Bedroom Tax forcing poor to give up their family pets

23 Oct 2013 00:00Hundreds of families have been forced to leave their cherished pets at animal shelters since the hated tax was brought in - now the shelters are at breaking point

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Lost and hound: Injured dog found alive by mountain rescue team after a MONTH without food

23 Oct 2013 00:00The brown lurcher-saluki cross had broken its leg and was on the verge of death when he was discovered by a walker close to the 2,264ft summit of a hill

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Dave Lee Travis pleads not guilty to sexual assault and indecent assault charges

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MP Stephen Gilbert helps rescue woman floating in the River Thames

Hero: MP Steve Gilbert threw the stricken woman a lifebeltA quick-thinking MP was hailed a "hero" last night after a dramatic rescue of a woman from the Thames near Parliament.

Lib Dem Stephen Glbert was at an event on the House of Commons terrace, overlooking the river, when he saw what he thought was a body floating past.

But when he saw the body move he reacted quickly to throw a life-belt into the water, which she was able to grab before being rescued further downstream.

Mr Gilbert, who was at an event for bus operators on the Commons terrace, was left shaken by the incident.

He said: "What looked like a body just floated past.

"Then I saw that the person then moved and I followed them down the terrace."

A number of life rings are kept along the terrace at the Palace of Westminster and Mr Glbert, the MP for St Austell and Newquay, threw one into the river.

He said: "There are some lifebuoys on the terrace, I guess this is not the first time something like this has happened.

"I didn't expect for the person to move and then I didn't expect to have to react to get them a lifebuoy.

"She disappeared towards Westminster Pier and she was rescued near to that."

Mr Gilbert admitted the shock had left him "barely able to string a sentence together".

The Metropolitan Police confirmed a woman had been pulled from the river near Westminster Pier, just yards from the House of Commons.

A spokesman said: "The woman was rescued from the water by the RNLI, the marine policing unit was also involved.

"She has been taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service."

A spokesman added that the police had been called at 7.50pm.

He said: "The marine policing unit were involved.

"She was recovered from the water and was taken to hospital."

He added that the coast guard were also involved in the rescue, which happened "not long after ten to eight".

Police were last night investigating how the woman ended up in the Thames on a cold October night.

A source close to Mr Gilbert told the Mirror: "His quick thinking was heroic - and was clearly vital.

"Well done Stephen."

Mr Gilbert wrote on Twitter: "Shaken after seeing a body float past House of Commons terrace - she moved, I threw a life-buoy and she's now been
rescued!"

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Villagers' bid to make Stilton cheese in Stilton is rejected

Cheesed off: Villagers want to be able to make Stilton in Stilton, CambsPAVillagers in Stilton have had their bid to make and sell the smelly blue cheese of the same name rejected.

At present, EU law only allows Stilton to be produced in Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, where it thought the cheese originated.

The Bell Inn, in Stilton, Cambridgeshire, already makes its own blue-veined cheese but has been forced to call it Bells Blue instead of Stilton to avoid falling foul of Brussels.

The Original Cheese Company had sought to have the EU ruling amended to include the village of Stilton.

The group's director Richard Landy claims historical documents prove the strong-smelling blue-veined cheese originated in the village.

But the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has rejected the application to amend the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) to include Stilton.

It said the claim was rejected because the application was submitted by the Original Cheese Company and not the pub.

A Defra spokesman said: "As The Original Cheese Company is not producing stilton cheese, its application to change the product specification does not meet EU eligibility rules."

Liam McGivern, landlord of the Bell Inn, accused Defra of moving the goal posts and said they would press on to get the ruling amended.

He said: "We hope it's not the final decision and we're hoping Defra will re-assess the situation.

"Defra are moving the goalposts.

"They have rejected the application just because the Original Cheese Company registered the application and not us.

"It's ridiculous that we can't make Stilton in Stilton.

"People come in and ask for it several times a week and I have to tell them we can't legally call it Stilton."

He added: "We're going to press on with our fight."

Mr Landy said they would be writing to Environment Secretary Owen Paterson for his support.

"Defra's initial restrictions were so woolly and as far as we were concerned we fulfilled the requirements," Mr Landy said.

However Matthew O'Callaghan, from the Melton Mowbray Food Partnership, welcomed the decision by Defra.

Mr O'Callaghan said: "I'm delighted at Defra's decision.

"Stilton cheese originated in the Melton Mowbray area and not in the village of Stilton."

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Police want condoms banned in Edinburgh's saunas

Row: Police want condoms banned in Edinburgh's saunas but opponents are not happyPA

Police are pushing for condoms to be banned from Edinburgh's licensed saunas.

The move comes as the city council weighs up whether to grant licenses for five saunas in the Scottish capital.

Police Scotland argues the authority should only grant licenses if items of a sexual nature are prohibited on the premises.

However, the sex workers' charity Scot-pep says the police's proposal could lead to an HIV epidemic.

A council decision on new licence rules could end Edinburgh's more tolerant attitude to the sex trade.

Campaigners say that any ban on condoms would result in unprotected sex and higher rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Earlier this year, six other saunas had their licences suspended following raids across Edinburgh.

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UK weather: Flood warnings issued as heavy rain continues to batter the UK

23 Oct 2013 06:13Parts of northern England, the South East, Wales and the Midlands are most at risk of flooding, according to the Environment Agency

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Energy bills: John Major calls for windfall tax on profits as he slams Government for not helping poor

23 Oct 2013 06:42The ex-Conservative Prime Minister criticised David Cameron for failing to tackle rising power bills - branding price hikes "unacceptable"

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'Armed' crook dressed in onesie tries and fails to rob a hotel

PAAn armed crook attempted to rob a hotel - while dressed in a red ONESIE.

The distinctively-dressed man burst into the reception area and threatened staff with what is thought to have been an imitation firearm.

The colourful intruder then struck an employee across the face before fleeing empty-handed.

The member of staff who was attacked suffered minor injuries.

The drama unfolded at the Mercure Hotel in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, at around 5.20am on Monday.

Police are investigating the attempted robbery.

Det Sgt Jason Rusbridge told the Welwyn Hatfield Times: "We have a team of detectives investigating this incident however I would like to issue an urgent appeal to anyone who saw this man wearing this distinctive red all in one suit, either before or after the offence took place.

"I'd also appeal to anyone in the Hatfield area who may know someone who owns this item of clothing and matches the description of the offender.

"If you have any information about this incident, please call police as soon as possible."

The crook is thought to have escaped on a mountain bike.

He was around 6ft tall, slim and is thought to be in his 20s.

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Backing for fracking: George Osborne would "love" shale gas drilling to start in Britain

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Second blonde girl seized from gypsy family in Ireland 'looks nothing like siblings and speaks much better English'

Second youngster removed from family: The case in Dublin mirrors that of 'MariaGetty

A second blonde girl has been seized from a gypsy family amid fears she is a kidnap victim.

