Tube Passengers Ignore Man Collapsed On Floor

Video footage shows a man who collapsed unconscious on the floor of a busy London tube train apparently being ignored for several minutes by fellow passengers.

A member of the public, who claimed he was unable to help, filmed the incident on his mobile phone and later uploaded the footage to YouTube.

In the video the man can be seen clutching onto a handrail before his legs suddenly give way and he collapses in a heap on the floor of the train.

He lies there for several minutes and is ignored by the other passengers, apart from one woman who appears to pull the train emergency alarm.

When the train stops at the station he is guarded by tube staff, but is not put in the recovery position.

The incident took place at approximately 12.40pm on Wednesday on a train travelling towards Great Portland Street.

Transport for London told Sky News that TfL staff had received basic medical training but the man was not put in the recovery position because they were requesting an ambulance.

Staff had "checked the customer was breathing", a spokeswoman added.

After a number of minutes the man was finally helped off the train

"It is distressing to see a passenger fall ill and in this case the member of staff responding needed to request more advanced medical support than the basic training that all our staff receive," she said.

"He immediately requested an ambulance then made an announcement to ask whether there was anyone with professional medical expertise and began to clear the train of passengers.

"Medically trained British Transport Police officers, who were brought to the Tube network earlier this year to improve our response to this sort of incident, arrived quickly to assist Tube staff who remained on the scene at all times."

But the video provoked an angry reaction from YouTube viewers and Twitter users.

One tweeted: "Passengers and train staff do nothing and step over him! Disgusting!" While another commented: "That makes me feel sick. Man collapses on Tube and people walk over him."

One poster on YouTube commented: "The London transport staff are shameful they have a duty of care for their customers . It's obvious that the whole organisation needs to look at their training."

The London Ambulance Service, who later gave medical assistance to the man, said he was diabetic and had passed out due to a lack of insulin.

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Young Drivers 'Face Passenger Restrictions'

By Richard Suchet, Sky News Reporter

Young drivers could be banned from carrying passengers who are not members of their own family in a bid to cut the number of deaths on the roads.

More than 1,500 17 to 24-year-olds in the UK were killed or seriously injured while driving a car last year, according to the Department for Transport.

They accounted for 25% of all car deaths and injuries in 2011.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin told the Daily Telegraph he would consider measures put forward by the Association of British Insurers which could cut the number of accidents involving young motorists.

"There is a suggestion as to whether you should look at a restriction whether anyone could carry passengers for six or nine months when they have first passed their test," he said.

"There are suggestions about them only perhaps being allowed to take a family member to drive a car when you are learning, you have to have a qualified driver in the car. So these are all sorts of areas that I think we can look at."

Kelly's sister, Abi (left), and mother, Della

Kelly Phillips, 17, from Surrey, died in 2005 when the car she was a passenger in hit a tree at 80mph.

She had been sitting in a car listening to music with a 17-year-old boy who did not yet have his licence.

The decision to go for a drive on the public road cost them both their lives.

Kelly's mother, Della Phillips, told Sky News: "I try to hide behind this facade of strength. But inside I'm crying all the time, I'm missing her all the time.

"It's like a craving, you're not seeing the memories you expected to see when you have a child."

Ms Phillips is calling for an alternative approach to the measures being considered by the Government.

The Drive IQ campaign

She is backing a free education campaign called Drive IQ - an online education programme that puts pre-drivers and novices through potentially hazardous road scenarios. 

Some 350 schools and 30,000 young people already use the programme but it could be rolled out to thousands more.

She said: "When it comes to young people being safer in cars, lack of knowledge can kill. I know that only too well.

"We want every mum and dad out there to ensure their child and their child's school/college uses Drive IQ straightaway as it addresses attitude and behaviour.

"We have to tackle this issue right now." 

:: Road Safety Week runs from November 19 to November 25. For more information visit www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk.

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Electoral Commission To Probe Police Vote

Low Turnout For Police Commissioner Polls

Updated: 7:33pm UK, Friday 16 November 2012

Dire turnouts have threatened to undermine the first ever police and crime commissioner elections, with as few as 10% of voters casting their ballots in some areas.

The Electoral Reform Society branded the elections a "comedy of errors" after a record low turnout left at least one polling station - in the Newport area - completely unused.

It said it could end up being the lowest voter turnout ever in peacetime history.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the elections for the new commissioners had descended in to a shambles, with many voters taking to Twitter to describe the low turnout at their polling stations.

A UKIP MEP, John Bufton, even called for Home Secretary Theresa May to resign for presiding over a "shamefully low turnout".

