Suspended Police Chief Found Dead On Railway

A suspended senior police officer has been found dead on a railway track after being hit by a train.

The body of Leicestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Gordon Fraser was discovered on a trainline on Friday in Aston Magna, Moreton-in-the-Marsh, Gloucestershire.

British Transport Police is investigating the circumstances of Mr Fraser's death, which is currently not being treated as suspicious.

Mr Fraser had been suspended by the force since December 2010 over allegations of gross misconduct and fraud, pending an investigation by Merseyside Police.

He also faced a separate allegation of perverting the course of justice, being investigated by Hertfordshire Constabulary, and was due to appear before St Albans magistrates alongside his wife Teresa, a serving officer with West Midlands Police, on Monday.

It is alleged Mrs Fraser, who has been suspended from her force pending the outcome of the probe, accepted responsibility for a speeding offence committed by her husband in Strathclyde last September.

Leicestershire Police Authority and Leicestershire Police said they were "deeply shocked and saddened" by the death of Mr Fraser.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends," they said in a joint statement.

Mr Fraser had been offered welfare support during his suspension.

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M5 Pile-Up: Man Charged Over Seven Deaths

A man has been charged with seven counts of manslaughter after a fatal pile-up on the M5 during thick fog.

Geoffrey Counsell, 50, from Somerset, was operating a fireworks display at nearby Taunton Rugby Club when the crash - which involved 34 vehicles - happened in November 2011.

Seven people were killed and 51 others injured.

Lorry drivers Terry Brice, from Patchway, Gloucestershire, and Kye Thomas, from Gunnislake, Cornwall, died in the crash along with father and daughter Michael and Maggie Barton, from Windsor, Berkshire, grandparents Anthony and Pamela Adams, from Newport, and battle re-enactor Malcolm Beacham, from Woolavington, near Bridgwater.

Among those badly injured in the crash on the north-bound carriageway at junction 25 was Emma Barton, 19, who woke from a five-day coma to discover her father and sister had been killed.

A statement from Avon and Somerset Police and Crown Prosecution Service said: "Since the collision we have worked closely together to thoroughly investigate the circumstances of the collision and to carefully consider all the evidence.

"This has been a complex process which has also involved working with Taunton Deane Borough Council and seeking the views of expert witnesses.

"Having considered the evidence in line with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, the CPS decided there was sufficient evidence to charge Geoffrey Counsell, the provider of the fireworks display at Taunton Rugby Club on the night of the collision, with manslaughter."

The statement added there was insufficient evidence to prosecute for driver error or the culpability of Taunton Rugby Club.

Counsell is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court on November 12.

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Two Held After Children Killed In House Fire

Two people have been arrested by police investigating a house fire in which a woman and two children died.

A 20-year-old woman, a boy aged four and a two-year-old girl were pronounced dead by firefighters after the blaze broke out at a property in Maes Y Groes, Prestatyn, on Friday night, a North Wales Police spokeswoman said.

A 23-year-old man and a 15-month-old baby were taken to hospital by ambulance, she added.

Neighbours said the victims lived in a top-floor flat at the property.

Fire crews recovered five people from inside the property

Adele Gordon said: "There were people everywhere. This man came running up the street shouting 'my kids are in there, my kids are in there'.

"People started smashing the windows but the smoke was mad, I've never seen smoke like it. It was thick black smoke bellowing out of the house."

Another neighbour, Mike Foster said: "I can't beleive it. I'm just in shock. I didn't even know them but I'm just so upset."

A joint investigation is being carried out by North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and North Wales Police.

A Welsh Ambulance Services spokeswoman said the man and baby were taken to Glan Clwyd Hospital.

The man was later transferred to Whiston Hospital, Merseyside, while the baby was moved to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.

Both were said to be in a serious condition.

The spokeswoman described the property as a house that had been converted into flats.

