Mortgages 'Most Affordable For 14 Years'

By Nick Martin, News Correspondent

Mortgages are more affordable now than at any time in the past 14 years, according to the latest figures.

Monthly payments now account for 27% of a new borrower's income in the second quarter of 2013, well below the average for the past 30 years.

Lower house prices and reduced mortgage interest rates have been the main drivers behind the significant improvement in affordability, according to the Halifax.

Halifax mortgage director Craig McKinlay said: "Substantial mortgage rate reductions and lower house prices have led to a significant improvement in mortgage affordability since the peak of the housing market six years' ago.

"The Funding for Lending Scheme has helped lenders to cut mortgage rates causing a further modest improvement in affordability over the past year despite the modest rise in house prices nationally."

It is good news for first-time buyers.

James Almond from Bramhall near Stockport has just got on to the properly ladder.

The 38-year-old bar manager said he felt the right deals were available to take the plunge.

He said: "I used a mortgage broker to look at the best deals and in the end it was quite affordable.

"Many of my friends aren't so lucky and are still living with their parents because the deposits required are so large."

But there remains a clear north-south divide when it comes to mortgage affordability, according to the Halifax.

Mortgage payments are at their lowest in Northern Ireland where they are just 17% of incomes compared to 36% in Greater London.

Independent mortgage consultant Richard Ignatowicz said the market can change quickly.

 "We can't just say mortgages are now more affordable than ever. It doesn't mean much in isolation.

"Borrowers need to be cautious about changes on the horizon. Will they still be able to afford a mortgage when the rate reverts to 5%? Tthat's the real question."

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Archbishop Of Canterbury Snubs Animal Charity

The Archbishop of Canterbury has turned down an invitation to be a patron of the RSPCA.

A spokeswoman for Lambeth Palace said it was because The Most Rev Justin Welby has "reluctantly decided to restrict his patronage".

His predecessor, Dr Rowan Williams, was vice-patron of the animal charity, which was founded by an Anglican priest in 1824.

The spokeswoman said: "Since taking office in March this year, the Archbishop has received many kind invitations to patron a large variety of charities and good causes.

Dog rescued by the RSPCA

"Each invitation has been an honour, and in an ideal world he would like to accept them all.

"However, in light of the sheer volume of the requests the Archbishop receives ... he has reluctantly decided to restrict his patronage to a manageable number of organisations, based on where he feels his support could be most beneficial.

"Nevertheless, the Archbishop has enormous admiration for the RSPCA and hopes to see its work thrive long into the future."

Last year the RSPCA was heavily criticised after it spent £326,000 on legal action against a fox hunt.

Critics claimed the "staggering" expense of bringing the prosecution against the Heythrop Hunt in the Cotswolds was a waste of money donated by supporters.

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GPs Warn Patients Could Face Long Waits

The majority of GPs fear patients could face longer waiting times because they are struggling to cope with "spiralling workloads and dwindling resources".

A survey of 206 family doctors by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) found that four in five had "insufficient resources" to provide high quality patient care, while 47% admitted they had cut back on the range of services they provide.

More than four in five GPs are worried that it will become increasingly difficult to deliver continuity of care to at-risk elderly people.

The RCGP said general practice was at "breaking point" and called for an emergency package of investment like the £500m bailout given to A&E departments last week.

Clare Gerada, chairwoman of the RCGP, warned that if general practice "starts to crumble" there could be "disastrous" consequences for patients.

She told Sky News: "Around about 90% of all NHS activity is carried out in general practice for only 9% of the budget.

"GPs are what makes the NHS cost effective. A year of care by a GP is about the same as a hospital might get for one attendance in the emergency department.

"Yet what we're finding is that the investment is being put into hospitals but it's general practice that needs the help because if it folds then the rest of the NHS will be unsustainable.

"Last week the English Government announced an additional £500m for A&E departments. What we need is our fair share of funding so that GPs can do more for our patients in their communities."

Ben Dyson, director of commissioning policy and primary care at NHS England, said: "We fully recognise that demands and patterns of healthcare are changing, and that this is increasing pressure on parts of the NHS.

"That's why we have recently published a 'call to action' about the future of general practice to help stimulate new, innovative approaches to providing services and ensuring every patient gets the care they need.

"Our key aim is to enable GP practices both to provide more coordinated care for people with more complex needs and to provide more accessible and responsive service, in conjunction with partners in community and social care."

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Hannah Smith: Funeral For Cyberbullying Teen

Full Statement From Ask.Fm Founders

Updated: 5:52pm UK, Thursday 08 August 2013

We would firstly like to again express our sincerest sympathies to the family of Hannah Smith, whose death was a true tragedy.

As we explained to the press earlier this week, as soon as we heard the news we approached the Leicestershire police and have been speaking to them throughout this week.

We are committed to supporting the Leicestershire police in their investigation to ensure that they are able to uncover the true circumstances surrounding Hannah's suicide.

We ask the press and public to respect that for legal and privacy reasons neither we - nor the police - are able to discuss the circumstances surrounding Hannah's case any further. We will therefore not be giving any interviews on this subject.

However, in view of the unprecedented press interest in the role of social media platforms such as Ask.fm, Facebook, Twitter and others, we would like to reassure all users and parents of users that we are committed to ensuring that our site is a safe environment.

