Terror Hunt: Suspect 'Linked To Al Shabaab'

A suspect who escaped surveillance by changing into a burka on a visit to a mosque has connections to the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab Islamist group in Somalia, according to Sky sources.

Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed, who was last seen at a west London mosque on Friday afternoon, is being hunted by counter-terrorism officers.

He entered the An-Noor Masjid and Community Centre in Church Road, Acton, at 10am, wearing Western-style clothes, but CCTV images issued by Scotland Yard later show him leaving with his face and body fully covered by the traditional Islamic garment.

The venue - where he was last seen at 3.15pm the same day -  said it did not intend to comment.

The wanted man is subject to a Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures notice (Tpim).

Mr Mohamed is not considered a "direct threat", police said.

He was put under surveillance on terrorism prevention and investigation measures due to his connection with the Somalian terror group, which was behind the attack on the Westgate Mall in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on September 21 that killed at least 67 people.

The 27-year-old is understood to have received training and fought overseas for al Shabaab.

A court-imposed anonymity order banning the publication of Mr Mohamed's name has been lifted to allow police to make a public appeal, following an application from Home Secretary Theresa May, who is expected to make a statement to MPs later.

Mr Mohamed is "not considered at this time to represent a direct threat to the public", Scotland Yard said, but anyone who sees him is urged to call 999 immediately.

Security Minister James Brokenshire said: "National security is the Government's top priority and the police are doing everything in their power to apprehend this man as quickly as possible.

"The police and security services do not believe that this man poses a direct threat to the public in the UK.

"The Home Secretary, on police advice, yesterday applied to the High Court for an order protecting anonymity to be lifted in order to assist with their investigation."

Somalia-born Mr Mohamed, who is 5ft 8in tall and of medium build, arrived at the An-Noor Masjid and Community Centre in Church Road, Acton, at 10am on Friday and was last seen there at 3.15pm that day.

He is the second person to breach a Tpim since they were introduced to replace control orders in early 2012.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The Counter Terrorism Command immediately launched inquiries to trace Mr Mohamed and these continue.

"Ports and borders were notified with his photograph and details circulated nationally. Public safety remains our priority."

Pressure is mounting on the Government to explain how the al Qaeda-linked terror suspect escaped surveillance.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper described the matter as "extremely serious".

She told Sky News: "The most important thing is the police and security services have every possible assistance to relocate this man and to make sure that controls can be reinstated.

Another CCTV image shows the burka-clad figure, believed to be Mr Mohamed

"But given that this is the second terror suspect to abscond in the space of just 10 months, we also need to have some answers about the controls that were in place, why they were weakened, and what the full information is."

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman said the "priority" remained to find the suspect.

"Obviously, in all of these types of things, we look at whether there are lessons that can be learnt. But the reasons why the Government introduced the Tpim regime remain the same and the Prime Minister's view about Tpims haven't changed," he said.

Tpims, which include restrictions on overnight residence, travel and finance, are imposed by the Home Secretary who is given access to secret evidence that can not be placed before juries.

They do not allow for the relocation of suspects, as control orders did and unlike control orders, Tpims have a maximum time limit of two years.

Control orders could be extended year on year without limit, while Tpims can be extended after a year for another 12 months before they expire.

As of August 31, there were nine Tpims in force, including eight against British suspects, the latest written update to MPs showed.

Police are still hunting Ibrahim Magag, who absconded in December 2012

Last December, Ibrahim Magag, who is understood to have attended terrorist training camps in Somalia, absconded from a Tpim notice after ripping off his electronic tag. The police search for him is continuing.

The terrorism watchdog warned earlier this year that Tpims could allow those deemed potentially dangerous to be left "free and unconstrained" in the absence of prosecution or new evidence of terrorism-related activity.

David Anderson QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said in his first report on Tpims, that the two-year limit was the "boldest" change from control orders made by the Government, adding that it was "tempting, in the most serious cases, to wish for longer".

However, he concluded that the two years of constraint now permitted were "a very strong power by international or indeed historic British standards".

Mr Brokenshire has defended the measures, describing them as providing a "robust mechanism" to manage suspects and reassure the public.

:: Watch Home Secretary Theresa May's statement to the Commons Live on Sky News at 3.30pm

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Ding Murders: Anxiang Du Pleads Not Guilty

A Chinese businessman has pleaded not guilty to killing a family of four.

Anxiang Du denied four murder charges over the deaths of university lecturer Jifeng "Jeff" Ding, his wife, Ge "Helen" Chui, and their two daughters, Alice, 12, and Xing, 18, on April 29, 2011.

Du, 55, of Coventry, was formally arrested in February after being extradited from Morocco.