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Missing Ben Needham: New Search To Begin

A team of British experts are expected to begin their search today for the body of Ben Needham who went missing 21 years ago on the Greek island of Kos.

Ben vanished on the island in July 1991 when he was 21 months old after his mother and grandparents moved there from Sheffield.

Despite a number of possible sightings and a range of theories about what happened, no trace of him has ever been found.

The new search, led by South Yorkshire Police, is to be centred on a large, grassy mound close to where the youngster went missing.

It is close to a farmhouse next to the one his grandparents were renovating in 1991.

The new search is being led by South Yorkshire Police

One theory is that the mound consists of building material dumped there the day Ben vanished and that he could have been accidentally buried beneath it.

JCB operators working there at the time have now told police some of the rubble was not searched properly.

Ben's mother, Kerry Needham, who has spent two decades looking for her son and has consistently said she believes he was abducted and is still alive, told the Daily Mirror she is praying the police dig fails to find him.

Ben's family

"If they find his bones my life will be finished," she told the paper.

In previous interviews, Mrs Needham, 41, has said she believes the mound was already there when Ben disappeared.

Earlier this year, she said: "I find it very, very unlikely that Ben is there, unless he buried himself."

South Yorkshire police said their search would involve the use of geophysical ground examination equipment and search dogs. They will also be helped by a a forensic archaeologist.

The operation is expected to last a week to 10 days and follows a Greek police request for specialist support.

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Smoke-Filled Jet Evacuated On Runway

A passenger jet has been evacuated on the runway at Glasgow Airport following reports of smoke filling the cabin.

The incident, at 7.40am, involved a Jet2.com aircraft - flight LS177- bound for Alicante in Spain carrying 187 passengers.

The company said the plane, a Boeing 737-800, made an emergency stop on the runway just prior to take off because of smoke in the cabin.

Scottish Ambulance Service say at least four people sustained injuries, which are not thought to be serious.

The incident disrupted other flights scheduled to leave Glasgow.

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BNP's Nick Griffin Defends Twitter Posts

BNP leader Nick Griffin has defended comments made on Twitter about a gay couple at the centre of a landmark legal ruling.

The MEP published the address of Michael Black and John Morgan on the social networking site and called for a demonstration to be held outside their home.

Cambridgeshire Police last night said it was investigating the incident and Dyfed-Powys Police said it was liaising with the force.

The tweets, under the username @nickgriffinmep, followed Mr Black, 64, and his 59-year-old partner Mr Morgan's win against the owner of bed and breakfast accommodation who refused to let them stay in a double room because of her religious views.

The couple, from Brampton, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, sought damages from Susanne Wilkinson after she would not let them have the room at the Swiss Bed and Breakfast in Cookham, Berkshire, in March 2010 despite them having made a reservation and paid a deposit.

 One of the tweets read: "So Messrs Black & Morgan, at (their address). A British Justice team will come up to Huntington & give you a...

"...bit of drama by way of reminding you that an English couple's home is their castle. Say No to heterophobia!"

Mr Griffin told Sky News: "I was very angry in the way in which left-wing political activists and a minority of gay activists are working with left-wing judges to use the Human Rights Act to persecute ordinary people, especially Christians.

"I most definitely didn't post a menacing message and there's nothing inciteful, I said that we'd be holding a demonstration on behalf of everybody including gay people to decide who they have and don't have in their homes.

"I don't think that could be described as menacing.

"I only regret that we haven't so far found the address of the judge who made that outrageous judgement because when we do we'll be looking at a demonstration somewhere near that."

Mr Morgan said the tweets had made him feel "uncomfortable".

"We live in a reasonably small village and I don't think either of us expect a mass demonstration but we might be wrong."

Mr Black said Mr Griffin had misunderstood the law on discrimination.

"Nick Griffin has missed the point that the difference between what he's saying and the law is that if somebody opens a B&B that is offering a service to the public, it's a business, it's not a private home.

