Rail Fares: Anger As Commuters Face More Hikes

How Much Will Your Ticket Cost?

Updated: 2:14am UK, Wednesday 02 January 2013

This is a table of rail fare rises, comparing the price of a 12-month season ticket bought in December with one bought from January 2.

The table does not include the price paid if within-London travelcards are also purchased for Tube and bus journeys in the capital.

Where London is mentioned, this means travel to London terminal stations where travel is allowed by any route option shown by the National Rail Enquiry system, Journey Planner, where the journey can be made using only one ticket.

ROUTE                          DEC 2012  JAN 2013  % RISE

Leeds-Wakefield              £908      £964            6.16%

Bishop's Stortford-London  £3,560    £3,704     4.04%

Portsmouth Harbour-London  £4,480    £4,668  4.19%

Basingstoke-London         £3,800    £3,960       4.21%

Ramsgate-London            £4,640    £4,864     4.82%

Woking-London              £2,780    £2,896        4.17%

Folkestone-London          £4,612    £4,836      4.85%

Reading-London             £3,800    £3,960       4.21%

Sevenoaks-London           £2,980    £3,112    4.43%

Aylesbury-London           £3,520    £3,632      3.18%

Bedford-London             £4,004    £4,172      4.19%

Hastings-London            £4,400    £4,584     4.18%

Canterbury-London          £4,588    £4,812    4.80%

Deal-London                £4,640    £4,864    4.82%

Dover Priory-London        £4,640    £4,864    4.82%

Ludlow-Hereford            £1,892    £1,992    5.28%

Bangor-Llandudno           £1,084    £1,140    5.16%

Morpeth-Newcastle            £960    £1,008    5%

West Malling-London        £3,712    £3,876    4.42%

Guildford-London           £3,092    £3,224    4.27%

Bracknell-London           £3,800    £3,960    4.21%

Braintree-London           £3,960    £4,124    4.14%

Tunbridge Wells-London     £3,968    £4,132    4.13%

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Thailand Killing: Family Travel To Identify Victim

The family of a British tourist shot dead at a New Year's Eve party in Thailand are travelling to the country to identify his body and make arrangements for repatriation.

Stephen Ashton, 22, was hit by a stray bullet after getting caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between rival gangs on the island of Koh Phangan.

Mr Ashton was shot with a homemade gun (Photo: Facebook)

His family members will meet the UK's ambassador to Thailand, Mark Kent, on Thursday.

He warned of risks to Western tourists, and urged people to read the travel advice on the Foreign Office website.

"Most people have a very enjoyable holiday, a very trouble-free holiday," he told Sky News. "But there are risks and we've set these out in our travel advice which you can access on the Foreign Office website.

"In particular we do mention that there have been incidents involving Western tourists in Koh Phangan, so there are risks in going anywhere and I think Thailand is certainly not completely trouble free."

Police Colonel Kittakarn Kramomthong, chief of police at the island's station, said officers have arrested a 26-year-old Thai man and confiscated a gun.

The man is expected to be charged with manslaughter, he said.

Koh Phangan is in the south of Thailand

Sky producer Sarah Yuen, who is on the island, said the suspect's first court appearance is likely to be delayed until Thursday while Mr Ashton's body is formally identified.

She added that while Thailand is generally safe, there is an "undercurrent of violence" in parts of the country.

Thai police said Mr Ashton was with a group of friends and 300 other tourists celebrating the countdown to 2013 at a pub and restaurant called the Zoom Bar at Haad Rin beach when he was shot with a homemade gun shortly after 4am on Tuesday.

The Bangkok Post said he was visiting the island with four or five friends and was staying at Pink Bungalow on Haad Rin.

Friends paid tribute to Mr Ashton (Photo: Facebook)

Confirming the identity of the victim, a Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in Thailand on New Year's Eve and we are providing consular assistance to the family."

Friends expressed their shock at Mr Ashton's death and paid tribute to him on social networking sites.

Robbie-Cameron Gray took to Mr Ashton's Facebook page to express his grief and posted a photograph of the two of them as young boys.

He said: "Don't want to believe it. Still got photos of us on my wall from football and school. Will miss you mate."

Aaron Kelly wrote on Facebook: "Horrible news. Be good up there mate."

Neighbour Dawn Mason, 48, described Mr Ashton as a "very normal, likeable young man".

His family moved to the upmarket area of Purley, south London, about three years ago, she said.

"They've always been very nice neighbours.

