Family Poisoned After Barbecue Taken Indoors

Four children were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning after their grandmother brought a barbecue indoors to dry her washing.

The woman, who has not been named, lit the device which she set up in the family kitchen before leaving the house.

Her daughters-in-law were in the house with her grandchildren, two of whom were asleep upstairs.

Her three-year-old granddaughter collapsed when she was overcome by the deadly gas later that afternoon and was treated in hospital with five of her relatives.

They included two boys aged two and 10 months, a four-year-old girl and the woman's two daughters-in-law, aged 26 and 29.

Firefighters were called to the home on Hockley Avenue, in East Ham, east London, on Wednesday afternoon, soon after the grandmother set the barbecue alight.

All six have now been discharged from hospital.

Fire chiefs branded the grandmother's behaviour dangerous and campaigners warned of the hazards of bringing barbecues indoors.

Dave Brown, of London Fire Brigade, said: "In my 28-year career I have never heard of anybody using a barbecue to dry clothes let alone using one indoors.

"Never, ever bring a lit or smouldering barbecue indoors. Not only is it a serious fire risk but it also emits carbon monoxide which is a poisonous gas that can kill or seriously injure."

Earlier last year, six-year-old Isabelle Harris, from Gosport, Hampshire, died after her parents brought a disposable barbecue into their tent to keep warm during a break in the New Forest in April.

The schoolgirl was one of a number of campers killed by the gas last year.

The Department of Health believes 50 people are killed by the gas each year, while at least 4,000 are treated in hospital.

But this figure is likely to be much higher because of difficulties surrounding the diagnosis of CO poisoning.

Symptoms are often similar to common illnesses like flu and food poisoning.

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Man Arrested Over 'Murder' Of Missing Mother

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a mother who went missing after a domestic incident at her ex-partner's home.

Janelle Duncan-Bailey, 25, has not been seen since she disappeared in south London in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

A 30-year-old suspect was arrested last night and taken to a south London police station where he remains in custody, Scotland Yard said.

Ms Duncan-Bailey, of Thornton Heath, left her children - boys aged two and seven - with a friend in Bromley while she attended a family function, police said.

She left the friend's at about 4am on Wednesday to return to Thornton Heath, where at about 4.30am she visited her former partner's home.

Police were called there after reports of a domestic incident and Ms Duncan-Bailey left the address with officers.

It is believed she asked to be taken to another friend's house and she was last seen between 5am and 5.30am walking towards flats in Limpsfield Avenue.

Ms Duncan-Bailey was reported missing later that day after she failed to collect her children.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "Janelle has never been missing before and her disappearance is totally out of character."

She is described as being black, about 5ft 5in, of medium build and with shoulder-length black hair which may have been enhanced with hair extensions.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact Sutton police station on 0208 721 4054 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Nine Belfast Police Injured In 'Sustained Attack'

Nine officers have been injured in east Belfast after a crowd of up to 300 people hurled fireworks, bricks and petrol bombs during "a sustained attack".

A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said 18 arrests were made after the public disorder in the Castlereagh Street and Templemore Avenue areas overnight.

Some 30 petrol bombs were thrown at police officers as they dealt with the fresh riots on Friday night.

A range of other missiles including ball bearings, fireworks and masonry were also thrown.

Three attempted carjackings were reported in the Beersbridge Road area and water canon deployed, but not used.

There were also protests in the Robbs Road area of Dundonald, near Ulster Hospital, and in the O'Neill Road area of Newtonabbey, where there was reportedly an attempt to hijack a bus, plus a raid on a commercial premises by masked men.

The latest violence comes after 10 police officers were injured on Thursday during a demonstration against the decision to reduce the number of days the Union flag is flown from City Hall.

Sky's Ireland Correspondent Vicki Hawthorne said: "The latest disorder has been relatively minor compared to other nights.

"There had been an earlier peaceful flag protest which initially dispersed without incident.

"People in the area have said the police have been too heavy handed in how they have dealt with protesters, and that, they say, has sparked trouble."

Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson described the violence against the police as "a disgrace".

He said: "Those responsible are doing a grave disservice to the cause they claim to espouse and are playing into the hands of those dissident groups who would seek to exploit every opportunity to further their terror aims."

