Written By Unknown on Senin, 23 Maret 2015 | 20.14
A new limited edition £5 note has been launched - the first in Britain to be made from plastic as paper banknotes start to be phased out.
The note was commissioned by Clydesdale Bank and is available, initially, from its branches only.
The fiver is the first fully polymer banknote to enter circulation in Great Britain, following in the footsteps of Northern Bank of Northern Ireland, which issued a £5 polymer note to commemorate the year 2000.
The Bank of England is due to begin introducing polymer £5 and £10 notes next year.
They are designed to boost durability and combat fraud.
It is estimated that a polymer note will last 2.5 times longer than a traditional cotton paper version but it will remain vulnerable to extreme heat.
New Bank of England notes are due in a year's time
Clydesdale said its two million notes were being launched to coincide with the 125th anniversary of the opening of the Forth Bridge.
It also features a portrait of prominent Scottish engineer Sir William Arrol, whose company oversaw the construction and other famous Scottish landmarks including the giant Titan Crane in Clydebank.
The new £5 note, which is smaller than existing notes of that denomination, has been designed by De La Rue.
Clydesdale is among three Scottish banks which have the power to introduce their own notes.
In terms of innovation, the bank said: "In a first for UK currency, the note will include a Spark Orbital security feature.
"This appears as shiny ink in the shape of Scotland over a transparent window which changes colour as the note is moved and tilted."
Debbie Crosbie, acting chief executive of Clydesdale, added: "Our new polymer notes are more durable and secure, which will deliver a positive impact for the public and businesses."
Five-year-old Ashya King's life has been saved by specialist proton beam therapy, not available for him on the NHS, his parents have said.
Naghmeh and Brett King, who sparked an international manhunt last summer by removing their son from a UK hospital without medical consent for brain tumour treatment abroad, told The Sun newspaper Ashya was now cancer-free.
However, the Czech clinic where Ashya was treated have said there is no guarantee he will not suffer a relapse.
Director Iva Tatounova told Sky News: "We haven't seen the scans that you are talking about first of all.
"Second of all, nobody will ever say somebody is 100% cancer free, so we have to be very cautious about that as well.
Video:Proton Cancer Treatment Explained
"But we have treated more than 60 children here in Prague with brain tumours and all of the kids are doing very well."
Mrs King described Ashya's recovery as "a miracle".
"If we had left Ashya with the NHS in Britain, he would not be with us today," she told The Sun.
"He was too weak and would not have survived."
Video:Inside The Proton Beam Centre
Ashya was finally allowed to undergo treatment at the Proton Therapy Centre (PTC) in Prague for brain cancer after a long legal battle fought by his parents.
Mr King said his son's condition now justifies their actions in taking him from Southampton General Hospital last August, to Spain where they have a holiday home.
He said: "We have saved his life", adding that they would do the same thing again if they felt they had to.
The Kings were arrested in Spain and spent several nights in prison away from their son, before being released.
Video:October 2014: Interview With Kings
A High Court judge approved the move to take Ashya to Prague for proton therapy, which the PTC said is more effective than the radiotherapy Ashya was being offered on the NHS.
It limits the collateral damage of radiation to other vital organs, such as the heart and liver in Ashya's case.
This would lead to less severe long-term side-effects including heart and breathing problems.
The therapy was not available for him on the NHS, although the health service later agreed to fund Ashya's treatment.
Video:NHS Sending Cancer Patients To U.S.
The family, who have previously spoken of their apprehension over returning to the UK for fear social services would get involved, are staying in Marbella where Ashya will continue his recovery.
The Sun quoted a report from the PTC as saying the oncology department "could speculate that Proton Therapy received could be sufficient to sterilise sites of possible future relapses of the tumour and chemotherapy could deteriorate the quality of life of Ashya".
A 23-year-old man charged under the Dangerous Dogs Act after the death of a woman is due to appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court today.
Police were called to a house in the Ely area of Cardiff on Friday night after a 64-year-old woman suffered serious injuries when she was attacked by a dog.
Despite attempts by officers and paramedics to save her, the woman later died at the University Hospital of Wales.
The 23-year-old has been charged with two offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
A 17-year-old man who was also arrested in connection with the attack is on police bail.
Superintendent Andy Valentine, of South Wales Police, said: "This is a tragic incident, which I know will shock and upset the local community.
"The woman's family are understandably extremely distressed and are being supported by specially trained police officers.
