Sochi Paralympics: Jade Etherington Wins Silver

Visually-impaired skier Jade Etherington has won ParalympicsGB's first medal at the Winter Games in Sochi, less than an hour into the event.

She took silver in the women's downhill, clocking a time of one minute 34.28 seconds with the aide of her guide Caroline Powell.

It is Britain's first Paralympic slope medal in 20 years and means the team has already bettered its haul from Vancouver four years ago.

The medal is an early birthday present for the 22-year-old from Lincoln

Etherington and Powell had not even met a year ago, and this was only their third competitive downhill run together.

The pair communicate on the slopes via radio.

There was a worrying moment when Etherington crashed crossing the finish line, but she was soon back on her feet.

Jade Etherington is helped by her guide Caroline Powell

The 22-year-old trainee teacher from Lincoln, who celebrates her birthday on Sunday, said: "I can't believe what's just happened.

"We knew it was it was a solid run because we were shouting 'go, go, go' and we had good, solid communication.

"I'm so proud and excited and I can't wait to get that medal in my hands."

Powell added: "We were really excited today and we knew that being excited rather than nervous usually means we'll have a good run. I'm so proud of Jade and what she's done."

Etherington's teammate Kelly Gallagher, skiing with her guide Charlotte Evans, finished sixth.

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Cressida And Harry Spotted At We Day Event

By Harriet Hadfield, Sky News Reporter

Prince Harry's girlfriend Cressida Bonas has been spotted at one of his official engagements, as he urged young people to help others.

Speaking to 12,000 students from 400 schools at the We Day event at Wembley Arena in London, Prince Harry described voluntary work as the "coolest thing in the world".

He was seen sitting alongside Ms Bonas at the venue, as a host of acts took to the stage.

Prince Harry speaks on stage at the event at London's Wembley Arena

It is thought to be the first time she has attended one of his official appointments.

During his 10-minute speech, Prince Harry said: "The internet is now part of our everyday lives and social media has changed the way we communicate.

"What this means is that our generation, although I am nearly 30, has the greatest opportunity of any in our history to effect change on a global scale."

Cressida Bonas joins friends as she dances in the crowd

Pop stars Ellie Goulding and Jennifer Lawrence both performed as part of the event, which was organised by the charity Free The Children.

Malala Yousafzai, the schoolgirl who was shot by the Taliban in Pakistan in 2012, also appeared on stage.

"Your most powerful tool, your most powerful weapon is your voice," she said.

The We Day format is already popular in the US and Canada, where events have been held since 2007.

Ms Yousafzai told young people their voice is their 'most powerful weapon'

Its goal is to "empower a generation to shift the world from 'me' to 'we', through how we act, how we give, the choices we make".

Entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, who helped organise the event with his daughter Holly, told Sky News: "We are very lucky, everybody wants to get into a position to be able to make a difference and if you get into that position you've got to make a difference so we are very fortunate."

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Blackpool 'Methadone' Toddler: Two Charged

A man and a woman have been charged in connection with the death of a two-year-old girl found to have ingested methadone.

Barry Jones, 41, and Michelle King, 29, have been remanded in custody and are due to appear at Blackpool Magistrates Court today.

They have both been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child by means of an unlawful act contrary to Section 5 of the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004.

An ambulance was called to Jameson Street on Tuesday night

Sophie Jones was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital from a house in Jameson Street, Blackpool, Lancashire, on Tuesday night but later died.

Toxicology tests have confirmed Sophie ingested the synthetic heroin substitute methadone but a post-mortem examination has failed to ascertain the cause of death.

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James Bulger's Mother Suffers Twitter Abuse

The mother of toddler James Bulger has been subjected to vile abuse about her son's murder on Twitter.

Denise Fergus received a series of offensive tweets to her account on Thursday evening.

The messages were written in the form of poetry from an account with the username @SirJVenables, which has since been disabled.

Merseyside Police said it was investigating the offensive tweets.

