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Haunting scene as ghost trees appear in Trafalgar Square

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:44:11 -0600

Stumps of 10 trees from a rainforest, complete with their roots, will be placed around Trafalgar Square to highlight the issue of climate change.

Laser beams will mark the height the trees would have reached in the wild in comparison to Nelson's Column.

The trees, logged legally in Ghana, will highlight deforestation in countries like Ghana which has lost 90% of its rainforest in the past 50 years.

Ghost Forest by artist Angela Palmer will inhabit the square until Friday.

The installation will go up at the central London location in the early hours of Monday morning.

'World's lungs'

The trees used in Ghost Forest come from the Suhuma forest reserve in Western Ghana, and were legally logged.

Artist Angela Palmer went to a logging camp to locate naturally fallen trees for the exhibit.

Ms Palmer said: "The concept is to present a series of rainforest tree stumps as a 'ghost forest' - using the negative space created by the missing trunks as a metaphor for climate change, the absence representing the removal of the world's 'lungs' through continued deforestation."

The project has seven indigenous species - Denya, Dahuma, Danta, Hyedua, Mahogany,Wawa and three varieties of Celtis.

The installation, which highlights the threat of deforestation faced by tropical forests, will be shipped to Thorvaldsens Plads in Copenhagen for the start of the UN Climate Change summit in December.

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Arrest in serial sex attack probe

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:26:37 -0600

Police have arrested a 52-year-old man in connection with more than 100 sex attacks and rapes on elderly women and men across London and the South East.

Officers have long believed one person, dubbed the "night stalker", was responsible for a string of burglaries and sex offences dating back to 1990.

The attacks have taken place in areas including Dulwich, Orpington, Norwood, Downham, Lee, West Wickham and Bickley.

Detectives described the arrest of the man early on Sunday as "significant".

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JLS 'devastated' over crowd surge

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:31:51 -0600

Boy band JLS said they were "so, so sad" about a crowd surge at a Christmas lights switch-on event in Birmingham in which about 60 people were injured.

The surge happened as JLS performed before as many as 20,000 people at Millennium Point on Saturday. Five thousand were expected at the event.

The group said they were devastated in a statement on their website.

"We are so, so sad to see people got injured... It was meant to be a great event," said band member Marvin Humes.

"We're just gutted that everyone's day was spoilt," he added.

"It should have been a great gig with other artists like Alexandra Burke and Calvin Harris.

"We just hope that everyone who was injured has a speedy recovery."

A number of other chart acts, including Calvin Harris, Tinchy Stryder and Natalie Imbruglia, had been booked to appear at the event, but it was stopped after the chaotic crowd scenes towards the end of JLS's performance.

Organisers of the event, which was not ticketed, have faced heavy criticism.

Birmingham City Council has defended its decision to abandon the event and said an investigation had begun.

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Belle de Jour drops her anonymity

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:17:54 -0600

A former prostitute whose memoirs were turned into the TV series Secret Diary of a Call Girl, starring Billie Piper, has revealed her true identity.

Dr Brooke Magnanti wrote under the pen name Belle de Jour to describe the encounters she had as a high-class call girl while earning money for her PhD.

The 34-year-old said she decided to unmask herself because the stress of the deceit was making her paranoid.

Interest in her identity increased when her memoirs became a television series.

Dr Magnanti, who now lives in Bristol and is a research scientist for The Bristol Initiative for Research of Child Health, became a prostitute because she needed a job that left her enough time to complete her studies.

She kept her double life a secret even when she started the blog describing her experiences and the books which followed.

"It feels so much better on this side. Not to have to tell lies, hide things from the people I care about"

Belle de Jour blog

Dr Magnanto told the Sunday Times she worked as a prostitute from 2003 to late 2004, and found it "so much more enjoyable" than her shifts in another job as a computer programmer.

She told the newspaper "I don't want this massive secret over me any more," and that she feared an ex-boyfriend might reveal the true identity of Belle de Jour.

Sunday's entry on the blog said: "It feels so much better on this side. Not to have to tell lies, hide things from the people I care about. To be able to defend what my experience of sex work is like to all the sceptics and doubters.

"Anonymity had a purpose then - it will always have a reason to exist, for writers whose work is too damaging or too controversial to put their names on.

'Pride'

"But for me, it became important to acknowledge that aspect of my life and my personality to the world at large.

"I am a woman. I lived in London. I was a call girl.

"The people, the places, the actions and feelings are as true now as they were then, and I stand behind every word with pride."

A spokesman for her employer, the University of Bristol, said: "This aspect of Dr Magnanti's past is not relevant to her current role at the university."

The spokesman added that Dr Magnanti's revelations would not affect her chances of future employment with the university.

A statement on the website of Orion Books, which published Belle de Jour's novels, said: "It's a courageous decision for Belle de Jour to come forward with her true identity and we support her decision to do so.

"We have published her since 2005 and we are looking forward to continuing that relationship."

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Man is killed in helicopter crash

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:49:07 -0600

A man has been found dead after a helicopter crash in Cheshire.

Emergency services were called after the aircraft went down on land at Harrop Green Farm in Adlington, near Macclesfield, on Sunday afternoon.

Five ambulances were sent to the farm after being alerted just after 1530 GMT. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash happened in an area of the county close to the Peak District national park.

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Plans could see RAF bases close

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:14:56 -0600

Two North Yorkshire RAF bases could face closure under proposals being considered by the Ministry of Defence.

The plans could see all RAF fast jet training moved to a base in Anglesey which could lead to the closure of RAF Linton-on-Ouse and RAF Leeming.