We do not condone bullying of any kind, or any form of unacceptable use of our site.

We have implemented various measures over the past months to continue to improve our users' safety, and we have implemented improved reporting policies.

We have been working with experts at the UK's Safer Internet Centre, and thus the wider EU InSafe organisation, and are in constant discussions with them regarding our privacy and safety policies and the ways in which we may be able to enhance them.

This is an on-going activity, which Ask.fm is wholly committed to.

In view of this week's events, we wish to highlight a number of existing "safety" features available for users for Ask.fm:

1) The site has an 'in-question' reporting function, which has been in place since 2012, and is similar to the in-Tweet function announced by Twitter this week. This feature enables our users to report with just one click any question that they may find objectionable or offensive.

2) It is integral to the site that users should have control over what appears on their Ask.fm feed. We have never allowed questions to be published on the site before they've been answered.

Thus - if a user receives a question that they find objectionable or offensive, they don't need to respond and we encourage them to report the question to us.

3) We believe one of our site's advantages is that everything is open - rather than hidden in private inboxes. This means that anyone can report anything they see that may be of concern.

If parents see something on their teenager's Ask.fm page that they are concerned about, they too can click the in-question reporting button and alert our moderators.

4) Anonymity can be switched off in a user's privacy settings - our users have always been able to elect not to receive anonymous questions, and equally our users can also elect never to ask an anonymous question.

5) Although it is possible to post anonymously to the site, we would like to reassure parents that in almost all cases it is possible for Ask.fm to identify users - through IP technology, everything on the internet is traceable.

And in extreme circumstances such as those we've experienced this week we work through existing legal frameworks to ensure this information is accessible to the appropriate legal authorities.

6) While many sites use automated machines to monitor content, we have a team of human moderators that works around the clock - 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days per year.

They manually check every photograph or video that is posted to our site - ensuring that anything of a sexual, pornographic or violent nature is removed.

Our moderators also read and deal appropriately with every concern or report that is raised by a user; we remove content if we feel it infringes our Terms of Service.

7) We have a direct working relationship between Ask.fm and the EU's InSafe organisation. This means that if a concern is ever raised through the EU InSafe channels, they have a designated contact liaison at Ask.fm.

8) We comply with the United State's Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (1998) and we are working with a renowned expert to ensure that our moderation policies continue to lead the way in this area.

As we stated above, we are constantly working to improve our site, including its safety features. We are currently working on a series of updates with more safety features and information.

In view of some of the recent press reporting, what is important to note is that the vast majority of our users are using the site appropriately and are just having fun.

However, we would like to reiterate that it's really important that anyone who sees anything they do not like or feel uncomfortable with uses the appropriate reporting mechanisms to bring these issues to our team's attention as soon as possible.

Our site has grown rapidly over the past year and one of our greatest challenges (like any fast growing business) has been ensuring that our internal resources and capabilities are able to expand at a proportional and appropriate rate.

We strive to ensure we have the best people and this includes our moderators and customer services staff, where we have invested heavily to reflect this growth. We will continue to do this.

We hope that this corrects some of the recent media reports and offers reassurance to our users and their parents that our site has safety features which are in-line with, if not better than, other social networking sites.

The vast majority of our users are very happy teenagers, who use Ask.fm to converse with their peers around the world about the things that interest them. Bullying is an age-old problem that we in no way condone - and while its evolution online is disturbing, it certainly is not unique to our site.

We will continue to work with the appropriate organisations to safeguard against bullying on Ask.fm - and we would welcome the opportunity to align with the rest of industry and society in fighting it on a higher level.

We are proud of the phenomenal popularity of the social network we have created and strive every day to make it better and safer.

Mark and Ilja Terebin

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Peru Drugs: Melissa Reid Reunited With Father

The father of a British woman being held on suspicion of drug-smuggling in Peru has had an emotional reunion with his daughter.

William Reid told Melissa Reid, who turns 20 today, to "be strong" and vowed to bring her home after flying to the capital Lima.

Ms Reid, from Kirkintilloch in East Dunbartonshire, and Michaella McCollum Connolly, 20, from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, are suspected of trying to leave the country with £1.5m worth of cocaine in their luggage.

They were detained while trying to board a flight from the Peruvian capital to Spain last week.

The pair both deny the accusations, and say they are victims of a violent gang who coerced them into carrying the drugs.

Lawyer Peter Madden, who is representing Ms McCollum Connolly, is expected to arrive in Peru later on Friday.

As he left Belfast for Lima he said she would deny any allegations if charged, but warned that legal proceedings could be lengthy.

He said: "She is saying she has done nothing wrong, that she is innocent and that as far as any offences are concerned, if she is charged she will be denying it."

According to the Daily Mail, during their meeting at the Dirando police station,  Ms Reid told her father: "They made me do it."

She told him that while she worked on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza she was introduced to a British man who eventually forced her into meeting a gang of Colombian gangsters, who put a gun to her head.

She told her father the gang forced her to fly to Peru, saying: "I wanted to tell the air hostesses or anyone in the airports, but the men said they would know if we had spoken to anyone, that they were watching all the time.

"It was a choice between doing what I was told and getting it over and done with and hopefully getting back to Spain or trying to escape and being killed."

