Horsemeat: Farmers In 'Buy British' Campaign

By Clare Fallon, Sky News Reporter

Farmers are hitting back after the horsemeat scandal with a new campaign urging consumers to 'Buy British'.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has taken out adverts in 10 national newspapers, saying it is championing British produce as a direct response to the contamination and mislabelling of some beef products.

According to NFU President, Peter Kendall, British farmers feel let down.

"Farmers are very proud of what they produce and are, quite rightly, furious about this current situation. They feel let down by what looks like a criminal element in an isolated part of the food chain," he said.

The advertising campaign comes after the Food Standards Authority (FSA) raided the premises of more British companies.

Two sites in Tottenham, North London and one in Hull in Yorkshire were searched by FSA officials, who removed computer equipment and took away meat samples to be analysed.

One of the businesses being investigated is Dinos & Sons Continental Foods.

The company released a statement saying it is co-operating with officials, adding: "At no time has Dinos & Sons produced or manufactured anything that is under investigation or is the subject of any possible contamination or mislabelling."

The raids came as three men who were arrested on Thursday remain in police custody on suspicion of offences under the Fraud Act.

Dafydd Raw-Rees, 64, the owner of Farmbox Meats near Aberystwyth, and a 42-year-old man were arrested in Wales.

A 63-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of the same offence at Peter Boddy Slaughterhouse in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

Both plants were inspected on Tuesday by the FSA.

After test results revealed around 1% of products checked contained a significant amount of horse meat, Environment Secretary Owen Patterson insisted he wants all other tests to be completed by the end of next week.

"It's up to the food businesses to carry out the tests, to organise their businesses and to provide quality products," Mr Patterson told Sky News.

The problem has gone beyond supermarket bought burgers and lasagnes - hotels, restaurants and pubs have also been affected after confirmation from Whitbread, which owns Premier Inn, Beefeater Grill and Brewers Fayre, that horse DNA has been found in its food.

Cottage pie served to children at 47 schools in Lancashire has also tested positive and has now been removed from menus.

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Territorial Army In Live Recruitment Drive

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The first of a series of live television adverts will be broadcast today to help recruitment to the Territorial Army.

The advert will go out on ITV just after midday, broadcast from Afghanistan and real TA soldiers will take part, not actors.

There will be 17 live adverts over the next two weekends, each lasting around one minute, demonstrating how TA soldiers work alongside their regular Army colleagues.

It will be complimented by a series of events in London, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Newcastle and Glasgow, showcasing the wide range of careers available including chefs, drivers, medics and engineers.

Major General Ranald Munro, the Deputy Commander of Land Forces and senior officer in the TA, said: "My vision is to have a Territorial Army that is well trained.

"Clearly not to the standards of the regular soldier in peacetime, but sufficiently high so that when we top the training up before operations they're ready to cross a line of departure with total assurance and confidence between the regular and the TA operating together."

Maj General Ranald Munro: 'My vision is to have a TA that is well trained'

On a bitterly cold Salisbury Plain this week, TA soldiers have been on final exercise alongside their regular colleagues before deploying to Afghanistan in April.

One of those is Lieutenant Rob Whittle, a TA soldier and security consultant in civilian life.

"Joining the Reservists is no different I think to joining the regular Army," he told Sky News.

"You still want to join to do jobs on operations, but it gives you the freedom to pursue a civilian career if that's what you want as well so effectively you are going to get the best of both worlds."

The recruitment drive is indicative of the Government's need to fulfil its pledge to double the number of TA soldiers from 15,000 to 30,000 by 2018.

Under the plans the Territorial Army will be known instead as the Reservists. This is intended to reflect their expanding role and increased importance. The Ministry of Defence is investing an extra £1.8bn over the next ten years to improve TA equipment and training.

"It's a huge challenge but one that I think we can achieve," Major Gen Munro predicts confidently. "If you look at other countries, America, Australia, Canada, it is do-able."

TA soldiers on exercise before they deploy to Afghanistan in April

But the larger reserve force will compensate for massive cuts in the regular Army. By 2020 the size of the service will have shrunk to 82,000 from a current level of around 105,000. It will be the smallest UK army since the 18th century.

Critics of the redundancies point out the threat of Islamic extremism in North Africa and argue that demands on the British Army are unlikely to diminish significantly even once the Afghan mission is over post 2014.

Business leaders also question the wisdom of a larger TA force because of the strains it can put on small business forced to release employees for military duties.

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Prisoners Charged As Child Killer Dies In Jail

Two prisoners have been charged with murder after the death of child killer Subhan Anwar in jail.

Anwar's body was found by prison officers at Long Lartin jail near Evesham in Worcestershire on Thursday evening.

The two suspects, aged 47 and 45, were arrested at the scene and taken into police custody.

They were later charged and are due to appear at Worcester Magistrates' Court.

Anwar, 25, was serving a minimum term of 23 years in prison for the torture and murder of his partner's daughter in 2009.

Two-year-old Sanam Navsarka suffered 107 injuries at his hands during weeks of torture.

Sanam Navsarka was killed by Subhan Anwar

Anwar's partner Zahbeena Navsarka was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to nine years in jail.

Sentencing the couple in 2009, Judge Peter Thornton QC condemned their cruel and selfish treatment of Sanam and added that "humanity had let her down".

