UK 'Summers Of Rain': Climate Change Warning

Global warming could lead to more extreme bursts of summer downpours and increase the risk of flash flooding in Britain, experts have warned.

A study by the Met Office and Newcastle University has examined how climate change could result in heavier summer rainfall.

Published in the Nature and Climate Change journal, the report said: "Short duration rain events are predicted to intensify during the summer months in the southern United Kingdom.

"This predicted increase means more events would exceed the Met Office and Environment Agency Flood Forecasting Centre guidance threshold for serious flash flooding."

The landmark study highlights how short bursts of heavy rainfall triggered devastating flooding in the north Cornwall town of Boscastle in 2004.

Boscastle was hit by flash flooding in the summer 2004

Around 100 people were airlifted to safety, 58 properties were flooded and four businesses were demolished.

In the aftermath the Environment Agency created an £800,000 flood defence scheme and North Cornwall District Council gave the go-ahead for a £4.5m flood defence project for the village.

Researchers say the report is significant because previous climate models have not been able to work out the effect on extreme hourly rainfall in the warmer months.

To improve the resolution of their model, researchers in this latest experiment used smaller grid spacings than normal, providing it with more detailed research.

The report adds that previous interpretations of future regional climate change scenarios should be revisited, as changes in these types of rain events could have been underestimated.

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Madeleine Search: UK Cops Arrive At Scrubland

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 10:22am UK, Monday 02 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

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Stephen Lawrence: Probe Into Officer's Conduct

A police chief is being investigated over claims he met an undercover officer who spied on Stephen Lawrence's family.

The conduct of Metropolitan Police Commander Richard Walton is the focus of the probe by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which said he had been accused of "discreditable conduct and breaches of honesty and integrity".

The police watchdog said it had launched an investigation into allegations that he obtained information about the teenager's family and their supporters "potentially undermining the inquiry (into Stephen's murder) and public confidence".

Mr Walton was temporarily removed from his post as head of the counter-terrorism command SO15 in March following a report into the original Stephen Lawrence murder investigation.

The Ellison report revealed an undercover officer, known only as N81, had been planted among supporters of the Lawrence family at the time of the Macpherson inquiry into racism in the Metropolitan Police.

Doreen Lawrence, Mr Lawrence's mother, and his father Neville

In 1988, Mr Walton, who was then an acting detective inspector working on Scotland Yard's Lawrence review team, responsible for making submissions to the judicial inquiry, met N81, the report found.

The "spy in the camp" fed back information about the Lawrence family to the upper levels of the Metropolitan Police, the report by the barrister Mark Ellison QC concluded.

Allegations of discreditable conduct have also been made against two former officers - then-detective inspector Robert Lambert and Commander Colin Black.

The pair were identified in the review as having played a part in facilitating the meeting with the undercover officer. The IPCC will also be investigating their conduct.

Mr Walton said: "I welcome the decision to investigate this matter independently and the IPCC will have my full support."

Mr Lawrence, 18, was killed by a gang of racists who stabbed him as he waited for a bus in Eltham, southeast London on April 22, 1993.

The police investigation into his death was marred by incompetence and allegations of racism, and it took 19 years to bring any of his murderers to justice.

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Harris Denies 'Deliberate Lie' To Sex Trial

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter, at Southwark Crown Court

Entertainer Rolf Harris has deliberately lied in his sex trial, jurors have been told, after new video evidence was shown to the court.

Harris, 84, said last week he had never been to Cambridge - where an alleged assault took place - until four years ago for an exhibition of his paintings.

But evidence was shown to the court which showed him being in the university city in 1978, taking part in a programme called Star Games.

The trial has heard the alleged victim was around 14 when she claimed Harris touched her bottom when he took part in an It's a Knockout style event held in Cambridge.

In the footage seen by jurors Harris was described as being the captain of the theatre team as it took part in the game show, with prosecutor Sasha Wass QC saying he "was jumping up and down like a kangaroo".

Harris arrives at Southwark Crown Court

His teammates included Dr Who star Colin Baker, actress Rula Lenska and seventies comedian Robin Askwith.

Ms Wass added the video "supported everything the witness had said... apart from the year - she got that wrong".

Ms Wass added: "You told the jury last week with such confidence that you had never been to Cambridge until four years ago. That was a deliberate lie."

Harris replied: "No, it wasn't. I didn't find out it was Cambridge until I saw the video.

"None of the performers knew they were in Cambridge."

The video began with aerial shots of Cambridge and was introduced by Michael Aspel welcoming viewers to he city.

After it was screened, Ms Wass said:"You didn't know you were in Cambridge? Michael Aspel knew."