Ms Reid said she fears evidence in Peru has been contaminated by police because they did not wear gloves as they handled the food bags in which the drugs are said to have been stored, according the newspaper.

When she was told to return to her cell, her father told her: "We will do everything we can to get you out of here. We will work something out."

Police are waiting for a translator before officially questioning the two women, which is expected to happen in the next few days.

They may be held pre-charge for up to 30 days and could then spend up to three years in prison before a trial.

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Tailgating And Lane Hogging Fines In Force

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

Tailgaters and middle-lane hoggers could be hit with on-the-spot fines of £100 and three points on their driving licence from today.

The idea is to make it easier for the police to tackle problem drivers without being tied up with the bureaucracy of taking offenders to court.

Policing the new laws will require officers to make a subjective judgement on whether a particular manoeuvre is illegal or not, according to solicitor Neil Davies, who specialises in motoring offences.

He said: "One of the ways in which a court would assess that question is has the person driving departed from the Highway Code - how well is that person driving?

"Now in issuing the fixed penalty notices of course one would hope that police officers do exercise a degree of discretion, a degree of common sense and that they only issue these notices in appropriate circumstances."

Few motorists would admit to flaunting the Highway Code themselves but for most tailgating and lane hogging are pet hates, so the new laws have been welcomed.

Officers will make a subjective judgement on driving standards

Under the new legislation, fines for other offences, from using hand-held mobile phones or not wearing a seatbelt, to driving without insurance, have also been increased - from £60 to £100 and from £200 to £300 respectively.

Although fines have gone up, penalty points will remain unchanged, as will fixed penalty notices for parking, waiting and obstruction offences.

The Department of Transport said: "The changes will give the police the power to issue fixed penalty notices for careless driving and allow them greater flexibility when dealing with less serious careless driving offences - such as tailgating or middle-lane hogging - as well as freeing them from resource intensive court processes.

"The police will also be able to offer educational training as an alternative to licence endorsement, and drivers will still be able to appeal any decision in court."

Most motoring groups support the changes, although some road safety campaigners think the punishments should be more severe.

One concern is who will police the new laws, with only half as many traffic officers on Britain's roads as there were in the 1990s.

But senior officers insist they will be enforced and that more serious cases will still be taken to court where the offenders may face higher penalties.

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Tributes For Sky Cameraman Killed In Cairo

The Chief Executive of BSkyB has paid tribute to Sky News cameraman Mick Deane, who was shot dead while covering unrest on the streets of Egypt.

Jeremy Darroch expressed his "deepest sympathy" to the 61-year-old's family, adding that the cameraman's death is a reminder of "the bravery and commitment that journalists often show each and every day."

"Like everyone at Sky I was extremely saddened to hear that our colleague Mick Deane had been killed covering the unrest in Cairo," Mr Darroch said.

"Our deepest sympathy and thoughts go to Mick's family in obviously what is a very, very difficult time. We'll be doing whatever we can to help them and Mick's colleagues in the Sky News team.

"Sky News and other news organisations throughout the world play a vital role in bringing information and insight to us all, and in showing the truth in events that occur throughout the world.

"But the tragic events and Mick's death I think also remind us that this is often dangerous work, and of the bravery and commitment that journalists show often each and every day in their search for the truth."

Mick Dean has been described as an inspiring mentor

The married father of two was part of a Sky News team covering the ongoing violence in Cairo. The rest of the news team was unhurt.

Mr Deane had worked for Sky for 15 years, based in Washington and then Jerusalem.

The Head of Sky News, John Ryley, described Mr Deane as the very best of cameramen, a brilliant journalist and an inspiring mentor to many.

"Mick Deane was a really lovely, lovely guy. He was great fun to work with; he was an astonishingly good cameraman who took some brilliant pictures.

"But he also had a first class editorial brain. He had brilliant ideas. He was also good fun after the job was done. He was laid back, and I'm really going to miss him, like lots of people here."

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall called Mr Deane "a friend, brave as a lion but what a heart... what a human being".

He added: "Micky was humorous in a dry way, he was wise and when you're on the road with small teams, people like that are diamonds to be with.

"Our hearts go out to his family. He died doing what he'd done so brilliantly for decades."

 Prime Minister David Cameron said: "I want to say how sorry I am about the death of Mick Deane.

"It is an incredibly brave and important job he was doing. It is essential that cameramen are in places like Egypt because otherwise none of us would know what is happening.

"But obviously our thoughts should be with his family and friends at this very, very difficult time for them."

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Pair Charged With Attempted Rape Of Baby

A man and a woman have been charged with attempted rape of a baby girl after a child was admitted to a hospital in Colchester.

Essex Police were contacted by social services after the baby was admitted to Colchester General Hospital on August 10.

The 31-year-old man and 23-year-old woman have also been charged with neglect and assault after the 10-week-old baby girl was found to have suffered serious injuries.

The pair also each face three counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, relating to serious head injuries and injuries of a sexual nature.

They have been remanded in custody and will appear at Colchester Magistrates' Court later.

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A-Level Results: Another Fall In Top Grades

The proportion of A-levels awarded at least an A grade has fallen for the second year in a row, official figures have revealed.

A total of 26.3% of entries scored an A or A* this year, down from 26.6% in 2012 when the pass rate at both grades fell for the first time in more than 20 years.