The pair, both from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, tried to claim the little girl had stopped breathing after they left her alone in the bath for 10 minutes.

However, the child's hand prints and bloodstains were found inside cupboards at the couple's home in Huddersfield and at a former property in Batley, West Yorkshire.

Anwar also put Sanam in a tumble dryer, and dumped her in the bin as her mother looked on.

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Horsemeat: Test Results Expected On UK Meals

Test results for horse meat in British processed meals are due today - as detectives continue questioning three men over the scandal.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will report on the UK products after asking retailers and suppliers to provide "meaningful results" from tests to detect the presence of horse meat in processed meals labelled as beef.

The FSA said it wanted the food industry to show the food it sells and serves is what it says it is on the label.

The test results, for significant levels of horse meat, will come from all beef products such as burgers, meatballs and lasagne.

Prime Minister David Cameron reportedly believes supermarkets have been too silent on the scandal.

A senior No10 source told the Daily Telegraph: "It is not acceptable for retailers to remain silent while their customers have been misled.

"The supermarkets need to justify their action and reassure the public."

The eagerly-awaited test results will emerge as police in Wales probe three men arrested on suspicion of offences under the Fraud Act.

Some butchers have used the horsemeat scandal to boost their trade

The trio were taken into custody from two plants inspected and temporarily shut down by the FSA on Tuesday.

Sources said Dafydd Raw-Rees, 64, owner of Farmbox Meats near Aberystwyth, was arrested along with a 42-year-old man.

A 63-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of the same offence at Peter Boddy Slaughterhouse in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

On Wednesday, owner Mr Boddy, 63, said he had done nothing wrong and insisted the FSA inspection was merely to look at his records, but was last night unavailable for comment.

His firm is also contracted to remove fatally injured horses from the Grand National.

It removes the carcasses of some horses which have been put down during the world famous meeting, Aintree Racecourse, and said it was "confident" no unfit meat had entered the food chain.

The arrests were made by Dyfed-Powys Police in a joint operation with the FSA.

The two plants became the first UK suppliers suspected of passing off horse meat for beef.

Production at both plants was suspended pending the outcome of investigations into claims they supplied and used horse carcasses in meat products purporting to be beef for burgers and kebabs.

The FSA said on Tuesday it had "detained" all meat found at the premises and seized paperwork and customer lists from the two companies.

Last night's arrests were made as Asda withdrew its 500g beef bolognese sauce from shelves after tests revealed the presence of horse DNA, the supermarket chain said.

The company apologised to customers and said it was taking a "belt-and-braces approach" by removing a further three beef products made by the same supplier, the Greencore plant in Bristol, as a precaution.

Yesterday it emerged a significant amount of horse meat containing the painkiller phenylbutazone - or "bute" - could have been entering the food chain for some time.

Authorities in Britain and France are trying to trace the carcasses of six horses contaminated with bute - which were slaughtered in a UK abattoir and may have entered the human food chain across the Channel.

The drug, which is potentially harmful to human health, was detected in eight horses out of 206 tested by the FSA in the first week of this month.

Two were intercepted and destroyed before leaving the slaughterhouse but the other six were sent to France, where horse meat is commonly eaten.

Announcing the results of the bute tests in the House of Commons yesterday, agriculture minister David Heath said the Government had instigated the "biggest investigation ever" into criminal activity in Europe over horse meat contamination of beef products.

FSA chief executive Catherine Brown said the agency increased testing of horse carcasses over a three-month period last year after intelligence from abattoirs suggested bute was getting into the food chain.

Of 63 tested - amounting to 5% of all carcasses - four (6%) tested positive for the painkiller, prompting the FSA to start testing 100% of horse meat in January, which revealed the eight contaminated carcasses.

Ms Brown said: "That would say there has been a significant amount of carcasses with bute going into the food chain for some time."

However tests on Findus processed beef products withdrawn from sale in the UK after the discovery of traces of horse meat found no evidence of the substance.

Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies downplayed the risk saying: "If you ate 100% horse burgers of 250g, you would have to eat, in one day, more than 500 or 600 to get to a human dose."

The highest level of bute found in tests was 1.9 milligrammes per kilo of meat.

Ms Brown said both vets and horse owners have to sign horse passports if an animal is treated with bute, to ensure it is not subsequently sold on for human consumption.

"If both these people have done the right thing, horses with bute in don't make their way into the food chain," she said.

"Someone has always broken the rules."

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Scotland Avalanche: Two People Killed

A man and a woman who were caught up in an avalanche in the Scottish Highlands have died.

The avalanche was reported shortly after 12.30pm in the Chalamain Gap area of the Cairngorms.

The two victims had been airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after being found by mountain rescue teams, Northern Constabulary said.

Another man who was flown to the same hospital remains in a critical condition.

A police spokesman said no further information would be given about those involved until their families had been notified.

Police had launched a search with mountain rescue teams, rescue dogs and two helicopters.

The Cairngorms are in the eastern Highlands of Scotland

"The phone call came into the team leader, reporting that there was an avalanche with multiple burials," said David Rutledge, the training officer for Cairngorm Mountain Rescue team, who controlled the operation from the team's base.

"We needed to get there as quickly as possible."

