Tenerife: Two Britons Injured In Explosion

Two British people were among four injured after an explosion in a hotel pool bar on the island of Tenerife.

A woman suffered serious burns to her face and scalp in the blast in Adeje, on the south-west coast of the island, on Friday evening.

Her eight-year-old British daughter was also injured and treated for less severe neck burns.

Two other women - a Belgian national aged 38 and a 34-year-old Spaniard - suffered minor burns and were taken to hospital.

A staff member at the Bahia Principe Costa Adeje hotel confirmed to Sky News there was an explosion on Friday.

A spokesman said the British woman's husband and a second daughter had avoided injury, but were "obviously in shock".

He said: "This was an accident and we still are not sure what went wrong - we are awaiting the investigation of the judicial police.

"The explosion took place in a metal buffet container by the pool which uses a flammable gel to keep food warm.

"The swimming pool is now open again and the hotel is back to normal. We would like to wish those who were injured a speedy recovery."

Ross Browning, editor of Canarian Weekly, told Sky News: "It's awful what's happened and with so many people around, in many ways it's probably a miracle that only five people have been injured.

"The woman has been transferred to La Candelaria in the north of the island with what is being described locally as severe burns to the face, neck and scalp."

A statement from local government in Adeje said: "At 4.09pm on Friday emergency services were called to an explosion in a machine in a poolside bar at a hotel in the town of Adeje, with several people suffering from burn injuries.

"Emergency resources were immediately mobilised. Fire crews attended to inspect the zone, but their intervention was not necessary."

Initial reports had claimed a British man suffered minor abrasions in the blast, but this was denied by a hotel spokesman.

A Foreign Office (FCO) spokesperson said: "We are aware of an incident involving two British nationals and are providing consular assistance.

"We are currently checking, but based on what we know so far there was no British man injured in the explosion."

Adeje is a popular holiday resort, with nearby sandy beaches such as Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos well-known to British tourists.

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NatWest 'Hit By Fourth Online Banking Glitch'

NatWest has been hit by a cyberattack, leaving customers unable to access online accounts.

The bank's online banking service was disrupted after it was deliberately bombarded with internet traffic.   

Twitter users tweeted to say they could not access their bank accounts to pay bills or transfer money.

@TomGilchrist wrote: "Do other banks computer systems/services go down as much as NatWest? I assume not. Time to move banks I think."

@AleexReid tweeted: "Just joined Santander. Fed up with NatWest. Another computer failure tonight. #welldone."

A NatWest spokesperson said: "Due to a surge in internet traffic deliberately directed at the NatWest website, some of our customers experienced difficulties accessing our customer web sites this evening.

"This deliberate surge of traffic is commonly known as a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack.

"We have taken the appropriate action to restore the affected web sites. At no time was there any risk to customers. We apologise for the inconvenience caused."

At the beginning of December all of RBS and NatWest's systems went down for three hours on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

The group chief executive Ross McEwan described that glitch as "unacceptable" and added: "For decades, RBS failed to invest properly in its systems.

"We need to put our customers' needs at the centre of all we do. It will take time, but we are investing heavily in building IT systems our customers can rely on."

RBS and NatWest also came under fire in March after a "hardware fault" meant customers were unable to use their online accounts or withdraw cash for several hours.

A major computer issue in June last year saw payments go awry, wages appear to go missing and home purchases and holidays interrupted for several weeks, costing the group £175m in compensation.

This latest problem is the fourth time in 18 months RBS and NatWest customers have reported problems with the banks' services.

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Warning After 'Speckled Rolex' Ecstasy Death

An urgent warning about a yellow ecstasy tablet known as "speckled rolex" has been issued after a man died at a house party in Northern Ireland.

Police said the victim was confirmed dead at a house in Twinbrook, Belfast, at around 7.40pm on Friday night.

His identity has not been released.

Four other men have been taken to hospital, where their condition is said to be stable.

The death has been linked with the drug and a post-mortem examination will be carried out later on Saturday.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is appealing for anyone in possession of tablets to dispose of them immediately.

It comes after eight deaths in Belfast and Antrim earlier this year were linked to the taking of "green rolex" tablets, according to the Belfast Telegraph.

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Reflected Eye Photos Could Help Solve Crime

Reflections in the eyes of people who feature in photographs could increasingly be "mined" to help solve crimes, researchers say.

Zooming in on high-megapixel images can capture recognisable images of the person taking the photo, or other people present at the time.

An experiment by the University of Glasgow's psychology department found that faces of onlookers could be identified even from small, poor quality reflected images.

The zoomed-in images were only 27 to 36 pixels wide but participants could still reliably identify the face.

"For crimes in which the victims are photographed (eg, hostage taking, child sex abuse), reflections in the eyes of the photographic subject could help to identify perpetrators," say researchers Rob Jenkins and Chistie Kerr - who published their findings in the PLoS ONE journal.

"One possible extension of this technique would be to combine pairs of images recovered from the subject's two eyes," they add.

"In principle, these images contain the stereo disparity information required to reconstruct a 3D representation of the environment from the viewpoint of the photographic subject."

A high-end 39 megapixel Hasselblad camera was used in the experiment, while the onlookers were close to the subject and the room well lit.

However, as the study notes, with mobile phone cameras featuring ever-higher pixel counts the technique could become more useful to police looking to gather evidence from a crime scene.

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Footballer Needs Face Surgery After Attack

An amateur footballer's face will have to be rebuilt after he was knocked unconscious and beaten during a night out.

Richie Robins is understood to have been set upon by up to half a dozen men as he apparently stepped in to protect a woman.

The 21-year-old, who is first team goalkeeper for non-league Wivenhoe Town FC and a former Colchester United youth team player, was knocked out and fell to the ground at the start of the attack.

Essex Police said the beating continued while the student was lying on the floor unconscious.

Detective Constable Seff Manesh appealed for witnesses to the attack, which happened outside a Subway shop in Queen Street, Colchester, at 3.30am on December 21, to come forward.

He said: "This young man had been out with his friends after returning home from university for the Christmas holiday.

"We are aware of a disturbance involving a large number of young men and are examining CCTV to establish what happened and who was involved.

"This student has sustained some very nasty-looking injuries which will affect him for the foreseeable future.

"We're looking to speak with those bystanders who saw what happened and what started the melee."

A spokesman for Wivenhoe FC, who play in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division, said Mr Robins suffered "severe" injuries including fractures to his eye socket and cheek bones.

He added: "Naturally, everyone at Wivenhoe Town FC sends Richie their best wishes for a speedy recovery and hope that the people responsible for attacking him are quickly brought to justice."

Mo Osman, chairman and manager at Wivenhoe Town, told the Colchester Gazette Mr Robins had gone to the aid of a woman who was being harassed. He said he had not been drinking as he had a match the next day.

After the incident, Mr Robins was taken to Colchester General Hospital by paramedics and was due to see a specialist surgeon this week.

Essex Police said there were about six attackers who were described as black and in their late teens and early 20s.

Officers have arrested a 19-year-old man from Colchester in connection with the incident. He has been released on police bail.

Witnesses have been asked to contact detectives at Colchester police station on 101.

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Greenpeace Activists Arrive Home From Russia

Five Britons detained in Russia as part of the so-called "Arctic 30" have arrived home in the UK.

The five were arrested amid claims of hooliganism following a protest about oil drilling, and held in jail for two months.

They have since been granted amnesty under a new Russian law.

Greenpeace member Anthony Perrett, 32, of Newport, South Wales, arrived in London with fellow activists Alex Harris and Phil Ball, crew member Iain Rogers and freelance videographer Kieron Bryan.

They left St Petersburg earlier today and arrived in Paris this afternoon before travelling to London's St Pancras station on Eurostar to be met by their families.

Ms Harris said being imprisoned had been "terrifying" but that she took comfort from knowing she was one of 29 other people in the same situation.

And she told Sky News she would not give up on the Arctic: "I've gone through a lot for this campaign, I'm not going to stop now."

The activists were onboard the Arctic Sunrise

Mr Perrett told reporters: "It has been a strange few months, but it is over now and it is good to be back. We're
very relieved to be home, it's good to be back and speaking English, which has been sorely missed."

Asked whether it had been worth it, he said: "Well, look at the media that's here today. We're trying to spread the word to save the Arctic and I think we have done that job fairly well."

