Weather: Storm Alerts As UK Set For 'Hurricane'

Forecasters are increasingly confident a storm packing hurricane-speed gusts of more than 80mph will hit Britain.

A Met office image shows a forecast for the storm on Monday

Severe weather alerts are in place for England and Wales, with an amber warning, meaning "be prepared", in place for southern counties.

The storm, which is moving across the Atlantic Ocean, would need to buffet the UK with sustained winds for it to be scientifically classed as a hurricane.

Forecasts show how the storm might develop and move towards the UK

Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said the storm could cause structural damage, trees and power cables to come down and transport problems on Monday morning.

"We have been tracking the probable course of the storm and we are tracking it further north than we had thought earlier," she said.

The Met Office website shows amber and yellow alerts for Monday

"We have also revised the speed for gusts of wind up to 70 to 80mph inland, with the possibility of speeds in excess of 80mph in exposed coastal areas."

Atlantic storms of this type usually develop further west across the ocean, losing strength by the time they reach the UK and Ireland.

This one is unusual in that it is expected to appear much closer to land, potentially moving across the country while it is in its most powerful phase.

Some have compared its potential to the Great Storm of 1987 and record-breaking gales in south Wales in 1989.

Sky weather presenter Jo Wheeler said: "Late October is notorious for strong storms, with a wind gust of 124mph recorded in the Vale of Glamorgan in 1989.

"Should this storm achieve its potential, it is likely to bring down trees and cause damage to roads and buildings, possibly causing major transport disruption and power cuts."

The storm's trajectory is unclear but there are fears it may wreak havoc in England and Wales if it hits land.

If it does, it is likely to batter Wales and the South West before sweeping east and touching most of the country.

However, there is a chance it could miss land completely, sweeping instead through the English Channel.

The storm is expected to strike two weeks later than the Great Storm of 1987, which left a trail of destruction on October 15 and 16.

There are already fears the storm may compare to the Great Storm of 1987

Forecasters famously failed to predict its severity before it flattened trees, knocked out power and left 22 people dead in England and France.

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Recruitment Drive For 11,000 New Army Reserves

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

One of the largest military recruitment events of its kind will be held in London today to help the Ministry of Defence increase the number of Reserve forces.

Hundreds of soldiers, sailors and airmen from London-based Reserve regiments will take part in the day at Horse Guards Parade. It will include a parachute jump from a Lynx helicopter by four Reservists.

As part of plans for 'Future Force 2020', the government is hoping to increase the number of the Army Reserve from its current size of 19,000 to 30,000.

The Air Force Auxiliary is to expand to 1,800 personnel and the Navy's Maritime Reserve to 3,100. These recruits will offset large redundancies for regular servicemen and women in all three services. The Army will shrink to 82,000 soldiers from 110,000.

It is a plan that has been widely criticised from a number of corners, and there is considerable doubt over the ability of the military to hit the recruitment targets.

A gunner from the Royal Artillery prepares to fire his light artillery gun

The most up-to-date figures will be released next month, but it's generally thought that only a few hundred new recruits have signed up this year, well short of the numbers needed.

As part of the plans, the name of the Territorial Army is changing to Reserve Force in keeping with the new image.

£1.8bn has been committed over 10 years to supplement training and equipment for Reserve soldiers in order that will receive the same level of kit as their regular counterparts.

The number of overseas training exercises will increase to 22 per year from seven last year. But this, and any operational deployments, would put increased strain on small businesses.

To compensate for that, the Ministry of Defence is offering a financial package to any companies losing staff to Reservist duty. This would allow them to recruit temporary replacement workers.

A gunner from the Royal Artillery carries a high explosive shell

Speaking ahead of the recruitment event, the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond defended the controversial plans for the Reserve force.

"We are completely revitalising our Reserve Forces, growing their trained strength with fresh incentives, better pay and more opportunities for working and training alongside Regulars," he said.

"This exhibition highlights just how many fantastic opportunities there are for anyone looking for a rewarding, challenging and exciting second career."

Reservists will be expected to operate alongside their regular colleagues and perform the same role regardless of their part-time nature.

In an interview last month, Andrew Cameron, the Chief Executive of Combat Stress, warned that reservists are twice as likely to suffer mental health problems and predicted a growth in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases if the Reserve Force was expanded.

