Adam Pickup: Body Found In Missing Teen Search

Police searching for teenager Adam Pickup have found a body they believe to be the missing student.

The 17-year-old had not been seen since the early hours of Saturday morning, when he got separated from his friends during a night out in Manchester city centre.

But officers searching for Adam - whose disappearance prompted a nationwide appeal - have discovered a body in an area near Deansgate Train Station.

Police say there do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

Chief Superintendent Nick Adderley, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "While formal identification has not taken place we believe this is the body of missing Adam Pickup. His family has been informed.

Adam left Fab Cafe in Portland Street and was seen later in Oxford Street

"This is a heart-breaking time for Adam's family and our thoughts are with them.

"Our initial indication is that that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, however speculation as to what may have happened will not give the answers Adam's family is looking for.

"We will now carry out a thorough investigation which includes a post-mortem examination.

"We would like to thank the media and the wider public for all their support during this appeal, including on social media."

Two men who were earlier arrested have been released without charge.

Adam was known to have left Fab Cafe on Portland Street at around 3.20am on Saturday morning.

Police had earlier released CCTV footage showing Adam walking down nearby Oxford Street along with an unidentified man and woman, who officers had urged to come forward.

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Weather: Navy Chopper In Flooded Farm Rescue

Seven people and two dogs have been airlifted to safety by a Royal Navy helicopter after a farm was flooded during ongoing bad weather in Scotland.

The group - which included four children - were rescued from a farm in Closeburn, near Thornhill, by a helicopter team working with night vision goggles.

"We winched Petty Officer (Taff) Ashman down to the ground about 50 yards from a barn," said Lieutenant Commander Rob Suckling from the helicopter crew.

"We then moved away to find a good landing spot while PO Ashman made his way to the farm.

"No one was hurt and all seemed to be in pretty good spirits ... Apart from some low cloud on our way down to Dumfriesshire, conditions were benign and we managed to get the job done quickly."

The rescue came as Britain prepares for further storms. The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for rain on New Year's Day in southern England and western Scotland.

There are fears of localised flooding in the southwest and southeast of England as a storm blows in from the Atlantic today.

Flood warnings have been issued by the Environment Agency (EA) as areas yet to recover from Christmas storms are expected to struggle to cope with further rain.

A person struggles with an umbrella in Tonbridge, Kent

Met Office spokesman Dan Williams said: "It won't be on a par with the winds we've seen in some of the recent storms, but exposed areas of the western coast and some of the south coast will see speeds of 50 to 60mph.

"There could be a fair amount of rain in the south and south west of England, with 10-20mm falling fairly widely, and up to 40mm in coast areas."

Some 1,300 properties have been flooded during poor weather across England. EA flood defences have protected more than 80,000 other properties from damage.

The Local Government Association has urged people to look on council websites to keep updated with information.

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New Year Honours: Women Overtake Men

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

More women than men have been named in the New Year Honours List for the first time ever.

Actress Penelope Keith is made a dame along with Professor Julia Slingo, chief scientist at the Met Office, and Professor Susan Bailey, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Singer Katherine Jenkins, actress Lynda Bellingham and Arsenal Ladies footballer Rachel Yankey all receive OBEs, while businesswoman Karren Brady gets a CBE.

In all, 611 women are honoured, accounting for 51% of the list, the highest total since the Order of the British Empire was founded in 1917.

Keith said she was "elated, exhausted and thrilled."

Michael Crawford picks up a CBE

The 73-year-old, known for her crisp diction and roles in sitcoms such as To The Manor Born and The Good Life, receives her honour for services to the arts and to charity.

She said: "It's the big one. I had already got an OBE and then a CBE, so I don't know what is better than the icing on the cake - but this is."

Former England footballer David Beckham and Wimbledon winner Andy Murray had both been tipped for knighthoods but both missed out.

Marcus Setchell, the doctor who oversaw the safe delivery of Prince George, is recognised for his work caring for the Duchess of Cambridge.

Actor Michael Crawford, who played Frank Spencer in 1970s sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, said his CBE for services to children's charities was "the most wonderful surprise".

The parents of murdered teenager Jimmy Mizen were given MBEs for their work setting up a foundation in their son's memory.

Mother Margaret Mizen told Sky News that she heard about the award in November but had to keep it secret.

"I just couldn't believe it I was in total shock," she said.

"We were determined not to be beaten by what happened.

"We go into schools and prisons and we share Jimmy's story but we don't go in telling them what to do, to put their knives down or put their guns down ... but we tell them how special they are."

Julie Bailey, who led the campaign to highlight the scandal at Stafford hospital, dedicated her CBE to her late mother Bella.

She told Sky News: "We haven't let powerful people silence us and brush it under the carpet we have just kept our heads down and kept going with dignity and respect."

MBEs have also been awarded to DJ Pete Tong, Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud and 90-year-old Bettina Dawson, who has been serving fish and chips to the people of Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway since 1928.

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Crime Statistics Revamped To Boost Transparency

Police in England and Wales are to change the way crime statistics are recorded to show the public the reasons why many are not solved.

Policing minister Damian Green said the new system, to be phased in from the start of the new year, should bring greater transparency to the way crimes are dealt with.

However Labour expressed concern that the Government was simply trying to disguise the impact of its policing cuts on the crime figures.

Currently around 70% of crimes are recorded as "undetected", with no indication as to why they did not lead to criminal charges.

But under the new framework, there will be a series of category headings indicating why no action was taken.

They will include "prosecution prevented" on the grounds that a suspect has been identified but is below the age of criminality or is too ill to stand trial.

Other headings will include "evidential difficulties", such as a key witness is unable or unwilling to give evidence, and "prosecution not in the public interest".

Mr Green said: "Recording offences as 'undetected' leaves victims feeling neglected and police investigations misunderstood - it does not properly reflect police work and that is why we are scrapping it.

"By introducing new categories, the police will be able to demonstrate the hard work they do and increase public transparency in policing."

For Labour, shadow crime and security minister Diana Johnson said that while greater transparency in the crime statistics was welcome, it could not disguise the fact that fewer cases were being solved under the current Government.

"No amount of changing the statistics can get away from the fact that fewer prosecutions are taking place for domestic violence, child sex abuse and rape on this Government's watch despite more crime being recorded for these most serious crimes," she said.

The new framework will come into force in Humberside on January 1 and will be rolled out across the rest of England and Wales from April.

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NHS: Migrants To Be Charged For A&E Care

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky Political Reporter

Visitors and migrants who use NHS accident and emergency services in England are to be charged, ministers have announced.

The move is part of an extension of the NHS charging strategy intended to deter so-called "health tourists" while trying to recoup up to £500m a year.

Critics have accused the Government of trying to grab headlines rather than helping the NHS.

Ministers say no-one will be turned away in an emergency, but there will be a bill to pay afterwards for those from overseas.

Health Minister Lord Howe said: "Having a universal health service free at the point of use rightly makes us the envy of the world, but we must make sure the system is fair to the hard-working British taxpayers who fund it.

"We know that we need to make changes across the NHS to better identify and charge visitors and migrants. Introducing charging at primary care is the first step to achieving this.

"We are already looking at taking action and next year we will set out our detailed plans to clamp down on the abuse of our NHS."

Doctors' leaders warned the proposed changes could cost more to administer than they would actually raise for the NHS while deterring some people desperately in need of treatment from seeking care.

Dr Mark Porter, chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) council, said: "This could mean the system of administering the new charging system will end up actually costing more to run than it collects in revenue."

The announcement has been timed less than 48 hours before restrictions on migrants from Bulgaria and Romania end.

A major influx of immigrants could put additional strain on the NHS and other public services.

Labour argue ministers are putting spin before substance.

Lord Hunt said: "Labour is in favour of improving the recovery of costs from people with no entitlement to NHS treatment. Rather than more grand-standing, the Government needs to deliver practical, thought-through changes to make that happen.

"Instead this out-of-touch government is left asking doctors and nurses to act as surrogate immigration officials."

Also under the proposed changes, migrants and overseas visitors will have to pay for primary care services such as minor surgery carried out by GPs, while prescription charges will be extended.

There will also be higher charges for services which are subsidised for patients entitled to free NHS treatment, such as optical and dental care.

