Pair Buried In Garden Died From Gunshot Wounds

Detectives say an elderly couple found buried in their back garden in Nottinghamshire died from gunshot wounds.

Police have not yet formally identified the pair, but believe they are William and Patricia Wycherley, who lived at the house in Blenheim Close in Forest Town, Mansfield in the 1990s.

A police spokesman said: "A Home Office pathologist has determined that both people died as a result of being shot."

Their daughter and son-in-law have been arrested on suspicion of their murders, according to the Press Association.

Susan Edwards, 55, and her husband Christopher, 57, were arrested at St Pancras International railway station in London on Wednesday evening, said the news agency.

Nottinghamshire Police have refused to confirm the identities of the suspects, other than saying they are aged 57 and 55.

The couple, who are believed to have been living abroad, are being questioned in police custody.

It comes after human remains were found at the house last month. Police went there following a tip-off.

Police have not yet formally identified the bodies found in the garden

Mr and Mrs Wycherley moved to the address in 1987 and, according to neighbours, "simply disappeared" in 1998.

Officers have said Mrs Wycherley is believed to have been born in Fulham, west London, and would now have been 79. Her husband would have been 100.

Police say bone analysis has shed further light on the remains.

One of the bodies is believed to be that of an elderly white man who was older than 60, well-built and around 5ft 8in.

The other is thought to be that of a well-built white woman, who was 40 or older and around 5ft 6in.

Detective Chief Inspector Rob Griffin, who is leading the inquiry, said: "Bill and Pat, who would be 100 and 79 respectively if they were to still be alive today, were known to be quite reclusive.

"But with help from relatives and old friends, we are starting to build a picture of their lives and, more importantly, their movements in 1998, when neighbours say they simply disappeared."

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Paul Gambaccini: BBC DJ Held Over Sex Claims

Veteran BBC broadcaster Paul Gambaccini has been arrested on suspicion of historical sexual offences.

He was held at his home in south London on Tuesday morning as part of the Metropolitan Police's Operation Yewtree.

The radio presenter, whose broadcasting career spans 40 years at the BBC, answered questions in police custody before being released on bail.

A BBC spokesman said Gambaccini denies the allegations against him.

"Paul Gambaccini has decided that, in light of [Friday's] media attention, he would rather not be on air at present and we respect that decision," he said.

"Therefore, Paul will not be presenting on BBC Radio in coming weeks and replacement programmes for the period will be announced soon."

Yewtree has been investigating claims of historic sexual offences since the Jimmy Savile scandal broke last year.

Scotland Yard detectives have run the investigation in three strands - allegations involving Savile, those involving Savile and others, and those involving others.

Gambaccini was arrested under the strand known as "others", meaning the arrest is not connected to the Savile inquiry.

The DJ, one of Britain's foremost authorities on music, hosts a weekly show on BBC Radio 2.

He is the 15th person arrested under Operation Yewtree and was bailed until January.

The presenter was highly vocal last year in the wake of Savile's years of sexual abuse being made public, and said it was known among BBC staff that the late presenter targeted vulnerable, "institutionalised" young people.

A 16th person - a 74-year-old who has not been named - was arrested at a separate address in south London on Tuesday, and also bailed until January.

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Adoption 'Myths' Deter Older Parents

By Alex Rossi, Senior Correspondent

A leading charity claims "damaging myths" about what is the right age to adopt a child in care are stopping many able older people from coming forward and fulfilling a vital role.

The British Association for Adoption and Fostering commissioned a new YouGov survey which shows that one in four adults think being over the age of 40 would stop someone from being able to adopt a child.

There is in fact no upper age limit to adoption, although adopters must be at least 21.

The poll also revealed that 31% of people also consider having a low income as a barrier to building a family through adoption and almost one fifth believe being single means you are not eligible to adopt.

Almost 4,000 children were adopted between April last year and March - the highest number since records began in the early 90s.

But around 2,000 more adoptive parents are currently needed. Many of the most needy children have already been in care and waiting for a placement for a long time.

BAAF spokesman John Simmonds says there is currently a chronic shortage of adopters and the perception many people have of what the right adopter is is exacerbating the problem.