The Ministry of Defence references other countries, such as the United States, which has a large and successful Reserve element to its military.

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Fat-Fighting Strategy To Slim Down Nation

By David Bowden, Senior Correspondent

A dozen of the biggest food manufacturers and retailers have pledged to cut the amount of saturated fat in their products.

The Department of Health says the move will cut enough fat to fill one-and-a-half swimming pools from our diets and save thousands of people from heart disease.

Supermarket giants Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons are among those who have signed up to the Government's Public Health Responsibility Deal to help improve the nation's health.

Sainsbury's director of corporate affairs, Alex Cole, says what is good for our waistline is also good for the company's bottom-line.

"There's absolutely a business case for doing this. We know our customers want products that are healthier. If we can provide them with those options, an easy way for them to make a healthy choice, we do sell more."

With one in four adults obese and one in three children obese or overweight by primary school leaving age, Britain is regularly mocked as a nation of fatties.

But the Government is clear this is not diet by diktat, and health minister Jane Ellison insists this is not about the 'nanny state'.

"We're not trying to tell people, from Whitehall, exactly what they should be eating or manufacturing, this is about us working together with industry to actually try and give people more options to lead a healthier life," she said.

Sainsbury's 'traffic light' system has proved effective

According to NHS Choices, the maximum recommended daily amount of saturated fat for a man is 30g and for a woman it is 20g, yet most Britons eat 20% more than that.

A survey done by Sainsbury's to coincide with the latest phase of the Public Health Responsibility Deal says that most people are confused by which are good fats and which aren't and that one in five believes all fats are bad.

The trouble is saturated fat is the kind of fat found in some of our tastiest treats - pies, cakes, biscuits, sausages, bacon, cheese and chocolate.

But even chocolate firms are getting in on the low-fat act.

Nestle has signed up to cut down on saturates and come up with a new formula for the wafer inside KitKats, though the chocolate itself is unchanged.

But the unfortunate truth is that most of us not only eat too much, we eat too much of the wrong things and unless we start to change our eating habits we're still going to stay fat and probably die before our time.

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Cold Homes 'Crisis': PM Urged To Take Action

Campaigners have written to David Cameron demanding that party leaders invest in "super insulation" for British homes to end the "scourge" of fuel poverty and bring down energy bills.

The fuel poverty alliance Energy Bill Revolution says "woeful" levels of insulation have led to the nation's homes falling "way behind" those of comparable European countries such as Sweden and Germany.

It adds that the wholesale cost of gas in the UK is much lower than in most European countries, but households pay much higher bills due to the amount of heat lost from homes.

There are more than five million UK households living in fuel poverty, defined as spending more than 10% of their income on energy, according to research.

The alliance, which includes Age UK and Barnardo's, says it wants to see carbon tax spent on an ambitious programme of home insulation, claiming that it could save up to £500 a year on a family energy bill and eliminate fuel poverty in the UK "once and for all".

It has warned party leaders that focusing on "short-term solutions" to the energy bill crisis, such as price caps, windfall taxes and cutting green subsidies, they were "ignoring the only way to truly solve the energy bill crisis".

Energy Bill Revolution campaign director Ed Matthew said: "Our political leaders are falling over themselves to come up with headline-grabbing ways to cut energy bills yet they fall woefully short of a true solution to the energy bill crisis.

"By far the biggest opportunity to cut energy bills is to fully insulate the UK's leaky homes. No other investment can do so much for so many. If the Government is serious about solving this crisis they must make insulating homes the UK's number one infrastructure priority."

Around 1.6 million UK children now "endure the misery" of growing up in cold homes, according to Barnardo's.

The charity's assistant director of policy and research, Neera Sharma, said: "It's a disgrace that not only has so little action been taken to bring down energy bills, but so little is being done to stop them continuing to rise further for the UK's poorest families.

"The Government must tackle this national crisis, making homes more energy efficient to reduce the effects of poverty. They can start by channelling funds raised by the carbon tax into making homes warmer."

The call comes as the Government urged people to keep their homes heated and get their flu jabs this winter in a drive to prevent thousands of deaths.

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Alps Murders: Mystery Of Missing UK Passports

French investigators have still not found the UK passports of two family members who were murdered in the French Alps, adding to the mystery surrounding the case.

 Saad al Hilli, a 50-year-old British-Iraqi businessman, was found dead in a bullet-riddled BMW on a mountain road near Annecy in September last year.

