Williams said: "The public appear to be very much against the introduction of motorway pubs.

"In our view this is a risky and frankly unnecessary move. The question we are struggling to answer is - of all the places to open a pub, why choose a motorway service station?

"The temptation to drink and drive can only be increased by easier access to alcohol."

But Steve Baldwin, manager of the new pub, said the venue would serve the local community.

"The Extra Motorway Service Area, now including The Hope & Champion, primarily serves the motorway users, but its facilities are also available to the surrounding community from the local road network," he said.

Sir Ian Gilmore, Royal College of Physicians special adviser on alcohol and chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: "I am disappointed by the decision to open a JD Wetherspoon on the M40.

"We are trying to prevent harm from alcohol-related traffic accidents and this sends out completely the wrong message."

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Dave Lee Travis 'Crossed A Physical Boundary'

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

A former BBC employee has said she felt "unprotected" in the face of sexual harassment while working at the corporation.

She was giving evidence at the trial of Dave Lee Travis who, she alleges, grabbed her bottom while they recorded a show in a BBC studio.

The woman said the incident happened in the early 1980s.

She told the court: "I was really taken aback at that moment and that is why I remembered it really well."

The woman said she just tried to get on with her job and that any complaints she could have made "would have fallen on deaf ears".

She added: "They were celebrities and I was just a worker on the floor ... and I didn't see what I could do at the time.

"I felt unprotected if I am honest with you."

Working with an overwhelmingly male workforce led to "severe sexual harassment while I was there - it was verbal and coercive", she said.

Much of the harassment she ignored, but the alleged incident with DLT "crossed a physical boundary", she explained.

"I was working with men rigging and de-rigging and that takes a lot of close working."

But, she said, "this was something totally different".

A cameraman who worked on the same programmes as the woman also gave evidence in which he said he remembered his female colleague as "quite young, shy and easily embarrassed".

Dave Lee Travis denies 13 charges of indecent assault and one of sexual assault.

The trial continues.

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Ditch Killer 'Posed For Photos Before Attacks'

Images taken hours before Joanna Dennehy set out to stab two victims have emerged in the trial of her alleged accomplices.

Joanna Dennehy has admitted killing three men last year

The court was shown the series of photographs as associates of the accused gave evidence in the trial of Gary Richards, 47, and Leslie Layton, 36, at Cambridge Crown Court.

The pictures were believed to have been taken by Richards hours before he allegedly accompanied Dennehy to Hereford where she stabbed two men in broad daylight.

The court has been told Dennehy 'cast a spell' on her alleged accomplices

Robin Bereza, 64, and John Rogers, 56, suffered multiple stab wounds while walking their dogs on two separate streets. They survived the attacks with serious injuries.

At the time the photos were taken the 31-year-old was on the run from police after killing three other men and dumping their bodies in ditches near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

Mr Richards allegedly drove Dennehy to Hereford in search of more victims

One shows Dennehy sticking out her tongue while posing with a large jagged knife. She has handcuffs attached to her belt. 

Another shows her lifting up her top to reveal a red bra and scars on her stomach, reportedly inflicted through self-harm.

Pictures of Richards copying her pose were also shown to the court.

One of the knives belonging to Dennehy

Dennehy, of Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, has admitted murdering Lukasz Slaboszewski, 31, John Chapman, 56, and Kevin Lee, 48, whose bodies were discovered in March and April last year.

She has also admitted the attempted murder of Mr Bereza and Mr Rogers and preventing the lawful and decent burial of all three murder victims.

The accused are charged with helping Dennehy dispose of the bodies and covering up her crime

Dennehy says she stabbed Mr Bereza and Mr Rogers 'to have fun'

Richards, nicknamed 'Stretch,' denies three charges of preventing the lawful burial of three men and two counts of attempted murder.

Layton denies perverting the course of justice and two counts of preventing the lawful burial of the bodies of Mr Chapman and Mr Lee.

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Dog Deaths Mystery: Signs Warn Of Killer Disease

By Sunita Patel-Carstairs, Online Producer

Signs have been erected in the New Forest warning dog owners about an unidentified disease which has caused a spate of "unexplained" dog deaths across the UK.

Several cases were reported to the Forestry Commission between December 2012 and April 2013, prompting an investigation into the "mystery dog illness" which can lead to kidney failure.

A further seven dogs have died outside of the New Forest - including one as recently as this month - in Dorset, Worcestershire, Cornwall, County Durham and Surrey.

