'Mummified Boy': Hutton Jailed For 15 Years

Timeline: Hamzah Khan Case

Updated: 3:42pm UK, Thursday 03 October 2013

Here is a timeline of events leading to the death of Hamzah Khan and the discovery of his mummified body:

May 28, 1996 - Amanda Hutton and partner Aftab Khan have an argument in the street. She complained to police that Khan had hit her, giving her a black eye

March 18, 2003 - Amanda Hutton tells a police officer she was suffering from domestic violence at the hands of Aftab Khan

June 2, 2003 - Amanda Hutton complained Khan had assaulted her.

September 25, 2004 - Police investigate alleged assault of Amanda Hutton by Aftab Khan

February 24, 2005 - Amanda Hutton fails to attend appointment for hospital scan while pregnant with Hamzah

March 2005 – Second missed appointment

April 7, 2005 – Third missed appointment

June 17, 2005 - Hamzah born weighing 5lb 4oz

July 7, 2005 - The last time Hamzah is seen by any healthcare professional - a health visitor. Previously on the same day a midwife visits and records Hamzah putting on weight and "doing well."

October 2005 - Four attempts by health visitors to gain access. Door slammed on nurse on at least one occasion.

December 18, 2005 - Police called over claims of domestic violence

December 24, 2005 - Amanda Hutton's mother dies. She claims it affects her badly

February 2006 - Failed attempt to gain access by health visitor

March 14, 2006 - GP writes to Amanda Hutton because Hamzah has not been registered with them.

July 10, 2006 - Health visitor denied access.

August 12, 2006 - The Registrar of Births contacts the health visitor after unsuccessful attempts to contact Amanda Hutton about the birth of Hamzah.

The registrar subsequently contacts the health visitor to say she has seen Amanda Hutton at home, she had a "puffed up" eye and smelt of alcohol.

August 23, 2006 - Amanda Hutton goes to her GP complaining of depression.

September 2006 - Health visitor contacts social services child protection unit over "significant concerns" about non engagement with all health professionals.

September 7, 2006 - Amanda Hutton goes to GP. Records read: "Came with eldest son. Has been drinking with partner "too much". 

Has had 2 glasses of vodka a day since mother died in January (sic). Helps to numb things says that family are not aware. Feels as if has hit rock bottom. Wants to change"

September 19, 2006 - Amanda Hutton registers Hamzah with her GP. He was never seen at the practice.

November 2006 - Letter sent (unclear by whom) to children's social care to express concerns about child neglect by Amanda Hutton

November 15, 2006 - Social worker visits, could not get in, left a note.

November 23, 2006 - Social worker returns, sees Hamzah who was "well cared-for and well dressed". Amanda Hutton tells her she's lost faith in the NHS, but would seek help for Hamzah if he was ill.

November 2006 - April 2007 - Amanda Hutton "off the radar" of official health & social care records

December 13, 2006 - Domestic violence report to police

December 30, 2006 - Police called to the house after an argument, Amanda is "obstructive and reluctant to give information to police".

April 2007 - Social worker is told by health visitor that Amanda Hutton says she is willing to engage with healthcare and family centre services.

April 2007 - Hamzah misses a GP appointment for vaccinations

May 2007 - Amanda Hutton and Hamzah suspended from GP practice list with note saying: "too many failed appointments"

December 2007 - Tests on Hamza's bones and teeth after he died showed he was not eating enough food from at least this point

December 7, 2007 - 999 call made claiming domestic violence

February 26, 2008 - Complaint made to police of domestic violence

April 10, 2008 - Amanda Hutton makes tearful call to domestic violence unit.

April 17, 2008 - Amanda speaks to the PC at the domestic violence unit, says she had been drinking heavily but has now stopped.

May 5, 2008 - Complaint made to police of domestic violence

June 9, 2008 - Domestic violence unit police officer contacts health visitor asking her to make contact with Amanda Hutton.

June 13, 2008 - First multi-agency MARAC meeting organised by social services. Discusses concerns about Amanda Hutton and Hamzah because they are at risk of serious domestic violence

August 2008 - Second MARAC meeting. Amanda Hutton reported to have refused help from a domestic violence charity.

December 4, 2008 - Amanda Hutton dialled 999 alleging domestic violence.

December 09, 2008 - Aftab Khan arrested, tells police they should check on Hamzah.

December 22, 2008 - Injunction granted preventing contact by Aftab Khan

December 2008 - Amanda Hutton moves house, police arrange fitting of panic alarm and anti-arson letterbox

January 19, 2009 - Complaint made to police of domestic violence

January 2009 - Third MARAC meeting. Concerns over GP non engagement discussed.

February 17, 2009 - Domestic violence unit police officer sent on welfare visit, told can't see Hamzah because he's upstairs with a dirty nappy because it's half term

February 2009 - Girlfriend of Hamzah's brother Qaiser stays at house, says Hamzah was 'definitely underweight, like a baby" was eating only milk, bananas and half a pasty for tea and "whatever was lying around" and that he was often locked in a bedroom in the dark.

An 11-year-old girl who had been to the house told the police after his body was found that Hamzah was not fed much.

February 17, 2009 - Domestic violence unit police officer visits Amanda, she didn't see Hamzah as was playing upstairs, house was clean and tidy.

March 11, 2009 - Text from Aftab Khan to Amanda Hutton: "Don't wori its not me whose going to land u in the shit ur going to do that ur self turnd in to the biggest lyer stop drinking wat [has Hamzah] had today think about wat ur doing to everi body"

March 16, 2009 - Amanda Hutton moves house for last time, tells neighbour the move is to escape from abusive relationship.

April 21, 2009 - Police called by childcare professional who reports concerns about child neglect

April 21, 2009 - PC Marie Furness visits house, speaks to Hamzah, leaves "satisfied that he was fit, well, clean, healthy-looking." She was the last police officer to see him.

June 9, 2009 - Aftab Khan admits battery against Amanda Hutton on  December 4, 2008

September 2009 - Hamzah expected in school, but not seen

October 2009 - Amanda Hutton and Hamzah fully removed from the GP practice list.

October 14, 2009 - Amanda Hutton meets a domestic violence charity worker and says she wants to help other victims of child abuse.

December 15, 2009 - Hamzah dies aged four and a half. Tests later showed his bones were the same size as a child of 12 to 18 months.

August 10 - Nurse at the school Hamzah was expected to attend was asked about him by the health visitor. Nurse says he was not attending the nursery.

September 2010 - Hamzah had to start school by law. He was never seen.

March 16, 2011 - Anonymous tip-off to social services to report concerns about significant problems in the house.

September 05, 2011 - A police community support officer goes to house after neighbour complains about rubbish. She is suspicious about smell and flies, calls social services who tell her Amanda Hutton lives there with a child.

September 21, 2011 - Hamzah's body found mouldy and mummified in Amanda Hutton's bedroom. His body had no muscle and almost no flesh.

He was dressed in a baby grow for a six- to nine-month-old baby, which fitted him comfortably.

There were five other children, aged between five and 13, in the home at the time. The fridge was found to contain rotten food.

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Dale Cregan: Three Charged With Helping Killer

Three people have been charged with helping jailed police killer Dale Cregan while he was on the run.

Marvin Herbert, 41, was arrested at a gym in Puerto Banus, near Marbella, in Spain, and extradited to the UK on Thursday.

He was charged on Friday at Manchester City Magistrates' Court with conspiracy to assist an offender.

Herbert, who was born in Liverpool and has lived in the London area, was remanded in custody and will appear at Manchester Crown Court on October 18.

Two others - Raj Mohammed Khan, 41, of Bradford, and Patricia Kelly, 55, of Droylsden, Greater Manchester - were charged with the same offence on Friday.

They will appear in custody at Manchester Magistrates' Court later.

Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes were lured to their deaths

The charges relate to the period between August 10 and September 17 last year when Cregan and accomplices Anthony Wilkinson and Jermaine Ward were wanted by police.

One-eyed killer Cregan was given a whole-life sentence earlier this year for the murders of PC Nicola Hughes and PC Fiona Bone and father and son David and Mark Short.

Last month, Cregan was moved to maximum-security Ashworth Hospital - where Moors Murderer Ian Brady is serving his sentence - from Strangeways jail in Manchester because of his behaviour.

While in HMP Manchester, he was segregated from other prisoners for fear of reprisals. Reports suggest there is an underworld bounty of £20,000 on his remaining eye.

In protest, Cregan is said to have have started refusing food. He was put in the hospital wing at the jail before his transfer to Ashworth.

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Help To Buy: Doubts Over Success Of Scheme

By Poppy Trowbridge, Business and Economics Correspondent

The second phase of the government mortgage guarantee scheme Help to Buy is due to launch next week, three months earlier than expected - but experts are sceptical the initiative will help buyers.

