High Street Failing Disabled, Report Says

One in five high street stores has no disabled access, according to a government-backed audit of more than 30,000 businesses.

A study by DisabledGo also showed a third of department stores did not have an accessible toilet and only 15% of retailers had hearing loops for the partially deaf.

Researchers visited and assessed 27,000 high street shops and 3,716 restaurants in an audit backed by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Among other findings were that two in five food outlets had no accessible toilet, only 23% had menus in large print for the visually impaired and only 9% hearing loops.

Just 57 eateries, 14% of the total, listed information on accessibility on their website.

Lack of training for staff to help cater for disabled people was another shortcoming.

DisabledGo did not name any of the retail or restaurant chains visited.

Disabled minister Mark Harper: 'Industry must do better'

Chairman Barry Stevenson said: "We are pleased that many retailers have invested significantly in improved accessibility in the last 10 years, but the majority are still not doing enough.

"It's entirely unacceptable for disabled people, their family, friends and carers not to be able to access all high street shops and facilities.

Video: Revealed: Attitudes To The Disabled

"Disabled people are not asking the earth - just that management do what's reasonable and think more about how they can help disabled customers better."

He added: "It doesn't need to cost a fortune to do the right thing - and it could be the deciding factor for disabled customers between you and a competitor."

The study estimated disabled people could spend up to £200bn this Christmas.

Minister for disabled people Mark Harper said: "Everyone deserves to be able to go Christmas shopping or enjoy a festive meal or drink with their friends or colleagues. Disabled people are no exception.

"I'm calling on the retail and hospitality industry to look at what more they can do to better cater for disabled people."

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Cash Machine Blown Out Of Wall By Raiders

Masked men have used a gas canister in an attempt to blow a bank cash machine out of the wall.

Staff at an Asda store in Astley Bridge, Bolton, heard a loud bang and witnessed four men getting into an Audi estate and making their escape, just after 4.20am on Saturday morning.

They went to investigate and saw the cash machine was left hanging from the wall of the store in Hill View Road.

The wreckage was photographed by a passer-by, showing wires and components within the wall cavity.

Police found the men used a gas canister to blow the ATM out of the wall but failed to take it away from the scene,

It is not known how much money the machine contained at the time.

A number of nearby flats were evacuated while detectives examined the canister left at the scene.

The cordon was later lifted and people allowed to return to their homes.

CCTV footage showed the four suspects, who were all wearing face coverings or balaclavas, driving off in a blue Audi A4 estate with the registration plate AV62 BBZ.

It is believed they fled in the direction of Mossbank Way.

Police want to hear from anyone who has seen this car or saw anyone acting suspiciously in the area.

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

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Stag Do Disappearance: Hunt For British Man

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

The family and friends of a British man who went missing on a stag weekend in Prague have promised to keep searching the streets of the Czech capital until they get news "good or bad".

Builder Karl Law, 35, vanished after getting separated from his friends on a pub crawl three weeks ago.

There have been several potential sightings of him, but none confirmed and he has not contacted anyone who knows him.

His brother Craig Law, 30, said: "No news is good news, so we are thinking positively. We don't want to think of the worst and believe that Karl is alive and out there somewhere.

"Some of us will stay here for as long as it takes to get the answer to what has happened to Karl, good or bad."

A small rotating group of family and friends from Fareham, Hampshire, are taking turns to fly to Prague, travelling around the city and putting up thousands of posters with Karl's photograph and numbers to call for anyone who spots him.

Karl's employer is still paying some of his wages and friends are rallying round to fund the appeal campaign.

Video: Pain Of Missing Man's Fiancee

The last person to see Karl was his cousin Steve Stock, wandering near Maxim's bar close to the centre of Prague's lively old town.

"We had split into two groups and I thought he was going off to another club or to get something to eat. Of course, we had all been drinking, but it was our second night and everybody seemed fine."

Sky News joined Karl's family and friends as they travelled the length of one metro line, hopping on and off at each station to stick up posters.

The next day they handed out more appeal notices among tourists in the packed Christmas market.

Video: How Dangerous Is Prague?

They also visited several homeless people living in makeshift shelters along the banks of the Vltava River.

Craig said: "It could be he has had an accident or banged his head somewhere and got disorientated. He could be confused and be sleeping rough."

The group has also been making regular checks at hospitals and homeless shelters.

On the night he disappeared Karl did not have his mobile phone or passport with him.