Twitter users reacted in fury at the offensive messages

On her own Twitter account, Mrs Fergus wrote: "Here we go again, I'm not interested... #TickTock."

But other users of the microblogging site have reacted with fury at the posts.

Gingio wrote: "I hope @MerseyPolice/@metpoliceuk or someone in Police are doing something to find sicko behind @SirJVenables. Vile isn't strong enough."

James Bulger was murdered in February 1993

FlutterbyLpool added: "Sure somebody from @MerseyPolice will be investigating this sick individual. Words fail me. @SirJVenables."

James Bulger was just two years old when he was abducted from the Strand shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993.

Then schoolboys Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were convicted of his murder and given life sentences in November 1993.

The account from which the messages were sent has been disabled

In June 2001, they were both released and given new identities.

Venables was jailed again in 2010 for downloading images of child abuse.

He was given a second new identity and released last year.

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Derry Letter Bomb 'Addressed To Prison'

A letter bomb intercepted at a postal sorting office in Northern Ireland was addressed to a prison, Sky News sources understand.

The device, which was found in Londonderry and described by police as "viable", is believed to have been posted to Maghaberry Prison in Lisburn.

It was contained within a white A4 envelope, on which the address had been written in grey ink using a stencil.

Another suspicious package found at a sorting office in Lisburn is also thought to have been addressed to Maghaberry Prison.

A bomb disposal robot was seen outside the building, which was cordoned off by police.

In a joint statement, First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said they "utterly condemn" the devices.

"The people behind these letter bombs are opposed to the democratic will of the people and want to drag us back to the past," they added.

The discovery of the devices comes less than a month after explosive packages were posted to seven Army careers offices in England.

A group calling itself the IRA claimed responsibility for the packets, which were found in Oxford, Brighton, Canterbury, Slough, Aldershot, Reading and Chatham.

A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland advised members of the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious packages.

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Elena Baltacha Diagnosed With Liver Cancer

Former British tennis number one Elena Baltacha has revealed she has been diagnosed with cancer of the liver.

In a statement posted on Twitter, she said: "I have recently been diagnosed with cancer of the liver. I'm currently undergoing treatment and fighting this illness with everything I have."

The statement added that Baltacha and her husband Nino thanked everyone for their support.

Baltacha broke into the world top 50 in 2010, and has enjoyed victories over a number of top players including Li Na and Francesca Schiavone.

Elena and her husband Nino Severino thanked everyone for their support

The 30-year-old reached the third round of the Australian Open on two occasions as well as the same stage of Wimbledon, in 2002, and was also a regular in Britain's Fed Cup team.

But having struggled for form and fitness in recent years, she retired last year  to open a tennis academy.

Judy Murray, Captain of the Aegon GB Fed Cup Team said: "Obviously this is a tough time for Bally, Nino and her family but she is a such a determined, upbeat person and everyone around her is staying positive as well.

"I know she'll be really grateful for all the support that she's getting." 

How she broke the news on Twitter

Baltacha was diagnosed at the age of 19 with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic liver condition which compromises the immune system.

Andrew Langford, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said: "The chances are she will have known for a while that she was at risk of liver cancer because of her PSC.

"It's a genetic illness that infects your bile duct. You get a back flow of bile into your liver and that causes scarring in your liver. As the liver is more scarred it will be so damaged that you will have cirrhosis.

"I would imagine she will have a range of treatments. It will be a very difficult time for her and it may be that she eventually needs to have a liver transplant."

Messages of support for the Lithuania-born star swiftly appeared on social media with British Tennis (@BritishTennis) tweeting: We are all behind you Elena, and we send you our best wishes.

Former leading British player Andrew Castle (@AndrewCastle63) said: Passing on love and best wishes to Elena Baltacha for a speedy recovery. Shocked by this news. 

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Counter-Terror Cop Moved After Lawrence Report

Police counter-terrorism Commander Richard Walton has been temporarily removed from his post following after a report into the original Stephen Lawrence murder investigation.