But consultations with GPs and nurses will remain free of charge, to ensure initial access remains to prevent public health risks such as TB, HIV and sexually-transmitted infections.

Details of the scheme are still being worked out and ministers won't have a full plan until March.

But the Government will be hoping its crackdown down on health tourism will resonate home and abroad.

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Weather: More Rain And Strong Wind On The Way

Further rain and strong winds are set to strike Britain today - just as engineers restored power to homes hit by poor weather over Christmas.

The last households cut off from electricity by the Christmas storms have now had power restored, the Energy Networks Association says.

But forecasters are warning of another powerful storm which will arrive today, bringing with it the risk of flooding and disruption.

Tens of thousands of homes across the south east of England, north Wales and Cumbria have been without electricity over the last week because of damage caused by the storms.

The latest storm is due to arrive from the Atlantic today and will cross the UK from west to east.

The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning over fears of strong gales of up to 80mph affecting Wales, southern, western and northern England and Scotland.

The Environment Agency (EA) has around 100 flood alerts in place in southern, western and northern England.

And the unsettled weather looks set to continue into the New Year after the Met Office issued a severe weather warning for rain on New Year's Day.

Some 1,300 properties have been flooded during the recent storms in England.

Meanwhile, energy companies have been criticised for their slow reaction to storm damage.

The executive of one of the UK's biggest power distributors has admitted its efforts to restore power to thousands of people should have been better.

A Christmas bauble lies in a puddle in Yalding, Kent

Basil Scarsella, chief executive of the UK Power Networks, said the company it was not prepared for the storm and too many staff were on holiday.

The company, which owns electricity lines and cables in London, the south east and east of England, said it will increase payments for 48 to 60-hour outages from £27 to £75 for those affected on Christmas Day.

Additional payments will be made to customers who have been without electricity for longer than that time - up to a maximum of £432.

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Anti-Smoking Campaign: New Ad Targets Addicts

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

Smokers are being targeted by a new TV advertising campaign which aims to scare them into giving up.

Graphic images of polluted blood flowing through the body of a smoker and damaging cells in his brain are used to reinforce the message that smoking increases the risk of dementia and strokes.

The campaign, funded by Public Health England, was launched by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies.

"We know about the serious effect smoking has on the heart and lungs but smokers need to be aware of how much potential damage is being done to the brain and other vital organs through toxins in cigarettes entering the blood," she said.

"Smoking is the major cause of premature death, with one in two smokers dying prematurely from smoking related diseases, and it is extremely worrying that people still underestimate the health harms associated with it."

Government figures show more than one in five adults in the UK admits to smoking, at an estimated cost to the economy of £5bn per year in health costs, sick leave and lost productivity.

More than one in five adults in the UK admit to smoking

The TV advert, to be shown in England from tomorrow, along with a billboard advertising showing clotted blood dripping from a cigarette, has been welcomed by Joe Korner from The Stroke Association.

"It is well known that smoking harms our health but the link between smoking and stroke is less well known," he said.

"Stroke is a major cause of death and adult disability in the UK and you are twice as likely to have a stroke if you smoke. The more you smoke, the more your risk increases."

Smokers outside the Sant' Angelo restaurant in Wetherby in West Yorkshire who watched a preview of the advert said it encouraged them to consider giving up, or smoking less.

Jo Maltby, 40, has smoked for 20 years and says she tried to give up many times before.

"That probably would give me a bit more of an inclination to (give up) because I have children," she said.

"Obviously the more damage I do to myself the less chance they've got of me being around."

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Breast Implants: Plan For Industry Regulation

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky Political Reporter

A national register logging every breast implant operation carried out in England is to be set up in a bid to prevent a repeat of the PIP scandal.

The Government has published provisional plans to improve the cosmetics industry in the wake of the scandal.

Nearly 50,000 British women unknowingly bought industrial-grade silicone from French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), with hundreds suffering ruptures.

The UK cosmetics industry is rapidly expanding. The industry was worth an estimated £2.3bn in 2010, and is estimated to rise to £3.6bn by 2015.

In response, Sir Bruce Keogh was commissioned to carry out a review. The Government will today announce that it supports many of his recommendations, including:

:: To pilot a new register to record what breast implants are used.

:: The Royal College of Surgeons will create new qualifications and standards for cosmetic surgery.

:: A clampdown on advertising to ensure no more breast implants are awarded as competition prizes or time-limited deals.

:: Legislation will ensure that surgeons have to compensate for an injuries caused.

Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter told Sky News: "For too long, the cosmetics industry has been completely unregulated and there are too many tales of women who have been exploited, and of lives ruined by rogue cosmetic firms and practitioners.

PIP company boss Jean-Claude Mas has been jailed for four years in France

"This has to change, so we are taking robust action to clamp down on the cosmetic cowboys in order to properly protect women and the public.

"In January, we shall be setting out detailed plans about how to implement the recommendations made in last summer's cosmetics industry review by Sir Bruce Keogh.

"While the industry is in support of the recommendations, Rajiv Grover, Consultant Plastic Surgeon and President of BAAPS said things would only improve if the register is made compulsory.

"The implant register introduced into this country is only going to work if (it is) implemented and is made compulsory.

"Because only then can women be reassured there is no possibility that if a clinic becomes bankrupt or something closes that their implants will be register and they will know exactly what is inside them."

Jean-Claude Mas of PIP was found guilty of fraud after using industrial-grade silicone in thousands of breast implants sold worldwide.

The 74 year old, dubbed the "sorcerer's apprentice of implants" by prosecutors, plans to appeal, according to his lawyer.

The scandal first emerged in 2010 after doctors noticed abnormally high rupture rates in PIP implants.

A global health scare erupted in 2011 with some 300,000 women in 65 countries believed to have received the faulty implants.

About half the 30,000 French women given PIP implants have had them removed. Only 607 women in Britain have had them removed by the NHS.

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Ferry Rescue: Passenger Detained After Fire

A passenger suspected of starting a fire on board a ferry in the North Sea sparking an emergency evacuation has been detained by ship staff.

Crew members and passengers had to be winched off a North Sea ferry heading to Amsterdam after they breathed in smoke when the fire broke out 30 miles from land.

Ferry operator DFDS Seaways said six people in total had been taken to hospital by helicopter.

Inspector Andrew Dixon said: "It is unknown if the fire was started deliberately or accidentally.

"As a result of this incident the person suspected of causing the fire, or the person from the cabin where the fire occurred, be it deliberate or accidental, has been detained by ship staff."

The fire broke out in a passenger cabin around 10.45pm and was extinguished by 11pm.

RAF helicopters from Leconfield near Hull and Boulmer, Northumberland were scrambled to the vessel along with RNLI lifeboats from Bridlington and Filey.

Passengers are being kept on board while police investigate

The 30,000-tonne ship arrived back at Newcastle ferry port, in North Shields, at around 4am and passengers were kept on board until 9am while police investigated.

Olivia Elliott, who was in a nightclub on the ferry when the alarm went off, told Sky News she "panicked" not knowing how serious the situation was.

"(It was) scary out there in the middle of the ocean. You've never been in that situation before - you don't know what to do."

She added: "The captain came on the tannoy and said we needed to evacuate to the outer deck because there had been a fire.

"We were outside for about 40 minutes before we were allowed to go back in."

Despite the emergency, she said most people remained calm.

This photo of the RAF helicopter was taken by a passenger

Another passenger, Steven Basford, said: "They sounded the fire alarms, high-pitched alarms, and them made an announcement we would have to evacuate to an outside deck.

"Then, when we started to evacuate to go further up the boat, you could see smoke in the corridors and in the common area and it hit home more then."

Lynn Smith-Davis, told Sky News the ship's crew had handled the emergency well but that some passengers had started fighting.

She said: "There was no panic where we were, but then later on when we were inside sitting in the bar and cafe area some people started fighting - fights broke out, which really didn't help the situation."

Ms Smith-Davis said she thought it was probably not related to the emergency situation.

Police arrived at the Newcastle Ferry Port in the early hours

Are you on board the King Seaways ferry? Email your pictures and video to news@sky.com, text 84501 (costs 25p, network charges vary), or tweet @SkyNews

A spokeswoman for DFDS Seaways said 946 passengers and 127 crew members were on board the King Seaways ferry, which was sailing from Newcastle to Amsterdam.