In Wiltshire, the first force area to declare, the overall turnout was 15.8% as Tory candidate Angus Macpherson, a magistrate, won after a second round of voting ahead of Labour's Clare Moody.

But in one part of Wiltshire, Devizes, only 10.41% of voters took part.

Polling stations elsewhere across the country appeared to be equally as quiet as many people opted not to vote for the first generation of PCCs, despite about £75m being spent on the campaign.

Newport City Council confirmed to Sky News that no voters attended one of its polling stations, despite it being open for 15 hours from 7am to 10pm on Thursday.

Elsewhere, turnout was 11.42% in Wigan, 12% in Rochdale, 12.59% in Oldham and 12.49% in Manchester. For Greater Manchester as a whole it was 13.46%.

In Essex, just 12.81%% of voters took to the polls.

Even in Humberside, where Lord Prescott's name on the ballot paper raised the profile of the election, turnout was only 19.48%.

Sky's election analyst Michael Thrasher said the low turnout was "hardly surprising" given the elections were held in dark and chilly November "for an office that no-one has heard of" across unfamiliar police authority areas.

He said the numbers raised questions over the legitimacy of the office and those elected.

Mr Thrasher, a professor of politics at Plymouth University, added that it could end up costing as much as £13 per vote that was cast.

"When you work out how much it's going to cost per vote it becomes quite ridiculous," he said.

But policing minister Damian Green defended the turnout, saying it would improve in years to come.

He told Sky News: "I think it's likely with something new coming on that people will take time to get used to it.

"But I'm absolutely sure they will get used to it in the future and the measure of the success will be the difference they make to policing over the next few years."

Prime Minister David Cameron insisted police commissioners would have a mandate despite the low turnout.

He added: "Remember, these police and crime commissioners are replacing organisations that weren't directly elected at all."

Elections for the new office have been held in 41 police areas outside London.

The newly-elected police and crime commissioner will have the power to control budgets, set policing priorities, and hire and fire chief constables.

The Electoral Reform Society had predicted a turnout of 18.5% before the polls began, which would be below the previous record low in a national poll in peacetime - 23% in the 1999 European elections.

The society's chief executive, Katie Ghose, said: "This election has been a comedy of errors from start to finish.

"The Home Office has operated under the assumption that 'if you build it they will come'. Democracy just doesn't work that way.

"There have been avoidable errors at every step, and those responsible should be held to account."

One of the biggest problems has been that people are not prepared to put a cross beside the name of someone they know little, if anything, about.

Glenda Adcock from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk said she always votes, but not this time.

"I know nothing about the candidates or anything really so I'm not bothering," she said,

And while Bernard Jennings had decided he would take part, he agreed the information had been poor.

"I think they could have done a lot more to help people out so you have a better understanding of what everyone stands for," he said.

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Rowan Atkinson Says Mr Bean Days Nearing End

Rowan Atkinson has hinted that his days of playing the much-loved character Mr Bean could be nearing an end as he turns his sights to more serious stage roles.

The 57-year-old actor made the suggestion in an interview with The Daily Telegraph as he prepares for his first straight role in the West End, appearing in Richard Eyre's revival of Quartermaine's Terms by Simon Gray.

Atkinson said his comedy creation Mr Bean has been a global success, but that playing childlike roles as a middle-aged actor could be perceived as "a little sad".

He told the paper: "The stuff that has been most commercially successful for me - basically quite physical, quite childish - I increasingly feel I'm going to do a lot less of.

"I also think someone in their 50s being childlike becomes a little sad. You've got to be careful."

Atkinson last appeared at the Olympics Opening Ceremony, where he imagined taking part in the famous opening scene of Chariots Of Fire - a performance seen by millions around the world and judged by many to be in the character of Mr Bean.

But he now feels he would like to shed the bumbling buffoon, describing the character as "a rod for my own back", although he appreciates what it has brought him.

And he hopes for more stage roles in the future, saying he "feels comfortable in the medium".

"In the end, there's nothing like it, as long as I can find roles I feel I could play."

He is confident of his future success, telling the newspaper: "I want to believe that I could play parts as well as anybody else.

"If you think, well actually Michael Gambon would be much better than you, you shouldn't be doing it."

Quartermaine's Terms runs at the Theatre Royal Brighton from January 8-12, and the Theatre Royal Bath from Jan 14-19, before its West End stint at Wyndham's Theatre from Jan 23 to April 13.