"I would like to reassure local residents that this is an isolated incident and a thorough police investigation into what happened on Friday is being conducted.
"I would also like to thank the local community for their support and co-operation during the investigation so far."
Prison conditions are as bad as they were at the time of the Strangeways riots 25 years ago, a former lord chief justice has warned.
Lord Woolf - who led the inquiry into trouble at the Manchester jail - said the system is in crisis again and called for an investigation into the state of Britain's prisons.
Lord Woolf, previously England's most senior judge, said: "There are things that are better now than then but I fear we've allowed ourselves to go backwards and we're back where we were at the time of Strangeways.
"For a time after the riot things were much better and numbers were going down.
Unfortunately prisoners are again being kept in conditions that we should not tolerate, they're a long way from home and their families can't keep in touch with them - a whole gamut of things that need to be done and that's why I would welcome a thorough re-look at the situation and above all trying to take prisons out of politics."
Two people died, hundreds more were injured and much of Strangeways prison was destroyed during violence which lasted for 25 days in April 1990.
Lord Woolf's report into the disturbance was seen as a landmark moment in the history of Britain's prisons.
Lord Woolf led the inquiry into the Strangeways riot
It identified dilapidated, overcrowded and insanitary conditions as the main underlying causes of trouble.
Lord Woolf made his latest intervention on BBC Inside Out North West, which will be broadcast tonight.
He said more needs to be done to stop prisoners from turning to crime again once they are released.
Last week a parliamentary report warned government cuts and reforms to the prisons system in England and Wales have made a "significant contribution" to a deterioration in safety over the last two years.
The cross-party House of Commons Justice Committee voiced "grave concern" over increases in assaults on staff and inmates, suicides, self-harm and indiscipline in prisons between 2012 and 2014.
Prisons Minister Andrew Selous said: "This Government has considerably increased the adult male prison capacity from the level inherited at the end of the last parliament.
"All prisons have safe population levels and published statistics show that crowding is at its lowest levels since 2007/08.
"Staffing levels were agreed with both prison governors and the unions at the outset, and prison officers have done an excellent job during a period when the prison population has unpredictably risen."
Former Premier League footballer Clarke Carlisle has pleaded guilty to a drink-driving offence.
Still bearing the facial scars from a suicide attempt that left him in a coma until mid-January, the 35-year-old spoke clearly as he stood in the dock at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court in north London.
Carlisle, who was smartly dressed in a grey wool suit, admitted failing to provide a sample on 20 December, two days before the attempted suicide.
The former Professional Footballers' Association chairman also pleaded guilty to a charge of driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence on the same date.
Prosecutor Zahid Hussain said police officers spotted a Mercedes travelling in an "erratic" manner.
Deputy District Judge Margaret Dodds told Carlisle he would "inevitably" be disqualified when he is sentenced at the same court on 14 May.
The judge ordered that reports be made after being told about his medical situation.
Carlisle was spotted "swerving" his Mercedes and almost hitting a lorry on Pentonville Road, north London, at around 7am.
The car was seen "swerving in the lane, to the pavement on the nearside, almost mounting the pavement", Mr Hussain told the court, adding that the tyres were "grinding on the curb".
Officers could smell alcohol on Carlisle's breath when they stopped and spoke to him, Mr Hussain said.
Carlisle in action for Northampton Town in 2013
Carlisle did not blow long enough into the breathalyser when he was tested, the court heard.
He was taken to Islington police station but did not cooperate and said: "Sergeant, I would like to speak to my counsel first."
The court heard Carlisle had been involved in exess-drinking offences in 1999 and 2011.
Krystelle Wass, defending Carlisle, said: "Two days after the incident Mr Carlisle attempted suicide, which is why matters have taken some time to come to court."
She added there were "ongoing mental health issues".
Carlisle was told by the judge he would get credit for his early guilty plea, but noted he has a "bad record".
He was released on unconditional bail and did not want to make any comment outside of court.
The case had been adjourned after Carlisle jumped into the path of a 12-ton lorry on the A64 near York.
The former Burnley, Blackpool, Leeds United and Watford defender said he felt he "had to die" after losing his job as an ITV pundit, going on a gambling spree and being charged with the drink-driving offence.
:: If you feel suicidal or vulnerable, click here to contact the Samaritans or call 08457 90 90 90.
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 22 Maret 2015 | 20.14
By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent
Families of soldiers killed fighting for the British military have said the sacrifice of their loved ones should be acknowledged in the General Election.