"Fifteen passengers and eight crew members are reported to have suffered from smoke-related injuries," she said.

"They have been checked by a doctor on-board, and two passengers and four crew members have been taken ashore by helicopter for further medical assistance at a local hospital in the UK.

"We will ensure that passengers and crew affected by the incident will be offered psychological assistance as well as other assistance that might be needed."

A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "All helicopters and life boats involved have been stood down, however Humber Coastguard is in constant contact with the ferry and an RAF helicopter is on stand-by should it need further assistance."

According to the DFDS Seaways website, the 26-year-old vessel has room for over 1,500 passengers and 600 cars. It was renovated in 2006.

It offers entertainment including restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a casino.

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Millions Stress About Finances 'Every Day'

By Poppy Trowbridge, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

In the UK, 18.1 million people feel stressed about their finances every day, according to new research seen by Sky News.

Financial worries are even greater than concerns over health, or even job security, the data from MoneySuperMarket shows.

In a poll of 2,005 British adults, 19% said it is their current financial situation which is the main cause of stress, and a further 17% say it is their future financial situation.

Only 13% say they are most stressed out by their health, and 11% by their job.

Clare Francis, editor-in-chief at MoneySupermarket, said: "Anxiety about money is on the rise for many adults.

"We've experienced a difficult economic climate in 2013, with the cost of living rising, interest rates remaining low, rents remaining high, and wages remaining the same.

"Unfortunately, I expect that the New Year will be just as tough."

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's recently upgraded their estimates for UK growth to 1.4% this year and 2.4% next year, higher than its previous 0.8% and 1.5% forecasts.

Despite this, nearly 75% of those surveyed believe their money stress will get worse next year.

According to the research, 52% of adults said they frequently or occasionally worry about the state of their finances, with women worrying more than men.

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Smacking Children Should Be Banned, Says Tsar

Parents should be banned from smacking their children, according to the Children's Commissioner for England.

Maggie Atkinson told The Independent it was her personal view that the law gives pets and adults more rights to be protected from violence than children.

Dr Atkinson said she favours a total ban on smacking, which would see parents face criminal action for corporal punishment.

Current rules make it illegal for a parent to smack a child if it leaves a bruise, but permit a lighter smack or "reasonable chastisement".

Dr Atkinson said: "Personally, having been a teacher, and never having had an issue where I'd need to use physical punishment, I believe we should move to ban it.

"Because in law you are forbidden from striking another adult, and from physically chastising your pets, but somehow there is a loophole around the fact that you can physically chastise your child."

She added: "It's a moral issue. The morals are that, taken to its extreme, physical chastisement is actually physical abuse and I have never understood where you can draw the line between one and the other."

Dr Atkinson, who has two adult step-children, said that despite her strong feelings about the issue, her office was not planning to fight for a ban next year.

She said in the current climate such a move would be "running up a blind alley".

Her comments are likely to re-open the debate about what constitutes "reasonable" punishment of children, the newspaper said.

Tottenham MP David Lammy said early last year that legislation surrounding the smacking of children needed to be relaxed so working-class parents could instil discipline in their homes without fearing prosecution.

He claimed that Labour's 2004 decision to tighten up the smacking law was partly to blame for last summer's riots, which erupted in his north London constituency.

The former education minister said: "Many of my constituents came up to me after the riots and blamed the Labour government, saying, 'You guys stopped us being able to smack our children.'

"I have to say when this was first raised with me I was pretty disparaging. But I started to listen.

"These parents are scared to smack their children and paranoid that social workers will get involved and take their children away."

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Warning After 'Speckled Rolex' Ecstasy Death

An urgent warning about a yellow ecstasy tablet known as "speckled rolex" has been issued after a man died at a house party in Northern Ireland.

Police said the victim was confirmed dead at a house in Twinbrook, Belfast, at around 7.40pm on Friday night.

His identity has not been released.

Four other men have been taken to hospital, where their condition is said to be stable.

The death has been linked with the drug and a post-mortem examination will be carried out later on Saturday.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is appealing for anyone in possession of tablets to dispose of them immediately.

It comes after eight deaths in Belfast and Antrim earlier this year were linked to the taking of "green rolex" tablets, according to the Belfast Telegraph.

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Andrew Wyatt: Body Found In New Zealand

Rescue crews in New Zealand searching for a British hiker who went missing two weeks ago have found a body under a cliff.

They said the body had not been formally identified as that of Andrew Wyatt but it was discovered at the foot of a 100-metre (330ft) precipice that was on the 41-year-old's intended route.

Mr Wyatt, from Cornwall, was last seen on December 15 in the Nelson Lakes National Park embarking on what was supposed to be a one-day hike to pick up supplies.

Poor weather stopped searchers from reaching the remote area until Friday, when an air force helicopter dropped in four specialised alpine rescue crews who made the grim find.

Nelson Lakes national park

Nelson Search and Rescue (NSAR) said the section between where Mr Wyatt was last seen and where he was heading was "one of the more remote and difficult parts" of the trail.

NSAR coordinator Sherp Tucker said: "It's rugged, it's remote and the weather can change so much.

"It's a frequent place for the rescue helicopter to go to beacon activations for people who are hurt."

Mr Wyatt arrived in New Zealand in November and was walking the 3,000-kilometre (1,900-mile) Te Araroa Trail, which runs along the entire length of the country, when he went missing. 

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Sales: Shoppers Ready For More Bargain Hunting

Bargain-hungry shoppers are expected to spend nearly £3bn today on the second day of the post-Christmas sales.

The amount of money spent is predicted to be more than the estimated £2.7bn spent in shops and online on Boxing Day.

High streets should see a repeat of some of the frenzied scenes witnessed yesterday as shoppers queued for hours to get the best bargains.

A total of £2.22bn was projected to have been spent in stores on Thursday, up 5.7% on last year, according to the Centre for Retail Research (CRR).

Online shoppers spent £540m - a new daily record - on Boxing Day, up 15% on last year, IMRG, the internet retailers' association, said.

Many people queued from before dawn in London

Total spending on Friday could be even higher, with shops expected to take £2.57bn - up more than 7% on last year's £2.4bn on December 27.

Online sales are expected to peak £400m.

Thousands of people hit British high streets yesterday for the traditional Boxing Day sales, with international tourists out in force and spending big.

Many keen bargain-hunters started queuing before dawn to ensure they were first in line when the shops opened.

Shoppers are predicted to spend £2.5bn in the high street on Friday

Selfridges on Oxford Street in central London saw some of the largest queues.

As 3,500 shoppers surrounded the huge shopping emporium, it was apparent the queue was made up of people from all around the world - particularly from China.

The significant presence of international shoppers was confirmed by Global Blue tax-free shopping experts.

Shoppers from Qatar spend the most on average per transaction (£1,714) followed by those from the United Arab Emirates (£1,372).

But a spokesman said Chinese shoppers are the biggest spenders overall.

They spend £1,367 on average per transaction, but are more likely to return to the tills with more goods.

Selfridges celebrated its most successful ever first hour of trade, taking over £1.9m between 9am and 10am - up 16% compared with last year.

Harrods also kicked off its winter sale and offered mugs of hot chocolate, smoked salmon canapes and blankets to keep people warm in the queue.

Department store Liberty offered designer goods at a fraction of their usual price, while both Next and Marks & Spencer boasted discounts of up to 50% on sale items.

Bluewater in Kent predicted more than 800,000 people would come through its doors between Boxing Day and New Year's Eve.

More than 1.4 million shoppers are expected to spend a total of more than £50m in London's West End today.

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Weather: Ireland And UK Battered By Storms

Storms with 100mph winds battered Britain and Ireland last night, causing flights to be diverted and downing trees - as more flood warnings were issued.

Days after heavy rain and gales lashed the UK, disrupting the Christmas travel plans of thousands of people, the Met Office has once again issued severe weather warnings.

The Environment Agency map showing flood warnings and alerts in the UK

Southeastern trains said it would not be running any services until further notice, while Virgin, East Coast and Southern trains also warned of travel disruption.