He added: "All right-thinking unionists will want to channel their energies into political activity and to support the cause of finding political solutions to the problems that we face.

"In Northern Ireland the ballot box has primacy and is the only vehicle for choosing the people's representatives."

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact their local police station on 0845 600 800, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Criminals Could Serve Longer Sentences In Jail

The Justice Secretary has said he would like to see more prisoners serve their full sentences in jail.

Under the current system, introduced by Labour, most prisoners are automatically released after serving only half their sentence, regardless of their behaviour while behind bars.

Chris Grayling says a new system under which only well-behaved prisoners would be eligible for early release would reduce crime.

The Justice Secretary said the new system would reduce crime

"What people don't particularly understand is why sentencing works the way it does," he tells The Daily Telegraph. "If you get [sentenced for] 10 years, you're out after five [years] automatically.

"Every police force will tell you when a serial burglar is behind bars their local burglary rate goes down.

"Ultimately, I'm attracted by an option that doesn't simply automatically release you at a certain point, regardless of whether you've behaved well or not."

He has also sanctioned a review of prison conditions, questioning why some prisoners have access to luxuries such as satellite television.

Mr Grayling conceded it was a "challenge" to make the idea of prison uninviting to criminals from "dysfunctional backgrounds".

"For some young people, prison is the first stable environment," he said. "It is a challenge for us to make it an environment that they don't want to come back to."

"These are not areas where you can deliver radical reforms overnight, you have to work in a direction.

"One of the areas where possibly we've got increased scope in the future in monitoring offenders is GPS tagging, where new technologies mean it's possible to watch an offender wherever they go," he said.

Mr Grayling's comments are a departure from policy under predecessor Ken Clarke, who suggested prison often proved "costly and ineffectual".

The Justice Secretary said he would also like inmates to be met at the prison gate by a mentor to help them get their lives back on track and that rehabilitation was key to his reforms.

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Burnham: High-Sugar Cereals Should Be Banned

High-sugar breakfast cereals should be banned to stop children getting fat, according to the shadow health secretary Andy Burnham.

The Labour frontbencher said regulation should be introduced to cap the levels of salt, fat and sugar in food.

Mr Burnham has started garnering public and expert opinion on the subject as part of a consultation on tackling obesity.

"If we fail to act we are storing up huge problems for the country and the NHS in the long term," he said.

He is floating the idea of a 30% cap on sugar in cereals, arguing that many children's breakfast cereals are over one-third sugar by weight.

"I don't think any parent would be comfortable with their child eating something that is 40% sugar," he told The Daily Telegraph.

Last week, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development figures revealed 26.6% of British girls were obese and 22.7% of boys - double that of youngsters in France.

The coalition says voluntary deals with industry through the Responsibility Deal has cut salt, fat and sugar content in our food.

But Mr Burnham says the current voluntary approach is not working and new drastic measures are required to combat childhood obesity.

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Stephen Lawrence: Murder Marked 20 Years On

The mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence has launched a campaign to mark the 20th anniversary of his death.

Speaking exactly a year after the 18-year-old's killers were convicted, Doreen Lawrence said more would be done this year to ensure no other family has to go through what she endured, including the creation of an outreach programme to new police chiefs.

Mrs Lawrence, who founded the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, said: "It is hard to believe that 2013 will mark 20 years since Stephen died.

"This time last year we faced the conviction of two of Stephen's killers and the relief I felt then has stayed with me through the extraordinary year that was 2012.

"Despite this, our focus has to be on the next 20 years. There is more to be done to get justice for Stephen and to ensure that no other family has to go through what we endured."

Doreen Lawrence carrying the Olympic Torch last summer

A concert is planned for April along with a criminal justice lecture, an annual memorial lecture and a gala ball to help raise awareness and funds.

Mrs Lawrence said the trust would campaign to new police and crime commissioners for fairer community policing.

A memorial service will be held at St Martin in the Fields on April 22, the date Stephen died in 1993, as part of the so-called SL20 Campaign.

Gary Dobson and David Norris were jailed for life last January for Stephen's murder, while Ms Lawrence continues to press for the tracing and arrest of others involved in the murder.

During the trial, the court heard a gang of five or six white youths set upon the A-level student in Eltham, southeast London.