Ms Harris said she thought the Russian government let the Arctic 30 go to avoid global criticism in the lead up to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

A sixth Briton, activist Frank Hewetson, has also been released and is travelling to another country.

The Arctic 30 - 28 activists and two freelance journalists - were arrested after Russian authorities boarded their ship, the Arctic Sunrise, during an anti-drilling demonstration in September.

The group were detained for protesting against an Arctic offshore oil rig owned by the Russian company Gazprom.

They were initially charged with piracy, but the charge was later changed to hooliganism.

They had their passports returned to them after being freed on bail by courts in St Petersburg, but initially did not have visas to leave Russia.

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Football: Standing May Return To Terraces

Standing on the terraces could return to all Football League divisions after a consultation document was sent to each of the 72 clubs.

Currently, standing is allowed in Leagues One and Two, but not the Championship, once a team has played there for three seasons.

The consultation paper, led by the Football League's new chief executive, Shaun Harvey, was sent to all clubs on Friday.

The Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) has campaigned for safe standing in recent years.

One solution would be to include hybrid rail seats that could be flipped up or down as required to allow safe standing behind chest-high rails.

Arsene Wenger says he would support safe standing

These are seen in the Bundesliga, such as at Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion.

As yet, there have been no official discussions around safe standing in the Premier League, where all-seater stadiums have been compulsory since 1994.

David Gold, co-chairman of West Ham, said in the past week that he would "certainly consider" incorporating safe standing areas into the Olympic Stadium.

At Arsenal Arsene Wenger has said he agrees "100%" with safe standing while the chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, has said: "Why would you be against it, if you can do it safely?"

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Smacking Children Should Be Banned, Says Tsar

Parents should be banned from smacking their children, according to the Children's Commissioner for England.

Maggie Atkinson told The Independent it was her personal view that the law gives pets and adults more rights to be protected from violence than children.

Dr Atkinson said she favours a total ban on smacking, which would see parents face criminal action for corporal punishment.

Current rules make it illegal for a parent to smack a child if it leaves a bruise, but permit a lighter smack or "reasonable chastisement".

Dr Atkinson said: "Personally, having been a teacher, and never having had an issue where I'd need to use physical punishment, I believe we should move to ban it.

"Because in law you are forbidden from striking another adult, and from physically chastising your pets, but somehow there is a loophole around the fact that you can physically chastise your child."

She added: "It's a moral issue. The morals are that, taken to its extreme, physical chastisement is actually physical abuse and I have never understood where you can draw the line between one and the other."

Dr Atkinson, who has two adult step-children, said that despite her strong feelings about the issue, her office was not planning to fight for a ban next year.

She said in the current climate such a move would be "running up a blind alley".

Her comments are likely to re-open the debate about what constitutes "reasonable" punishment of children, the newspaper said.

Tottenham MP David Lammy said early last year that legislation surrounding the smacking of children needed to be relaxed so working-class parents could instil discipline in their homes without fearing prosecution.

He claimed that Labour's 2004 decision to tighten up the smacking law was partly to blame for last summer's riots, which erupted in his north London constituency.

The former education minister said: "Many of my constituents came up to me after the riots and blamed the Labour government, saying, 'You guys stopped us being able to smack our children.'

"I have to say when this was first raised with me I was pretty disparaging. But I started to listen.

"These parents are scared to smack their children and paranoid that social workers will get involved and take their children away."

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Millions Stress About Finances 'Every Day'

By Poppy Trowbridge, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

In the UK, 18.1 million people feel stressed about their finances every day, according to new research seen by Sky News.

Financial worries are even greater than concerns over health, or even job security, the data from MoneySuperMarket shows.

In a poll of 2,005 British adults, 19% said it is their current financial situation which is the main cause of stress, and a further 17% say it is their future financial situation.

Only 13% say they are most stressed out by their health, and 11% by their job.

Clare Francis, editor-in-chief at MoneySupermarket, said: "Anxiety about money is on the rise for many adults.

"We've experienced a difficult economic climate in 2013, with the cost of living rising, interest rates remaining low, rents remaining high, and wages remaining the same.

"Unfortunately, I expect that the New Year will be just as tough."

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's recently upgraded their estimates for UK growth to 1.4% this year and 2.4% next year, higher than its previous 0.8% and 1.5% forecasts.

Despite this, nearly 75% of those surveyed believe their money stress will get worse next year.

According to the research, 52% of adults said they frequently or occasionally worry about the state of their finances, with women worrying more than men.

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Weather: Ministers Hold Emergency Meeting

Ministers are urging councils to have plans in place for New Year flooding as weather misery continues for thousands of people.

A Downing Street spokesman outlined action to be taken after the Cabinet Office Briefing (COBR) held via conference call on Saturday.

Energy Minister Ed Davey is pushing UK Power Networks - which owns electricity lines in London and the south east - for a clear, public timeline for work to get the power back on, the spokesman said.

The Government has made emergency funding available to councils affected by severe weather and flooding and is urging them to have a clear plan in place if they could face flooding over the New Year.

Around 4,000 homes were still without power on Saturday morning, according to The Energy Networks Association (ENA).

More follows...

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Chessington Fire: Blaze At Surrey Theme Park

The Chessington World of Adventures Resort in Surrey has been closed for the day after a fire at a restaurant near a zoo.

The theme park was not open to the public when emergency crews were alerted at 9am and no people or animals were injured, London Fire Brigade said.

It had been due to open at 10am for a "festive zoo day" according to its website, but a decision was made to shut the site.

Eight fire engines were called to the scene of the blaze at the Creaky Cafe and firefighters later managed to bring it under control.

Fire station manager Craig Carter said the blaze "affected a large part" of the restaurant.

Flames are pictured rising from the site. Pic: Kingston Police

He added: "There were a lot of flames and the area was quite smoky when we arrived."

All animals in the zoo were evacuated to a safe place, said the fire service.

The park posted a message on Twitter saying: "Due to unforeseen circumstances Chessington will be closed today.

"If you had tickets booked for today, they will be valid for another day in the future."

A company statement said: "This morning, prior to the park opening, a fire broke out in Chessington World of Adventures.

"Well-practised emergency procedures were immediately put into operation and the emergency services were called and several fire engines were on site within minutes.

Npbody was hurt in the blaze: Pic: London Fire Brigade

"The theme park and zoo were closed at the time of this incident and, therefore, no guests were involved. All staff areas were immediately evacuated and all staff and animals are safe and well."

An investigation will be carried out to discover the cause of the fire.

Surrey Police had said people should avoid the area around the park as the A243 was closed - but it was later fully re-opened to traffic.

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Lockerbie 25th Anniversary: Victims Remembered

Relatives of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing have gathered in the Scottish town for a special memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of the atrocity.

Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London to New York when it exploded above Lockerbie, in southern Scotland, on the evening of December 21 1988, killing 270 people - everyone on board and 11 on the ground.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and Lord Wallace, Advocate General for Scotland, are attending a service at Dryfesdale Cemetery, to be followed by a 30-minute wreath-laying ceremony.

Families and friends attend a memorial service at Dryfesdale Cemetery

Mr Salmond said: "As the community of Lockerbie marks the milestone, memorial events will be held in Westminster Abbey, Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and at Syracuse University which lost 35 students in the bombing.

"But, inevitably, a focus of the day will be on the memorial in Lockerbie and it is there that I will pay my respects and condolences on behalf of the people of Scotland."

Later, simultaneous remembrance services in Lockerbie and Arlington National Cemetery in the US - where most of the victims were from - will get under way from 6.30pm (1.30pm EST in the US).

Relatives will read the names of the victims and hold a minute's silence at 7.03pm (2.03pm EST in the US) marking exactly a quarter of a century since the tragedy.

Westminster Abbey in London will also hold a service for the victims, from 21 countries, which will begin at 6.45pm and will include readings and a moment of silence.

British Prime Minister David Cameron described the bombing as "one of the worst aviation disasters in history and the deadliest act of terrorism" ever committed in the UK.

Eleven people were killed on the ground in Lockerbie

He said: "Though 25 years have passed, memories of the 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 Lockerbie residents who lost their lives on that terrible night have not dimmed.

"Over the last quarter of a century much attention has been focused on the perpetrators of the atrocity. Today our thoughts turn to its victims and to those whose lives have been touched and changed by what happened at Lockerbie that night.

"To families, friends, neighbours, loved ones, and all those caught up in the painful process of recovery, let us say to them: our admiration for you is unconditional. For the fortitude and resilience you have shown. For your determination never to give up. You have shown that terrorist acts cannot crush the human spirit. That is why terrorism will never prevail.