There were also no trains from Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport, or between Victoria to Gatwick Airport.

Flights were also diverted and cancelled overnight, with Dublin Airport not allowing aircraft to leave due to the gale force winds.

A tweet from the airport said: "No flight departures so far this morning due to gale force winds blowing across both runways."

Cheshire Police said many trees had been uprooted as gales swept across the county.

The Bognor Regis rail route was closed after this landslip at Ockley

"Many trees down due to strong winds. We would ask all drivers to exercise extreme caution whilst driving tonight," the force tweeted.

The storm is forecast to spread east across the UK during the morning, with the worst-affected areas expected to be northern England and northern parts of Wales.

This landslip also blocked the line on the Brighton Main Line near Redhill

:: Watch Sky News to see weather forecasts on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

Police and fire services across the country have reported road closures because of uprooted trees, and in the Irish Republic, Dublin Airport had to divert six planes because of strong winds.

Gatwick Airport said it had "additional teams of engineers, electrical staff and volunteers at the airport to minimise the risk of disruption".

The Environment Agency (EA) is warning of more "significant disruption" across southern England.

A spokesperson for the agency said: "It is possible that heavy rain may worsen the current flooding situation in some areas with rivers responding quickly to rain falling on already saturated ground."

The rain will exacerbate ongoing river flooding across the Somerset Levels, River Severn, River Thames and River Ouse in Cambridgeshire and rivers across Essex.

A man removes items from his home after flooding in Tonbridge

It will also worsen the situation along the River Medway and the Kentish Stour around Ashford and Canterbury.

There are 52 flood warnings and 160 flood alerts in place, but the EA said the number of alerts may increase as rivers respond to the further band of rainfall.

The Met Office recorded a gust of wind in Aberdaron, in west Wales, of 109mph early this morning.

A man paddles his canoe past a flooded property in Yalding

General wind speeds of between 60mph and 80mph are expected in the UK.

More than 43,000 people were left without power following Monday night's storm and around 1,200 properties were flooded in England.

According to ESB Networks, in Ireland, some 70,000 homes and businesses are understood to be without power with engineers dealing with hundreds of individual faults.

Met Eireann imposed red alert warnings in the south and eastern parts, with Wexford, Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Waterford experiencing the worst of the stormy weather.

AA Roadwatch described driving conditions on Ireland's country roads as "treacherous" - and advised motorists to drive with extreme care.

Northern Ireland Electricity also said it had around 4,000 customers without power.

Network Rail advises that routes will need to be checked at first light and tracks will need to be cleared of any fallen trees and any damage will need repaired before train services can start.

Robin Gisby, managing director of network operations at Network Rail, said: "Passengers have had a tough week of travelling and unfortunately that is likely to continue for at least another day.

"Thousands of railway workers have worked tirelessly over the holiday period to try and repair the significant damage caused by Monday's storm and will be called on again over the next 24 hours.

"As ever, safety comes first, as we ensure routes are safe for passenger services leading to a delayed start-up in some regions."

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Fox Hunts To Ride Out For Boxing Day Meets

Thousands of supporters are expected to attend Boxing Day hunts across the UK today as a poll shows 80% of people remain opposed to hunting with dogs for sport.

Some 250 hunts will ride out on the biggest day of the hunting calendar, some following an artificial scent while others are expected to hunt foxes within the law.

Groups of hunt saboteurs are also expected to be out in force, monitoring hunts they believe will try to flout the law and hunt foxes illegally.

The poll suggests opinions on hunting are the same in urban and rural areas

The survey commissioned by animal welfare organisation The League Against Cruel Sports reveals 80% of the public think hunting should not be made legal again.

In October, David Cameron said he had "some sympathies" with farmers demanding the use of packs of hounds to flush out foxes if they threatened livestock. Once driven out, the foxes could be shot.

Downing Street suggested it might introduce a government motion to amend the 2004 ban on hunting by relaxing rules that say farmers can only use two dogs to hunt.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said he was particularly worried about hill farmers who have suffered heavy losses of livestock that is threatening their livelihoods.

Joe Duckworth, chief executive of The League Against Cruel Sports, said: "Hunting is a sickeningly cruel blood sport, which, like us, the majority of the British public do not want brought back.

"Voting for repeal would be political suicide. We need to move forward as a nation, not backwards on matters of animal welfare."

The survey, carried out by Ipsos MORI, also suggests that on the issue of legalising fox hunting, there is no difference between people living in rural areas and those in urban areas.

Gavin Grant, chief executive of the RSPCA, which also commissioned the survey, said: "As a rural dweller I have always known that opposition to hunting with dogs has never been an issue of 'town versus country'. This poll proves it once and for all.

"The message to MPs is loud and clear. Hunting wild animals with dogs is unethical, inhumane and cruel."

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Abbas Khan: Funeral For Syria-Death Doctor

The funeral of British doctor Abbas Khan - who died in custody in Syria - is due to take place in London today.

Dr Khan was on the verge of being released when his family were told of his death by what the Syrian government calls suicide - but they say it was political murder.

The 32-year-old orthopaedic surgeon, from London, was captured in November last year in the Syrian city of Aleppo after travelling from Turkey to help victims of hospital bombings.

His death was announced on December 17.

Dr Khan's mother Fatima

Dr Khan's family released a statement via their solicitor Nabeel Sheikh, announcing plans for the funeral and burial.

He said: "Dr Abbas Khan's funeral prayer will take place at midday on Boxing Day at Regent's Park Mosque, London.

"Dr Khan will then be taken to Ilford, east London, to be laid to rest. Anyone who wishes to pay their respects is welcome to attend."

The doctor's mother Fatima denied claims made by Syrian deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad that her son killed himself.

The PM wrote a letter to Dr Khan's family

Earlier this month, the family revealed a letter in which the doctor expressed his optimism at being released and his hopes of being home in time for Christmas.

On Sunday, David Cameron wrote a letter to Dr Khan's mother, describing her son's death as an "appalling tragedy" and calling for those responsible to be held to account.

Dr Abbas leaves behind his wife Hanna, 30, son Abdullah, six, and daughter Rurayya, seven.

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Bargain Hunters Flock To Boxing Day Sales

Bargain hunters are set to flock to the high streets in their thousands today as shops open for the Boxing Day sales.

Shoppers had already started queuing before 7am to ensure they were first in line when the shops open.

Harrods is kicking off its winter sale with the promise of mugs of hot chocolate, smoked salmon canapes and blankets to keep people warm in the queue.

They will also be serenaded by a string quartet and be treated to a performance by a street magician.

However, online sales are predicted to steal away some of the crowds.

House of Fraser, Harvey Nichols, Debenhams and John Lewis all launched their sales online on Christmas Eve.

Shopping habits are changing, according to analysts

A survey by Barclaycard found that almost a third (31%) of shoppers planned to scour the web for bargains on Christmas Day, but only 27% are expected to make the trip to the stores on Boxing Day.

Consumer expert Jasmine Birtles, from Moneymagpie.com, said it's an act of "desperation" that large brands are clamouring for Boxing Day sales.

She said: "I think it's a mark of desperation that even the big names are going, 'look, we're on sale now, come and spend your money with us before you spend it anywhere else'.

"Because I think the shops are very aware that people have limited budgets now and they want a piece of that budget before anyone else does." 

Some 117 million visits to retail websites were estimated to have been made on Wednesday in the UK, with Boxing Day's figure set to rise to over 118 million.

Despite the change in shopping habits, today's sales are still expected to bring in around £2.6 billion, according to Verdict Research.

Robert Goodman, Bluewater's general manager, said the company is preparing for a "bumper Boxing Day" this year.

"With the strongest retail offer to date, and with 50 new brands launching with us this year, we are expecting visitor numbers to be on a par with Boxing Day last year.

"This will begin what is likely to be our busiest six days of the year."

James Murray, digital insight manager at Experian, said: "Christmas 2013 has consistently outperformed 2012 on virtually every single shopping day this December, with online visits from Christmas Eve through to Boxing Day up from last year, a record-breaking Cyber Monday and the emergence of the even busier Middle Cyber Monday.

"Shopping habits are changing, with Christmas Day becoming a significant shopping day during the period.