In a statement the MoD said it was "challenging times" and it routinely reviewed spending "to ensure that best use is made of the defence budget".

The MoD said a decision would not be made until the new year.

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Ambulance crash kills two

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:05:34 -0600

A man has died as a car collided with an ambulance on a Derbyshire road.

The crash, which involved a Ford escort, happened on the A619 Baslow Road in Chesterfield at about 1500 GMT on Saturday.

A Derbyshire Police spokesman said: "The male passenger from the Ford Escort sustained fatal injuries".

East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) could not confirm whether the ambulance was answering an emergency call. Police have appealed for witnesses.

An EMAS spokesman said: "We can confirm that one of our vehicles was involved in an accident on the A619 in Chesterfield.

"We have no reason to think that the driver of our vehicle was at fault.

"However at the present time this incident is being investigated by police and we are therefore unable to comment further."

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Concerns over right-to-die law

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:03:08 -0600

Campaigner Debbie Purdy, who won a landmark court victory to have the law on assisted suicide clarified, says the guidelines are still not clear enough.

The multiple sclerosis sufferer, 46, from Bradford, wanted to know if her husband would be prosecuted if he helped her end her life in Switzerland.

In July, Law Lords ruled the Director of Public Prosecution must specify when a person might face prosecution.

Ms Purdy said she still had concerns and the law must be changed.

"This cannot finish until we have changed the law"

Debbie Purdy

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keir Starmer has published interim guidelines on when prosecutions could occur.

The issue has now been put out to public consultation and permanent policy will be published next spring.

Ms Purdy said: "He has said he's more likely to prosecute where somebody makes a financial gain but what exactly does he mean by that

"My husband and I own this house together. If I die, he inherits it."

No one has been prosecuted for assisting someone's death, although the law says they could potentially face 14 years in prison.

The House of Lords, the highest court in the land, said the law was not as clear and precise as it should be.

Lethal dose

Ms Purdy had previously lost challenges in the High Court and Court of Appeal. The Lords ruling was her last chance of success in the UK legal system.

Ms Purdy, who is married to Omar Puente, was diagnosed with primary progressive MS in March 1995. She can no longer walk and is gradually losing strength in her upper body.

She has suggested that at some point she may travel to Switzerland to take a lethal dose of barbiturates prescribed by doctors at the controversial Dignitas organisation.

More than 100 UK citizens have so far ended their lives at Dignitas, and no-one who has accompanied them has ever been prosecuted on their return to the UK.

However, the reasons why legal action has not been taken have never been clear.

Ms Purdy said: "This cannot finish until we have changed the law because it's not just people like me who want the security of knowing that if life becomes unbearable there is the potential to end it and we won't have a duty to suffer."

The Ministry of Justice has previously said any change in the law was up to parliament.

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Griffin to contest Barking seat

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:52:08 -0600

BNP leader Nick Griffin has said he is going to stand in the Westminster constituency of Barking, east London, in the next general election.

In June, the party won its first two seats in the European Parliament.

Mr Griffin was elected for the North West region while Andrew Brons picked up another BNP seat in Yorkshire and Humber, where it won 10% of the vote.

Mr Griffin said the BNP was not racist, but won votes because it "spoke openly about the problem of immigration".

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Student writer wins African trip

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:46:54 -0600

A woman from Wellington, Somerset, has travelled to western Africa to see a Red Cross project tackling the issue of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Emily Blewett, 21, a student at Exeter University, was chosen after winning an international development journalism award in the Guardian newspaper.

Ms Blewett travelled to Lesotho and said despite it being a peaceful country its main enemy is HIV and Aids.

"People can't get to hospitals and nurses can't get to people," she said.

"How are you supposed to take medicine if you haven't got food in your stomach"

Emily Blewett

"I met a woman who found out she was HIV positive after her husband died of Aids, and she was tested.

"She was pregnant with her seventh child at the time and got treatment. Her seventh child was born negative but the other six were very likely to be positive.

"Even when the medicine is available, it's not always accessible, whether due to stigma in communities over testing for HIV, or just the problem of people not being able to get to a health centre.

"And how are you supposed to take medicine anyway if you haven't got food in your stomach When you meet someone like that, you think this could have been prevented, but you also realise how complicated it all is," she added.

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Probe into fire at car dealership

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:40:44 -0600

A fire which destroyed a number of vehicles at the compound of a car dealership in Darlington is being treated as suspicious.

Emergency services were called to a yard belonging to Darlington Car and Commercial at the back of McMullen Road on Saturday night.

Six cars, two heavy goods vehicles and a transit van were gutted.

The fire service and police have begun a joint investigation, and are appealing for information.

A spokesman for the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue service said fire crews had to cut through two sets of gates to allow the appliances to get inside the secure compound.

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Youths trained for 2012 security

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:34:11 -0600

Up to 6,000 teenagers could be trained to provide security during the 2012 Games, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games said.

The committee said it is in talks with 50 colleges to set up Level 2 BTec diploma courses for 16 to 19-year-olds.

They will be given 30 hours of training on communication, keeping people safe at events and crowd control.

A spokesman said the students will form "a part of the multi-layered security provision" for the 2012 Olympics.

'Practical experience'

The plan to train students come days after Home Office minister Lord West said the Olympics and Paralympics present the UK's "greatest security challenge" since World War II.

The committee spokesman said: "We are talking to colleges on how we can work with students to create opportunities for young people to learn skills and get practical experience about being part of our security provision.

"It is wrong to suggest that security will only be provided by new trained students."

Speaking at a conference on Olympic security on Friday, Lord West said: "Our security plans have to strike a balance between visible security and the welcome that we want.