He said the accident had occurred relatively close to the roadside, within 2km (1.2 miles) of the ski road.

Mr Rutledge said two parties of six were involved in the incident in total.

Those not taken to hospital were walked off the hill.

It was the latest incident in the Scottish mountains in recent weeks.

Four people were killed in Glencoe last month

Earlier this week, a hillwalker died during an expedition with a mountaineering club in the Cairngorms.

Graham Connell, 31, from Castleford, West Yorkshire, was found dead in the Jacob's Ladder area on Monday after a large-scale search for him and five other people who were reported overdue on Sunday afternoon.

The other members in the party, who were unhurt, were picked up by an RAF rescue helicopter after being located by Braemar Mountain Rescue Team on a hill near Carn Tarsuinn.

Earlier this month, three men survived falling 150m in an avalanche in the Coire an t-Sneachda area of the Cairngorms.

The men, who were wearing helmets, were airlifted to hospital with leg injuries.

In January, four people were killed in an avalanche in Glencoe.

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Coronation Street Actor: Child Sex Charges

One of Coronation Street's longest-serving actors, Michael Le Vell, has been charged with a string of child sex offences.

Le Vell, who plays garage owner Kevin Webster in the ITV soap opera, is accused of 19 child sex offences, including child rape, and sexual activity with a child, Greater Manchester Police said.

Le Vell, 48, a father-of-two whose real name is Michael Turner, will appear in court charged with the offences on February 27.

The actor was initially arrested in connection with the offences in September 2011.

The investigation was dropped three months later when authorities said there would be no further action taken against him as there was not enough evidence against him.

However, following a review of the case by lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service the decision has been taken that it is in the "public interest" to charge the actor.

Michael Le Vell was first questioned over the child sex allegations in 2011

Speaking after the investigation against him was dropped in 2011, Le Vell said he was "delighted" to have been "completely exonerated", thanked police for their "thorough" investigation and Coronation Street staff and the public for their support.

Le Vell vowed to put the allegations behind him and returned to the show after a short break and is now currently involved in some of the soap's main storylines.

Alison Levitt, QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, reviewed a file of evidence in relation to allegations of sexual offences and looked again at a decision previously made not to prosecute.

Ms Levitt said: "I have very carefully reviewed the evidence in this case and I have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge Michael Robert Turner with a number of sexual offences.

"I have authorised Greater Manchester Police to charge Mr Turner with 19 offences, including rape of a child."

Le Vell, who split from his wife Janette Beverley last year,  is one of television's most famous faces after playing car mechanic Kevin Webster for the past 30 years in the TV show.

Originally from Manchester, he began his acting career in the Oldham Theatre Workshop after taking an interest in amateur dramatics while at school.

He first joined the soap in 1983 and quickly endeared himself to fans who have followed the trials and tribulations of Kevin, from Brian Tilsley's apprentice mechanic through to his stormy marriage to Sally, played by Sally Dynevor, and fathering two teenage girls as well as a love child from his affair with Molly Dobbs.

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Stafford Hospital: Dementia Patient Abused

A health worker at Stafford Hospital dragged an elderly dementia patient around by his pyjamas before calling him an animal, a medical tribunal has heard.

Bonka Kostova, a Bulgarian-qualified midwife who was working as a healthcare assistant, was found to have physically and verbally abused the 73-year-old on a night shift in July 2010.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said her fitness to practise was "currently impaired by reason of her misconduct". It is expected to deliver its final verdict on Thursday.

Ms Kostova was found to have pulled the man, known only as patient A, out of a toilet cubicle using the collar of his pyjama top while his trousers were around his ankles.

She then shouted "I hate you" and "you are no longer a human being but an animal" or words to that effect, the NMC found.

Staff nurses intervened, taking Ms Kostova to one side and telling her that her behaviour was "unacceptable".

One of them said Bonnie, as she was known to her colleagues, was "losing it".

Ms Kostova had been left in charge of the patient - who was said to be aggressive in his speech or manner around 80% of the time - when his carer went for a break.

The tribunal was told she had received general training in looking after vulnerable adults but had not been given specific training for dementia patients.

Ms Kostova has not worked at the hospital since she was suspended from her post.

Robert Courteney-Harris, medical director of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This incident was dealt with very swiftly when it happened in 2010."

A report into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, published last week, highlighted the "appalling and unnecessary" suffering of hundreds of patients between 2005 and 2009.

Some were left for hours sitting in their own faeces, food and drink was left out of reach and hygiene was so poor that relatives had to clean toilets themselves.

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British Teen Backpacker Missing In Outback

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

An 18-year-old British backpacker, who was hoping to join the armed forces, is missing in the Australian Outback after setting out on a hike to "improve his fitness".

Police launched a land and air search for 18-year-old Sam Woodhead after he failed to return from his expedition on Tuesday evening.

He had set off from the Upshot Station homestead, about 130km (80 miles) from the far-flung Queensland town of Longreach, some 700km inland from the coast.

Officers fear for the man's safety due to his lack of familiarity with the property, which sprawls across 3,200 acres.

"Lack of water, the heat, venomous snakes and injury are probably our greatest concern," Sergeant Dave Perry told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The teenager went missing 80 miles from Longreach

He said the missing man was apparently hoping to enter the armed forces once back in Britain and had some survival training.