"As a result, we anticipate a more sustained shopping pattern during this period, moving away from the traditional peaks and troughs usually evident during holiday season."

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Christmas Benefit Payments: Thousands Miss Out

Tens of thousands of people have not received benefit payments in time for Christmas.

The money for jobseekers, low earners and pensioners was due to arrive in accounts on Tuesday, but will now not arrive until Friday 27.

Up to 32,000 people are believed to be affected. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) blamed an administration error.

Those affected include new claimants, those owed arrears, and people awarded Social Fund budgeting loans for essentials such as clothes, rent and furniture.

The DWP said that if individuals had contacted them by 5pm last night the payment would have been rushed through within three hours.

A spokesman said: "The vast majority of regular benefit payments have been made on time this Christmas.

"However due to an administrative issue, a number of one-off or more irregular payments will now be paid on December 27 rather than December 24.

"We have procedures in place to ensure that anyone who has been affected by this and who contacted us would have had their benefits paid, usually within three hours.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused."

A total of 32,200 people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment Support Allowance, Social Fund and certain categories of pension could have been hit by the delay, the spokesman said.

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Queen's Message: Monarch Reflects On 2013

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Queen will reflect on key events of the past 12 months in her traditional Christmas broadcast, including the birth of her great-grandson Prince George and the 60th anniversary of her coronation.

In her message, recorded earlier this month at Buckingham Palace, the 87-year-old monarch will say: "We all need to get the balance right between action and reflection.

"With so many distractions, it is easy to forget to pause and take stock." 

The head of the Commonwealth will also use the theme of "reflection" to look ahead to the Commonwealth Games being staged in Glasgow next year.

It is expected to be a full house at Sandringham this year with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joining the family for the festivities, including the traditional Christmas Day church service.

It will be their son Prince George's first Christmas at the Norfolk estate.

The Monarch will reflect on the birth of her great-grandson, Prince George

The Queen will refer in her message to her growing family by saying the arrival of a baby "gives everyone the chance to contemplate the future with renewed happiness and hope".

During the broadcast, behind-the-scenes footage will be shown for the first time of the photoshoot at Clarence House in October, shortly after the Christening of Prince George at the Chapel Royal.

One photograph taken was that of the Queen with the next three generations of monarchs including Princes Charles, William and George.

As the Queen speaks to the British people, and those of the Commonwealth, the historic photograph takes pride of place next to her at the Palace alongside a framed image of her father George VI and mother, the Queen Mother.

The Christmas address is written by the Queen and is one of the rare occasions when she does not turn to the Government for advice but is able to voice her own views.

It was this year recorded in Buckingham Palace's Blue Drawing Room which features a large Christmas tree decorated with coloured baubles.

During her message, the Queen is seated wearing a single crepe-wool primrose dress designed by Angela Kelly, which she wore to William and Kate's wedding in April 2011.

On her left shoulder is a diamond, ruby and sapphire brooch, a present from her parents to celebrate the birth of Charles in 1948, which she wore at George's Christening.

The message will be broadcast on Sky News at 3pm.

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Stafford: Motorist Arrested After Road Death

A man has been arrested on suspicion of being unfit to drive after a body was found in the road in Stafford, police have said.

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Afghanistan: British Soldier Killed By Enemy Fire

A British soldier understood to have been serving in the Special Forces has been killed in action in Afghanistan.

"It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) must announce the death of a soldier from the Royal Engineers in Afghanistan on 23 December, 2013," the MoD said in a statement.

"The serviceman was killed in action as a result of enemy fire whilst on operations east of Kabul."

Next of kin have been informed.

The death takes the number of UK service members who have lost their lives since operations began in Afghanistan in October 2001 to 447.

The majority of British forces are in Helmand Province, in the south of the country, but some also operate elsewhere, including in and around the capital, Kabul.

British combat troops are due to have left the country by the end of 2014.

There are just four bases remaining outside Camp Bastion, due to be closed down one by one in the new year, and the number of personnel has been reduced from 9,000 at the start of the year to around 5,200.

Prime Minister David Cameron said during a visit to the base last week that Afghanistan was "mission accomplished" and that British troops could return to the UK with their "heads held high".

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Adoption: New Online Maps To Ease Process

Would-be adopters are being urged by a minister to use online maps to help match them to some of the 6,000 children in need of a home.

The interactive maps include local information such as the ratio of children in need of waiting adopters and the approval rate.

Children and Families Minister Edward Timpson said there had been "promising progress" to improve adoption rates, but significantly more needed to be done.

The online system has information about each council area

"This Christmas I want anyone considering adoption to look carefully at the information in our interactive maps and consider whether they can offer a child a stable and loving home," said Mr Timpson, who has two adopted brothers.

"There remains significant work to do next year.

"Our new adoption leadership board will play an important role ensuring local authorities and adoption agencies stay on track and recruit more adopters.

"A further £50m for councils in 2014 will help them put the building blocks in place to implement our reforms."

Department for Education figures show a 34% increase in willing adopters and successful adoptions up by 15% following the implementation of reforms.

Adoption UK chief executive Hugh Thornbery said: "We've seen a rise in adoptions this year, but we still need more adopters to provide loving homes for some of society's most vulnerable children.

"We know that key to attracting more adopters is the assurance of accessible, timely and appropriate support."

Successful adoptions are up by 15% following reforms

David Simmonds, chair of the Local Government Association's Children and Young People Board, said an increased focus on improving adoption services was a "positive move, but this isn't new money".

He said it represented a net reduction in funding for local authorities and could impact on services for vulnerable children.

"Councils have been working hard to recruit more adoptive mums and dads and are doing everything in their power to ensure that vulnerable children get the best start in life," he said.

"The fact remains that we still need thousands more potential adopters to come forward to offer loving homes.

"Councils also rightly acknowledge that there is variation in performance across the country and the LGA is working with the Government to help support improvement.

"However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach and decisions must be made on what is in the best interests of each individual child."

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Fire Crews Rescue 25 People Trapped By Floods

Fire crews have rescued approximately 25 people from cars trapped in flood water in Dorset as severe weather batters the UK.

Dorset fire control said rescuers helped get people out of stranded vehicles in the Sturminster, Blandford, Shaftesbury, Sherborne and Wimborne areas.

In Shropshire, a woman was killed and a man seriously hurt in a car crash which happened in "difficult weather conditions".

Strong gales and heavy rains are forecast to sweep most of the country bringing travel chaos to people hoping to get home in time for Christmas.

Engineers are working to restore power to around 100,000 homes across the South, with no guarantee the lights will be back on in time for Christmas day.

The fatal crash in Shropshire happened near Shrewsbury just after 9.30pm on Monday.

The departures board at Waterloo station shows dozens of cancelled trains

West Midlands Ambulance Service said in a statement: "Weather conditions at the time were very difficult.

"On arrival, crews found three cars at the scene. Firefighters were undertaking life support on a woman in one of the cars.

"Sadly despite all efforts, it was not possible to save her and she was confirmed dead at the scene. A man from the same car was assessed but was uninjured.

"A man in his 30s from a second car was trapped for over half an hour. He had suffered facial, hip and leg injuries. A woman in the third car was uninjured."

Five teenagers were also injured in a separate incident after their car rolled over in "wet and windy" weather conditions north of Wolverhampton, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

Some 900 passengers were stuck on the Spirit of Britain ferry outside Dover for 15 hours as it was considered too dangerous to enter Dover harbour.

The ship left Calais last night and managed to dock safely at around 7.30am.

Shortly before the ship reached Dover, Digvijay Rathod told Sky News: "Many people haven't slept. I have 53 people to take care of. There are mothers, there are children who have been sick.

Passengers on a Calais to Dover ferry spent a miserable 15 hours at sea

"It's been a tough night - people just want to get home. We left Calais at 4pm and we were supposed to reach here within two hours.

"It was really choppy. Things were falling out of shelves, people were not able to stand properly. We were instructed to be seated and not move around. People were panicking a bit."

With the worst of the storms now likely to affect Scotland and Northern Ireland, the severe weather has caused four deaths.

The Environment Agency has issued hundreds of flood warnings across all of England and Wales, with a severe flood warning - the highest level warning of danger to life - in the South West, where properties are expected to flood.