The Ellison report revealed an undercover officer, known only as N81, had been planted among supporters of the Lawrence family at the time of the Macpherson inquiry into racism in the Metropolitan Police.

In 1988, Mr Walton, who was then an acting detective inspector working on Scotland Yard's Lawrence review team, responsible for making submissions to the judicial inquiry, met N81, the report found.

Sir Paul Condon was Met Police Commissioner from 1993 to 2000

The "spy in the camp" fed back information about the Lawrence family to the upper levels of the Metropolitan Police, the report by the barrister Mark Ellison QC concluded.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said the Ellison report has made "a fairly serious allegation" against Mr Walton "and I stress it is an allegation".

"He is in a very sensitive post, it's vital that we maintain trust and confidence, so we thought it was wise both for him and for public confidence that he work in a different role and allow him to defend himself," he said.

"I think we all need to be careful not to leap to judgment."

Stephen Lawrence wanted to be an architect

He added that he would appoint an independent investigator to search Scotland Yard archives to find any available evidence for the public inquiry the Home Secretary has called into undercover policing.

Commander Walton will now be moved from SO15 to a non-operational role, Scotland Yard said.

Commander Walton said: "I welcome any scrutiny of my role in these events over more than 16 years ago, including in the forthcoming public inquiry."

Earlier, former Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Condon has said he did not know about the undercover officer.

Lord Condon said that he had neither authorised nor encouraged an officer to be used to get information about the parents of the murdered London teenager.

In a statement, Lord Condon, who was commissioner of the force at the time of Mr Lawrence's murder in 1993, added that he did not even know it had been done.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe

"I confirm and restate the comments I made in the House of Lords last month. That at no stage did I ever authorise, or encourage, or know about any action by any undercover officer in relation to Mr and Mrs Lawrence or their friends or supporters or the Macpherson Inquiry hearings," he said.

"Had I known I would have stopped this action immediately as inappropriate."

The publication of the report triggered a full public inquiry into the actions of the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), a now-defunct wing of special branch, amid fears some convictions may be unsafe as a result of their unorthodox work.

The Macpherson Report, which was published in 1998, concluded the police investigation into the murder of the 18-year-old at a bus stop in south London was hampered by institutionalised racism within the Met.

Speaking during a visit to Bedford on Friday, David Cameron said the revelations in the report had been "shocking" and said he agreed with the Home Secretary that there should be a full independent inquiry.

He said: "It should not have taken this long and the Lawrence family have suffered far too much.

"But this will get to the truth and will help us to make sure that we have the very best in terms of British policing which is what this country deserves."

David Norris and Gary Dobson were finally convicted of and jailed for Mr Lawrence's murder in 2012.

The teenager's mother, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, described the report as the "final nail in the coffin".

She said: "You can't trust them. Still to this day. Trust and confidence in the Met is going to go right down.

"People look at the Met Police as a good example of what everyone else should be doing across the world. Once this goes out now ... they can't be trusted."

Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) chair Dame Anne Owers said she had apologised to the Lawrences for the police watchdog's part in prolonging the "family's search for the truth".

She said the report made it clear the 2006 IPCC investigation was "wrong" to conclude there was no evidence to suggest Scotland Yard withheld information in relation to corruption.

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Driver Who Took Baby On 100mph Chase Is Jailed

A banned driver who drove a stolen car at 100mph on icy roads with his pregnant girlfriend and a baby in the back seat has been jailed for 22 months.

Ashton Dellamonica, 21, took police on an 11-mile chase on Christmas Day last year after he was spotted by officers in an unmarked car in Nottingham.

He avoided a police stinger operation on the A610 to burst the vehicle's tyres before continuing on at speeds in excess of 100mph.

A police helicopter filmed Dellamonica driving through six sets of red lights before he crashed the stolen Audi in The Meadows area of the city.

Police then continued to chase him on foot.

Dellamonica went through six sets of red lights during the chase

He was arrested after police found him hiding under a parked car in a residential street.

