Veiled Acid Attacker Sentenced To 12 Years

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

A woman who threw acid in the face of her friend, leaving her scarred for life, has been sentenced to 12 years in jail.

Mary Konye, 22, cried as the sentence was handed down at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Her victim Naomi Oni has had skin grafts to cover the severe burns and has been left with scars on her face, legs, chest, stomach and arms.

The 22-year-old Victoria's Secret shop assistant was almost blinded in one eye, lost an eyelid, her eyelashes and hair following the attack on December 30, 2012, in Dagenham, East London.

Mary Konye dressed in a veil to carry out an attack on her friend.

In a statement read out in court, Naomi Oni said she felt "violated" by the attack, which left her feeling like killing herself.

Before the attack, she told the court, she was a "confident" young woman with a job she enjoyed.

"All this changed that day I was struck with acid and my life was turned upside down," she said.

She described every day now as "a battle to get by".

"I'm going to have these scars as a reminder forever ... my injuries are due to the carefully planned acts of an evil, wicked person," Ms Oni added.

Konye disguised herself in a Muslim veil and followed Naomi Oni home from work before attacking her.

No clear motive has ever been discovered but it is believed the pair fell out in April 2011 after Ms Oni allegedly accused Konye of texting her boyfriend and called her an "ugly monster".

On sentencing Konye, Judge David Radford said Konye had shown no remorse for the "deliberate and wicked act".

Naomi Oni had to receive months of treatment for her injuries.

Judge Radford said: "This careful, premeditated criminality was planned against a person who reasonably believed you were a true friend.

"Her friendship had been so wilfully betrayed by you," he said, adding the attack had "ruined" Ms Oni's life.

Following the assault Konye pretended to offer her former friend support, texting her in hospital.

Although it is thought Konye could have planned the attack for two years, she later suggested Ms Oni had devised the whole thing to get "fame and fortune".

The attack is believed to have been a copycat version of the one suffered by model and TV presenter Katie Piper, who was badly scarred and left blind in one eye in an assault arranged by her ex-boyfriend, Daniel Lynch, in 2008.

Previously, Ms Oni had told the court that Konye knew the impact the attack had on her after they watched a TV documentary about it.

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Tape Measure 'Better For Weighing Up Obesity'

By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent

The current method of judging obesity is so complex it should be replaced by a simple tape measure, according to a leading specialist.

Dr Jude Oben, from the Obesity Action Campaign, said the body mass index, or BMI, is "tedious" to calculate and poorly understood by patients.

He told Sky News that straightforward measurement of waist size was a more accurate assessment of someone's fat - and far more user friendly.

"The fat inside your abdomen is a good indicator of your metabolic risk," he said.

"For example your risk of heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, post-menopausal breast cancer, colorectal cancer. 

"So why not measure it simply? A tape measure does that."

He said studies show men should keep their waist - measured at the level of the belly-button - below 90 cm (35.5 inches). Women should keep it below 80cm (31.5 inches).

At least 2.8 million adults die each year as a result of being overweight

BMI is a complex calculation in which a patient's weight in kilogrammes is divided by the square of their height in metres.

If the result is greater than 25, patients are judged to be overweight.

"By that point most of them have switched off or left the room," said Dr Oben.

BMI takes no account of muscle mass. Athletes can register as being overweight even though they have minimal body fat.

Catherine Dias has had a weight problem for many years. But she still hasn't got to grips with BMI - and much prefers measuring her waist size.

"It's simple, it's easy. You know what you have to get down to," she said.

"To do it the other way it's a lot of calculations. I couldn't do that."

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Jean McConville Case: Ex-IRA Chief Charged

A former Irish Republican Army commander has been charged in connection with the murder of a mother of 10 more than 40 years ago.

Ivor Bell, 77, is due to appear in court in Belfast today accused of aiding and abetting in the murder of Jean McConville and membership of the IRA.

He was detained at his home in the Andersonstown district of west Belfast on Tuesday.

Mrs McConville was abducted by an IRA gang of up to 12 men and women at her home at Divis Flats, Belfast, in December 1972 after being accused of spying for the British.

The 37-year-old was taken at gunpoint and shot in the back of the head.

Her murder was one of the most notorious incidents during the Troubles.

For years she was one of the so-called Disappeared, those abducted and killed by republican paramilitaries during this period and buried in unmarked graves.

Jean McConville's funeral in 2003

Mrs McConville's children were told their mother had abandoned them.

It was not until August 2003 that her remains were found over the border in the Republic of Ireland, on Shelling Hill beach in County Louth - 50 miles from her home.

The IRA had admitted responsibility for her killing in 1999, although no one has ever been charged with her murder.

An investigation by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman rejected allegations Mrs McConville had passed information to the British.

Some of Mrs McConville's children have accused Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams of directly ordering their mother's killing, claims he denies, along with allegations he was involved in the IRA.

Mr Bell and Mr Adams were part of an IRA negotiating team which headed to London for ceasefire talks in 1972.

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Giant Vending Machine Replaces Village Shop

A giant vending machine selling eggs, milk and essentials has been built in a village after no one could be found to run the local shop.

People queue for their shopping

It sells 80 products, including washing powder, shampoo, shower gel, cereal, and, of course, tea.

Standing in the car park of the local pub, the Cock Inn, in the Derbyshire village of Clifton, the machine has already been a great success.

It takes cards and cash and was designed by electrical engineer Peter Fox, who lives just a few miles away in Ashborne.

The simple control pad

He has built in security measures, including cameras, and is able to monitor stock levels remotely.

Mr Fox said: "They (local people) think it's great fun and that the prices are reasonable. Everyone has been very supportive.

"I thought of the idea because I used to live in a small village myself and (the shop) had closed by the time I got back from work.

"I used to think 'wouldn't it be great if there was a big vending machine'."

The machine has been installed in the pub car park

Clifton lost its shop 10 years ago. Andrew Garside, landlord of the Cock Inn, said: "It  closed down because the people retired and no-one else took it on.

"Peter had the idea for the "automated shop" a while ago. It's an absolutely amazing bit of kit.

"All the basics are in there, from toothpaste, eggs, milk, bread, soup. It's gone down extremely well with villagers and people from the local area already."

There are a number of security features

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UK Soldiers Laid To Rest 100 Years After WW1

Ten British soldiers who died in France during World War One and whose remains were found in 2009 have been formally identified.

The soldiers died in battle on October 18, 1914, while serving with the 2nd Battalion The York and Lancaster Regiment.

Their remains were discovered during construction work near the French village of Beaucamps-Ligney and have been identified from DNA samples.

:: As part of Sky News' coverage of the centenary of World War One, we have launched a twitter account and will tweet daily updates to followers on the events that took place from 1914 to 1918. You can follow it @SkyNewsWW1

Identification of the soldiers means their relatives - who were informed this week - will be able to see their forefathers laid to rest 100 years after the outbreak of war.

The soldiers are due to be reburied with full military honours at the Commonwealth War Grave Commission cemetery in October.