"There is no doubt that the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games promises to be the greatest Games in history - and possibly the greatest security challenge the UK has faced since the Second World War."

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England crash to massive defeat

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:56:29 -0600

Second Twenty20 international: South Africa v England
Venue: Centurion Starts: Sunday, 15 November at 1230 GMT
Coverage: Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave and BBC Sport website (UK users only). Live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles. Also live on Sky Sports

Alastair Cook will captain England in the second Twenty20 match against South Africa after Paul Collingwood was ruled out because of a back problem.

Collingwood suffered the injury during Friday's dramatic one-run win over the Proteas in Johannesburg.

It means Cook will lead the England senior side for the first time in only his fourth Twenty20 international.

England also have worries over Graeme Swann (side) and James Anderson (knee) ahead of the match in Centurion.

With Andrew Strauss, Stuart Broad and Kevin Pietersen all considered unavailable until the one-day series, England have only two fit reserves, Graham Onions and Adil Rashid.

However, either Strauss or Pietersen could be pressed into action as an emergency measure as they look to wrap up their first trophy of the winter by avoiding defeat in the second and final Twenty20 international.

A key man could be Eoin Morgan, whose stunning 85 catapulted England to 202-6 in Friday's opener in Johannesburg, which proved just enough when rain curtailed the Proteas' chase.

The Irish-born batsman is attracting admiration for his ability to mix up clean, orthodox strikes with some unusual shot-making.

606: DEBATE

"Joe Denly is the one who has to make way when Kevin Pietersen returns to the side"

glowingliverpool14

But the player downplayed the attention and insisted he was not yet an automatic selection.

"I was certainly happy with the way I did play and it's a building block towards where I want to be, but I'm far from cementing my place in the side," said the Dublin-born left-hander.

"I've only played a handful of games and I've still a long way to go.

"We've certainly put a positive slant on the series to come with the way we batted, the way we bowled and the way we fielded."

Eight of the nine sixes during England's innings came off the fast bowlers, with Dale Steyn, Albie Morkel and Charl Langeveldt conceding more than 110 runs between them in their 10 overs.

Morgan said of Steyn (1-40 from his four): "The wicket happened to be good and I didn't think he bowled particularly well."

South Africa (from): G Smith (capt), Y Abdulla, L Bosman, J Botha, M Boucher (wkt), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, J Kallis, H Kuhn (wkt), C Langeveldt, R McLaren, A Morkel, D Steyn, R van der Merwe.

England (from): A Cook (capt), J Denly, J Trott, E Morgan, M Prior (wkt), L Wright, T Bresnan, A Rashid, G Swann, S Mahmood, G Onions, J Anderson.

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Arson attack causes Â£1m damage

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:53:54 -0600

At least six articulated lorries have been destroyed in a major fire on an industrial estate in Dorset.

When Dorset fire service arrived at Black Hill Road, in Holton Heath, at 1935 GMT on Saturday four lorries were well alight and tyres were exploding.

It took at least 25 firefighters more than an hour to put the flames out.

The lorries belonged to the firm AET Transport Services Ltd. The fire service said no-one was injured and it had begun an inquiry into the incident.

Chris Hewitt, from Dorset Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We were guided into the area by the light in the sky, it was quite a significant fire.

"There were reports of explosions.... and we believe they were large tyres exploding.

"There were also tankers with petrol in them and we managed to stop the fire spreading to them."

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Van driver dies in motorway crash

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:32:34 -0600

A 49-year-old van driver has died in a road crash on the M25 in Surrey.

It is thought he lost control of the van on the anti-clockwise carriageway, just past junction six, before Clacket Lane services, on Sunday morning.

Surrey Police believe the van left the road and stopped in a wooded area at the bottom of an embankment.

Officers said the man, who is from Essex but has not yet been named, died at the scene. The carriageway was closed, but one lane reopened later.

Police warned motorists to find alternative routes because of heavy tailbacks.

Anyone who saw the van before the crash, or witnessed it leaving the road at about 0730 GMT, has been asked to contact the Surrey Police collision investigation unit.

The driver was the only person in the van at the time of the crash and no other vehicles were involved.

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Car park to stay shut over safety

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:28:20 -0600

A multi-storey car park which was shut amid safety fears will remain closed for the "foreseeable future", council chiefs have said.

The Bridge Street car park in Stafford was shut in September after a routine test found there was structural damage.

Engineers have been carrying out detailed tests on the 466-space car park since.

A spokesperson for Stafford Borough Council said there were still plenty of other spaces available in the town.

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Brothers among four crash victims

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:22:18 -0600

Two of the four boys who died when the car they were travelling in hit a wall in Birmingham were brothers, police have revealed.

Hadi Suweef, 17, and his younger brother Kamal, 15, from Hall Green, died in the crash in Salisbury Road, Moseley, early on Saturday.

Sixteen-year-olds Hasni Ali, from Sparkhill, and Hamza Siraj, from Moseley, also died at the scene.

Police said the blue Rover they were in was not stolen.

West Midlands Police said specially-trained family liaison officers were supporting the boys' families.

A spokesperson said a police car which had been in the area at the time was flagged down by a member of the public.

Police officers have urged anyone who saw the crash to contact them.

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Reaching out

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:59:57 -0600

By Ross Hawkins
BBC political correspondent

A sports bar and gym building on the fringes of an industrial estate outside Wigan is an unlikely setting for a political conference.

It would be difficult to tell a party with two members of the European Parliament was meeting here, were it not for the police van opposite.

But the men in black ties on the door have not come to work out. They are BNP security guards.

And they have orders to keep journalists away from the bar where the conference is taking place.