Lack of capacity in the housing market, and a statement from one bank saying it cannot confirm whether it will take part in the scheme, means some would-be buyers could be left empty-handed.

Exclusive research by Sky News shows interest from potential buyers has skyrocketed since the Government surprised the market.

Property website Rightmove says clicks on its Help to Buy pages numbered 14,807 on Saturday, the day before last Sunday's surprise announcement.

When David Cameron revealed, on the eve of the Conservative Party conference, that the launch date had been brought forward from January - clicks, measuring potential buyer interest, spiked to 59,571.

Now, almost a week later, they remain far above average at 23,660.

There is concern that pent-up demand cannot be met by existing market services, while Barclays has issued a statement saying it is not able to guarantee a launch date.

The policy offers homebuyers loans of up to 20% towards a property

"Whilst we cannot take a decision over participation in the new scheme before the terms are set, we are encouraged by the tone of the discussions so far," the bank said.

RBS and Natwest however, have said they are ready to take part in the scheme when it goes live and are planning to extend opening hours in many branches to deal with demand.

"From launch date customers will be able to visit any of our 2000 branches or call us to see how we can help them to get ahead on the property ladder through the scheme," said a statement.

Lloyds Banking Group will also be participating in the second stage of Help to Buy - but exact timings are currently unclear.

"We will be introducing a range of products shortly through our Halifax (and Bank of Scotland) brand, enabling customers to benefit from 95% borrowing this year," said a spokesperson.

However, some estate agents are still worried about a lack of capacity to deal with interest in the scheme.

Robert Ellice, of Clarke Hillyer, told Sky News: "At the moment we've got big delays in the whole process anyway, mortgages are still taking a long time to be offered and taking a long time to be verified on values."

Despite the concerns, the government insists that the scheme is still on track to be a success.

A Treasury statement said: "Two major lenders - Lloyds and RBS representing around 30% of total mortgage lending - have already announced that they will be launching new mortgage products because of Help to Buy.

"This is great news for those who can't get on - or move up the property ladder because of the huge cost of deposits."

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Norfolk: Hospital Worker Held Over 'Murder'

A hospital staff member has been arrested for murder after a patient died from a suspected drug overdose in Norfolk.

James May, 76, from Great Yarmouth, died at the James Paget Hospital, in Gorleston, on September 20.

An allegation of medical malpractice in connection with his death was reported to police ten days later.

Officers arrested a member of the hospital's medical staff, a middle-aged man, on suspicion of murder on Saturday morning. He remains in police custody.

Mr May died from heart failure, according to a post-mortem examination carried out at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Wednesday.

Police are waiting for the results of further toxicology tests, which they say will help their murder investigation.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Durham, leading the inquiry, said: "We are investigating an allegation that a drugs overdose was administered to a patient, leading to his death.

"We understand that this news may generate concern and it's important for us to underline that our investigation, which is still at an early stage, is based on a single report of an isolated incident and that the hospital trust is co-operating fully with the investigation. "

Mr May's family have been informed and are being supported by Police Family Liaison Officers. It is understood he was admitted to hospital the day before he died.

In a written tribute to local newspaper The Eastern Daily Press, friends of Mr May wrote: "You were one in a million and will be sadly missed. Sleep peacefully."

Christine Allen, chief executive of James Paget University Hospitals trust, said doctors called in police after an internal investigation into Mr May's death.

"Our thoughts are with the family of this patient at what is a very difficult time," she said. "Our priority is patient safety and we understand that this news will cause concern. At this time, we believe it is an isolated incident and relates to the alleged action of a single member of staff.

"The member of staff against whom the allegation has been made is absent from the Trust and will not return until the investigation is completed.

"Throughout this difficult period, the James Paget University Hospital will continue to provide the best possible care to our patients and we are fully co-operating with the police."

:: Police said anyone with concerns can contact Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team on 01953 424533 or 424528.

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Ondine's Curse: Girl With Ventilator Can Go Home

By Stephen Douglas, Sky News Reporter

A toddler is preparing to go home for the first time in her life after spending almost three years at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Maisie Harris suffers from a rare condition called Ondine's Curse, which means her brain does not tell her body to breathe, so she needs a ventilator to do it for her.

Now, thanks to a smaller, more portable ventilator, Maisie will be able to leave hospital and head home to Gillingham in Kent.

The new ventilator is intelligent enough to know when she is able to take her own breaths and when she is likely to have an episode and require ventilation.

Her mother Rachel Bridger told Sky News: "It's exciting, I'm nervous. It's all new going home. It'll be good to just be a normal family. You don't feel normal being in hospital so long.

"The last three years have been up and down, good and bad. You give up sometimes. I thought it might be the end of the road but she pulled through which is great news. I'm looking forward to taking her to the park and to her nan's.

"The new ventilator is the best thing she's ever had."

Maisie will leave hospital soon

Maisie, who turns three on October 23, has been at London's Great Ormond Street so long that staff held a going-home party. Maisie will leave the hospital with her family on Monday.

Ward manager Kate Harkus said: "It means a lot to the staff that she's going home. We feel very proud. We've nursed her through rocky times.

"There are very few machines in the world that will be able to support her at home. Technology is advancing so much that more companies are coming out with these ventilators that you can manage at home."

Maisie's parents have mostly been living in hospital accommodation ever since she was transferred to Great Ormond Street from Medway Maritime Hospital when she was three months old.

Her father Andrew Harris told Sky News: "It's been difficult. She was in intensive care going backwards and forwards. Now she's ready to go home it's all been worth it.

"I'm looking forward to seeing her go to school and growing up. We didn't think she'd get to this stage."

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'Yid Army' Chant: Spurs Fans Face Arrest

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Spurs fans have been warned they face arrest if they persistently use "the Y word" while supporting their team.

The north London club has many Jewish supporters and chants of "Yid Army" and "Yiddos" are often heard at White Hart Lane.

But the Metropolitan Police has said the team's Premier League clash with West Ham on Sunday will see officers taking the matter more seriously.

Match Commander Chief Superintendent Mick Johnson told Sky News: "It does actually cause offence to some members of the Jewish community.

"We are going to go up to people first, engage firstly and try to explain to them what it means.

"Hopefully people will take that warning and desist from using the Y word.

"Anyone who continues to use it or fails to take on our advice may be subject to arrest."

A consultation has been taking place at the club but large groups still use the chants and recently chanted "we sing what we want" in response to the ongoing debate.

PM: Fans should not be prosecuted if the chant was not motivated by hatred

Chief Superintendent Johnson added: "It will take time but it is about making sure they understand the message but also understand the seriousness of the message."

Last month, the Prime Minister said fans should not be prosecuted if the chant was not motivated by hatred.

David Cameron said: "There's a difference between Spurs fans self-describing themselves as Yids and someone calling someone a Yid as an insult.

"You have to be motivated by hate. Hate speech should be prosecuted - but only when it's motivated by hate."

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust said it was aware of the police statement and was trying to clarify the position with club officials.

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Madeleine McCann: Police Probe Phone Records

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent

Scotland Yard detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2007 are analysing the mobile phone details of everyone who was in the Portuguese holiday resort from where she disappeared.

They are set to reveal new information about the hunt for the missing girl in a televised appeal in 10 days.

There are around three dozen British police officers working on what has been designated Operation Grange, but the officers leading the investigation say there has been increasing cooperation with the authorities in Portugal. 

Six Portuguese police officers based in Faro have been appointed to liaise with officers in London. 

The Metropolitan Police stress that they are "professional and committed" and were not involved in the original investigation, which remains closed.    

Assistant Commissioners Mark Rowley and Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood are also sending formal International Letters Of Request to 30 other countries asking for assistance with their inquiry, reflecting the range of nationalities likely to have been in the town on May 3, 2007. 

Detectives want to cross reference mobile phone data with other lines of inquiry, especially with individuals they have previously identified as "persons of interest". 

Madeleine was three-years-old when she vanished from her parents' rented apartment in the Algarve seaside town of Praia Da Luz. 

The Portuguese authorities closed their investigation after initially investigating her parents Kate and Gerry as possible suspects. 

The Home Office agreed to order a review of the case by the Metropolitan Police and in July it became a full blown investigation.

Officers have been looking into the backgrounds of 41 individuals, 15 of whom are UK nationals. 

Assistant Commissioner Rowley said three of these British citizens are on the verge of being eliminated from the inquiry.

It is a huge undertaking requiring extensive international cooperation. 

The phone data has always been available, and some of it has been examined before, but the trawl through thousands of phone numbers is the most thorough yet undertaken. 