The case of little Maria

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Groom who staged BOMB hoax to cover up forgetting to book wedding venue is jailed for a year

23 Oct 2013 07:56He had forgotten to fill in the forms to marry the "love of his life" - but could not face telling her the big day was not going to happen

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Shocking video shows SCHOOLBOY bank robber pointing imitation gun at terrified Barclays staff

23 Oct 2013 08:10Footage shows the boy storming into a Barclays branch, his jacket hood pulled tight over his face, and brandished the firearm

 

This is the shocking moment a schoolboy bank robber - described as a

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Seven care workers arrested after 'dungeon' found at care home

Allegations: Veilstone Care Home in DevonMike Southon / SWNS.com

Police have arrested seven care workers on suspicion of abuse after a victim of the Winterbourne View scandal was allegedly abused again.

A probe by the police, NHS and the Care Quality Commission has uncovered what is alleged to be a

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Estate agent killed and her colleague critical after sustained attack in flat they shared: Man charged with murder

23 Oct 2013 09:39Police have released photos of both women in an appeal for the public's help in tracing their movements before the attack

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Prince George christening: William and Kate choose Zara Tindall and six close friends as godparents

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their son

William and Kate have chosen just one member of the royal family and six close pals to be godparents to Prince George.

Zara Tindall is one of seven people who will become the tot’s godparents at this afternoon’s ceremony at St James’s Palace.

Included in the list of names hand-picked by the Duke and Duchess is a close friend of William’s mum Princess Diana, Julia Samuel.

Oliver Baker, who attended St Andrew’s University with the couple is also on the list, along with Kate’s Marlborough College chum Emilia Jardine-Paterson.

Earl Grosvenor, son of the Duke of Westminster, and William’s childhood friend William van Cutsem have also been asked.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, former private secretary to the Duke and Duchess and Prince Harry from 2005 to 2012 and current part-time principal private secretary, is the final godparent.

They will step forward at the service in front of their spouses, including Zara’s rugby player hubby Mike Tindall, and just a select few members of the royal family.

William’s aunts, uncles and cousins, apart from Zara, have been left off the guest list.

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False widow spider bite leaves grandfather fighting for life after his vital organs shut down

23 Oct 2013 09:45John Catlin, 66, almost lost his leg and was left seriously ill in hospital after developing an infection from a false widow spider bite

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Primark fall: Woman dies after 80ft plunge from third-floor balcony of city centre store

23 Oct 2013 09:52Shocked onlookers and staff ran over to the woman and a doctor who happened to be in the store gave her first aid until paramedics arrived

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Shocking CCTV shows moment American student attacked with glass bottle for 'not being local'

23 Oct 2013 10:19Francesco Hounye, 22, suffered serious injuries and has been scarred for life after he was set upon by five Asian men just three days after arriving in the UK from Florida

 

This shocking CCTV footage shows the moment an American student was attacked with a bottle by a gang of thugs simply because he 'wasn't local'.

Francesco Hounye, 22, was set upon by five Asian men as he walked home from a night out with a friend, just three days after arriving in the UK from Florida.

CCTV shows the gang smash a glass bottle in his face before chasing him and repeatedly punching and kicking him.

Police have now released footage of the attack, which happened around 20 past midnight on June 17 in Commercial Road, east London, in a bid to trace the suspects.

Detectives say Mr Hounye, who had been on a night out in the Brick Lane area with a 23-year-old who he was staying with, was targeted because he was "obviously not local".

The video shows the pair walking back to the friend's home in Shadwell when they were confronted by the gang.

Following a heated exchange, one of the suspects grabbed a bottle the victim was drinking from and smashed it in his face.

As Mr Hounye tried to escape, the men chased after him and continued to beat him up before fleeing.

The victim suffered deep slash wounds to his head and right ear as well as internal injuries and a chipped tooth.

He was taken to the Royal London Hospital where he received 23 stitches and will now be scarred for life.

Mr Hounye said: "As a result of this incident I am now scared to go out on my own in London. I am a visitor to the UK and was considering continuing my studies here but this incident has made me think twice.

"I feel very emotional about the whole situation. I also now face the rest of my life with the permanent scarring that will be left on my face as a result of this attack.

"Every time I look in the mirror from now on I will be reminded of this incident."

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Ben Mott, said: "We believe the suspects picked a fight with the victim as he was obviously not from the local area and they took exception to the fact that he was a bit different.

"The victim has an Italian accent, his own style of dress and mannerisms and, when challenged by the Asian males, answered them back.

"They retaliated by grabbing the bottle and launching a vicious attack that has left him scarred for life. He had come to the UK to enhance his studies and has been left so shocked and horrified by what happened that he feels unsafe and is unsure if he wants to stay here.

"The CCTV footage is exceptionally clear and I believe the suspects to be local. I would ask people to please look closely at the faces of the attackers and help us identify them. I am positive someone would know who they are from looking at the footage."

The suspects are described as Asian and aged in their late teens to early 20s. They are possibly Bengali.

The man who used the bottle was wearing a red and white striped short-sleeved top with black trousers, white trainers and a large watch.

Anyone who can help is asked to contact Tower Hamlets CID on 020 7275 4546 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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British Gas bosses sack employee - as he lay in HOSPITAL recovering from heart operation

23 Oct 2013 10:44Nigel Winkley, 40, was told he was being made redundant in front of other patients as he lay in bed in his pyjamas five days after suffering a heart attack

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Royal christenings in pictures from Prince George back to the Queen

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Watch BBC newsreader make 'throat-cutting gesture' during report on beheading videos

23 Oct 2013 10:56Several viewers spotted Clive Myrie making the hand gesture on the BBC News channel

            

This is the moment a blundering BBC newsreader was caught making a throat-cutting gesture during a report on beheading videos being allowed back on Facebook.

Clive Myrie was presenting a story about the site's announcement that it would allow the horrific clips to be shown as long as they are not deemed to "glorify violence".

Reading a statement from the Prime Minister condemning the move, Mr Myrie mistakenly said: "They must explain their actions to worried patients" - instead of the word "parents".

As the camera cut back to Mr Myrie he could be seen making a throat-cutting gesture, presumably to indicate that his mistake should be cut from the broadcast.

But the awkward moment - which happened at around 9.45pm on Tuesday night - was spotted by several viewers who posted remarks online.

Twitter user Joshua Goucher wrote: "Clive Myrie taking the beheading news story very seriously. #CaughtYaClive."

Facebook imposed a temporary ban on beheading videos in May following complaints the graphic content could cause long-term psychological damage.

But bosses have now decided to remove the block on the grounds that the site is used to share information about world events, such as acts of terrorism and human rights abuses.

However, the company, which allows anyone aged 13 or over to be a member, said that it was considering adding warnings.

The new policy was brought to light after a video was posted on Facebook showing a woman being beheaded by a Mexican drugs cartel.