"If Stephen or his sister Emily had parties, they'd always be at the house with their parents so they knew where they were. I went to the house today and the family just seem in complete shock."

The tropical island of Koh Phangan, situated north of tourist haven Ko Samui in the Gulf of Thailand, is a popular destination for backpackers and students on gap years.

One of the attractions of the island is its monthly full moon party at Haad Rin Beach, and many people know it as the setting for Alex Garland's novel The Beach, which was made into a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

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Shot Teens' Mothers Urge Young To Shun Gangs

The mothers of two teenagers who were shot dead outside a New Year party have used the 10th anniversary of their daughters' deaths to urge young people not to get involved in gangs.

Charlene Ellis, 18, and her cousin, Letisha Shakespeare, 17, were killed by bullets fired from a car outside the Uniseven hair salon in Aston, Birmingham, in the early hours of January 2, 2003.

Charlene's twin sister, Sophie Ellis, and her cousin, Cheryl Shaw, were injured in the shooting.

The victims' mothers, Beverley Thomas and Marcia Shakespeare, called on young people to think about the devastating effect gangs can have on people's lives.

Mrs Thomas told the Birmingham Mail: "My message to youngsters is to think about the impact it has on families, the community and how it affects people closest to the victims.

"Burying your child is something you never expect to have to do as a parent. You expect your children to bury you."

Mrs Shakespeare added: "We have made young people realise, and will continue to make them realise, that there are choices, alternatives to violent crime.

"Young people need to know how being with the wrong people can affect them."

Mrs Thomas and Mrs Shakespeare have fought to help rid the city of gangs and weapons since their daughters' murders.

West Midlands Police said the two women were "inspirational" in their fight against gangs and gun crime.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Wallis said: "They are making young people realise there's a real choice of not having to become involved in gang culture.

"It can only lead to a small number of places - to a hospital, to a prison, or at worst, a funeral."

Four men were convicted of murder and attempted murder over the shooting of the four girls following a five-month trial at Leicester Crown Court.

Nathan Martin, 26, Marcus Ellis, 24, Michael Gregory, 23, and Rodrigo Simms, 20, were all jailed for life.

An appeal by all four men was turned down at Woolwich Crown Court in 2006 and they were refused leave to appeal to the House of Lords.

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Digital Entertainment Sales Smash £1bn Barrier

Digital sales of music, video and games in 2012 exceeded £1bn for the first time, according to official year-end sales figures.

The Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) said a final year-end tally of £1.033bn was reached, giving a digital sales boost of 11.4% year-on-year.

ERA director general Kim Bayley said: "Breaching the £1bn barrier is an incredible achievement for the UK's digital entertainment retailers.

"And reflects their huge investment in new and innovative services which means you can buy music, video and games literally at any time of the day and wherever you are."

Traditional disc sales of CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray and games still account for just over three quarters of the entertainment market, despite falling by 17.6% compared with 2011.

ERA represents entertainment retailers, specialists and independents, as well as supermarkets outlets along with internet and download retailers.

It combines data from three separate sources to collate the industry-wide figures.

The biggest digital sector by far remains games, mainly comprising massive multiplayer online games, social gaming and online console transactions.

Topping £552m, it was worth more than digital sales of music and video combined.

The video sector showed most growth at 20.3% but this reflects the relatively undeveloped nature of the market, according the ERA.

Music's digital growth of 15.1% also stood out as it is the most established of the three markets, with 16 albums selling more than 100,000 digital copies in 2012 and more than 3.7bn audio tracks streamed.

The Official Charts Company said Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye (featuring Kimbra), Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen and Titanium by David Guetta (featuring Sia) were the three most-streamed tracks in 2012.

Ms Bayley added: "At the same time I suspect that many people will be surprised to learn just how resilient the physical business still is - with three-quarters of entertainment sales still on disc.

"Downloads offer convenience and portability, but people still seem to value the quality and tangibility of a physical product."

The news of the £1bn digital barrier breakthrough comes amid a drop in total sales of 12% for physical and digital products compared to a year earlier.

Total sales in 2011 were £4.78bn but sagged to £4.21bn last year.

The ERA said combined game sales dropped 17.4% in 2012 and said a factor in the fall was poor release planning which affected retailers.

"The dearth of attractive releases during summer 2012 was clearly a significant factor," Ms Bayley said.

She added: "Suppliers need to do more to rebalance their release schedules and improve the quality of their releases.

"No retailer can afford to pay overheads on a store for 52 weeks of the year if all the key releases are going to be concentrated in the last quarter."