"Whereas everyone has the choice as to who to admit to their own home, if you're offering a service to the public you have to abide by the laws."

 A Cambridgeshire Police spokeswoman said: "We have received a number of calls in relations to the tweets and are looking into the complaints we have received.

"Officers will also visit the men mentioned in the tweets as part of our inquiries."

The case at Reading County Court concluded the couple had suffered unlawful discrimination.

At the time, Mr Black, an exams consultant and writer, protested at their treatment but the owner refused to allow them to stay as it was "against her convictions".

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Obesity Surgery Seen As Quick Fix, Says Report

Bariatric surgery is too often being seen as a "quick fix" to solving obesity problems, research suggests.

A new report found that many patients undergo operations without properly assessing of the risks the procedure poses to them.

More attention should be paid to pre-surgery counselling, the authors said.

The report, conducted by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (Ncepod), examined the care given to 381 patients who were treated both privately and on the NHS.

The authors said that just a third of patients had received psychological counselling prior to referral for surgery.

And 24% of consent forms did not contain appropriate information.

They also found that 32% of patients did not receive adequate follow-up after surgery.

And nearly a fifth of patients had to be readmitted to hospital, with some people needing further surgery, the researchers said.

The number of bariatric weight loss procedures - such as a gastric bypass or the fitting of gastric bands or balloons - rose by 70% between 2008 and 2010, Ncepod said.

Between 2008 and 2009 there were 4,200 surgeries in England, this soared to 7,200 between 2009 and 2010.

Too many ops? Bariatric procedures rose by 70% between 2008 and 2010

"Bariatric surgery is a radical procedure with considerable risks, as well as benefits," said the report co-author and Ncepod clinical co-ordinator in surgery Ian Martin.

"It shouldn't be undertaken without providing full information and support to patients. But, when we reviewed cases we found examples of inadequate processes from start to finish - even the basics, such as giving patients dietary advice and education before decisions to operate are taken, were sometimes lacking."

Mr Martin also raised concerns about poor consent procedures and lack of psychological counselling prior to treatment, adding: "Consent often happens on the day the patient is admitted for surgery."

The report authors said there should be a greater emphasis on psychological assessment before surgery.

They also said there should be a two-stage consent process - so patients have time to weigh up the benefits and the risks.

But separate research published today states that if obese patients undergo bariatric surgery they can quickly reduce risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

The research, published in the journal Heart, says the impact of such surgery is greater and faster than drug treatments for weight management or diabetes and in some cases, could be life-saving.

President of the Royal College of Surgeons, Professor Norman Williams, said: "Bariatric surgery is not a quick fix. It has been proven to be an incredibly successful and cost-effective treatment for morbid obesity and the many serious conditions associated with it."

Robert Houtman, director of the Obesity Management Association, added: "Bariatric surgery does have a role to play in obesity management, but we should explore every other option before we resort to surgery.

"Obesity is a complex condition and, without accompanying behavioural and emotional support, the weight can pile back on and patients require further treatment. This is draining public funds, which are already reaching breaking point."

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Conjoined Twins: Babies Successfully Separated

By Thomas Moore, Health And Science Correspondent

Surgeons have successfully separated conjoined twins just a day after they were born.

The British girls were joined at the abdomen and shared part of their intestines.

In a four-hour operation a team of 20 doctors and nurses at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London were able to separate the twins without complications.

Rosie and Ruby Formosa are now doing well and are smiling "bubbly babies", according to their mum Angela.

Mrs Formosa, from Bexleyheath, Kent, said: "Between 16 and 20 weeks we found out that they were joined. I didn't know what to think. I was shocked and I felt sad.

"We didn't know what to expect until they were born. The doctors could not tell where they were connected."

The girls were born in July,  six weeks prematurely.

Surgeons would normally wait until twins are several months old before attempting to separate them. But the structural abnormality had caused a blockage in their intestine, which required emergency surgery.