'Loyally assimilated'

Leader Nick Griffin says the officials here have voted to ask the full party membership whether its constitution should be changed to allow members of ethnic minorities to join.

He says: "To have members of loyal assimilated minorities in this country involved in the party as well, I'm sure, will actually help."

The change has been forced on the BNP by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. It is not clear whether the party has taken it to heart.

In a film on its website an unnamed BNP member says he is going to demonstrate the effect of failed immigration policies.

"We'll show you exactly what's going on," he says. "What you're about to see is horrific."

The video then cuts to a shot of black and Asian shoppers on Wembley High Street.

The party's next focus though is not a membership drive, but Mr Griffin's attempt to become an MP.

He has stood unsuccessfully as a candidate several times before. His election to the European Parliament this year means his campaign will attract more attention this time round.

Having a BNP member of the House of Commons would - of course - be a huge fillip to the party.

But the first-past-the-post system used at Westminster elections means he would need a much higher share of the vote than the 8% his party won in the North West of England to secure him a seat representing the area in the European Parliament.

To do that the party's message will have to be heard well beyond the sports bar hosting its conference.

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Fatal house fire probe continues

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:52:57 -0600

Police and fire officers are continuing to investigate the cause of a fatal house fire in Liverpool.

The bodies of a man, believed to be in his 50s, and three dogs were found inside the house on Harrow Road, Anfield, on Saturday.

Merseyside Fire Service described the fire, which started in the early hours, as "extreme".

Forensic scientists returned to the scene on Sunday to sift through the debris and establish the cause.

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Vandals say sorry to congregation

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:42:16 -0600

Two teenagers who daubed graffiti on a 750-year-old parish church in Devon have apologised to the congregation.

The girls, aged 14 and 15, together with a 16-year-old boy, were initially charged with causing criminal damage to St Peter's Church in North Tawton.

The charges were dropped after Exeter Youth Court heard they admitted responsibility and had been given a final warning by police.

The Rev Dr Brian Ardill said a line had now been drawn under the incident.

The youngsters had daubed dozens of smiley faces and lewd slogans on walls and gravestones at the church in September.

"They both stood up in front of the congregation and said they were sorry for their actions"

The Rev Dr Brian Ardill

The girls spent two afternoons removing the graffiti and then apologised in person to the congregation at the Sunday morning service.

Dr Ardill said: "They both stood up in front of the congregation and said they were sorry for their actions.

"They had each prepared a little piece to say and did a very professional job.

"The congregation welcomed them and forgave them and we have drawn a line under it now."

Earlier Dr Ardill had said the church, which had featured in the BBC comedy series Jam and Jerusalem, was "very much treasured" by the congregation.

He added that the general feeling from the community had been that giving the teenagers a criminal record might have had a negatively impact when applying for university or jobs.

"They shouldn't have done it but to have a permanent black mark against them could actually cause them to say 'yes, we're criminals, we'll stay criminals' and the slippery slope could start," he said.

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Killer carer paid to return home

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:35:57 -0600

A childminder who killed a 16-month-old boy was given money from the government to return home to Malaysia after her release from prison.

Agnes Wong, 29, was convicted in January 2008 of the manslaughter of Hugo Wang at her Salford flat.

Manchester Crown Court heard she had picked him up by his ankles and flung him against either a bed or a sofa.

She was given the money, understood to be £4,500, under a scheme to encourage foreign inmates to accept deportation.

Bite marks

Wong was paid £120 a week to look after the boy as his parents worked long hours in a Chinese restaurant in Southport, Merseyside.

She had been looking after the child at her flat in Frank Cowin Court, Fitzwilliam Street, in January 2007 when he suffered severe head injuries.

Other injuries noted at hospital, where he died the next day, included bruising to his legs, bite marks and a burn.

Wong was released in July when, after time spent on remand was taken into account, she had served half of her five-year sentence.

"We don't want foreign criminals in the UK"

David Wood, UK Border Agency

She left the UK on a plane from London Heathrow about two weeks after applying for the one-off payment under a government assistance scheme for reintegration.

The Facilitated Returns Scheme was introduced in October 2006 in order to encourage foreign prisoners to comply with efforts to return them to their home country, according to the Home Office.

Returnees are eligible to claim reintegration assistance once they have returned to their home country.

David Wood, director of the UK Border Agency's (UKBA) Criminality and Detention Group, said: "Ms Wong served her required sentence in the UK and was returned home under the Facilitated Returns Scheme.

"We don't want foreign criminals in the UK.

"Every day that we can get these individuals out of the country early removes the risk they present to UK citizens and saves our taxpayers over £100 a night in detention costs as well as administrative and court costs.

"This is why we use the scheme to remove as many foreign criminals from the UK as possible.

"In 2008 we removed over 5,000 foreign criminals - a record number."

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Stars' clothes in 'garage sale'

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:17:32 -0600

Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow and ex-footballer Jamie Redknapp are among stars who have donated clothes for a charity sale at London's Selfridges.

Redknapp, Little Britain star David Walliams and TV presenter Denise van Outen will also manage stalls.

Redknapp's wife, Louise, organised the sale with models Yasmin Le Bon and Lisa Barbuscia for charity Mothers4Children.

The charity sale will take place in the car park of the store's flagship outlet in Oxford Street until 1600 GMT.

Former Eternal singer and TV presenter Louise Redknapp donated 12 bags of clothes, shoes and bags and said planning the sale has been "good fun" but "lots of hard work".

A total of 45 stalls will sell clothing, household items and memorabilia.

She said: "My husband's slightly mortified that I'm selling 90% of his suits.