He appeared in Northampton Crown Court dressed in a black suit and light coloured shirt and spoke through a translator.

Jifeng Ding with his wife Helen and daughters Xing and Alice

Du's extradition was approved by the Home Office and the Moroccan Ministry of Justice.

He was arrested upon arrival at Heathrow Airport.

A plea hearing scheduled for May was postponed when Du's interpreter failed to turn up.

Mr Justice Julian Flaux called the no-show a "complete disgrace" at the time.

Du was remanded in custody ahead of his trial, which is to start on November 12.

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Junk Food: Families Bought More In Recession

By Adele Robinson, Midlands Correspondent

Families are turning to cheaper, fattier foods to help keep bills down in the wake of the recession, according to researchers.

Studies carried out by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) show that falling incomes and rising prices meant customers were buying more processed foods with increased saturated fat and sugar content.

Families with young children and pensioners were among the worst hit, with researchers also finding that the quality of produce is dropping.

The Food Expenditure and Nutritional Quality over the Great Recession report studied 15,850 households' purchases from 2005 to 2012.

It found that between 2005-07 the average household spent £102 a month per adult.

This fell by £4 (3.9%) on average as the recession struck and by 2010-12 was down by £8.70 (8.5%).

Over the same period, the nutritional quality of food bought declined.

Kate Smith, a research economist at the IFS, said that households have responded to higher food prices and income squeeze by switching to cheaper calories over the recession.

"This has coincided with a fall in the nutritional quality of foods purchased, with moves away from fresh fruit and vegetables and towards processed foods," she said.

"As a result, the average saturated fat and sugar content of food purchases has increased over this period."

A separate report published by the IFS, Gluttony In England? Long-Term Change In Diet, found the average weight of an adult man has increased by 19lb (8.6kg) and the weight of an adult woman by 17lb (7.9kg) but said the cause was a "puzzle".

The study found that despite a rise in consumption of junk food it was not enough to counteract the substantial reduction in the number of calories being bought by households since 1980 - between 15% and 30%.

Calories from alcohol purchases were also down 6.4%, it said.

Melanie Luhrmann, an IFS research associate, said they were surprised to find a substantial decline in total calories purchased at a time when obesity has risen.

"Purchases of snack foods, soft drinks and food out have increased, and now account for a greater share of calories for most households," she said.

"However, calories purchased for consumption at home have declined strongly and account for the bulk of households' food purchases.

"This does not mean that poor diet plays no part in rising obesity.

"But understanding the interaction between diet and physical activity is clearly crucial."

Both reports were funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the European Research Council.

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Mansfield Bodies In Garden: Couple In Court

The daughter and son-in-law of an elderly couple who were found buried in their own garden have appeared in court charged with their murders.

It follows the discovery of the human remains in the back garden of a house in Forest Town in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, on October 9 this year, following a tip-off.

Formal identification has yet to be confirmed, but they are believed to be those of William and Patricia Wycherley, who would now be 100 and 79 respectively.

Police have charged the couple's daughter Susan Patricia Edwards, 55, and her husband, Christopher John Edwards, 57, with killing the pair between May 1 and May 31, 1998.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court for a brief hearing, Mr and Mrs Edwards, of no fixed address, spoke only to confirm their names.

A provisional trial date has been set for June 2 next year.

No application for bail was made and both defendants were remanded in custody to next appear at Nottingham Crown Court on November 15 for a preliminary hearing.

Mr and Mrs Wycherley moved into the address in 1987, but disappeared in 1998, according to neighbours.

Post-mortem tests carried out on the remains have revealed that both people died as a result of being shot.

Mr and Mrs Edwards were arrested at St Pancras International railway station in London on Wednesday evening on suspicion of the murders, Nottinghamshire Police said.

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Young Boy Seriously Hurt In Shooting 'Accident'

A five-year-old boy has been seriously injured after a gun was apparently fired by mistake at his home in Essex.

Police were called to the property in Upper Park Road, Wickford following reports of an incident at 1.20pm on Sunday.

The child was taken to the Royal London Hospital with a serious but not life-threatening injury.

An Essex Police spokeswoman said: "Police are speaking to members of the family to determine the exact circumstances leading up to the incident .

"But (we) believe that this was an accidental discharge of the weapon and inquiries are ongoing."

An 18-year-old man was arrested for possession of a firearm and drug offences and has been released on bail.

The weapon and other legally held firearms were handed over to officers.

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Maidstone Prison 'Riot' Brought Under Control

A "riot" at Maidstone Prison has been brought under control, the Prison Service has said.

Officers from special prison service riot units across the country were called in to deal with the Maidstone incident in a system known as Operation Tornado.