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Police Hunt Schoolboy After Phone Stabbing

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Detectives are still trying to find a schoolboy wanted after the murder of another youth in a row over a mobile phone.

Police want to interview 15-year-old Dawda Jallow who has been missing since the stabbing on Sunday afternoon.

The victim, Dogan Ismail, 17, died from a single stab wound after a confrontation with four males on the Aylesbury estate in Walworth, South East London.

It is believed he and his elder brother were chased up a walkway before a mobile phone was stolen.

Police have appealed for help in finding Dawda and warned the public not to approach him.

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Bonner said: "I am seeking help from the local community to locate Dawda Jallow.

"I appeal to anyone who knows of his whereabouts, or has any information that could assist us, to come forward.

"If Dawda is seen, please do not approach him but contact police."

DCI Bonner added: "I appeal direct to Dawda to present himself at a police station so this matter can be dealt with."

A small part of a first-floor landing in the estate's Latimer House block was cordoned off. Flowers had been laid there.

A few feet away were flowers left for another murder victim, Shaun Chambers, 21, who died at almost the same spot in a gangland attack in September.

Police say they believe the two attacks are not linked in any way.

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River Search For Teen Who Jumped From Ferry

A search is under way for a 16-year-old boy who went missing after he jumped from a ferry into a river in Cornwall.

Jordan Cobb, from Plymouth, was last seen leaping from the Torpoint ferry into the River Tamar, Devon and Cornwall Police have said.

Brixham Coastguard received a distress call at 9.15pm on Monday reporting that a person was overboard near the ferry's slipway in Torpoint.

Authorities conducted an extensive search for the teenager, and officers are now appealing for information.

Chief Inspector Ian Drummond Smith said: "We are treating Jordan as a high-risk missing person and we are working with the coastguard to try and locate him.

"The river was extensively searched by air and sea for several hours, but there remains a possibility that he managed to swim ashore, and I would ask anyone with information to call the police on 101."

The search for the missing teenager resumed early today.

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New Year Celebrations: UK Welcomes In 2013

Large crowds lined the banks of the River Thames in London and the streets of Edinburgh as the UK welcomed the start of the New Year.

Along the Thames, up to 250,000 people watched a major fireworks display which saw the night sky illuminated with pyrotechnics to round-off a momentous year.

Revellers were able to watch clips from the 2012 Olympic Games during an 11-minute firework display set around the London Eye. Millions more watched it all on television.

In Edinburgh, tens of thousands of people descended on the streets of Scotland's capital for the world-famous Hogmanay celebrations.

Around 75,000 party-goers counted down the last 10 seconds of 2012 before joining in a mass rendition of Auld Lang Syne after the clock struck midnight.

Scottish rockers Simple Minds headlined the Hogmanay concert and street party.

The View, Bwani Junction, Reverend and the Makers and The OK Social Club also played, and fireworks were set off to mark the start of 2013.

Fireworks explode around the London Eye

Pete Irvine, artistic director of the Hogmanay celebrations, said: "I think it's going really well this year. It's really, really busy here tonight - probably busier than we've seen it in some time because the weather is so good."

Following their hard work during the London 2012 Games, more than 150 of the mayor's "Team London Ambassadors" volunteered at the Thames event to help ensure it was a success.

They gave out maps, helped direct people to the viewing areas, and provided guidance and advice on getting home safely.

As daylight broke in London, some 200 clean-up staff cleared 160 tonnes of rubbish left by revellers in Westminster.

The workers took just six hours to clear the streets ahead of today's New Year's Day parade in the city centre.

The Metropolitan Police said 96 arrests were made during Monday night's celebrations, with drunkenness, public disorder and assault the most common offences.

More than 3,500 police supported the organisers and stewards of the event, working alongside colleagues from the British Transport Police and other emergency services to keep revellers safe.

Kisses exchanged during Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh

Chief Inspector John Williams said: "This year saw the viewing areas fill up earlier than ever before with thousands of revellers coming to see in the new year London-style.

"Officers worked hard, alongside the stewards, in very large crowds to keep people safe in what is a challenging policing environment, helping to ensure revellers and visitors alike could make their way home at the end of the night."

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "What an amazing end to an incredible year.

"Watched by hundreds of thousands in the capital and millions around the globe, London has proved, yet again, that it can pull off spectacular world-class events in style."

Today's New Year's Day parade will see a procession of Olympic Games Makers, drummers, stilt walkers and Bolivian dancers greet 2013 as they snake their way through central London.