Detective Constable Emma Pollard, of Radford Road CID, said: "Officers involved said they had not seen such dangerous driving in years of policing.

"Anyone seeing the footage of his driving will be shocked that no one was seriously hurt by such wilful and dangerous behaviour.

"Claiming he was concerned about a small amount of cannabis on his person, he chose to risk the life of his unborn child, his girlfriend, brother and baby, by driving at speeds of more than 100mph in icy and wet conditions.

"I am pleased with the sentencing and I hope it sends out a message that we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour in our communities."

Earlier this week, Dellamonica pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and having no insurance.

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Clare's Law Rolled Out To Expose Abusers

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

New measures to protect victims of domestic abuse come into effect today.

Clare's Law, which enables people to check the police records of partners, has been launched across England and Wales after being piloted by four police forces.

The father of murder victim Clare Wood, whose name has been given to the scheme, has welcomed its introduction, describing it as "a bittersweet moment".

Clare's killer George Appleton

Michael Brown discovered five years ago that his daughter had been raped and strangled at her Salford home by ex-boyfriend George Appleton, who set fire to her body before going on the run. He was found hanged several days later.

Appleton, who Clare met on Facebook, had a history of violence against women, including knife-point kidnapping.

Mr Brown told Sky News: "When you lose a family member in these circumstances it is always with you. To realise that the last moments of your daughter's life were kicking and screaming in a room in Salford sticks with you."

The 70-year-old said Clare's Law was "not a panacea for domestic violence" but added: "If it can help others - just one - I and all the other campaigners will have succeeded. 

"This is just another piece of armour plate for people to put on when they are in trouble."

The launch coincides with International Women's Day and also marks the introduction of Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs), which are designed to provide support for victims in the immediate aftermath of violent incidents.

Michael Brown has fought for a new law to help women like his daughter

DVPOs can last for up to 28 days, during which time a perpetrator can be prevented from having contact with the victim.

Speaking about Clare's Law, Home Secretary Theresa May said: "What we saw from the pilots was a real benefit for women who were able to go to the police where they had suspicions about the behaviour of their partner.

"As a result of that, they were able to make a decision about whether to stay with that partner or to leave."

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TV Licence Dodgers May Not Be Prosecuted

Pressure Grows Over TV Licence Prosecutions

Updated: 1:18pm UK, Saturday 08 March 2014

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

What crime led to 180,000 people being hauled in front of magistrates in 2012, resulted in 70 prison sentences and accounted for one in nine of all cases heard by the courts?

OK, OK, I know you've read the news story and realise the answer is failure to pay a television licence fee.

Magistrates have long objected to being asked to deliver criminal records to these offenders, who tend to be poor, are often older and about two-thirds of whom are women.

They think it is an over-reaction and a waste of court time.

Instead, they want to divert cases to the civil system, along with parking offences or failure to pay your gas bill.

So could their argument be gathering steam in Parliament?

An amendment calling for the change by Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen is gathering support from across the political divide with a variety of motivations.

Some object to the "poll tax" nature of the fee - a £145.50 levy on the rich and poor is clearly regressive.

Others feel that criminal sanctions including prison are simply not the right response, particularly given the vulnerability of those it affects.

Then there is the idea of easing pressure on courts and prisons appeals across the political system.

And finally, there are those who simply detest the BBC.

The corporation itself would be uneasy about the change because of fears it would reduce the incentive to pay.

Even a 1% rise in evasion would cost £35m, which the Beeb tells us is equivalent to 10 local radio stations (or, to put a different spin on it, 11 Jeremy Clarksons).

What is notable about this story is that Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, has called Mr Bridgen's intervention "really interesting".

He says Maria Miller, the Culture Secretary, agrees and both departments will be doing some "serious work on the proposal".

In reality, any such change would be discussed as part of BBC Charter renewal.

The next round is due to be completed by the end of 2016, with talks starting around 18 months beforehand.

That means the middle of next year - probably not until after the General Election.

The magistrates, it seems, will have to wait.

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