Users who complained were sent a statement claiming the one-minute film did not breach the company's policy on violence.

It read: "Thanks for your report. We reviewed the video you reported, but found it doesn't violate Facebook's community standard on graphic violence, which includes depicting harm to someone or something, threats to the public's safety, or theft and vandalism.

"People are sharing this video on Facebook to condemn it.

"Just as TV news programmes often show upsetting images of atrocities, people can share upsetting videos on Facebook to raise awareness of actions or causes.

"While this video is shocking, our approach is designed to preserve people's rights to describe, depict and comment on the world in which we live."
 

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Prince George christening: Royal baby to be christened in replica gown worn by Queen Victoria's daughter in 1841

23 Oct 2013 10:59The Earl and Countess of Wessex's son Viscount Severn became the first royal baby to wear the intricate lace and satin robe at his christening in 2008

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Businessman caught with bullets hidden in HIS SHOE at airport security is jailed

23 Oct 2013 11:03The construction boss was found with 13 rounds and two spent bullets secreted in a tiny drawstring bag, hidden in a trainer in his luggage

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Prince George christening: Live updates as royal tot is baptised at St James' Palace

Off11:29 am

We've seen pictures of royal fans gathered outside St James' Palace hoping to catch a glimpse of the guests going into the service, but there are also crowds at Buckingham Palace waiting to see the Royals heading to the christening.

 

11:19 am

The christening of the third-in-line to the throne will be marked by the Palace with the release of a photograph showing the Queen with three future monarchs - Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George.

It will be there first time in more than 100 years that four generations of Royals have been pictured together.

The Royal Mint is also releasing a range of commemorative coins - including the Gold Kilo coin. You can order one of 22 that are being made - but it will set you back

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Facebook Pulls Beheading Video After Backlash

The social media giant changes its approach after David Cameron criticises the website for lifting a ban on violent films. 11:27am UK, Wednesday 23 October 2013

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Primark Death: Woman Falls From Liverpool Store

Detectives are examining security footage to establish the circumstances surrounding the death of the 57-year-old. 11:36am UK, Wednesday 23 October 2013

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Stuart Hall Re-Arrested: New Child Sex Claims

The shamed broadcaster, jailed this year for 15 months for indecent assault on girls, is being questioned over new allegations. 11:43am UK, Wednesday 23 October 2013

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Disgraced Stuart Hall stripped of OBE after being jailed for sex offences

However he eventually admitted 14 counts of indecent assault against girls aged between nine and 17 over a period of almost 20 years in April. A reporting ban on his pleas was lifted in May. 

In rising his jail term to 30 months, Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge said his initial denials of his crimes were a "seriously aggravating" feature in the case. 

The married star's eccentric and erudite football match summaries made him a cult figure on BBC Radio 5 Live.

He also wrote a weekly sport column for the Radio Times magazine up until his arrest.

In 1999 various Members of Parliament signed a House of Commons motion, congratulating Hall on 40 years in broadcasting.

He was made an OBE in the 2012 New Year's list. 

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Globetrotter gran’s 60 homes in 60 years

Related articles The perfect 100th birthday gift... a great-granddaughter Grandmother whose home was raided by police by mistake gets orchid as an apology First time for everything: Grandmother, 85, stuns friends and family by getting a tattoo

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Shamed care home boss is back in charge again

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Woman estate agent knifed to death and girl aide wounded

"estate agent, woman, aide, killed, stabbed, murder, murdered, knife, knifed, attack, police, investigation, arrest, york, nicole waterhouse, karen browne" title

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Britain warms up for the great 'storm of the century'

We could be looking at the storm of the century

Leon Brown, forecaster for The Weather Channel

Forecaster Mark Sidaway said: “The rain is a specific concern over the next few days, especially in the South-west, with winds pretty much across the whole country.

“Some of these will be strong, while the rain could bring the problem of flooding in localised areas.” He said some parts of the ­country were already at near-­saturation point with rivers “starting to fill up”. Vantage Weather Services forecaster Jonathan Powell said the extreme conditions were due to low ­pressure systems sweeping into the UK.

He added: “Thursday night and into Friday it is going to turn very wet and windy, but the real threat comes at the weekend.

“Sunday could see gusts exceeding 80mph and very heavy rain. We could be looking at the storm of the century.

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Dreaming of Blighty: Newly uncovered journal reveals British PoW's fantasies

"ww2, world war two, world war 2, pow, prisoners of war, prisoners, dreams, fantasies, sleep, food, escape, escaping, german, guards, laufen, bavaria, allied, troops, soldiers" title

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Benefits couple with 10th baby on way want a bigger home...with room for pet python

Jonathan Isaby of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “It’s scandalous that this couple feel they can simply demand such a large property for themselves and their pet python. Most people who would like to start or expand their family, but choose to do so when they can afford it, they don’t look to taxpayers to pick up the tab.

“Benefits should provide a safety net for those who need help, not subsidise a lifestyle that most people paying for them could not afford.”

Kelly Ansell of Bournemouth Borough Council said yesterday that the family had “gold band” status on the housing waiting list, which means they are a priority.

She went on: “They require larger family accommodation which is in short supply and carries with it a long wait even for those with high priority.

“They are currently being advised by our team with regard to their situation and we will continue to advise and support the family to secure the right accommodation for their needs.”

Cecile Todd of Radian housing association, which owns the property, said the couple had not contacted them to discuss its suitability.

Related articles Mum of 11 on

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MPs to quiz energy chiefs on price hikes

I think his heart was in the right place but his head had gone walkabout

John Major, former Conservative Prime Minister

Npower this week became the third of the Big Six suppliers to hit millions of households with a massive 10.4 per cent hike, adding around £104 to average bills.

It followed SSE and British Gas which both hit customers with “crippling” rises.

Mark Todd, director of energyhelpline.com, last night welcomed the Westminster committee’s move.

He said: “The public need to understand the reasons behind these crippling increases.

“The MPs really need to dig deep to find out what is going on and get some answers, the public want answers and these businesses need to give credible explanations.

“People don’t want excuses, what they want to know is what is being done to bring prices down instead of seeing them going up and up.”

Sir John said it was not acceptable to see energy prices rocketing by up to 10 per cent when wholesale costs are rising by only four per cent.

He said: “I do not regard that as acceptable at all by the energy companies.

“It ought not to be acceptable to anyone, that many people are going to have to chose between keeping warm and eating.

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Prince George to be christened today

Bell is renowned for his images of Hollywood stars and rock and pop legends like Sir Paul McCartney, actress Scarlett Johansson and former England footballer David Beckham.

The photographs taken after the ceremony will be historic images that are expected to capture four generations of the royal family together.

The pictures will show the Queen with three future monarchs - Charles, William and George.

It will echo the picture taken in July 1894 during the christening of the future Edward VIII, showing the royal baby with his father, later George V, grandfather, the future Edward VII, and great grandmother, Queen Victoria.

