Girl, 7, Dies After Falling 100ft From Flat

A seven-year-old girl has died after falling from an 11th-floor balcony, police have said.

The youngster, named locally as Nawaal Sayid, is said to have plunged more than 100ft (30m).

Scotland Yard said officers were called to Emberton Court in Tompion Street, Clerkenwell, central London, at 6.50pm on Tuesday evening following reports that a child had fallen from an 11th-floor balcony.

A spokesman said: "London Ambulance Service attended and treated a seven-year-old girl at the scene. She was taken by ambulance to an east London hospital where she later died.

"The death is being treated as unexplained at this time."

Dr Penny Barratt, headteacher at The Bridge School in King's Cross, where Nawaal was a pupil, said: "Nawaal Sayid, one of our pupils at the primary site, had a tragic accident and subsequently died.

"Nawaal was an extremely happy, bubbly, fun-loving girl who really enjoyed all the activities she got involved in at school.

"She brought a smile to the faces of all who came into contact with her. We will really miss her."

Newspaper reports said Nawaal is believed to have fallen when her mother went to answer the door.

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World's First Three-Parent Baby May Be British

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

Britain may become the first country in the world to allow babies with three genetic parents to be born.

A landmark decision by the Department of Health has opened the door to controversial treatments for inherited diseases that use donated DNA from a second donor mother.

The Department of Health has announced that the Government intends to publish draft regulations later this year in a public consultation about the IVF-based techniques to eradicate Mitochondrial Diseases.

The new regulations to fertility law allowing the procedures will be issued for consultation and then debated in Parliament.

Should MPs find the regulations ethically acceptable, the first patients could be treated within months.

It is envisaged that between five and 10 three-parent babies would be born in Britain each year.

The aim of the IVF treatments is to stamp out serious Mitochondrial Diseases which can be passed from a mother to her children.

Mitochondria replacement involves transferring nuclear genetic material from a mother's egg or embryo into a donor egg or embryo that has had its nuclear DNA removed.

This would allow a woman carrying Mitochondrial Diseases to have healthy children.

Around one in 200 babies are born each year in the UK with defects in the mitochondria, rod-like bodies that supply cells with energy.

One in 6,500 is seriously affected and can suffer potentially life-threatening diseases including a form of muscular dystrophy.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said: "Mitochondrial Disease, including heart disease, liver disease, loss of muscle co-ordination and other serious conditions like muscular dystrophy, can have a devastating impact on the people who inherit it.

"People who have it live with debilitating illness, and women who are affected face passing it on to their children. It's only right that we look to introduce this life-saving treatment as soon as we can."

Allowing the currently illegal techniques would mark a turning point. At present only unadulterated sperm and eggs can be used for assisted reproduction treatments.

Professor Doug Turnbull, one of the leaders of the research project based at Newcastle University, said: "I am delighted that the Government is moving forward with publishing draft regulations this year and a final version for debate in Parliament next year."

One of those affected with Mitochondrial Disease is Nicola Parker.

Ms Parker did not know she had Mitochondrial Myopathy, a condition which reduces her energy levels and restricts her movement, until she had already passed it on to her daughter.

She told Sky News: "No parent would ever want to pass on an illness to their child, so this work should be applauded. It means my daughter could now have the chance of being a mother herself one day, without having to take the risk of this genetic condition being passed on again."

But some people think the techniques are ethically questionable.

The ethical issue is that the techniques will result in a tiny trace of DNA from the donor egg's mitochondria remaining, effectively creating a baby with three genetic parents.

Josephine Quintavalle, founder of the group Comment on Reproductive Ethics (CORE), thinks the creation of children with genetic material from more than two people is incompatible with both human dignity and international law.

"We're obviously outraged, but it's not just my outrage and the outrage of many people in the United Kingdom - it's worldwide.

"People just mustn't sit back comfortably and think this is a great idea; we're going to cure disease and get better.

"It's crossing a line that many, many experts in ethics and genetics and scientists generally are very concerned about worldwide."

Dame Sally said: "There are clearly some sensitive issues here, but it's clear there is general support to allow these treatments subject to strict safeguards. So what we're going to do is move forward."

The researchers at Newcastle University say they need to carry out more tests on human eggs in order to make sure the techniques are proven and safe.

