Briton Found Frozen In Stream At Ski Resort

A Briton has been found dead at a French ski resort more than 24 hours after apparently losing his way while en route to a bar.

Officials at the La Plagne alpine resort said Louis Robertson, from Glasgow, had tried to take a short cut between bars and succumbed to the freezing conditions.

The 26-year-old was reported missing at 1am on Thursday and a resort-wide alert was issued at 4pm.

His body was found in a stream on Friday at 7.50am.

A spokeswoman for the resort in France's south-eastern Savoie region said: "It would seem that he had left one bar to go to another and was trying to take a short cut through the snow.

"In his state of drunkenness and cold, he could not climb back up to the main road."

Mr Robertson had arrived at the resort on Sunday with two friends for a week's holiday.

The Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in France.

"We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time."

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Mother And Toddler Killed By Train Named

A woman and her three-year-old son who died after they were struck by a train in the morning rush hour have been named.

Donna Oettinger, 41, and Zachary died at Riddlesdown rail station near Purley, south London at around 8.20am, according to the British Transport Police (BTP).

"Medics from the London Ambulance Service also attended, but Donna and Zachary were sadly pronounced dead at the scene," a BTP spokeswoman said.

Detective Chief Inspector Iain Miller, the senior investigating officer, said: "Our thoughts remain with Donna and Zachary's family and friends at this sad and difficult time.

"Officers are continuing to work to establish the full circumstances of what happened, although early indications show that no one else was believed to have been involved.

"A file will be prepared for the Coroner."

The station was temporarily closed while the emergency services dealt with the incident. Electrical power to the line between Woldingham and South Croydon was also turned off for several hours.

There was considerable disruption to services run by the Southern train company in the area, with buses running between some stations and extended journey times.

The line between Uckfield/East Grinstead and South Croydon reopened in the afternoon.

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Queen Volunteered For Bond Olympics Sketch

Danny Boyle, the mastermind behind London's Olympic opening ceremony, has revealed he did not actually ask the Queen to appear in his James Bond sketch - she volunteered.

TV viewers around the world were surprised to see the Queen appearing alongside Daniel Craig in the spoof sequence prior to her arrival in the Olympic Stadium last summer.

Boyle told ITV's Jonathan Ross Show he had originally envisaged a lookalike taking part in the skit.

Boyle is an Oscar-winning director

The creative director of the London 2012 opening ceremony explained: "It was part of the protocol - you have to bring in the Head of State and sing the National Anthem - and we thought we'd (do) something different, so we wrote up this idea of the James Bond idea.

"And we sent it in to them, and we were asking really for permission for them to accept that it wouldn't embarrass them and we'd get a double, a good double, and we were thinking Helen Mirren.

The Queen at the opening ceremony last year

"They came back and said 'we're delighted for you to do it, and Her Majesty would like to be in it herself' - and the surreal thing, 'she would like to play herself'."

The Oscar-winning director went on: "She said 'what do you want me to do?', and I told her and she said 'fine'.

"So we got in and we started doing it and then she said 'don't you think I should say something?' and I said 'yes, OK, what do you suggest?'.

"She said 'I'll do something' and we started shooting and she turned round and she said her lines beautifully."

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England Fan In A Coma After Italy Bar Fight

A 65-year-old man is in a coma in Italy after a brawl between England fans ahead of the World Cup qualifier against San Marino.

The victim was injured after he was punched in the face and hit his head against the pavement when he fell.

Police called to the scene have arrested another Briton, Matthew Mabey, 21, who is being held on suspicion of serious wounding.

The incident happened outside the Bounty pub in Bologna, where dozens of England fans had gathered ahead of the journey to nearby San Marino for the match, which England won 8-0.

Violence erupted between a group of seven fans who were drinking in the pub.

Paramedics were quickly on the scene and the victim - who reportedly tried to defend himself with a bar stool - was taken to Bologna's Maggiore Hospital for emergency surgery.

Doctors said he was put into an induced coma and described his condition as ''very serious".

A police spokeswoman in Bologna said: "We were called by staff at the pub and by passers by to a fight that had broken out between a group of England fans who had been drinking heavily.

England players training ahead of the match in San Marino

"From what witnesses have told us a group of men surrounded the victim and as they attacked him he picked up a bar stool to defend himself but was then punched once in the face and fell to the ground hitting his head on the pavement.