"And even in the darkest moments of grief, it is possible to glimpse the flickering flame of hope."

Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the disaster, told Sky News: "Anniversaries aren't in a sense that big a deal for the families of victims because we have to live with the lovely memories of those that we lost all that time ago, every day of every year. Bereavement in itself is sometimes a life sentence."

Graham Herbert, former rector at Lockerbie Academy which lost three students in the atrocity, said the market town "has always tried to move forward".

Abdelbaset al Megrahi was the only person to be convicted of the bombing

He told Sky News: "I know today there will be a lot of closed doors. A lot of people will not go out of their houses. The memories are just too bitter, there are still open wounds there.

"There are quite a lot of American families in the town today. Each year it just comes back to them, they are not allowed to heal. They want to commemorate, they want to be here where their loved ones fell, but it's hard, it's tough."

Libyan Abdelbaset al Megrahi was found guilty of the bombing in January 2001 and given a life sentence.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, leading to a decision to free him under compassionate release rules.

Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill took that decision on August 20 the following year, sparking a row among politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.

Megrahi died in Tripoli, Libya in May last year. His family is considering lodging a fresh appeal to clear his name.

British relatives of victims who believe he was wrongfully convicted of the bombing are also planning another appeal against the conviction when they meet with lawyers in the new year.

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Formula One Technology Used In Drug Trials

By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent

Doctors are using Formula 1 technology to test the effectiveness of experimental medicines.

Smart sensors used by McLaren to track the performance of their cars on the track are being used for the first time in clinical trials of new drugs.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) hopes that by precisely tracking the movements of patients they will get earlier feedback on whether a drug helps to get them back on their feet.

Currently doctors try to estimate a patient's response to a drug by asking how far and how often they walk.

But sensors that are taped to the neck can monitor patients day and night, providing a far more objective - and accurate - measure of activity.

The accelerometer gives detailed data on a patient's physical activity

Dr Caroline Hargrove, technical director at McLaren Applied Technologies, is adapting the sensors and the software used to analyse the data for human use.

"Rather than how fast you have gone round a lap, it's how many minutes of walking you have done," she said.

"A simple, small sensor gives you so much context to go on. It captures something quite subjective - the level of activity you do.

"It's something difficult to get out of people."

Sky News was allowed to test one of the sensors over several days.

McLaren's Dr Hargrove is adapting the F1 technology for a new purpose

The 3D accelerometer is so accurate that scientists were able to differentiate periods of relative inactivity while working, from general movements around a home or office.

They can even tell how often people move while in bed to give an indication of their sleep quality.

GSK is using the sensors to in drug trials on patients who have rheumatoid arthritis or have suffered a stroke.

The data can even give an idea of the quality of someone's sleep

Dr Ravi Rao, a consultant rheumatologist and medicines development leader at the company, said the data can be analysed to determine the duration of an arthritis patient's stiffness in the morning.

"These quality of life measures, in terms of how a patient is functioning with a disease, are incredibly important - more important sometimes than a blood test or a physical examination."

The pharmaceutical company hopes the technology will speed up drug development.

Currently, it takes 10 years and hundreds of millions of pounds for a medicine to go from lab bench to clinic.

The sensors can help people who have arthiritis, says GSK's Dr Rao

Dr Steve Mayhew, leading GSK's partnership with McLaren, said: "By getting an early understanding of whether our medicine is behaving as we expect, it allows us to make a decision on whether to continue to develop it.

"Crucially we won't recruit patients to an experimental study where we don't think there will be any benefit to them."

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Food Banks 'Will Help One Million In 2014'

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

The number of people predicted to turn to food banks in Britain next year rather than starve could reach a million, a charity has told Sky News.

Since April this year more than half a million people living on the bread-line had to be referred for food aid by social workers or a doctor in order to feed themselves or their families.

And the rise in the number of people sinking deeper into poverty will mean more food banks will have to open across the country in 2014, according to the Chairman of the Trussell Trust Chris Mould.

Speaking exclusively to Sky News he said: "With earnings rising at less than 1% and social security support capped at 1% whilst the cost of living is rising three times as fast, the reality for millions of people in the UK will be an even tougher year than the one they've just been through.

Half a million people used a food bank in 2013

"Sadly that means many more people will be referred to food banks in 2014 than in 2013. In fact by this time next year we could well be talking about how Trussell Trust food banks have helped a million people in just one year alone."

The stark warning comes as new figures from the think-tank the New Economics Foundation reveal living standards in Britain have seen the biggest drop since the Victorian age.

Low and middle earners are suffering an unprecedented squeeze on their incomes as austerity measures continue to bite, with women and part-time workers disproportionately affected.

And food banks are seeing a three-fold increase in demand, according to Mr Mould.

"We've launched over 400 food banks since 2004. I expect the Trussell Trust network to grow by a further 100 food banks during 2014. There are still areas of the country where people in financial crisis are unable to get help easily from a local Trussell Trust food bank and we are working hard towards a goal where no one in the UK needs to go hungry."

Gayle Needham wil be relying on handouts to make it through Christmas

Mother-of-five Gayle Needham, 34, from Barnsely, south Yorkshire, is going hungry. She has had to visit her local food bank three times in just under a month. Her partner recently lost his job and they are facing a delay in benefits payments.

"I think we are basically what you call scraping the barrel. We are right at the bottom. We have faced a day where we probably have two tins of beans and a loaf of bread and that's it.

"It's either food bank or nothing. It makes me feel that I've failed as a mum. I'm not bothered about me or my partner, but if you can't provide for your kids, what kind of parent are you?"

Gayle is one of 13 million people in Britain today who are living in poverty as classified by the Government. Her five children will receive presents their parents collected from an online giveaway site. There will be no Turkey because they cannot afford the electricity to cook it.

"I'm not looking forward to Christmas - I'm really not. I know it's going to be devastating. I know they (the children) haven't got half as much as they want.

"We pray for a miracle but we all know we're not going to get one."

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Christmas Shoppers To Spend £12bn In Four Days

By Emma Birchley, Sky News Reporter

Shoppers are expected to spend £12bn in just four days as they make the most of slashed prices and promotions, according to retail forecasters.

The deals are being offered as a fierce battle for sales rages both on the high street and online.

Alan Dadswell relies on Christmas to keep his shop Toys 'N' Tuck in Southend-on-Sea going and he says discounts are crucial.

He said: "To get people to spend the money they have got to feel they are getting a bargain and we have got to give them a bargain. We have to hunt with our suppliers to do good deals to get people in to the store."

A sluggish autumn has put added pressure on retailers.

But with 74% of shops offering deals, 13 million people are expected to shop on the high street on the last Saturday before Christmas.

It will help that many people finished work for Christmas on Friday.

Offering discounts at Toys 'N' Tuck in Southend-on-Sea is crucial

But Diane Wehrle, from the shop footfall monitors Springboard, says shoppers are getting increasingly canny.

She said: "Tactics definitely come into it. Shoppers are becoming much more savvy than they used to be. They understand that retailers are slashing prices. They understand they are doing one-off specials and they wait for them.

"So they perhaps go window shopping before the Christmas trading period starts, look out for what they want to buy and then buy them when they are on offer."

Lizzy Clarke, armed with bags of gifts in Southend, has made the most of the offers.

"They've got some great deals ... 75% off in some stores and I've just bought some jumpers that cost me £30 last week and this week have cost me £7," she said.

But Rob Antoniazz, who is unconvinced, said: "The decent items in good shops are never up for sale because the demand is there to buy them."

Tesco's distribution centre in Erith, Kent, has gone into overdrive

Half of the money being spent in the four days to the end of Monday will be on food, with £900m going towards online groceries.

Tesco has sold twice as many turkeys over the internet than last year. At its distribution centre in Erith, Kent, staff are working around the clock preparing orders.

Simon Belsham, the managing director of Online Grocery for the chain, said: "This is a really busy time of year for us. It really reflects that customers are looking for more and more convenient ways to shop for their Christmas presents and Christmas food."

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Search For Woman Swept Out To Sea Called Off

A major search for a woman believed to have been swept out to sea has been called off due to appalling weather.

Coastguard rescue officers, lifeboat crews, police and a helicopter looked for the 36 year old in the Brighton beach area through the night and during first light.