Video: Interview: Missing Man's Family

The searchers believe he is still in Prague, a feeling fuelled by possible sightings of him in a cafe, getting off a number 14 tram, or even walking close to Maxim's.

Prague police said they were doing all they could to find him, but released a statement suggesting his family had not disclosed that he had "consumed both alcohol and narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances extensively during the few days before he disappeared".

Anyone who sees Karl Law or knows his whereabouts is urged to call police or his family on +44 7584 035036 or +44 7807 759981.

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Newborn Buried Alive By Mentally Ill Mother

A mentally ill woman who lived rough in a London graveyard has admitted burying her newborn baby alive.

The crime was discovered when the baby's body parts, which had been dug up and carried by a fox, were found by a worker in a tractor yard in south-west London.

Latvian Elita Amantova, 39, told the Old Bailey she was living off berries and bread left out for birds before she gave birth to the child in 2012.

She had been diagnosed with a schizophrenia-like mental condition in Latvia in her thirties that had been made worse by childbirth.

Amantova pleaded guilty to infanticide and has been sentenced to a hospital order. The judge said that she would probably need lifelong treatment and care.

The court heard that on 10 September 2012, a worker found a baby's decaying leg and foot on the ground at the tractor yard next to Tooting Common.

Prosecutor Zoe Johnson QC said: "The leg was infested with maggots. In a search, another limb was found, the thigh and calf had been eaten through exposing bone.

"Later, a fox expert was called to the yard and discovered a fox entrance. A fox is likely to have found those body parts on Tooting Common and brought the parts into the yard."

Police sealed off areas on Tooting Common after the remains were found

Ms Johnson said that Amantova had an "appalling experience" after coming to the UK around 2008. She lost her job and was made to work as a prostitute by criminals in Norfolk.

She ran away to London in August 2012 and, while heavily pregnant, slept on gravestones and survived on food left for birds. She also wore a blonde wig at this time.

A member of the public alerted police but she refused help to move into suitable accommodation. Officers decided there was nothing more they could do. DNA tests identified Amantova as the baby's mother.

On 17 September 2012 she was found sitting on her haunches outside a supermarket saying it was a "nice day". She was arrested but not interviewed for five months because of her mental state.

She told police that she had given birth without assistance in August 2012. She said she had buried the baby on the same day in a park but initially refused to confirm whether it was alive or dead at the time.

In an interview in April 2013 she admitted to a doctor that the child had been alive and she was charged with murder.

However, at the hearing she pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted infanticide and this was accepted by the prosecution.

Amantova said she thought she knew who the baby's father was but had no contact with him and he was unaware of all the events.

Judge Paul Worsley QC said that infanticide was a "rare offence".

He continued: "The court must always mark the serious fact a life has been taken" but said that a hospital order was appropriate in this case.

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Families 'Confident' In Thai Murder Inquiry

The families of two young Britons murdered in Thailand say they are "confident" in the work being carried out to solve the "atrocious crimes".

Students David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge, from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, were found dead on a beach on the holiday island of Ko Tao in September.

Two Burmese bar workers are accused of the murders, but claim they were tortured by the Thai police to secure a confession.

The two Burmese suspects claim their confessions were made under torture

Amnesty International has called for an investigation into the allegations.

The families of Mr Miller and Ms Witheridge have issued statements thanking Metropolitan Police detectives for reviewing the case, and calling for the investigation to be allowed to take its course.

Video: Charges Over Thailand Beach Murders

Ms Witheridge's family said: "We would like to thank the officers who travelled to Thailand to review the case and the Royal Thai Police for facilitating their visit."

They added: "We would like to stress that as a family we are confident in the work that has been carried out into these atrocious crimes and want to remind both press and public that they do not have the full facts to report and make comment on at this stage.

"Our thoughts, as always, are with the Miller family. Together we stand united and focused on seeing a fair and transparent trial process to bring about justice for our beautiful children."

Video: Parents Visit Thai Murder Suspects

Mr Miller's family said: "We would like to express our relief that progress is being made in Thailand and this case is finally coming to court.

"We would like to reiterate our gratitude to the UK Metropolitan Police, who received the co-operation of the Royal Thai Police in undertaking an independent review into the investigation."

And while "support for the Myanmar suspects has been strong and vocal" they urged the public not to "jump to conclusions" and said the "suspects have a difficult case to answer".

Video: Oct 3: Thai Murder Suspects Paraded

They added: "The evidence against them appears to be powerful and convincing. They must respond to these charges, and their arguments must be considered with the same scrutiny as those of the prosecution.