The event has been organised by the 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regimen, which traces its history back to The York and Lancaster Regiment.

The soldiers have been named as Private Herbert Ernest Allcock, Private John Brameld, Corporal Francis Carr Dyson, Private Walter Ellis and Private John Willie Jarvis.

Also identified are the remains of: Private Leonard Arthur Morley, Private Ernest Oxer, Private John Richmond, Private William Alfred Singyard and Lance Corporal William Henry Warr.

Maureen Simpson, granddaughter of Pte Brameld, of Sheffield, said: "I think it's wonderful, I think they've done a fantastic job, it just closes the book, doesn't it, it puts an end to wondering what happened to them.

The remains were found in 2009 in the French village of Beaucamps-Ligney

"My father Arthur was only two when his father was killed, and used to go with the British Legion to France to look at the war graves, in the hope that he would be able to find him, but he never did before he died in 1979.

"I think my grandfather joined up when he was 18, then came out of the Army for about five or six years, and was in the reserve, working as a table blade grinder in Sheffield, and was then sent for when the war began."

Denise Womersley, great great great niece of Pte Ellis, said: "Obviously it is nice finally to know what happened to him. I had been researching the family tree and knew he was in the Army, but nothing more.

"Now he can be buried in the way that he deserved."

Defence Minister Lord Astor of Hever said: "Our thoughts remain with all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our country.

"Although these soldiers fell almost a century ago, the Ministry of Defence still takes its responsibility extremely seriously to identify any remains found, trace and inform surviving relatives and to provide a fitting and dignified funeral so they rest in peace."

Work to identify a further five sets of remains found in the same village in 2009 is continuing.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said a team of experts is working to identify the remains.

The team is particularly interested in speaking to the families of the following soldiers: Lance Sergeant George Edwardes, Private Horace Foster, Private Ross Jeff, Private Gavin Lowe, Private William Albert Sunderland and Private David Wilson Williams.

:: Anyone who thinks they might be related to these soldiers is asked to contact the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre team on 01452 712612.

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First Female Genital Mutilation Charges In UK

A doctor and another man will be charged in the first UK prosecution for female genital mutilation, the CPS has said.

Dr Dhanoun Dharmasena, from the Whittington Hospital in London, and Hasan Mohamed, who is not a medic, will be charged under the Female Genital Mutilation Act.

Dr Dharmasena, 31, from Ilford, Essex, allegedly carried out the procedure on a woman who had given birth at the hospital in November 2012.

Mr Mohamed, 40, from N7, London, encouraged and helped him, it is claimed.

The pair will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on April 15.

John Cameron, NSPCC Head of Child Protection Operations, said: "This is great news for the fight against female genital mutilation.

"The fact that we hadn't previously had a prosecution in the UK for this child abuse despite it being a crime for almost 30 years is unacceptable."

Prosecutors also looked at four other cases of female genital mutilation.

One was a new case and three were reconsidered after decisions to take no further action.

The CPS found there was insufficient evidence to bring charges.

One of the old cases involved a man calling a female genital mutilation helpline, intended for victims, to ask for the procedure to be carried out on his two daughters.

The new case involved two parents accused of taking their daughter abroad to have the procedure.

The CPS is also considering four other cases.

Female genital mutilation was made a criminal offence in the UK in 1985.

In 2003, the maximum sentence was increased from five to 14 years in jail.

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Pelka Council Rated 'Inadequate' By Ofsted

Children's services at the council criticised over the death of four-year-Daniel Pelka at the hands of his mother and stepfather has been labelled "inadequate" by Ofsted.

The boy died of a head injury after longstanding abuse by his mother, Magdelena Luczak, and his stepfather, former soldier Mariusz Krezolek.

Both were jailed for a minimum of 30 years for his murder following a trial last year.

Coventry City Council has faced widespread criticism since the death in March 2012 and a new report published by Ofsted judged children's services at the authority to be "inadequate overall".

It recognised the council's improvements since last year's publication of a damning serious case review criticising children's services's handling of the boy's case.

But it said change had been too slow and that measures already put in place at Coventry were "simply not good enough".

The Department for Education also said it was considering what "further actions" were needed to improve the situation, but did not specify what form those measures might take.

Magdelena Luczak and Mariusz Krezolek were jailed over Daniel Pelka's death

It follows a three-week inspection by Ofsted earlier this year.

Coventry City Council said: "The report published today found that caseloads for social workers are too high.

"Although social work teams have been increased, a dramatic increase in workloads - 46% over the last two years - mean that caseloads remain too high."

By the end of February this year, social workers in Coventry were working with 4,529 children in the city - up from 3,085 in March 2013, the council said.

George Duggins, the council's cabinet member for children and young people, today promised a "rapid improvement in services".

He said an extra £5.6m was being invested in the service, to create more social work teams to deal with the huge increase in referrals.

"There is no hiding from the fact that the report's overall findings are disappointing, but many of the problems we face, particularly in the front line of children's social care, is down to the fact of the unprecedented volume of work which continues to increase," he said.

"As the Ofsted report reflects, the findings are not a verdict on the staff, who are working extremely hard in the face of ever-increasing workloads, and their passion, commitment and dedication cannot be questioned.

"We have already responded to this challenge by adding another team of social workers and we have funding to add more as part of the additional £5.6m because as a council safeguarding is one our highest priorities."

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Road-Death Sentences 'Are Not Tough Enough'

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

Some 82% of motorists think sentences should be higher for drivers who kill people on the roads, according to a survey by road safety charity Brake.

Latest government figures show only 62% of those convicted of killing someone through risky driving were jailed, and only 9% received sentences of five years or more in prison.

Bereaved relatives are backing a campaign calling on the Government to ensure motorists are not "let off" on lesser charges, which carry lower penalties.

Mandy Stock was walking home with her husband Paul when he was knocked down and killed by a motorcyclist in Gloucester two years ago.

Paul Stock was killed while walking home with his wife

Graham Godwin had been speeding, had a passenger illegally riding pillion and was disqualified from driving. His criminal record included 45 previous traffic offences.

A judge described him as "an absolute menace".

"He was actually charged with causing death while disqualified not dangerous or careless driving," said Mandy, 51.

"The maximum sentence for causing death while disqualified is two years, which he got, but he got six months knocked off for pleading guilty, and only spent nine months in prison, as he was allowed out half way through the term. I'm angry, very angry."

Campaigners say if someone has been killed or seriously injured on our roads, and risks were taken by those responsible, those actions should never be called "careless" in the eyes of the law, but always "dangerous", meaning judges could give maximum sentences of 14 years.

Brake deputy chief executive Julie Townsend said: "We want the Government to acknowledge how inadequate current charges and penalties are and take action to prevent traumatised families suffering further insult.

"Denying justice to victim families often has a terrible impact on their ability to rebuild and move forward with their lives.

Bereaved relatives want tougher sentences

"Brake bears witness to the consequences for these vulnerable families every day through its support services for bereaved and injured crash victims.