A prison officers union said it had been told the riot involved up to 180 prisoners, but the Prison Service said just 40 inmates took part in the "incident".

Riot units were called to the prison

Prison Officers Association vice chair Ralph Valerio told Sky News negotiators had been sent to the scene in Kent to try to contain the disturbance.

He said he had been told that at one point inmates were smashing up the Thanet Wing at the prison.

Mr Valerio said he had been led to believe that between 160 to 180 foreigners were involved - and some staff could have been assaulted.

Up to 180 foreigners are thought to have taken part in the disturbance

He said prison staff had been forced to retreat to safety. Thanet Wing, where the riot occurred, is separated from the other wings.

Jackie Hipwell, the landlady of a pub nearby, said the whole road in front of the prison was filled with fire engines and riot vans.

She said it started around 4pm and there were so many vehicles deployed she was unable to use the road.

The location of Thanet Wing at Maidstone Prison

A Prison Service spokesperson said later: "An incident involving around 40 prisoners at HMP Maidstone has been successfully resolved with no injuries to staff or prisoners.

"An investigation is under way and the perpetrators will be dealt with appropriately by the prison."

Mr Valerio believes staff shortages and the impact this has had on the prisoners is a possible reason behind the rioting.

Maidstone, with an inmate population of about 600, is a category C training prison that predominantly houses sex offenders from the Kent and Sussex areas.

Its website says it aims to "create a therapeutic environment that supports, embraces and empowers change with a primary focus on risk reduction and protection".

The prison also takes in foreign prisoners with more than 18 months to serve and provides forums with the UK Border Agency.

Kent Police confirmed it was aware of the incident, but a spokeswoman said prison services were dealing with the matter.

Meanwhile, a passive demonstration took place at G4S-run Rye Hill Prison, near Rugby,  involving 60 inmates. However, this was resolved peacefully and was not linked to the Maidstone riot.

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Miliband: 'Pay Living Wage For £1,000 Tax Break'

Businesses that sign up to paying the living wage will be given a 12 month tax break worth up to £1,000 per worker under plans unveiled by Ed Miliband.

The Labour leader has pledged to introduce the contracts to raise wages for millions of low-paid workers if he takes the keys to No 10 at the general election.

At a speech next week Mr Miliband will warn that Britain risks "an era of growth without prosperity" as wages stagnate while household costs continue to rise.

"Ordinary families are doing much worse than the averages would suggest because people at the top continue to enjoy faster wage rises than everyone else," he will say.

"For ordinary families to keep up, we don't need average wages to just creep higher than prices. That will still leave millions of people worse off.

"We need the kind of strong increases in wages that will genuinely make people all across Britain better off. Wages for millions of families have been stagnant or in decline for far too long now.

"Low wages aren't just bad for working people and their families. They are driving up the social security bill too, as the country has to subsidise more and more low paid jobs with tax credits and benefits.

"So to those who say we can't afford to do anything about wages in our country today: I say we can't afford not to. The Tories are indifferent to millions of families being locked into a permanent cycle of low wages and poverty."

Mr Miliband will declare that any extra savings in lower tax credits and benefit payments, along with increased tax revenues in future years, would be used to cut social security bills and help pay down the deficit.

The living wage is £8.55 per hour in London and £7.45 in the rest of the UK although that will be uprated tomorrow.

Last year there were 4.8 million people who earned less than the living wage, up 1.4 million in just the last four years.

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Spy Cameras Target Illegal School-Run Parking

CCTV-style cameras are being used by councils to catch school-run parents who park illegally when dropping off or picking up their children.

A number of local authorities are trialling the technology with the aim of improving road safety outside schools.

The cameras are able to read the licence plates of vehicles stopping in prohibited areas.

It then "zooms out" to capture relevant parking signs, and sends a "video evidence pack" to the local authority for review, before automatically generating a penalty notice.

The manufacturer, Videalert, says the system provides councils with a more cost-effective alternative to mobile enforcement vehicles, equipped with cameras, to issue fines to offenders.

Five councils in London and at least two outside the capital are involved in the trial, according to The Sunday Times.

It reveals that the London Borough of Enfield is one of those involved.

But the use of the technology is set to come under fire from critics, already concerned that cameras are being used by authorities to raise cash from motorists.

According to the insurance industry, more than 1,000 children a month are injured on local roads near schools.

David Richmond, CEO of Videalert said: "This next-generation system is based on the same technology used for complex moving traffic offences, such as banned turns and box junctions.

"It will help to reduce the number of accidents that are happening outside our schools every day.

"We believe that the introduction of this technology is in line with Communities Secretary Eric Pickle's position on concentrating enforcement efforts on areas, such as outside schools, where children's safety has become a major issue due to people parking negligently."