His wife Iqbal, 47, and her mother Suhaila al Allaf, 74, were also killed, as well as passing cyclist Sylvain Mollier.

His daughter Zainab, seven at the time, recovered after being shot and her sister Zeena, who was four, was found unhurt hiding beneath her mother's body.

Saad al Hilli was killed with his wife and mother-in-law

Eric Maillaud, the prosecutor in charge of the case, said: "We never found the British passports of the al Hilli couple. Investigators searched absolutely everywhere, on the bodies, in the family caravan, in the house in Claygate (in the UK).

"Given the timing (of the killings), it's not impossible that the killer took the two passports ... but that would have been tight."

Investigators also looked for the passports in police stations, hotels and lost property offices along the route that the al Hilli family took on their holiday from the northern French city of Calais to Annecy.

"It only adds to the complexity of the investigation," Mr Maillaud said, adding that surprisingly, Mr al Hilli had ID papers on him belonging to his late father.

Brother Zaid al Hilli has protested his innocence

The revelation came after the brother of Mr al Hilli, who was arrested in June on suspicion of masterminding the killings, admitted the pair had fallen out over their father's inheritance but repeated his claim he had nothing to do with the murders.

Zaid al Hilli told The Sunday Times newspaper: "I have told the police from the beginning that I am an open book. I have nothing to hide."

The 54-year-old suggested that Mr Mollier, the cyclist, could actually have been the target for the attack.

He also accused French police of failing to carry out a proper investigation and claimed investigators were covering up the real motive for the murders to protect "very powerful local people".

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UK Economy: GDP Growth Accelerates To 0.8%

The UK economy achieved growth of 0.8% in the third quarter - marking a slight acceleration in the recovery across 2013 as a whole.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said it marked the strongest period of growth in more than three years - with services, construction and manufacturing all expanding.

It was also the third successive period of improving output but in line with the expectations of economists though some had forecast growth of 1%.

The ONS said construction - a sector bolstered by Government initiatives such as Help to Buy - surged by 2.5%.

Chancellor George Osborne said of the GDP figure on Twitter: "This shows that Britain's hard work is paying off & the country is on the path to prosperity."

The housing market recovery is reflected in the GDP growth

Overall GDP was 1.5% ahead of the same period last year - a strong comparison with a time when the economy was boosted by the Olympics and Paralympics.

But the economy remains 2.5% off its pre-recession peak at the start of 2008.

During the third quarter, construction was boosted by new work on private housing and private commercial building as well as domestic home repair and maintenance but remained 12.5% off its 2008 high.

Housebuilders have been buoyed by the Government's Help to Buy scheme, which recently launched a new phase offering mortgage guarantees.

Lower gas and electricity demand over the hot summer hurt growth

Production grew by 0.5%, though this remains 12.8% off its 2008 level, while within this manufacturing improved 0.9% in the third quarter.

The powerhouse services sector, which represents three-quarters of economic output, grew by 0.7% and is now 0.6% above its pre-crisis peak.

The largest contributions here came from business services and finance, followed by distribution, hotels and restaurants.

But the wider statistics highlighted one piece of bad news - in terms of UK growth.

The contribution from utilities - including gas and electricity - tumbled by 6.8% in the period, possibly a result of the warm summer compared to the same period last year which was largely a washout and cool.

The figure was seen as a potential factor behind the decision among energy suppliers to increase household bills.

More follows...

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Britain's Most Dangerous Road Revealed As A537

Britain's ten most dangerous roads have been revealed - with the the A537 in Cheshire and Derbyshire at the top of the list.

A study by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF) found that while the number of deaths and serious crashes on Britain's roads has fallen in recent years, the A537 between Buxton and Macclesfield has become more dangerous.

Between 2007 and 2011, there were 44 serious or fatal crashes on the seven-mile (12km) stretch of road. Between 2002 and 2006, there were 35.

Several of the other most dangerous roads are in and around the Peak District.

Using data from the EU, researchers have been able to build up a map showing the risk of travelling on every major road in Britain outside of towns and cities.

The most dangerous region in Britain for A-road travel is the East Midlands while the safest is the West Midlands.

The map shows that while the majority of motorways are 'green', meaning they are of low risk, the vast majority of Britain's rural A-Roads are yellow, means they are of low-medium risk.