Rail delays and cancellations are hitting commuters this morning and the Highways Agency has warned of widespread localised flooding and road closures.

A fallen tree blocks a street in Beckenham. Pic: @UGC sophieleanne38

There are no trains to Gatwick or Stansted airports this morning and services to Heathrow are affected by delays.

Southern Railway have advised passengers not to make any plans to travel today until further notice because of damage caused by the storm overnight.

South West Trains said there would be no service before 10am due to 35 trees blocking lines and flooding across the network.

Network Rail asked for passengers' patience and said in southern England the storm damage had been greater than that of the "St Jude's Storm" a few weeks ago.

Customers are being advised to check the latest travel situation before starting their journeys.

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Sarah's Law Reveals
 700 Child Sex Offenders

More than 700 sex offenders have been unmasked using powers under Sarah's Law since it was rolled out nationwide in April 2011.

New figures - released by police forces in England, Wales and Scotland under the Freedom of Information Act - show on average about five child sex offenders have been revealed every week since the scheme was launched.

Avon and Somerset Police uncovered the most paedophiles, with 42 separate individuals being identified, followed closely by Devon and Cornwall Police which disclosed 39 offenders.

The figures also show police forces received 4,754 applications from parents and guardians wanting to know whether people who have contact with children pose a risk - meaning just one in seven result in a disclosure.

However, applications have fallen since the scheme was launched, from 1,944 in 2011/2012 to 1,106 so far in 2013/2014, while disclosures have also declined from 281 in the first year to 122 in current year to April.

Sara Payne led the campaign for the law to be implemented

Charities and campaigners have expressed concern that only one in seven applications result in a disclosure and raised questions over how well the scheme is being publicised in the face of waning numbers of applications.

However, other groups said the figures highlighted a "worrying shift of responsibility" away from the state and onto ordinary members of the public in dealing with sex offenders.

Donald Findlater, director of research and development at Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity which works with sexual abusers as well as victims, said: "Given the apparent drop in applications since the start of the scheme, albeit small, we have some concern that people may not know the scheme is available to them.

"We would like to see continued public awareness and publicity, whether by local forces or nationally by the Home Office, so that people know that this means of checking someone out exists.

"While the number of applications being made is small, at 4,754 over two and half years, the conversion rate of one in seven applications resulting in a disclosure is encouraging. It shows that adults can and do notice worrying behaviour in others around them - a key factor in keeping children safe.

"Our concern here would be the other six out of seven people who made an application but did not get a disclosure. The police know of only a proportion of offenders - many have not been caught and are not on any police database. For members of the public to make an application to police they must have had some concerns in the first place."

Sarah Payne's killer Roy Whiting was a known paedophile

The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, known as Sarah's Law, was brought in following a campaign by Sara Payne, whose eight-year-old daughter Sarah was murdered by convicted paedophile Roy Whiting in 2000.

The scheme is a watered-down version of laws in the US under which details of where convicted paedophiles live are actively publicised.

Under the Home Office scheme, parents can ask police about anyone with access to their children and officers will reveal details confidentially if they think it is in the child's interests.

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Rolf Harris Faces Three More Sex Charges

Rolf Harris is to be prosecuted over three more allegations of indecent assault, including one relating to a seven or eight-year-old girl.

Harris already faces 13 other counts after being charged on August 29, 2013.

The Crown Prosecution Service said the first new charge is one offence of indecent assault of a 19-year-old girl in 1984 - the same complainant as six of the existing charges.

The other new charges are one offence of indecent assault of a girl aged seven or eight, in 1968 or 1969, and one offence of indecent assault of a girl aged 14, in 1975. 

Harris, 83, will next appear at London's Southwark Crown Court for a plea and case management hearing on January 14.

His trial is scheduled to begin on April 30.

The 13 original charges against the Australian-born artist, musician and TV presenter relate to nine allegations of indecent assault and four of making indecent images of a child.

Harris was arrested by officers working on Operation Yewtree, the national investigation launched after abuse claims were made against Jimmy Savile, but the allegations against him have no connection to Savile.

He is currently on bail on the conditions that he does not contact prosecution witnesses, lives at his home address and does not spend time with anyone under 18 without being accompanied by someone over 21.

Harris, who has lived in Bray, Berkshire, for more than 50 years, has been in the public eye for decades.

He fronted the popular TV programme Animal Hospital and had several musical hits.

He painted a portrait of the Queen in 2005 and performed at her Diamond Jubilee concert last year.

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Weather: Rain And Wind Disrupt Xmas Getaway

Christmas travellers are having to cope with delays and disruption as heavy rain and gales of up to 80mph move across the country.

The stormy weather started in the South West and Northern Ireland and is moving eastwards and northwards throughout the morning.

Almost all of the UK will be affected by the wet weather by midday and winds will reach 70-80mph in eastern and central areas in the afternoon.

Trains are expected to bear the brunt of the weather and at least 21 train companies are predicting changes to timetables and cancelled services.

An emergency go-slow limit of 50mph is likely on many routes.

East Coast has already announced cancellations to and from London

Train bosses say "hundreds of engineers" will be on call over the next two days to deal with any blocked tracks or technical problems.

Passengers are being urged to check the latest information before setting out.

Network Rail Managing Director Robin Gisby said: "I want to be very clear that our priority is running as many trains as we can safely, rather than worrying about hitting the timetable bang on."

Many companies have removed limits on day tickets to deter people from travelling at the height of the bad weather.

Virgin Trains is advising passengers to travel before 3pm and says advance tickets for specific trains will be accepted on any service.

The Met Office's more serious "be prepared" warnings are in the south

It says fewer trains than normal will run between London and Manchester, and London and Birmingham - where the 50mph limit is likely to be enforced.

South West Trains is another operator warning of "significantly reduced speeds" on its network.

The East Coast timetable meanwhile has already announced 12 cancellations on Monday for trains serving Newark, Leeds, Newcastle, York and London's King Cross.

The Met Office's severe weather alert starts at dawn on Monday and amber "be prepared" warnings are in place for London, southeast and southwest England, and south Wales.

Localised flooding is possible and winds of 50-60mph are forecast in inland areas, gusting up to 80mph along the coast.

Icy roads and snow are also forecast for Scotland where there is a yellow "be aware" warning.

Virgin Trains is one of many operators warning of delays and disruption

Sky News' weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said rain would be the biggest problem for most people on Monday.

"There will be heavy downpours bringing 20-40mm of rainfall quite widely and over 60mm likely across parts of the high ground.

"As the rain is falling on already saturated ground that could cause both surface water and river flooding in these areas."

:: See the latest weather forecast here.

Motorists are also being urged to be take special care on the roads and check the flood updates ahead of their journey.

The A82 in Scotland, where there is an ice alert. Pic: @pressscotland

The Environment Agency and the AA strongly advise not entering flood water that is moving or more than 10cm deep.

David Jordan, Director of Operations at the Environment Agency, said: "Tragically people die because they've taken risks and attempted to drive through flood water just to save a few minutes.

"Flood water is dangerous. If there is widespread flooding in your area then don't travel and if a road is closed then turn around and make a detour."

The Highways Agency said high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists should be especially careful in the high winds and and has put out a list of potentially treacherous routes.

It includes the QE2 Bridge/Dartford Bridge, the A27 Shoreham Flyover, the A30/A38 in Bodmin, and the Severn Crossing.

John McTaggart, head of on-road services at the Agency, said: "We are working closely with the Met Office to monitor conditions.

"In the event of persistent high winds we may need to close certain bridges to traffic for a period, so please be alert for warnings of closures and follow the clearly signed diversion routes."

The RAC is predicting that 13 million people will take to the roads from December 24 to 26.

Visitor attractions are also playing it safe ahead of the bad weather, with the popular Winter Wonderland in London's Hyde Park staying shut on Monday

The worst of the weather is expected to clear by the end of Christmas Eve.

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Clutha Tragedy: Comedy Gig To Help Raise Cash

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

Glasgow's comedians are lining up to raise a laugh for victims of the Clutha Pub tragedy.

They also hope tonight's comedy gig will raise several thousand pounds for the Clutha Appeal Fund, which has already amassed more than £220,000.