Harris said: "We all went on a coach and were deposited on a green with changing rooms."

Ms Wass continued: "You deliberately lied to mislead the jury."

Harris said: "I'd forgotten the event."

Ms Wass said: "It was a deliberate lie."

Harris said: "No, a lapse of memory."

He again insisted that all of the women who have given evidence against him had lied.

At one point the judge rebuked Harris after he threw a question back at the prosecution, telling him: "This is not a verbal joust."

The artist's daughter Bindi Nicholls, 50, also gave evidence, telling how she was once "best friends" with the main complainant in the trial.

Mrs Nicholls told the court she had been delighted that the woman went on holiday with her and the Harris family in 1978. 

When asked by defence QC Sonia Woodley if she had ever seen her friend "looking flustered, or any change in her behaviour during the holiday," she replied she had not.

The woman has told the court she was groped by Harris as she stepped out of a shower and when he wrapped her in a towel on the beach during the trip.

Mrs Nicholls said of the alleged beach incident: "That would be weird. You put a towel around little people not a grown teenager, they would dry themselves.

"That would be strange, odd. I can't see that happening at all."

She added:"My dad doesn't like going on the beach. He hates sunbathing. He maybe goes snorkelling."

Harris denies 12 counts of indecent assault on four women aged between seven and eight years old and 19 between 1968 and 1986.

The trial continues.

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Hodgson In World Cup National Anthem Pledge

Manager Roy Hodgson has promised his England players will belt out the national anthem at the World Cup in Brazil.

England's footballers have been criticised for not singing God Save The Queen with as much passion as their compatriots in other sports, most notably rugby.

Wayne Rooney did not sing the national anthem at the start of his England career while Gary Neville, now an England coach, refused to join in.

He said he preferred "focusing on the match" instead.

Hodgson: 'We're proud to be wearing the England shirt'

But Hodgson, who has been England boss for two years, is adamant all his team should sing the anthem before kick-off.

"You very rarely play an international match against opponents and they haven't got their hands on their hearts and singing their anthem as loud as they can," he said.

"We've made a decision that that's what we're going to do, too, because we are proud, we are happy to be wearing that England shirt."

As his 23-man squad contains 12 players who were not part of Euro 2012, Hodgson will remind them they must sing along this summer.

Wayne Rooney hasn't always sung the national anthem before games

"Perhaps we need to remind them as the squad has changed so much," he said.

"I think we're great until the second verse comes along because we don't really know that."

After warm-up games against Ecuador and Honduras in Miami this week, England will take on Italy in their World Cup opener in Manaus on June 14.

England's departure on Sunday was hit by a moment of farce when comedian Simon Brodkin gatecrashed the party as they arrived at Luton Airport.

Simon Brodkin is escorted away by a security man

Brodkin was pictured attempting to mingle with England's players and staff as they waited for the luggage to be removed from their coach.

Dressed in an identical suit to those worn by the England party, he spent several moments with them before being spotted by captain Steven Gerrard, at which point he was removed by security staff.

Meanwhile, the final test event has been held at the unfinished stadium which will host the World Cup opener between Brazil and Croatia on June 12.

The Itaquerao, also known as the Arena de Sao Paulo

Around 70,000 fans are expected at the Itaquerao in Sao Paulo but just 37,000 attended the trial match between Corinthians and Botafogo on Sunday.

Only one of the temporary stands added for the inaugural World Cup game could be used because of safety concerns.

There were no problems inside or outside the stadium, although the match was briefly interrupted after balloons released by fans made it onto the pitch.

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Nurse Rui Li's Husband Charged With Murder

The husband of nurse Rui Li, who was discovered dead in a car in Bournemouth, has been charged with her murder, police say.

Pierre Legris, 60, will appear before Bournemouth Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Legris's 26-year-old son, also from Bournemouth, remains in custody after Dorset Police were given additional time to question him.

Officers discovered the body of 44-year-old Ms Li "concealed within a silver Fiat Punto", along Verwood Crescent in north Bournemouth on Friday - some four miles from her home in Burnham Drive.

Her distinctive Porsche Boxter, with the personalised number plate L1 RUI, was found outside a property in Wolverton Road.

She was last seen by her 18-year-old daughter more than a week ago and reported missing on Tuesday.

Detective Inspector Marcus Hester, of the major crime investigation team, said: "Family Liaison Officers have updated Rui's daughter with these developments - clearly, this is a very difficult time for her as she tries to come to terms with the loss of her mother."

The scene where Ms Li's body was found

He also continued to appeal for friends and family to come forward so detectives could "build a full picture" of her lifestyle.