DCI Redwood said the phone records could be the key to solving the mystery and he that it is not a "general trawl" for information but a "targeted attack" on possible key numbers.

"We've got a data set of phone traffic. Within that phone traffic you can see we've got some of those numbers we can attribute to people, but a large number of them we can't. So in a targeted way, we're trying to say in a particular moment in time, that is around the moment of opportunity, who's there."

"What we're trying to do is to use every route available to us to identify as many of them as possible and the phone data is one route into that, as are appeals. If you were in Praia da Luz at the time, you may get a routine phone call from the police."

The Metropolitan Police team say they have collated 39,148 documents from previous inquiries by both the Portuguese authorities, and eight different teams of private detectives hired by the McCanns.

So far 21,614 have been processed. Some 4,920 of those have necessitated follow up action and 2,123 lines of inquiry have been completed.

The new lines of inquiry will be publicised in a BBC Crimewatch programme on Monday, October 14. 

The police will not confirm if new photo-fits or artist impressions of possible suspects will be issued, but there will be a reconstruction of events in Praia Da Luz, and Madeleine's parents will be interviewed during the programme. 

Mr Rowley said: "It's important to stress, the Crimewatch appeal is not simply 'this is a live investigation has anyone got any information?' It is more than that. There is new information not previously presented. Fresh, substantive material upon which to make an appeal."

The McCanns will be accompanied by DCI Redwood, making it the first time the couple have made an appeal for information alongside an investigating officer. 

Every other public appeal they have made during the past six years has been on their own initiative. 

Press conferences in the days immediately after their daughter's disappearance were not organised by friends and advisers rather than the Portuguese Judicial Police. 

It will be a symbolic moment in the long inquiry , with Kate and Gerry McCann, once labelled "aguidos" in Portugal, and investigated as possible suspects, now officially supported by detectives investigating the case.

DCI Redwood said: "I have no reason to be anything other than confident in the McCanns. They have been thoroughly supportive of our inquiry and our relationship is very strong."

There will be similar appeals on TV programmes in Germany and the Netherlands, reflecting the high number of tourists from those countries who were in Praia Da Luz when Madeleine went missing.

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Clifford: My Sex Charge Nightmare Continues

Max Clifford protested his innocence as he arrived at court to enter pleas on charges of indecent assault on teenage girls and women.

The PR expert, from Hersham in Surrey, faces 11 counts relating to seven alleged victims, aged from 14 to 19, between 1966 and 1985.

Clifford, who denies the charges, was arrested last December and was charged in April.

As he arrived at Southwark Crown Court, in London, he told reporters: "I'm OK.

"Obviously I am totally innocent of these charges.

"It's been a very hard time for myself, my wife, my family, loved ones. I have been helped tremendously by the public support, everywhere I go. That obviously has made a huge difference."

After leaving court he said: "The nightmare continues, it has done since last December.

"I want to thank everyone for their support, in this country and abroad.

"It is a nightmare for myself and everyone close to me. I am totally innocent.

"Next March (the date of Clifford's trial), as long as the truth comes out, it will be fine and I can get back to a normal life."

His trial is expected to last up to four weeks.

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Striker Gary Madine Jailed For Attacks

A Championship footballer has been jailed for 18 months after he was found guilty of two separate nightclub attacks.

Sheffield Wednesday striker Gary Madine, 23, who has a previous conviction for knocking a man out in a Carlisle pub, punched Wednesday fan Daniel Beresford in the Paris Bar in Sheffield city centre in February last year, breaking his nose.

Four weeks later, he punched bricklayer and Sheffield United fan Reece Hall in the city's Viper Room club, shattering his cheekbone.

He was jailed at Leeds Crown Court after being found guilty by a jury following a week-long trial last month.

Judge Rodney Jameson QC sentenced the footballer, who will now automatically be sacked by his club, to six months for the Actual Bodily Harm (ABH) on Mr Beresford, and 12 months for the offence of Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) against Mr Hall.

Alison Dorrell, defending Madine - known by some Wednesday fans as Goal Machine - said he had thrown away his talent due to "drink, childish behaviour and a temper problem".

"He is not an asset to his club any more," she said, and added he would struggle to re-start his career after serving a prison sentence.

Judge Jameson said the assaults occurred when the footballer "lashed out" when drunk with "little, if any, thought for the consequences".

He said: "When sober there is no reason to suppose that you would misbehave but I have to sentence you for serious offences which reflect the other side of your character.

"The side which comes out when you are in drink, which causes unprovoked violence causing serious injuries to innocent members of the public."

The judge said Madine had chosen not to "suppress" that side of his character.

However, Judge Jameson said other professional footballers had rebuilt careers after serving time in jail and there was no reason why he could not.

Madine, who used to earn £5,000 a week, was also told that he would have to pay £1,500 in compensation to Mr Beresford and £4,200 court costs.

Ms Dorrell believed this would be difficult for the defendant, who has not been paid by the club since he was convicted last month.

She said was he struggling to pay a mortgage on the house where his family lived.

More follows...

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'Mummified Boy': Hutton Jailed For 15 Years

A woman found guilty of manslaughter over the death of her young son has been jailed for 15 years.

The mummified body of Amanda Hutton's son Hamzah Khan was found in her bedroom nearly two years after he died.

Hutton showed no emotion as she was led from the dock.

Judge Roger Thomas QC told her: "The details of your wicked conduct have been displayed in such awful detail over the past three weeks in the trial that concluded yesterday."

He said the offences "demonstrate a most fundamental and serious breach of any duty that an individual in decent society can owe to others - namely the duty that a parent owes to her or his young children to take proper care of them".

The judge said the children were found in a situation that was "breathtakingly awful".

He said all the offences he was sentencing Hutton for are "all arising from your terrible failures to fulfil the most basic responsibilities that you, as a mother, should have fulfilled".

He said the manslaughter of Hamzah involved "failing to provide him with anything like adequate nourishment over a long period of time - in short you starved him to death".

Hamzah's body was discovered in squalor at Hutton's home in Bradford in September 2011.

Hutton, 43, admitted neglecting five of her other children aged between five and 13, who were living in the same poor conditions.

Earlier the court was told that the mother of eight told the boy's older brother not to tell anyone about Hamzah's death or she would kill her other children.

Tariq Khan, who has admitted failing to bury the body of his brother Hamzah Khan and was given a suspended sentence, made the claim during an interview with police read out at Bradford Crown Court on Friday.

Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting, said that Tariq, now 24, told police that "if he said anything, she would kill the rest of the children".

Tariq told also probation officers how his mother held a knife to the throat of one of the children two days after Hamzah's death.

He also said his mother threatened to burn down the house.

Follow live updates on the case and reaction to the sentence here.

More follows...

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Melanie Hall Murder: 'Significant' New Clues

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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Dave Lee Travis Denies Fresh Sex Charges

By Tom Parmenter, at Westminster Magistrates' Court

DJ Dave Lee Travis has denied two new sex charges against him.

In a five-minute hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London he only spoke to confirm his name, age and address.

The 68-year-old appeared under his real name David Patrick Griffin and faces two allegations of indecent assault.

They relate to a woman who says she was assaulted between January 1992 and December 1993, she was over the age of 16 at the time.

In court his lawyer Martin Bale indicated his client would plead not guilty to the new charges.

The two allegations have been added to 12 others he faces of indecent or sexual assault that span the last three decades.

His next court appearance will be on October 21st and a trial is scheduled to take place next March.

The 68 year old DJ has consistently denied any wrongdoing since he was first arrested at his home near Leighton Buzzard in November 2012.

His arrest was part of Operation Yewtree which investigated the Jimmy Savile scandal but the allegations faced by Dave Lee Travis are not linked in any way to his disgraced former BBC colleague.

During a long career in broadcasting the DJ was known as DLT and hosted the BBC Radio One breakfast show between 1978 and 1980.

Recently he had been working for the Magic Network of radio stations but has been taken off-air pending the outcome of court proceedings. 

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Keanu Williams Report: Authorities Failed

A toddler beaten to death by his mother became an "invisible child" who was let down by the authorities, a report has said.

A serious case review into the case of Keanu Williams said his death in 2011 could not be predicted but that he was clearly a "child in need".

It accused professionals involved in his care of failing to meet even basic standards of good practice and said the two-year-old should have been safeguarded by various agencies and made subject to a child protection plan.

Keanu had 37 injuries at the time of his death following months of abuse, with mother Rebecca Shuttleworth sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 18 years in June.

She and her son had moved to Birmingham from Torbay - where friends had anonymously tipped off social services that Keanu was being left in wet clothes and dirty nappies for up to six hours hours and that she was leaving him with anyone so she could go out.