"Some of the key pieces I'm giving include a Givenchy dress, which I wore at the Elle Style awards last year, and a Fendi Spy bag, which is a really beautiful bag. It's not something I give away easily, but it's for a good cause."

Other celebrities who have donated for the charity sale are Denise van Outen, Jemima Khan, Jodie Kidd, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Davina McCall.

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Speeding bullet

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:59:15 -0600

By David Thompson
Reporter,
Politics Show

They've got it in France; they've got it in Spain - thousands of miles of high-speed rail connecting cities like Paris and Lyon, Madrid and Seville.

In Britain, we have got just 68 miles of high-speed track - and that is only to stop the Eurostar juddering to an embarrassing jog as it leaves the Channel Tunnel on its way to London.

But all of that could be about to change.

All of Britain's main political parties are committed to a European-style fast network.

They believe it could halve journey times, slash carbon emissions and give the economy a major shot in the arm.

The government has commissioned a report which examines the case for British high-speed rail and sketches out the possible routes.

Its author, Sir David Rowlands, believes such a network is viable, and will give ministers three options to choose from - including a link to Heathrow.

But that is where it gets politically tricky.

Split line

Supporters of high speed rail say the benefits to the cities it runs through are enormous, but there will be losers as well as winners, because not everyone will get to be on the route.

That is why this issue is so politically fraught - and partly why, even though Sir David's report will be ready by the end of December, ministers won't release it until next March.

However, in an interview with the BBC's Politics Show, Sir David revealed that he will be recommending that ministers plump for an option which sees the line running from London to Birmingham, then splitting.

One branch will go west, up to Manchester and then onto Glasgow.

The other will head east, taking in cities like Leeds, possibly Nottingham and Sheffield as well as Newcastle and possibly up to Edinburgh.

However some critics question whether high-speed rail will deliver the benefits claimed for it.

Cross party working

Professor Stephen Glaister of Imperial College, London, told the Politics Show that despite costing £20 billion or £30 billion, it was doubtful whether it would reduce both carbon emissions and journey times by enough to justify spending that amount of taxpayers' money.

However Lord Adonis, the Transport Minister, is a high-speed rail evangelist and he wants to work with his political rivals in order to ensure the project goes ahead, even if Labour lose at the next election.

He also believes that by publishing a potential route in March, close to a likely general election, any flak will fall on him and not on any potential successor.

That is a brave move by a minister - but one Lord Adonis thinks is worthwhile if it means the dream of British high-speed rail could one day become a reality.

The Politics Show is broadcast on BBC1 on Sunday 15th November at 1200 GMT

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Nuclear waste plan put to public

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:16:23 -0600

People in west Cumbria have the chance to find out more about government plans to store nuclear waste underground.

The West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) Partnership is sending leaflets to all homes in the Allerdale and Copeland council areas.

There will also be a series of public meetings over the next three months.

It is the first step in the process to help people decide whether the councils should put themselves forward in the search for suitable storage sites.

The West Cumbria MRWS Partnership was set up in 2009 as an advisory, rather than a decision-making, body.

It will make recommendations to the councils on whether or not they should participate in the geological disposal facility siting process, without actually committing to host one.

About 70% of the country's radioactive waste earmarked for disposal in a geological repository is already stored at Sellafield.

For this reason, Allerdale Borough Council, Copeland Borough Council and Cumbria County Council have made "expressions of interest" in the formal Government process.

If the go-ahead was given it would be more than 10 years before any construction could start.

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Murder charge over body in flat

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:34:19 -0600

A 25-year-old man has been charged with murder after another man's body was found in a flat in a Kent seaside town.

Renes Kutkevics, of Hawley Square, Margate, has been remanded in custody to appear before magistrates in Margate on Monday.

The age and identity of the man who died, whose body was found at an address in Hawley Square, has not yet been revealed.

Officers were called to the flat at about 0520 GMT on Thursday.

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On the run female killer arrested

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:21:38 -0600

A woman convicted of murder who went on the run during an escorted visit to shops from her hospital has been arrested in south London.

Patricia Gillette, 41, was arrested on Sunday morning in Streatham after officers saw her in Churchmore Road.

Gillette, who was being held at Bethlem Royal Hospital, was on a visit to shops in West Wickham High Street, Bromley, when she escaped on Friday afternoon.

She was detained indefinitely in 2007 for killing a man in Streatham in 2006.

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IPCC to investigate man's death

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:21:18 -0600

An investigation is to be held into why police left a "vulnerable" man, who was later found dead, at his home in Plymouth despite fears for his welfare.

On 4 November Devon police were called to the home of David Cartwright by a friend who was worried about him.

He was sent to hospital but later left. It is believed staff rang police over concern for his safety and police and ambulance crews found him at home.

The 26-year-old was left there and found dead less than 48 hours later.

Options investigated

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is to carry out an investigation into why Mr Cartwright was left at the property in Mutley when staff at Derriford Hospital were believed to have had concerns for his safety.

"I will ensure that any learning from this sad incident for the emergency services is shared"

Rebecca Marsh, IPCC

Rebecca Marsh, IPCC Commissioner for the South West, said: "I do have concerns that a vulnerable man was left at home.

"The IPCC investigation will look at what options were open to the police.

"I want to express my condolences to Mr Cartwright's family and friends at their sad loss and assure them that a full investigation into his death will be carried out.

"I will ensure that any learning from this sad incident for the emergency services is shared."

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Man arrested over cabbie murder

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:15:46 -0600

A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a taxi driver in Birmingham.

Father-of-three Mohammed Arshad, 36, was found with stab wounds to his head in Wast Hills Lane, Kings Norton, on 22 July. He died the next day in hospital.