Dog owners have been warned to look out for wounds that do not heal or lesions on the limbs or face of their pets.

Other signs their dogs may be affected include vomiting, a loss of appetite and severe depression.

It has been suggested the symptoms are similar to those caused by Alabama Rot, a disease first seen in the US in the 1980s, which affected greyhounds, and is thought to be related to a toxin produced by E. coli bacteria.

Some 16 dogs have been affected in the UK, 13 of which have died

However, despite extensive testing, the Forestry Commission said the exact underlying cause remains unknown.

"The reported cases represent an extremely small proportion of the many hundreds of dogs that are exercised in the New Forest every day and it is likely that this syndrome is extremely rare," it said

David Walker, head of medicine at Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Winchester, Hampshire, which has dealt with some of the cases, said the practice was aware of 16 dogs being affected in total, 13 of which had died.

He told Sky News: "When we look at the disease under the microscope, it looks very similar to a disease that appeared in the 1980s in the USA known as Alabama Rot. We have looked for an E. coli trigger in some of the affected dogs but we haven't found it.

"We have a much better understanding of what is going on, but we don't know what the underlying trigger is.

"The message we are trying to get out there is for dog owners to remain vigilant."

The issue has also been brought to the attention of the British Veterinary Association.

BVA President and vet Robin Hargreaves told Sky News: "Dog owners in these regions will feel understandably anxious about the recent cases but it seems that only a very small proportion of the dogs walked in these areas each day have been affected.

"Owners should make sure they are aware of the signs and symptoms and contact their vet immediately if they have any concerns. We are keeping our members informed about the ongoing situation."

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Drax Power Station Convictions Quashed

The Court of Appeal has quashed convictions of 29 environmental campaigners who protested in 2008 at Drax power station.

The convictions came after a protest during which campaigners ambushed a fuel-carrying freight train on its way to Drax, the largest coal-fired power station in Europe.

Those who took part in the non-violent protest were charged with obstructing engines or carriages on railways - an offence under the Malicious Damage Act 1861 - and sentenced at Leeds Crown Court in 2009 and 2010 for obstructing the railway.

Among those involved was undercover police officer Mark Kennedy, who spent seven years posing as Mark "Flash" Stone.

The actions of the former undercover policeman led to the collapse in 2011 of a case against six protesters accused of planning to invade the coal-fired Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire.

It was because of the policeman's involvement that the then Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer in 2012 suggested there were concerns about the safety of the convictions of those involved in the Drax protests, and grounds for an appeal.

More follows...

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Dave Lee Travis 'Groped Lambada Dance Woman'

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

A woman has told a court that DJ Dave Lee Travis indecently assaulted her after forcing her to dance the lambada with him.

The former British Airways employee described how she met the broadcaster during a corporate party in 1993 where he was working as a host.

During the party the DJ organised an impromptu dancing competition where couples were asked to do the close contact dance, the lambada.

After winning the competition with her partner the woman described how Mr Travis decided he wanted to dance with her.

She told the court: "He grabbed me as his partner and started dancing with me as his partner."

She described how she quickly became very uncomfortable with the way Mr Travis was dancing with her.

She said: "He kept pinning me on to his right leg... he was sexually aroused."

The former BBC Radio 1 DJ arrives at Southwark Crown Court

She said the incident made her feel very uncomfortable and so she escaped as quickly as possible after the dance.

She said: "He was old enough to be my father... I just thought 'dirty perv'."

A few weeks later the DJ was again hosting a BA corporate event, this time at Manchester Airport.

The woman, who was in her mid-twenties at the time, said the broadcaster quickly saw she was there too.

She said: "DLT made a beeline for me."

She told the court her reaction to seeing him for a second time at a works event was: "Oh s***, really?"

Mr Travis convinced her to again dance the lambada with him, an idea she said she reluctantly went along with.

Afterwards she said Mr Travis dragged her back to a table he was sharing with bosses from British Airways where she alleged he tried to force his hand up her dress.

She said of her colleagues: "They would have just seen me sat on his knee... they wouldn't have known I was being pinned down."

The woman described how she used both hands to push his hands back down, away from her groin.

Asked why she did not report the incident in the 1990s, the woman said: "I was just too young and too stupid to know. If I had said something then it wouldn't have happened to other people."

Mr Travis, 68, whose real name is David Griffin, denies thirteen counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault.

The trial continues.

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Runaways Who Fled School Found In Caribbean

Two teenagers who disappeared from their boarding school in the middle of the night have been found in the Caribbean.