This information was passed on to authorities in Birmingham, the report said, but they did not seem to be aware.

Officials previously revealed details of Keanu's injuries

The report stated: "The main finding of the review overview report was that professionals in the various agencies involved ... collectively failed to prevent Keanu's death as they missed a significant number of opportunities to intervene and take action.

"They did not meet the standards of basic good practice when they should have reported their concerns, shared and analysed information and followed established procedures.

"The serious case review panel was in agreement that Keanu's death could not have been predicted.

"However, in view of the background history of Rebecca Shuttleworth ... it could have been predicted that Keanu was likely to suffer significant harm and should have been subject of a child protection plan on at least two occasions to address issues of neglect and physical harm."

The review found excuses given to health professionals by Shuttleworth after incidents of abuse - including a radiator burn to his foot - were not credible.

The 182-page report said: "Keanu experienced a number of presentations to hospital and to the GP, which were all explained by Shuttleworth as bumps and falls due to unsteadiness.

"The last hospital presentation involved a child protection medical assessment which was not undertaken in accordance with good practice standards.

"Keanu was returned to Shuttleworth's care with a burn to his foot believed to have been caused accidentally by a hot radiator.

"Based on the medical evidence, this conclusion was mistaken and therefore Shuttleworth's description on the 'accident' was not deemed credible."

Peter Hay, strategic director for children, young people and families at Birmingham City Council, said the report was a "further blight on this city's reputation because we have failed on our fundamental obligation to keep our children safe".

"For this we are unequivocally sorry," he said.

"We accept too that given our record in failing to improve children's services, our apology may ring hollow..

"The way that the safeguarding board is holding all agencies to account is one of those changes. We do not have enough great social workers doing great social work.

"Park of what makes Keanu's death all the more tragic is that we got so near to getting it right."

The report follows other highly critical serious case reviews into child deaths, including the murder and starvation of Coventry four-year-old Daniel Pelka.

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Driver Dies As Car Breaks Free From Tow Truck

A driver has died after his car broke free from the AA van towing it and collided with another vehicle.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, suffered a heart attack in the crash in Croydon, south London just after 9am on Tuesday.

Paramedics tried to resuscitate the driver as he was taken St George's Hospital in Tooting, but he died two hours later.

A second man, travelling in another car, suffered chest injuries and taken to another hospital.

Witnesses described how the black Vauxhall Zafira, which was being towed on a rigid bar, swerved and crashed into a verge before breaking away from the tow-truck.

Police said no arrests had been made in connection with the crash but investigations were continuing.

In a statement, the AA said: "We are aware of an incident in the Croydon area this morning, 1 October, and that tragically the AA member involved has died.

"We would like to express our sincere condolences to the member's family. While the circumstances are under investigation, we are unable to comment further."  

The family of the victim have been informed.

:: Anyone with information is asked to contact the witness line on 020 8285 1574.      

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Payday Lenders Facing Unlimited Fines

Tougher controls on payday lenders could see unlimited fines for companies which break the rules amid claims some are even lending to children.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which will take over regulation of consumer credit from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in April 2014, said the sanctions were among a host of proposed new rules that would go out to consultation.

The organisation, which will cover tens of thousands of firms offering services such as overdrafts, credit cards and debt advice, was formed six months ago with the promise of strengthening protection for consumers.

Among its other recommendations are: limiting to two the number of times a payday loan can be rolled-over, banning misleading adverts and compulsory affordability checks for all loan applicants.

Payday loan firms have come under intense scrutiny in recent months after a damning report by the OFT found "deep-rooted" problems.

The payday industry denies lending to kids

The Competition Commission is carrying out a full-scale investigation of the industry and will reveal its findings next year.

After details on the proposed new rules emerged, assistant chief executive of Citizens Advice, Mike Dixon, alleged that some firms had loaned money to children under 16, telling Sky News they were "breaking all kinds of rules."

The OFT, which referred the £2bn industry to the commission, is worried firms are emphasising the speed of the loan over cost and are "skimping" on affordability checks.

There have also been complaints of payday firms unexpectedly draining people's bank accounts through a type of recurring payment called a continuous payment authority.

Payday firms would be limited to doing this twice per customer under the proposals.

The FCA's chief executive Martin Wheatley said: "Today I'm putting payday lenders on notice: tougher regulation is coming and I expect them all to make changes so that consumers get a fair outcome.

"The clock is ticking," he added.

Payday lenders have said they have been working to improve standards and ensure loans are given only to those who can afford them.

Russell Hamblin-Boone, chief executive of the Consumer Finance Association (CFA), which represents many short-term lenders, said: "The CFA and its members have always supported well-designed, well-implemented regulation in order to protect consumers and drive up standards.

"Our tough code of practice and independent monitoring, which is unique in the industry, has paved the way for FCA regulation, so we look forward to seeing the detail of the draft rulebook."

In response to the allegation that some firms were lending to children the CFA added: "CFA members do not lend to children.

"Loan applicants must be over 18, have a bank account and regular income as part of the robust affordability checks completed."

The FCA has asked for feedback from consumers as well as lenders before implementing its rules next year.

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Muslim School Shuts During Ofsted Inspection

A Muslim free school accused of imposing strict Islamic practices has closed on the first day of an Ofsted inspection.

The schools regulator said it cannot reveal the findings of its investigation into Al-Madinah until the two-day inspection - which started on Tuesday - is finished.

But the Derby school closed its doors as the inspection started.

Al-Madinah's interim principal, Stuart Wilson, said on its website that the short-term closure was due to a "health and safety issue".

"I have taken the decision to close the school to primary and secondary pupils until I am confident that all children are safe on site," he said.

"As parents, you will be informed directly, and on the website, when you are able to send your children back to school. I expect this to be in the very near future.

"Assuring you that we have your children's best interests at heart."

Ofsted launched the probe after reports emerged that several female teachers at the school were told to wear a headscarf, or hijab, whether they were Muslim or not.

A non-Muslim former teacher reportedly quit her job after being pressured to follow a Islamic dress code.

She told the Derby Telegraph that the free school's strict dress code was not mentioned during her interview and was not in her contract.

She said she had agreed to wear a headscarf but was "hassled" to dress more modestly - despite wearing a business suit to work.

"The skirt was well below the knee and I wore thick black tights that covered my legs," she told the Derby Telegraph.

The teacher - who did not want to be named - also told the newspaper that she did not agree with segregation in classes.

"I also objected to the school's policy of sitting girls at the back of classrooms, to no avail," she said.

"The reason given was that girls are allowed to look at boys but the boys are not allowed to look at the girls, but how can that be good for the children's education?"

The teacher also claimed that staff members were not allowed to take non-Halal food into the school or wear jewellery.

A Department for Education spokesman said the free school, which opened in September 2012, was already being investigated before the allegations became public.

"We discussed the problems with Ofsted and it launched an immediate inspection. We are waiting for Ofsted's final report and considering all legal options," the spokesman said.

The school was first being investigated by the department's Education Funding Agency over alleged irregularities with its grants.

Free schools are state funded but not under local education authority control. They can be set up by groups such as charities, businesses, community and faith groups.

The school describes itself as having "a strong Muslim ethos" and says pupils enjoy "learning in a caring Islamic environment which promotes a culture of high expectations and outstanding performance".

Sky News Online has contacted Al-Madinah for comment.

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Benefit Cap: Families In High Court Challenge

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

The families of three toddlers have taken the Government to court to argue that the "benefit cap" policy is unlawful.

The two three-year-olds and one-year-old have all been put forward along with their mothers to fight a test case at the High Court.

All three families live in London and say the high cost of living in the capital means the benefit cap could leave them destitute.

Currently, they say they are forced to live in expensive temporary accommodation which would suck up the majority of the £500-per-week benefit limit being imposed on claimants.

The principle of the cap is to ensure it pays to work and that benefits claimants do not earn more than the average working family.

Rebekah Carrier, the solicitor representing the families, told Sky News there were many others facing similar scenarios.

"It is thousands rather than hundreds of thousands, but the effect on these thousands of people is very, very extreme," she said.

She described the limit as a "cruel and arbitrary policy".

"It will have a catastrophic impact on our clients and many thousands more vulnerable families. They face street homelessness and starvation," Ms Carrier said.

The judges are being asked to rule that the cap breaches the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to respect for home and family life.

Campaigners argue that the impact of the cap is most acute in London because of the lack of affordable housing and high housing benefit costs.

One of the families taking action includes an illiterate single mother with four children.

Their private rented accommodation costs £395.50 per week. The benefit limit will mean they will be left to get by on £104.50 per week for all living costs and utilities.