A letter sent to the leaders of the main political parties by some 60 families said they had been "swept under the carpet" and asked for five pledges in their election manifestos.
Among their requests is a commitment to hold an Afghan inquiry and to give the next Defence Minister responsibility for bereaved families as part of their portfolio.
Julie Philips' lost her husband Michael in Sierra Leone
The letter also demands a review of the Armed Forces Covenant and military wills.
"We believe this is essential in demonstrating your commitment to those who have been prepared to lay down their lives for the greater good of our country," the letter reads.
Video:UK Troops To Help In Anti-IS Fight
"The families left behind and to future generations prepared to make those same selfless sacrifices as their commitment to our country and its people."
Lucy Aldridge's son William was killed in Afghanistan in 2009. Rifleman Aldridge was the youngest British soldier to die in the conflict. She is one of the signatories.
"There is nobody there. There is no recognition that there is a lack of support and has been for decades. Successive governments have forgotten about us," she said.
"Because deaths in the military are so often sudden and violent, bereaved families can suffer from a very acute form of depression after the loss of their loved ones. We feel there is very little understanding of that from the authorities we turn to for help."
The group wants politicians to recognise that their situation is unique.
Julie Philips' husband Michael was the only British soldier killed in Sierra Leone.
She said: "We do need the support. It's not just about financial support. It's about having somebody there who can oversee and say right, these forces families have all been through the same thing.
"It doesn't matter if it is Iraq, Afghan, an accident, or suicide. If there was support there, then more families could come together."
Families of dead soldiers are often subject to intense media attention at the time. They have to watch the coffin return in a public repatriation which is often broadcast on television, and must attend an inquest into their death often months if not years after the event.
Many of them have created an informal forum on Facebook to share advice and support. There is no official Government or Military equivalent.
Unable to cope with her loss, Ms Aldridge attempted suicide in 2013.
"It isn't just our loved ones who serve, we serve too," she said.
Video:Last Brits Leave Helmand
"We're the ones pacing the floor when they're deployed. We're the ones concerned about getting that knock on the door, and when it does happen you hope there will be some long-term support to help you, and there just isn't.
"It feels like once a conflict is over and the publicity dies down, our loved ones are remembered on memorials but we're forgotten about and our concerns are swept under the carpet.
"We need to learn from past conflicts. I'm finding more families are coming up with the same issues and there just isn't anyone to represent us who can look at those issues and actually deal with them."
David Cameron has written to the families and promised the Conservatives will consider the suggestions for their forthcoming manifesto.
Video:Ghani: 'We Will Remember Them'
Ed Miliband has told Sky News that he will write to the families shortly.
"The whole country honours the memories of members of the Armed Forces who pay the ultimate sacrifice in defending us," he said.
"We must also honour bereaved families who must live with the grief of having lost a son or daughter, father or mother, husband or wife.
"We are very grateful for the proposals put forward by Bereaved Military Families Support UK. We will examine them in detail and respond to the specific suggestions."
A cap on mobile phone bills run up by thieves after handsets are stolen will bring relief to millions of consumers, campaigners say.
Five service providers - EE, O2, Three, Virgin Media and Vodafone - say the £100 cap will be activated providing the phone is reported lost or stolen within 24 hours of it going missing.
Consumer groups welcomed the move which they said would protect victims of crime from the added frustration of receiving huge bills.
Citizens Advice chief executive Gillian Guy said: "Victims of phone crime should not be paying excessive bills run up by thieves.
"A cap on bills from stolen mobile phones will come as much-needed relief to consumers targeted by phone fraudsters. Citizens Advice has been calling for a cap to be put in place after helping consumers landed with bills as high as £23,000.
Video:Keeping Your Mobile Phone Secure
"We will be keeping a close eye on the phone providers' caps to see if they do really protect phone crime victims from the worst bills."
Among other measures to protect consumers the five firms have drawn up a code of conduct which will oblige them to:
:: Provide clear pricing information and alerts when consumers reach data bundle limits.
:: Provide information on how to avoid roaming charges.
:: Provide a barring function so users can protect themselves against unauthorised or inadvertent calls to premium rate services and in-app purchases.
Kip Meek, of EE, said: "We advise customers to protect their phone as they would their wallet and make full use of the security features, including SIM lock.
"If a phone is lost or stolen, however, it is crucial customers let us know as soon as possible - we have a 24 hour hotline so customers can report loss or theft at any time."