But they were unable to locate her amid "very difficult and dangerous weather", said police.

Sussex officers called Solent maritime rescue centre at 2.24am saying a woman had gone into the water opposite the Digital nightclub, just west of the town's Palace Pier.

After leaving the seafront club she had walked along the beach with a man she knew and then she ran into the sea and was almost immediately swept off by a large wave, officers said.

The coastguard said both people were believed to have gone into the water and one managed to get back out while the other was taken out to sea.

The woman had been at a nightclub before she went in the water

A police spokesman said: "The man tried to grab her but was unable to drag her to safety.

"Police officers arrived within minutes and, together with club staff and her friend, approached the sea edge.

"But the woman was being washed further away and was inaccessible due to the very heavy sea conditions.

"Coastguards swiftly assisted the search by land and sea but the body has not, so far, been recovered and the immediate search has been discontinued at this time."

Solent Coastguard said: "We conducted a thorough search of the area and nothing was found. The conditions down there are appalling. It's force eight with severe gale warnings."

Police do not know why the woman, believed to be from Brighton, ran into the water and the incident was not being treated as suspicious.

Her next of kin have been contacted by family liaison officers.

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Syria: British Doctor's Body Released To Family

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

The body of the British doctor who died in custody in Syria has been returned to his family.

Dr Abbas Khan's family received the body at the British Embassy in neighbouring Lebanon.

It comes a day after the 32-year-old father of two was due to be released from prison and allowed home for Christmas.

Mr Khan was an orthopaedic surgeon from south London who entered Syria to help civilians caught up in the civil war.

Mr Khan was a father of two

He was arrested 13 months ago and died last week in what the Syrian authorities say was suicide.

His family and the Foreign Office have questioned this as Dr Khan was days from being released and was said to be looking forward to coming home.

His brother, Dr Shahnawaz Khan, said: "We are pleased the Syrian authorities have stopped dragging their feet and are handing my brother's body over. We want to get him back to Britain as soon as possible to bury him in the right way.

"My brother is out in Beirut with my mother and the next step is to arrange a flight back home but the horrible thing for us as a family is that another post-mortem is likely to be carried out, further disturbing my brother's body.

Mr Khan worked in Stanmore, northwest London

"Yes we want to know what happened to him as we don't believe for a second that he committed suicide whilst in custody, but our priority is to give him a proper funeral."

The family has criticised the lack of support given to them by the Foreign Office during Dr Khan's incarceration. They believe he was abused while in custody.

Dr Khan added: "First we need to get my brother buried, then we want to get some answers."

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Row Over NHS 'Too Powerful To Criticise' Claim

The chairman of the NHS watchdog has sparked a political row after saying the health service has become "too powerful to criticise".

Care Quality Commission (CQC) boss David Prior says people have become scared of complaining about poor care.

He warned the service's perceived status as a "national religion" fuelled the problem and some areas of care were "out of control" because honesty about failings was not tolerated.

Even the most senior staff were afraid of speaking out despite millions of patients receiving a "wholly unsatisfactory" service from GPs and hospitals, Mr Prior added.

NHS watchdog boss David Prior

But Labour, which created the CQC when in government, denied the NHS is 'too powerful' to be criticised.

It is precisely the watchdog's role to identify problems and failures and ensure criticism was used to improve patient care, according to the opposition.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph Mr Prior said of the NHS: "It became too powerful to criticise. When things were going wrong people didn't say anything. If you criticised the NHS - the attitude was how dare you?

"No organisation should be put on such a high pedestal that it is beyond criticism. Now it is getting more honest about our failings - which I think makes it more likely that we will address them."

Mr Prior said he has found a "chillingly defensive" culture where even the most "alpha male surgeons" felt frightened to speak out for fear of ending their careers.

"I had not realised that the culture in some of our hospitals was so damaged," he said. "That was an awakening."

He called for the "out of control" system of emergency care to be made a priority for reform and said it was "wholly unsatisfactory" that so many patients struggled to get an appointment with their GP.

And Mr Prior branded Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt "crazy" for telephoning round hospital chief executives who had missed A&E targets.

He said: "Of course he's doing it, because he's held accountable but what it all leads to is more money being put into A&E departments when that money should probably be put into primary and community care to stop people falling ill."

Shadow health minister Jamie Reed said: "The focus now needs to be on the winter crisis engulfing A&E. When Labour left office 98% of patients were seen within 4 hours, but the Government continues to miss its own lowered A&E target."

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Apollo Theatre Collapse: Venue 'Neglected'

The owner of the Apollo Theatre in London's West End claimed last year that the venue had "suffered years of benign neglect".

Nica Burns, co-owner and chief executive of Nimax Theatres, which runs the building in Shaftesbury Avenue, said in an interview last year that it had a budget of just £2.45m to restore its five West End playhouses.

That was funded by a £1 restoration levy on tickets at the theatres, which the company said was spent entirely on upkeep and maintenance work once VAT was paid.

Speaking to Theatres Magazine, Ms Burns said: "Before we could start on the improvements, we had to address the damp. Water attacks the building from above and below."

A police officer on duty outside the Apollo Theatre in the West End

The restoration work carried out included new £120,000 customer toilets and a makeover for four carved stone muses on the rooftop, she told the magazine.

An investigation is under way after nearly 80 people were injured, nine seriously, when part of the theatre ceiling collapsed during a packed show.

One line of inquiry being considered is that excess water during a torrential downpour may have caused the collapse.

In 2000, previous owner Andrew Lloyd-Webber, who sold the Apollo to Nimax in 2005, told the Times newspaper: "The Apollo in particular is a shocking place.

Emergency services on the roof of the theatre

"I suggested that both it and the Lyric should be knocked down and replaced by top-quality modern theatres."

The composer and musical theatre impresario complained that his plans for a black-box auditorium inside the existing plasterwork had been opposed by English Heritage.

More than 700 people were inside the Apollo when members of the audience started screaming as it appeared parts of the ceiling caved in.

Most of the injured were discharged shortly afterwards, having been mainly treated for cuts and bruises.

Police and ambulance officers at the scene following the collapse

Although performances at the Apollo have been cancelled until January 4, London mayor Boris Johnson said the West End was "open for business"

Mr Johnson also praised the response from emergency services as "exemplary".

"Westminster City Council and the Society of London Theatre have assured me that all safety checks for the West End's historic theatres are up to date but, as a precaution, further checks have already started and will continue throughout the day."

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David Coleman: Veteran Sports Broadcaster Dies

David Coleman, the veteran sports commentator and long-time Question Of Sport presenter, has died at the age of 87.

The Grandstand and Sportsnight presenter, who retired in 2000, died peacefully with his family at his bedside after a short illness.

The BBC's director general Tony Hall said: "David Coleman was one of this country's greatest and most respected broadcasters.

David Coleman - "a giant of sports broadcasting"

"Generations grew up listening to his distinctive and knowledgeable commentary. Whether presenting, commentating or offering analysis, he set the standard for all of today's sports broadcasters.

"Our thoughts are with his family and many friends."

The renowned athletics commentator worked for the corporation for almost 50 years, covering 11 summer Olympic Games, his final one in Sydney in 2000.

He also covered six football World Cups as a commentator or presenter and was the host of the Question Of Sport for 18 years.

He was awarded an OBE in 1992.

Sky News Sports Editor Nick Powell described Mr Coleman as a "giant" of sports broadcasting.

He said: "A lot of sports broadcasting has been shaped by what David Coleman did all those years ago."

Barbara Slater, BBC director of sport, described him as "the master of his craft". She said: "In a BBC career that spanned over 40 years he set the standard that so many others have tried to emulate.

"His was one of broadcasting's most authoritative and identifiable voices that graced so many pinnacle sporting moments."

Olympic athlete Linford Christie said: "My deepest condolences go out to David's family at this sad time. 

"David was a no nonsense, straight talking true gentleman and an iconic voice of sport, but at the heart of it all was a massive sports fan and supporter of good performances.

"I am very proud that we shared some amazing times in and out of the stadium".

David Coleman, Frank Bough and Tony Gubba mark 21 years of BBC Grandstand

Former Home Secretary David Blunkett described the commentator as "a thoroughly decent guy", having been quizzed by Mr Coleman 45 years ago on BBC1's Feedback show.

"David Coleman had to deal with a man who couldn't see talking about a film which David Dimbleby had produced and which had caused enormous controversy by displaying dead and naked bodies.