"Our justice system should make clear that risky, illegal behaviour on roads is no accident: it's selfish, destructive, and unacceptable."

The Ministry of Justice is currently considering whether to make changes to charges and penalties for serious driving offences.

Justice Minister Jeremy Wright said: "Road traffic offences can have very serious and sometimes devastating consequences for victims and their families.

"That is why we are looking closely at the law and giving careful consideration to all the representations received on this complex and emotive subject - and why we have asked the Sentencing Council to review their sentencing guidelines on death by driving offences.

"Judges already have some tough sentencing options available to them for driving offences - causing death by dangerous driving already carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison, as does causing death by careless driving when drunk or drugged.

"We also introduced a new offence of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in 2012. But the sentencing in individual cases is always a matter for the judge."

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Petrol Prices Drop To A Three-Year Low

Petrol: The Pump Price Conundrum

Updated: 10:35pm UK, Wednesday 30 January 2013

By Ursula Errington, Business Correspondent

So, the OFT says motorists aren't being ripped off, that the price of petrol on our forecourts is fair and isn't the result of collusion or price-fixing.

Outraged motoring groups still aren't convinced.

The reality is, I don't think anyone knows how to work out the relationship between crude oil and pump price.

From the moment crude oil is pumped out of the ground to when we hand over our money at the till to pay for a topped-up tank, the price of the commodity has been influenced by multiple markets all subject to their own supply and demand idiosyncrasies.

I last worked in oil trading about a decade ago and back then the relationship between the price of Brent crude oil and pump prices was deemed to be pretty sketchy.

Assiduous analysts, whose job it was to structure financial instruments to hedge the bank's customers with exposure to fluctuations in the oil market, pored over oil prices and pump price data looking for a concrete correlation on which to base a safe hedging instrument.

Judging by the collective sighing, teeth-gnashing and head-in-hand gestures, it proved both time consuming and difficult.

Broadly a six-week time lag was identified between a movement in the crude oil price to a correlating adjustment in the pump prices back then but it was considered too statistically patchy to appeal to clients.

So why is it so difficult to find a relationship between the price of oil and the pump price drivers pay?

Firstly, pricing crude oil itself is pretty complicated. Before the black stuff is even out of the ground its anticipated value has been traded on the futures market for weeks, months or years before.

On any one day the oil price is set by taking a combination of a weighted average and straight average up to two months in the future, of all the trades over 600,000 barrels executed on the electronic trading platform the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE).

So it is fair to say that part of the oil price is set by traders who are speculating, who have no intention of allowing their futures contracts to mature and "go physical" (i.e. become related to an actual cargo of oil) but who are buying and selling futures contracts depending on their day-to-day view of the multiplicity of variables effecting the market.

This need not be considered a bad thing. Speculative traders aren't just plucking figures out of the air, they are working on the basis of fine-tuned mathematical models used to assist them in weighting all the factors in play - an outlandish speculative trade based on few decent indicators wouldn't be in their interest at all.

Crucially, these traders add a huge volume of trades to the market, which actually means that big distortions in one trader's view are evened out across the average when the price is set. 

Then there is the shipping market to get the stuff to shore. Highly volatile and as prone to geo-political influences as the commodity itself, shipping deals are opaque because they are over-the-counter and are often based on long-term trading relationships.

The economics of refining are also unhelpfully complex, predominantly because optimising refinery operations is tricky.

Refinery margins (the difference in price between the wholesale value of the products coming out of the refinery and the crude oil from which they were derived) have been surging for many companies of late because of a relative drop in the cost of crude oil and solid demand for products but unscheduled refinery outages, workers on strike, storage costs, changes in the quality of the crude itself - all these things will impact the margin within hours.

And then there's the cost of haulage and the variables at petrol station level, such as a franchise owner's credit rating, local forecourt wars and location.

All of that and we still have some of the cheapest fuel in Europe, according to the OFT.

But it's not over yet - the taxman must also have his share. In the 10 years from 2003 to 2012, prices at the pump increased from 76p per litre (ppl) to 136ppl for petrol and from 78ppl to 142ppl for diesel. Nearly 24ppl of that increase was because of tax and duty.

Is it any wonder then that trying to compare the price of crude oil and the pump price proves a largely fruitless task?

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No Make-Up Selfies Raise £2m For Cancer Group

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

Cancer Research has said it is overwhelmed by the amount of money coming into the charity through a viral craze where women post pictures of themselves without make-up.

The 'no make-up selfie' is a growing social media phenomenon which the charity had no involvement in but has so far received well over £2m from in 48 hours alone.

Carolan Davidge, director of communications at Cancer Research UK, said: "The trend isn't something Cancer Research UK started so it's been fantastic to see so many people getting involved and wanting to use their selfie to raise money for our life-saving research."

Hundreds of thousands of women have been posting pictures of themselves on Twitter and Facebook 'bare faced' or without make-up.

When doing so, they have been pledging to give £3 to charity by texting a word like "BEAT" or "HELP" to a special number which automatically deducts the cash from their phone bill.

This selfie was by Beth Dando

They then nominate four more people by sending tweets or posting messages on Facebook.

Dozens of celebrities are among those who have taken part, including TV presenter Holly Willoughby, former Big Brother contestant Imogen Thomas and Coronation Street star Kym Marsh.

Other cancer charities have also seen an upsurge in donations.

BBC Children in Need started a similar campaign called 'Bear Face' in 2012 but the origins of this campaign are unknown to the charity.

Fashion and beauty blogger Litsa Yiatros posted, donated and said of the craze: "I think it's a brilliant thing to do as most women wouldn't want to leave the house without make-up, let alone post pictures on the internet for all to see.

"It's exciting because it's out of many girls' comfort zones."

"I think it's so successful because of the nomination side of it - I was nominated by a friend which spurred me on to do it for charity as well."

Natasha Walsh posted this selfie

Nominating people on social media is not new and has been used in online games to devastating effect before.

Deaths have been linked to the 'Neknominate' game, where people post videos of themselves downing alcoholic drinks and then challenging their friends to do the same.

This trend seems to be using the same powerful tool to raise money - and even men are now involved in it.

Many males are either posting pictures of themselves with make-up on or donating to show support.

James Stilwell donated £5 to the campaign and said: "I don't think many men realise how much of a big deal it is for girls to do this so I think it's important that blokes get behind them and support them. Here's to the next million pounds!"

However, some don't think the campaign brings the right message. One mother posted online: "I'm not quite sure what kind of message it sends that not wearing makeup is brave, hard or unusual.

"I have a highly impressionable daughter and it concerns me."

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G4S Staff To Be Charged Over Deportation Death

Three G4S detainee custody officers are to be charged with manslaughter over the death of a man who was being deported.

Colin Kaler, Terrence Hughes and Stuart Tribelnig are to be charged in connection with the death of Jimmy Mubenga, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

A statement from the three men's solicitor said they would be "vigorously denying these charges in court".