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Green Deal Cashback Scheme 'In Tatters'

Not a single household has yet signed up for a flagship coalition energy efficiency scheme despite a £1,000 cashback offer ministers said would get it off to a "flying start".

Green Deal is designed to help homeowners make energy saving home improvements to their properties from January.

The scheme covers the upfront costs of improvements such as insulation and new boilers and allows homeowners to pay the money back through savings on bills.

Households have had since October 1 to have their home assessed for improvements.

However, climate change minister Greg Barker has admitted that no home assessments "have yet been lodged on the register".

Labour said the admission meant the Green Deal scheme was in tatters.

But the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) blamed the lack of formal applications on people waiting until nearer January, when building work can actually start, before getting involved.

Energy Secretary Ed Davey announced the first-come-first served £125m cashback offer last month in a bid to persuade people to sign up - with those committing to the most work offered up to £1,000.

He said the scheme would provide an "unprecedented choice" for consumers wanting to make their homes more energy efficient.

"This cashback offer will help get the Green Deal off to a flying start. It really is a great offer - the more work households have done, the more energy they stand to save and the more cash they receive," he said.

In response to a parliamentary question from shadow climate change minister Luciana Berger, Mr Barker said: "While we understand a number of appointments for the in-property assessments have been made, no assessments have yet been lodged on the register."

A DECC spokeswoman insisted the Green Deal was "coming alive" and it was pleased with the progress made so far.

"We understand that assessments are generally being scheduled to take place closer to the date at which a plan can be signed and the work can begin - this makes perfect sense," she said.

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Comet Closing Down Sales As 41 Stores To Shut

The stricken retail chain Comet will close 41 stores by the end of the month unless a buyer can be found, administrators have confirmed.

Redundancies were "inevitable" although administrators Deloitte said they would look to place staff from closing stores into other nearby outlets.

Up to 500 jobs could be under threat at 27 of the stores where closing down sales began today. A further 14 closing down sales will begin early next week.

Chris Farrington, joint administrator, said: "We are very grateful to the company's employees for their professionalism, loyalty and support at this difficult time and all employees will of course continue to be paid for all the work they do while the company is in administration."

Deloitte had already announced 330 redundancies at the company but there have been no job losses among shop staff as yet and all the chain's 236 stores remain open at present.

The bulk of the staff cuts have been made in Comet's head office in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, as well as its site in Hull and call centre in Clevedon, Somerset.

The collapse of Comet marks one of the biggest high street casualties since the demise of Woolworths in 2008 and came a month after the failure of JJB Sports.

The group was hit by weak high street trading conditions, competition from online rivals and being unable to secure the trade credit insurance needed to safeguard suppliers.

In particular, it was knocked by the lack of first-time home buyers, which had been key customers for Comet, according to Deloitte.

The high street electricals market in the UK has come under huge pressure as cash-strapped shoppers put off purchases of big-ticket items such as TVs and large appliances and online rivals take a bigger slice of the sector.

Comet's administration comes just months after it was taken over by investment firm OpCapita, which bought the chain for a nominal £2 in February.

Angry staff at the chain have called for ministers to investigate the retailer's collapse and the way its former private equity owners ran the company.

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Meningitis B Vaccine Set To Be Approved

A lifesaving meningitis B vaccine is set to be licensed for use in the UK in a move that could save thousands of lives.

The disease, which is the most common and deadliest form of meningitis in the country, affects some 1,870 people each year, many of them children, and results in death for one in 10 sufferers.

The approval of the new 4CMenB vaccine, which has been developed by pharmaceutical company Novartis, has been hailed by the charity Meningitis UK as the "biggest leap forward in the field" in three decades.

The vaccine received a "positive opinion" verdict from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Friday, meaning that the vaccine is considered safe and effective.

It will be the first meningitis B vaccine approved for use in the UK, which has one of the highest incidence rates in the world.

One in four sufferers is left with life changing after-effects, such as brain damage and limb loss, with children under five most at risk from the disease.

The charity said the next stage will be to give the vaccine - which has the trade name Bexsero - a marketing licence. It is expected to receive its UK licence early next year.

Meningitis UK wants the vaccine to be introduced into the Government's routine immunisation schedule as soon as possible, so it will be automatically given to children. The jab is recommended for those aged two months and older.

Meningitis UK founder Steve Dayman, who lost his baby son to meningitis and septicaemia in 1982, said: "This is a landmark moment in the fight against meningitis - I have waited three decades to hear this.

"It is vital that the vaccine is introduced in the UK immunisation schedule as soon as possible. It will save countless lives and prevent many people enduring the suffering caused by this devastating disease.