Bell's images have been featured in the National Portrait Gallery and published in glossy magazines like Vogue and Vanity Fair.

In past decades, senior royal babies - the Queen, Charles and William - have been christened at Buckingham Palace.

But the Cambridges have chosen the Chapel Royal, where the coffin of the Duke's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, lay before her funeral.

Princess Beatrice was the last well known royal baby to be christened at St James's Palace, in December 1988.

George will be christened in a replica of the intricate lace and satin christening gown made for Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Victoria, the Princess Royal, in 1841.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex's son, Viscount Severn, became the first royal baby to wear the new robe at his christening in 2008.

Related articles EXCLUSIVE: The Duchess of Cambridge's mother snubbed as royal babysitter Shy Cressida Bonas may skip Prince George's christening due to nerves Prince George will wear historic silk satin gown to his christening As Prince George gets baptised we look at the royal christenings through the ages Touch of showbiz for Prince George's christening as royal photographer is chosen Tweet Share this Print Email 0Comments Comments Unavailable Sorry, we are unable to accept comments about this article at the moment. However, you will find some great articles which you can comment on right now in our Comment section.

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‘Clairvoyant’ bus driver is sacked for snubbing kids

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Sexual Harassment 'Rife' At Work, Study Says

The most common places women experience inappropriate behaviour is at their desk, a work party or in a lift, the survey finds. 9:50am UK, Wednesday 23 October 2013

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Whiplash Insurance Claims Face Fraud Crackdown

Ministers say targeting whiplash fraudsters will help bring down the price of motor insurance for all drivers. 8:10am UK, Wednesday 23 October 2013

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Royal Gwent Hospital: Travellers Ignore Deadline

The group faces legal proceedings if it does not move off the car park used by frontline NHS staff at a hospital in South Wales. 11:24pm UK, Tuesday 22 October 2013

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Asos Argues Its Success Is Good For High St

The boss of the rapidly-growing online fashion retailer dismisses suggestions its growth is harmful to bricks-and-mortar stores. 10:40am UK, Wednesday 23 October 2013

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MPs Call For Council Parking Charge Reports

The Transport Committee wants councils to publish annual breakdowns of where revenue comes from and how it is used. 9:47am UK, Wednesday 23 October 2013

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Benefits Fraudster Living In Spain Arrested

Video: Fraudster Free Despite Tip-Offs

Enlarge Tweet Email An on-the-run benefits fraudster tracked down in Spain and confronted by Sky News has been arrested.

Neighbours claimed they had told British authorities where Norman Brennan was many times, but were ignored.

They said nothing had been done to try to extradite the 70-year-old after he moved into their community.

Brennan, a retired joiner from Merseyside, jumped bail in 2008 after admitting £120,000 of benefit fraud and fled to Mijas on the Costa del Sol.

He lived openly at the same address for five years - but was finally detained by police on Tuesday evening.

Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt confronted Brennan near his Spanish home earlier this month but he refused to discuss his life on the run.

He appeared to live alone with his dog, spending his evenings drinking in a local bar.

It is believed Brennan was receiving his old age pension in Spain and, astonishingly, even got mail from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in London.

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Plebgate: Davis Wants Police To Wear Cameras

Top Tory David Davis wants police to record their actions in order to help rebuild a "decline in public trust". 9:52am UK, Wednesday 23 October 2013

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Job Losses As Petrochemical Plant To Close

The Grangemouth oil refinery is spared the axe but the site's owner decides to offload the petrochemicals business. 10:33am UK, Wednesday 23 October 2013

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Kidnap Charges For Father Who Took Children

A father is accused of abducting his young daughter and son while they were staying in a hotel room with their mother. 9:19am UK, Wednesday 23 October 2013

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Godparents Named Ahead Of Royal Christening

William and Kate reveal the seven godparents of Prince George ahead of his christening ceremony at St James's Palace. 10:31am UK, Wednesday 23 October 2013

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Recruitment boss brands unemployed "lazy disgrace" after he has zero responses to advert for 50 jobs

Dumbfounded: Danny James

The boss of a recruitment firm has branded the unemployed "lazy" and a "disgrace" after he had advertised 50 vacancies and ended up with absolutely no responses.

Danny James, who owns Consistent Personnel, posted an advert in the Jobcentre asking for unskilled workers for at least three months' work at a Worcester food factory.

But to his horror, not a single person came forward wanting to take him up on the offer - despite there being 2,000 people on the dole in the city.

Mr James told the Mail: "If I lost my job, I would have a job tomorrow, even if it was cleaning toilets.

"I don't understand the mindset of these people. It's the most simple cake-packing, box-stacking position.

"My three-year-old daughter could do it. But not one person has rung me up.

'It's a disgrace. Everybody should know. There is work and it is beyond me why nobody has rung me.

"They couldn't even get me one person. It's unbelievable."

Mr James added: "I see so many people hanging around on street corners, people outside the job centre smoking and then something like this comes up where I need just 50 people old enough to work in a factory.

"It's beyond me that they can't even get one person from the job centre. It is so very frustrating."

Mr james eventually managed to get 10 people himself through his own contacts,  but a Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said the short notice of the shifts was the reason their staff were unable to fill the roles.

"Every day Jobcentre Plus staff up and down the country are successfully helping employers fill their vacancies and get people into work," he said.

"On this occasion, however, the very short timescale given by the agency and the need for jobseekers to be available to work the night shift, that same day, meant we were unable to help on this occasion."

 

 

 

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MPs say they should be allowed to claim expenses for FREE DINNERS and TAXIS

Crackdown: Sir Ian Kennedy, Chairman of the Independent Parliamentary Standards AuthorityPA

Whingeing MPs insist they should be allowed to claimfor free dinners, taxis and hotels.

Itcomes after the Commons expenses watchdog unveiled plans to crack down on House of Commons expensesas part of a package of measures which would see MPs handed a bumper pay rise.

TheIndependent Parliamentary Standards Authority said the

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X Factor Boss Simon Cowell To Tie The Knott In The UK

Simon Cowell Is Getting Married In The UK

Wow big news, Simon Cowell is going to get married. Now that is the second shock of the year, the first shock was the X Factor boss becoming a father.

According to reports, the X Factor boss will get married in the UK but will Louis Walsh let the wedding go ahead or will he stop it and tell Simon Cowell he loves him

Read the full story with In2town Lifestyle Magazine

Could exhumed body of baby 'murdered' 32 years ago lead to fresh conviction for Angel Of Death nurse suspected of 46 deaths yet facing release from prison under Texan law?