"He may have been using some of the rougher country and the jump-ups to improve his fitness," said Sgt Perry.

Planes, motorbikes and four-wheel drives were being used in the search.

Local people were also combing the area on foot and horseback, and an emergency services helicopter carrying medical staff had been sent out.

Mr Woodhead's mother is understood to be flying out to Australia to help with the search.

His sister Rebecca Woodhead has written on her Facebook page: "If anyone hears from my brother please contact me ASAP.

"Would be a great birthday present if my brother would just turn up and ask what all the fuss is about!"

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'Jon Venables Twitter Photo' Investigation

A picture purporting to show the new identity of one of the killers of toddler James Bulger has been posted on Twitter, prompting an investigation.

The image is supposed to show Jon Venables, who was jailed along with his friend Robert Thompson for killing the youngster in a crime that appalled the nation 20 years ago this week.

In the picture, the man identified as Venables is seen smiling, apparently at a birthday party.

Venables was given a new identity after being released from prison for James' murder in 2001. There is a worldwide ban on publishing anything that would identify him as Jon Venables.

His parole was revoked and he was jailed again in 2010 for downloading and distributing dozens of indecent images of children. He is now making a new bid for release.

James Bulger was horrifically murdered 20 years ago

Denise Fergus, the mother of the murdered two-year-old, told Sky News earlier this week that Venables was a "ticking time bomb" and should not be released.

The image posted on Twitter was re-tweeted 100 times.

A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office said: "The AGO has been alerted to a possible contempt of court.

"We are liaising with the Ministry of Justice and others to establish the facts.

"We can neither confirm nor deny whether the pictures in question are of Jon Venables.

"It should be noted, there is a worldwide injunction in place which prevents the publication of any images or information purporting to identify anyone as Jon Venables."

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Woman And Toddler Hit-And-Run CCTV Released

Police have released video of the moment a woman and toddler were sent flying in a hit-and-run in an effort to track the driver and the car.

The CCTV footage shows the 42-year-old driving instructor and her three-year-old nephew crossing the road on December 7 in Coventry.

As they reach the middle of King William Street a black Audi estate overtakes another car, which had stopped to turn into a junction, and strikes them.

The driver of the Audi is seen to slow for a moment, but then accelerates along the road as passers-by rush to help the stricken pair, left lying in the middle of the street.

Fortunately, the woman and toddler were unharmed aside from a few minor injuries.

West Midlands Police said a witness supplied a partial number plate for the Audi - EN57 - but they have been unable to trace the vehicle and believe it could be hidden in a garage.

Officers believe the car will have sustained damage on the front.

"We have taken the unusual step of releasing the images - which carries a warning for viewers - in the hope that someone will recognise the car and come forward with information so that we can trace the driver," said PC Abbi Jones.

"This could have been so much worse. At the time of the collision, the driver would not have known that the woman and child were uninjured."

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UK To Avoid Triple-Dip Recession, Says CBI

Despite cutting its growth forecast for this year, the Confederation of British Industry has said it believes the UK is in the clear when it comes to a triple-dip recession.

However, the leading business body expects the UK economy will grow 1% in 2013, less than its previous estimate of 1.4%.

It warned of the potential for a new "flare-up" in eurozone tensions, which would hold back confidence and keep growth in check.

But a rise in job vacancies and an improvement in business sentiment since its last forecast suggested the economy would avoid another recession and grow 0.3% in the first quarter of this year.

CBI director-general John Cridland said: "We are beginning to see the return of organic growth, with clear signs that firms offering the right products into the right markets are growing sales and expanding.

"Recent business surveys also give grounds for cautious optimism about our forward prospects."

The CBI predicts that UK exports will be stronger this year.

Hopes that Britain will avoid another recession have also been boosted by recent surveys which showed the services sector returned to growth and manufacturing output rose at its fastest pace since September 2011, in January.

The CBI is forecasting that inflation will edge higher until mid-2013, but will fall back in the second half of the year, and will be close to the Bank of England's 2% target throughout 2014.

On Tuesday, official data showed the UK consumer price inflation had remained unchanged at 2.7% for the fourth consecutive month.

On another positive note, it said UK exports will be stronger this year, with the global economy likely to grow faster as growth in China picks up and the US economy continues its "relatively solid, if unspectacular recovery".

But conditions will still be difficult for households in 2013, given weak growth in household spending power and unemployment at around 7.8%.

It believes unemployment levels are unlikely to change significantly over the forecast period, at 2.5 and 2.42 million in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Next year, the CBI is expecting growth of 2%, unchanged from its November forecast, whilst quarter-on-quarter growth is expected to be modest at around 0.5-0.6%.

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Madeleine McCann Lookalike DNA Test Results

Police have announced the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who has been mistaken for missing British youngster Madeleine McCann.

Members of the public have twice mistaken the girl for Madeleine and British police asked for testing to be carried out to confirm she was not the missing child.

The first sighting was last March and the second on New Year's Eve.

New Zealand police say in a statement that they sent the DNA samples to Scotland Yard officers who are still investigating Madeleine's disappearance.

