Housing Shortage Sees More Tenants Evicted

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Increasing numbers of private tenants are being evicted or exploited by landlords cashing in on the increase in house prices and the shortage of rented accommodation, according to latest figures.

Citizens Advice (CAB) saw a 38% rise in the number of people turning to the charity for help with eviction notices served on them, despite being up to date with their rent.

CAB recorded 5,000 cases across the country in 2013/2014 where tenants complained about being forced from their homes, even though they were not in arrears. That figure is up from 3,750 the previous year.

Problems in London and the South East are particularly acute, the charity said, where many house prices are the highest in the country.

Private tenant Ryan Herran told Sky News he was being forced from his Muswell Hill home of five years, because he complained about damp and mould in the property and demanded his landlord fix the problem.

After months of wrangling with the owner, he was eventually served with a section 21 eviction order.

"I was actually in shock for a couple of days because I've always been a good tenant and always paid my rent and never engaged in anti-social behaviour," he said.

"I did ring up the property management company and they told me they don't have to give a reason under the section 21 eviction notice. They said they felt they were doing me a favour by at least giving me two months notice."

Mr Herran believes his eviction is motivated by spite and certainty on the part of the landlord that he would easily be able to find another tenant.

The number of tenants seeking help over eviction has nearly doubled

Roger Harding from the homelessness charity Shelter said: "Sadly landlords can evict for no reason, even if you've been keeping up with the rent. 

"We've found many worrying examples where landlords have evicted people simply because they don't want to have to deal with repair issues and that's something we want to see outlawed."

During January to March 2014 house prices rose by 18% in London and 10% in the South East, compared to the same period the previous year.

CAB's figures reveal those rises were mirrored by an increase in private tenants reporting they had been served with eviction notices, despite being up to date with their rent.

The charity said the number of tenants in London and the South East seeking help over eviction notices between January and March 2014 was 900, compared with 400 over the first quarter of the year before.

Landlord Richard Blanco rents out properties across six London boroughs and is also a member of National Landlords Association. He said private landlords are often unfairly maligned.

"There's a small minority of rogue landlords who might try and increase rents but really the most sensible business model for landlords is to maintain the property well and to have a good relationship with tenants and to try to ensure tenants stay as long as possible," he said.

Mr Blanco said, contrary to widespread belief, more than three quarters of private tenants have not faced an increase in rents over the past 12 months.

The Government is in the process of introducing new legislation which it hopes will strengthen the rights of private tenants and help protect them from exploitation, or unjustified eviction.

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Dave Lee Travis To Face Trial On Sex Charges

Former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis will stand trial for two counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault.

The 69-year-old was acquitted of 12 counts of indecent assault earlier this year but jurors were unable to reach verdicts on another charge of indecent assault dating back to the early 1990s and one of sexual assault in mid to late 2008.

He will appear at Southwark Crown Court on September 1 for a retrial on those two charges as well as an additional count of indecent assault.

Travis arrived at court wearing a pastel grey jacket and turquoise tie to formally plead not guilty to the third count, which relates to a woman aged over 16 and allegedly took place on January 17, 1995.

The former BBC presenter is charged under his real name of David Griffin.

Speaking outside court, Travis said he was "okay" and "not about to top myself", but added the charges had caused stress to his wife Marianne in a period after she had suffered from breast cancer.

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Child-Rape Trial Halted After Judge 'Fell Asleep'

The trial of a man accused of raping a child was halted because a judge fell asleep, it has been claimed.

An investigation has been launched into the allegations that Recorder Philip Cattan nodded off as a young alleged victim gave evidence via video-link.

The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office confirmed it is looking at what happened at the trial of John Quigley at Manchester Crown Court.

After the allegation was made, the judge stopped the trial and it will now be relisted.

A spokesman for the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said: "The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office is aware of the allegation that Recorder Philip Cattan fell asleep during a trial at Manchester Crown Court.

"The matter is being considered in accordance with the Judicial Conduct (Judicial and other office holders) Rules 2013."

In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service said: "The jury has been discharged in the trial of R v John Quigley at Manchester Crown Court following an issue that arose at court during the cross examination of the first complainant in the case.

"The trial will be relisted as soon as possible. The complainants and other witnesses have been kept informed."

Sky News North of England Correspondent Nick Martin said the incident was pointed out by barristers in court working on the trial, which had cost around £10,000 by the time it was halted.

Quigley, 49, of Avon Road, Burnage, Manchester, denies a number of sex offences including raping a child under 13.