The Formosas holding twins Rosie and Ruby, and doctors involved in the op

Professor Agostino Pierro, who led the team, told Sky News: "The twins were very small because they were so young. But they are doing very well."

He added: "The babies will need further treatment in the future but we expect that they will both be able to lead happy and normal lives."

Mrs Formosa said she was relieved to have the girls back home.

"They are really well. They are putting on weight," she said. "They are normal bubbly babies who are starting to smile and cry when they want something."

Great Ormond Street Hospital is one of the world's most experienced centres for separating conjoined twins.

Mrs Formosa said: "When I was pregnant they were saying that the survival chances were quite low.

"For them to have been operated on and doing so well, it is amazing."

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UK Car Manufacturing Hit By Fall In Demand

A fall in European demand for British-made cars hits the manufacturing of vehicles across the UK, according to automotive industry figures.

Car manufacturing fell 5.8% in September, with 128,192 cars made in the Britain, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Commercial vehicle production dropped by even more - 20.2% - and the total number of all vehicles made fell by 7%.

It follows recent figures that showed Europe's car market shrunk at its fastest pace for 12 months last month.

Only the UK had managed to buck the trend - but the SMMT said the effects of the eurozone debt crisis had now hit home.

"Declining demand for cars and vans across the major European markets impacted UK vehicle and engine production in September," SMMT's chief executive Paul Everitt said.

"The strong demand for UK products outside Europe and the investment committed by major vehicle manufacturers will secure future growth, although the coming months will be challenging for companies at all levels in the supply chain."

He said European governments had to focus on securing financial stability and economic growth, "or they risk long-term damage to key industries."

Despite the September fall, vehicle production is still up in the year so far, which SMMT said "reaffirms the strength of global demand of UK-built products".

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Unemployment: UK In Youth Jobs Crisis

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

Young people are finding it increasingly difficult to get full time work as employers choose experienced candidates and fill positions quickly.

Researchers who sent out 2,000 applications from fictitious 16 to 24-year-olds found most employers did not reply to them at all.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation made the applications for more than 650 job vacancies as sales assistants, cleaners, office administrators and kitchen staff.

Each made-up candidate had at least five good GCSEs and relevant work experience.

The study found there were between 24 and 66 unemployed people for every retail vacancy, depending on the supply of jobs in different areas.

Almost eight out of ten of the positions paid under £7 an hour, and less than a quarter were offering full-time work during the day.

Chris Goulden, head of poverty at JRF, said their findings show that for young people today getting a job is a job in itself.

"It's important we have measures that provide more full-time, decent-paying jobs that can ensure work pays," he said.

"A lack of success in the jobs market saps confidence, demotivates and leaves a scar across a generation of young people, while part-time, low-pay work traps people in poverty."

At Darlington College in County Durham students are given help to try to find work, but 17-year-old Joshua Russell found it impossible to get even a part time job at the age of 16.

"I was too young and I didn't have the work experience needed. There's just too many people applying for one job and there just weren't enough available," he explained.

Laura Lennon, aged 19, took a year out before starting her journalism course, but found no-one wanted an A level student.

"I applied for Orange, on the phones, but apparently you need experience answering phones," she said.

Meanwhile a report by the TUC has found that young black men have experienced the sharpest rise in unemployment since the coalition came to power, with more than one in four of all black 16 to 24-year-olds currently out of work.

The reports followed similar studies in recent days showing a big rise in long-term unemployment among young people.

General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "The UK is in the midst of a youth jobs crisis. Over a million youngsters are out of work and many more are struggling to find the finances needed to further their education.

"Last week the Prime Minister singled out employment as a great success of the government. That's cold comfort to the one in four young black men struggling for work, or the one in six jobless young black women."

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Hunt For Four Children Missing With Mother

A High Court judge has appealed for the public's help in finding four children who have gone missing with their mother following a care dispute.