RSF director Dr Steve Lawson said the report pointed out exactly where more effort was needed to reduce deaths and serious injury from road accidents.

He said: "Most recent improvement in road safety has come from car design and safer driving.

"The specification that authorities currently set road managers is to reduce crash rates in general.

"That approach is too weak and must be replaced, because it muddles factors over which road managers have no control - such as car safety, hospital care and traffic levels - with factors very definitely under their control such as roadside safety barriers or junction layouts."

He went on: "Road managers need not only money, but the tools and goals to measure and manage infrastructure safety. Many proposals in the Government's Action for Roads are sound, but there is need now to focus on improving infrastructure safety itself in a measurable way."

The RSF said that A-roads throughout Britain were, on the whole, seven times more dangerous than motorways.

Between the two time periods, the number of deadly and serious crashes fell by 26% on motorways and dual carriageways and by 18% on single carriageways.

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Grangemouth Plant Closure U-Turn Is Possible

The owner of the Grangemouth petrochemicals plant says it could reverse Wednesday's decision to close it if "substantive" talks today yield "very significant" union concessions.

Sources at Ineos were speaking to Sky News ahead of a meeting with Unite which began at 8am but they insisted that any agreement on reopening the chemical side of the operation at the peace talks would have to be rubber-stamped by a full meeting of Ineos shareholders.

The company had announced that it could not continue to operate the loss-making petrochemicals division, leaving 800 jobs at risk at the plant with many more contractors facing the axe too.

Ineos also confirmed that while it was not planning to close down the oil refinery, which produces 80% of Scotland's fuel supplies, it would remain shut for now pending reassurances from Unite that there would be no strike action.

The union's general secretary Len McCluskey arrived at Grangemouth this morning to join local efforts to resolve the dispute, hours after officials accused Ineos owner Jim Ratcliffe of deliberately engineering the chemical plant's closure.

It said on Wednesday that it had put a "plan to save jobs" to the company.

Unite's Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty added: "The ball is now in the court of Jim Ratcliffe and the respective governments in Edinburgh and Westminster and we await their responses."

Ineos argued it was left with no alternative but to close the petrochemical business, which makes products used in the manufacture of household goods such as plastic packaging.

The firm cited a failure to persuade its staff to accept a survival plan, which included a pay freeze, ending of a final salary pension scheme and other changes to terms and conditions.

Ineos said white-collar workers such as administration staff had backed the plan but workers represented by Unite had rejected it.

Politicians had urged the two sides to resume talks to prevent the closure, while efforts are expected to continue to find a potential buyer in case the peace efforts fail.

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NHS Trusts: Quarter Identified As 'High Risk'

44 NHS Trusts At High Risk

Updated: 10:01am UK, Thursday 24 October 2013

There were 44 trusts in the two bands with the highest risk, with 24 trusts in the highest possible band 1.

Band 1:

Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust

Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Medway NHS Foundation Trust

North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

South London Healthcare NHS Trust

Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust

The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Band 2:

Barts Health NHS Trust

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

North West London Hospitals NHS Trust

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation TrustN

Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust

Weston Area Health NHS Trust

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Kidnap Charges For Father Who Took Children

Police have charged a 40-year-old man with kidnapping his two children from a hotel room.

Saleem Tahir is alleged to have entered the room in Stoke-on-Trent where his two-year-old daughter, Na'ilah, and 10-month-old son, Sulaimon Khan, were staying with their mother on Friday, before taking the youngsters.

Following a major investigation, the children were found safe and well in a guest house near to Derby city centre at around 7pm on Monday.

They have since been reunited with their mother.

Tahir's mother, Denise Smith-Sellars, 67, was also arrested on Monday and has been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Tahir is due to appear before magistrates in Cannock this morning charged with two offences of kidnap.

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Plebgate: Davis Wants Police To Wear Cameras

Key Dates Of The Plebgate Scandal

Updated: 8:08am UK, Wednesday 23 October 2013

The row over Andrew Mitchell's argument with a police officer in Downing Street has resurfaced three months on. Here are the key developments.

:: September 4 - Andrew Mitchell is appointed Chief Whip in David Cameron's first Cabinet reshuffle.

:: September 19 - Mr Mitchell tries to cycle out of the Downing Street main gates but is stopped by a police officer who tells him he must use a side exit.