Philip Cattan is a practising barrister in the Manchester area as well as a recorder, which is a part-time judge. He belongs to the St Johns Buildings Chambers in the city.

When Judge Gabriel Hutton was found to have nodded off during a rape trial at Gloucester Crown Court in 2002, causing it to be abandoned, he was disciplined.

Mr Cattan will not be commenting, the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said.

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Prisoners Riot At Nottinghamshire Jail

A riot involving between 60 and 70 prisoners is under way at HMP Ranby in Nottinghamshire.

Negotiators and reinforcements have been brought to the jail after the prisoners lit a fire and took control of a section of the prison. 

The riot began around midday when prisoners refused to return to their cells after lunch. Nobody has been injured.

More follows...

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Jayden Parkinson's Killer Jailed For Life

A man who strangled his pregnant ex-girlfriend to death and buried her in his uncle's grave has been jailed for life.

Ben Blakeley will serve a minimum of 20 years for the murder of Jayden Parkinson on December 3 last year.

He killed the 17-year-old a day after she told him she was going to have his baby, later burying her body in a cemetery in Didcot, Oxfordshire.

Blakeley, who denied murder but admitted manslaughter, was found guilty by a jury at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday.

They reached a majority 11-1 verdict on the 22-year-old after more than 12 hours of deliberation.

Blakeley, a former dustman from Reading, Berkshire, was described in court as obsessive and controlling, having threatened to post naked videos and photographs of Jayden on Facebook after the couple broke up.

He had hoped she would kill herself as a consequence.

Judge Patrick Eccles QC said Blakeley had spun a "web of lies" to cover up what he had done, adding: "It required a heart of stone to keep up that pretence and a heart of stone to deal with her body in the way that you did."

In a statement, Jayden's family said: "We will never be able to find an ounce of forgiveness for the evil that murdered Jayden and then concealed her body in such a cold, calculated and callous manner.

"Despite today's sentencing of Blakeley, our nightmare will never end.

"We can never erase from our minds the pain that was inflicted on Jayden, nor can we erase the image of Jayden's battered and bruised body.

"We will never be able to celebrate birthdays, Easter or Christmas with Jayden, and we will never get to see Jayden grow up, get married and have children.

"This is our life sentence - it's now time for Blakeley to start his."

The jury of six men and six women were dismissed after failing to reach a verdict on whether Blakeley's brother Jake prevented Jayden's lawful burial.

The 17-year-old, of Didcot, admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice by helping to dig the grave in which Jayden was buried.

He is due to be sentenced on August 22.

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Mother Admits Beating Mikaeel Kular To Death

Mikaeel Kular's mother has pleaded guilty to killing her three-year-old son, who she subjected to repeated assaults.

Rosdeep Adekoya had been accused of murder but admitted a reduced charge of culpable homicide at the High Court in Edinburgh.

She confessed to wrapping Mikaeel's body in a duvet cover, putting it in a suitcase and driving to Dunvegan Avenue in Kirkcaldy, where she hid the case under a bush in woodland behind a house.

The death of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular touched the community

Mikaeel's disappearance from his Edinburgh home in January sparked a huge search involving police officers, firefighters, mountain rescue teams and the coastguard, as well as members of the public.

His body was eventually found 25 miles away in woodland in Kirkcaldy, Fife.

Adekoya's internet searches included "Get rid of bruises"

Adekoya had called 999 to report her son missing to police, telling officers he got out of bed and climbed on a stool to unlock the front door of his home.

But in court she admitted to beating her son to death, repeatedly punching him and causing his body to hit against a hard object or inflicting blunt injuries on his head and body between January 12 and 15.

She also pleaded guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice by pretending to police he had gone missing.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice told the court: "The basis for the plea tendered being accepted is that the Crown accepts that the accused had no intention to kill Mikaeel and that the assault perpetrated upon him, although severe, fell short of the wicked recklessness required for murder."

Explaining the charge of culpable homicide, Sky's James Matthews, at the High Court in Edinburgh, said: "Basically she beat up her son causing his death but she didn't mean to kill him, and that's been accepted by the prosecution authorities."

The toddler's body was found in woodland behind a property in Kirkcaldy

He said after killing Mikaeel, Adekoya had done the school-run taking her four other children to school before continuing on to dump his body behind a property where her sister was staying.

"Her concocted story unravelled under questioning by police, and it was when they spotted inconsistencies in her story that she broke down and told them where Mikaeel's body was," Matthews added.