Mr Mubenga died in October 2010 after being restrained on board a British Airways flight to Angola while he was being deported.

Almost two years later prosecutors decided that no charges should be brought over his death.

But the case was reopened after an inquest into Mr Mubenga's death recorded a verdict of unlawful killing.

Kaler, Hughes and Tribelnig are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on April 7.

G4S will not face charges of corporate manslaughter after the CPS decided there was insufficient evidence for such a prosecution.

Mr Mubenga was in the process of applying for permission to stay in the UK permanently when it was decided he should be deported after serving two years in jail for assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Mr Mubenga and his wife, Adrienne Makenda Kambana, had been living in Ilford, east London, after arriving in the UK from Angola in 1994.

He died of cardio-respiratory collapse, where the heart stops beating and a person stops breathing, the inquest found.

A G4S spokeswoman said: "The death of anyone in our care is deeply felt by all of us and the death of Mr Mubenga was a tragic event.

"The welfare of those in our care is always our top priority and we took great care to ensure that our employees on this contract, which has been carried out by another provider since November 2011, were made aware of their responsibilities in this respect.

"These employees were also trained, screened and vetted to the standards defined by strict Home Office guidelines.

"We believe that at all times we acted appropriately and in full compliance with the terms of our contract with UKBA and it should be noted that the Crown Prosecution Service found there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against G4S in this case."

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Driver Sought In Melanie Hall Murder Probe

Missing Melanie Case: Timeline Of Events

Updated: 8:48am UK, Thursday 03 October 2013

Bones found in a bag near a motorway slip road are those of missing hospital clerk Melanie Hall, according to Sky sources.

Here is a timeline of events since the 25-year-old disappeared.

:: 1996
June 9: Miss Hall goes missing after a night out at Cadillacs nightclub in Bath with her boyfriend of three weeks, German doctor Philip Karlbaum.

Police interview 850 people who were at the club and around 1,250 taxi drivers and mini-cab drivers.

Underwater search units begin a four-week trawl of a one-mile stretch of the River Avon.

June 17: Dr Karlbaum describes his devastation at his girlfriend's disappearance.

November: A reconstruction of Miss Hall's last-known movements is shown on BBC's Crimewatch.

:: 1998
June: Miss Hall's parents Steve and Patricia say they are almost certain she has been murdered as they make a new appeal on the second anniversary of her disappearance.

Mrs Hall says: "Not only has the person responsible deprived us of our daughter's life, but they have deprived us of laying her to rest with the love and dignity she deserves.

"She is out there on her own and we have nothing to grieve over."

:: 1999
August: Police divers search the River Avon again between Cleveland Bridge and Chatham Row after a tip-off from someone who remembered hearing a man and woman argue on the riverbank.

:: 2003
March: Two men from the Bath area, both in their 30s, are arrested over Ms Hall's death and later bailed.

Police spend two weeks searching fields in Inglesbatch village near Bath.

April: Officers appeal for a new witness, believed to be called Shelley, to come forward. The woman was drinking in a Bath pub the night Miss Hall disappeared.

August: The two men arrested in March are released without charge due to lack of evidence.

:: 2004
November 17: An inquest records an open verdict.

Coroner Paul Forrest says there was no explanation for her disappearance but speculates that she was killed soon after she went missing.

Her family make another appeal for information about her final moments.

:: 2006
June: Miss Hall's parents make another appeal on the 10th anniversary of her disappearance.

Mrs Hall said: "We feel somehow that we're running out of time - we would just like an outcome."

Mr Hall said: "You have to try to lock the awfulness of the truth at the back of your mind."

:: 2009
October 5: A workman finds a bag of bones as he is clearing vegetation on the M5 slip road at junction 14, north of Bristol.

October 8: Police confirm the remains have been identified as those of Melanie Hall.

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Shapps Ridiculed For 'Patronising' Bingo Tweet

The Tory chairman has been criticised for tweeting a Budget poster hailing beer and bingo cuts a reward for "hard-working people".

Grant Shapps' tweet

In what will be considered a gift to those who claim the Tories are "out of touch", Grant Shapps tweeted: "Budget 2014 cuts bingo & beer tax helping hardworking people do more of the things they enjoy. RT to spread the word."

The tweet sparked ridicule online

The tweet also had attached an official Conservative poster carrying the same message in relation to George Osborne's budget announcement that bingo hall duty would be cut to 10% and there would be 2p off a pint of beer.

The Welwyn Hatfield MP's tweet sparked a storm of ridicule on Twitter, with many accusing Mr Shapps of "patronising" the working class. A host of take-offs mocking his tweet have also appeared online.

The hashtag #torybingo was trending at one stage, with suggestions for number calling including "Eton's Den number 10" and "Bullingdon mates 88".

The Prime Minister's spokesman insisted on Thursday morning that Mr Shapps had Mr Cameron's "full confidence".

He said: "He thinks he is doing a very good job."

Danny Alexander, Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary of the Treasury, said Mr Shapps had effectively undermined the whole Budget.

"I thought it was a spoof at first, it's just pretty extraordinary. It may be our Budget but it's their words, I think it's rather patronising," he told BBC's Newsnight.

"Also I think it actually demeans some quite sensible things. There are good reasons to be supporting bingo, there are good reasons to be encouraging our pub sector to be stronger - that's the analysis behind those measures."

Simon Blackwell, scriptwriter on the political satire The Thick of It, tweeted: "Genuinely, if that Conservative beer & bingo ad had come up at a Thick Of It script meeting we'd have rejected it as being too far-fetched."

However, a senior Conservative source said: "We are quite proud of those tax cuts ... We stand by what was said in that advert."

The Chancellor said on Thursday morning: "I think it's patronising to say that it doesn't matter what the price of beer is or it doesn't matter that we don't help our Bingo halls. Because three quarters of the Bingo halls in this country have closed in recent decades.

"These are important Budget measures, they are not the only Budget measures.

"This whole story... was whipped up by a Labour Party that didn't have anything else to say about the economy."

He told BBC Breakfast: "We are communicating what's in the Budget. The more people hear about the Budget the more confident people can be that they are on the right track."

The shadow chancellor Ed Balls said that Mr Osborne must be "frustrated that his head of campaigns puts out an advert patronising working people by saying they'll be happy with a Bingo tax and beer tax. What nonsense that is."

The shadow health secretary Andy Burnham tweeted: "That  reminds me of Mr Cholmondley-Warner when he asked Grayson to investigate the "working class".

Labour MP Tony Perkins condemned the poster as "patronising". In short, it was criticism all round.

Presumably Mr Shapps did not run the poster under the nose of the Conservatives chief strategist Lynton Crosby.

Mr Shapps has only tweeted once since, with a follow-up poster ridiculing Ed Miliband's response. It had fewer retweets but was less controversial.

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Salford Cash Machine Thieves Dig 50ft Tunnel

Thieves have dug a 50ft (15m) tunnel underneath a cash machine to steal a "significant amount of cash", police said.