Detectives investigating the case made a further appeal for information on the BBC's Crimewatch programme on Thursday.

Officers said the arrested man was being questioned at a police station in north Worcestershire.

A spokeswoman for West Mercia Police said the man, from the Kings Norton area, was arrested on Saturday night.

Mr Arshad was a self-employed taxi driver for A Cars.

His taxi was found abandoned about a mile away from him on the Hawkesley estate in Kings Norton.

The Crimewatch appeal showed CCTV footage of a man on a bus on the night of the attack.

After the programme, detectives said they had received calls from members of the public giving four possible names for the man in the images.

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Ale taster needed: Is this the best job in the marketplace?

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:56:59 -0600

A job tasting drink and food is being advertised in Bedfordshire.

Luton's indoor market is resurrecting the role of ale taster and is looking for suitable volunteer candidates.

In medieval times the ale taster would visit stalls and inns on market days and at fairs to ensure alcoholic drinks and other produce were of good quality.

The role disappeared in the early 19th Century, but is now being brought back. The future employer said a "genuine love of food and drink" is essential.

'Sound knowledge'

Town and Country Markets, which runs the market, is advertising the job.

Chief executive Malcolm Ball said: "Although the attraction of such a role may seem obvious at first, the 21st Century version would incorporate many more responsibilities than the original.

"Modern tastes have evolved and become so much more sophisticated in recent times and people demand ever greater levels of quality and variety.

"We fully expect this to be reflected in the calibre of applicants.

"The successful candidate will have a sound knowledge and genuine love of food and drink, local expertise in these areas being particularly attractive."

Applicants will be considered by a panel of judges and four people will be short-listed to complete a number of challenges to demonstrate their knowledge and ability.

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Gales prompt 800 emergency calls

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:40:48 -0600

Essex Police received more than 800 emergency calls in 24 hours because of the stormy weather conditions.

On Saturday the force dealt with a total of 1,334 calls to both the emergency and non-emergency numbers.

A police spokeswoman said 98 calls were to report fallen trees while others were about crashes, fallen electrical wires, flooding and alarms going off.

In Ongar a tree fell on a police car but the officer driving suffered only minor injuries. No-one else was hurt.

The officer was driving along the High Street towards the Four Wantz roundabout when the tree fell.

In Benfleet about 60 homes and several vehicles were damaged when what residents reported as a tornado tore through the street. No-one was injured.

Essex Police have urged motorists to drive with caution, watch out for flood water on roads and remember to put car lights on in gloomy weather.

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Walk in soldiers' memory

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:01:39 -0600

Hundreds of people have taken part in a charity walk in memory of a British soldier who was killed in Afghanistan.

Fusilier Simon Annis, 22, from Salford, died in August while trying to rescue his section commander after an explosion in Helmand province.

He was laid to rest after a military funeral in Irlam in September.

The 15 mile sponsored walk between Cadishead, Salford, and Warrington - where Fusilier Annis went to school - took place on Saturday.

His family organised the walk to raise money for the Fusiliers Aid Society.

Speaking during the event, Peter Annis said the community had rallied around since his son's death.

He told the BBC: "It's just brought it home that there is a war going on and these people here are there to support those lads over there, and obviously the lads that have come back."

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Figure stolen from baby's grave

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:59:33 -0600

Thieves have stolen a statue from a baby boy's grave in the West Midlands.

Police said the 12in-high figure of Winnie the Pooh was taken from the grave at Stourbridge Crematorium some time between 6 and 12 November.

Officers said the figure, which has a green base, was of "great sentimental value" and had caused the child's family "a great deal of distress".

Pc Craig Robinson, of West Midlands Police, described the thieves as "callous and despicable".

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Student is found with knife wound

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:35:42 -0600

A 19-year-old male university student has been found dead with a knife wound in Birmingham.

Paramedics found the University of Birmingham student's body at a house in Alton Road, Selly Oak, just before 1900 GMT on Friday, a spokesperson said.

Police said they were treating his death as suspicious.

Forensics teams were investigating the scene and an investigation has been launched to find out how the student died.

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Swine flu outbreak closes school

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:25:34 -0600

A swine flu outbreak affecting more than 100 pupils has closed a public school and the number of sick people is expected to double by Monday.

Staff at Christ's Hospital Boarding School in West Sussex have also been struck down, parents read in a letter.

Headmaster John Franklin posted a statement on the school's website, which said the school in Horsham would be closed until next Sunday.

Some children are being cared for in the school's health centre.

Mr Franklin said: "Pupils who are too sick to travel at present will be cared for by the health centre until they are sufficiently well to make their way home.

"We have no choice but to close"

John Franklin

"Teachers will be setting pupils work for the coming week and will be available for consultation on academic matters by e-mail if necessary."

His letter to parents and guardians said about 100 pupils had the bug and the school medical officer had predicted the figure would double by Monday.

It said there was also an increasing number of house parents and teaching staff who were also unwell.

The letter added: "The school regrets any inconvenience that this will cause parents or guardians, but under the circumstances, we have no choice but to close for the week."

The closure started at 1330 GMT on Saturday and pupils were expected to have left the site by midday on Sunday.

Mr Franklin said healthy pupils would be expected to return to school on 22 November, but any with flu symptoms should not to return until they had fully recovered.

The school, which takes children aged 11 to 18, has been in existence for 450 years.

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Smith quits role as England coach

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:18:49 -0600

Tony Smith has resigned as coach of the England rugby league side.

The 42-year-old's decision comes in the wake of Saturday's 46-16 Four Nations final defeat to Australia.