"We will be campaigning hard to make the Government introduce it."

The decision on whether to introduce the vaccine to the immunisation schedule will be made by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), who advise the Government on vaccination.

There are a large number of meningitis B strains in the UK - more than in many other countries - which makes producing a vaccine very difficult. Meningitis B accounts for about 90% of cases in the UK.

The new vaccine is described as a real breakthrough as studies have shown it should protect against 73% of strains which cause the disease in the UK.

Scientists have been attempting to develop a broad-ranging Meningitis B vaccine for years and have used a revolutionary new approach called reverse vaccinology to create it.

This involved sequencing the genome of the bacteria and identifying proteins that provoke an immune response against a broad range of strains.

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Firms Could Be Forced To Reveal Consumer Data

Businesses are under pressure to join a scheme to give consumers data they gather about them on their shopping habits.

Ministers are preparing laws which will force companies to disclose personal information to consumers if they request it.

The move, which would involve the details being handed over in a "machine-readable" format could help families improve and change their purchasing choices.

Mobile phone and energy companies would provide information on a customer's usage, so they could shop around for the best deal without repeated form-filling.

Receipts and warranties would be stored electronically, avoiding the need to locate paper copies when an item needs to be returned or repaired.

And details of bank and credit card accounts would all be in one place, meaning people could keep an eye on their income and outgoings more easily.

So far, 20 companies in the energy, finance and telecoms sectors have signed up to the Government's voluntary "midata" scheme, including Lloyds TSB bank, British Gas and Google.

But no major supermarkets have joined although they are thought to be the biggest users of customer data for marketing strategies.

They hold information on eating habits, personal finances and weekly schedules through loyalty cards and sophisticated data tracking systems.

Releasing data about food shopping could allow families to get better deals. They would be able to compare the prices of different items charged in different branches of their supermarket as well as monitor the nutritional value of their shopping.

The Government's Behavioural Insights Team, whose research led to the "midata" access plan, found that the best way of convincing people to make changes was to give them more data about their own choices.

Jo Swinson, the consumer affairs minister, said: "Many businesses reap huge commercial benefits from the information they gather from consumers' daily spending patterns.

"Why shouldn't consumers also benefit from this by having access to their own data?"

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Hadleigh Fuel Tankers Fire 'Is Suspicious'

A fire at an industrial estate involving three fuel tankers is being treated as suspicious, police said.

Ten fire vehicles attended the "major incident" at Lady Lane Industrial Estate in Hadleigh, Suffolk, at about 6.45pm on Friday.

Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze before midnight and no injuries were reported.

The tankers contained a total of 35,750 litres of kerosene, gas oil and diesel, said police.

The tankers contained 35,750 litres of fuel

In a statement, Suffolk Constabulary said: "This morning, Saturday 17 November, fire and crime scene investigators have been at the scene to try to determine the cause of the blaze.

"These inquiries are continuing but the fire is being treated as suspicious."

Residents in the area were warned to stay indoors and keep their doors and windows closed as a 300 metre cordon was set up around the blaze and the A1071 was closed to traffic until later in the night.

A council spokesman said last night: "Suffolk fire and rescue has extinguished the fire at the Lady Lane Industrial Estate.

"Firefighters worked throughout the evening to prevent the fire spreading from three mobile fuel tankers to other parts of the industrial estate."

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Children Rescued From Bristol House Fire

Neighbours have rescued a three-year-old boy caught in a "roaring inferno" after a house caught fire.

The boy was handed out through the front window of the home to a neighbour who came out after hearing screams of "fire".

Flames engulfed the ground and first floor of the terraced property on Lodge Hill in Cossham, Bristol, shortly before 7am.

Nine people were inside the home, six of whom were helped by neighbours to escape the blaze, while a woman and two girls were rescued from the roof by fire crews.

At least two generations of one family are believed to have lived in the property, along with several dogs, one of which died in the fire.

Lionel Fear, who lives three doors up from the house, said: "I came downstairs to see the mother with three children on the lower roof and me and the neighbours put a ladder up, clambered up the ladder and brought as many of them down as we could until the fire brigade arrived.

"There was a three-year-old who was handed out through the front to a neighbour. I think he's very lucky to get out alive to be honest.

"It was a roaring inferno. At one stage, when I was up the ladder, something popped or a window blew.

"I was just carrying a baby down and it obviously scared the baby as some shards and shrapnel came out and landed on him."

The boy was taken to a specialist burns department. A baby, three other children, two teenagers and two adults were also taken to the hospital as a precaution.

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