Friends and relatives of the 10 people who died when the Police Scotland helicopter crashed into the Glasgow pub have been invited to the show at the city's O2abc Academy. 

They will be joined in the audience by emergency service workers who helped at the scene of the tragedy.

Comedian Janey Godley told Sky News: "The love and affection of Glaswegians will carry every laugh from that stage right up into the rafters. That's who we are, as a people; you might knock us down but we'll get up and - do you know what? - we'll get up laughing."

Jai McDowall recording the tribute song Won't Forget

The comedy show is one a number of initiatives aimed at raising cash for bereaved families suffering financial hardship as a result of the crash on November 29.

Those who died included the three occupants of the helicopter along with seven customers in the pub. Five people remain in hospital, being treated for a range of serious injuries.

Four police officers who attended the scene of the accident have recorded a song called Won't Forget, which features Britain's Got Talent winner Jai McDowall on vocals.

Police officers Paul Keenan (L) and Jamie Easton

PC Paul Keenan, who wrote the song, told Sky News: "It obviously involved our friends and colleagues, so we felt personally touched by it. It was a tragic loss of life, so we came up with the idea of recording a charity single."

PC Jamie Easton said: "The police is such a close-knit family and it was such a terrible disaster, everybody felt it. Being at the scene myself, it was terrible both for the emergency services and the public. You could see the effect it had on everybody, so I'm grateful to be able to play on the track."

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Volunteers Keep Revellers Safe Over Christmas

By Emma Birchley, East of England Correspondent

A front-line team of volunteers has been confronted with the aftermath of assaults, drug abuse and too much to drink as the Christmas festivities for some got out of hand in Norwich.

Sky News spent the night following staff on board the city's SOS bus and medical unit as they coped with one of the busiest party nights of the year.

It was not until after 1am that the trouble really started.

The police called the bus to say a woman was intoxicated nearby. It emerged she had not only drunk too much but had also taken drugs.

She was taken in a minibus back to the main bus to be checked over.

Shift leader Holly Brown said: "People can go unconscious, choking on their own vomit, they can be incontinent.

The volunteers help ease the workload for emergency services

"We need to judge what has happened. We need to make sure they are OK as we want them to get home safely."

Next it was a trip to a report of an assault on a young woman inside a club. She had cuts on her face and was ushered onto the minibus.

Some people will still end up in hospital, but by responding to reports of injury and sickness the pressure is taken off other services such as Accident and Emergency and ambulance crews.

Leigh Baggaley, 25, works for St John's Ambulance Service and first started helping on the bus five years ago.

"It's an eye-opener. If we weren't here there would be lots more A&E admissions.

"We don't tell people what to do but we try to educate people on how they should drink."

The SOS bus was the first of its kind to be set up in the UK

The volunteers even keep every type of phone charger so that drinkers can get back in touch with lost friends. And they offer flip-flops in return for a small donation for those finding their high heels a challenge.

The SOS bus was the first of its kind to be set up in the country back in 2001 and operates every Friday and Saturday night.

Action was taken after two teenagers were found dead in the river following a night out in Norwich. A short time later,  the body of a 21-year-old was discovered in the toilets of a nightclub in the city after drinking too much.

As well as the setting up of the bus, a radio system was installed linking the SOS team with the police, pubs and nightclubs.

Toby Middleton is operations manager of four clubs in the city including Roccos and Mercy.

He said: "Having the facility of having the bus and the people who are prepared to do it free of charge and help us with our duty of care ... is a great asset."

In the past five years alone the SOS bus and medical unit have looked after more than 3000 people.

It has proved such a success that towns and cities are following Norwich's lead.

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Weather Warning As Train Delays Expected

Network Rail is warning of disruption to the Christmas getaway as strong winds and heavy rain are expected across Britain tomorow.

Gusts of up to 60mph are expected nearly everywhere in the afternoon, possibly reaching 80mph later in the day in some areas.

Some trains could be delayed or cancelled and some rail operators could run an amended timetable, Network Rail said.

It could mean disruption to Christmas travel plans for many thousands of people.

The wild weather could also cause problems for motorists. The RAC is predicting that 13 million people will take to the roads from December 24 to 26.

Sky News Weather Presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "Very strong winds are expected [on Monday] as the deep area of low pressure across the southwest moves northwards past the Western Isles of Scotland. Gusts are expected to reach 60mph almost everywhere during the afternoon.

"Later, during the evening and overnight wind gusts may reach 70-80mph across central and south-eastern parts of England.

"Heavy rain is also expected to spread eastwards to most of the UK during the afternoon and overnight. So it will be a very wet and very windy day for all areas."

More follows...

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Apollo Theatre Collapse: Venue 'Neglected'

The owner of the Apollo Theatre in London's West End claimed last year that the venue had "suffered years of benign neglect".

Nica Burns, co-owner and chief executive of Nimax Theatres, which runs the building in Shaftesbury Avenue, said in an interview last year that it had a budget of just £2.45m to restore its five West End playhouses.

That was funded by a £1 restoration levy on tickets at the theatres, which the company said was spent entirely on upkeep and maintenance work once VAT was paid.

Speaking to Theatres Magazine, Ms Burns said: "Before we could start on the improvements, we had to address the damp. Water attacks the building from above and below."

A police officer on duty outside the Apollo Theatre in the West End

The restoration work carried out included new £120,000 customer toilets and a makeover for four carved stone muses on the rooftop, she told the magazine.

An investigation is under way after nearly 80 people were injured, nine seriously, when part of the theatre ceiling collapsed during a packed show.

One line of inquiry being considered is that excess water during a torrential downpour may have caused the collapse.

In 2000, previous owner Andrew Lloyd-Webber, who sold the Apollo to Nimax in 2005, told the Times newspaper: "The Apollo in particular is a shocking place.

Emergency services on the roof of the theatre

"I suggested that both it and the Lyric should be knocked down and replaced by top-quality modern theatres."

The composer and musical theatre impresario complained that his plans for a black-box auditorium inside the existing plasterwork had been opposed by English Heritage.

More than 700 people were inside the Apollo when members of the audience started screaming as it appeared parts of the ceiling caved in.

Most of the injured were discharged shortly afterwards, having been mainly treated for cuts and bruises.

Police and ambulance officers at the scene following the collapse

Although performances at the Apollo have been cancelled until January 4, London mayor Boris Johnson said the West End was "open for business"

Mr Johnson also praised the response from emergency services as "exemplary".

"Westminster City Council and the Society of London Theatre have assured me that all safety checks for the West End's historic theatres are up to date but, as a precaution, further checks have already started and will continue throughout the day."

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Search For 'Woman In Sea' In Brighton

Police have received reports that a woman has been swept out to sea in Brighton, East Sussex.

Emergency services were called to a nightclub on the seafront in the early hours of this morning, but as yet no person or body has been found.

Sussex Police said in a statement: "At 0220, police received reports that a woman had been swept out to sea opposite the Digital nightclub on Brighton seafront.

"Police, ambulance, and coastguard attended. A helicopter was also deployed to search.

"As of 0500, no person or body has been found."

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Lockerbie Anniversary: PM Praises Victims

David Cameron has paid tribute to the "fortitude and resilience" of those affected by the Lockerbie bombing as memorial services marking the 25th anniversary of the atrocity take place today.

Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London to New York when it exploded above Lockerbie, in southern Scotland, on the evening of December 21 1988, killing 270 people - everyone on board and 11 on the ground.

The Prime Minister described it as "one of the worst aviation disasters in history and the deadliest act of terrorism" ever committed in the UK.

He said: "Though 25 years have passed, memories of the 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 Lockerbie residents who lost their lives on that terrible night have not dimmed.

Eleven people were killed on the ground in Lockerbie

"Over the last quarter of a century much attention has been focused on the perpetrators of the atrocity. Today our thoughts turn to its victims and to those whose lives have been touched and changed by what happened at Lockerbie that night.

"To families, friends, neighbours, loved ones, and all those caught up in the painful process of recovery, let us say to them: our admiration for you is unconditional. For the fortitude and resilience you have shown. For your determination never to give up. You have shown that terrorist acts cannot crush the human spirit. That is why terrorism will never prevail.

"And even in the darkest moments of grief, it is possible to glimpse the flickering flame of hope."