"There is a significant recruitment problem in all of this - so where these myths exist, if they prevent people from coming forward to help close that adoption gap, children lose out in the most significant and profound ways."

Even successful adopters are not inured to the stereotypes.

Sara Stoneham adopted her little girl at the age of 48 but before she went through the process she had assumed that she was too old.

She believes older parents have an enormous amount to offer to some of the UK's most vulnerable kids.

"I just really do want people to know that if you are older you shouldn't stop thinking about the possibility of adoption - that you can adopt.

"There are thousands of children out there that actually need homes and that you might actually have the energy and the life experience that can help those children and I would really love people to know that."

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Several Hurt After Firework Explodes In Crowd

A number of people have been injured after a firework is thought to have exploded in a crowd.

Two adults suffered minor leg and chest injuries and two children were assessed at the scene of the public event in Broadway, Worcester.

It is thought that at least five other people were also hurt but left the area before emergency services arrived.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "Crews responded to a firework incident at a public event in Childswickham Road.

"Two adults presented with minor leg and chest injuries and two children were assessed at the scene.

"It is understood at least five other people received minor injuries but left the scene before the emergency services arrived.

"All the patients were treated at the scene and later released."

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Water Bills: Crackdown On Costs Expected

Water bills may be "rolled back" after the Government vowed to get tough on the rising cost of living.

David Cameron's spokesman indicated that an announcement on water bills would be made next week.

The spokesman said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) would be making the announcement.

He said: "There will be some action next week from Defra with the intention of looking at water bills.

David Cameron says he wants to see household costs cut

"The Prime Minister takes household bills across the piece seriously and wants energy prices to be rolled back and wants various things done, whether it's council tax being frozen, the flex on rail fares being brought down, MoT costs being frozen, these sorts of measures to protect household bills."

He added: "The Prime Minister wants to see household costs across the piece being reduced as low as possible. The intention is to try to reduce the burdens on hard-pressed families."

Mr Cameron "wants regulators to look at the industry they regulate and make sure that they are robust and delivering what they need to deliver for consumers", the spokesman added.

Concerns have been raised that consumers are being ripped off

The move comes after Labour leader Ed Miliband said the market needed to be scrutinised to ensure it was working for consumers.

The soaring cost of living has rocketed up the political agenda since Mr Miliband's pledge to freeze energy prices if his party wins the 2015 General Election.

Mr Cameron, seeking to win back the political initiative on energy policy from Labour, said last week he wanted to "roll back" environmental taxes that bump up energy bills, promising more details in Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement on December 4.

Speaking on Friday at an event for regional newspaper journalists, Mr Miliband said: "I think we should be looking at all markets to make sure they are working properly - and that includes the water industry."

The Western Morning News quoted the Labour leader as saying: "Some people will say this is an anti-business agenda. I think it is a pro-business agenda that you have got to reform markets that are not working properly.

"I think the water industry is something that should be scrutinised to make sure it is working properly, and make sure it is working properly for the benefit of consumers, because I know concerns have been raised.

"I'm proud Labour is championing this agenda and I think it is consistent with believing what a market economy can do, and water is part of that."

Labour's environment secretary Maria Eagle said the party would look to amend existing draft legislation, review the need for tougher regulation, and push for new ways to help reduce bills for low-income households.

MPs are set to consider the reform and infrastructure of the water industry on Tuesday next week after Tory Robert Buckland secured a backbench debate.

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Garden Murders: Daughter, Son-In-Law In Court

The daughter and son-in-law of an elderly couple who went missing from Mansfield have appeared in court charged with their murder.

It follows the discovery of the remains of a man and woman who were found buried in the back garden of a house in Blenheim Close, Forest Town, on October 9 this year.

Police have not yet formally identified the pair, but believe they are William and Patricia Wycherley, who lived at the house in the 1990s.

The couple's daughter, Susan Patricia Edwards, 55, and her husband Christopher John Edwards, 57, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court this morning.

The pair, of no fixed address, but who are believed to have been living outside the UK,  were charged with the murders of Mr and Mrs Wycherley between May 1, 1998 and May 31 of the same year.

They were remanded in custody until a hearing at Nottingham Crown Court on November 4.