In a witness statement the mother said her current home was cold, damp and infested with mice.

She said they were desperate to live elsewhere but there was no cheap accommodation available locally and that the waiting list for council housing for such a large family was over 10 years. 

The families in the High Court case each have several children.

A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spokesman said: "We are confident that the measures are lawful.

"The benefit cap sets a fair limit to what people can expect to get from the welfare system - so that claimants cannot receive more than £500 a week, the average household earnings."

The case, which is an application for a Judicial Review, is expected to conclude on Friday.

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London: Roman Skulls Found At Crossrail Site

Around 20 Roman skulls have been discovered during tunneling work for London's Crossrail project.

The remains were found in the sediment of the ancient River Walbrook, below the Bedlam asylum burial ground.

Construction workers at the Liverpool Street site removed the skulls under the guidance of archaeologists, who were unable to get access because of safety restrictions.

The remains were discovered clustered together 20ft (6m) underground. Some Roman pottery was also found.

The skulls were first thought to be heads decapitated by Queen Boudicca's troops during the rebellion against Roman occupation.

But experts now believe the skulls may have been from a nearby Roman cemetery that was eroded by the Walbrook, which now runs completely underground.

Workers were building a utility tunnel when they made the find

Lead archaeologist Jay Carver called the latest find an "unexpected and fascinating discovery".

"We now think the skulls are possibly from a known Roman burial ground about 50 metres (55 yards) up river from our Liverpool Street station work site," he said.

"Their location in the Roman layer indicates they were possibly washed down river during the Roman period."

Workers at the Crossrail dig - Europe's biggest construction project - have previously found scores of remains in the same area.

Around 3,000 skeletons discovered at the Bedlam burial site are due to be removed next year.

The Museum of London Archaeology has said it will analyse the most recent finds to find out more about the age, sex and diet of the people who died.

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Bus Stabbing Death: Man Admits Manslaughter

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A psychiatric patient who stabbed a teenager to death on a bus has admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Christina Edkins, 16, was on her way to school during the morning rush hour when she was killed in the "random attack" on Birmingham's Hagley Road.

Phillip Simelane, 23, who has a history of mental illness, was sentenced to be detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act after entering the plea at Birmingham Crown Court.

He had been released unsupervised from prison despite warning signs over the state of his mental health and questions are being asked about how authorities dealt with his case.

Christina's family arrive at Birmingham Crown Court

Superintendent Richard Baker from West Midlands Police, said: "Because of the mental health issues we now know he was suffering, this attack probably could have occurred anywhere, against anyone."

Simelane, who was homeless, boarded the number 9 bus at 5am on March 7. He had been challenged by the driver for sleeping on the back seat on the top deck.

Christina got on the bus at 7.30am on the city's Broad Street, a journey she made every day. Seven minutes later, she was dead.

Jason Edkins, Christina's father

Without warning, and for no reason, Simelane got up and thrust a kitchen knife into her chest once. He then casually walked down the aisle, down the stairs, and briefly spoke to the driver before getting off.

There was just one other passenger upstairs, a 14-year-old boy, who only realised what had happened when Christina cried out for help. Downstairs passengers rushed to her aid, but she could not be saved.

Officers scoured the city centre for Simelane and arrested him more than four hours later.

A family statement issued after the guilty plea said: "Christina was a beautiful, bright, caring girl, loved by everyone.

"The loss of a child is the worst thing that can ever happen, made even more grievous be such a senseless crime as this.

Christina was preparing to take her GCSEs when she died

"The family are all the victims and must pay the penalty as we stand by helplessly and watch the lives of the people we love shattered like precious glass, knowing we can never put the fragile pieces back together."

Christina's great uncle, Chris Melia, told Sky News: "It's such a horrific senseless crime. I don't know how you come to terms with it. I haven't."

"He quite clearly shouldn't have been out in society, there had been enough warning signs that he was a danger.

"As I understand it, in October, whilst he was in prison, the appropriate mental health experts noted he should, when he was released, be in some way supervised and helped to get back into society in an acceptable manner, but it didn't happen.

"He was released on 13th December, basically with no fixed abode, and in less than three months he killed an innocent young girl in the prime of her life."

Mr Melia paid tribute to Christina as a "popular", "attractive" and "quietly confident" girl.

"The family want to be sure that this person is put away, removed from society permanently, so that he cannot repeat this crime or any similar crime," he said.

Police say Simelane was known to have mental health problems from the age of 14, but was only diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia following his arrest for the attack on Christina.

He had previous convictions for assault, drugs offences and vehicle crime.

West Midlands Police say they were called to Simelane's home in Walsall by his family 21 times. On one occasion he held a knife to his mother's stomach.

Supt Baker said: "There doesn't appear to be any care plan since his release from prison in December 2012.

"There's currently an independent review being conducted by all agencies who had contact with Phillip Simelane during that period, not just police but probation, prison, and Birmingham and Solihull mental health team will also conduct independent reviews to understand exactly what support Simelane had in place."

He added it was "highly unlikely" that Simelane would ever be released.

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Bridger Attacker 'In Bid To Find April's Body'

A prisoner slashed child killer Mark Bridger's face to get him to reveal where April Jones' body was hidden, a court has heard.

Convicted murderer and rapist Juvinal Ferreira, 24, used a knife fashioned out of a razor to cut Bridger from temple to chin at the top security Wakefield Prison, West Yorkshire, in July.

Ferreira was given a second life sentence at Leeds Crown Court and had five years added to his minimum term, meaning he will not be released before 2036.

Ferreira, who was born in Guinea and grew up in Gambia, had previously admitted wounding with intent.

Police were told Ferreira and other life prisoners had talked about attacking Bridger to make him reveal the whereabouts of April's body.

Bridger has never revealed the whereabouts of April's body

Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting, said: "He said that Bridger's crime had been discussed, and he claimed people had suggested that if Bridger was attacked, rather than say befriended, Bridger would then be more likely to reveal where April Jones' body was."

The premeditated attack happened three days after Bridger was allowed to associate with other prisoners.

Ferreira fashioned a weapon out of a prison-issue razor with extra blades attached to the handle.

Mr Sharp said: "The defendant saw him and walked directly up to him with the blade held between thumb and forefinger.

"He then slashed him down the face, causing a deep wound extending from temple to chin.

"He paused for a moment and looked Bridger directly in the eyes, in Bridger's own words 'as if to admire his work or show me who it was'."

The court heard he also suffered a cut to his arm as he tried to defend himself.

He required more than 30 stitches to the face wound, which required surgery under general anaesthetic. He will be scarred for life.

Mr Justice Coulson, who sentenced Ferreira over a videolink, said the motive for the attack was no mitigation.

"Convicted murderers cannot appoint themselves as unpaid investigators of another crime, no matter how serious," he said.

"They plainly cannot do that by themselves committing violent crime to do so."

Extensive searches continued for weeks in and around Machynlleth

Robin Frieze, defending, said Ferreira did not attack Bridger to enhance his own status in prison, for reward or because he was incited to do it.

"He does not suggest he was put up to it, but he listened to talk within the prison and he was under the impression that if he put the complainant in a state of fear then it was more likely it would achieve closure for the family of his victim," Mr Frieze said.

"He appreciates that was a wholly misguided and wrong thing to do."

When the judge told Ferreira he was about to be sentenced, the life prisoner replied: "No problem."

April was kidnapped by 47-year-old Bridger outside her home in Machynlleth, mid-Wales, on October 1, 2012. He is serving a life sentence for her murder.

Despite police launching one of their biggest ever search operations, April's body has never been found. Bridger has repeatedly claimed he cannot remember what he did with her.

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Minimum Wage Rises As Rogue Firms Targeted

Employers who fail to pay the statutory minimum wage face being named and shamed from today as the latest increases come into effect.

The adult rate has risen by 12p an hour to £6.31 and by 5p to £5.03 an hour for 18 to 20-year-olds.

The minimum for 16 and 17-year-olds increased by 4p to £3.72 while the apprentice rate goes up by 3p to £2.68.

The Government estimates that 890,000 people will receive a pay rise because of the changes.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said the Low Pay Commission recommended a rate which supported low paid workers without damaging their chances of getting a job.

"As signs of an economic recovery start to emerge, we need to do more to make sure that the benefits of growth are shared fairly across the board.

"That is why in addition to their ongoing annual remit, I am asking them (the commission) to extend their expertise to help the Government and business understand how we can deal with the issue of low wages in the economy.

In particular I have asked them to look at what economic conditions would be needed to allow the national minimum wage to rise in the future by more than current conditions allow," he said.

Unions have demanded the proceeds of growth are shared with workers.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Years of below-inflation rises mean that the UK's lowest-paid workers are now facing an historic living standards crisis.