In order to speed up that process they are asking potential donors in the North East to contact them.

Details can be found at www.ncl.ac.uk/eggdonate.

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School Shortage: 'Crisis Could Harm Education'

A crisis is looming in primary schools across England with predictions there will be a shortage of 250,000 classroom places in the coming school year.

In the rush to provide enough school places, local councils may have to make decisions that affect the quality of pupils' education, according to a new report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

In areas facing a squeeze on places, and a lack of space, buildings such as libraries or music rooms could be turned into classrooms to meet the demand, it says.

The committee is the latest group to raise concerns about a lack of school places.

In March, a study by the National Audit Office (NAO) warned that by September 2014, an estimated extra 256,000 primary and secondary school places will be needed to meet demand.

Of these, 240,000 are required in primary schools, with more than a third (37%) needed in London alone.

The Department for Education has said it is spending £5bn by 2015 on creating new school places, and that it expects 190,000 extra places will have been created by September.

In its report, the PAC suggests there has been "little oversight" of the impact decisions on how to create new places would have on children's education.

"In the rush to deliver sufficient places, authorities may have to make decisions that affect the quality of education on offer," it says.

"For example, in areas where there is pressure on school places and a shortage of suitable land, authorities may have to convert communal spaces and specialist areas (such as libraries or music rooms) into classrooms.

"Some authorities may have no choice but to expand poorly performing schools, if places are required in that area."

The report criticises the Government for failing to fully understand "the risks to children's learning and development that may arise as authorities strain the sinews of the school estate to deliver enough places".

It warns that the need to increase the number of school places should not be done at the expense of quality.

The report says that the DfE does not know whether it is achieving value for money with the funding it provides to create new places, and suggests the department was "slow to respond to the rising demand for school places".

But the DfE has improved the way it targets money to areas where it is needed, the report adds.

It goes on to say that councils are not responsible for academies and free schools as they fall under the DfE's remit, and that local authorities must have "mature discussions" with everyone, including these schools on how to meet demand for places.

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Costa Del Sol: Family Die In Murder-Suicide

Three members of a family have been found dead in a Spanish apartment in an apparent murder-suicide believed to be linked to the daughter's disability.

It is understood that a note left at the home on the Costa Del Sol, where the bodies of the man, a mother and her daughter were found, said the daughter's disability had become too much and had pushed them to the edge.

It is thought the note was written by the man, who is believed to be British, and has been named locally as Philip Wood.

The mother, Sheila, and daughter, Sophie, have been confirmed as Irish.

Officials have so far been unable to confirm where in Ireland Mrs Woods comes from.

The trio were found inside the apartment in Mijas, Fuengirola, on Wednesday by their landlord.

A police van parked outisde the house (Pic: diariosur.es)

Police said they were working on the theory that the deaths were a murder-suicide. It is thought the three died from gunshot wounds inflicted by one of the adults.

The man and woman, a couple in their 50s, and their daughter, in her late 20s, were understood to have been long-term residents of the area.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin confirmed the woman and their daughter were Irish passport holders. Officials are attempting to contact their next of kin.

The Foreign Office in London said it was "liaising closely" with the local police and was ready to provide consular assistance.

Speaking on Wednesday evening after the bodies were found, a Guardia Civil spokeswoman said the family were renting the property where they were found dead.

"The latest information we have is that the owner of the house had not heard from the family for a few days and had not been paid," she said.

"He went to the house today and when there was no reply at the door, he went inside. Inside he saw the man dead on the sofa and immediately called the Guardia Civil.

"When officers inspected the house they found the wife and the daughter dead in a bedroom. The initial hypothesis at this early stage of the investigation is that this was a murder-suicide."

The spokeswoman said she could not confirm reports that the daughter had Down's Syndrome.

Mijas is a popular town with a reputation for being family friendly with its many cafes and restaurants.

Its centre is a typical Andalusian white-washed village, and the Britons' crime-scene apartment is on a pretty mountainside.

The town has three distinct neighbourhoods - the village high in the mountain, a more modern development and an eight mile stretch of sea punctuated by pretty villages.

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Double-Dip: Recession Never Actually Happened

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) says updates to its past calculations on the performance of the UK economy mean Britain was never in a double-dip recession after all.