Smith revealed on BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek he was quitting for family reasons, adding he would have done so regardless of Saturday's result.

"Even if we had won last night I'd still have stepped down," said Smith, who will now focus on his duties as head coach of Warrington Wolves.

Smith, 42, who took over from Brian Noble in March 2007, says he will continue to support the England side and the Rugby Football League but he must now prioritise his personal life.

"All of my coaching career I have put my personal aspirations first, however I must now consider the needs of my family," explained Smith.

"Next year the Four Nations is in the southern hemisphere and after a long domestic season with Warrington it would mean at least six weeks away from home with England.

"I must consider my family's needs as well as my own, and therefore believe now is the right time to stand down.

"I will continue to support the national team in any way I can and wish my successor the very best of luck."

Australian-born Smith, who became a British citizen in September 2008, has endured a turbulent tenure as coach of the national team.

He was criticised in many quarters for the side's lacklustre performances at last year's World Cup where they suffered a record 52-4 loss to Australia and suffered two defeats to eventual winners New Zealand, including in the semi-final.

Despite reaching the final of the Four Nations, beating New Zealand en route, Saturday's heavy defeat by Australia in the final prompted Smith to tenure his resignation.

Smith surprised many when he signed a two-year deal as head of coaching at Super League side Warrington earlier this year, a move which saw him reduce his role with England and stand down as the Rugby Football League's technical director.

However, working alongside coach James Lowes, he guided the club away from relegation and, in August, led them to their first Challenge Cup victory since 1974 courtesy of a 25-16 win over Huddersfield.

Smith has previously enjoyed success at club level with the Giants and the Rhinos, leading the latter to two Grand Final wins.

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Man seriously injured in attacks

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:16:16 -0600

A 28-year-old man is being treated in hospital for serious head injuries after he was attacked by two groups of men in Somerset.

The victim was assaulted near the Cornhill in North Street, Wellington, and then a few minutes later near the Fire Station in North Street.

Police want to speak to five men - in their late teens to early 20s - who were in North Street beforehand.

Anyone who saw the group at about 0100 GMT on 14 November should call police.

The offender is described as a white man, aged in his late teens and of medium build.

He was around 5ft 9in tall and had close-cropped hair.

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Forgotten Aussies

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:10:09 -0600

By Nick Bryant
BBC News, Australia

The story of the British child migrants sent to Australia has been described as a history of lies, deceit, cruelty and official disinterest and neglect.

Before being shipped out to Britain's distant dominion, many of the children were told their parents were dead, and that a more abundant life awaited them in Australia.

Most were deported without the consent of their parents, and commonly, mothers and fathers were led to believe that their children had been adopted somewhere in Britain.

On arrival in Australia, the policy was to separate brothers and sisters.

And many of the young children ended up in what felt like labour camps, where they were physically, psychologically and often sexually abused.

'Awful experience'

In testimony before a British parliamentary committee in the late 1990s, one boy spoke of the criminal abuse he was subjected at the hands of Catholic priests at Tardun in Western Australia.

A number of Christian brothers competed between themselves to see who could rape him 100 times first, the boy said.

They liked his blue eyes, so he repeatedly beat himself in the hope they would change colour.

As parliamentarians reflected at the time, the term "sexual abuse" seemed wholly inadequate given the awfulness of his experience.

On Monday the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will deliver a national apology to a group known as the "Forgotten Australians".

In so doing, he will recognise, on behalf of the Australian government, the ongoing suffering of some 500,000 people held in orphanages or children's homes between 1930 and 1970.

At the same time, Mr Rudd will also say sorry to some 7,000 child migrants from Britain who live still in Australia - castaways of the empire.

The Australian government viewed them as ideal young immigrants - a popular slogan at the time was "the child, the best immigrant".

The British government saw them as a burden on the state, and was happy to see them go.

"I spent years waiting for someone to realise they had made a mistake and to come and collect me"

Sandra Anker

Sandra Anker was sent to Australia in 1950 aged just six years old - or "exiled", as she prefers to think of it.

She thought she was being sent to Africa, part of a wild adventure, but she ended up in Melbourne.

"I spent years waiting for someone to realise they had made a mistake and to come and collect me," she told me. "I was at a loose end for a very long time."

Crying as she spoke, she says she was deprived of a childhood and a homeland.

"It took years and years of misery of not knowing where we'd come from, who were, being denied our birthright of being British.

"It's really been horrendous. And I wouldn't wish it on anyone... We need to be welcomed back to our homeland."

Like most British migrants here, she is incensed that the Australian government has decided to deliver a national apology, and that British government has so far refused.

"There have been no sorries, no righting the wrongs. We've suffered all our lives, and nobody's listened. I feel that someone has to listen and say sorry... The British government has so much to answer for.

"How in the hell were we supposed to get back and find our families Where do you begin"

Attending the national apology in Canberra will be Margaret Humphreys, a former Nottinghamshire social worker who set up the Child Migrants Trust in 1987 after being approached to help track down a former child migrant's family.

Calls for British apology

In 1992, in recognition of her work in the field - helping "a lost tribe", as she puts it - she was honoured by the Australian government, which conferred on her an Order of Australia, a top civilian award.

"The Australian government is delivering an apology when the British government has done nothing," she said.

Ahead of the national apology, the Australian government contacted about 400 British child migrants for advice on how it should be delivered. All of them, she says, demanded that it should be accompanied by a British apology.

The Child Migrants Trust is also unhappy that the Australian government is combining the apology with Australian-born children who were abused while they were in care.

"Gordon Brown should hang his head in shame"

Harold Haig

They look upon themselves as a unique group with a distinct history.