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Bangladesh Death Sentence For UK Muslim Leader

A Muslim leader living in London has been sentenced to death after being found guilty of war crimes in his native Bangladesh.

Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, who was involved in setting up the Muslim Council of Britain, was sentenced in his absence at a special war crimes tribunal in his home country.

Before the sentence was handed down, Mr Mueen-Uddin said on his website that although he opposed Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan at the time, he was not involved in any crimes.

He said he had "no confidence that I will receive a fair hearing in a tribunal already accused of judicial and procedural misconduct".

Alongside New York-based Ashrafuzzaman Khan he was found guilty of abducting and murdering 18 people in December 1971, during the country's fight for independence against Pakistan.

The dead included nine university teachers, six journalists and three physicians.

Senior judge Obaidul Hassan told the packed court in Dhaka: "Justice will not be done if they are not awarded capital punishment."

Prosecutors accused the pair, who fled Bangladesh after it gained independence from Pakistan, of being "high command" members of the notorious Al Badr militia that supported Pakistani forces during the war.

Tribunal-appointed lawyers for them denied the charges against them. No defence witnesses were called during the trial held earlier this year.

The tribunal has now convicted 10 people, mostly leaders of the country's largest Islamic party the Jamaat-e-Islami, for war crimes, with seven of them sentenced to death by hanging. At least another eight are on trial.

The trials have sparked protests throughout the Muslim-majority country, leaving at least 150 people dead since January when the court started handing down their verdicts.

Jamaat claims the trials are politically motivated and accuses the secular government of trying to execute its entire leadership.

The government says the trials are needed to heal the wounds of the conflict.

Mr Mueen-Uddin, who came to the UK in 1973, has held positions in a host of top Islamic organisations, among them the Muslim Council of Britain - the country's largest umbrella group representing Muslims.

The Home Office was unable to confirm if an extradition request had been made for Mr Mueen-Uddin who holds dual UK and Bangladesh citizenship.

A spokesman said: "As a matter of long standing policy and practice the UK will neither confirm nor deny whether an extradition request has been made or received until such time as a person is arrested in relation to that request."

It is, however, convention that the UK does not extradite to countries that have the death penalty.

When contacted on his mobile phone, Mr Mueen-Uddin hung up after saying: "I'm not taking any calls."

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'Plebgate' Officers Facing New Investigation

Three police officers accused of deceiving MPs over the so-called Plebgate scandal are to face a new investigation by the police watchdog.

Inspector Ken MacKaill, Detective Sergeant Stuart Hinton and Sergeant Chris Jones will also be called back before an influential committee of MPs, over claims they gave misleading accounts of a meeting with Andrew Mitchell.

The trio were initially told they would face no action for misconduct after they used press interviews to falsely accuse the former chief whip of calling them "******* plebs" during a Downing Street row over his bicycle.

But the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has now said it will hold an investigation into their behaviour, saying the evidence they gave to the home affairs select committee revealed "a number of procedural irregularities" in earlier police reports.

The confrontation was caught on CCTV and shown on Channel 4

Speaking on Sky News' Murnaghan show, former shadow home secretary David Davis spoke about the "devastating" impact of the officers' actions on Mr Mitchell and his family.

He called for him to be returned to the cabinet, in which he served between 2010 and 2012, in any future reshuffle.

"Mr Mitchell's career came to an end and he was subject to widespread vilification," he said.

"At one point, the entire British public thought he was guilty. They now see him, quite rightly, as a wronged man.

"It's long past time that Mr Mitchell should be exonerated and returned to office."

The row had a "devastating" impact on Mr Mitchell, according to Mr Davis

The policemen, all of whom are police federation representatives, have been recalled to the home affairs select committee to apologise for giving "misleading answers" on October 23.

Mr Davis said members of the public expected "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth to be at the core of policing".

"When are (these three officers) going to realise that telling a lie or a half truth just isn't good enough?" he said.

"This isn't just about three policemen - it's about whether or not this sort of behaviour is seen as acceptable by the entire system."

Chief Constable Alex Marshall, chief executive of the College of Policing, told the Murnaghan show that the officers' actions had "damaged the public image of the police".

"There will now be a full, independent investigation by the IPCC and it's my view that there should have been from the start," he said.

"The officers should have apologised and they should have apologised very clearly."

Referring to a draft code of ethics published last month by the College of Policing, which outlined how all 220,000 police officers and staff in England and Wales are expected to behave, he added: "Officers must uphold high standards when they join the police.

"The code of ethics spells out those standards and for people joining the police service, (it should be) lesson one on day one."

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