Revised GDP data showed that output was actually flat in the first three months of 2012 - rather than shrinking as had first been measured - meaning there was no second recession.

The ONS credited a stronger contribution to growth from the construction sector.

But that was where the good news ended for the Chancellor George Osborne as there were downgrades to other key economic indicators.

The ONS said the original recession in the wake of the financial crisis was deeper than had been previously found, with growth contracting by 7.2% instead of 6.3%.

The body said that output was now 3.9% below its pre-recession peak - again worse than previously reported.

While growth in the first three months of 2013 was unrevised at 0.3%, the year-on-year growth estimate was unexpectedly halved to 0.3%.

The ONS also released first quarter current account data which showed that Britain's deficit with the rest of the world widened unexpectedly.

More follows...

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Lawrence Mother Says 'We Want Answers'

The mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence said "we want answers" after she met the Home Secretary to ask about claims police were ordered to smear hear family.

Doreen Lawrence asked  Theresa May for a "public and open inquiry" into the apparent plot to discredit her family in the wake of her son's murder.

Mrs Lawrence described her meeting with Ms May as "promising".

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Lawrence Family To Ask May For Public Inquiry

Stephen Lawrence's family are meeting the Home Secretary to ask for a new public inquiry into claims that police secretly hunted for information to smear their campaign.

Michael Mansfield QC, who represents the family of the murdered student, said they also want the inquiry to investigate all cases of undercover activity carried out by the Metropolitan Police's former Special Demonstration Squad throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

It follows claims by one of the squad's former undercover officers, Peter Francis, that he was told to "dig up dirt" on the Lawrence family, Stephen's friend Duwayne Brooks, who witnessed the murder, and campaigners shortly after Stephen's death in 1993.

Mother Doreen Lawrence

Allegations have also been made that officers secretly bugged meetings they held with Mr Brooks and his lawyers.

Earlier this week, Mrs May said Mr Francis' claims would instead be investigated in two ongoing inquiries - one into the undercover operations of the Special Demonstration Squad and another into alleged police corruption in the original Lawrence inquiry.

After the announcement, Mr Lawrence said he had "no confidence" that these would get to the bottom of the issue.

Mrs May said she would be "ruthless" in purging the Metropolitan Police of any misconduct and made clear that prosecutions could follow the inquiries.

Father Neville Lawrence

Scotland Yard said it was investigating reports that officers secretly bugged meetings with Mr Brooks.

"An investigation into the circumstances of what took place has now been started by the DPS (Directorate of Professional Standards), " it said.

"This investigation will seek to establish exactly what was authorised and what happened to any material which may have been gathered, in the context of the legal framework of that time."

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Mum Yvonne Walsh And Baby Killed: Man Charged

A 28-year-old man will appear in court today charged with murdering a mother and her seven-month-old baby.

Wesley Williams was charged last night with two counts of murder following the deaths of 25-year-old Yvonne Walsh and her son Harrison.

Both victims, who died as a result of pressure to the neck, were found at their home in Chells Grove, Billesley, Birmingham, on June 2.

Williams, who is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court, is alleged to have murdered Ms Walsh and her son between May 31 and June 2.

In a statement issued last night, Hayley Firman, Head of the West Midlands CPS Public Protection Unit, said: "I have advised officers from West Midlands Police that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to charge Wesley Williams with the murders of Yvonne Walsh and her seven-month-old son, Harrison Walsh.

"The decision was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

"Wesley Williams now stands charged with a criminal offence and has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that nothing should be reported which could prejudice this trial."

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Police Investigate Racist Graffiti At Mosque

Racist graffiti including swastikas has been painted on a mosque in Redditch after intruders forced their way in to the site.

The damage at the mosque in Jinnah Road was caused between 2am and 4.30am on Wednesday and was discovered by a targeted police patrol.

The graffiti, including swastikas, had been sprayed on to walls and at least half a dozen windows using paint taken from builders' cabins on the site.

Intruders had forced their way on to the site through a gate and then broke into the main building of the mosque.

Superintendent Kevin Purcell, North Worcestershire police commander, said: "For as long as I can remember the relationship between the Muslim community in Redditch, the police and the wider community would best be described as excellent.