"Please remember that this is above all a story of two wonderful young people, David and Hannah, killed in the prime of their lives in a senseless and brutal way."

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Victim's Family Sue Abuse Doctor's Hospital

By Emma Birchley, Sky News Reporter

The mother of boy sexually abused by his doctor is taking legal action against the hospital that employed him, claiming more should have been done to keep him safe.

The child, who is 14 now, suffers from a serious blood disorder and started visiting paediatric haematologist Dr Myles Bradbury at Addenbrooke's in Cambridge when he was eight.

Bradbury used a spy pen to take images of his victims'

"I thought he was nice to me and he helped me out if I was having trouble at school," he said.

But when he was about 10, the abuse began.

Video: Doctor Was A Predatory Peadophile

"He told me take off my trousers and take off my pants as well and told me to lie on the bed and then he said he was going to look for bruises and he touched my privates."

The boy feared what Bradbury was doing to him was not right, but decided to trust him as he was a doctor.

He estimates he was abused more than 40 times, sometimes when his parents were on the other side of the curtain.

But his mother believes a system should have been place to ensure her son was not left unsupervised with Bradbury.

She said: "I think they should have had more staff so when the doctor is in the room by themselves with the patient they should have somebody with them. I think that's where it went wrong.

"It makes me sick, angry, stressed.

"It just hurts to think about it.

"If you don't put it in the back of your mind it just haunts you and you just can't bear to see your son suffer so much."

Video: Doctor 'Disgracefully Abused' Trust

She insists the case being brought against the hospital is not about the money, but to make sure that no other children fall victim to a predator like Bradbury.

The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to 25 offences involving 18 boys.

On Monday he was jailed for 22 years, prompting more families to come forward for the first time.

One mother has contacted the same firm of solicitors that is representing the 14-year-old's family, along with two other victims.

Renu Daly, from Neil Hudgell Solicitors, said: "What we are hoping to achieve is that these families get some sort of compensation to ensure sure their children are looked after in the future to get over the suffering that they have had.

"Also we would hope the trust would take heed, and other trusts, to ensure there is a policy across the board… where there is appropriate supervision."

A spokesman from Addenbrooke's said it would inappropriate to comment on any legal action at this stage, but confirmed an independent investigation into the abuse at the hospital is due to start later this month.

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Britain Beefs Up Military Might In Bahrain

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Britain is to build a new military base in Bahrain in a landmark deal which will enable the UK to send more and larger warships to bolster security in the Gulf, amid the growing threat from Islamic State.

The move signals a marked expansion of the Royal Navy presence in the region.

The UK already has four minehunters permanently based at the Mina Salman Port, but the plans will see the existing facilities improved and extended.

These will provide a forward operating base, with a place to plan, store equipment for naval operations, and accommodate personnel.

While the deal is understood to have been in the pipeline for around two years, the rapid gains made by the IS extremist group and resulting instability, underlines its strategic importance.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond signed the agreement with Bahrain's foreign minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed al Khalifa.

Mr Hammond said: "This will guarantee the presence of the Royal Navy in Bahrain well into the future.

"The expansion of Britain's footprint builds upon our 30-year track record of Gulf patrols and is just one example of our growing partnership with Gulf partners to tackle shared strategic and regional threats."

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "This new base is a permanent expansion of the Royal Navy's footprint and will enable Britain to send more and larger ships to reinforce stability in the Gulf.

"We will now be based again in the Gulf for the long term."

The move reaffirms the UK's strategic alliance with Bahrain, despite concerns over security in the Gulf Kingdom.

The Foreign Office's own travel advice warns of the potential for violent protests and demonstrations and advises travellers in the region to be "especially vigilant" to terrorist attacks.

Despite this, the agreement will result in more British service personnel based in the country.

The US 5th Fleet is also based in Bahrain. From there, it allows American and British warships to patrol and carry out exercises in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.

Sheikh Khalid said: "It reaffirms our joint determination to maintain regional security and stability in the face of challenging circumstances, and gives further strength to our multifaceted partnership.

"Bahrain looks forward to the early implementation of today's arrangement and to continuing to work with the UK and other partners to address threats to regional security."

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Shoppers Urged To Support Small Shops Today

UK shoppers are being encouraged to "shop small" today to support Small Business Saturday, which aims to boost smaller enterprises.

The event, now in its second year, is backed by hundreds of trade organisations and more than 60 local councils are showing their support by waiving parking charges for the day.