The 0.3% drop is believed to be the second biggest fall in the history of the exam.

The number of A* grades achieved also dipped, with 7.6% of pupils reaching the top grade compared to 7.9% last year.

However, the overall pass rate at A*-E rose slightly by 0.1% with some 98.1% of exams given at least an E compared to 98% last year.

More than 300,000 school leavers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving their results today.

A record number of applicants - 385,910 - have already been accepted onto university courses despite rising interest in apprenticeships.

The national results picture shows boys outperformed girls at the very top and widened the gap, with 8% achieving an A* compared to 7.4% of girls.

Girls are still slightly ahead on A* and A grades combined but their results fell half a percentage point this year to lessen the difference.

There was also a major contrast between the subjects picked by each gender.

For example, girls accounted for seven in 10 entries in English but in physics, four in every five pupils were boys.

Officials said the gender gap had been present for some time but had "extenuated" this year.

The fall in the overall number of top grades came as rising numbers opted to study science and maths at A-level.

It appears to bear out the suggestion that more youngsters choosing to take traditional subjects to help their chances of a university offer could fuel a slight fall.

Biology, chemistry and physics accounted for 17.8% of all entries, up from 17% last year and 15% in 2009, according to the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).

One in eight (12%) were for maths and further maths, up from 11.5% in 2012 and 9.8% five years ago.

A-level economics also appears to be enjoying a surge in popularity, with entries up 50% since 2007 and at 26,139 in 2013.

However, young people are still turning their backs on modern languages with both French and German entries down again this year.

JCQ director Michael Turner said: "The continued rise in subjects such as the sciences, mathematics and the extended project, will be welcomed.

"However, that so few students take a language A-level is disappointing and, lthough Spanish continues to show growth, the overall trend remains downwards."

Admissions service Ucas said 31,600 more applicants had been accepted by UK universities and colleges than last year, a rise of 9%.

Around 345,300 were accepted by their first choice. Another 98,740 are waiting for their results or decisions and 145,730 are eligible for clearing.

Ucas chief executive Mary Curnock Cook said: "Demand for higher education has recovered after a dip last year and universities are keen to accept qualified applicants."

The rise is despite a three-fold increase in tuition fees at many universities and concern about whether degrees adequately prepare students for the workplace.

It comes after the first drop in students accepting undergraduate places since 2008 was recorded in 2012/13, according to the Higher Education Funding Council. 

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Teen Stabbing Death: Arrest Over London Killing

A 16-year-old boy has died and another is in hospital with facial injuries after a knife attack in east London.

The two teenagers were attacked by a group of men wearing bandanas and hoods in Spey Street, Poplar, east London, at around 9.50pm on Monday.

Ajmol was described as a "splendid young man"

Ajmol Alom was pronounced dead at hospital, while the other 16-year-old is still being treated for his injuries, which are not life-threatening.

A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Tuesday morning and has been questioned.

Ajmol's headteacher at Langdon Park School, Chris Dunne, described Ajmol as a "splendid young man" who had a bright academic future ahead of him.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Chalmers said Ajmol, who was of Bengali origin, was with Bengali friends when he was attacked.

Speaking at the scene, he said: "Initial indications are that Ajmol was with four friends. They were peaceful, they were conducting conversations at the location, Spey Street, which is behind me.

"They were then confronted by five to six other males who were wearing bandanas and were hooded.

Ajmol had a bright future, says his headteacher

"There appears to have been an unprovoked attack when the victim received his facial injuries and then Ajmol was stabbed."

Mr Chalmers said police were keeping an open mind as to whether the attack was gang related, adding that "initial indications are that Ajmol was not linked to any gangs".

Mr Dunne said the youngster was due to receive "good" GSCE results next Thursday.

He said: "Hardworking, industrious, but also a very caring and thoughtful young man. He was very able in all areas, but that didn't mean he didn't work incredibly hard."

Mr Dunne added that Ajmol was planning to take A-levels before going on to a "very good university" where he had spoken of studying medicine.

A second 16-year-old was hurt in the stabbing in Poplar

He said the teenager had recently taken part in a conflict resolution project with other young people from Northern Ireland, in which he was "hugely active".

A man, who claimed to be a relative, said the teenager was predicted to get an A* in his maths GCSE but "was hanging around with the wrong crowd".

"He was really quiet, he was into sports. He was really into boxing and got a medal for it," he said.

Ajmol's family has been told about his death and a post-mortem examination will be held, Scotland Yard said.

A forensic team searches an area on Spey Street

Former mayor of Tower Hamlets Doros Ullah said he visited the murder scene after hearing what had happened.

He said: "The chap that got killed was a very good boy. He used to pray five times a day.

"He was not someone who had been involved in any trouble in the past."

Mr Ullah said he had been told the teenager was the victim of mistaken identity.

He said: "There was an incident in the past involving the boys from this area and another area and we believe that it is a repercussion of that, that the boys from the other area decided to come back and take revenge so it's a territorial gang problem."

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Don't Send Thieves To Prison, Says Law Expert

Thieves and fraudsters should be spared jail and punished with fines and community sentences instead, a legal expert has said.

Law professor Andrew Ashworth believes imprisonment for "pure property offences", including those who continually commit such crimes, is disproportionate.