Ahead of Australia's national apology, the British Department of Health issued a statement saying that "[t]he child migrants scheme was wrong", which has been the government's stance since 1998.

The UK Government has funded travel so that British child migrants can be reunited with their families - although the Child Migrants Trust has complained that it only finances one visit, and that too many restrictions are placed on the reunion scheme.

It has also helped fund the Child Migrants Trust for the past 15 years.

The British government has said it is considering the implications of the Australian apology.

That is nowhere near good enough for Harold Haig, the secretary of the International Child Migrants Association.

"Look, it's an absolute disgrace," he told me. "Gordon Brown should hang his head in shame. He is allowing the country that we were deported to, to apologise for the country where we were born. It is an absolute disgrace. He should hang his head in shame."

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Higgy's health

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:01:14 -0600

By Jane Elliott
Health reporter, BBC News

As England ended the 2007 Rugby World Cup in Paris in defeat, sports commentator Alastair Hignell breathed a sigh of relief - and not at the result.

He was bone-tired after a gruelling series of matches.

A former England rugby player himself - as well as a first-class cricketer - he knew his body well enough to know it was time to quit.

Despite his diagnosis with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1999, he had flourished in his second career as a commentator.

But now the disease had progressed so far he could no longer do the job justice.

However, far from being bitter about his fate, Alastair says he feels "blessed" to have experienced the world from such radically different perspectives.

"I was finding it increasingly difficult to build up the energy needed to do the job and not fall apart doing it," he says.

Tipping point

"The World Cup in 2007 was a fantastic event, but the last two weeks were hard.

"I was in France, but I just spent my time either going to matches and press conferences, or lying on my back on my bed.

"That was the tipping point and then England went to South Africa that summer.

"When I was diagnosed and told I had an incurable disease and one that was going to be progressive and debilitating it was a huge huge shock to the system"

Alastair Hignell

"I came to the conclusion that I could not give the job the justification it needed or myself.

"I was taking so much out of myself it was hard to live a good normal life outside of it.

"One of the things with MS is the incredible fatigue.

"I found I was not approaching my job as well as I wanted to, or as it deserved to be done. I was looking at things like going to a stadium not in terms of 'Great, I have a fantastic commentary to do on a match', but more, 'How difficult is it going to be physically for me to get up there'"

So Alastair took medical retirement, bowing out the same day as former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio quit playing the game - 31 May 2008.

Alastair, who played rugby for Bristol and cricket for Gloucestershire, still writes a weekly newspaper column on sport, but said that apart from that he was happy to take an armchair view.

Diagnosis shock

He now uses a mobility scooter to get around. "I can't walk very far and I can't do stairs. I could walk to the end of the street but beyond that I would struggle - I'd probably fall or trip," he says.

"I'm resigned to a scooter to get me about and do everyday things, like attending physio, which is about one mile away.

"I go once or twice a week at the moment but I just wouldn't be able to go without the scooter.

"When I was diagnosed and told I had an incurable disease and one that was going to be progressive and debilitating it was a huge huge shock to the system.

"I have only had two experiences of people with MS; one was my cousin who had been diagnosed with it seven years before and had not actually had any other symptoms.

"And on the other hand the wife of a friend of mine had died with it.

"She had a galloping form of MS which had taken her from active to wheelchair, to bed, to bedridden and then she died from influenza because her system could not cope with the problem.

"These were the two extremes and I was rather hoping I had the first rather than the second, but was sent scurrying to the internet to discover everything I could."

Alastair had an MRI scan, eye test and lumbar puncture before being told he had the secondary-progressive form of the disease - which gets gradually worse.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

MS is the most common neurological condition among young adults in the UK
Women are almost twice as likely to develop MS as men
Symptoms include a loss of sensation and balance, paralysis, pain and memory and vision problems

Before diagnosis Alastair, now 54, said his doctors had been baffled by a series of seemingly unconnected symptoms of headaches, drop foot, bladder problems, pins and needles and extreme fatigue.

He said his competitive nature had both helped and hindered his disease progression.

"The competitive nature of being a sportsman had me saying 'I am going to take this on', but of course that leads to frustration," he said.

"Thinking you can beat something incurable, progressive and debilitating obviously leads to a lot of anger when you can't beat it.

"You have to learn to go with the flow of it, to cope with it and manage it - to learn, as we say in the MS Resource Centre, 'I have MS, but MS does not have me'."

Treatment options

Alastair has tried a variety of treatments including the drug beta interferon, hyperbaric treatment (as used by deep-sea divers to counteract the bends), reflexology and physiotherapy.

"I set aside a Monday for treatments every week as a way of recharging my energy levels," he said.

"I would not wish MS on anyone but I would wish the side effect - that you get exposed to people's kindness and generosity.

"You are made aware of the love that there is in the world.

"I feel blessed to have MS, which seems a funny thing to say about a disabling progressive and incurable disease.

"But it has sent me on a journey I would never have had otherwise, and I think that it has enabled me to find out how good, loving and generous people are in general."

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Man charged with car stab murder

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:27:33 -0600

A man has been charged with murdering a mother-of-two who was stabbed in her own car in Leicestershire.

Karen Brookes, 37, from the Sapcote area of Leicester, was found stabbed inside her car at her workplace on Moat Way, Barwell, on Thursday.

She was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary but died later.

A 50-year-old man, who has not been named, has been charged with Miss Brookes' murder and will appear in court on Monday.

A post-mortem examination confirmed Miss Brookes had died of injuries from a sharp instrument.

Her two children, a son aged 19 and a seven-year-old daughter, are being comforted by family, police said.

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Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:25:16 -0600

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