Police arrested the pair at St Pancras International railway station in London on Wednesday evening.

Post-mortem examinations on the remains of Mr and Mrs Wycherley revealed that they had died as a result of being shot.

The elderly couple moved to the address in 1987 and, according to neighbours, disappeared in 1998.

Officers said Mrs Wycherley is believed to have been born in Fulham, west London, and would now have been 79. Her husband would have been 100.

Police said bone analysis had shed further light on the remains.

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Pizza Delivery Driver Murder: Two In Court

By Nick Martin, North of England Correspondent

Two people have appeared in court charged with the murder of a pizza delivery driver in Sheffield.

Thavisha Lakindu Peiris had been delivering his last ever pizza when he was stabbed to death in his car in the Southey area of the city on October 27.

Shamraze Khan, 25, of Southey Crescent, Sheffield, and a 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who are accused of killing Mr Peiris both appeared at Sheffield Magistrates' Court.

The pair were remanded in custody until the next hearing at Sheffield Crown Court on November 15.

Mr Peiris was on his final shift before starting his dream job as an IT consultant.

The 25-year-old was found dead in a silver Toyota Yaris car in Southey Crescent at about 10.30pm by fellow Domino's workers who had gone looking for him after he failed to deliver his order.

His family described him as the "most caring and loving son a parent could have".

Speaking from their family home in Sri Lanka, his father Sarath Mahinda Peiris and mother Sudarma Narangoda said: "We sent our son to the UK to study so he can have a better life. Now we are left with only a broken heart.

"We were devastated and shocked to hear of our son's tragic end and we are still unable to comprehend that he is actually gone.

"Thavisha was one of the most caring and loving sons a parent could have. He was full of life and always had a smile on his face. Anyone who met him immediately liked him."

Mr Peiris came to the UK to finish an IT degree and graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in 2011.

His colleagues and police said he had been feeling unwell during his last shift and was going to go home early but agreed to deliver one last order.

Domino's Pizza has said it was funding the cost of flying his family to the UK in the coming days.

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Mandela Movie Star Idris Elba In Hospital

The star of the new Nelson Mandela movie is recovering in hospital after suffering an asthma attack on his way to the film's South African premiere.

Idris Elba, who plays the former president in Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, fell ill on a plane but was taken off the aircraft before it left the UK.

The 41-year-old British actor missed a news conference in Johannesburg but producers hope he will recover in time for a planned red carpet appearance on Sunday.

Elba, who is best known for his role as a detective chief inspector in the hit TV series Luther, stars alongside Skyfall actress Naomie Harris in the forthcoming film.

She plays Mr Mandela's wife Winnie in the movie, which follows the anti-apartheid leader's journey from childhood, through to his imprisonment on Robben Island and his subsequent release and inauguration as South Africa's first democratically-elected leader.

The biopic had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September, at which Elba won praise for his portrayal of Mr Mandela.

Speaking at the festival, the actor said: "I moved to South Africa for about three months prior to shooting, just so that I could understand what South Africa was like ... and to understand the tribes, especially Mr Mandela's.

"The challenges were massive but we embraced them. He had a very difficult life, so we weren't expecting to make an easy film."

Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom is released in the UK on January 3, 2014.

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Dagenham Blaze: Fire Strike Row Over Recall

The president of the Chief Fire Officers Association has described the actions of striking firefighters who walked away from a major blaze in east London as "shameful".

Paul Fuller on Saturday urged them to "reflect" on their behaviour and the impact of their actions on their relations with the public.

"Yesterday I said that I didn't agree with strike action in the fire service, but last evening, firefighters all over this country exercised their right to do that with professionalism and dignity, which is the same dedication and courage they use in support of our communities every day," he told Sky News.

"What we saw a few firefighters do at Dagenham last night when they walked away from an incident in progress I think was shameful, and they should be ashamed of that."

He continued: "I think it just goes against my instincts to have firefighters walking away from an incident in progress.

"I understand their right to strike. All over the country firefighters were on strike, and in London as well, and behaved impeccably and professionally.