The car used by Adekoya to dump Mikaeel's body after the school-run

Adekoya's internet history showed searches including "I find it hard to love my son", "I love all of my children except one", "Why am I so aggressive with my son" and "Get rid of bruises".

The court heard Mikaeel died on the night of Tuesday, January 14, from injuries inflicted the previous Sunday.

Hundreds of members of the public joined the search for the youngster

His mother "lost her temper" when he was repeatedly sick following a trip to a Nando's restaurant at the city's Fountain Park.

Mikaeel had more than 40 separate injuries to his body, including bruises to his back, chin and cheek, trauma to the brain, haemorrhage in the spinal cord and injuries to his arms.

Mr Prentice said: "If medical assistance had been called for, death might not have resulted."

Sentence was deferred until August 25 at the High Court in Edinburgh.

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Govt 'Out Of Touch' On Term-Time Holiday Ban

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

New rules banning holidays during school term time are penalising families who have no choice but to take their children out of school, some parents have told Sky News.

Maxine Ingrouille-Kidd, whose son Curtis is severely disabled, said she was threatened with a fine when she asked for permission to take her son on a cruise during term time because it was the only time accessible cabins were available.

"A cruise is a good sensory experience for Curtis ... and it is important for us to have family time together," she said.

"We did try to go at half term and they didn't have an accessible cabin.

"We're really limited by what Curtis needs.

"We didn't think (the school) would refuse us because he has a life-limiting condition and we thought they would appreciate that it was important for Curtis to be with us.

"Despite having up to 40 seizures a day, he's actually quite healthy and has had very few absences."

Curtis, who is quadriplegic, epileptic, blind and has cerebral palsy, was refused permission by his school in Somerset under new rules which came into force last September.

Under the rules, headteachers can only grant permission for term time leave in "exceptional circumstances" - a discretion some parents claim is not being used properly.

Stewart Sutherland, who says he has been unable to take a family holiday for five years because of his job, was prosecuted and fined £996 after he pleaded guilty to taking his three children to Greece on a holiday booked prior to the new rules being introduced.

"The Government is out of touch with society when it introduced these rules," said Mr Sutherland.

"The country does not come to a standstill when the kids are on holiday - there's always someone who is still working."

"Family time is sometimes just as important as schooling," he added.

The Government said the new rules are fair and have reduced the number of pupils regularly missing school by 130,000.

"We have been clear that all headteachers are free to grant pupils leave in exceptional circumstances," a spokesman for the Department for Education said.

"It is up to headteachers to decide whether to grant time off and how much time to grant.

"We are also giving schools the flexibility to set their own term times so they can change dates to ones that work for their pupils and families.

"Parents can urge schools to make use of this new freedom."

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Jellyfish Invade Cornwall - But Don't Panic!

By Richard Suchet, Sky News Reporter

Tourism bosses are trying to reassure holidaymakers that a huge surge in the number of jellyfish off the coast of Cornwall poses no danger.

Every summer the waters around the South West of England are a thriving area for marine life.

But this year the warm currents have brought with them swarms of jellyfish; in particular the harmless Barrel jellyfish, which can measure up to one metre in diameter.

The Barrel is usually found further up the western coastline; Wales, Northern England, and Scotland.

There are concerns that people could be put off from visiting Cornish beaches.

Tens of thousands of tourists are due to visit Cornish beaches this summer

Malcolm Bell from Visit Cornwall told Sky News: "It's no different really to rock pooling - you keep your eyes open for the crabs and everything else.

"It's part of the habitat, it's part of the fun thing about having a British beach holiday."

According to data collected by the public and submitted to the Marine Conservation Society, there were 1,133 sightings of jellyfish last year - a "sighting" can mean anything from a single creature to an entire bay full of jellyfish.

By mid-July of this year there were already more than 500 sightings and that number will increase significantly as the summer months go on.

Scientists at the University of Exeter who are examining the data say the number of reported jellyfish is dramatically higher than when the study began nine years ago.

The Moon jellyfish is the most common species

There is no trend in the number of sightings reported by the public and therefore no suggestion that climate change might be a factor in this year's bloom.

Most common is the Moon jellyfish, which makes up 29% of the entire population. They are generally small, translucent, and have a very mild sting.

There have been sightings of the infamous Portuguese Man O'War, which carries a nasty sting although they are far more rare.

Conservationist Patrick Maher from Dive Newquay said: "The important thing to remember with jellyfish is that they can continue to sting even after they have been washed up on the beach and are dead.

"Don't poke them, don't pick them up - avoid them and allow the authorities to remove them, seek medical advice if you get stung by one, but we are very lucky in Cornwall to have these types of species in our waters."