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Nazi war criminal avoids 'Bin Laden-style' burial after relatives strike deal to bury his body in a 'secret location'

Home  NewsU.S.SportTV&ShowbizFemailHealthScienceMoneyVideoCoffee BreakTravelColumnistsNews HomeArtsHeadlinesPicturesMost readNews BoardLoginFind a JobM&S WineFeedbackSunday, Oct 20 201312AM 11°C3AM11°C5-Day Forecast show ad 1shares Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke avoids 'Bin Laden-style' burial after relatives strike deal to bury his body in a 'secret location'Erich Priebke's body will not be cremated and buried at sea like Osama Bin Laden
War criminal will be buried 'in secret location' after a deal was struck
Priebke was serving a life sentence for 1944 massacre of the Ardeatine Caves

By Hannah Roberts In Rome

PUBLISHED:18:30, 20 October 2013

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Eartha Kitt's daughter on her mother's last attempt to find her father

HomeNewsU.S.SportTV&ShowbizFemailHealthScience  MoneyVideoCoffee BreakTravelColumnistsFemail HomeFoodFemail BoardsBeautyGardeningDealsBlogsLoginFind a JobM&S WineFeedbackMonday, Oct 21 201312AM 11°C3AM11°C5-Day Forecast show ad Eartha Kitt's desperate search for her white father: Daughter reveals how 'Santa Baby' singer cried when she saw his name had been crossed out on birth certificateSinger and actress Eartha Kitt never knew who her white father was
She went to retrieve her birth certificate in 1998 at 71, with daughter Kitt
Wept when she saw officials had 'blacked out' his name, 'protecting' him

By Deni Kirkova

PUBLISHED:14:45, 20 October 2013

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A dummy in her mouth, performing for the camera: Video shows mystery blonde girl at centre of international hunt dancing for Roma gypsies

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Arrogance of the man who 'killed Adrian Peterson's 2-year-old' shows as the suspect's father tells how his son is 'getting bitter' and 'pissed off' while in jail

Home  NewsU.S.SportTV&ShowbizFemailHealthScienceMoneyVideoCoffee BreakTravelColumnistsNews HomeArtsHeadlinesPicturesMost readNews BoardLoginFind a JobM&S WineFeedbackSunday, Oct 20 201312AM 11°C3AM11°C5-Day Forecast show ad 3shares Arrogance of the man who 'killed Adrian Peterson's 2-year-old' shows as the suspect's father tells how his son is 'getting bitter' and 'p

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Time to hit the books, folks: Major new international survey finds adult Americans well below average in general maths and english in trend experts are calling 'a car crash'

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Teen pawns $100k of family jewelry to pay blackmailers who hacked into his computer and took an embarrassing video of him that they threatened to send to his family and school friends

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Thief who burgled children's hospital hands himself in to police after having flashbacks to the crime

0shares Kieron Hampson was admitted to hospital after falling down stairs
After discharging himself the 23-year-old broke into the children's unit
Hampson, who had been drinking heavily, turned himself in after remembering breaking in to a 'nursery'

By Jennifer Smith

PUBLISHED:19:38, 20 October 2013

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Oprah 'refused to help the President promote Obamacare because she feels burned by the White House'

10shares The President asked Oprah to help him promote Obamacare 'but she refused because she feels burned by the White House'

By Meghan Keneally

PUBLISHED:19:40, 20 October 2013

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Corey Feldman reveals sexual abuse he endured as a 1980s child star

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Experts warn backlash against stay-at-home mums should be treated as seriously as racism

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Clifford Raynovich charged: Man, 56, is charged with rape and incest after fathering four children with female relative over two decades

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Exploring our changing world: National Geographic readers submit thousands of stunning pictures for the magazine's 125th anniversary

"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2469204/Exploring-changing-world-National-Geographic-readers-submit-thousands-stunning-pictures-magazines-125th-anniversary.html"

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Iranian president pushes to ban the 'Death to America' chant that is shouted after weekly prayers

UPDATED:20:56, 20 October 2013

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The new President of Iran has suggested that the country's famed 'Death to America' slogan be banned as the government has begun taking steps to re-establish relations with the West.

President Hassan Rouhani has been seen as a reformer in the eyes of many- especially since he had the landmark phone call with President Obama just weeks ago.

Now his mentor has publicly stated that the regular chants of 'Death to America' should be dropped, saying that the anger dating back to the capture of the American embassy in 1974 is not helping the country move forward.

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England stars to stay in rundown hotel overlooking crime-ridden slum for the Brazil World Cup

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Traffic warden removes parking ticket from Prince Andrew's 4x4 car

4shares Now you see it, now you don't! in Mayfair after protection officer points out it's a royal vehicle
Duke of York's Range Rover was ticketed while he was at Loulou'sBut protection officer pointed out to warden that it was a royal carWarden then offered to remove ticket from car in Central LondonOfficers with royals can park on double yellows on security grounds

By Mark Duell

PUBLISHED:21:32, 20 October 2013

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'Stop laughing at me!' Hilarious footage of 40-year-old father entertaining his family by lip-synching along to his young daughter's temper tantrum in the next room

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Who said men can't multitask? Man, 41, knits 13-foot scarf during first marathon and breaks Guinness World Record

UPDATED:21:45, 20 October 2013

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Most men can't knit and even more can't run a marathon.But David Babcock does both, at the same time.

Yesterday, the 41-year-old University of Central Missouri graphic design professor set a Guinness world record for longest scarf knitted during a marathon.

The previous record was set by Susie Hewer during last April's London Marathon with a scarf that measured 6 feet, 9 inches.

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Fugitive Swiss banker wanted in the U.S. for 'helping Americans hide $20billion in off-shore accounts' arrested when he checked into luxury Italian hotel

Fugitive Swiss banker wanted in the U.S. for 'helping Americans hide $20billion in off-shore accounts' arrested when he checked into luxury Italian hotel

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'I feel violated': Over 30 women join lawsuit against jail for being 'treated like animals' after secret cameras capture them undressing and going to the toilet

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Can't bear to turn it off? Movie theater proposes texting aisle for phone-using viewers

0shares AMC runs 4,895 screens across the countryCompany wants to turn the back row into an aisle for customers to text

By James Daniel

PUBLISHED:22:07, 20 October 2013

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Like brother, like sister: Soccer siblings break their noses at games on the SAME weekend

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Group of black youths beat white couple in racially-motivated attack, yelling 'White motherf*****'

0shares Roland Russo was driving in a car with his wife Alanna, both 30, when a group of 10 black teens were blocking his way during a green lightMr Russo honked his horn for the group to move and they started kicking his car in retaliation
When Mr Russo got out of the car they started beating him upPolice arrested four teens after the incident, and are looking for the six othersOne of the suspects says he didn't participate in the assault, but was arrested because he was wearing the same outfit as one of the attackers

By Ashley Collman

PUBLISHED:22:29, 20 October 2013

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Bullied boy stands up to his tormenter with the help of 100 strangers from Facebook

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In court: Mother, 17, caught with dead baby in her bag 'while shoplifting' at Victoria's Secret will NOT be charged for the infant's death until forensic tests show how he died

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SATAN, slaves and witches slain: Inside the ghost stories of America's six most-haunted houses!