Edward Bunyan and Indira Gainiyeva, both 16, vanished a week ago from Stonyhurst College in Clitheroe, Lancashire.

It is believed they took a taxi to Manchester airport at around 3am on January 13, and then caught a flight to the Dominican Republic.

Their parents were said to have been desperately concerned and reportedly flew out to the popular holiday destination to help police find them.

The sixth formers were found in the Punta Cana area of the island

A Lancashire police spokesman said the sixth formers had been found safe and well at a hotel in the Punta Cana area of the island.

"Plans are now being made for their safe return to the UK. They will be given a welfare debrief by police following their arrival back in this country," he said.

"Our priority throughout this has been to ensure the safety and welfare of these students and after they have been spoken to on their return this will signal an end of police involvement in this matter."

Stonyhurst College announces the students have been found

According to their Facebook profiles, Indira says she is from Kazakhstan, but lives in Brighton, East Sussex.

Edward, who calls himself Eddy, says his home is Sotogrande, an upmarket residential development, popular with expats, in southern Spain.

Fellow pupils took to social media - using the hashtags #WheresBunyan and #WheresIndira - to try to find news of their friends.

Stonyhurst College said in a statement: "We are absolutely delighted to be able to report that the two missing pupils have been found safe and well by police in the Dominican Republic.

The pair flew from Manchester to the Dominican Republic

"They are currently in the care of the police and a family member. Thank you to all parents and friends of Stonyhurst for your support at this time and for your prayers for their safety."

Headmaster Andrew Johnson said there will be discussions with them and their families when they return but it was too early to speculate about their future.

Stonyhurst College was founded in 1593 and bills itself as one of Britain's leading Catholic boarding schools, adhering to the Jesuit tradition.

Past pupils include Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, former BBC director general Mark Thompson, three saints and seven archbishops.

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'Sickening' Footage Of Birmingham Street Robbery

Police have released footage of what they have described as a "sickening" unprovoked violent attack on a man who was knocked unconscious and repeatedly kicked in the head by two thieves.

The victim who has been left with permanent scarring to his body, was ambushed by the "thugs" as he made his way home from a night out at a birthday celebration in Birmingham.

CCTV obtained by West Midlands Police of the attack shows the men picked their target by throwing a plate at the 51-year-old's arm as he walked along Bordesley Green Road.

The victim is punched in the head, which knocks him to the ground

The footage shows the victim turn around as the plate strikes him and shatters at his feet.

He confronts the man that has thrown the plate and continues walking up the road when suddenly a second man appears and punches the victim in the head, immediately knocking him to the gutter unconscious.

What follows is "absolutely horrendous", police said, as the first offender begins to rifle through the victim's coat and trouser pockets, helping himself to a watch and mobile phone.

While this is going on, the man who threw the punch saunters back over to the pair and can be seen stamping on the victim's head and slapping him across the face, back and forth, a few times.

One of the attackers rifles through the victim's pockets

He then kicks the victim in the head twice, stamps on it again two times and appears to slap his face again before both attackers run out of view of the CCTV camera.

A motorist slowly drives by before pulling up with his window wound down. He appears to be confronted from a distance by one of the robbers.

A second car pulls up near where the victim is lying unconscious in the road, his legs partly on the pavement, as the two perpetrators stroll away. A concerned passer-by then stops to call the emergency services.

More than a dozen other witnesses can be seen in the video and the victim has encouraged them to speak to detectives.

The offender who knocked him down joins his accomplice.

Speaking anonymously, he said: "I urge you to come forward and furnish the police with information which could assist and lead to the conviction and imprisonment of these perpetrators and cowards.

"This community will not tolerate or accept crimes such as the one inflicted on myself and people should be safeguarded from these thugs.

"On the advice of others, I have chosen not to view the CCTV, but I want such cowardly perpetrators to know the psychological damage you inflict on innocent people can be irreparable."

And in a direct message to the offenders, he said: "The community abhors your crimes and looks forward to you being caught, convicted and removed from our streets."

One man repeatedly stamps and kicks the victim in the head

The victim suffered extensive cuts to his face and head and more cuts and bruising to his body. He is also having to also deal with the psychological impact of the assault.

Chief Inspector Dawn Miskella, from Birmingham CID, said: "The footage speaks for itself − it was an absolutely horrendous, unprovoked attack on an innocent man who was making his way home from a night out, leaving him with long-lasting injuries.