"Why I ever wrote in I shall never know, but it was certainly a way of being blooded in terms of future interviews over the past 45 years.

"I know that as well as his family and friends, many of us will mourn him as someone who represented the best in broadcasting and of decency in public life."

Former England striker and Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker was among those remembering Mr Coleman - whose brevity at the microphone, including his signature "one-nil" catchphrase, earned him many fans.

Mr Lineker wrote on Twitter: "Sad to hear, David Coleman has died. A giant of sports broadcasting. Brilliant, gifted, precise and concise. Much more than 'one-nil' #RIP"

The father-of-six, who lived in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, was awarded the Olympic Order in 2000. The award is the highest honour of the Olympic movement.

Mr Coleman also found himself the subject of a regular column in satirical magazine Private Eye, with its Colemanballs feature documenting commentators' gaffes to this day.

One of his comments the magazine immortalised was: "That's the fastest time ever run, but it's not as fast as the world record."

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Escaped Prisoner Who Terrorised Women Gets Life

A sex attacker who battered women in their homes after fleeing prison while on day release has been jailed for life.

Lee Cyrus, 48, preyed on vulnerable women in their homes, ringing their doorbells, before smashing their heads with weapons.

He went on an horrific crime spree after going missing from HMP North Sea Camp open prison, Boston, Lincolnshire in October 2012.

Lee Cyrus was described as 'very dangerous' by police

His offences included a string of sex attacks, acts of grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary and knifepoint robbery.

One attack involved Cyrus - who wore a black balaclava - battering a woman at her home in Hampstead Heath, north London, after ringing the doorbell.

Cyrus peers into the window of a home in London to see if anyone is in

He smashed the 63-year-old woman over the head with a piece of wood or stone leaving a 1.5cm cut to her scalp.

Another attack saw Cyrus call at the door of a 61-year-old woman in north-west London and hitting her across the face with a four foot metal bar.

He struck her in the face with the metal bar and told her to "shut up" and "stop screaming", detectives said.

Cyrus then pushed against her door and tried to get in but he ran off when she resisted. The victim was left with a 5cm cut to her face.

He rings the doorbell

A third attack saw the knife-wielding, masked predator break into the bedroom of an 81-year-old woman.

He demanded money and took her bag which contained cash, credit card, photos of her grandchildren and other items.

Cyrus was also found guilty of the knifepoint robbery of a 33-year-old woman who was entering her home in Haringey, north London.

The masked intruder swings the metal bar as the door opens

Cyrus pulled out a knife and pressed it up against her neck, cutting her slightly to the chin and throat.

She let go of her bag instantly and Cyrus fled with her mobile phone, cash, credit card, keys, glasses and other items.

On other occasions Cyrus leapt out of the dark to expose himself to women walking by and admitted planning to rape one victim.

Cyrus was eventually caught  after police received a call from a member of the public who recognised the fugitive from a Wanted leaflet.

He crashes into the home, landing the weapon in his victim's face

Police then spotted Cyrus by Highgate Cemetery on Highgate Hill and he was arrested after a brief struggle.

Acting Detective Superintendent Raffaele D'Orsi described Cyrus as a "forensically aware predator".

At Southwark Crown Court, Cyrus, also known as Ivan Leach, received sentences ranging from two years to life for offences. All sentences are to run concurrently.

He leaves after the attack

Judge Deborah Taylor said the victims came forward with great fortitude and resolve and that she found that the evidence they gave was "'chilling".

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Belfast Bomb: Attackers 'Stoop To New Low'

A bomb attack in Belfast city centre is a "new low" for dissident republicans opposed to the peace process, the Northern Ireland Secretary has said.

Theresa Villiers described the blast in the bustling Cathedral Quarter as a "despicable attack that could have put lives at risk and injured many people".

"It's particularly callous to carry out this sort of attack at a time when people are starting their festive celebrations or maybe finishing their Christmas shopping," she told Sky News.

"An attack at this time of year is stooping to a new low."

The attack was described as 'an attempt to kill or injure innocent people'

Christmas partygoers were evacuated when the device exploded just before 7pm on Friday evening, although there were no reports of any injuries.

The bomb, which had been placed inside a holdall, consisted of explosives and flammable liquid, police said.

A warning call was made to a newspaper but the device was left about 150 metres away from the location named.

Chief Superintendent Alan McCrum, of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, said: "This was an attack on the people of Belfast going about their normal lives on a busy night for socialising in the city.

The security threat level in Northern Ireland remains at severe

"Those who carried out this attack have nothing to offer except disruption and destruction."

Stormont's Justice Minister David Ford said the blast was an "attempt to kill or injure innocent people".

"The people carrying out these attacks have set out no reason and explained no cause for their acts of senseless violence," he said.

"Their only aim seems to be to injure and disrupt. They ignore the strength of public support for normality and peace, especially at this Christmas season."

Hundreds of people were evacuated. Pic: Mark Ashbridge

First Minister Peter Robinson said the bomb was "the work of a mindless minority who are intent on taking the heart out of the city", while his deputy, Martin McGuinness, said the attackers had shown "complete disregard for life".

Security measures have been ramped up in Belfast on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

The threat level remains at severe and police urged local residents to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious behaviour.

The blast comes less than three weeks after a bus driver was forced by masked dissidents to drive a car bomb to a shopping centre that faces a police station.

The 60kg (132lb) device only partially exploded and no-one was injured.

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Boy, 11, Sexually Assaulted On Country Lane

An 11-year-old boy was sexually assaulted as he walked along a country lane in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, police have said.

Thames Valley Police said the attack by a man believed to be in his 40s happened at around 4.40pm on Friday.

The schoolboy was walking along Bacombe Lane, close to a bridleway, when the man approached him.

He was sexually assaulted before being able to run away.

Detective Inspector Ben Gasson said: "I am appealing for anyone who saw a man matching the description or anyone seen acting suspiciously in this area to contact police.

"The victim was not hurt during the incident but has understandably been left shaken.

"Incidents of this nature are extremely rare and are investigated thoroughly however if anyone has any concerns they can call their local neighbourhood team via our non-emergency number 101."

Neighbourhood patrols are taking place in the area and inquiries are ongoing.

The offender is described as a white man aged approximately 40, with stubble on his face.

He was wearing a grey and black diamond-patterned hooded top, dark blue jeans and black shoes.

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Nigella Lawson 'Let Her Children Smoke Weed'

Nigella Lawson let her children smoke cannabis and allowed one of her aides to buy them cigarettes, a court has heard.

Elisabetta Grillo, who is accused of fraudulently spending £685,000 on credit cards belonging the TV cook and her former husband, made the claim as she was quizzed about a transaction of almost £70 at a duty free shop in New York.

"It was cigarettes for the children," the 41-year-old said. "I bought them there and Nigella allowed me to buy (them).

"She was then asked by the prosecutor Jane Carpenter: "What on earth do you think you were doing buying cigarettes for underage children?"

"Well, if Nigella Lawson let them smoke weed..." she replied, before Judge Robin Johnson stopped the line of questioning.

Earlier, Grillo accused Ms Lawson, her former husband Charles Saatchi and members of her employer's so-called "Team Cupcake" of lying in court.

Giving evidence last week, Ms Lawson admitted taking cocaine but said she had only used the drug after she found out her late husband John Diamond had terminal cancer, and again in July 2010 during her troubled marriage to Mr Saatchi.

However, Grillo claimed that although she had never seen Ms Lawson taking drugs, there were signs of regular use.

Jurors at Isleworth Crown Court heard she found a packet of white powder in the home Ms Lawson shared with Mr Diamond, as well as rolled-up banknotes and credit cards with white powder on them.

Francesca Grillo (left) and her sister Elisabetta (right) deny fraud

Asked why she did not speak out about Ms Lawson's drug use, Grillo said she wanted "to protect Nigella until the end".

"I didn't want to disappoint her," she added. "Nigella was a very nice person ... she was very generous to me."

Grillo said she decided to mention Ms Lawson's drug use as part of her defence when photographs emerged of Mr Saatchi apparently pinching his then-wife's nose outside a London restaurant, but she denied she was taking advantage of the situation.

As details of some of her alleged spending were revealed, Grillo claimed Ms Lawson allowed her to buy a bed from Ikea and sign up for a fashion course.

She was given permission to use a credit card during a weekend in Paris because "it was my birthday" and bought Calvin Klein underwear while shopping for Ms Lawson's daughter "because we are the same size", the court heard.