"As the recovery takes hold we will need to see far bigger increases to the minimum wage to ensure that ordinary people and not just the super rich benefit from economic growth.

"This will need more than any one-off pre-election boost - we will need sustained stronger rises if the real value of the minimum wage is to be restored."

The Resolution Foundation think-tank said the minimum wage will be falling in real terms for the fifth year in a row despite the increase, because it is not keeping pace with rising prices.

Campaigners called for more companies and organisations to pay a so-called living wage, currently set at £7.45 an hour for the UK and £8.55 for London.

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Teachers Stage One-Day Strike Over Pay Reform

Thousands of teachers are staging a one-day strike in a bitter dispute over pay, pensions and working conditions.

Tens of thousands of schoolchildren will be affected by the one-day walkout across four English region as schools are fully or partially closed.

The action has been organised by two of England's biggest teaching unions - the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the NASUWT.

Schools in 49 local authorities in the East of England, the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside are affected.

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: "Strike action is a last resort. Teachers have been left with no choice but to demonstrate their anger and frustration in the face of their genuine concerns being dismissed and trivialised."

The first regional walkout took place in the North West on June 27, with further strikes expected to take place on October 17 in the North East, South East, South West and London.

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said strike action was a last resort

Plans for a national one-day walkout before Christmas have also been announced by the two unions.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: "No teacher takes strike action lightly but the intransigence of this Education Secretary has left teachers with no choice.

"We cannot stand by and watch our profession be systematically attacked and undermined. There needs to be a change in the Government's attitude to teachers and education."

The strike comes as Education Secretary Michael Gove is due to address the Tory party conference amid criticism of his reforms by leading academics and children's authors.

Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and Children's Laureate Malorie Blackman are among nearly 200 people to say they are "gravely concerned" and call for the changes to be stopped.

In a letter published in The Times, they called on the Government to set up a commission to examine alternatives instead of pressing on with reforms to the curriculum and exam system.

"Competition between children through incessant testing and labelling results is a public sense of failure for the vast majority," they said.

"The drive towards ever-higher attainment in national tests leads inevitably to teaching to the test, which narrows the range of learning experiences. Harmful stress is put on young people, their parents and their teachers.

"These damaging developments must stop. If they go ahead there will be devastating consequences for children's mental health, for future opportunities and, most importantly, for the quality of childhood itself."

They describe demands on teachers as being like a "straitjacket" that will "destroy the educational richness that should be children's birthright".

The unions say they are protesting against a two-year pay freeze for teachers, proposals to make teachers work until they are aged 68, increases in pensions contributions and heavy workloads due to inspections and bureaucracy.

A Department of Education spokesman said: "It is disappointing that the NUT and NASUWT are striking over the Government's measures to allow heads to pay good teachers more."

The spokeswoman said a recent poll found that 61% of those questioned backed linking teachers' pay to performance and a majority were opposed to walkouts.

"All strikes will do is disrupt parents' lives, hold back children's education and damage the reputation of the profession," she added.

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Cambridge Hotel Fire Forces Guests To Flee

Nearly 150 guests have been evacuated from Cambridge's University Arms Hotel after a fire broke out on the premises in the early hours.

Firefighters battle the blaze at the hotel Pic: Heart Cambridgeshire

More than 60 firefighters remain at the scene tackling the blaze on the top floor of the building.

Emergency services, including a total of 12 engines from Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Hertfordshire were alerted to the blaze at the four-star hotel at around 6am.

There were no reports of any fatalities or injuries.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used jets and hose reels to contain the fire, which quickly spread to the roof.

They also used thermal imaging cameras to check for hot spots to prevent the blaze from spreading any further.

A Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said the blaze had been brought under control and that the cause was still unknown at this stage.

"There will be a full investigation once the building is safe and the fire is out," he said.

Some 148 guests at the four-star hotel were evacuated Pic: Chris Newman

The hotel, situated on the city's Regent Street, is part of the De Vere group.

The historic Victorian building has accommodated numerous high-profile guests over the years from the Beatles to the Krays, according to its website.

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GP Plan To Bring In Out-Of-Hours Surgeries

David Cameron has told Sky News he wants doctors' surgeries to be open for longer to ease the pressure on overstretched A&E departments.

The Prime Minister confirmed plans for a £50m trial to have surgeries open from 8am until 8pm, seven days a week.

He insisted the pilot scheme in areas across England, which is expected to cover up to half a million patients, would be properly funded.

Almost one in five patients in a recent NHS survey said inconvenient appointments were a concern, with more than 70% backing weekend and after office opening hours.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will outline the plans at the Tory conference

The scheme, which was unveiled at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, will offer extra cash to groups of GPs proposing the most effective ways to improve patient access.

As well as extended surgery hours, ministers hope they will pioneer more effective use of technology, such as consultations with patients via video calls, email and by telephone.

Electronic prescriptions, online appointment booking and allowing people to visit a number of different surgeries across an area are among other measures which could be introduced.

Mr Cameron told Sky: "Sometimes people using Accident & Emergency really just need to see a GP but for hard-working people it is often too difficult because you are at work, you can't get an appointment at the time that fits.

"Let's see if we can have GPs' surgeries open 12 hours a day, seven days a week so you can always get that appointment you need.

"We are starting with pilot schemes in nine regions of England. We are spending the money to help GPs achieve this. We will be able to see how it works."

He added: "I believe that will work well and then our ambition is to roll that out across the country. That is good for hard-working people but I also think it is right for our health service.

"If you look at A&E, since 2004 when the GP contract changed we see four million more people a year going to Accident & Emergency so I think we are not getting the balance right at the moment."

The first pilot projects are due to be operating by April 2014.

Similar initiatives are already being trialled in some parts of the country, including parts of Manchester, where some surgeries will move to seven-day opening.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who will talk about the initiative in his speech to the conference, said: "We live in a 24/7 society and we need GPs to find new ways of working so they can offer appointments at times that suit hard-working people.

"Cutting-edge GP practices here in Manchester are leading the way, and we want many more patients across the country to benefit."

Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector for General Practice, said: "This move towards seven day services is great news for patients and should be embraced by GPs.

"I want to see brilliant access to GP services for patients across the country and will be assessing this in each practice I inspect."

However, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham accused Mr Cameron and his Conservative Party of "taking the NHS backwards".

"This announcement is a major admission of failure and a U-turn of fairly epic proportions," he said.

"Patients are also finding it harder to get appointments, and turning to A&E instead, after he removed Labour's guarantee of an appointment within 48 hours."

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GTA V: Rockstar Warns Of 'Online Problems'

Grand Theft Auto V fans looking forward to the multiplayer version of the game could end up experiencing glitches and connection problems.

The UK developer of the hit game, Rockstar North, said "plenty of issues are bound to occur" and it was "working around the clock to buy and add more servers" to support Grand Theft Auto Online.

Sales of GTA V are estimated to have easily topped 10 million since its launch on September 17 - more than expected. It also broke sales records by pulling in £496m ($800m) in just 24 hours.

Now there are worries that the online feature - due for launch in the coming hours, according to Rockstar - could be a victim of its own success and may not be able to cope as gamers rush to team up with one another.

The online game will let up 16 players team up

In a blog post, Rockstar said: "One thing we are already aware of, and are trying to alleviate as fast as we can, is the ... additional pressure on the servers due to a significantly higher number of players than we were anticipating at this point."

The Edinburgh-based company will be hoping to avoid the backlash Electronic Arts received over its botched SimCity launch in March, when many gamers reported long delays logging on to the internet to play, as well as crashes.

SimCity developer Maxis later admitted it had been "dumb" not to anticipate the level of demand.

Rockstar also warned that potentially-amusing in-game "crashes, glitches, crazy bugs" would likely be discovered in the first few weeks of online GTA V.

As it noted, such teething troubles are not uncommon and it wants gamers to provide feedback so they can be ironed out.

The game made nearly $1bn in its first day - a record for a game or film

GTA V Online will let up to 16 players team up over the internet to carry out heists or indulge in a spot of racing around the Southern California landscape. The multiplayer game narrative is set a few months before the storyline in the single-player mode.

Many players on the Rockstar blog are already posting invitations for other gamers to join their "crews".

The 18-rated guns and gangsters game - which had a £170m ($274m) budget - has been widely praised by critics and the public.

Games website IGN called it a "masterpiece", and one of the greatest video games ever made.

Edge magazine called it a "remarkable achievement" that sent a message to the rest of the industry.

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Thames Duck Boat Fire: 30 Pulled From River

Around 30 people have been rescued from the River Thames after their tour boat caught on fire.