"Due to incidents happening nationally targeted patrols have been put in place and these will now be further increased as we will not tolerate mindless attacks of this nature.

"I will be arranging meetings with the chairs of the mosques, local civic leaders and the Independent Advisory Group to reassure them of our commitment and determination to do everything possible to prevent and further such incidents and track down those responsible for this attack."

The graffiti comes just days after detectives in Walsall launched a major hate-crime investigation when a small home-made bomb exploded near a mosque.

Around 150 people were evacuated from their homes in the Caldmore area of Walsall on Saturday night while bomb disposal experts made the device safe.

West Midlands Police said a loud bang heard by residents late on Friday "appeared to be consistent" with the device exploding. No one was injured and it caused minimal damage.

Last week two men were charged in relation to an alleged arson at a mosque in Gloucester, and an Islamic cultural centre in Grimsby was hit by petrol bombs last month.

Mosques in Braintree, Essex, and Gillingham, Kent, have also been targeted.

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Mosque Bomb: Anti-Terror Police Drafted In

Counter-terrorism police have been drafted in to help with a hate crime investigation after a home-made bomb exploded near a mosque.

Around 150 people were evacuated from their homes in the Caldmore area of Walsall on Saturday night while bomb disposal experts dealt with the small device.

West Midlands Police said a loud bang heard by residents late on Friday "appeared to be consistent" with the device exploding. No one was injured and it caused minimal damage.

The remains of the device were found in an alleyway adjoining the Aisha Mosque and Islamic Centre in Rutter Street on Saturday by a local man who took them home and showed them to his wife.

The mosque's imam also took them home later before anyone realised their significance.

Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Rowe said: "The force is taking this attack against the mosque very seriously and we have a major investigation under way.

Police confirmed the suspicious package was an explosive device

"To that end, I have called in support from all over the force, including the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, which has a number of experts supporting the inquiry.

"Specialist investigators have been working all day and continue to ensure that we maximise every opportunity from the crime scene."

She added: "At this stage we are keeping an open mind on a motive, but have recorded it as a hate crime. A hate crime is any criminal act committed against a person or property that is motivated by the offender's hatred of people because of their gender, race, religion, disability or sexual orientation."

Police have stepped up patrols in Walsall to reassure the community, despite believing the planting of the device was an isolated incident.

The mosque is known for its open policy, welcoming people from other religions. A spokesman said there have never been any problems at the venue.

Zia ul Haq, a committee member and spokesman for the Aisha Mosque, thanked the police and local authority for their support.

"We found this suspicious item which we didn't consider to be very serious or very threatening. but as a precaution we thought that we would call the police and bring this to their attention," he said.

A bomb disposal team near the mosque

"They have taken this very seriously and they have supported us wholeheartedly."

Bomb disposal experts from the Royal Logistic Corps attended the scene to ensure the device was safe and forensic teams spent several hours conducting a detailed search for evidence.

About 80 people evacuated from the area as a precautionary measure overnight were given shelter by Walsall Council, while 70 residents stayed with friends or family.

Councillor Zahid Ali, portfolio holder for public health and protection, said: "We stand shoulder to shoulder together as a community in support of the police.

"We've worked very hard with the community and shown that we were there for them when the evacuated residents needed shelter.

"Walsall has really shown its mettle in coming together and responding with calm determination."

It comes after a number of recent incidents at mosques following the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich, London.

Last week, two men were charged in relation to an alleged arson at a mosque in Gloucester, and an Islamic cultural centre in Grimsby was hit by petrol bombs last month.

Mosques in Braintree, Essex, and Gillingham, Kent, have also been targeted.

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Gus Poyet: Brighton Boss Fired During TV Show

A 'surprised' Gus Poyet learned he had been sacked as Brighton manager while working as a football pundit on a live television programme.

The Uruguayan was appearing on the BBC which was covering the Confederations Cup match between Spain and Nigeria.

Poyet, 45, found out about his dismissal when the show's staff handed him a copy of a club statement during the first half.

The programme's host Mark Chapman read out the statement about the sacking in the half-time break.

The club had announced the dismissal, which had not been unexpected, on their Twitter feed.

Poyet said: "I think the BBC have a great story forever, because a manager getting information that he is being released from his employment by the BBC is quite surprising.