"Nobody told me I could not take money," she said, adding that Ms Lawson allowed her to withdraw extra cash for herself if she worked beyond her hours.

Grillo, who claimed Mr Saatchi gave her £200 to bump up sales of his book, also denied she was better dressed than other household staff members and said she bought clothes at discount stores and online.

"I was allowed to buy clothes for myself ... I worked hard," she said. "I was part of the family for 14 years."

Grillo and her sister Francesca, 35, deny committing fraud by using a company credit card for personal gain.

The trial continues.

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PR Blunder Over Labour MP's 'Pikey' Tweet

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

Shadow cabinet minister Jack Dromey has become embroiled in a race row after calling a post worker a "pikey" on Twitter.

On a visit to a Royal Mail sorting office, he posted a picture of himself with one employee with the caption: "With Gareth Martin, the Pikey from the Erdington Royal Mail Sorting Office. A great guy!"

Hundreds of Twitter users pulled him up on the use of the word, with some threatening to report him to the police.

Since 2007 it has been possible to be arrested for a racially aggravated offence for using the word "pikey", which is an offensive word used to refer to Irish travellers.

When Sky News approached the Labour party, a press officer said Mr Dromey had fallen victim to autocorrect, which had automatically switched the word "postie" for "pikey".

He pointed to other tweets made by Mr Dromey, referring to the Royal Mail employees he met as "posties".

Mr Dromey attempted to smooth over the matter with a further tweet

However, minutes later this explanation was undermined by Mr Dromey himself.

He tweeted: "Don't panic, Mr Mainwaring. This morning's meeting was with Gareth, a Postie nicknamed after Corporal Pike from Dad's Army."

It is not the first time that the shadow minister has got into hot water on the social networking website.

Last month Mr Dromey, who is married to Labour's Deputy Leader Harriet Harman, made a link to a gay porn website one of his "favourites".

Labour sources said he had been trying to block the pages when he accidentally pressed the wrong button.

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Lynne Spalding Death Linked To Alcoholism

A British woman found dead in a locked stairwell 17 days after going missing from her San Francisco hospital room probably died of a chemical imbalance due to complications from alcohol abuse, a coroner has said.

Lynne Spalding, 57, disappeared from the city's general hospital on September 21 but her body was not found until October 8.

Assistant medical examiner Ellen Moffat said in a new report that the mother-of-two had been dead for days before the discovery.

The medical examiner's office said Ms Spalding was confused and delirious on the day she disappeared.

Ms Moffat said Ms Spalding, originally from Peterlee, Co Durham, didn't know the day or time or even why she was in the hospital.

She had been admitted for a bladder or urinary tract infection and arrived at the hospital thin and frail with her children worried about her condition.

San Francisco General Hospital

Although sheriff's deputies at the hospital did a "perimeter search" of the hospital's 24-acre campus within an hour of her disappearance, it was not until September 30 that they attempted a more extensive search of the grounds.

The next day, after it became clear that not all the stairwells used as fire exits had been searched, a supervisor ordered the stairwell searches to continue, yet "only about half the stairwells" ever were, Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi said.

Ms Spalding's friends and relatives spent days scouring the streets of the Californian city with flyers because they were "under the assumption that San Francisco General had been searched and Lynne was not here".

On October 4 a hospital staff member told the sheriff's department that someone had reported seeing a body in a locked stairwell of the building where Ms Spalding had been a patient.

A sheriff's dispatcher told hospital officials the department would respond, but "there is no indication that any one was dispatched to that stairwell".

Ms Spalding had lived in the city for more than 20 years and had two grown-up children, a 19-year-old son and 23-year-old daughter, who both live in the US.

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Portsmouth Shipyard Job Losses: Protests

By Alex Rossi, Sky News Correspondent

Hundreds of protesters have marched through the streets of Portsmouth to demonstrate against job losses by defence giant BAE Systems.

It was announced last month that more than 900 jobs are being axed, ending shipbuilding in the historic naval city for good.

Lisa Fletcher, a community support officer for Unite, says the job cuts are a disaster not just for Portsmouth, but for the entire Solent region.

"It's not just about the jobs ... it's going to affect the industries in the pubs, restaurants, schools even and transport, " she told Sky News.

According to the local university, for every 100 jobs lost in shipbuilding a further 66 are lost in the wider economy in pubs, restaurants and other service industries.

BAE systems and the Government claim warship building in the UK needs to be consolidated into one site on the Clyde in Scotland if it is to remain sustainable.

And although maintenance and repairs will remain in Portsmouth, the end of shipbuilding is a massive blow to a city steeped in maritime history - ships have been built in Pompey for more than 500 years.

HMS Duncan was built at Portsmouth dockyards

Workers at the BAE dockyard are apprehensive about the future.

Geoff Collins, a shop steward and pipe worker, is still coming to terms with his imminent redundancy. He fears at the age of 63 he will never find work again.

"It's taken the wind out of my sails really, slowed me right up. Thinking what's going to happen next. And what's going to happen for the younger generation with the skills ...?"

But trade union leaders believe the fight for shipbuilding in Portsmouth is not over yet.

They hope the Government will have a change of heart and instead elect for a three-dock solution which would also mean fewer job losses at the shipyards in Scotland that have also been affected.

Prospect negotiator John Ferrett hopes the decision will be reversed: "We believe that there is a solution, whilst that would mean job reductions right across the three yards, we believe we would be able to retain the capability."

The redundancies will begin as the work on two aircraft carriers finishes.

If the decision is not changed, people in Portsmouth fear centuries of shipbuilding will be sunk forever.

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Iran Claims 'MI6 Spy' On Trial After Capture

Iran says it has arrested a "spy" accused of working for the British secret intelligence service.

A court official said the man had confessed to his alleged crimes and was on trial.

He was detained in the town of Kerman in southeast Iran after authorities spent months tracking him down, the semi-official ISNA news agency said.

The suspect is accused of meeting four British intelligence operatives and giving them information.

Dadkhoda Salari, head of the Kerman revolutionary court, said: "Through the efforts of Iranian security forces, an MI6 spy has been arrested.

"He has met British intelligence officers in person 11 times, both inside the country and abroad, and provided them with intelligence."

It has not been suggested the alleged spy is a Briton, and Tehran has a history of announcing the arrest of people it claims are spying without releasing more details.

But the news is potentially embarrassing at a time when diplomatic relations between the UK and Iran had been improving after a two-year freeze.

On Friday, Iran's new envoy to Britain, Hassan Habibollah-Zadeh, held talks in London on his first visit since his appointment in November.

And a British diplomat, non-resident charge d'affaires Ajay Sharma, said he had "detailed and constructive discussions" about the UK's relationship with Iran during talks earlier this month.

He visited the site of the UK's embassy in the Iranian capital to assess the damage caused when it was ransacked by a mob in 2011, an incident which prompted the Government to pull its staff out of the country.

The thaw in relations between Tehran and the international community has also seen a deal reached over its nuclear programme.

Responding to the reported arrest a Foreign Office spokesman said: "We don't comment on intelligence matters."

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Jayden Parkinson: Police Launch Murder Inquiry

Police investigating the disappearance of teenager Jayden Parkinson now believe she was murdered.

Jayden, 17, from Oxford, was last seen leaving Didcot Parkway train station at 4.27pm on December 3 - and did not return home that evening as planned.

In a news conference this afternoon, Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murray revealed that police have upgraded the case to a murder investigation and are looking for a man who was seen in an open field near Upton on December 9 at 2am.

The man was carrying a large suitcase in the rural area and notably struggling to "manage" the heavy case.

"This man was having difficulty wheeling that suitcase," said Mr Murray.

He said the same man was seen in Didcot around 30 minutes later with the same suitcase, and police are appealing for sightings of the man or the case. 

The man is described as a white male in his early 20s, with short dark hair and of medium to slim build. 

The case was approximately 3ft long and 2ft wide, likely a pale blue colour, and had an extendable handle and wheels, said Mr Murray. 

Thames Valley Police are currently holding two people - a 22-year-old man and 17-year-old boy - in relation to the case.

Police said earlier this week that the 22-year-old was in a relationship with Jayden. 

Jayden was living with her mother in Didcot until November this year, when she found herself homeless.

The teenager relocated to an Oxford service called One Foot Forward, which offers assisted and supported accommodation for young people.

Police said Jayden has made no financial transactions, or accessed the internet or her phone since she went missing 12 days ago.