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Air Algerie: Briton Among Plane Crash Victims

A British man who died on an Air Algerie flight which crashed in northern Mali has been named as David Morgan.

He was among 118 people, including 54 French nationals, killed when flight AH5017 came down in the remote Gossi region, close to the border with Burkina Faso on Thursday.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali has said its experts have found the plane's second black box as investigators try to establish what happened to the jet which encountered bad weather.

A 10-year-old girl perished along with her entire family in the tragedy

The first photos have emerged of the crash site. Debris from the plane, which was flying from  Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to Algiers, Algeria, could be seen scattered over an area of desert south of Gao.

Burnt-out wreckage and parts of the fuselage could be made out against the charred sand.

A statement from the Foreign Office said: "It is with deep regret that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirms the death of a British man onboard Air Algerie flight AH5017.

Flight AH5017 had been heading to Algiers when it crashed in southern Mali

"We are providing consular support to his family at this tragic time, and we ask that the media respect the privacy of those grieving."

Meanwhile, a 10-year-old French girl is reported to have spoken of her fears before the flight.

The girl, called Chloe, perished in the tragedy along with her parents, Bruno Cailleret and Caroline Boisnard, as well as her elder brother and grandmother.

French President Francois Hollande said no one survived the crash

The loss of the entire family in the disaster has left the small town of Menet in central France "devastated", according to Denise Labbe of the town hall.

The five had been returning from a trip to Burkina Faso, where Ms Boisnard's uncle lived.

They had been due to land in the southern city of Marseille after flying via Algiers, which is where the doomed aircraft was heading.

The plane was owned by Spanish private airline Swiftair and operated by Air Algerie.

It vanished from radar over West Africa and no one survived the crash, French President Francois Hollande said.

Ms Labbe said: "Everyone is devastated in the town. We all know the family, who live in front of the town hall.

"No one can quite believe it. It's like having a bad dream."

Chloe had been excited about the trip to Burkina Faso, she said, adding: "She had confided in her teacher before leaving about her fear of taking the plane, which she was doing for the first time".

Ms Boisnard's brother had gone to meet them at the airport and became aware of the tragedy when the family failed to appear at the arrivals gate.

A family of 10, including four children, from the Rhone-Alpes region of France were also killed in the crash.

The number of people killed was increased from 116 to 118 after the final passenger manifest was released.

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Female Navy Commander Faces Affair Claims

The first woman commander of a major Royal Navy battleship has been asked to leave her ship while an investigation is carried out into claims she had an affair with a shipmate.

Commander Sarah West, 42, had been in charge on board HMS Portland, a Type 23 frigate, since May 2012.

Her second-in-command is now in charge of running the vessel while the inquiry takes place, but Cdr West is still officially the Commanding Officer.

The Armed Forces' Code of Social Conduct governs personal relationships within the military and the investigation will look at whether it was breached.

Any Armed Forces member found to have fallen short of its high standards could face a formal warning, reassignment and even termination of service.

Cdr West commands HMS Portland

A Royal Navy spokesman said: "We are aware of an allegation of a breach of the code of social conduct on board HMS Portland, which we are treating seriously.

"Anyone who is found to fall short of the Royal Navy's high standards can expect to face appropriate action. It would be inappropriate to comment further."

Cdr West became the first female commander of a frontline warship in the 500-year history of the service.

Cdr West was the first female commander of a major Royal Navy warship

She told the Daily Mirror newspaper earlier this year that work commitments made it difficult to have a relationship.

She said: "I'm really proud to be the first woman but I'm not reinventing the wheel. Lots of women in the services have challenging roles.

"It's just that I happen to be newsworthy at the moment. There are drawbacks though.

"Years at sea probably explains why I'm single. But every person in the military makes sacrifices."

When Cdr West was made a Commanding Officer she described it as the greatest achievement of her career.

She said: "Taking command of HMS Portland is definitely the highlight of my 16 years in the Royal Navy so far.

"It is a challenge that I am fully trained for and ready to undertake.

"I am very proud to be taking command of a Type 23 frigate, which is an extremely flexible warship, and I'm looking forward to taking HMS Portland on operations with a professional and focused team."

Cdr West has left the ship while the inquiry takes place

HMS Portland, which has a crew of 185, has been on a seven-month deployment around the coasts of Europe, Africa, and South and North America.

The ship's most recently known position, according to a marine positioning website, was the port of San Juan, in Puerto Rico, on July 19.

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