Memorial events attended by politicians, officials, families and members of the community will take place in Lockerbie, London and in the US where most of the 270 victims were from.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and Lord Wallace, Advocate General for Scotland, will attend a wreath-laying ceremony at Dryfesdale Cemetery in the Dumfries and Galloway town.

Mr Salmond said: "As the community of Lockerbie marks the milestone, memorial events will be held in Westminster Abbey, Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and at Syracuse University which lost 35 students in the bombing.

Abdelbaset al Megrahi was the only person to be convicted of the bombing

"But, inevitably, a focus of the day will be on the memorial in Lockerbie and it is there that I will pay my respects and condolences on behalf of the people of Scotland."

Libyan Abdelbaset al Megrahi was found guilty of the bombing in January 2001 and given a life sentence.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, leading to a decision to free him under compassionate release rules.

Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill took that decision on August 20 the following year, sparking a row among politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.

Megrahi died in Tripoli, Libya in May last year.

Despite the guilty verdict and Megrahi's decision to drop a subsequent appeal against conviction, politicians, campaigners and families of victims are still dealing with the impact, with some of the British relatives considering another appeal against his conviction when they meet with lawyers in the new year.

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Rochdale Sex Abuse Review To Level Criticism

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

A report into a series of child sex abuse cases in Rochdale is expected to level strong criticism at police and social workers.

It follows a high-profile court case last year which involved a sex trafficking gang who preyed on vulnerable young girls.

The victims had been plied with alcohol and drugs before being passed around a group of men who were largely of Pakistani origin.

Rochdale Council and Greater Manchester Police have already apologised for the way they handled the cases and fears have been raised in the town that dozens of victims may have slipped through the net.

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk said the review has taken too long

The serious case review findings come as five men who also sexually exploited a "profoundly vulnerable and damaged" 15-year-old girl in Rochdale are due to be sentenced.

Again in this case the victim's abusers plied her with alcohol and cannabis before committing their offences.

One man was originally arrested on suspicion of rape in 2008 and freed after the girl was told by police not to have further dealings with him.

He was finally re-arrested four years later. Several men had gone on to abuse the teenager in the intervening years.

Authorities involved in the care of Rochdale's vulnerable children say they have learned lessons but the education department is expected to be critical of today's report from the town's Safeguarding Children Board.

Rochdale's MP Simon Danczuk has been campaigning for a better response to the problem from Greater Manchester Police in particular.

He told Sky News: "I'm very frustrated that it's taken so long. They should have started a serious case review straight after the trial in Rochdale and that would have ensured that we could have moved on from it much more quickly.

"There's no doubt about it, this grooming case has cast a very negative shadow right across Rochdale for far too long."

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Npower To Pay £3.5m To Vulnerable Customers

Npower has agreed to pay £3.5m to vulnerable customers after an Ofgem investigation found the energy firm breached sales rules.

Regulator Ofgem said the failings of doorstep and telesales staff meant customers were not able to make informed decisions on whether to switch suppliers.

The company remedied the shortcomings by September 2012 but has agreed to make a payment of at least £25 to each of its customers who receive the Warm Home Discount.

Ofgem said npower gained insufficient information about a customer's consumption to enable them to decide whether to switch.

It also failed to ensure that comparisons between the price of npower's supply and that of the customer's current supplier were always based on the tariff that customers were on.

And information on when some consumers would receive their direct debit discount and how direct debit levels would be reviewed was also found to have been inaccurate.

Ofgem's Senior Partner in charge of enforcement Sarah Harrison said: "npower has done the right thing by stepping forward and recognising that, whilst it was making changes to improve its sales processes, weaknesses remained which affected consumers' ability to compare supplier offers fairly.

"These issues have been fully addressed by npower and Ofgem welcomes the company's actions and its agreement to pay £3.5m to directly benefit vulnerable consumers.

"Ofgem will continue to hold companies to account to ensure rules to protect energy consumers are met and that the market works for consumers in a simpler, clearer and fairer way."

Paul Massara, npower's CEO, said: "We've worked very closely with Ofgem as they've investigated these previous issues. It's good to draw a line under this, so we can focus on our goal of becoming number one for customer experience by the end of 2015."

Any money not paid out from the £3.5m will be paid into another fund in support for vulnerable homeowners with long term cold related illnesses.

Npower said it would write to customers affected by the rule breaches before assessing whether they are entitled to compensation.

The company, which has 3.4 million domestic customers, said it would donate £1m to a fund for vulnerable customers, with half of this channelled to Macmillan Cancer Support.

This week itt published a list of the actions it is taking to improve service.

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Adebolajo's Brother Refuses To Condemn Murder

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

The brother of Woolwich killer Michael Adebolajo has refused to condemn the murder of Lee Rigby.

Jeremiah Adebolajo told Sky News: "My brother's blood is no more expensive than the blood of an Afghan child, and I think Lee Rigby's blood is no more expensive than an Iraqi child."

When asked if he had any regrets over the murder in Woolwich, Mr Adebolajo replied: "My main regret is that foreign troops are in the land of the Muslims."

Like his brother, Mr Adebolajo believes the foreign policies of the UK and US justify direct action against British soldiers, who they believe are "enemy combatants".

The brothers grew up in Romford, Essex, with their parents and sisters.

Adebolajo was intercepted by Kenyan military trying to enter Somalia

Mr Adebolajo said: "We had a fairly ordinary upbringing. We grew up as any other Nigerian young men do I guess in east London, nothing extraordinary.

"My parents were protestant Christians. As you can imagine with most African parents, they consider religion to be something of great importance and we were no different."

Of his brother he said: "He was always concerned I guess with morality. He was a happy guy, he's a bit of a joker.

"A very athletic individual. He loves sports, football. He is an Arsenal fan."

Michael Adebolajo converted to Islam in his first year at the University of Greenwich, his brother said.

His brother said: "I don't think that there was a particular moment when he said 'I have become a Muslim'.

Lee Rigby was murdered in Woolwich on May 22

"It was a gradual change we saw in him in which he became more devoted, more practising."

Michael Adebolajo started joining street protests. In 2006 he was arrested and jailed for 51 days for assaulting two police officers when a demonstration turned violent outside the Old Bailey.

His brother, who also converted, rejects the assumption that Adebolajo was radicalised by prominent figures such as Anjem Choudray.

Jeremiah Adebolajo said: "The media have taken this line that we have a disenfranchised young Christian boy who was radicalised by these bogeymen figures, Anjem Choudary, Omar Bakri, it is a simplistic narrative.

"The truth is they had no ideological influence over my brother, none at all."

In 2010, Michael Adebolajo left his family in London and travelled to Kenya hoping to get into Somalia.

Adebolajo and Adebowale will be sentenced in January

It is widely reported he was trying to join al Shabaab but was intercepted by the Kenyan military and then deported back to the UK.

The British security services had a hand in his repatriation to Britain and were trying to recruit Adebolajo to work with them.

His brother said: "I think the public have a right to ask the security services why they brought him back when he wanted to live there under Islamic law."

Jeremiah Adebolajo also now lives abroad working as an English teacher at a university in Saudi Arabia, but has returned to London for the trial at the Old Bailey.

He has visited his brother inside HMP Belmarsh several times, most recently last Saturday.

Mr Adebolajo claimed that Michael was attacked by prison officers who knocked out the killer's front teeth during his time in prison.

He said: "It was five guys who attacked him. One of the reasons he doesn't want to get them (his teeth) fixed is because he doesn't want to hide it.

"My brother is the kind of guy that if we were young we would have a fight, he could get your teeth knocked out so it is not a huge major big deal."

On Thursday, the union for prison workers, POA, said in a statement that all five officers had been exonerated with the Crown Prosecution Service deciding there was no case to answer.

When challenged about the murder of Lee Rigby, Mr Adebolajo said he understood the condemnation of the public but added "we have to think about the reasons for these actions".

He said: "The young lady in Afghanistan who was raped and killed and burned alive by American soldiers, do you think her parents felt something similar to the parents of Lee Rigby?

"There is a danger in dehumanising Afghanistanis.

"My brother is under no illusion that his actions are going to have an overarching effect on foreign policy. He considers himself a soldier."

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