A team of 50 detectives are currently assisting with the case and specialist teams will be scouring the Upton area for the next week.

Anyone with information has been urged to contact Thames Valley Police on 101 and quote URN 542 10/12, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Double Murder Probe Launched As Bodies Found

A double murder inquiry has been launched following the deaths of a man and a woman in a house in Belfast.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the incident in the Ravenhill area in the south east of the city is thought to be domestic-related.

Police believe the suspect may have been in a relationship with one of the victims.

They said the person they are looking for does not pose a threat to the wider public.

Police said they did not want the identities of the middle-aged victims to become public at this stage as not all of their next of kin had been informed of what had happened.

Officers found their bodies in the living room of the flat in the Ravenhill Court area yesterday afternoon.

They had been alerted by a member of the public who noticed the front door of the property had been badly damaged.

Detective Chief Inspector Una Jennings, senior investigating officer with the PSNI, said: "We are treating this at the moment as a suspected domestic homicide."

A map showing the location of Ravenhill, Belfast

She appealed to whoever was responsible to come forward.

The detective added: "I would describe it as a domestic incident, we believe that the perpetrator of this crime may well have been in a relationship with one or other of the victims."

She said the exact causes of death would not be confirmed until post mortem examinations were carried out in the coming days.

Asked if the perpetrator posed a danger to the wider public, Ms Jennings said: "We don't consider they pose a risk to the public at this time."

Detectives have appealed for anyone who noticed anything suspicious in the Ravenhill Court area between 3pm on Wednesday and 3pm yesterday to contact them.

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Cancer: 'Half Of Doctors Failing Patients'

Family doctors have been accused of failing cancer sufferers after new data suggested more than half are not referring patients to specialists quickly enough.

Figures from around 4,000 GP practices in England show that, in many cases, only a minority of patients are fast-tracked for investigation by a specialist.

In some practices, only around 10% of patients eventually diagnosed with the disease saw a specialist within two weeks.

The target for the NHS says 95% of patients with suspected cancer referred by their GP must be seen by a specialist within two weeks.

While some GP practices show 100% of patients with cancer making it through the fast-track system, others fall far behind.

In around half of the practices in the sample, fewer than 50% of cancer patients were seen through the two-week system.

Not all patients with cancer visit their GP with symptoms.

Some are diagnosed in A&E, while others have cancer detected during routine tests, or are referred straight to A&E by their GPs because their symptoms are so bad.

Stuart Barber, head of communications and campaigns at Beating Bowel Cancer, said the findings were "intolerable".

Jeremy Hunt calls for action to tackle an 'unacceptable' postcode lottery

He said: "GPs have the tools. There are clear symptoms, there is a clear screening programme and if a patient visits their doctor with what are symptoms of bowel cancer they should have the confidence they are going to be referred quickly."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt called for tough action to tackle an "unacceptable" postcode lottery in the care being given to patients with life-threatening illnesses.

He said: "Every single patient in the NHS has a right to the very best care - and to see a GP who can spot cancer symptoms early enough to make a difference.

"That's why we've introduced a rigorous new inspection regime for GP surgeries to tackle this unacceptable variation across the country.

"The new chief inspector will speak up for patients without fear or favour, rating each surgery so we can celebrate the best practices and take tough action where standards aren't up to scratch."

The new data has been published by NHS England as part of a raft of information to help patients work out how well their GP practice is performing.

Mike Bewick, deputy medical director at NHS England, said the level of variation between practices is too wide.

He said the data offered an "important insight for commissioners as to where we should be doing better".

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Man Admits Strangling Ex-Girlfriend And Baby

A violent partner has admitted strangling his ex-girlfriend and her seven-month-old baby boy in their beds two days after the couple separated.

Wesley Williams, appearing at Birmingham Crown Court, admitted the double-murder of Yvone Walsh, 25, and her seventh month old son Harrison at her home in Birmingham in June.

Ms Walsh was found dead in her bed by detectives

University graduate Ms Walsh, from whom Williams had split two days before she was last seen alive in May, was found by officers in her bed and her baby son in his cot with the curtains drawn.

West Midlands Police described the murders as "shocking and senseless" and said they were unable to determine which of the two Williams had killed first.

Williams, 29, wearing a grey sweatshirt, spoke only to enter his guilty pleas to the two counts.

Judge William Davis QC told Williams he would be jailed for life and warned him to expect "a very substantial term" in prison.

He was sent to a secure facility following his arrest but after being assessed by mental health professionals he was deemed fit for interview after which he was charged with the murders.

Detective Chief Inspector Sarbjit Johal, from the homicide investigation team, said: "Wesley Williams has pleaded guilty to the shocking and senseless murders of his partner Yvonne and her baby Harrison who both had their whole lives ahead of them.

"Yvonne's family described her as a warm and loving person who was a dedicated professional and absolutely devoted to her two young children.

"My thoughts are with their family, friends and the community that they lived in who are all still struggling to come to terms with their deaths."

Williams will be sentenced next week.

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Police Woman Jailed For 'Burying' Rape Claim

A policewoman lied to an alleged rape victim by telling her that prosecution lawyers were unwilling to pursue her case.

PC Hannah Notley told the alleged victim, as well as her superiors, that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had decided not to pursue her allegation of sexual assault, even though she had never passed the file to them in the first place.

The Essex Police sex assault specialist later tried to fob off the alleged victim by telling her the CPS had dropped the case because she had reported it too late.

A defence lawyer said the police officer was undergoing some sort of emotional breakdown at the time which led to her behaving as she did.

When the alleged victim was told her rape was not being looked into, she tried to take her own life.

Notley was jailed for four months on Friday at Southwark Crown Court, in London.

She had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of misconduct in public office between July 6 2011 and April 21 2012.

The 30-year-old, from Benfleet in Essex, wept throughout the sentencing hearing and broke down as she was sentenced, saying "I love you" to family members in the public gallery as she was led away.

Prosecutor Zoe Martin told the court that after Notley was assigned to the case in July 2011, the alleged perpetrator was arrested and interviewed, and his mobile phone and computer examined.

But when Notley was later asked what had happened in the case, she told a superior the CPS had decided not to pursue it.

When it was then logged on the police system as having "no further action", Notley failed to put superiors straight and even told the alleged victim herself that CPS lawyers had decided to drop the case, despite knowing it had never been passed to them.

In February last year, Notley spoke to the complainant, telling her that the CPS had dropped the case because she had reported it too late so there was no physical evidence.

Miss Martin said: "She (the complainant) was clearly upset because it implied that the NFA (no further action) decision to some extent was her fault for reporting the rape late in the day.

"The alleged victim states that on the evening that she was telephoned by Ms Notley to say that there was no further action, she tried to take her own life."

The matter only came to light after an independent adviser allocated to the complainant pursued the matter and it transpired that the CPS had never been sent the file.

The rape allegation was reinvestigated, the court heard, and the alleged perpetrator has now been charged. He is due to stand trial in May.

The court heard the woman had been left devastated by the revelation that Notley lied and it had ruined her trust in the police.

The explanation given to the court was that Notley had been suffering from difficulties in her personal life - she had split from her fiance just weeks before their wedding, and she had later suffered a miscarriage which coincided with her sister falling pregnant.

In mitigation, Allan Compton, on behalf of Notley, told the court she had been "beset with guilt" over her lie, but had not gained from it.

He said she had been deeply depressed at the time and had suffered some form of emotional breakdown, but it was never her intention to "bury this investigation completely".

Notley later lost her job with the force, the court heard.

An Essex Police spokesman said today: "We await the full detailed report of the IPCC investigation and will deal with any recommendations which are made."

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Norfolk Yachtsman Braves Surge To Save Boat

By Tom Parmenter, News Correspondent

While people retreated to their homes or evacuation centres one man rode out the biggest storm surge in a generation aboard his 26-foot sailing boat.

Dave Jones, from Wells-next-the-Sea, was moored up in the picturesque harbour at nearby Blakeney in north Norfolk.

As the sea levels rose 30 feet above their normal levels he stayed aboard his vessel named Kabeeni, with his anchors and lines straining against the powerful surge.

"This is my pride and joy I was going let it go without a fight. Yes I was nervous at times, well not nervous, terrified really."

While other boats were dumped onto the road, Mr Jones' vessel stayed put

Other boats in the harbour were dumped onto the road that runs through Blakeney while others just vanished from their moorings.