The New Year celebrations got under way in Edinburgh as early as Sunday night, when a torchlight parade was held.

A record crowd estimated at 35,000, including 7,000 torch carriers, were led by the massed pipes and drums and the Up Helly Aa' Vikings from Shetland.

The procession made its way through the city streets to the burning of the effigy of a Viking boat and a spectacular Son et Lumiere display on Calton Hill.

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Bulging Bill Of Britain's Obesity Epidemic

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

Britain is in the grip of an obesity epidemic costing £5bn a year - and not enough is being done to tackle it, according to the Royal College of Physicians.

A report by the RCP says severely overweight patients are suffering from what it calls "patchy" NHS services and a lack of joined-up thinking from the Government.

Thirty-one-year-old Matthew Briggs, from Strensall, near York, says the NHS was of little help when he weighed more than 31 stone.

Now more than 17 stone lighter, and Slimming World's 2012 champion, he says he was offered slimming pills and a drastic diet.

"They gave me very limited options of what I could have," he said.

"You only see your GP for 15 or 20 minutes (and) you've got an entire week or month before you see them again."

He says he eventually relied on a combination of willpower and encouragement from other overweight people to help him slim down so much he is now training for the London Marathon.

The RCP report calls for teams of specialists to be set up around the country along with a national anti-obesity group similar to Action on Smoking and Health, which is credited with helping to reduce the number of people who smoke.

The authors also want to see an obesity champion in each NHS trust, better training for health care professionals, more research into obesity and help for overweight NHS staff.

With around a quarter of UK adults classed as obese, the report says too many doctors and nurses are seriously overweight and setting a bad example to the people they are trying to treat.

Professor John Wass, academic vice-president of the RCP, said: "Britain is getting bigger and whilst we try to prevent the increase in obesity, we must also prepare the NHS for the influx of patients presenting with severe complex obesity."

A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "We are committed to tackling obesity and are taking action to help people keep a healthy weight and prevent them needing hospital care for obesity-related conditions.

"The medical profession has a key role in providing advice and treatment to people who are overweight or obese, and the Royal College of Physicians can help its members do this."

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Prostate Cancer: Funding Shortfall Charity Warns

Research into the most common male cancer in the UK is chronically underfunded compared with its female equivalent, a charity has warned.

New figures show that although it is the fourth most common cancer overall, prostate cancer lies 20th in the league table of annual cancer research spending.

The figures, published by Prostate Cancer UK, show that breast cancer - the most common female cancer which has a similar death rate as prostate cancer - received more than double the annual research spend.

While breast cancer research received £853 per case diagnosed, prostate cancer research received £417.

Prostate cancer kills one man every hour.

The number of men with the disease is rising and it is predicted to become the most common cancer of all in the UK by 2030, according to Prostate Cancer UK.

The charity has launched a new campaign, the Sledgehammer Fund, which aims to generate cash to support its work to increase research spending into the disease, as well as improve the support men receive.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "As part of our commitment to improving cancer survival, including ensuring better treatments for all patients, we have invested £104m into cancer research over the past year.

"Improving outcomes for men with cancer will be essential in meeting this aim.

"That is why we are investing £35m in the biggest publicly funded clinical trial ever to take place in this country to look at the effectiveness of treatments for prostate cancer."

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Christopher Martin-Jenkins Dies Aged 67

Christopher Martin-Jenkins, the cricket journalist and former president of the Marylebone Cricket Club, has died at the age of 67.

He was diagnosed with terminal cancer a year ago, and passed away on Tuesday morning.

The Test Match Special commentator was given an MBE in 2009, and served as the MCC's president in 2010 and 2011.

The official account of Lord's tweeted: "Former MCC President Christopher Martin-Jenkins has died. Sad, sad news to start the new year."

Former England cricket captain Sir Ian Botham wrote: "Very sad to hear of the death of the 'Major' ... Christopher Martin-Jenkins. Our thoughts are with the family. A true gentleman!"

Wisden editor Lawrence Booth described him as a "warm voice from childhood and beyond".

Graeme Fowler, the former England cricketer, said: "A magnificent writer, broadcaster, and man. The world has lost a gentleman. Cricket has lost a wonderful voice."

Martin-Jenkins was born in Peterborough and had a modest cricketing career before moving into journalism.

He joined the BBC in 1970 as cricket correspondent, and went on to work for the Daily Telegraph and The Times.

His son Robin was a professional cricketer for Sussex until his retirement in 2010, making 162 first class appearances for the county.

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