The 50ft tunnel thieves dug to raid a cash machine

Detectives believe the perpetrators spent months building the tunnel to access the ATM at Tesco Express on Liverpool Road in Eccles, Salford.

They completed their burrowing through wasteland and into the shop overnight on Friday.

The Tesco store is part of an Esso garage

The thieves stole cash boxes before escaping back through the tunnel, which police describe as having a "complex structure".

Detective superintendent Mark Toker said: "These people had obviously spent a long time plotting this crime and I doubt they would have been able to keep their plans secret for all that time, without telling others about their elaborate scheme.

"The offenders must have spent long periods of time in the area over the last few months, which people may have noticed.

Police say the tunnel was 'complex'

"You may have seen people acting suspiciously on Friday night, possible covered in soil.

"I would ask anyone with any information about the robbery to call us as soon as possible."

It is not the first time thieves have tunnelled their way to cash in Great Manchester.

The thieves could have spent months burrowing

Police said those responsible for the raid of a Blockbuster shop in Levenshulme spent six months burrowing a 100ft tunnel with lighting and roof supports.

The theft occurred in January 2012, eight miles from Friday's raid.

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 5353 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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EE Customers Angry Over Signal Problems

Mobile network operator EE has apologised for signal problems that have stopped some of its 27 million customers from using its network.

Some phone owners were not able to make calls, text or use the internet because of a technical fault.

The problem started on Wednesday evening, but was resolved by Thursday morning, according to the company.

"Last night's technical issue that caused a small proportion of our customers to experience problems with their signal has been resolved and all customers are now receiving a normal service," a spokesperson said.

"We apologise for the inconvenience caused to those customers affected."

The company, which also operates under the T Mobile and Orange brands, earlier tweeted that it was aware of "Gremlins in the system".

Some customers said a humorous tweet was not a suitable response

Some Twitter users expressed their anger at the company's seemingly light-hearted approach to the problem.

Richard Antwi said: "Customer service @EE getting it so wrong with the humour. what is there to laugh about when the service has been down for 2 hours?"

Megan Kelly added: "Must be on at least 6 hours without signal now? Sort it out @EE".

The glitch comes a week after EE was named the best network provider in the UK by consumers.

The report by network analysts RootMetrics found that the major networks provided "hugely varying" levels of service across the UK, with EE winning or tying for first place in every category.

Sky News technology correspondent Tom Cheshire said: "An EE spokesman told me the outage had affected less than 5% of its customers - it seemed to affect subscribers to the network's flagship 4G plan in particular.

"Some customers are still reporting that their service is out-of-action.

"Every mobile network suffers outages and 4G especially remains a relatively young technology in the UK.

"What customers have been angered by is the network's slow response in acknowledging the problem, and its ongoing failure to communicate with users properly."

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Man Held As Woman And Teenagers Stabbed

A man has been arrested after a woman and two teenage girls were stabbed at a house in Birmingham in a suspected domestic incident.

Police were called to Little Green Lane, Small Heath, at 7.20am by a resident who reported hearing screams from the home.

An injured man was arrested in the street and a knife was found nearby.

The woman, in her 40s, and a 16-year-old girl were found inside the house with multiple knife injuries.

Another girl, thought to be 13, was found outside on the pavement. She had also suffered multiple knife injuries.

An unharmed baby was found inside the home and is currently being cared for by family members.

The arrested man has been taken to hospital with a minor cut to his hand.

Speaking about the victims, West Midlands Police Chief Inspector Jack Hadley said: "The seriousness of their injuries is unclear at this stage.

"This appears to be a contained, domestic incident: one man was arrested outside the address and we are not actively seeking anyone else in connection with the incident."

Wyndcliffe Primary school - adjacent to the house in Little Green Lane - has been closed for the day as police have cordoned off the area to allow forensic examiners to scour the location.

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Death Of Child On Bathroom Floor Examined

By Gerard Tubb, North Of England Correspondent

The death of a seven-year-old girl left on the bathroom floor of her Doncaster home by a paramedic instead of being rushed to hospital is to be examined by a coroner.

When Izabelle Easen suffered an asthma attack in 2008, James McKenna declared her dead at the scene, ignoring rules stating he should continue resuscitation and get her to hospital for treatment that might have saved her life.

The inquest, at Doncaster Coroner's Court, is being held only after a Sky News investigation identified Izabelle from redacted minutes of McKenna's disciplinary hearing.

McKenna was struck off over his behaviour.

But Yorkshire Ambulance Service did not tell Izabelle's mother anything was wrong, nor was she informed a hearing was being held about her daughter's death.

McKenna was found to have mistreated other patients including a retired South Yorkshire teacher who was dying of cancer, with a hospital nurse telling the hearing the man suffered as a result.

The man's widow, who has asked not to be identified, was not told about the negligence but has not pushed for an inquest to protect his elderly mother from hearing the distressing details.

Sky's investigation uncovered a culture of secrecy in the NHS, with the regulator of paramedics, the Health Professions Council (HPC), and a number of ambulance services keeping details of paramedic misconduct from the families of dead patients.

In another case, Marion Giles was paid an out of court settlement by North East Ambulance Service after Sky News informed her that paramedic Brian Jewers was struck off over her husband's treatment.

A coroner subsequently ruled there had been a failure of care after Jewers refused to give Grahame Giles, 61, a vital injection following a heart attack in 2008.

Mr Giles' widow Marion Giles accused the NHS of criminal behaviour, while Izabelle's mother Lorna Easen said it was "morally wrong" she had not been told about what had happened.

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Claudia: Mystery Man Wanted Over Disappearance

By Gerard Tubb, North Of England Correspondent

A mystery man whose DNA was found in a car belonging to missing York cook Claudia Lawrence is being sought five years after her disappearance.

The possible clue is one of several potential new leads thrown up by a police review of the murder investigation.

Unknown DNA was found on a cigarette butt in Claudia's car

The 35-year-old should have walked to the University of York to start her shift at 6am on the morning of Thursday, March 18, 2009, but never arrived and was reported missing the following day by her father Peter, 70.

A lengthy police investigation drew a blank and a cold case review was launched in October, which has involved forensically re-examining her home in the Heworth area of York and re-interviewing her family and friends.

Fingerprints have also been found on items in Claudia's house

Detectives from North Yorkshire Police have now revealed:

:: A DNA profile of an unidentified male has been found on an Embassy Regal cigarette butt in her car.

:: Fingerprints of unidentified people have been found in Claudia's house.

:: Phone records show she spent time in the Acomb area of the city which has not been accounted for.

:: Her hair straighteners were missing from her home.

:: Her mobile phone was probably deliberately turned off at lunchtime on March 18.

:: Police are concentrating on a "number of individuals" but there are no official suspects.

Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn told a news conference that although the last known sighting of Claudia was on Wednesday afternoon, the evidence suggests she went missing the following day.

Police also want to identify this man

He said: "Claudia's bed was made and it appears that she had eaten breakfast and brushed her teeth, it is our belief that she had left for work on the morning of Thursday, 19 March, 2009."