Dave's boat though survived relatively unscathed after he spent hours battling the elements to ensure it stayed tied down.

Below deck in his small cabin the 62-year-old grandfather prepared himself a hot jalfrezi curry to see him through the night.

He said: "I have always loved boats, and I love staying aboard them.

"People were telling me I was mad but I thought no, I've got to fight for my boat."

Several homes and businesses were flooded around Blakeney harbour, but staying on top of the giant tide meant Mr Jones stayed dry.

He added: "I did have an escape plan, the little dinghy would get me out if it had got too much, but I persevered and won."

He is now planning to spend another night aboard, but the high tides are not predicted to reach the levels seen on Thursday night.

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Taser Used On Devon Special School Boy

A teenage boy with complex learning difficulties has been Tasered by police in the grounds of a special school.

Devon and Cornwall Police were called to Chelfham Senior School near Plymouth after reports of an alleged assault on a teacher.

The force confirmed officers deployed a Taser during the incident at 9.20pm on December 1, which involved three boys - a 15-year-old and two 14-year-olds - after reports that knives were brandished at officers.

But a solicitor has called into question the use of the device, in the circumstances.

Sophie Khan, a solicitor-advocate and legal director at Police Action Centre, said: "The police action may have been excessive.

"The use on children is only allowed if it is the only feasible method of restraining the child. It's only there if there are no other alternatives to restrain the child.

"Using a Taser on someone suffering some kind of behavioural difficulty or disability is something the policy or guidance doesn't allow."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has not been contacted in relation to the incident at Chelfham, in Bere Alston.

The teacher was treated at the scene by paramedics for chest and head injuries before being taken to Derriford Hospital.

All three boys involved in the incident were jointly charged with affray and will appear at Plymouth Magistrates' Court on December 20.

The school, which specialises in children with learning difficulties including behavioural, emotional and social difficulties and autism, is owned by the exclusive Priory Group, a private company better known for its addiction clinics favoured by celebrities.

Devon and Cornwall Police are being investigated by the IPCC over a separate incident in which a man, who doused himself in petrol, burst into flames when he was shot with a Taser.

Andrew Pimlott, 32, suffered horrific injuries in the confrontation outside his house and died in a hospital burns unit five days later.

Figures released to Parliament earlier this year showed armed officers discharged, targeted or threatened to use Tasers against youngsters more than 320 times in 2011 - an 11-fold increase from the first year they were cleared for use against under-18s in 2007.

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World Cup 2014: England's Opponents Revealed

England have been drawn to play against Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The draw means England's first game, against Italy on June 14, will kick off at 2am UK time in the city of Manaus, in the Amazon region.

They will face Uruguay five days later in Sao Paulo, before finishing their group match fixtures against Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte on June 24.

England manager Roy Hodgson reacts to the draw

England manager Roy Hodgson said: "Well, it's a tough group, there's no doubt about it.

"There's no doubt that with Uruguay and Italy, we almost got two number one seeds in our group, because Italy were very unlucky (not to be seeded).

"I'm not disappointed and having at least two of the tree games in places where the climate is more favourable for us is a positive.

"What climatic differences we'll face up there (in England's opening match, against Italy) will be the same for both teams."

Speaking ahead of the draw, Mr Hodgson had said Manaus was the one venue he was keen to miss out on.

"The tropical nature of Manaus is the problem," he said.

"Manaus is the place ideally to avoid and Porto Alegre is the place ideally to get."

The opening game of the competition will see hosts Brazil take on Croatia on June 12 in Sao Paulo.

Should England qualify from their group, they will face either Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast or Japan in the second round.

The last time England faced either Uruguay, Costa Rica or Italy in the first round of the World Cup was in 1966 - the last and only time they have ever lifted the trophy.

Then, they played Uruguay in Group 1, drawing 0-0 at Wembley.

The groups in full:

Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia

Group C: Colombia, Greece, Cote d'Ivoire, Japan

Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy

Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras

Group F: Argentina, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Iran, Nigeria

Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA

Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic

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Former Priest Questioned In Child Sex Probe

A retired Catholic priest has been questioned by detectives over the alleged sexual abuse of three schoolgirls between 1980 and 2000.

Canon Mortimer Stanley, 82, has been interviewed under caution by Greater Manchester Police following complaints from three women now aged 41, 35 and 21.

Canon Stanley is a former parish priest at St Vincent de Paul RC Church in Norden, Rochdale.

Police say the women were aged between eight and 10 when the alleged offences occurred between 1980 and 2000.

The women were schoolgirls at St Vincent's Primary School in Rochdale at the time of the alleged incidents.

However, police have confirmed that the offences did not occur at the school, but at an adjacent presbytery.

Detective Constable Christian Chivers, from Greater Manchester Police's Public Protection Investigation Unit, said the alleged incidents related to historical offences.

"I want to reassure local residents, and more importantly parents of children currently at St Vincent's, that these are historical incidents," he said.

"While we do not believe there is any reason for current pupils or their families to be unduly concerned, this is extremely serious and upsetting for the victims in this case, who we are continuing to provide specialist support to.

"The safeguarding of pupils is without doubt a top priority for us, the school and Salford Diocese and we are working together as part of this investigation.

"I am appealing to former pupils who may have information about the offences under investigation or who may want to speak to us about similar matters to come forward."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Glasgow Helicopter Crash Pilot's Funeral Held

By David Blevins, Sky News Correspondent

The funeral has taken place of the pilot killed when his helicopter crashed onto a Glasgow bar last weekend.

Captain David Traill was one of nine people who died when the aircraft crashed on to the roof of the city's Clutha bar on Friday last week.

He was a decorated war veteran, having served in both Afghanistan and Iraq, but had flown for a private company since his retirement from the RAF.

Friends, family and colleagues attended a service at Glasgow University, led by chaplain Reverend Stuart MacQuarrie.

Before the memorial, a guard of honour was formed, with police officers on one side and air ambulance pilots and paramedics on the other.

The funeral cortege was led by police outriders and was joined by a friend of Capt Traill who rode his Harley Davidson motorcycle to the service.

The service had been put together by Capt. Traill's fiancee, Lucy, a graduate from the university, and his father, Iain, who sobbed as he read a poem, You Can Shed Tears, to mourners.

The minister read out a tribute from Lucy whom Capt Traill met just over four years ago.

She said: "Dave was the best thing that ever happened to me …He was the most amazing, caring, loving, strong, capable, funny, creative, delicious and sexy boy in the whole world and I cannot even begin to imagine life without him."

The helicopter crashed on the Clutha bar a week ago

She added that some of his passions included cycling, Scotland's west coast, fine dining, kayaking, Take That, and "best of all" karaoke.

"It all seemed too perfect but there was no catch. He just adored me and told me every single day," she said.

Mr Traill Snr read the same poem by David Harkins at his younger son Angus' funeral three years ago.

A close friend from Mr Traill's time in the RAF read a tribute to "the greatest friend a man could hope for".

Andy Rooney said: "David, Dave, Davey, Swampy - he was different things to different people and he touched many lives.

"But there was a consistency to him that few could match and many could envy. The calm he offered, the warmth with which he was received."

He went on: "He was the greatest friend a man could hope for. A steady, loyal brother in arms.

"He wasn't perfect, that would be tedious. He was a helicopter pilot who didn't like heights.

"You could get him in a helicopter, but you couldn't get him up a set of ladders. He was a pilot who got air sick, to be fair this was mostly on fixed-wing planes."

The 51-year-old had played an active role in the lives of his three young nephews since they lost their father - his younger brother Angus - to throat cancer three years ago.

Capt Traill did not make a mayday call before the aircraft crashed onto the Clutha bar, killing him and two police passengers: Kristy Nelis, 36, and Tony Collins, 43.

Six other people, attending a live music event inside the pub, also died: Robert Jenkins, 61, Mark O'Prey, 44, Colin Gibson, 33, John McGarrigle, 57, Gary Arthur, 48, and Samuel McGhee, 56.

Around 100 people were inside the building when the Eurocopter dropped out of the sky "like a stone" last Friday night and 10 of the 32 injured remain in hospital.

There was no black box data recorder on the helicopter but air accident investigators are examining the wreckage in Farnborough, Hampshire, and are expected to publish their initial findings next week.

Bond Air Services described their popular colleague as "the epitome of the consummate professional" and "a legend" whose passing would be mourned with "a sense of intense loss and sorrow".

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