Video:Mobile Phones Costs Fall Abroad
An O2 spokesman said: "This cap builds on the safety and security advice we already give to customers and should provide additional peace of mind if their phone goes missing."
Mark Bond, customer operations director at Vodafone UK, said: "We will continue to do everything we can to protect customers from theft and believe our new cap will improve our customers' experience at what can be a upsetting time."
Hamish MacLeod, chair of the Mobile Broadband Group, said: "This announcement is a major new protection for customers and is in line with the industry's long standing commitment to help our customers protect their mobile and its contents."
Ed Vaizey, Minister for the Digital Economy, said: "By working with the mobile operators, we have secured an agreement that will provide consumers with real benefits as well as offer peace of mind."
It comes as the number of smartphone thefts has plummeted thanks to so-called kill switches.
Apple, Samsung and Google have all implemented techniques for owners to effectively render a phone useless if it is stolen. As a result, smartphone thefts have fallen by half in London.
London Mayor Boris Johnson added: "We have made real progress in tackling the smartphone theft epidemic that was affecting many major cities just two years ago."
By Poppy Trowbridge, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Political parties are being urged to commit to a ban on the sale of so-called legal highs in their manifestos, or risk putting thousands of young people at risk ahead of the summer music festival season.
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) says MPs have been "too slow" in recognising the dangers and legislating to protect consumers from such products, despite the public's desire for a ban.
According to new research seen by Sky News, three-quarters of the public want the sale of legal highs on the high street to be banned.
Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the RSPH, said politicians have not made the issue a big enough priority and as a result have "put a lot of people at risk".
MPs have asked festivals to put their own legal high bans in operation
She told Sky News: "Particularly at this time of the year, with the election fast approaching, a ban on legal highs is not included in the manifestos and we believe that would really be something the public would welcome."
The RSPH says consumer protection regulations should be enforced to remove legal products which are marketed in a misleading way.
Furthermore, it says the marketing of products with brand names such as White Stuff, Go-Caine and Mary Jane normalises drug taking.
Ms Cramer added: "Disclaimers that these products are not for human consumption are merely a fig leaf and it is highly irresponsible for them to be marketed in a 'nudge-nudge, wink-wink' manner."
Around three million people attend summer music festivals each year, according to research by Festival Insights, and 23% of festival-goers have taken drugs at an event.
The RSPH believe the number of those who could be tempted to try legal highs is even greater.
There were 101 new substances recorded in 2014, and at least 60 deaths related to legal highs.
Paul Reed, general manager of The Association of Independent Festivals, told Sky News: "The problem is many people equate 'legal' with 'safe'.
"We'd welcome legal changes that would make these substances less available."
Part of the difficulty in legislating against specific legal high substances is that the formulas are often slightly tweaked and then they are put back on the market.
While the Government is developing proposals for a general ban on the sale of legal highs, no specific plan has been put in place. Yet MPs have written to festivals asking them to put their own bans in operation.
Bedfordshire Police have confirmed that smugglers attempted to use a drone to send drugs, screwdrivers, a knife and a mobile phone to inmates at a high-security prison.
The package containing the contraband was only spotted by staff after the remote-controlled aircraft became entangled in barbed wire surrounding Bedford Prison.
A spokesman for the force said: "Both the device and the contents of the package are currently being examined and investigations are ongoing."
This is believed to be the first attempt to use a drone for smuggling a package into a UK prison.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons has already warned that preventing the trafficking of unauthorised substances is one of the biggest challenges that jail guards face.
The unmanned aerial vehicles are causing a headache for aviation and security officials, and the Government is yet to introduce tighter regulations surrounding drones.
A 42-year-old man is due to appear in court next month on suspicion of flying a drone over key London landmarks without seeking permission from the Civil Aviation Authority.
In December, the British Airline Pilots Association warned that drones could cause a major collision with a passenger plane unless tougher rules are enforced.
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Shane Walford was jailed for the manslaughter of an off-duty fireman
A convicted killer who was on the run after breaching his probation has been arrested in the Canary Islands by Spanish police.
Shane Walford was tracked down just five days after his name was included in a list of Britain's 10 most wanted fugitives.
The 38-year-old was jailed in 2010 for the manslaughter of an off-duty fireman while he was on leave from the Army.
An ex-soldier and former boxer, Walford killed Paul Gibbons, a father-of-two, with a single punch outside a bar in Coventry.
He had been sentenced to four-and-a-half years, but was recalled to prison by West Midlands Police in 2013.