Jessica, Tomas, Eva and David Palacin Jones, who are aged between 14 and eight, were apparently taken from their mother Jennifer Jones' house in Wales.

They were due to be returned to their Spanish father Tomas Palacin Cambra, 52, on Friday.

When they were not returned, Mrs Jones was ordered to attend a High Court hearing in London on Monday, where Mr Justice Roderic Wood said the children should be placed in care over fears she would abscond with them.

But when police arrived to remove them from her home in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire on Tuesday morning, they were gone.

"I am very concerned about the children," said the judge at a hearing in the High Court's Family Division.

"They must be found. I ask anyone who knows where they are or might have seen them to tell this court or the local police."

He added: "All these children are now missing. The mother removed them from her home in the middle of the night. Her and her children's whereabouts are unknown. I do not know the mother's intentions."

The judge ruled that Jessica 14, Tomas 12, Eva, nine and David, eight, could be identified and authorised photographs of the children to be released.

He said Mrs Jones had previously abducted the children from Spain in 2009.

Lawyers for Mr Palacin Cambra, who lives in Majorca, said they feared Mrs Jones, 46, had gone "underground" with the four children.

They said he was "devastated" at losing his children, who are all bilingual and speak fluent Spanish as well as English with a Welsh accent.

Mrs Jones and the children are thought to be with her partner, John Williams, who has family in the Swansea area.

She speaks with a strong Welsh accent and is slim, about 5ft 7in, with strawberry blonde wavy hair and brown eyes.

Mr Williams was said to be in his late 40s or 50s, taller than Mrs Jones and well-built.

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Part-Time Work Drives Britain To Record Employment

Official figures show employment has reached a new record high with the UK jobless rate falling to 7.9% despite the country being mired in recession.

Upbeat figures of recent months, which came as something of a surprise, have led economists to question how the Office for National Statistics (ONS) calculates GDP growth.

The latest empoyment figures, also released by the ONS, showed the number claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in September fell by 4,000 to 1.56 million.

The unemployment total fell by 50,000 between June and August to reach 2.528 million, helping the unemployment rate to drop to 7.9% from 8.1% the previous month.

The employment total of 29.59 million was the highest since records began in 1971. As in previous months, the performance was largely driven by people in temporary jobs.

The ONS also reported that part-time employment increased by 125,000 between March and May to a record high of 8.13 million.

The number of people in part-time jobs because they could not find full-time work was close to a record high at 1.4 million.

Youth unemployment fell by 62,000 to 957,000, the lowest figure for over a year.

Self-employment increased, up by 35,000 to 4.2 million while the data also showed a rise of 13,000 in the numbers on Government-supported training and employment programmes, leaving the total at 158,000.

Separate figures on pay growth show average wage settlements are still lagging behind inflation, standing at 2.2% annually in September.

The figures were welcomed by the Government.

Minister for Employment Mark Hoban said: "It's a real landmark to see more people in work than ever before. Despite the tough economic times, the private sector continues to create jobs and our welfare reforms are encouraging people to return to work - with 170,000 fewer people on the main out-of-work benefits than in May 2010.

"The big fall in youth unemployment is particularly welcome, but we know this remains a challenge, which is why we have the £1bn Youth Contract offering nearly 500,000 work experience places, apprenticeships and wage incentives to help young people get a job."

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Breast Cancer: Older Patients To Quadruple

The number of women aged 65 or over living with breast cancer is set to rise to more than 1.2 million by 2040.

New research from King's College London claims today's figure of 340,000 will quadruple in the next 30 years.

At present, 59% of all breast cancer survivors are over the age of 65 but the research, funded by Macmillan Cancer Support, suggests that this figure will increase to 73% by 2040.

The data, published in the British Journal of Cancer, also suggests that by 2040 breast cancer will account for more than half of all cancer cases in women in the UK.

Ciaran Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "The NHS needs to take heed of these figures.

"It is already struggling to provide adequate care for older breast cancer patients.