The passengers were forced to jump overboard when flames took hold on the London Duck Tours amphibious vessel on a stretch of water close to Lambeth Bridge.

Some 28 tourists and two crew members were hauled to safety by passing tour barges after the fire broke out shortly before midday on Sunday.

A woman and a child were taken to hospital with suspected smoke inhalation.

The blaze on the amphibious vessel is being investigated

Further tourists were treated for smoke inhalation at the riverside, opposite the Houses of Parliament.

All passengers were accounted for, but London Fire Brigade group manager Neil Withers said they were in shock.

"Fortunately at this stage it doesn't look like anyone's been seriously injured," he said.

"People are clearly cold, wet and in shock but they were pulled from the water really quickly and that's testament to the work of our firefighters, other emergency rescue teams and others who rushed to the scene to help.

"The casualties, who are tourists, are being looked after by the London Ambulance Service and firefighters, who are keeping them warm and making them cups of tea."

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The cause of the fire is not yet known

"The damaged boat was pulled away from the scene by our fire boat and a full investigation into exactly what happened will now be taking place," Mr Withers said.

The Port of London Authority is also expected to investigate the blaze.

The tour company has suspended its river tours until they know the cause of the fire.

"London Duck Tours operates to the highest safety standards, and at this early stage it is not possible to speculate on the reason for the incident," the firm said on its website.

"Until the cause is established, the company will not be operating on the river and should technical or safety modifications be required to our fleet, these will be introduced prior to the service recommencing."

The company will continue to operate a "land-only service".

It is the third time this year that a Duck Tours vessel has run into difficulty.

In June, 22 people were taken to hospital after the Yellow Duckmarine amphibious tour bus sunk in Liverpool.

Another Yellow Duckmarine tour bus reportedly sank in the city dock in March. Nobody was injured in that incident.

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Stephen Lawrence: Stars Line Up For Concert

The mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence has said she wants her son to be remembered as a young man who had a future.

Doreen Lawrence was speaking at a concert at London's O2 Arena marking the twentieth anniversary of his death in southeast London.

Artists including Rita Ora, Beverley Knight and Jessie J were joined by Emeli Sande, Ellie Goulding and Ed Sheeran for Unity - A Concert For Stephen Lawrence.

Doreen Lawrence: 'Stephen didn't distinguish between white and black'

Opening the event, television presenter and DJ Reggie Yates said: "Stephen's name represents a reason to fight and positive steps forward against racism in Britain.

"We are here to help raise awareness of and celebrate the amazing work of the Stephen Lawrence trust."

Doreen Lawrence, who accepted a peerage this year for her tireless campaign for justice for Stephen, said her son would be "smiling down" on the show.

"Stephen's story seems to resonate for so many people. He would have loved this because he really loved music," she said. "I would like Stephen to be remembered as a young man who had a future.

Hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks before the event

"He was well loved, and had he been given the chance to survive maybe he would have been the one to bridge the gap between black and white because he didn't distinguish between black or white. He saw people as people.

The concert was part of the SL20 Campaign which is celebrating Stephen's life with a series of awareness-raising events through the year.

Funds from the show will go to The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, which aims to create brighter futures for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Jamie Cullum arrives for the concert

The Lawrence family were rocked by allegations in June that the Metropolitan Police spied on the Stephen Lawrence Campaign.

A former police officer who spent four years living undercover in protest groups claims he was asked to find "dirt" on the campaign shortly after Stephen's murder in April 1993.

The allegations are being investigated by Derbyshire's chief constable Mick Creedon.

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Antoin Akpom Murder: Second Man Arrested

Police have arrested another man in connection with the murder of a youth football coach who was stabbed to death in the street.

The 19-year-old was arrested on Sunday evening in Cardiff in relation to Antoin Akpom's death in Leicester on September 12.

He is the second person to be held by police investigating the murder.

Abdul Hakim, also 19, of Wood Hill, was remanded in custody after appearing in court on September 18 charged with 20-year-old Mr Akpom's murder.

Mr Akpom, who coached a youth football team at Leicester Nirvana FC, was found injured in Kent Street and later died from his wounds.

A Leicestershire Police spokesman said: "Detectives investigating the murder of Leicester man Antoin Akpom have arrested a man in connection with the incident.

"The 19-year-old man was arrested in Cardiff on Sunday evening and currently remains in police custody.

"On September 17, detectives charged a 19-year-old man with the murder of Antoin. He has since been remanded into custody and is due to appear at Leicester Crown Court at a later date."

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Children With Depression 'Need More Support'

More needs to be done to improve care and support for tens of thousands of children who suffer from depression, health experts have said.

Severe depression affects nearly 80,000 children and young people in the UK, including more than 8,000 under the age of 10, figures suggest.

But there are "huge variations" in the level of care delivered to young patients with depression, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), which has set out new quality standards.

Nice said there must be clear steps in place so health workers can deliver the best possible care, and if a medic suspects a youngster is depressed, they must endeavour to make a diagnosis and record it in the child's medical records.

Experts also need to ensure there is "age appropriate" material so children can understand their diagnosis and treatment, it added.

Consultant child and adolescent psychotherapist Ricky Emanuel, who was a member of the specialist committee that developed the Nice standards, said: "I hope this quality standard can be used as a template to improve the care received by children and young people with depression in England.

"There are huge variations in the type and quality of care available, which can have long-term consequences on the child or young person and family themselves, as well as for society as a whole.

"The new standards set out the very best care and support for children and young people with depression."

NHS guidance states there are a wide range of symptoms seen in people suffering depression, ranging from lasting feelings of sadness and hopelessness, to losing interest in the things people used to enjoy and feeling very tearful.

Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety. There can be physical symptoms too, such as feeling constantly tired, sleeping badly, having no appetite, and complaining of aches and pains.

Mother Charlotte Libman told Sky News that when her daughter Portia Dobbs became depressed, it took a year to get her treated.

"It's really disturbing, she said. "What seems to be happening is the delay from going to a GP to seeing a child psychologist and a psychiatrist who, if you are so depressed, can give you medication.

"In Portia's case she had Prozac and had a full recovery. Parents get very worried if their child takes medication but in my daughter's case there were no side effects and she's been able to lead a normal life. But it takes a long time to see a psychiatrist to get the medication."

When Portia was depressed she found it difficult to become motivated. She said: "You end up going to your room every day and crying and not wanting to do much.

"I didn't want to do anything and had no fun in anything; it wasn't a great way to live. I didn't think anything was wrong and it took a while from going to see a GP to seeing a doctor and finally ending-up with a counsellor.

"Once I'd got see a therapist it was really good but it did take a year to get things moving."

Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb said: "Young people's mental health is a priority for this Government and we have committed £54m over four years into talking therapies specifically for children and young people through the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme.

"Given the funding that local NHS trusts receive each year, we would expect that they would have these services at the forefront of their plans.

"We have made it very clear that the NHS needs to improve mental health care and to give it the same priority as physical health care."

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Kenya Mall Attack: Briton Freed Without Charge

A British man questioned over the Westgate mall attack in Nairobi has been released without charge, the Foreign Office has said.

The man was heading to London when he was arrested at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta Airport last week.

He had reportedly aroused suspicions because he bruises on his face.

Kenyan authorities said he is now free to travel wherever he wants, Sky sources understand.

Kenya has arrested 12 people since the shopping centre massacre, but four of those, including the Briton, have been released.

The British man's passport

At least 67 people were killed when al Shabaab militants stormed the upmarket mall on September 21.

The Red Cross has said 39 people remain missing, but the Kenyan government believes there is no-one unaccounted for.

Six British nationals were killed in the attack alongside people from Kenya, France, China, Ghana, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Peru and the Netherlands.

Kenyans have become increasingly frustrated over the government's unwillingness to share information about the attack.

The mall collapsed dring the siege. Pic: Eike Luedeling

Almost no details have been released about what happened after the first hours of the siege.

Security officials have been called to give evidence before MPs about possible security failings ahead of the siege.

But authorities have urged the public to be patient.

"We ask you to bear with us," Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said.

The Red Cross says 39 people are missing but authorities disagree

The assault, claimed by al Shabaab to be in retaliation for Kenyan military operations in Somalia, ended after a four-day siege when security forces went in to flush out the gunmen.

Part of the mall also collapsed during the attack.

On Sunday, Kenyans and foreigners visited a makeshift memorial near the shopping centre to remember the dead and call for peace.

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Police Chief: 'Make Class A Drugs Legal'

Durham's chief constable has called for class A drugs such as heroin and cocaine to be legalised.

Mike Barton has claimed the war on drugs has failed and decriminalisation is the best way to strip power away from criminal gangs.