"He suffered serious injuries and is now in hospital."

The spokesman said that a 48-year-old man also held in connection with the incident has been released.

An employee at the bar said: "They had been in the bar drinking all day, then all of a sudden all hell broke loose and there was shouting and fighting amongst themselves.

"The next minute one man was on the floor. He looked in a bad way and then the ambulance and police arrived."

A UK Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm the arrest of a British national in Italy on 21 March. We are providing consular assistance."

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Experts Defuse Bomb Found In Northern Ireland

A bomb discovered and defused in a car in Northern Ireland was destined for a police station, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed.

The device was found in County Fermanagh, not far from the luxury Lough Erne golf resort where this June's G8 conference of world leaders will be held.

Sky's David Blevins said the device consisted of explosives packed into a beer keg rigged with timing devices.

PSNI district commander Pauline Shields said: "The people responsible for this have no regard for the lives of anyone in our community.

"It is fortunate that no-one was killed or seriously injured as a result of this reckless act.

"Although investigations are at an early stage it is our assessment at present that this vehicle was destined for Lisnaskea PSNI station."

Residents were told to leave their homes and Army technical officers carried out a clearance operation on the suspicious car and a viable device was made safe.

Ms Shields added: "Once again our community has been disrupted and the lives of residents put at risk by an element intent on causing  loss of life and disruption.

A week ago the Police Service of Northern Ireland discovered a mortar-type device aimed towards New Barnsley police station in north Belfast.

Also last week, three officers escaped injury when an explosive device detonated close to them as they patrolled a coastal path on the outskirts of Belfast.

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Farage: UKIP A Real Alternative To Main Parties

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has insisted the party is more than just a vehicle for protest after it came second in the Eastleigh by-election, kicking the Conservatives into third place.

He told the party's spring conference in Exeter the public is angry with the failure of the three main parties on key issues.

But he argued UKIP's shock result in Eastleigh was not merely a rejection of their opponents.

Mr Farage listed a range of areas - from Europe Union membership to cost of living and an obsession with renewable energy - where the public feels "incredibly let down".

However, he insisted he was "pretty sure" UKIP's appeal goes wider than disaffection, stressing that the party has a coherent policy platform.

He also said UKIP should not only target disaffected Conservative voters but also traditional Labour supporters, some of whom may be won over by its stance on immigration.

Mr Farage focused in his speech on what he sees as the impact of immigration on working-class communities, where some believe extra pressure has been put on public services.

He told the conference: "The truth is, that on immigration, those three parties, the LibLabCon, are all the same, because they all support a total open door to the whole of Eastern Europe.

"They all support that door being flung even wider open to the 29m people from Bulgaria and Romania ... but worse than that, they even all support Turkey joining the European Union.

"Our message is simple, we are not against anybody, we wish people from all those former communist countries the very best, but it cannot make sense for us to open our doors to massive oversupply in the unskilled labour market in this country, at a time when we have a million people out of work."

A sign of UKIP's growing credibility came recently when Mr Farage was invited to dinner with Rupert Murdoch.

The Eastleigh by-election was forced after the resignation of Lib Dem cabinet minister Chris Huhne, who pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by getting his wife Vicky Pryce to take three speeding points.

The UKIP candidate Diane James was only 2,000 votes behind the Lib Dem winner Mike Thornton and more than 1,000 ahead of the third-placed Conservative candidate Maria Hutchings.

UKIP won a 27.8% share of the vote, which had a 52% turnout.

The result was widely regarded as a win in all but name for UKIP, and a devastating defeat for the Tories. Labour, meanwhile, despite doing well in national polls, failed to increase their share and were a long way behind.

It was the fourth time that UKIP had come second in a by-election.

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Miliband Offers Answer To 'Decade Of Decline'

Ed Miliband has accused David Cameron of condemning the UK to a "decade of decline" by sticking to austerity plans.

In a speech this afternoon, the Labour leader insisted public anger with the coalition is growing in the wake of a no-change Budget - but he conceded that his party still has work to do to convince voters there is a real alternative.

Mr Miliband presented a list of policies that he claims would kick-start growth and make the economy fairer, including bank reform, infrastructure investment and a 10p tax rate.

He contrasted the platform he fleshed out with George Osborne's financial package this week.

"We are five years on from the financial crisis of 2008," he told a 'people's policy forum' in Birmingham, which is billed as representing political opinion from across the West Midlands.