There are around 1,500 tonnes of metal alight. Picture: fishycol1/Twitter

"What I did not want to see was firefighters on the television walking away from an incident, and I don't think the fire service would want to associate itself with that sort of behaviour."

All on-duty firefighters due to strike in London on Friday night were recalled to their stations by the London Fire Brigade (LBF) under an agreed and voluntary procedure in the event of a major incident.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the London Fire Brigade clashed over the blaze.

The brigade said it expected striking firefighters to remain at the scene because of the seriousness of the incident, but the union said it was not life-threatening.

London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson said: "There is no reference to risk of life in the agreed protocols to implement a major incident."

Mr Dobson said a major incident could trigger a recall and the agreement was implemented because of the size of the blaze and the resources needed to deal with it.

By not responding to the recall, he said it was the FBU that was in breach of the agreement.

But FBU London Secretary Paul Embery said the recall was not agreed.

Smoke can be seen from miles around. Picture: JSinghLon/Twitter

The London Fire Brigade received 124 emergency 999 calls during the strike, with replacement crews attending 17 incidents in the capital, including the one at Dagenham. 

Black smoke from the site could be seen from miles around, and residents were advised to keep their doors and windows closed.

Police officers and ambulance crews also attended the scene. There are no reported injuries, but several local roads were closed and motorists advised to avoid the area if possible.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said he supported the decision to recall all striking FBU staff.

It came as firefighters in the rest of England and Wales went ahead with the strike in their dispute with the Government over pensions, on what was expected to be one of the busiest days of the year for the service ahead of Bonfire Night and Diwali celebrations.

Members of the FBU walked out at 6.30pm, mounting picket lines outside fire stations until the stoppage ended at 11pm.

A further two-hour strike will be held from 6am on Monday, the day before Bonfire Night.

Fire brigades across the country have urged members of the public to put off any firework displays in their own gardens and to switch it to Saturday, or go to an organised event.

The union held a four-hour stoppage last month but called off another strike after it appeared a deal was in sight, but officials said the Government and fire employers had failed to offer any firm guarantees on jobs or pensions as a result of changing the pension age from 55 to 60.

The union fears firefighters will be made redundant if they fail fitness tests, and are unable to find other work in the fire service.

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Greenpeace Arrests: Kieron Bryan Protest Held

The parents of a British journalist detained in Russia while covering a Greenpeace protest have told Sky News they have endured a "very difficult time".

Andy and Ann Bryan attended a silent demonstration outside the Russian embassy in London demanding the release of their son Kieron, who could face the prospect of years in jail.

The 29-year-old videographer, from Devon, was among 30 people including six Britons who were held when armed Russian officials boarded their vessel, the Arctic Sunrise, in September.

The boat and Greenpeace protesters were seized close to oil company Gazprom's platform in the Pechora Sea and taken to the port of Murmansk.

Mr Bryan pictured at a hearing in Russia

The six Britons, including Mr Bryan, who was documenting the protest, were being investigated for piracy, but were later charged with hooliganism.

The demonstrators are reportedly being moved to St Petersburg.

The journalist's mother and father were joined by journalists and freedom of speech campaigners, many of whom wore stickers across their mouths, as they handed embassy staff a petition signed by 1,400 people in support of his release.

The signatures include hundreds from UK journalists, including national newspaper editors.

Kieron Bryan's parents Ann and Andy

Mrs Bryan said Russia had made its point and called for her son to be released.

"Punishment should fit the crime and for what happened that day I think they've more than served their punishment," she said.

"I just hope that common sense, and a sense of fair play and justice, will come out of this."

She also said her son was in a cell for 23 hours a day and the conditions were "basic" and "tough".

One of the activists at the protest

Mrs Bryan last spoke to her son on the phone two weeks ago and although they have since exchanged emails and letters, these have had to go through translation and approval stages, she said.

"He seemed calm and strong. He was trying to be positive," she said.

"Today we're not so sure because we've heard they are now being moved to St Petersburg, so that's another upheaval for them."

Mr Bryan told Sky News his son's detention had been a "very difficult time" for the family, adding: "Not knowing what the outcome might be obviously makes life very difficult for us."

He said the protest and petition were "vital" and he hoped they would go "some way to getting Kieron home soon".

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