"We need to change the way we care for older breast cancer patients now - so that we are prepared for such a dramatic increase in numbers."

Dr Rachel Greig, senior policy officer at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "It is startling to think that we could have a million older women living with breast cancer within a generation.

"It shows that we have a rapidly ageing population - but also that we are getting much better at treating women with breast cancer.

"However, increasingly we should think less about the age of patients, and more about their individual need."

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Teachers 'Buying Breakfast' For Hungry Pupils

Rising numbers of children are going to school on an empty stomach, according to a new report.

Four in five teachers (79%) claim their pupils are turning up for lessons hungry, with more than half (55%) saying the numbers have increased in the past year.

Two-thirds of 500 teachers surveyed (68%) said the main reason was parents not caring if their children have a decent breakfast.

Some 57% of teachers suggested a lack of money was to blame for pupils not being fed at home.

Many teachers end up buying food for youngsters out of their own pocket in a bid to help, the report found.

Nearly one in three (31%) of those questioned said they take food into school to give to hungry pupils.

The report, by Opinion Matters for cereal maker Kellogg's, says 13% of primary school teachers apparently spend up to £24.99 a month feeding youngsters.

It warns that arriving for school hungry can impair a child's concentration, cause behavioural problems and affect learning.

A decent breakfast can make all the difference, says the report

The report suggests breakfast clubs are a cost-effective way to ensure children eat before lessons.

But it adds many clubs in schools across England have closed in the past year due to a shortage of funds.

Karin Woodley, chief executive of education charity ContinYou, said: "Many families are really struggling financially and, in extreme cases, this means that there simply isn't enough food to go round.

"Breakfast clubs can provide a lifeline for these families, so we're extremely concerned to hear that many are being forced to close."

Earlier this year, a survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers found young children in England are being served "very small" school dinners and given a limited choice despite paying more for their meals.

It revealed almost a third of teachers do not believe school meals are value for money, with some warning that pupils are often being given chips, pasta and rice rather than vegetables and salad.

It also found there had been an increase in free school meals - a measure of poverty - as more families were hit by economic problems.

:: The Opinion Matters survey for Kellogg's questioned 500 teachers between August 7-21.

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Economy: Inflation Nears Three Year Low

The headline rate of inflation has eased to a near three year low of 2.2% in a welcome development for household budgets but not for people claiming benefits or the state pension.

The figure was flattered by sharp rises in gas and electricity prices a year earlier falling out of the calculations but experts warn the latest round of energy bill increases will force the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure higher in the coming months.

September's CPI figure, which is the lowest since November 2009, is traditionally used by the Treasury to determine next April's increases in the state pension and benefits.

Such claimants did well last Sepember when CPI stood to 5.2% so the latest number signals a far weaker rise to benefit cheques next year.

But experts expect price pressure on consumers to grow again with food costs starting to rise following poor harvests as a result of drought and floods.

Customers of British Gas, Scottish Power, Npower and SSE will also be paying more for their household bills this winter.

EDF Energy and E.On are the only two suppliers within the so-called 'big six' yet to confirm their plans.

Howard Archer, chief economist at IHS Global Insight, agreed the September inflation figures could mark the trough in recent falls.

He said: "Consumer price inflation could well be pushed back above 2.5% by the move back up in petrol prices, some utility bills rising in October and November and likely higher food prices."

Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec Securities, warned CPI would hit 3% by mid-2013.

He said: "A near tripling in university tuition fees should push CPI inflation up in October, with further food and energy price increases likely to add to that rising trend."

A rising inflation outlook could hold policymakers back from launching more quantitative easing (QE).

Many economists believe the Bank of England will pump more cash into the economy in November but rising price pressures may dampen QE expectations.

Three of the nine rate-setters on the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) have voiced concern over the inflation outlook.

A return to economic growth in the third quarter of the year, meaning the UK would exit recession, could also weigh on the minds of those on the MPC.

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