0shares Would you dare go inside? The most haunted buildings in America where the country's grisliest crimes took placeAlmost one third of Americans claim to have been to or have lived in a haunted house, says new pollGruesome accounts behind reported sightings, including the unsolved ax slaughtering of six childrenAlmost all stories prove to be retribution-basedRare sights of 'friendly' ghosts

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED:22:12, 20 October 2013

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Watch out Carole! There's a new glam mother on the royal block... as Harry invites girlfriend Cressida to George's christening, how her It Girl mum rivals Mrs Middleton

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To be a happy chap, see your pals twice a week: Men's wellbeing depends on meeting up with friends and 'doing stuff'

0shares Robin Dunbar of Oxford University claims men must meet upin person twice a week with four friends and 'do stuff'Suggested activities include playing sport or having a joke over a pint of beer in the pubFindings suggest two out of five men only manage to meet their friends only once a week and a further third struggle to catch up that frequently

By Ryan Kisiel

PUBLISHED:00:09, 21 October 2013

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Argentina train crash: Commuter train crashes in Argentina injuring 80 passengers and angry mob yells 'murderer murderer' at driver

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The Queen seeks boss of Windsor Castle with diplomatic skills

The Queen is seeking someone who can run Windsor Castle as a tourist attraction. Photo: ALAMY Tim Walker. Edited by Richard Eden

7:26AM BST 19 Oct 2013

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Princess Diana's sister speaks out for the first time

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Do you have what it takes to be godparent to the future king?

"dated 23/07/13 of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leaving the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London, with their newborn son, Prince George of Cambridge" itemprop

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TV antiques expert in row with Prince Michael's friend

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As a regular on daytime television, Ian “The Duchess” Towning is the best-known antiques trader in Chelsea. The medallion-festooned wheeler-dealer has, however, managed to upset one of London’s most prominent socialites.

Basia Briggs, a friend of Prince Michael of Kent, left an unwanted heirloom in Towning’s care. She was, however, horrified to discover that not only was the statue unsold, but that it was damaged.

“Just before Christmas, I took him a statue that belonged to my dead mother but wasn’t quite to my taste,” she tells Mandrake. “He promised he’d be able to sell it, so I left it with him on trust.”

Recently, Basia, who owns Hyde Park Stables with her husband, Richard Briggs, popped in to Towning’s shop off to check on the statue.

“It was very dirty and a finger of the harlequin had broken off,” she says. “I was very upset, so I rescued it. When I asked about insurance, he turned very nasty and said it was my responsibility. I was very taken aback by his manner, I left it there in good faith.”

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Towning, who has featured on David Dickinson’s Real Deal programme, admits that the statue was damaged. “There was a tiny chip on it, a little nick,” he tells me.

The dealer insists: “It didn’t happen in my shop, to my knowledge.” However, he claims: “We didn’t examine it before it came in.”

Towning refuses to claim for the damage on his insurance. “I won’t insure it, as I didn’t want it in the first place,” he says, adding: “Not a single client of mine in 35 years has ever said I’ve acted incorrectly in business.”

Basia adds that she is not motivated by money. “I’m going to throw the blinking thing in the bin,” she declares.

Read more from Mandrake here

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Duchess of Cambridge books hairdresser for Australia tour with Prince George

"dated 23/07/13 of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leaving the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London, with their newborn son, Prince George of Cambridge" itemprop

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Duchess of Cornwall joins Justin Welby's crusade against payday lenders

(L-R): The Duchess of Cornwall and The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby Photo: PA/HEATHCLIFF O'MALLEY By Richard Eden

7:30AM BST 20 Oct 2013

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Hollywood photographer Jason Bell 'to take Prince George christening pictures'

Jason Bell, a celebrity portrait photographer, is expected to be confirmed as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's choice to take the official pictures for Prince George's christening on Wednesday

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How far did police go to protect Jimmy Savile?

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The photograph of the old man with the wild eyes and wispy grey hair has long been removed from the walls of the Flying Pizza in Roundhay, Leeds. But during a busy lunchtime this week at the bar of what was his favourite restaurant, the ghost of Jimmy Savile lingers.

The Flying Pizza and his nearby penthouse apartment overlooking Roundhay Park were, until his death two years ago, the centre of Savile’s Leeds empire. He would swan in at least once every few weeks, boasting to regulars of his celebrity status. It was like he had the “keys to the city”, one recalls. What seemed at the time like mere celebrity bragging is now known to be much, much worse.

Leeds – like the rest of the country – has been left reeling by the waves of accusations that have turned one of its most famous sons into its most notorious. We now know that Savile is one of the worst-ever sex attackers in Britain. A man who is suspected of raping 34 women and girls, and sexually assaulting up to 450 people, including children as young as eight.

But what is only starting to emerge from this horror story is the extent to which the police appeared to have enabled Savile to claim he was untouchable. This week, a retired Leeds policeman has claimed that “there wasn’t a copper in the city who didn’t know Savile was a pervert”.

The ex-Leeds City Police officer, speaking under the alias Paul Leonard, said that in 1965 he had come across Savile’s Rolls-Royce parked in a secluded lay-by near Roundhay Golf Club. The then DJ and fledgling television presenter reportedly warned: “I’m waiting for midnight when she turns 16… so p--s off if you want to keep your job.” After reporting the incident to a sergeant, Leonard says he was told: “Shut up, son. He’s got friends in high places.”

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The claim came days after the publication of the transcript of a 2009 interview in which Savile was questioned by Surrey Police over accusations that he had abused girls at the Duncroft children’s home in Berkshire in the Seventies. The serial paedophile told detectives he had not done anything wrong in 83 years and boasted of “senior police persons” who came to visit him every week at his flat in Leeds in what was known as the “Friday morning club”.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has now launched an investigation into a recently retired West Yorkshire Police inspector, revealed for the first time yesterday as Mick Starkey. The 61‑year-old is alleged to have contacted Surrey Police before the interview in 2009 and “acted on behalf” of Savile. Starkey had previously been known as a regular at the Friday morning club, which was frequented by serving and retired West Yorkshire police officers, and he would regularly chauffeur the celebrity around in his Rolls-Royce.

The influence Savile claimed to wield over the police is shocking, but was no secret at the Flying Pizza, where the TV presenter would talk of his “hotline” to officers. “He used to come in here on his own and talk about the Friday meetings,” says Francis, a 63-year-old retired doorman who knew Savile well from the late Sixties onwards.

Speaking for the first time, he says: “He used to take great delight in telling people that if he had any problems, his friends at Millgarth

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Princess Diana's sister speaks out for the first time

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Cartoon pyjamas gave away armed gang

A gang of violent armed robbers were caught out after one posed for photographs wearing the same pair of distinctive cartoon pyjama bottoms he had worn during one of the raids.