Last year, independent businesses took £468m across the UK on the day and #SmallBizSatUK trended on Twitter all day.

Business and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock said: "There's never been a better time to start a business and I am proud that the Government has thrown its weight behind small business.

"This Saturday we have a first-rate opportunity to celebrate the hard working heroes of our economy and I will be shopping small throughout the day whilst visiting my family in Nottingham.

Video: Business Owner On Need For Choice

"Let's make this year's Small Business Saturday even better than the last."

To encourage the nation to get involved again this year, supporters of the initiative have been rallying the British public.

Artist Sir Peter Blake, who created the sleeve design for the Beatles' album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, created a piece of celebratory art featuring more than 60 UK shopkeepers with the tools of their trade.

Model Daisy Lowe will lend her support at an independent shop today.

She said: "I'm passionate about small, independent shops and have picked up some of my most treasured outfits from one-of-a-kind boutiques. I'm normally asked to model for big brands, but I jumped at the chance to be involved in Small Business Saturday and show my support for small, independent businesses too.

"I hope people around the country get involved and join me in shopping small."

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Police Misusing Spying Powers, MPs Say

Spying laws are not fit for purpose and need to be overhauled, a group of MPs have said.

A report by the Home Affairs Select Committee said the laws have been used to spy on journalists, adding this was not acceptable and could stop whistleblowers from coming forward.

Police are failing to record the professions of individuals who have had data accessed under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), it said.

The comments come after it emerged police investigating the Chris Huhne speeding points scandal secretly obtained the phone records of a journalist and one of his sources for the story.

In another instance the Metropolitan Police used the Act to obtain The Sun's newsdesk telephone records and those of its political editor to try to identify who had leaked the so-called Plebgate story.

Committee chairman Keith Vaz said: "RIPA is not fit for purpose.

"Using (it) to access telephone records of journalists is wrong and this practice must cease.

"The inevitable consequence is that this deters whistleblowers from coming forward."

He went on: "The recording of information under RIPA is lamentably poor, and the whole process appears secretive and disorganised, without proper monitoring of what is being destroyed and what is being retained.

Keith Vaz: "Too much secrecy surrounding RIPA

"We are concerned that the level of secrecy surrounding the use of RIPA allows investigating authorities to engage in acts which would be unacceptable in a democracy, with inadequate oversight."

The Committee has called on the Home Office to hold a consultation on an amended RIPA Code of Practice with special provisions for dealing with privileged information, such as journalistic material.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The law hasn't kept pace with advancement in technology and it needs to be proportionate.

"Access to communications data is vital to the police and intelligence agencies in their fight against terrorism, child abuse and other serious crimes.

"But it is also important that there are strong checks and balances in place to ensure this data is not used inappropriately."

Emma Carr, director of lobby group Big Brother Watch, said: "It is now abundantly clear the law is out of date... and the recording of how the powers are used is patchy at best. The public is right to expect better."

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Red Bull Racing Trophies Stolen In Ram-Raid

Thieves have taken over 60 trophies after smashing two vehicles through the front entrance of Red Bull Racing's headquarters in Milton Keynes.

Around six men and made off with the haul of silverware from the premises in Bradbourne Drive early on Saturday morning.

"We are obviously devastated by this serious factory break-in," said team principal Christian Horner.

"The break-in caused significant damage and was very upsetting for our night officers who were on duty at the time.

"The offenders took items that not only did not belong to them, but which represented the efforts of a group of dedicated, hard-working individuals."

Mr Horner added he was "perplexed" by the theft as although the sentimental value of the stolen items was "extraordinarily high", their material worth was "low".

"They would be of little benefit to those outside of the team and, in addition to that, many of the trophies on display were replicas," he said.

Red Bull's F1 dominace was ended this year by Mercedes

"The actions of these men mean it's likely that we will have to make our site less accessible in the future, which will be unfair on the hundreds of fans that travel to visit our factory each year to see our trophies and our Formula One car."

Thames Valley Police said the two vehicles involved were a silver 4x4 which was used to drive through the entrance and a black or dark blue Mercedes estate car.

The raiders - all thought to be men - wore dark clothing.

The theft follows a season that saw Red Bull's four-year dominance of F1 ended by Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton winning the drivers' championship and the German team taking the constructors' title.

The team also lost four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel to Ferrari for next season.

Anyone with information about the break-in is asked to call Milton Keynes Force CID on the Thames Valley Police non-emergency enquiry centre number 101.

If calling from overseas, the number to ring is 0044 1865 841148.

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