Detective Inspector Steve McGregor said: "We have received confirmation from Scotland Yard that a DNA sample provided voluntarily from a girl mistaken as missing British girl Madeleine McCann on New Year's Eve in Queenstown last year does not provide a match for that of the missing girl.

"At the time of the sighting police made thorough inquiries and were completely satisfied that the girl was not Madeleine McCann."

New Zealand police say the unnamed girl's family has requested privacy.

Scotland Yard confirmed that following the DNA submission police were "satisfied" that the girl identified in New Zealand was not Madeleine.

Madeleine was nearly four when she disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal's Algarve on May 3, 2007 as her parents dined at a tapas restaurant with friends nearby.

Kate and Gerry McCann, of Rothley, Leicestershire, have campaigned tirelessly for information on their daughter's whereabouts, battling for a review by the Metropolitan Police, which has now been under way for more than 18 months.

Her disappearance has sparked a number of  false sightings around the world.

Portuguese police closed the case in 2008 after failing to find out what happened to her.

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Barclays Cuts 3,700 Jobs In Bank Shake-Up

Barclays has announced 3,700 job cuts amid plans to cut £1.7bn in costs and improve standards.

Of these job losses, 1,800 will be in its corporate and investment bank and 1,900 will be in European retail and business banking.

Some 1,600 jobs have already been cut in the investment banking business since the start of the year, Barclays said.

Sky News revealed on Monday that thousands of jobs would go outside its investment bank as part of a streamlining programme overseen by the company's new chief executive Antony Jenkins.

But despite the redundancies, the bank - Britain's second largest - revealed it would still pay £1.85bn in bonuses to staff.

On average, payouts in its investment bank were £54,100, and the average bonus across the group was £13,300 - although these are below 2011's levels. 

Antony Jenkins is behind Project Transform, which aims to improve standards

It comes as Barclays reports adjusted pre-tax profit of £7.048bn for the 12 months to the end of December - a rise of more than 26% on 2011.

Its investment bank performed even better, with profit before tax up 37% at £4.063bn.

Statutory pre-tax profit - which includes the fund set aside to compensate those mis-sold payment protection insurance, among other charges - was £248m.

Mr Jenkins, who became Barclay's chief executive in August, is due to announce the outcome of a strategic review this morning,

As part of the overhaul - known as Project Transform - the group's total cost base will be reduced by £1.7bn to £16.8bn in 2015.

The bank also confirmed that its controversial tax avoidance unit would close, as revealed by Sky's City Editor.

"We intend to change what Barclays does and how we do it and have set out clear commitments against which our progress can be measured," Mr Jenkins said in a statement.

"Our goal is to make Barclays the 'Go-To' bank for all our stakeholders.

"The plan that we set out today is critical to delivering that goal."

Mr Jenkins announced he was waiving his bonus for 2012 earlier this month.

The bank's profit comes despite a difficult year at the bank, which saw its reputation - and the banking industry's as a whole - come under pressure.

Last week, Barclays said it had increased funds put aside for mis-selling to consumers and businesses by another £1bn, taking the total to £2.6bn.

And in the summer the bank was fined £290m for manipulating the interbank borrowing rate, Libor.

More follows...

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G4S Makes £70m Loss After Olympics 'Fiasco'

Security company G4S has said its loss on the London Olympic security contract would stretch to £70m, after finally agreeing a settlement with Games organisers.

The world's biggest security firm's reputation was badly tarnished when it admitted just weeks before last year's Olympics it could not provide 10,400 guards for the Games, forcing British troops to fill in.

G4S, which was subsequently hauled before British MPs to explain the debacle, had estimated the loss on the contract - worth around £240m - to be around £50m.

Two G4S directors; chief operating officer David Taylor-Smith and Ian Horseman Sewell, who was head of global events, resigned in the wake of the independent review.

However, chief executive Nick Buckles, stayed in his post.

The group said it had also incurred additional costs of approximately £11m, relating to charitable donations and external fees and a further £7m relating to the cost of sponsorship and marketing.

All of these costs will be taken in the 2012 accounts as an exceptional charge.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) said the taxpayer's interests have been fully protected in compensating for the difficulties experienced by G4S's shortcomings.

Its chief financial officer Neil Wood said the overall agreement reduced the payment due to G4S by £85m, comprising £48m to cover step-in costs by police and military and £37m primarily for project management failures.

He added: "The savings arising from this settlement brings the total savings to the public purse from the Locog venue security budget to £102m compared to the position in December 2011."

Commenting on the settlement, Mr Buckles, said: "Whilst we are extremely disappointed to find ourselves in this position, we are pleased to have concluded these negotiations with LOCOG.

"We have accepted responsibility for the security workforce issues and, as a result of the settlement terms which we have announced today, have ensured that the overall cost to the taxpayer has been reduced significantly against the planned cost."

He added: "We would like to reiterate our thanks to the military and the police for their support.

"We would also like to thank the 16,000 men and women of G4S who played their part in securing the Games despite the challenges faced by the group."

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Heathrow Investment 'To Raise Ticket Prices'

Officials at Heathrow Airport have announced £3bn of investment in a move that is likely to leave passengers paying higher prices.

The proposals include the opening of the new Terminal 2 next year, improved check-in and baggage facilities, and more customer service training for staff.

The airport wants regulators to approve a five-year plan which will see the fees it charges airlines to use the airport rise over the period 2014 to 2019.