"We are in the slowest recovery for 100 years. And it is you who are suffering. Wages are frozen. Prices are rising. Living standards falling.

"Yet the Chancellor offered no change in the Budget. He offered more of the same. Can you imagine another five years of this?

"Low growth. Living standards squeezed further. You paying the price. A lost decade Britain cannot afford. A decade of national decline."

Mr Miliband accused the Government of "shrugging their shoulders", saying ministers have "run out of ideas", and he urged voters to give him a chance to change the way the country is run.

"Over the last two and a half years since I became Labour leader, I have sought to understand why people left Labour," Mr Miliband said.

"From banking regulation to immigration to Iraq, I have been clear about what we got wrong. But as I listen to people around Britain I also know they are increasingly disappointed with this Government.

"People all over Britain have lost confidence in David Cameron's ability to turn Britain around. But let me clear with you. I know that however discredited, divided and damaging this Government is, I will not assume that their unpopularity will mean people turn to Labour.

"Indeed, many people will believe that the failure of this Government means they should give up on politics altogether."

Mr Miliband said he cannot offer "overnight answers" or that things will be easy, but he pledged to seek an economic recovery "made by the many, not just a few at the top".

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Body Image: Four-Year-Olds 'Feeling Pressure'

Children as young as four are refusing to eat certain food for fear of getting fat, a survey of teachers has found.

Pressure to live up to unrealistic body images leaves many youngsters with anxiety issues, low self-esteem and eating disorders, according to the poll by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL). 

An early years teacher in England told researches: "I work with four to five-year-olds and some say things like 'I can't eat cheese, it will make me fat'."

A teacher at one primary school said: "I am very worried to hear little girls as young as 10 talking about being skinny and dieting."

The survey, which questioned almost 700 primary and secondary teachers in February and March, also indicated that boys are under almost as much pressure as girls to have the "perfect" body.

It found 84% believe that there is pressure on girls to have or maintain a certain body image, with two thirds (66%) saying boys are facing the same issue.

And this pressure is increasing - almost two thirds (63%) of those surveyed said there is more pressure on young people to have a certain body image now than 10 years ago.

The school staff also expressed concerns that pupils who worry about their body were trying to control their weight and appearance.

Some young girls are using sunbeds or spray tans

More than half (54%) of the teachers surveyed said they knew of girls who had dieted due to concerns about their body image, with just under a third (30%) saying they knew of boys who had started excessive exercise regimes.

In addition, over a fifth (22%) said boys were using protein shakes and supplements to improve their physique.

Almost half (48%) suggested that girls had developed eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia due to pressure to live up to a certain body image.

A head of department at a secondary school in England said: "I've heard girls aged 15 say, without a hint of irony, 'I'm dieting but I need to keep my boobs so boys will like me'."

Almost half (46%) also said that girls are wearing clothes to disguise their body shape, while over half (51%) suggested that girls are choosing outfits that "flaunt" their bodies, and 29% claimed that girls are using sunbeds or spray tans.

ATL general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: "Young people are under tremendous pressure to have or maintain often unrealistic body images portrayed in the media.

"ATL members report that this not only impacts on female pupils but increasingly leads to low self-esteem, lack of confidence and anxiety in male pupils too.

"With academic and other social pressures young people already have enough to deal with."

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Weather: Snow Disrupts Travel And Cuts Power

Heavy snowfall has brought disruption to many parts of the UK, with roads closed, flights delayed, rail services cancelled and sports events called off.

Power lines were brought down, leaving tens of thousands of homes in Northern Ireland without electricity, while 6,000 properties in Scotland and hundreds more in areas of northern England also had no power.

The snowy conditions extended south, hitting areas around London and Kent, where forecasters said there could be 2cm-5cm of the white stuff on higher ground.

The Met Office issued a yellow warning for the public to be aware of adverse weather conditions as a slow-moving band of rain, sleet and snow made its way across many central and northern parts, and the south and east.

There may be 5-10cm of snow at lower levels and further significant snow accumulations were likely on hills, with continued drifting and blizzard conditions in strong southeasterly winds. 

There is apparently 18 inches of snow near Wrexham (Pic: Alison Brooks)

One of the worst affected areas seemed to be North Wales, where reader Alison Brooks said there was more than 18 inches (45cm) of snow outside the town of Wrexham.