"This latest development does not mean we do not want to hear from members of the public if they have any information that could help with the investigation into Rui Li's death," he said.

"We still very much want to hear from anyone who may have any information about what happened to Rui Li."

Formal identification has not yet taken place and the inquest will be opened in due course, police said.

Ms Li was last seen alive by her 18-year-old daughter, Lu Yao, at her home on May 23.

Miss Yao had previously made an emotional appeal for her "loving mum" to get in touch, saying: "My mum is a very conscientious and caring nurse and never lets anyone down."

Detectives said Ms Li moved to the UK from China a decade ago and had worked at Poole General Hospital since 2009.

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Taxi Law Change 'Puts Women At Higher Risk'

By Anushka Asthana, Sky Political Correspondent

Women are being placed at a higher risk of assault because of Government plans to allow minicab drivers to lend their private hire vehicles to family and friends when they are off duty, it has been warned.

The Local Government Association and charities are calling for plans - which have been introduced into the deregulation bill - to be halted.

They say the reform was slipped into the legislation at the "eleventh hour" with "little consultation". They want the clause deleted - a move being supported by the Labour party. 

The law already exists in London but this change will apply to the rest of England and Wales. 

At present minicabs outside the capital can only be legally driven by someone licensed through the council - who has undergone criminal, medical and background checks.

But under the new law, drivers will be able to loan their cars to anyone they choose. The idea is to help drivers by allowing family members to use their cars - as many can't afford a second vehicle.

But campaigners say it could be used by sexual predators to target victims. "We know that posing as a legitimate minicab driver is the preferred method of some quite dangerous sexual predators and we know that from the statistics in London where sexual assaults by bogus minicab drivers are worryingly high," said Rachel Griffin, director of the Suzy Lamplugh trust - which campaigns for better personal safety.

There are fears unlicensed drivers will target passengers

Councillor David Simmonds, of the LGA, added: "If we are seeing licenced vehicles that may be driven by someone other than the legitimate driver you won't know when you come out of a nightclub late at night perhaps after a few drinks whether the person who is driving that cab... is someone you can trust."

The fear is that unlicensed drivers will target vulnerable individuals who are frail or drunk using the vehicles.

Ministers say the change has been tried and tested in London. But the LGA says unlicensed vehicles are the scourge of the capital.

There were taxi-related sexual assaults across Britain last year including in places such as Cardiff, Birmingham and Nottingham. There were 37 in Manchester. In London there were 71 between April and November. The figures are not collected everywhere, so not available in comparable form.

Campaigners are asking why they can't simply allow drivers to nominate one other driver within their family, rather than having a free for all.

Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said: "The Deregulation Bill will not put taxi passengers at risk and drivers will continue to have their backgrounds routinely checked. Councils will have strong tools to assess drivers' and operators' suitability and to carry out enforcement activity.

"The Disclosure and Barring Service will allow licensing authorities to discover any new convictions during the lifetime of a driver's licence."

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One Direction's Liam Payne Sorry For 'Joint' Video

One Direction star Liam Payne has admitted the boy band has a "lot of growing up to do" after a video emerged appearing to show two of his bandmates joking about smoking an "illegal substance".

The star tweeted an apology to fans on Saturday and admitted that "things have gone a little sideways".

The video, obtained by MailOnline, appears to show band members Zayn Malik, 21, and Louis Tomlinson, 22, sharing a rolled up cigarette in the back of a car as they are driven through Peru.

The band's spokesman told Sky News the matter was being handled by their lawyers.

Zayn Malik allegedly smoked marijuana

One Direction are currently on their Where We Are tour in the UK and are due to play at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Sunday night.

"I love my boys and maybe things have gone a little sideways I apologise for that. We are only in our 20s we all do stupid things at this age," Payne wrote.

"We all have a lot of growing up to do in an extreme circumstance I'm not making excuse but it's fact we are gunna fall short somewhere," he added.

Payne is often outspoken on Twitter

Since their debut on ITV's X Factor talent show One Direction, which also includes members Harry Styles and Niall Horan, has become one of the biggest boy bands on the planet.

Earlier this month they were named the fourth wealthiest musicians in the Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated fortune of £14m each and a combined wealth of £70m.

Payne has often tweeted about the pressures of fame and being scrutinised by the media.

Earlier this year he was forced to apologise after posting a photograph on Twitter showing him standing on a ledge of a skyscraper 34 floors above the ground.

He wrote on Saturday: "Hopefully we stand the test of time an get it right in the end I don't take this for granted and I'm extremely grateful to be here doing this."