The officer on duty makes a log of the encounter, claiming that the Chief Whip swore and called police "plebs".

:: September 20 - Deputy Chief Whip John Randall is sent an email apparently from a constituent claiming he and his nephew witnessed the altercation.

It claims passers-by had been shocked and suggests some could have filmed it, as well as repeating the "plebs" allegation.

:: September 21 - The Sun runs a story on the row titled "Cabinet minister: police are plebs".

Mr Mitchell apologises for not "treating the police with the respect they deserve" but denies using the language reported.

David Cameron says he has apologised and allows him to keep his job but the Police Federation insist he has to go.

:: September 24 - Mr Mitchell says sorry on television as the row refuses to die away but his apology is dismissed as lacklustre and calls grow for him to quit.

Labour calls on Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood to launch an investigation but the appeal is rejected.

:: September 25 - The Daily Telegraph publishes the full police log of the row, piling yet more pressure on the senior Tory.

:: October 4 - Mr Mitchell pulls out of the Tory party conference to avoid being a "distraction".

:: October 12 - The Chief Whip meets representatives of the Police Federation at his constituency office in Sutton Coldfield but officers remain dissatisfied.

:: October 17 - Labour leader Ed Miliband declares that Mr Mitchell is "toast" during Prime Minister's Questions and accuses the Tories of "double standards".

:: October 19 - Mr Mitchell meets David Cameron at Chequers and resigns but continues to deny using the word "plebs".

:: December 15 - Officers investigating the leak of the police log arrest a serving police officer with the diplomatic protection squad on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

:: December 18 - Allegations emerge that the officer was behind the email to Mr Randall in September but never actually witnessed the argument.

New CCTV footage which appears to conflict with the official police account is also revealed by Channel 4 News.

Mr Mitchell claims he is the victim of a "stitch-up" and demands a full inquiry. Number 10 calls the allegations "exceptionally serious".

Met Police Chief Bernard Hogan-Howe says nothing he has seen affects the original police account.

:: December 19 - Police widen their probe into the case to include the email allegations and the possibility of a police "conspiracy".

David Cameron calls for the claims that an officer tried to "blacken the name of a Cabinet minister" to be "seriously investigated".

Senior Tory figures brand the latest developments "appalling" and suggestions begin that Mr Mitchell could soon be back on the front bench.

A 23-year-old man is arrested at 8pm by Scotland Yard on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an indictable offence in relation to the affair.

:: December 20 - The second arrested man is released on bail, to return in January.

2013

:: January 31 - A police officer from the Diplomatic Protection Group is held on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

:: February 1 - A female police officer tasked with protecting Government officials is arrested over alleged leaks linked to the Mitchell row.

:: June 15 - A 48-year-old diplomatic protection group officer is arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and a woman, aged 49, is detained on suspicion of assisting an offender.

:: October 15 - The IPCC questions the "honesty and integrity" of three police officers who gave interviews after Andrew Mitchell's meeting with Police Federation representatives last October.

:: October 21 - The Police Federation release a statement in which the officers say they are sorry for their "poor judgement" in talking to the media but did not plan or intend to mislead anyone.

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Godparents Named Ahead Of Royal Christening

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named Zara Tindall and six other friends as the godparents of Prince George.

The names were revealed ahead of the christening of the future king and supreme governor of the Church of England at St James's Palace later today.

His other godparents include William and Kate's former private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who continues to serve part-time as their principal private secretary and equerry.

Zara Tindall has been named as godmother of the newest royal heir

In a statement, Kensington Palace said the five others are Oliver Baker, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, Earl Grosvenor, Julia Samuel and William van Cutsem.

Kensington Palace confirmed that those invited to the christening include the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, who has become a grandfather for the first time, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry.

Kate's family - parents Carole and Michael Middleton and siblings Pippa and James - will also attend, along with the godparents and their partners.

The historic 45-minute service conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury will see four generations of British monarchs photographed together for the first time since 1899.

While the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William were all christened at Buckingham Palace, the Duke and Duchess have chosen to break with tradition, holding the baptism in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace.

The intimate gathering in the chapel where Diana, Princess of Wales' coffin rested before her funeral in 1997 will see William and Kate joined by up to 60 close family and friends.

"This is a hugely significant moment for the Queen. It's terribly important for her to be there with her heir, her heir's heir and her heir's heir's heir," said Sky's Royal Commentator Alastair Bruce.