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'Banjo bobby' promotes safety through song

West Midlands Police Sergeant Giles Dean is hoping his George Formby-style "When I'm Burgling Houses" song will persuade people to keep their homes and cars secure. 3:41PM BST 19 Oct 2013

The policeman wrote the song, which he performs on a banjo-ukulele hybrid called a banjolele, to encourage people to be more careful with their possessions.

Lines from the tongue-and-cheek song include: "Now I go burgling houses to earn a dishonest bob, with all the help you give me it's a very easy job".

Mr Dean explained why the force had produced the song saying, "it was a new and different way to get the crime prevention message out".

"Every week I get across my desk offences, burglaries, thefts from motor vehicles, where people could easily prevent those offences," Mr Dean added.

The police officer, who learnt to play the ukulele five-years-ago, said it was a self-taught hobby which he had learnt mainly through watching videos on YouTube.

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Bermuda may send prisoners to British jails

Parliament & Supreme Court (session house and clock), Hamilton, Bermuda Islands. Photo: ALAMY By Martin Evans, Crime Correspondent

5:42PM BST 19 Oct 2013

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Murderers, rapists and drug-dealing gangsters from the British Overseas Territory. in the North Atlantic could be sent to the UK’s already overcrowded jails to serve out the remainder of their sentences.

As British passport holders the criminals would be entitled to remain in the country once they were released.

Talks have been held between the two countries, with Bermudan officials claiming their British counterparts have signalled a willingness to help it and other overseas territories that are struggling to house their most dangerous criminals, provided certain criteria are met.

Bermuda has witnessed an upsurge in gang-related violence in recent years and despite having a population of just 64,000 — less than the city of St Albans — there have been more than 25 murders in the past five years, as criminals vie for control of a lucrative drugs trade.

Michael Dunkley, Bermuda’s minister for public safety, confirmed he had spoken to British officials about the possibility of sending the most dangerous inmates to the UK. The officials did not appear to have been from the Ministry of Justice, which oversees the prisons system in England and Wales.

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He said: “As far as sending prisoners overseas we have discussed this with Government House to see if there is the opportunity for that in the UK. It might be appropriate if we are very concerned about an individual inmate and the threat they pose in our prison system.

“And it might be appropriate to work with the UK and ship that inmate overseas.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “We are not aware of any discussions with the Bermuda government on this matter.”

 CrimeNews »UK News »Martin Evans »

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Madeleine McCann: is there hope at last?

By Colin Freeman

10:55PM BST 19 Oct 2013

FOR anyone who has followed the story of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the scenario may sound tantalisingly plausible. During a raid on a run-down gipsy site, police find a young girl whose blonde features stand out among her dark-skinned siblings. A DNA test proves she is not related to the couple who claim to be her parents and, as they are arrested for abduction, police reveal the girl is of "Northern European" origins.

The end of Kate and Gerry McCann’s six-year ordeal? Sadly not. "Maria", the girl found in last Wednesday’s raid at a gipsy site in Greece (above), turned out to be just four, while Madeleine — if she is still alive — will be 10 by now. None the less, for her parents, the mere possibility that another couple’s child could disappear and be found again was a source of inspiration. "Whenever a child is recovered in this kind of situation it gives them a sense of hope," their spokesman told The Sunday Telegraph last night.

Abduction by gipsies is just one of the many theories that have been aired about Madeleine’s disappearance since she vanished from a holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz one May evening in 2007. Others are that she was stolen to order by a paedophile gang, or that she was sold into child slavery. The fact is that nobody knows. Yet as Greek police were trying to trace Maria’s parents last week, their counterparts at Scotland Yard were announcing what could prove to be a significant breakthrough in Madeleine’s case.

On Monday night, during a fresh appeal on Crimewatch watched by seven million people, they issued new e-fits of a man seen carrying a child from the resort the night that Madeleine disappeared. At first glance, the e-fit looks like a like a wanted poster for Mr Ordinary: the suspect is described as being white, clean shaven, of medium height and medium build, aged between 20 and 40 and with short brown hair. Such a description could arguably apply to a large section of the male population in Praia da Luz that night, and indeed much of the rest of Europe.

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But since the e-fit was issued, along with a new reconstruction of events which placed Madeleine’s abduction 45 minutes later than previously thought, Crimewatch has had what it says is an "unprecedented" number of responses. Many of them are from Britons who were in the resort at the time but had not previously come forward. And crucially, several claim to have identified the man in the e-fit, with two of them independently giving the same name.

The e-fits of the suspect (ESPN)

"We have now had over 730 calls and 212 emails as a direct result of the specific lines of inquiry we issued," said Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading a squad of 35 detectives based at London’s Belgravia police station and set up to review the case two years ago. "Detectives are now trawling through and prioritising that material. This will take time."

As of this weekend, there was no indication as to whether the Crimewatch appeal would lead anywhere: police have declined to comment on whether any of those named by callers could be potential suspects. But the appeal is still a welcome change in direction for what had otherwise seemed in danger of becoming a media soap opera, mired in conspiracy theories, mud-slinging and lawsuits, in which the very real tragedy of a girl’s disappearance had been forgotten.

Kate McCann (ANDREW CROWLEY)

Only last month, Kate McCann, now 45, was in court in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, where she and her husband are seeking libel damages of £1 million from a man accused of spreading "poisonous lies" about them. He was none other than the detective who led the initial inquiry into their daughter’s death, Goncalo Amaral, whose book, The Truth of the Lie, accused them of faking their daughter’s abduction to cover up the fact that she had a fatal accident in the apartment.

Similar claims led to the McCanns successfully suing British newspapers for more than half a million pounds, and while few believe the word of Mr Amaral, who was subsequently removed from the case, the mud has stuck to some extent. To this day, anti-McCann "trolls" persist in voicing malevolent conspiracy theories on the internet. As of this weekend, some were even threatening to scupper the latest Crimewatch appeal by flooding Scotland Yard with false information.

Indeed, the sheer volume of information in the case has been one of the problems. During their past six years of relentless campaigning, the McCanns have met everyone from the Pope to Oprah Winfrey, and cooperated with documentary makers and previous Crimewatch appeals. Pictures of Madeleine have appeared in newspapers from Brazil to Burma. When Scotland Yard decided to review the inquiry in 2011, three years after the Portuguese had declared the case closed, they had some 30,000 pages of files to sift through, and no shortage of spurious "Maddie" sightings generated by the media frenzy.

She was the sad little girl standing at a petrol station in Marrakesh in Morocco with a man in his 30s. She was the girl seen with a "tall swarthy man" in the south of France in 2008. She was with a Portuguese couple seen by retired civil servant in Dorset. She was with a man in Sydney, half a dozen different people in Brazil and others in Holland, Sweden and New Zealand.

So for the benefit of those who instantly change channels or turn the page whenever the case is mentioned, it is perhaps worth pointing out that last Monday’s Crimewatch appeal provided a graphic reminder of just how chilling the original abduction was, turning what should have been a pleasant holiday evening into something from a horror film.