He said the focus should be on making sure perpetrators make amends and that victims are compensated - which he argued was less likely from someone behind bars with little or no income.

Prison, as the UK's most severe punishment, should be reserved for the most serious crimes only including those of a violent, threatening or sexual nature, he said.

His comments are in a pamphlet titled What If Imprisonment Were Abolished For Property Offences? which has been released by the Howard League for Penal Reform which plans to distribute it to every magistrates' court in England and Wales in a bid to spark a debate on sentencing issues.

Victims say they want the punishment to fit the crime

Prof Ashworth, the Vinerian Professor of English Law at Oxford University, said while prison should still be considered in cases of robbery, blackmail and burglary, its use is disproportionate for crimes that do not involve violence, threats or sexual assault.

According the professor, prison sentences are only truly worth considering where a victim is targeted because of their vulnerability, although there may be some exceptions.

His pamphlet states that some 20,000 people go to prison each year for theft or handling stolen goods, 5,000 for fraud and 1,000 for criminal damage.

The effect of such a policy would reduce the number of men serving prison sentences by 8% (5,000 men) and women by 21% (700 women), saving around £230m each year, it claims.

A spokesman for Victim Support said: "Victims tell us they want more than anything else the punishment to fit the crime and for the criminal not to re-offend.

"A community sentence may be appropriate in some instances of property crime but not in others because crime type is not a reliable indicator of the impact an offence has on an individual victim.

"It would be hard for community sentences to retain public confidence if offenders knew they could keep committing certain types of crime and never be jailed.

"It is essential when passing sentence that judges and magistrates can take into account the full facts of the case - including the impact on the victim - not just the nature of the offence."

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Whipps Cross Hospital 'Unsafe And Uncaring'

An NHS trust has been issued with three formal warnings after inspectors found "unsafe" conditions including filthy maternity wards and water placed out of the reach of elderly patients.

Barts Health NHS Trust "failed to protect the safety and welfare of patients" at Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone, east London, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said.

The trust must now make "urgent improvements", following unannounced inspections in May and June.

The hospital was failing to meet 10 of the 16 national standards for quality and safety, inspectors found.

On maternity wards, "serious shortfalls" were noted, such as blood-stained equipment, filthy curtains, staff not cleaning their hands and midwives failing to carry out proper checks on newborns.

Resuscitation equipment for babies did not have an oxygen supply and was not checked regularly, while some equipment was not sterile, inspectors found.

"We saw examples of poor care, unacceptable staff behaviour and poor infection control in maternity services," inspectors said in their report.

"In surgery, theatre processes and communication arrangements put people's safety at risk."

During just one visit, inspectors identified "serious shortfalls" in eight out of the 16 essential standards hospitals are required to meet by law.

Staff on postnatal wards were found to be "uncaring".

The report said: "We saw a woman in a blood-stained gown and bed. About 10 minutes later we saw the same woman crying in the corridor.

"The midwife on duty asked the woman 'Why are you crying?' The woman replied 'I am in pain'. 'Pain!' the midwife repeated in a sarcastic manner.

"The midwife got some medication and handed her a white pot which contained tablets without telling the woman what the tablets were.

"We observed the same midwife bringing the wrong formula milk (as it was different to what the woman had previously been feeding her baby). When asked by the woman, the midwife did not accept she had brought the wrong milk and did not offer the woman the correct alternative."

On the labour wards, the theatre sluice pipe had previously leaked onto the floor.

"We saw visible dried stains on that sluice pipe and floor," inspectors said.

Inspectors also found shortages of staff on elderly care wards, including a lack of qualified nurses.

Barts Health NHS Trust chief executive Peter Morris said: "Barts Health is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of every one of our patients and we are extremely sorry for the failings in some of our services at Whipps Cross Hospital.

"We have taken immediate action to rectify the failures to ensure we meet standards across the hospital at all times."

Barts Health NHS Trust is already under scrutiny by chief inspector of hospitals Professor Sir Mike Richards.

It is one of 18 trusts being examined due to potential risks to patients, and is one of five on the list, announced in July, that is considered to be "high risk".

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) London regional director Bernell Bussue said: "It's deeply concerning to see these failures in relation to basic standards of infection control, hygiene, waiting times and providing adequate food and drink."

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Britain's Most Wanted Fraudsters Revealed

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

These are the faces of 25 most wanted identity fraudsters who were caught in the act.

They allegedly stole other people's personal details and then tried to use their own photographs to get passports, driving licences and other official documents.

Some of their victims may have had information taken in burglaries or muggings, others may simply have been intimidated into revealing it.

The scam is often used by organised gangs to commit crimes such as money laundering, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, say investigators.

Nigel Kirby, of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), said: "Be in no doubt, these fraudulently obtained documents are being used by criminals for criminal purposes.

"Passports and driving licences do not just allow you to travel and drive, they are important identity documents that can be used to support applications for mortgages, bank loans and benefits."

The Crimestoppers charity wants the public's help in tracking down the 25 alleged fraudsters.

Director of operations Roger Critchell said: "We need to protect ourselves from such criminals, particularly now with data-driven identity crimes making up the vast majority of all fraud in the UK."