Airports were forced to shut their runways, and road closures hit motorists.  The AA has warned drivers that even short journeys may be difficult.

More snow is expected tonight but it set to slowly die out on Sunday and forecasters say most places will have a cold, dry day with cold easterly winds.

About 70 people stranded in their cars in Cumbria overnight were put up in a local high school.

Bay Search and Rescue in Cumbria were deployed to help people in the snow

In Northern Ireland, 6ft snow drifts left emergency crews struggling to get through but electricity returned to 5,000 homes overnight.

However, about 35,000 customers were still cut off and teams were out again from first light to continue with network repairs, Northern Ireland Electricity said.

In Scotland, ScottishPower estimated there were some 6,000 homes were still off supply in the south-west area.

Electricity North West was trying to restore power to parts of Cumbria, with 350 customers still without electricity, as engineers were unable to reach them due to road closures.

Leeds Bradford Airport said flights were not currently operating due to the adverse weather conditions. There was also disruption at East Midlands Airport.

Among the problems reported on the railways was disruption on First Transpennine Express services between Huddersfield and Manchester, and no Northern Rail services between Skipton and Carlisle.

The bad weather also hit the sporting programme, with racing at Doncaster and Newbury called off and some football league games in England and Scotland postponed.

A motorist drives past another car stuck in a snow drift near Belfast

Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifier against Russia fell foul of the weather for the second time in 24 hours, with hostile conditions rendering Windsor Park unplayable.

The Group F clash was initially due to take place on Friday night but heavy snow and plummeting temperatures in Belfast saw the fixture postponed after three inspections by Norwegian referee Tom Hagen and the FIFA delegation.

The South West, which was hit by heavy rain and floods on Friday, was expected to have a relatively dry day, with only one flood warning, meaning flooding was expected, in place.

Dozens of flood alerts, where flooding was possible, remained for that region as well as the South East, the Midlands and Anglia.

Sky weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "Southeast England, East Anglia, the Midlands, north Wales, northern England, Northern Ireland and much of Scotland can expect snow today.

"High ground will be worst affected with some heavy snow at times with drifting in the strong winds and also blizzards.

"Low levels could see 5-10cm, two to four inches, of snowfall today although amounts will probably be lower across London."

She added: "Southwest England, south Wales and southern Ireland looks largely dry and relatively mild with some brighter spells.

A snow plough ended up on its side in the bad weather (Pic: Shaun Cullis)

"A few showers may nudge into the extreme southwest later. Tonight will stay dry with a frost forming in places."

The rain was a particular problem on Friday in Cornwall, where a landslide, thought to have been triggered by torrential rain, smashed through a block of flats, partially collapsing the building.

Emergency crews found a woman's body after picking through debris at the Veronica flats in Looe on Friday night. The body is believed to be that of Susan Norman, who was in her 60s and had been unaccounted for, according to the police.

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1000's Of Jobs Saved As Blockbuster Is Bought

The troubled DVD and games rental chain Blockbuster has been bought, saving 2,000 jobs and 264 UK stores.

Administrators from accountants Deloitte said restructuring specialists Gordon Brothers Europe had purchased the company for an undisclosed sum.

Blockbuster collapsed in January amid competition from internet firms and the digital streaming of movies and games.

Joint Administrator Lee Manning, said: "Having identified a profitable core portfolio of stores we are pleased to have achieved this sale for creditors.

"Together with the previously announced store sales more than half of the original estate has been secured for ongoing use.

"This transaction provides Blockbuster a future in the UK and we owe a special vote of thanks to all the company's employees, suppliers and customers for helping us rescue the business."

Commenting on the acquisition, Frank Morton, the CEO of Gordon Brothers Europe, said: "We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Blockbuster.

"We acknowledge the industry is in transition; we know that we have a challenge ahead but there is still a market to be served.

"Blockbuster has a strong brand affinity and we believe that with the right mix of new product offering, new technologies, strategic management and marketing, we can bring new life to this high street staple.

"We look forward to working with employees, suppliers, landlords and other stakeholders to make this happen."

Blockbuster had struggled to adapt to the changing market amid rivalry from internet retailers including Netflix, Amazon's LoveFilm and iTunes, which now offers a movie rental service.

The devastating impact of the internet on Britain's high street had already been laid bare by the demise of camera chain Jessops and electricals group Comet, which also cited competition from online players as a major reason for their decline.

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