1/10
Gallery: Britain's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
Mohammed Jahangir Alam, 32: Wanted by Gloucestershire Police for rape and sexual assault. Alam, who is from Bangladesh, arrived in the UK on a temporary visa in October 2007
Paul Buchanan, 29: Wanted by West Mercia Police on suspicion of attempted rape. Originally from New York
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Carlo Dawson, 52: Wanted by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of indecent assault and making indecent photographs of a child
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Paul Monk, 54: Wanted by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to supply cannabis. Monk, from Romford, Essex, was allegedly involved in the handover of 1kg of cocaine in London
]]>
Anthony Dennis, 47: Wanted by the National Crime Agency on suspicion of conspiracy to commit drug trafficking offences outside the UK and conspiracy to import class A drugs. Believed to be the lead member of an organised crime group
]]>
The National Crime Agency is continuing to ask for help from expats and holidaymakers in finding other wanted criminals - including a rapist, a suspected child abuser and a drug trafficker.
Hank Cole, the NCA's head of international operations, said: "Some of them continue to be a danger to the public.
"Spain is not a safe haven for British fugitives. The NCA and its partners will continue to pursue these individuals relentlessly and return them to the UK to face justice."
All of the men are the subject of European arrest warrants. Some, like Walford, have already been convicted, whereas others are wanted to face trial.
Inspector Olga Lizana, who heads up Spain's fugitive unit, added that although the country can seem like a good place for criminals to hide, there's no guarantee that wanted fugitives will blend in with British communities.
"We are catching more and more, so it is not a safe place for them to be," she warned.
Many expats resent how their communities have been dubbed the "Costa del Crime" because of the problem, with broadcaster Giles Brown insisting "we are not just a bunch of disinterested sun worshippers knocking back gin and tonics".
:: Anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers by phone free and anonymously from Spain on 900 555 111, from the UK on 0800 555 111, or online at Crimestoppers.
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We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Shane Walford was jailed for the manslaughter of an off-duty fireman
A convicted killer who was on the run after breaching his probation has been arrested in the Canary Islands by Spanish police.
Shane Walford was tracked down just five days after his name was included in a list of Britain's 10 most wanted fugitives.
The 38-year-old was jailed in 2010 for the manslaughter of an off-duty fireman while he was on leave from the Army.
An ex-soldier and former boxer, Walford killed Paul Gibbons, a father-of-two, with a single punch outside a bar in Coventry.
He had been sentenced to four-and-a-half years, but was recalled to prison by West Midlands Police in 2013.
1/10
Gallery: Britain's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
Mohammed Jahangir Alam, 32: Wanted by Gloucestershire Police for rape and sexual assault. Alam, who is from Bangladesh, arrived in the UK on a temporary visa in October 2007
Paul Buchanan, 29: Wanted by West Mercia Police on suspicion of attempted rape. Originally from New York
]]>
Carlo Dawson, 52: Wanted by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of indecent assault and making indecent photographs of a child
]]>
Paul Monk, 54: Wanted by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to supply cannabis. Monk, from Romford, Essex, was allegedly involved in the handover of 1kg of cocaine in London
]]>
Anthony Dennis, 47: Wanted by the National Crime Agency on suspicion of conspiracy to commit drug trafficking offences outside the UK and conspiracy to import class A drugs. Believed to be the lead member of an organised crime group
]]>
The National Crime Agency is continuing to ask for help from expats and holidaymakers in finding other wanted criminals - including a rapist, a suspected child abuser and a drug trafficker.
Hank Cole, the NCA's head of international operations, said: "Some of them continue to be a danger to the public.
"Spain is not a safe haven for British fugitives. The NCA and its partners will continue to pursue these individuals relentlessly and return them to the UK to face justice."
All of the men are the subject of European arrest warrants. Some, like Walford, have already been convicted, whereas others are wanted to face trial.
Inspector Olga Lizana, who heads up Spain's fugitive unit, added that although the country can seem like a good place for criminals to hide, there's no guarantee that wanted fugitives will blend in with British communities.
"We are catching more and more, so it is not a safe place for them to be," she warned.
Many expats resent how their communities have been dubbed the "Costa del Crime" because of the problem, with broadcaster Giles Brown insisting "we are not just a bunch of disinterested sun worshippers knocking back gin and tonics".
:: Anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers by phone free and anonymously from Spain on 900 555 111, from the UK on 0800 555 111, or online at Crimestoppers.