Identity theft is the fastest growing type of fraud in Britain, and hit an all-time high last year with 150,000 identifiable victims, according to the UK's Fraud Prevention Service CIFAS.

:: Anyone who recognises any of the suspects can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online

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Housing Market Recovery 'Round The Corner'

House price rises are now being seen across the country as activity grows following the financial crisis.

According to the latest housing market report by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) there are signs a recovery is "round the corner".

The West Midlands and the North East, areas which Rics said have "suffered more than most" since the market crash, experienced the biggest increases in buyer activity in July.

And growth in buyer numbers was seen across the UK as the upswing in activity, which has been particularly concentrated in London and the South East, spread outwards.

Around 53% more surveyors reported increases rather than falls in demand.

As buyer numbers strengthened, prices rose across the country for the fourth month in a row, growing at their fastest rate since the market peak of November 2006, Rics said.

The building of new houses is picking up as demand increases

Looking ahead, a balance of 35% more surveyors expect prices to continue their increase rather than fall, while 53% more surveyors expect sales to rise over the next three months.

The Rics figures were released ahead of official statistics which also showed an acceleration in prices.

In the 12 months to June, the Office for National Statistics said UK house prices increased by 3.1%, up from a 2.9% increase in the 12 months to May.

The ONS found that house price growth remained stable across most of the UK, though London was increasing faster than the UK average.

Peter Bolton King, Rics global residential director, said: "It is clearly good news that those parts of the property market that were struggling are at last showing some signs of life."

The Communities Secretary Eric Pickles

Lenders, estate agents and property websites have been reporting big uplifts in activity this year following the launch of various Government schemes to unblock the housing market.

More first-time buyers have been seen entering the market and sellers also appear to be more confident about sticking close to their asking prices amid improved mortgage availability.

But fears have been raised that the initiatives must not lead to a property bubble.

A Government scheme called Help to Buy is in particular focus.

The Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has insisted Government initiatives are creating a "sustainable" boost in UK housing.

He made the remark as his department released figures showing reservations for new-build homes under Help To Buy had reached 10,000.

Mr Pickles said the equity loan scheme was "giving the confidence to house builders to deliver and build more new homes" and that housebuilding was now at its highest level since 2008.

Between October 2010 and October 2012, 319,000 additional homes across England were added to the supply, according to the figures, with more than 150,000 affordable homes added.

Repossessions were also at a six-year low and mortgage arrears at their lowest since 2008, officials said.

Labour's Shadow Housing Minister Jack Dromey painted a different picture - despite welcoming Government help for first time buyers.

He said: "David Cameron's Government has presided over the lowest level of homes built than any other peacetime Government since the 1920s.

"Their failure to build the affordable homes the country needs means there is real concern that this scheme (Help to Buy) will do little to bring the cost of housing within the reach of low and middle income earners."

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Rail Fares To Rise By 4.1% In January 2014

Rail fares are set ro rise by an average of 4.1% in January after the latest RPI inflation figure was revealed.

Thousands of people have been protesting at 50 stations across the UK against the rise of rail fares compared to the average earnings.

Train companies raise average regulated fares, such as season tickets, by one percentage point on top of July's RPI inflation figure, today revealed as 3.1%.

However, unregulated fares set by individual train companies could rise by more than 4.1%.

Campaigners claim train fares have risen three times faster than wages in the last six years.

The next price hike will be the sixth time in seven years that rail fares have outstripped wages, they say.

Between 2008 and next January rail fares will have jumped by 40%, compared with a 15% increase in average earnings, it is claimed.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) warned some season tickets could rise by 9%, against forecasts of a 2.4% increase in average earnings next year.

It said rail privatisation was costing taxpayers £1.2bn a year despite "minimal" investment in trains and stations.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Every year hard-pressed rail commuters have to hand over an ever greater share of their earnings just to get to and from work.

Campaigners protested at King's Cross and other stations

"Wage-busting fare rises are not even going on much needed service improvements either. Instead, passenger and public subsidies are lining the pockets of the shareholders of private rail companies."

The TUC and the Action For Rail campaign group have planned a series of demonstrations at stations including Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Glasgow Central, Manchester Piccadilly, Newcastle Central and London's Paddington and Victoria.

Stephen Joseph, chief executive of Campaign For Better Transport, said: "Getting to work is now the biggest single monthly outgoing for many commuters - more than food, more than housing.

"For the sake of the economy, we should end above-inflation fare increases now and start planning for fare reductions."

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said nobody liked paying more for fares but the Government was investing heavily in the railways.

"Nobody likes to see rail fares go up. I don't like to see it and passengers don't like to see it," he said.

"We are massively investing in the railways, with £130m being spent here at Nottingham, £800m at Reading and £600m at Birmingham.

"Running the railways is a very expensive business.

Regulated fares went up by 4.2% in January 2013, lower than initial plans for a hike of 6.2%.

The Government backed down from plans to allow a rise by 3% on top of RPI in the face of fierce opposition from passengers.

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CCTV Code Of Practice Comes Into Force

A new code of practice for the use of surveillance cameras in England and Wales has come into force.

The new rules - introduced by the Home Office - state that CCTV cameras should be used to protect and support people, not to spy on them.

The code states that: "The purpose … will be to ensure that individuals and wider communities have confidence that surveillance cameras are deployed to protect and support them, rather than spy on them.