The Metropolitan Police faced fierce criticism of the original investigation into Mr Lawrence's death.

A public inquiry branded the force institutionally racist and claims were made by Mr and Mrs Lawrence's lawyers that some officers were influenced by Norris's former drugs baron father.

The breakthrough in the investigation came when a cold case team of forensic scientists found tiny traces of blood, hair and fibres on clothing seized from Dobson and Norris's homes.

During the trial, jurors were shown police surveillance footage from 1994 of Dobson and Norris using racial slurs.

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Belfast Violence Injures 10 Police Officers

Ten officers have been hurt after masked gangs in east Belfast hurled bricks, bottles and petrol bombs at police in rioting last night.

It was the latest flare-up of violence linked to restrictions on flying the Union flag at City Hall.

A 23-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy have been charged with rioting.

About 100 unionist demonstrators took part in the protest. At one stage, the hooded and masked protesters set a car on fire, blocking access to one road.

At least one officer was briefly taken to hospital.

Protests erupted weeks ago when councillors in Belfast voted to limit the number of days the Union flag could be flown over City Hall to 17 days a year, rather than all year round.

Some of the protests have turned violent.

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Motorists 'Still Texting At The Wheel'

More than a quarter of drivers text while at the wheel, with those using cars for work the most likely to offend, a survey has found.

And more than one in seven say they apply make-up or shave while in the driving seat, the research for road safety charity Brake and insurance company Direct Line found.

Of those who used a vehicle for work, 31% said they texted while driving compared with a figure of 28% for non-work drivers.

A total of 17% of 'for-work' drivers admitted attending to personal grooming while at the wheel compared with 14% for non-work motorists.

Drivers using vehicles for work were also more likely to talk on hands-free mobiles while on the road than non-work drivers.

The poll found that 54% of drivers who were on the road for work purposes admitted to speeding on 60mph roads, compared with 34% of those who were not on a work-related outing.

A law was passed in 2007, banning the use of mobiles while driving

Also, 76% of for-work drivers admitted to speeding more than 5mph above the limit on 30mph roads, compared with 62% of non-work drivers.

"It is appalling so many people who drive in a professional capacity are taking such horrendous and unnecessary risks," Brake deputy chief executive Julie Townsend said.

"People who drive as part of their job should be taking great care.

"We are urging all employers to ensure they have comprehensive safe driving policies in place."

Direct Line spokesman Matt Owen said: "The risk that those who drive as part of their job are taking with their lives and the lives of others is substantial."

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Hand Transplant: What Are The Risks Involved?

Doctors have to carefully weigh up the risks and benefits of any treatment. It can be a tricky judgment.

And not all surgeons believe that the Leeds team was right to cut off Mark Cahill's hand and transplant a new one from a dead donor.

Mr Cahill couldn't feel or move his right hand because of complications from gout.

He says his quality of life was suffering - he couldn't tie his shoelaces, nor play with his grandson in the way he wanted.

So one can understand why he believes his new hand will transform his life.

But the transplant comes with significant risks.

Mr Cahill will need to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life and, because of their effect on the immune system, he is more likely to develop cancer and other infections.

And surgeons can't guarantee that Mr Cahill will get useful movement in his hand. That will depend on whether the nerves join properly to allow signals from his brain to reach his fingers.

Clint Hallam, who had a hand transplant in 1998, had it removed two years later, complaining that it was like a dead man's hand, with no feeling in it.

And fertility pioneer Lord Winston, who was involved in a hand transplant early in his surgical career, has warned the operation could lead to "extra inconvenience and complications".

It took many attempts to perfect heart transplantation.

But, of course, that's a life-saving procedure - and well worth the risks.

A hand transplant is only life-enhancing - if it works.

Mr Cahill had a fully-functioning left hand. One can only hope the donor hand lives up to his high hopes.

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Hand Transplant Completed For First Time In UK

A 51-year-old man has become the first person in the UK to have a hand transplant.

Mark Cahill said he was "well happy" after an eight-hour operation by doctors at Leeds General Infirmary on December 27.

He said he was now looking forward to being able to "cut my food up, button my shirts, fasten a pair of shoelaces, and (...) hold my grandson's hand."

But the op was immediately lambasted by one of the UK's most renowned surgeons, who suggested that Mr Cahill could be left with a "dead hand at the end of an arm".