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Workplace Pensions Shake-Up 'Could Boost Funds'

Radical changes to workplace pensions are set to be unveiled in the Queen's Speech this week, with supporters claiming the shake-up could boost retirement incomes by thousands of pounds.

Staff will be able to put their money into Dutch-style "collective pensions", which are shared with thousands of other members.

They are regarded by many as a better investment because they are less vulnerable to stock market variations.

The changes, which could be in place as early as 2016, are designed to give better value for pensioners.

Pensions Minister Steve Webb has described the collective schemes, also known as "mega funds", as "some of the best in the world".

Mr Webb told The Sunday Telegraph the key advantage was "pooling risk" of investments performing worse than expected across large numbers of people of different ages, "just like car insurance or the NHS".

The Queen delivers her speech at the State Opening of Parliament in 2013

"It gives people greater certainty and probably better value," he said.

However, critics of the model have warned that pensioners only have a "target" for what they will get in retirement, rather than a guarantee as is the case with a fixed annuity.

Pensioners could in some cases see their incomes fall if the collective fund's investments do not generate the expected profits.

The plan is based on schemes in the Netherlands and Scandanavia.

But some Dutch politicians have recently called for the pensions to be scrapped in favour of British-style individual pensions.

A new bill scrapping tax rules that have stopped pensioners taking more than a quarter of their savings in a cash lump sum will also be included in the Queen's Speech.

Other legislation expected includes:

:: A crackdown on highly paid civil servants and NHS executives getting large redundancy pay-offs before taking similar jobs within a year of leaving their posts.

:: Tax free childcare worth up to £2,000 per child for families where both parents have jobs.

:: A bill to change trespass laws to allow shale gas exploration firms to drill beneath private property without requiring permission from the owner.

:: The Queen's Speech is also expected to contain measures to support further oil and gas developments in the North Sea, and for more major roads to be built.

:: A "Recall Bill" allowing voters to sack their elected MPs, although this has been subject to disagreements inside the coalition.

Legislation for a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union will not be included, amid opposition from the Liberal Democrats.

David Cameron is instead expected to promise he will use the Parliament Act to overrule the House of Lords and force a bill from a backbench Tory MP into law.

On the eve of setting out its legislative agenda, the coalition has been accused of running out of steam less than a year before the general election.

Labour has released figures claiming the coalition has become a "zombie government", with MPs debating fewer bills last year than at any time since 1950.

Treasury Minister Nicky Morgan rejected this, telling the Murnaghan programme the Queen's Speech will prove the government is "full of ideas".

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Jungle Search For Missing Briton Stepped Up

Search teams looking for a British man missing in the Malaysian jungle have been promised every available resource to help find him.

Gareth Huntley disappeared on Tuesday on a trek to a waterfall in the jungles of Tioman Island, off the peninsula's east coast.

His mother, who flew out to Malaysia on Saturday, said police had been "incredibly slow" to react.

Gareth Huntley and his mum, Janet Southwell, who has flown to Malaysia

However, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, who is also in Malaysia and has discussed the case with his counterpart Hishammuddin Hussein, has been told "all available search assets" will be used to hunt for the 34-year-old.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "He was assured the Malaysian authorities would do all they could to locate him."

Volunteers and local people have been into the jungle to search for Mr Huntley but have so far been unable to find him.

Mr Huntley's girlfriend, Kit Natariga, has appealed for extra help

A professional search team including a helicopter crew, 10 paramilitary commandos and eight firefighters has now been assembled.

Sniffer dogs and patrol boats will also be used to help trace the accountant, who lives in Hackney, east London.

Sky's Darren McCaffrey, outside the Foreign Office, said: "There has been talk of the British actively getting involved in the search too.

"There are specialist military personnel based in nearby Brunei but so far that hasn't been offered or indeed requested by the Malaysian authorities."

The stepped-up response comes after Mr Huntley's friends and family criticised the way authorities had responded to his disappearance.

His mother, Janet Southwell, wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister, urging him to intervene "before time runs out".

Friend Sophie Wilson added: "(The police) have been incredibly lethargic ... they're just not taking this seriously."

Gareth's brother Mark said "real action" was needed and called for "boots on the ground".

The Briton's disappearance is described as out of character

"This was a man working out there as a wildlife volunteer - he deserves our assistance," he said.

Mr Huntley's family have since said they are "hugely grateful" to David Cameron and Mr Hammond for their intervention.

The Briton had been working for the Juara Turtle Project, a conservation charity on Tioman Island.

He told friends he would return from the jungle on Tuesday afternoon but has not been seen since setting off earlier in the day.

Ms Southwell described her son's disappearance as "totally out of character".

"He just would not do it," he said. "He knows there are too many people who care (about him) and love him."

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