If approved, the charges would increase from the equivalent of £19.33 per passenger for 2012/13 to as much as £27.30 in 2018/19.

Heathrow accounts for 78% of all long-haul flights from the UK.

The charges, which need to be approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), will help pay for the investment.

Heathrow chief executive Colin Matthews said: "Heathrow is the UK's only hub airport and a strategically important national infrastructure asset. Heathrow faces stiff competition from other European hubs and we must continue to improve the service we offer passengers and airlines.

"We have invested billions of pounds in new facilities such as Terminal 5 in recent years and passengers say they have noticed the difference.

"Our plan for a further £3bn of private-sector investment will further improve the airport for passengers.The plan represents good value for money for airlines and passengers and comes at no cost to taxpayers."

British Airways is concerned about the price rises

He said the airport envisaged passenger numbers increasing from just under 70 million now to around 72.6 million by 2018/19.

Asked about the possibility of a third runway, Mr Matthews said that with all that would be need to be done in terms of political decisions and planning there was unlikely to be "any shovel going into the ground realistically for the period we are talking about (2014 to 2019)".

He said that the proportion of Heathrow passengers rating their journey as very good or excellent had increased from 48% in 2007 to 72% today.

While airlines have supported plans for better customer service they have concerns about the rise in charges.

British Airways said: "Heathrow Airport's charges have already tripled over the past 11 years. The charges must be reduced significantly over the coming years, especially when the airport is cutting investment by around 25% from next year onwards.

"We hope the regulator (the CAA) will give a fair ruling in the months ahead, which doesn't penalise customers and airlines."

Virgin Atlantic chief operating officer Steve Griffiths said: "We are totally committed to improving the passenger experience at Heathrow.

"However, we believe this can be done without a repeat of the incredibly steep price rises we have seen in airport charges in the last few years.

"Prices at Heathrow are triple the level they were 10 years ago. Clearly this is a concern for all passengers travelling through Heathrow, and all airlines operating there."

Heathrow's flight punctuality - the number of planes taking off or landing within 15 minutes of schedule - was only around 67% in 2007.

It has now gone up to 80% and the airport wants this figure to increase to 90% by the end of the decade.

Its chiefs said that while 4% of bags went missing in 2007, this figure is now down to 1.5%.

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Two Charged Over Death Of Policewoman

Two men have been charged over the death of a policewoman whose patrol car was hit by a stolen 4x4 in Northern Ireland.

Constable Philippa Reynolds, 27, from the Greater Belfast area, died when the unmarked car she was travelling in turned into the path of the vehicle in Londonderry in the early hours of Saturday morning.

One the men, aged 25, has been charged with 10 offences including causing death by dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking causing death or grievous bodily injury, burglary and driving while unfit.

The other man, aged 23, has been charged with aggravated vehicle taking causing death or grievous bodily injury, burglary, criminal damage and assisting an offender.

They are both due to appear in court in Londonderry this morning.

PC Reynolds, a former teacher, had been in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for two years.

Her commander in Londonderry, Chief Superintendent Stephen Cargin, paid tribute to her in the wake of the crash.

"She was a young 27-year-old officer, just two years' service, in the prime of her life, doing what she loved to do - and that was serving the community to the best of her ability," he said.

"Her colleagues are devastated, as I am as her commander, as we all are as a police service.

"She was enthusiastic, bubbly and had a beautiful personality.

"She was just loved by her colleagues and she turned that love to the community she served."

CS Cargin said he believed PC Reynolds, who was sitting in the rear driver's side seat, would have died instantly due to the force of the impact with the silver Toyota Land Cruiser.

Two other officers in the patrol car suffered non-serious injuries.

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James Bulger Killer Venables 'Still A Danger'

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

The mother of James Bulger has told Sky News she believes tougher sentences are needed to stop people who commit serious crimes from "getting away with it".

Speaking on the eve of the 20th anniversary of her son's murder, Denise Fergus said she feels she has still not achieved justice despite fighting for two decades.

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

CCTV cameras captured 10-year-old schoolboys Jon Venables and Robert Thompson leading the toddler by the hand.

They took him to a railway embankment in Walton, Liverpool, where they tortured him, inflicting 42 injuries before leaving him dead on the tracks where a train severed his body.

Venables was 10 when he and Robert Thompson murdered James

Venables and Thompson were convicted of murder and given life sentences in November 1993. Less than eight years later, in June 2001, the pair were released and given new identities.

Mrs Fergus told Sky News she feels let down by the justice system and strongly believes a change in the law is needed so killers receive harsher punishments.

"They should make them realise what they've done is wrong. If they give them a hard enough time maybe they'll think again before they go on to commit another crime," she said.

"What I'm saying is stop giving them stupid sentences like five or 10 years or if they get a 10-year sentence stop dropping it to five years because of good behaviour.

Mrs Fergus believes Venables is still a danger

"They've done bad in the first place to be there. Start giving them proper sentences, sentences that fit the crime and stop being so lenient on them."

Venables was jailed again in 2010 for downloading and distributing dozens of indecent images of children. He is now making a new bid for release.

Mrs Fergus is expected to deliver a victim statement in person for the first time to his parole board. She told Sky News she feels strongly he should remain behind bars.