Detectives have also released photographs of Claudia's car and the missing hair straighteners and CCTV pictures of a man they want to identify who told staff in a York Co-op store in April 2009 that he knew Claudia.

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Madeleine Police Appeal Over Abuse Suspect

Police searching for Madeleine McCann have launched a search for a man who abused children in holiday homes in Portugal.

Officers from Operation Grange have identified a series of 12 crimes between 2004 and 2010 where a male intruder entered villas occupied by UK families on holiday in the Western Algarve.

In four of these incidents - between 2004 and 2006 - the man sexually assaulted five white girls, aged between seven and 10, while in their beds.

Madeleine disappeared in 2007

The cases are not identical but there are enough similarities for police to believe finding this suspect could be key.

In most cases it was low season, there were no signs of forced entry, nothing was taken and the intruder appeared between 2am and 5am.

A three-year-old Madeleine vanished in May 2007 from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, dined at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends

Of the 12 offences at the centre of the new lead, four were in Carvoeiro, six in the Vale da Parra and two in Praia da Luz.

On one occasion, the man assaulted two girls in the same villa.

A distinctive burgundy long-sleeve top worn by the suspect

DCI Andy Redwood, the senior investigating officer, said the suspect had an "unhealthy interest in young white female children".

"We need to establish the identity of this man," he added.

"These offences are very serious and no one has been charged in connection with them. We also need to eliminate this man from our enquiries and ascertain whether these offences are linked to Madeleine's disappearance.

"If you have been a victim of a similar crime please come forward even if you reported the incident to police in Portugal, or anywhere else. Please do not assume we have been made aware of it.

"While some of these offences have been in the public domain before, following our appeal in October three more were reported to us as a direct result of that appeal. One of those reports we believe is the first in the potential series."

Kate and Gerry McCann, from Rothley in Leicestershire

Police believe the suspect may have been in the villas for some time before being disturbed by parents or a child waking up - and he remained calm even when interrupted.

The noise of a bin collection lorry was heard nearby on two occasions.

The suspect is described as having tanned skin with short, dark, unkempt hair.

Witnesses say he spoke English with a foreign accent and his voice has been described as slow, or possibly slurred.

On two occasions, in Vale de Parra and Praia da Gale, he was wearing a distinctive burgundy long-sleeve top with a white circle on the back.

Sometimes he was bare chested, displaying what several witnesses describe as a pot belly.

Three victims talked of a noticeable odour.

Portuguese police closed their inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance in 2008 but Scotland Yard opened a new review of the evidence in 2011.

Praia da Luz, where Madeleine was taken

Police are still hunting a man seen carrying a girl fitting Madeleine's description on the night of her disappearance.

DCI Redwood added: "Our appeal last year was very successful and we had over 5,000 calls which generated new information for us and which we continue to investigate.

"We still need to establish the identity of a man seen by three witnesses, carrying a child fitting Madeleine's description towards the beach or town areas at about 10pm on the night Madeleine disappeared.

"The witnesses have described the man in the e-fits as being white, aged in his 30s, with short brown hair, of medium build, medium height and clean shaven.

"The Metropolitan Police Service continues to offer a reward of up to £20,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of the person(s) responsible for the abduction of Madeleine McCann from Praia da Luz, Portugal on 3 May 2007."

Anyone with information should call 0800 0961011 - or +44 207 1580 126 for non-UK residents.

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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George Osborne Delivers The 2014 Budget

The Chancellor, George Osborne, has opened his Budget 2014 saying that the economy is recovering faster than forecast.

Mr Osborne has said that the deficit is down by a third and by next year will be down by a half but he said there was more to do.

However, he said the nation was "getting on top of its debts" but had "borrowed too much and saved too little".

But he said it was time for families to start getting something back.

He said: "So in this Budget we make sure hardworking people keep more of what they earn – and more of what they save."

As such, he said he would be putting support for savers at the centre of the Budget and flagged yesterday's announcement of £2,000 tax-free childcare for parents.

Mr Osborne announced the biggest upward revision in economic growth between Budgets for 30 years and said the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) now forecast growth in 2014 of 2.7%.

And he said that the OBR had revised down the deficit in every year of their forecasts. This year it was 6.6% lower than forecast and down a third. It was, he said, 11% when the coalition came to power.

He said that the economy would be £16bn larger than was forecast just four months ago.

Painting a rosy picture of economy the Chancellor also highlighted:

:: 1.3 million more people in work since 2010

:: Unemployment down from 8% to 5%

:: Borrowing down to £95bn for 2014-15

:: Record number of people in work.

The Chancellor also announced the introduction of a new forgery-proof £1 coin in the style of the old threepenny bit.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls is amused during Mr Osborne's speech

He said: "Now among the oldest of coins in circulation; one in thirty pound coins are counterfeit – and that costs businesses and the taxpayer millions each year.

"So I can announce that we will move to a new, highly secure, £1 coin. It will take three years. We will consult with industry."

Mr Osborne announced that he would introduce a welfare bill cap to a £119bn in 2015-16 so that the costs of benefits would not be allowed to "spiral out of control" again.

He said: "In future, any government that wants to spend more on benefits will: have to be honest with the public about the costs, need the approval of Parliament, and will be held to account by this permanent cap on welfare."

The Chancellor said analysis published on Wednesday had show that the "rich are making the biggest contribution to the reduction of the deficit – because we are all in this together".

Iain Duncan Smith listens as Mr Osborne announces a welfare spending cap

However, he said that while "the vast majority of wealthy people pay their taxes, there is still a small minority who do not" and he would be introducing measures to clamp down on this.

As expected, Mr Osborne announced financial support for British businesses wanting to sell abroad by doubling the amount of lending available to exporters to £3bn and cutting the interest rates by a third.

He said that the housing measures he announced - a new garden city to be built in Ebbsfleet, Kent, extending Help to Buy - would see 200,000 new homes. He said it was "getting Britain building".

Reflecting the considerable damage caused by the flooding this winter, Mr Osborne announced an additional £140m on top of money already provided for repairs to flood defences.

He also announced a moneypot for pot-holes saying that £200m would be made available for local authorities to bid for.

Turning to infrastructure, Mr Osborne said that he wanted the high-speed rail HS2 project to be built faster and to go further north than had been planned.

He also announced a £7bn package to cut manufacturers' energy bills. He said he wanted to see a "Britain that makes things again".

It is Mr Osborne's fifth budget since the coalition came to power in May 2010.

More follows ...