"The Government considers that wherever overt surveillance in public places is in pursuit of a legitimate aim and meets a pressing need, any such surveillance should be characterised as surveillance by consent."

More than 1.85 million CCTV cameras are in operation across Britain, according to Association of Chief Police Officers research in 2009.

Most are operated by private companies, businesses and individuals.

Some 51,600 CCTV cameras are controlled by local authorities, while 2,107 schools operate a further 47,806 cameras. MOre than 100,000 watch us while we use public transport.

Campaigners say the code does not go far enough in ensuring CCTV systems are not misused.

Emma Carr, from civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, said CCTV remains a vital issue.

"We're getting an increasing amount of phone calls and letters from people who are concerned about their neighbours putting up CCTV cameras in their gardens, which cover their own private areas and sometimes look into their houses," she told Sky News.

"And then there's also the technological development in terms of CCTV. Facial recognition and HD CCTV cameras. These are all available online to pretty much anybody."

Britain's first town centre CCTV system was installed in King's Lynn in 1987.

Since that time the use of CCTV and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) in England and Wales has grown rapidly.

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Cycling 'Revolution' Shifts Into Top Gear

A big cash injection and a nationwide drive to promote cycling in cities and national parks has been announced by the Prime Minister.

The initiative includes plans to make roads safer for those on two wheels and means a number of English cities will get Government money for cycling schemes.

A total of £77m will be divided between Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford and Norwich.

The New Forest, Peak District, South Downs and Dartmoor areas will also each share another £17m funding for national parks.

With local contributions, the total new funding for cycling is £148m between now and 2015.

The announcement includes a commitment to cut red tape that can stifle cycle-friendly road design and to encourage changes to the way roads are built or altered.

Councils will be expected to up their game to deliver infrastructure that takes cycling into account from the design stage.

Mr Cameron said: "Following our success in the Olympics, the Paralympics and the Tour de France, British cycling is riding high - now we want to see cycling soar.

"Our athletes have shown they are among the best in the world and we want to build on that, taking our cycling success beyond the arena and onto the roads, starting a cycling revolution which will remove the barriers for a new generation of cyclists."

Bradley Wiggins has inspired a generation of Britons to cycle

He went on: "This Government wants to make it easier and safer for people who already cycle as well as encouraging far more people to take it up and business, local government, developers, road users and the transport sector all have a role to play in helping to achieve this."

New trunk road schemes, such as junction improvements or road-widening, will be 'cycle-proofed' so they can be navigated confidently by the average cyclist.

Significant junction upgrades will help cyclists at 14 locations on the trunk road network where major roads can prove an obstacle for journeys by bike.

A total of £5m will be invested in upgrades this year and a further £15m will be invested in 2015/16, with plans in place for many more similar schemes.

The boost is intended to put Britain on a level-footing with countries like Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "We have seen a significant growth in the number of cyclists in London over the last few years. But cycling shouldn't be confined to the capital.

"Today's announcement shows we are absolutely committed to boosting cycling in cities and the countryside across the whole of England."

However, shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle said: "No amount of cynical spin from David Cameron will make up for the fact that, immediately on taking office, he axed Cycle England, the Cycle Demonstration Towns scheme and the annual £60m budget to support cycling that he inherited.

"Since then he has axed targets to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads, reduced traffic enforcement, cut the THINK! awareness campaign and allowed longer HGVs."

But Professor David Cox, chairman of national cycling charity CTC, said: "David Cameron has today shown the leadership that CTC and other cycling groups have long called for.

Thousands of cyclists took part in an event in London recently

"We now urge MPs of all parties to speak up for cycling in Parliament in September, calling for the funding needed to transform Britain's streets into a continental-style 'Cycletopia'.

"With growing political support for cycling, this really might now be possible."

A feasibility study to look into creating a new national cycleway was also announced as part of the scheme.

The route would broadly follow the route of the HS2 rail line from London to Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester.

It would link communities and rail stations to work, schools and shops as well as countryside and tourist attractions along the way.

In addition, a new national School Awards Scheme  will be created to recognise schools that have demonstrated excellence in supporting cycling and walking.

The UK cycle industry, led by the Bicycle Association, has volunteered to work with the Government to sponsor this award.

It was also announced that the Government is extending its commitment to support Bikeability cycle training into 2015/16.

All of the cities receiving funding have either already implemented, or are looking to expand, the network of 20mph zones, with Norfolk and Cambridge looking to introduce extensive area-wide 20mph schemes.

Similar work has been done to make it easier to introduce 40mph limits in rural areas.

The announcement comes as workers on London's bicycle hire scheme, dubbed Boris Bikes, stage a 48-hour strike over pay and conditions.

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Shadow Immigration Minister Gives Speech

Shadow Immigration Minister Chris Bryant is giving a speech in central London on the issue of employing foreign staff.

More follows...

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HIV Home-Testing Kits: Law Change Proposed

HIV Mother Case Study

Updated: 10:29pm UK, Monday 04 March 2013

Sky News talks to a mother with HIV in the wake of the apparent cure of an HIV-infected baby in Mississippi.

Following a routine sexual health check-up in January 2010, Amanda Mammadova discovered that she was HIV Positive.