Writing in The Observer, the national intelligence leader for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) also suggested the NHS should supply class A drugs to addicts.

Mr Barton said drugs should be controlled

"Not all crime gangs raise income through selling drugs, but most of them do in my experience," Mr Barton said.

"So offering an alternative route of supply to users cuts off the gang's income stream.

"If an addict were able to access drugs via the NHS or some similar organisation, then they would not have to go out and buy illegal drugs.

"Drugs should be controlled. They should not, of course, be freely available.

"I think addiction to anything - drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc - is not a good thing, but outright prohibition hands revenue streams to villains."

Under Mr Barton's direction, Durham Constabulary launched Operation Sledgehammer, a sustained campaign  to "get in the faces" of organised crime gangs.

He has previously claimed to seek inspiration in the way notorious Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone was finally brought down not for bootlegging, but tax evasion.

Mr Barton, who has served for nearly 34 years, said he had witnessed a worsening drug addiction problem since prohibition began in 1971 with the Misuse of Drugs Act.

He argued that pushers had made billions from adulterated drugs, transforming them into local folk heroes for young people.

"Decriminalising their commodity will immediately cut off their income stream and destroy their power," he said.

"Making drugs legal would tackle the supply chain much more effectively and much more economically than we can currently manage."

Mr Barton has highlighted the way Capone (pictured) was brought down

Mr Barton said that offering drugs therapeutically through the NHS and similar organisations would avoid the spread of HIV and hepatitis C among needle users.

But he underlined that he was in favour of their use in a controlled environment, rather than a "free for all".

"I am saying that people who encourage others to take drugs by selling them are criminals, and their actions should be tackled," he said.

"But addicts, on the other hand, need to be treated, cared for and encouraged to break the cycle of addiction. They do not need to be criminalised."

ACPO's national policing lead on drug-related crime Chief Constable Andy Bliss said: "Clearly, a senior colleague like Mike Barton is entitled to his views and he has added his contribution to the national debate, but it would be ACPO's position that these are matters for parliament to decide.

"We need in particular to be very thoughtful about setting clear boundaries, especially for young people, in relation to drugs, their misuse and criminal activity surrounding them."

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Skin Cancer: New Drugs 'Can Cure' Disease

Skin cancer sufferers could be cured of the disease with breakthrough drugs, experts claimed, as they hailed the "beginning of a new era".

Seriously ill patients are said to have seen "spectacular effects" after receiving the medication which could eventually be used to combat other forms of the condition.

It is the first time scientists have come this close to providing a remedy for advanced melanoma, which is diagnosed when the disease has spread and can no longer be surgically removed.

Until now the prognosis for advanced melanoma has been very poor and many patients die within months of diagnosis.

Professor Peter Johnson, chief clinician at Cancer Research UK, said: "We're just at the beginning of a new era of cancer treatments using the immune system.

"These drugs that can turn the body's own defences against a tumour are starting to show real promise for melanoma and other types of cancer.

"It's only through research that we can gain the insights needed to develop new treatments for cancer patients."

Test for malignant melanoma

The new cure contains two types of drug - ipilimumab (known as ipi) and anti-PD1s which break down the defences of cancer cells and are still in clinical trials.

Doctors can effectively reboot a patient's immune system by combining the two.

One in six patients are already being saved by the ground-breaking treatment, the European Cancer Congress has been told.

A new combination of drugs could mean more than half are cured of the deadly condition.

Professor Alexander Eggermont, of the Institut Gustave Roussy in France, told The Mail on Sunday: "Advanced melanoma could become a curable disease for perhaps more than 50% of patients within five to 10 years.

"If I'd made this bizarre prediction five years ago, people would have said I was mad.

"But it now looks like we are going to have control of advanced melanoma for years, in a substantial proportion of patients."

Malignant melanoma is the fifth most common cancer and the 18th most common cause of cancer death in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK. It kills around 2,200 Britons every year.

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Cautions To Be Scrapped For Serious Crimes

Cautions for violent, sexual and drug offences will be scrapped, under reforms set to be announced by the Conservatives.

The party say the move will stop thousands of offenders who commit some of the most serious crimes escaping "with just a slap on the wrist".

New guidance will be issued immediately to ban the use of cautions for crimes including rape, manslaughter and robbery unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Almost 500 cautions were issued last for the most serious offences - those that would automatically be heard in the Crown Court if they went to trial.

A total of 5,084 cautions were issued for serious crimes, including 962 for possession of knives, 1,543 for other weapons and 54 for supplying or offering to supply class A drugs.

They were also used to deal with a raft of offences related to children, including seven for child prostitution and pornography, 183 for taking, distributing or publishing indecent photographs of children, 268 for possession of indecent photographs of a child, and 1,560 for cruelty or neglect of children.

It comes as a review is launched into the use of all out-of-court disposals, such as penalty notices, that Tories hope will show "if you break the law, you will not escape the law".

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Cameron Launches State-Backed Mortgages Plan

David Cameron says 95% government-backed mortgages to help people get on to the property ladder will start within days.

The scheme was due to start in January but hours before the Conservative Party Conference opened, the Prime Minister revealed that NatWest, RBS and Halifax had all agreed to provide the new deals. 

It is widely being seen as a response to Ed Miliband's Labour conference crowd-pleasing announcement that the party would freeze energy prices for two years as conference season has shaped up as a "battle over the consumer".

Mr Cameron arrives in Manchester ahead of the Conservative Party Conference

Speaking on Sunday morning, Mr Cameron said that it was ridiculous that people could afford mortgage repayments, but not the deposit to get the loan in the first place. 

The Prime Minister said that only those with well-off parents could manage to get on the housing ladder, telling BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "I'm not going to stand by while people's aspirations are trashed."

He denied that the move would create a housing bubble and said that they had taken advice from the Bank of England and empowered it to stop a bubble being created.

The mortgage guarantees will allow buyers to acquire a newly built home or an existing property worth up to £600,000 with a deposit of only 5%.

The second stage of the Help to Buy scheme aims to boost mortgage availability by reducing the risk for lenders because the Government takes on the risk of default when it guarantees a proportion of a loan.

In a wide-ranging interview ahead of the conference Mr Cameron also said:

:: He was sorry he did not win the 2010 election and made it clear he was looking for a straight Conservative victory in 2014

:: The high-speed rail HS2 project would stay on its £42.6bn budget

:: That Britain could pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights, which has prevented the UK deporting foreign criminals 

:: He would never back a mansion tax, marking a clear coalition red line

:: Televised leaders debates should take place before campaigning for the 2015 election begins.

Mr Cameron also spoke about Mr Miliband's energy bill freeze proposals saying: "I want to lower prices not just for 20 months but for 20 years."

George Osborne tweeting the hashtag #forhardworkingpeople

He said that he wanted to look at "all those markets" and make sure they were "working for hard-working people".

Sky News Political Correspondent Anushka Asthana said bringing forward the mortgage plan and the announcement, on Saturday, of tax breaks for married couples was an attempt to give Conservatives something to "take to the doorsteps".

She said: "This is also about Mr Cameron looking outwards and thinking about the public and trying to come back on some of the ideas that Labour and the Liberal Democrats have put forward over the past few weeks.

"People are calling this the battle over the consumer. At the Lib Dems we have free school meals and then Ed Miliband promises to freeze energy prices. The Tories have tried to rubbish that idea but at the same time they are clearly worried."

The Chancellor, George Osborne, tweeted the news that RBS, NatWest and Halifax had all signed up to the mortgage scheme using the Conservative buzzwords hashtag #forhardworkingpeople.

A YouGov poll for The Sunday Times put Labour on an 11 point lead on 42%, with the Conservatives at 31%, UKIP on 13% and the Liberal Democrats trailing on 9%.

As the Conservative Party Conference prepared to open, 20,000 people took to the streets to protest over the Government's progress on the health service in a Save Our NHS campagin march.

Mr Balls says the Government focus should be on affordable homes

The 95% mortgage scheme has previously attracted widespread concern, with some claiming it may lead to more problems than it solves.

Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable warned the scheme "could inflate the market" and said he feared there was a "danger of getting into another housing bubble".

Former Bank of England governor Lord King said the scheme is "too close for comfort" to a general scheme to guarantee mortgages.

Speaking on Sunday, Labour's shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "If David Cameron is serious about helping first-time buyers he should be bringing forward investment to build more affordable homes. Rising demand for housing must be matched with rising supply, but under this government house-building is at its lowest level since the 1920s."

The first stage of Help to Buy was launched in April and offers loans to give people the chance to buy a new-build home with a deposit of just 5%. The scheme has been credited with spurring a surge in home sales and driving up prices.

:: Watch Conservative Party conference coverage live on Sky News

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