"I have had no communication, no texts, no email. I didn't receive anything on my phone so it is all up to you and the timing.

"The only thing I'm concentrating on is the appeal. I will appeal because it's the right thing to do."

The statement claimed the club had informed Poyet of the decision, but he refuted that.

After the match ended, Poyet re-appeared on screen and revealed the Championship side had subsequently made contact.

Poyet plans to appeal against the sacking

In the statement, Brighton said Poyet's three-and-a-half-year tenure had been terminated following a decision by the Seagulls' internal disciplinary panel into a, so far, unidentified matter.

It said: "Gus Poyet has been informed today by Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club's internal disciplinary panel that his employment has been terminated with immediate effect.

"This followed his suspension, an investigation, and a subsequent formal disciplinary process. In line with the club's own procedures, and UK employment law, Mr Poyet now has a right of appeal. As such, the club will make no further comment on this matter."

Poyet confirmed he would be appealing against the decision.

Brighton have remained tight-lipped over the reasons for the disciplinary action against Poyet and he declined the opportunity to shed any further light on the club's reasons for his dismissal.

His feud with the club has gathered pace since Brighton suffered a play-off defeat to Crystal Palace last month.

Poyet, assistant manager Mauricio Taricco and coach Charlie Oatway were subsequently told to stay away from the club in the wake of a disciplinary hearing, although Taricco's ban has since been lifted.

Poyet said he had not expected Sunday's decision, which came after a disciplinary hearing had to be adjourned last week when he opted not to attend.

"Not really. Today there have been plenty of phone calls between the representatives," he said.

"Everybody and the viewers can take their own conclusion about the way I have been informed.

"(Are they) messing with my career? We'll see. I think it is too early to say. I'm looking forward to making sure we clear this."

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Lawrence 'Smear Plot': Cameron Wants Inquiry

The Prime Minister David Cameron has said he wants an immediate investigation into claims the Met Police carried out an operation to "smear" the family of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence.

The claims emerged in an interview with a former undercover police officer.

Peter Francis said he was told to find "dirt" that could be used against members of the Lawrence family, shortly after the 18-year-old was killed in a racist attack in April 1993, the Guardian reported.

He was also asked to target the friend who witnessed the murder and campaigners angry at the failure to bring his killers to justice, the newspaper said.

Downing Street said Mr Cameron was "deeply concerned" about the allegations and wants them looked into.

Mr Lawrence's mother, Doreen, told the Guardian that there was no justification for efforts to discredit her family following her son's murder.

Doreen Lawrence said the revelation 'tops' everything she knows

Scotland Yard said it recognised the seriousness of the allegations and shared the concerns of the Lawrence family.

"The Met must balance the genuine public interest in these matters with its duty to protect officers and former officers who have been deployed undercover, often in difficult and dangerous circumstances," a spokesman said.

"At some point it will fall upon this generation of police leaders to account for the activities of our predecessors, but for the moment we must focus on getting to the truth."

The claims have surfaced as a result of a joint investigation into undercover policing by the Guardian and Channel 4's Dispatches programme, to be broadcast this evening.

Mr Francis, who reportedly posed as an anti-racist activist in the mid-1990s, said he came under "huge and constant pressure" to "hunt for disinformation" to undermine those arguing for a better investigation into the murder.

The teenager's death sparked a change in how race crimes are investigated

He told the Guardian: "I had to get any information on what was happening in the Stephen Lawrence campaign.

"They wanted the campaign to stop. It was felt it was going to turn into an elephant.

"Throughout my deployment there was almost constant pressure on me personally to find out anything I could that would discredit these campaigns."

Mr Lawrence, an aspiring architect, was stabbed to death by a group of up to six white youths in an unprovoked racist attack as he waited at a bus stop in Eltham, southeast London.

In January 2012, Gary Dobson and David Norris were found guilty of being involved in the attack and sentenced to life imprisonment after a forensic review of the case found significant new scientific evidence on clothing seized from their homes following the murder.

Responding to Mr Francis's claims, Mrs Lawrence told the Guardian: "Out of all the things I've found out over the years, this certainly has topped it."

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described Mr Francis's claims as "shocking and appalling" and called for Home Secretary Theresa May to seek a faster investigation into his specific allegations.

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