"I would appeal directly to those people who drove past the scene as the robbery was taking place to please come forward and speak to us. You may not have realised what was going on at the time, but your information could be vital in helping us find the people responsible."

The attack happened outside the Bordesley Green surgery on Bordesley Green Road, at the junctions with Pikewater Road and Whitehall Road, at around 1.10am on Sunday, December 15.

Anyone with information can contact Birmingham Police CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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IMF Upgrades UK Growth Forecast Above Rivals

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

The International Monetary Fund is on the brink of upgrading its growth forecast for the UK more than any other major economy, Sky News has learnt.

The Fund is poised to increase its projection for UK growth in 2014 from 1.9% to 2.4%. Although the Fund will also lift its forecasts for world economic growth, the UK upgrade is significantly stronger.

It is the latest boost to the fortunes of the Chancellor, coming barely 24 hours after the Ernst & Young ITEM Club also increased its projection for UK economic growth this year.

Although the Fund's forecast for growth this year will be shy of the 2.7% predicted by the ITEM Club, the scale of the upgrade underlines how quickly sentiment about Britain's economy has turned in recent months.

The updated forecasts may also be construed as a reputational blow for the Fund itself, whose chief economist warned less than a year ago that the economic policies being carried out by George Osborne amounted to "playing with fire".

Since then, the Fund has already increased its growth projections for Britain once, last October, before this week's anticipated upgrade.

The news comes amid growing optimism about the speed of the UK recovery. In spite of concerns about retailers' fortunes over Christmas, retail sales grew in December at the fastest annual rate in almost a decade.

The Office for National Statistics is expected to announce next week that growth in the final quarter of 2013 remained relatively strong at around 0.7%.

However, some have voiced concern that Britain has been reliant for much of the growth on household spending rather than the exports and manufacturing sector.

The IMF itself has voiced concern that, having failed to rebalance the economy, the government is now reliant, through policies such as Help to Buy, on boosting the housing market and encouraging consumers to take out more debt.

Nonetheless, the IMF upgrade represents the latest evidence that Britain's recovery is starting to take real hold, pushing the country towards robust growth this year.

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Sheppey: 150-Car Pile-Up Drivers Face Action

Police say they have enough evidence to prosecute 32 motorists involved in a 150-car pile-up on the New Sheppey Crossing Bridge in Kent.

Officers said rather than drag the alleged offenders through the courts, they will send them on driver alertness courses instead.

The huge crash during rush hour on September 5 last year is believed to have been the biggest accident in thick fog in living memory.

It continued for 10 minutes as cars and lorries smashed into each other in visibility of just 25 yards.

The bridge was closed in both directions for more than nine hours

Eight people suffered serious injuries and 200 others were treated at the scene.

Inspector Martin Stevens, head of the serious collision investigation unit at Kent Police, said it was "quite simply a miracle" that no-one was killed.

Some motorists were driving 'like idiots' before the crash, witnesses said

Some motorists reportedly drove "like idiots" before the crash, which closed the bridge in both directions for more than nine hours.

Officers are sending letters to 32 drivers involved in the crash, offering them the chance to attend a one-day driving awareness course rather than go to court.

Visibility was down to just 25 yards during the pile-up

Those who decline will automatically be summonsed to court, Kent Police said.

Insp Stevens said: "This has been a thorough investigation of what was the biggest collision in the county and certainly the largest our team has had to deal with.

"Clearly the thick fog that descended on the bridge that day made driving conditions incredibly challenging and was a contributory factor in the resulting collision which stretched from the approach right across the bridge.

The crash happened during rush hour on the Isle of Sheppey

"While a significant number of drivers did precisely the right thing by driving to the conditions, our investigation has provided overwhelming evidence that in some cases motorists were not driving with due care and attention and were travelling at speeds which prevented them being able to stop in the distances that they could see ahead.

"Rather than go through the process of taking these people to court, it was felt that offering an educational outcome would prove far more beneficial for the drivers involved."

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UKIP To Purge Extreme Candidates Before Poll

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has promised to rid the party of its more extreme candidates ahead of the European and Local council elections in May.

He has ordered a clear-out in an attempt pull off one of the biggest upsets in modern political history - winning the most UK seats in the European Parliament.

He has already cut loose five MEPs from his line-up for the European and town hall elections, and the party is vetting all 1,818 candidates to make sure they do not have "extremist, barmy or nasty" views.

The clampdown was launched after MEP Godfrey Bloom branded African countries "Bongo Bongo Land" last year.