She had no reason to believe that she had contracted the disease and merely thought it was time to get checked out.

When she was told she was positive, she was convinced she would never have children again. So when she fell pregnant she said that whilst she was overjoyed, she was also filled with fear.

"As a mother the last thing you ever want to do is pass HIV onto your child or cause your child any harm," she said.

But after doctors advised her how to minimise the risk to the baby, and told her that the chances of the child being positive were minimal, she felt more comfortable.

However, Ms Mammadova thinks the latest news from America could potentially have a huge impact on those diagnosed as HIV positive and their attitudes to having a family.

"It's going to make a huge difference to people, the fact that this baby has come back as negative, as potentially cured. It means that you can still have a family, that you can still have a happy life have children … it's a huge thing," she said.

Ms Mammadova and her husband, who is HIV negative, hope that results from the US case will not only change the outlook of those who are HIV positive, but also go some way to address the social stigma that she says surrounds the disease.

"I see so many people who think their life is over … they're young and they can't have children because of their HIV. So this story will go some way to show them they can have children and they can have whatever they want."

The couple now face an agonising wait until April, when their daughter Saabira will be tested to see whether she is HIV positive or not. 

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High Street Housing Plans Come Under Fire

Store Vacancies Hit New High Level

Updated: 11:50am UK, Monday 20 May 2013

A surge in shopping centre vacancies means almost one in every eight British stores is now empty, according to a new survey.

Empty shops now account for 11.9% of retail space, after failures including Comet and Jessops knocked holes in the shopping hubs and out-of-town retail parks.

The percentage of UK shop vacancies in April worsened from 10.9% in January and was the highest rate since the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard survey began in 2011.

It said high streets have been "vastly outperforming" malls and retail parks, boosted by a 5% increase in evening drinkers, diners and clubbers.

The retail sector has been battered by a wave of failures this year, with entertainment retailer HMV and camera chain Jessops both entering administration in January.

Electricals retailer Comet slumped into administration in November.

BRC director general Helen Dickinson said: "It's a major concern that the vacancy rate has reached a record high, driven by increases in almost every part of the UK, with some regions like the South West seeing a significant leap in empty shop numbers."

But rising temperatures lifted April footfall 1% on a year earlier, a marked improvement on the 5.2% fall in March, as more shoppers ventured out compared with a rainy April 2012.

Ms Dickinson added: "The unsettled weather at the start of the month seems to have created pent-up demand, which brought many of us out to shop when more spring-like weather finally made an appearance."

High street footfall was up 3.4%, the strongest performance since December 2011, but shopping centre visitors fell 3%.

Greater London was the strongest-performing region with footfall rising 4.2% and just 7.4% of its shops vacant.

Footfall in Northern Ireland slumped 6.4% in April, while its shop vacancy rate hit 18.1%. In Wales, shoppers were down 2.1%, with a vacancy rate of 17.9%.

The South West saw footfall slide 1.3% and shop vacancies hit 14%.

The UK's surging vacancy rate follows recent downbeat sales figures from the BRC, which showed retail sales slumped at the fastest rate for a year in April as the timing of Easter and a freezing start to the month offset improvements in fashion and beauty.

Like-for-like sales fell 2.2% in April from a year earlier, with the early Easter hitting food sales in particular, it said.

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Wages: UK Workers In Europe's Bottom Four

Warning Over High Charity Wages

Updated: 10:36am UK, Tuesday 06 August 2013

Six figure salaries for staff at Britain's taxpayer-funded foreign aid charities risk bringing the industry into disrepute, the Charity Commission's chairman William Shawcross has warned.

Some 30 people working at the 14 leading UK charities that make up the 50-year old Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) are paid more than £100,000 a year, according to new figures. 

A Daily Telegraph investigation into charity industry salaries showed British Red Cross CEO Sir Nick Young earns £184,000 a year. 

James Forsyth, chief executive of Save the Children, earns £163,000, while the charity's chief operating officer Anabel Hoult earns £168,653.

Mr Shawcross told the Daily Telegraph: "It is not for the commission to tell charities how much they should pay their executives. That is a matter for their trustees.

"However, in these difficult times, when many charities are experiencing shortfalls, trustees should consider whether very high salaries are really appropriate, and fair to both the donors and the taxpayers who fund charities.

"Disproportionate salaries risk bringing organisations and the wider charitable world into disrepute."

Three years ago, 19 staff members at the DEC charities, which are mandated to raise funds quickly for crisis-struck parts of the world, earned more than £100,000.

DEC says it has run 62 appeals and raised more than £1.1bn since launching in 1963.

The charities involved with DEC include Action Aid, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, Care International, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Plan UK, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision.

Sir Stephen Bubb, chief executive of charity leaders organisation Acevo, said the intervention by Mr Shawcross was "deeply unhelpful".

The average salary for a charity chief executive was £58,000, he said and added: "The big national and international charities are very demanding jobs and we need to attract the best talent to those jobs and that's what we do."

Sir Stephen denied that the high salaries could put off donors.

He said: "This simply isn't an issue for donors. Donors are more concerned about the outcomes, the performance and the efficiency of these organisations.

"To keep talent, really strong people, at the top of these organisations they need to be paid properly. These are still not excessive salaries when you compare them to the public and private sectors."

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