As they had done every night of their holiday, it began with the McCanns reading bedtime stories to their three children — Madeleine, then three, and her baby twin siblings, Sean and Amelie. They then put the three of them to bed in the way that any parent will recognise – the window curtained and shuttered to stop morning light waking the children up early, the door left slightly open for reassurance.

After that, Kate and Gerry left apartment G5a and headed down to join their friends, also parents, for dinner at restaurant on the resort complex just 50 yards walk away. As Kate told the Crimewatch programme on Monday, both parents were actually nursing slightly guilty consciences: Madeleine had complained to them that the night before, she and her brother had woken up while her parents were dining, and wondered where they were. So that night there was regular checks, including one around 10pm just after Kate had finished eating.

The first thing she noticed was that the door to Madeleine’s bedroom was rather more ajar than it had been. Then, as she approached, it slammed shut as if by a ghost. When Kate peered in, she saw Madeleine’s empty bed in the half darkness. "I wondered if she’d clambered into our own bed, but she hadn’t, and at that point panic kicked in," she said, describing how she then rushed back into the children’s room to look again. "It was literally at that point that the curtains that were closed suddenly blew open, and I realised that the window had been pushed right open," she added, forcing back tears. "I knew straight away then that Madeleine had been taken."

Ever since, the key to the inquiry has been establishing what happened during the time from around 9pm, when Gerry McCann had previously gone to check on the children and seen Madeleine fast asleep. Until this week, the key sighting was by one of the McCanns’ dining companions, Jane Tanner, who went to check on her own children at 9.15pm and saw a man just yards from the McCanns’ apartment. He was wearing beige trousers and a brown jumper, and was carrying young child.

After much painstaking analysis, however, the Scotland Yard team has concluded that this man – later depicted in an artist’s impression – was actually nothing to do with the abduction. They noticed that on the evening in question, there was a "night creche" in operation near the apartment block, and after tracking down the families who were using it, found a man whose clothes were "uncannily similar" to the man seen by Ms Tanner. "We are almost certain now that this sighting was not the abductor," said DCI Redwood, who described it as a "revelation moment" for the inquiry.

Instead, detectives are now focusing their efforts on a second man seen carrying a child towards the beach just minutes before Kate McCann went to check on Madeleine. An Irishman, Martin Smith, and his wife reported seeing him at the time. Their e-fits, which have only now been released, were originally produced by a private detective agency which was hired by the McCanns in 2008 when they became dissatisfied with the Portuguese police inquiry.

At the time, though, it was not published, partly because Portuguese detectives thought the other theory more viable, and partly because Mr Smith himself said he thought the man he had seen looked like Gerry McCann, whom several other witnesses had already said had been at the restaurant table at that point.

Now the later sighting is being taken seriously. While DCI Redwood stressed that it could be a yet another innocent holidaymaker carrying his child, it is the key public line of inquiry, if only because of the absence of anything else. Yet it also means that what could be the key e-fit lay under wraps for several years. "It was passed to the Portuguese police at the time and for whatever reason they decided to nothing whatsoever with it," said one source close to the McCann investigation. "It was then handed to the Met two years ago, and they have now deemed it worthy of publication, but frankly it should have been out there a long time ago."

Will it lead to anything? Privately, those close in the case concede that this is not so much a compelling new theory, so much as an older one that now seems more relevant in the light of other theories being discredited. And if the e-fit looks vague, so too do the other appeals for information in the Crimewatch programme: namely two men seen on the balcony of a nearby apartment around the time of Madeleine’s abduction, a man who was collecting for charity and some fair-haired men seen lurking around the holiday apartments who could be German, or possibly Dutch. Or, as some might point out, simply the kind of middle-aged men who tend to be associated in the public mind with child abductions.

DCI Redwood is not to be deterred, however. "On one reading of the evidence, this case does have the hallmarks of a pre-planned abduction," he said. "That would undoubtedly have involved reconnaissance, so we are really keen to find out who these people so that we can eliminate them."

Not only that, it would probably have involved drugging Madeleine in some way. As any parent will know, most three year olds would never willingly allow themselves to be taken from bed by anyone they did not know well.

One theory that DCI Redwood has not ruled out is that Madeleine disturbed a burglar, given that there had been a spate of properties in the area at the time. It is possible, then, that she could have been knocked unconscious before being removed from the property.

Whatever the case, one place where last week’s Crimewatch appeal has caused little excitement is in Portugal itself. While the show was repeated again in Holland and Germany last week, it was not aired in Portugal, where public resentment remains high over criticisms made of the police handling of the inquiry. Technically, a small number of Portuguese officers remain on hand to assist Scotland Yard, but that is all, and the response from the Portuguese last week to the Crimewatch inquiry suggested that they did not expect to be called in.

One officer, speaking anonymously to a Portuguese newspaper, said: ‘Basically they just publicised pre-existing information, such as the witness statements from the Irish."

For the McCanns, meanwhile, there is the added task of bringing up their twins, who are now both eight, without being overprotective. In a recent interview, Mr McCann said that even briefly letting them out of their sight on holidays was still hard. In the meantime, Madeleine’s face, be it on wanted posters or cherished family videos, still haunts them.

As Mr McCann said last week: "When it’s a special occasion, and you should be your happiest, and Madeleine’s not there, that’s when it hits home."

 Madeleine McCannNews »World News »Europe »Portugal »UK News »

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Bermuda may send prisoners to British jails

Parliament & Supreme Court (session house and clock), Hamilton, Bermuda Islands. Photo: ALAMY By Martin Evans, Crime Correspondent

5:42PM BST 19 Oct 2013

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Murderers, rapists and drug-dealing gangsters from the British Overseas Territory. in the North Atlantic could be sent to the UK’s already overcrowded jails to serve out the remainder of their sentences.

As British passport holders the criminals would be entitled to remain in the country once they were released.

Talks have been held between the two countries, with Bermudan officials claiming their British counterparts have signalled a willingness to help it and other overseas territories that are struggling to house their most dangerous criminals, provided certain criteria are met.

Bermuda has witnessed an upsurge in gang-related violence in recent years and despite having a population of just 64,000 — less than the city of St Albans — there have been more than 25 murders in the past five years, as criminals vie for control of a lucrative drugs trade.

Michael Dunkley, Bermuda’s minister for public safety, confirmed he had spoken to British officials about the possibility of sending the most dangerous inmates to the UK. The officials did not appear to have been from the Ministry of Justice, which oversees the prisons system in England and Wales.

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He said: “As far as sending prisoners overseas we have discussed this with Government House to see if there is the opportunity for that in the UK. It might be appropriate if we are very concerned about an individual inmate and the threat they pose in our prison system.

“And it might be appropriate to work with the UK and ship that inmate overseas.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “We are not aware of any discussions with the Bermuda government on this matter.”

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