She has been concerned that a possible sexual motive for her son's murder has never been properly investigated. She believes Venables still poses a risk to the public.

She said: "I just urge them not to release him because I still believe he is a danger. He's a ticking time bomb and he always has been.

"To get away with so much you know someone out there hasn't been doing their job.

"He was meant to have been monitored on his release. To build up all those images on his laptop is unbelievable and just proves that he hasn't been getting monitored at all."

"I'm not saying lock him up forever. Until he's got a stable mind then I think he should be locked up. But I don't know if he'll ever get that stable mind."

Mrs Fergus also believes Venables should not be given a second new identity.

"If he gets another ID then he's putting other people in danger because on his release people are going to be aware who moves into their area," she said.

"If someone new moves in on his release then everyone's going to be pointing fingers and it might not be him, it might be an innocent man."

Mrs Fergus, her husband Stuart and three sons will visit James's grave on the anniversary of his death. She said she will never stop fighting for justice.

"That's something I'll never give up. The day I give that up I'll be letting a lot of people down. All the support that I've had over the past 20 years would be undone," she said.

"I'd feel I was letting my family down, and I'd feel I'd be letting James down, I'd be letting myself down. You know if it takes another 20 years I'm going to keep on fighting."

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Snow And Sleet Bring Rush Hour Travel Fears

Another burst of wintry weather has hit parts of Britain, prompting concerns of travel disruption during the morning rush hour.

Parts of the country have been waking up to more than four inches of snow and ice warnings are in place for much of the UK.

Sleet and snow began falling in central, eastern and southern areas overnight.

Most areas from Scotland down through to southeast England have been hit with a covering of at least two inches of snow.

And the worst affected areas, including north England and the Midlands, could have twice that.

More than four inches has already settled in High Wycombe according to reports.

The falls are expected to stop later this morning, but the accumulations could still cause disruption for commuters.

Epping Forest in northeast London

More light flurries are predicted for today and tomorrow, after which the week is expected to turn milder.

Sky News meteorologist Chris England said: "Eastern Wales and central and eastern parts of Scotland and England will see widespread snow overnight. The snow will clear from Scotland and northern England later.

"Elsewhere, western Wales, southwest England and Ireland will mostly have rain, but there will be some snow too, mainly over the hills. It will turn mostly dry there by morning.

"Today will be rather dull for southern Britain and Ireland, with a little rain in the west and a few snow flurries in the east, but southwest England will enjoy bright spells.

"Scotland and northern England will be mainly dry with some sunshine, once wintry showers clear the far north. It will be cold in the north and east, with a rather chilly breeze.

"Tuesday will be cold and dry for most, but Ireland will see rain moving into the west later. That rain will spread to Britain on Wednesday, bringing more snow to the north."

Meanwhile, thousands of UK passengers have been stranded in the US after flights to Britain were grounded when a massive snowstorm hit the US east coast.

It dumped more than three feet of snow from Massachusetts to New Jersey, while hurricane-force winds battered the eastern states and up into Canada, killing at least eight people.

Heathrow Airport said 10 inbound flights - all from New York and Boston - were cancelled today, as was one outbound flight to Washington.

British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Air Canada were all forced to cancel flights, Heathrow said.

Passengers were advised to check if their flights are affected with their airlines.

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Clegg Speaks Of 'Shock' Over Huhne Affair

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has told Sky News he was "shocked" by the resignation of Chris Huhne, adding that the former Energy Secretary needs to "make amends" in the wake of the affair.

In a lengthy interview with Sky's Dermot Murnaghan, Mr Clegg spoke about a range of issues including Mr Huhne's decision to resign from Parliament, the upcoming by-election in Mr Huhne's former seat of Eastleigh, and the Mid Staffordshire Hospital scandal.

Mr Huhne has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice over claims that his ex-wife Vicky Pryce took speeding penalty points so that he could avoid prosecution.

He announced he was quitting as an MP shortly after entering the plea on the first day of the pair's trial at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday.

Speaking to Sky News about the affair, Mr Clegg said: "I was very shocked, sad to see what happened and to see that frankly his whole family is engulfed in this in a very public way.

"You'd have to have a heart of stone not to think that is a pretty shocking and sad thing.

"I took what Chris said at face value, indeed he then rang me the night before he entered his guilty plea to tell me he was doing so.

"I'm not going to start a running commentary on events that have happened and of course a sentence hasn't even been handed down yet."

"At the end of the day Chris needs to speak for himself, needs to answer for himself, and needs to make amends."

Mr Huhne, 58, was once seen as a future Lib Dem leader. He has been released on unconditional bail and will be sentenced at a later date.

Also speaking about the neglect of patients at Mid Staffordshire Hospital, Mr Clegg said that he - like the public - was distressed by details of patient mistreatment.

"It's literally unbelievable, I think, that in this day and age that should happen in our NHS, that otherwise provides excellent and compassionate care to many people.

"And, yes, as Jeremy Hunt has rightly said, where the police can identify clear culpability, they should look at the evidence and do so."

:: Watch the full interview with Nick Clegg on Sky's Murnaghan program starting at 10am.