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EuroMillions: Neil Trotter Wins £107.9m Prize

The Top 20 National Lottery Rich List

Updated: 1:00pm UK, Tuesday 18 March 2014

The latest lottery winner has scooped almost £108m, putting him fourth on the rich list. The others are:

  1.      12 July       2011     £161,653,000.00                 Colin & Chris Weir

  2.      10 August  2012     £148,656,000                      Gillian & Adrian Bayford  

  3.        8 October 2010    £113,019,926.00                  No publicity  

  4.       14 March   2014    £107,932,603.20                  Neil Trotter

  5.        7 October 2011    £101,203,600.70                  Dave & Angela Dawes      

  6.      14 May 2010          £84,451,320.60                    No publicity  

  7.      28 May 2013          £81,381,673.30                    No publicity 

  8.      12 Feb 2010          £56,008,113.20                    Nigel Page   

  9.     24 Feb 2012           £46,432,285.20                    No publicity      

10.       6 Nov 2009           £45,570,835.50                    Les & Sam Scadding

            6 Nov 2009           £45,570,835.50 x 7              Lucky Seven syndicate 

11.       7 Feb 2012           £45,160,170.50                   Cassey Carrington  & Matt Topham

12.      20 Jan 2012          £40,627,241                        Gareth & Catherine Bull  

13.       6 Mar 2010           £39,754,555.00                  No publicity   

14.     16 March 2012       £38,034,639.70 x 12           Corby Stars  

15.       7 Sept 2012         £37,827,314.60                   No publicity  

16.      10 Aug 2007         £35,425,411.80                   Angela Kelly 

17.        9 July 2013         £28,847,237                        No publicity 

18.       26 Nov 2013        £26,863,588.20                   No publicity  

19.       31 Aug 2007        £26,533,767.50                   No publicity 

20.       15 Jan 2010         £26,151,124.20 x 4             Sturt Family  

All jackpot wins are on EuroMillions except where otherwise specified

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Childcare: £2,000 Boost For Working Parents

Working parents are to get up to £2,000 of tax-free childcare in a move to target families who are "running to stand still".

The scheme will be worth up to £2,000 per child per year when it launches in autumn next year - £800 more than the £1,200 originally proposed last year.

The Deputy Prime Minister told Sky News the move would target hard-working parents who were "going out to work just to pay the nursery fees" saying many felt they were just "running to stand still".

It was only expected to apply to children under the age of seven, but parents will now be entitled to the money until their son or daughter's 12th birthday.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg will unveil details of the childcare scheme

Nearly two million families could benefit from the scheme - twice as many as the present voucher scheme, which is only available where adopted by an employer.

However, it has been criticised for excluding couples where one parent does not work and for applying to richer households with incomes of up to £300,000.

Speaking to Sky News Nick Clegg denied the scheme was unfair and said families on Universal Credit would now have 85% of their childcare costs met.

Mr Clegg said: "If you have two children and you have to pay their childcare costs then it's (the scheme is) worth up to £4,000 to you."

David Cameron said the policy, which effectively covers 20% of childcare costs up to a maximum of £10,000 a year, would help "hard-pressed families" and "provide financial security for the future".

Earlier this month, the Family and Childcare Trust said parents now spend more on part-time childcare than their mortgage repayments.

However, Labour's Lucy Powell, the shadow minister for children, said the proposals were "too little, too late".

How it works

"Mr Cameron has cut support for children and families by £15bn since he came to office," she said.

"This Government has done nothing in this Parliament to help parents experiencing a cost-of-living crisis."

As well as the childcare tax break, the Government is to give an extra £50m to nurseries looking after the most deprived three and four-year-olds.

Families claiming Universal Credit will also have 85% of their childcare costs met, up from 70%.

The announcement comes as the Chancellor prepares to unveil this year's Budget.

George Osborne, who will set out the Government's spending plans for 2014-15 next Wednesday, has warned of "difficult decisions" to come.

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Claudia Lawrence: Dad's Grief On Anniversary

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The father of missing York woman Claudia Lawrence says her five-year absence is "like a cancer" that "just gets worse and worse".

Peter Lawrence, speaking at a news conference to mark the fifth anniversary of his younger daughter's last known contact with anyone, appealed for people who know what happened to come forward.

The 67-year-old said he often wonders: "Where are you Claudia? Are you safe? Is someone holding you? Have you been hurt? Even, of course, are you alive?"

He added: "It's actually, I suppose, a bit like a cancer and it just gets worse and worse because there is no resolution until we know what happened to Claudia."

Ms Lawrence, 35, was reported missing after failing to turn up for her shift as a cook at the University of York on the morning of March 28, 2009.

North Yorkshire Police believe she was murdered, but a long-running investigation which focused on her relationships with men drew a blank and a new team of detectives launched a cold case review in October.

The terraced home where Claudia lived alone in the Heworth area of York has been re-examined by forensic experts, and her family and friends have been re-interviewed.

In the most personal and emotional of the many briefings Mr Lawrence has given since 2009, he made a direct appeal to whoever is responsible.

"Please, please, do realise what it is doing to us," he said. "It just eats into you like a hole and it is torture."

Mr Lawrence, a solicitor, praised the thoroughness of the new police team which is understood to have uncovered new leads.

Last week, Claudia's 70-year-old mother Joan told Sky News she believes the investigation, led by Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn, will end the mystery.

"I think if they don't (solve the case), they will have tried their utmost," she said.

"They're working so hard on it. I don't think they'll give up easily."

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Sainsbury's Sales Slide Is 'End Of An Era'

Supermarket chain Sainsbury's has reported like-for-like sales down 3.1%, ending 36 successive quarters of growth.

The result for sales, excluding fuel, were for the 10 weeks to March 15 - its fiscal fourth quarter.

That compared to a rise of 3.6% in the same period last year.

The result was worse than analysts had forecast.

Including recently opened stores, the firm's total fourth quarter sales fell 1% excluding fuel.

CEO Justin King told Sky News: "We've had 36 quarters, that's nine years, of consistent growth so obviously it is disappointing to be reporting sales down for this quarter."

The company said sales at its convenience stores were up 15% but online sales growth slowed to 6%.

It said this was because of a reduction in marketing while a new web portal was launched.

The firm said it expects a challenging 12 months ahead but expects to outperform its rivals in the ultra-competitive sector.

Sainsbury's is battling with Asda to be the second biggest firm in the sector, behind market leader Tesco.

Number four group Morrisons reported a loss last week and saw its share price drop 10%.

It said it would invest £1bn in slashing prices over the next three years to lure back customers, prompting further fears of an expanded price war.

Smaller discount chains such as Aldi and Lidl have attracted shoppers while upmarket Waitrose and Marks and Spencer have also taken a bite from the main retailers.

The sales slide for Sainsbury's comes as Mr King prepares to leave the firm in July.

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Lenny Henry Attacks Britain's 'White' TV

Lenny Henry is calling for a reversal in the "paucity" of ethnic minorities on British television and comedy programmes.

The comic first spoke about improving diversity in film and television in 2008 but described his frustration that so little has changed to an audience at a Bafta lecture on Monday night.

Just 5.4% of the broadcasting industry is made up of black, Asian, minority and ethnic (BAME) people, he said.

"The evolution of BAME on TV seems to lurch one step forward and two steps back."

Henry said he had been "very blessed" but was speaking on behalf of 2,000 people who have left the industry due to a lack of job opportunities.