There has also been controversy this week as a UKIP councillor for Henley-on-Thames claimed the recent floods were due to Prime Minister David Cameron ignoring his warnings on legalising same-sex marriage.

David Silvester, who defected to UKIP from the Conservatives in 2012 over the issue, made the comments to his local newspaper the Henley Standard.

"The scriptures make it abundantly clear that a Christian nation that abandons its faith and acts contrary to the Gospel (and in naked breach of a coronation oath) will be beset by natural disasters such as storms, disease, pestilence and war," he said.

David Silvester: Floods due to PM ignoring warnings on same-sex marriage

Announcing the crackdown, Mr Farage told The Sun: "Politics needs people with personality and backgrounds and they will all have one or two flaws. I have got my own red lines on this. That is real extremism and nastiness.

"We introduced a set of criteria by which we judged the exiting MEPs on how they've performed and what they have done.

"Some have been pushed and some have jumped. Of 13 MEPs elected, there are about five who won't be on the list of runners and riders again.

"Of all the candidates we fielded, only about half a dozen have caused us any embarrassment."

He added that the reason people tried to portray UKIP candidates in a poor light "is because we are terrifying the political establishment."

He told the newspaper he is convinced that victory in the European poll could be a springboard to their first MP.

He said he planned to stand for election in 2015, and was considering which seat to target.

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Utah Murder-Suicide Includes Two Britons

A police officer in Utah shot dead four members of his family, including his wife and mother-in-law who came from the UK, before turning the gun on himself, authorities say.

The bodies were discovered by police when they went to check on 34-year-old Joshua Boren after he failed to show up for work as a patrol officer.

Through a door and window of the property in Spanish Fork, about 50 miles south of Salt Lake City, officers noticed blood and bullet casings.

In an upstairs bedroom, they found Boren's 55-year-old mother-in-law Marie King.

Police found the bodies of the Boren family in an upstairs bedroom

In another room they found Boren, his wife Kelly, and their two young children, seven-year-old Jaden and five-year-old Haley.

All the victims had been shot.

Mrs Boren, 32, and her mother were originally from Northampton.

It is understood that the couple had been having marital problems, but colleagues said Boren had appeared upbeat and not distressed prior to the killings.

Officials said no suicide note was found at the home.

Ms King's sister Jeannette Malpas, who lives in Northampton, wrote on Facebook: "Cannot get my head around this and will never understand why someone has to take away lives like this.

"My beautiful sister Marie, her daughter Kelly and Kelly's children ... may you all rest in peace."

Police said Boren had been a deputy sheriff in Utah County for seven years before being hired by the Lindon Police Department last October.

In a Facebook posting, Lindon City said it was "saddened to learn of the tragic events" at the Boden home.

It said: "Lindon City will be working closely with the Spanish Fork Police Department to investigate and hopefully come to an understanding of this tragic occurrence."

The post added: "Officer Boren was selected for hire in October from a field of over 70 highly qualified applicants and had performed admirably as a patrol officer.

"His conduct, behaviour and professionalism were exemplary."

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BBC Staff 'Turned Blind Eye' To Savile Abuse

BBC staff turned a blind eye to the sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile of up to 1,000 girls and boys in the corporation's changing rooms and studios, according to a leaked internal inquiry report.

The inquiry by Dame Janet Smith found the late TV and radio presenter's behaviour had been recognised by BBC executives but they took no action to stop him, according to the Observer newspaper.

A police investigation concluded last year that Savile, who died in 2011 aged 84, was a predatory sex offender who abused children as young as eight over more than 50 years.

It identified 450 victims but the Smith inquiry suggests up to 1,000 people were abused by Savile while he was working for the BBC, the Observer reported.

Peter Saunders, chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, which has been consulted by the Smith inquiry, said many people at the BBC admitted knowing about Savile's behaviour.

"The other thing I have found extraordinary, and very sad, is the number of people I have spoken to connected to the BBC - and that is a lot of people - who said: 'Oh yes, we all knew about him.'," Mr Saunders told the newspaper.

The Smith inquiry report is likely to send shockwaves through the BBC when it is presented next month.

Director General George Entwistle resigned over the scandal

Liz Dux, a lawyer representing 74 of Savile's victims, said Dame Janet had been forensic in her examination of witnesses and her report was likely to cause serious concerns for those at the top of the BBC.

"Every single opportunity Savile took it. He never had a quiet day basically so these numbers wouldn't at all surprise me," she told the Observer.