Lord Robert Winston said even when nerves were all carefully joined up "these transplanted hands were very limited and most often caused huge inconvenience".

However, doctors in Leeds said a new technique was used during the latest surgery.

It involved Mr Cahill having his non-functioning right hand removed during the same operation as the donor hand was transplanted.

Mark Cahill with surgeon Simon Kay

This procedure allowed very accurate restoration of nerve structures and is believed to be the first time this approach has been used, surgeons said.

Consultant plastic surgeon Professor Simon Kay, who led the surgical team, said: "This operation is the culmination of a great deal of planning and preparation over the last two years by a team including plastic surgery, transplant medicine and surgery, immunology, psychology, rehabilitation medicine, pharmacy and many other disciplines.

"The team was on standby from the end of November awaiting a suitable donor limb, and the call came just after Christmas.

"It was extremely challenging to be the first team in the UK to carry out such a procedure.

"Any organ donation brings something positive from tragedy and I would like to acknowledge the tremendous gift the family of the donor have made at such a distressing time.

"It is still early days but indications are good and the patient is making good progress."

In an interview with ITV's Daybreak, Mr Cahill, from Greetland, West Yorkshire, said: "Eight o'clock on Boxing Day night we got a phone call saying we may have a donor.

"As you can imagine, the day after Christmas it was quite a shock. I'm getting slight movement now, my feeling has just started coming back, but everything's looking very, very good.

"Long term I won't have 100% use of it, but obviously I'm going to have a lot more use than I had with the existing hand.

"I think I've dealt with it pretty well. The only thing you can't do is know what is going to happen after the operation, and as it has turned out it is brilliant. I'm well happy.

"Hopefully I will be able to get back to work for a start, that's a major difference.

"For a start I might be able to cut my food up, button my shirts, fasten a pair of shoelaces, and mainly I'll be able to hold my grandson's hand."

He told the BBC: "It just does not feel like somebody else's hand. As I look at it and move it, it just feels like my hand."

Leeds Teaching Hospitals announced in late 2011 that it was starting to look for candidates for hand or arm transplants.

Potential patients are put through a series of health checks and psychological assessments to ensure they have carefully considered the implications.

Mr Cahill, who lost the use of his right hand due to severe gout, was one of two potential candidates when a donated limb became available.

He was selected because he was the best tissue match.

The team has been working closely with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and also colleagues in Lyon, France, where hand transplants were pioneered in 1998.

The first-ever recipient in France was New Zealander Clint Hallam, who later had his new hand removed.

He lost his original hand in a circular saw accident in prison in 1984.

He eventually decided he could not live with his new hand, which was taken from a motorcyclist who died in an accident, because he said it felt like a dead man's hand.

Doctors indicated Mr Hallam had not stuck to the correct drugs and exercise regime.

His experience cast doubt on the whole procedure although surgeons have pointed out that a number of hand transplants have been successfully completed in the US.

Mr Cahill's operation was dismissed by Lord Winston, a surgeon who helped to pioneer hand transplant surgery in the 1970s.

He said: "History repeats itself. The first hand transplant that I was involved with was done by Willy Boeckx and myself in 1975 in Leuven when I was working there (not 1998) when we were pioneering microsurgery. 

"Even then, I am not sure whether it was the first, probably not.

"What is clear is that since that time there have a number of hand transplants (I followed one in my TV series Superhuman in 1999 - 2000) which showed that, even when nerves and vessels and tendons were all carefully joined up under a microscope, these transplanted hands were very limited and most often caused huge inconvenience to the recipient because of lack of function - essentially a largely 'dead hand' at the end of an arm.

"I really can't see this is much of a breakthrough given that a donor hand has extra inconvenience and complications - not least of which is the serious risk of rejection in spite of the need to take powerful and risky immunosuppressive drugs."

A spokeswoman for NHSBT said it was aware that a limb transplant had taken place.

She said: "Our thoughts are with the family of the donor at this time. Without their agreement for donation, this operation would not have taken place.

"We also send our best wishes to the recipient for a healthy recovery.

"There are currently 10,000 people waiting for a transplant in the UK. NHSBT urges everyone to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register and to tell their families of their wishes."

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