He compared US and UK programmes and how well they represent BAME talent.

Henry met the Queen at Buckingham Palace last month

While there is a "paucity" of black talent in British "high-end drama and comedy" such as Miranda and Broadchurch, the US has invested and nurtured talent which is evident in shows such as Scandal, Grey's Anatomy and Elementary.

Actor David Harewood, who has starred in the hit show Homeland, has been vocal about how few jobs he is offered in the UK.

Using Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream" speech as inspiration, Henry said he has a "screen dream" and wants to hold executives and commissioners to account over their decisions.

"I have a 'screen' where the actors of the future are cast not by the colour of their skin but by their talent alone," he said.

Henry is taking a proposal to ring-fence budgets for BAME productions to the BBC director general Tony Hall and Ofcom today.

He said executives must meet two out of three criteria that 50% of on-screen and production staff are from an ethnic minority and that 30% of the company is controlled by black people.

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Somerset Flood Victim's Car For Sale On eBay

A submerged car that became one of the iconic images of flooding on the Somerset Levels has been put up for sale on eBay.

Hubert Zajaczkowski's silver Seat Toledo was seen bobbing along a road near Muchelney after he abandoned it on Christmas Eve because of the rising water.

The five-door saloon was swamped by water and was filmed and photographed by the world's media as they descended on the village.

The silver Seat has already attracted dozens of bids

It was even commented on by the Prince of Wales and Prime Minister David Cameron.

Mr Zajaczkowski admits the car, which has clocked up 110,000 non-nautical miles, is "not in working condition".

It is missing most of its windows and its dirty paintwork and interior would be a match for any valet - although it does come with a CD player.

Proceeds from the auction, which has already attracted nearly 50 bids, will go to an organisation set up to help victims of flooding.

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Five UK Families 'Richer Than 12.6m Britons'

The five richest families in the UK are wealthier than the poorest fifth of the country combined, according to new figures.

Research by the charity Oxfam found the wealthiest households have more money than 12.6 million of the least well-off put together.

The wealthiest family in Britain is the Grovesnors, headed by the Duke of Westminster, with a fortune of £7.9bn mostly from the 190 acres of real estate it owns in London's Belgravia, according to the Forbes rich list.

Also on the list are brothers David and Simon Reuben, whose £6.9bn fortunes comes from metals and property, and the Hinduja brothers with trucking and banking businesses worth £6bn.

The Hinduja brothers are worth £6bn from trucking and banking

The Cadogan family, who are worth £4bn from owning property and land in Chelsea and Knightsbridge in London and Cadogan Estates, and Newcastle United FC owner and Sports Direct clothing chain boss Mike Ashley, whose fortune is valued at £3.3bn, complete the top five.

In its Tale Of Two Britains report, Oxfam found the gap between rich and poor has grown significantly over the last two decades.

It said the richest 0.1% of the population have seen incomes grow nearly four times faster than the poorest 90% of the country.

The wealthy elite have an extra £24,000 in their pockets every year - enough to buy a small yacht or a sports car and almost as much as the average UK salary of £26,500.

Ben Phillips, director of campaigns and policy at Oxfam, said: "Britain is becoming a deeply divided nation, with a wealthy elite who are seeing their incomes spiral up, whilst millions of families are struggling to make ends meet.

"It's deeply worrying that these extreme levels of wealth inequality exist in Britain today, where just a handful of people have more money than millions struggling to survive on the breadline."

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is valued at £3.3bn

Ahead of this week's Budget, Oxfam has called on the Chancellor to raise revenues from those most able to afford it.

It wants to see a renewed clamp down on tax dodgers, as well as a long-term strategy to raise the minimum wage - which will rise from £6.31 to £6.50 in October - to a so-called 'living wage'.

"Increasing inequality is a sign of economic failure rather than success," Mr Phillips said.

"It's time for our leaders to stand up and be counted on this issue."

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Osborne To Build For Britain In His Budget

By Anushka Asthana and Darren McCaffrey, Sky Political Team

George Osborne has announced that a "garden city" will be built in Britain for the first time in decades, based in Ebbsfleet, Kent, with 15,000 homes to start with.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday's Budget, the Chancellor also pledged to extend the first phase of the help-to-buy scheme for new build homes until 2020.

The Government has chosen Ebbsfleet in Kent as a new garden city

Policies to drive up housing supply will be one plank of the financial statement, which Mr Osborne will use to warn that the tough times are not over.

He is expected to announce measures aimed at small business, families, and investors, including:

:: An increase in the tax-free element of the personal allowance to £10,500

:: A freeze in the carbon tax

:: Action to support British companies that export their goods

:: Tax relief for business investments of up to £250,000

:: An additional crackdown on tax avoidance

:: Investment in road and rail, including speeding up the HS2 project

:: A tax cut on bingo halls

Mr Osborne will also take the opportunity to talk once again about policies coming into place in April. These include a transferable tax allowance for married couples of up to £200 a year, a drop in corporation tax to 21% and the chance for UK employers to cut their national insurance payments by £2,000 a year.

Details of a planned £1,200 childcare tax break will be unveiled

The decision to freeze fuel duty this September, which was made last year, will also be reconfirmed.

And there could be support for families with childcare as the details of an expected £1,200 per-child tax-break scheme are published following a Government consultation.

But the Chancellor is unlikely to give in to pressure from Conservative grandees on the 40p tax rate. Former chancellors Lord Lamont and Lord Lawson have argued that the 4.4 million people now falling into the band, which kicks in at £41,450, is too high.

Although the threshold will rise by 1% this year, it is less than inflation.

Tory backbenchers and some business groups are also pushing for the rate to be used to deliver a middle class tax cut.

But Mr Osborne has argued that the tax allowance changes will benefit the middle classes.

Moreover, it has been reported that he is happy for more people to face the higher tax rate.

According to the Mail On Sunday, he told MPs: "It means they feel they are a success and joining the aspirational classes. That means they are more likely to think like Conservatives and vote Conservatives."

He said the polling backed his arguments, but the newspaper quoted an MP saying the comment was met with a "stunned silence".

Ed Balls says Mr Osborne's housing measures 'fall short'

A Treasury source said the overall tone of the Budget would be cautious with warnings of further austerity ahead. Mr Osborne will argue that his macroeconomic policies are working, but there must be no wavering from the plan.

The next step is building a "resilient economy".

"Britain has to up its ambition, Britain has to up its game, Britain has to earn its way in the world," he told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show.

"Yes, the economy is recovering, but that is not enough. We have got to finish the job."

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls told Sky News the measures on housing fell short.

"We've asked him to invest in affordable housing, there's nothing on the table yet from him there," he said.

"At the moment we're calling on him to reduce the limit on help to buy from 600,000 - we've not had any action on that yet.

"And this is a promise to get a new town moving eventually, but it's not on the scale we need, or as fast as we need to deal with that cost of living crisis.

"I hope that when it comes to the budget on Wednesday, George Osborne's going to be giving a lot more than he's promised so far."

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