"Dame Janet is very widely respected and I am confident she won't leave any stones unturned. The clients who gave evidence said that they felt they were listened to very sensitively and sympathetically and were able to give their evidence in a lot of detail. This will not be a what-the-BBC-want sort of report."

The Savile revelations sparked a crisis at the corporation over how he was able to carry out such attacks and about the BBC's failure to report the claims against him when they were first raised in the weeks after his death.

Director General George Entwistle resigned in the wake of the scandal.

The Department of Health is currently investigating alleged abuse of patients by Savile at state-run hospitals, while a police report last year found that officers had failed to follow up evidence against Savile dating back as far as 1964.

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Mikaeel Kular's Mother Charged Over His Death

The mother of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular has been arrested and charged in connection with his death.

Rosdeep Kular, 33, is due to appear in court on Monday.

She had been questioned by officers on Saturday after her son's body was discovered in woodland near a house in Kirkcaldy, Fife, following a major search.

The body was removed from the scene at around 3pm on Saturday.

The body was found around 30 miles from Mikaeel's family home in Edinburgh

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: "During the course of today, the investigation into the disappearance of Mikaeel Kular has continued at pace.

"Following formal identification, I can now confirm that a 33-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with Mikaeel's death.

"The woman is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday."

A memorial service took place on Saturday night at Edinburgh's St Andrew's Muirhouse Parish Church.

Candles were given out at the door before the service, which was open only to the local community.

Dozens of teddy bears were left near Mikaeel's Edinburgh home

Mikaeel was reported missing from his home in the Scottish capital on Thursday morning.

Hundreds of police officers from across the UK joined the search and lines of volunteers swept the local area, searching for clues about his disappearance.

More than 500 calls were made by the public to a dedicated phone line.

Police Scotland are investigating an offensive Twitter comment relating to the case, which originated in the Greater Manchester area and was reported by an Edinburgh resident.

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Briton Killed In St Lucia Was Defending Wife

A British man has been murdered while trying to protect his wife from attackers on the Caribbean island of St Lucia.

Two people are in custody and a murder inquiry launched after the death of Roger Pratt, 62.

The couple were attacked while their boat was moored off the Vieux Fort coast where they had been staying as part of a round-the-world voyage, celebrating Margaret's 60th birthday.

They left Lowestoft in June, navigating the English coastline before heading to the Algarve and on to the Caribbean.

The couple plotted their route from the UK to St Lucia on their blog

A St Lucian police spokesman confirmed Mr Pratt died trying to defend his wife from attackers, but said there was no evidence the man was shot.

He said: "Nobody has been arrested yet but there are some guys in custody. The investigators are very busy looking at what happened."

St Lucian tourism minister Lorne Theophilus said: "It is with much regret that I and other industry partners have learnt of the unfortunate incident which has resulted in the loss of life of a visitor to our shores.

"At this time we extend our sincerest condolences to the family of British national Roger Pratt. To his wife, who also sustained injuries as a result of the attack off the Vieux Fort coast, we extend our deepest sympathies. Our prayers are with her for a speedy recovery.

The attack happened at Vieux Fort

"This is an active investigation and law enforcement is leading the charge in an attempt to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice speedily.

"Law enforcement officials have briefed myself and other senior tourism officials on aspects of the case although I am not at liberty to share some of those details with you at this time."

The couple lived in the village of Moreton Morrell in Warwickshire before embarking on their adventure.

Neighbours told Sky News the pair had lived there for about 25 years and were "thoroughly decent".

"They appeared to be very content, a normal couple", one said.

Writing on her blog in the hours before the attack, Mrs Pratt told how bureaucracy thwarted their attempts to leave that part of the Caribbean.

She said: "On Thursday morning the plan was to clear out from Soufriere, then to travel south and use up the 72 hours before we had to be away.

"But bureaucracy intervened. HM Customs and Excise in Soufriere told us that exit had to happen within 24 hours of clearing out; and that anyway, we couldn't clear out of Soufriere that day because the Immigration Officer hadn't come to work(!!)

"So here we are in Vieux Fort, the most southerly port of clearance in St Lucia. It's very different. There's a port; an airport and no tourists - and so it's a regular town."

St Lucia is popular with people who like to sail (File pic)

Writing on her LinkedIn profile before she left, Mrs Pratt said: "Off travelling! The plan is to be in the Caribbean for my 60th birthday in January 2014... all a bit of a leap into the unknown. Please stay in touch - I plan to be an assiduous correspondent!"

:: Watch the latest updates live on Sky News on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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