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Children Of Alcoholics Face Ongoing Struggle

By Clare Fallon, Sky News Reporter

As Children of Alcoholics Week begins, campaigners are trying to raise awareness about the difficulties faced by youngsters who grow up in households with alcohol abuse issues.

The National Association for Children of Alcoholics receives more than 4,500 calls a year - many from under 18s who are struggling to cope.

Their youngest ever caller was a five-year-old girl whose alcohol-dependent mother had committed suicide in the bathroom.

Hilary Henriques, one of the founders of the charity, warns the recession has only made the situation worse with addicts drinking to cope with financial pressure and in turn struggling to fund their alcohol problem. 

She said: "Alcoholics who drink don't choose to drink. Drink is how they get through the day."

Martin Williams is one of the alcoholic parents the charity has helped.

He describes how his relationship with alcohol became more important that his relationship with his two children.

"They stopped becoming the priority. The drink became the priority. And you try and juggle the two," he said.

Now though, he has been off the drink for more than three years and says his children are getting their dad back - an improved, sober version. 

Martin Williams says alcohol was once more important to him than his kids

The most recent figures show around one-fifth of children are living with someone drinking dangerous amounts of alcohol.

According to research, the impact of having an alcoholic parent can be lifelong, with significantly increased chances of developing mental health problems and eating disorders.

Children of alcoholics are also more likely to get into trouble with police and develop a drink problem themselves. 

Rosey, 20, has now moved out of home and is studying at university. 

While her flatmates enjoy a typical student lifestyle, she does not touch alcohol and says does not think she ever will.

Rosey's father has been an alcoholic as long as she can remember. 

She describes how she never invited school friends back home because she did not what them to meet her "slurring and rocking" dad. 

She says she has given up thinking it's her job to try to help him.

The charity Children of Addicted People and Parents said such situations are common.

Its founding director Emma Spiegler describes the situation faced by many youngsters as "a hell hole with no escape". 

But she insists with help and support children can come through it.

"Together we can help to break the silence, secrecy and stigma young people keep bottled up inside," she said.

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Horsemeat Scandal: 'Prepare For More Cases'

More cases of contaminated meat may be revealed within days, the Government has warned as it raised fears that an international criminal conspiracy was behind the horse meat scandal.

The warning comes as The Independent newspaper claims up to one in 30 horses being exported to Europe for consumption could contain traces of a drug, known as Bute, which is harmful to humans.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said the next set of results on all retailers' and manufacturers' processed beef products could reveal further traces of horse meat.

"There may well be more bad results coming through, that's the point of doing this random analysis," Mr Paterson said.

The results, ordered by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), are due on Friday.

But David Clarke, chief executive of Red Tractor Assurance, a food guarantee scheme that covers British production standards, urged people to put the scandal into perspective.

Paterson: 'Prepare for more bad news'

He told Sky News: "The news in the last three weeks has been of great concern to consumers. But to get it in perspective it is only affected a small part of the food that is in the shops.

"I would hope that all of the fresh meat that people are eating for Sunday lunch today should not be affected by this."

Mr Clarke added that the food industry had learnt lessons from the last few weeks, namely that "this very cheap processed meat produced with raw materials that are traded all across the world, all across Europe, is potentially a problem".

Meanwhile, one of the food companies at the centre of the horsemeat scandal has said it is considering taking legal action against its suppliers.

Frozen foods firm Findus, which has taken its beef lasagnes off shelves after some were found to have up to 100% horse meat in them, said it was looking into legal action as an internal investigation "strongly suggests" that the contamination "was not accidental".

The Ministry of Agriculture in Romania - to where the horsemeat has been traced - has launched an inquiry after two of its abattoirs were implicated in the scandal.

The Environment Secretary also revealed retailers have agreed plans to improved their food testing, adding that they hold the "ultimate responsibility" for making sure their products do not contain horse meat.

Mr Paterson was speaking after attending an emergency meeting with bosses from leading supermarkets, trade bodies and the FSA on Saturday to discuss the scandal which has seen chains including Tesco, Lidl, Aldi and Iceland withdraw some products.

He said supermarkets and trade bodies have already begun plans to carry out more testing and report their results on a quarterly basis.

Aldi has withdrawn products containing horsemeat

They had also agreed that consumers should be compensated if they have bought withdrawn products with no questions asked, he said.

Mr Paterson added: "It's a question of either gross incompetence, but as I've said publicly and I'll repeat again, I'm more concerned there's actually an international criminal conspiracy here, and we've really got to get to the bottom of it."

Scotland Yard have met representatives from the FSA, although there is currently no official police investigation.

Prime Minister David Cameron has described the scandal as "shocking" and "completely unacceptable", while Labour leader Ed Miliband said it was "appalling".

The Trading Standards Institute has said the discovery of such high levels of horse meat suggests "deliberate fraudulent activity".

Food safety experts have said there is no risk to public health.

Tesco and Aldi have also withdrawn a range of ready meals produced by Comigel over fears that they contained contaminated meat.

The GMB union said all hospitals, schools and meals-on-wheels services should verify that horse meat had not been served to vulnerable people.

Responding to fears that school dinners might be contaminated with horsemeat, the Department for Education said schools and councils were responsible for their food contracts.

A spokeswoman for the Local Authority Caterers Association said: "We are as sure as we can be that this is not affecting the school catering area."

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