The last time a monarch was photographed alongside three heirs was in 1899 at the christening of Edward VIII. He was cradled by great-grandmother Queen Victoria, alongside his father George V and grandfather Edward VII.

Prince George will be brought from Kensington Palace by his parents dressed in a Honiton lace christening gown, a replica of the one used by more than 60 members of the Royal Family since 1841.

The christening of Queen Elizabeth II in 1926 and of Prince Charles in 1948

Alastair Bruce added: "The Queen decided a number of years ago that the original gown was no longer in a fit state to be used for christenings and so had a new one made, first worn by the Earl and Countess of Wessex's son at his christening."

The Lily font used by the Archbishop will be brought to the Chapel Royal from the Tower of London where it is normally housed as part of the crown jewels.

Not expected to attend the christening are family members Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, who have other commitments.

Former Daily Mirror photographer Kent Gavin took the official photographs at Prince William's christening and realised one vital shot was missing.

"I was told not to approach the Queen, but when I realised they'd forgotten to have the Queen Mother hold Prince William, I had to say something," he said.

"The Queen called the Queen Mother into the Music Room, she put her drink down and Diana passed Prince William to her. That's how we got an award-winning shot."

:: Watch coverage of the christening throughout the day on Sky News.

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Health Tourism: NHS Can Save £500m A Year

The NHS could save £500m a year if it was better at charging foreign nationals to use its services, according to a new report.

This represents a quarter of the annual £2bn cost of treating temporary migrants and foreign visitors given by the Department of Health (DoH).

The savings would come from a crackdown on so-called health tourists, who travel to the UK to access free treatment.

The Government is currently consulting on a package of measures, including a £200 annual levy on migrants from outside Europe.

A new cost recovery unit would also work to recoup money owed by other governments for treating foreign nationals.

Health tourists, such as women who come to the UK in late pregnancy to give birth, cost the NHS at least £70m each year, according to the study on migrant access to NHS care in England.

It also estimates £388m could be recovered from patients who should pay for care but are not always charged.

Officials say that only around 16% of this money - £62m - is currently recouped.

The independent report conducted for the DoH says the NHS has "some of the most generous rules in the world".

At the moment, only hospitals are required to charge for services and even then, emergency care is free.

Jeremy Hunt says the NHS is not an 'international' service

The figures were released ahead of the second reading of the Government's Immigration Bill, which aims to bring in measures to stop migrants abusing public services.

A key measure in the Bill will see temporary migrants, such as overseas students, pay to access the NHS.

Ministers hope the levy on students or foreign workers who come to the UK for more than half a year will generate £200m a year.

The surcharge, combined with better recovery of costs and a deterrent on health tourism, could save the NHS "well over half a billion pounds", a DoH spokesman said.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the NHS is a "national health service - not an international one".

He told Sky News: "I have absolutely no problem at all with foreigners and international visitors using the NHS, but if they are not contributing to it through their taxes they should make a fair contribution in another way.

"Other European countries have much better systems in place. We have to recognise that we are one of the most open economies in the world, London is the most international city in the world and we have an NHS that is free at the point of use.

"We need to have some sensible checks so that we can recover money that will pay for more doctors and nurses."

Labour's shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "We are in favour of improving the recovery of costs from people with no entitlement to NHS treatment."

However, he claimed the figures were based on "old and incomplete data" and were more about "spin than substance".

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Father And Gran Held Over Child Kidnap Probe

A father and grandmother of a toddler and baby have been arrested on suspicion of kidnap and attempted child abduction.

Saleem Tahir, 40, and 67-year-old Denise Smith-Sellars, both from Nottingham, are in custody and being questioned by detectives.

It follows a police hunt and appeal for the children, who were taken from a hotel room in Stoke-on-Trent on Friday.

They were found safe and well in a guest house near Derby town centre at around 7pm on Monday.

The youngsters are being supported by specially trained officers before they are reunited with their mother and wider family, police in Staffordshire said.

A spokesman said: "Staffordshire Police would like to take this opportunity to thank the public, the media and colleagues from a number of forces in the region for their assistance and support."

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Prince George Christening: Archbishop's Message

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken for the first time about the christening of Prince George and the moment he will mark the future king's forehead with the sign of the cross.

In a message released by Lambeth Palace, the Most Reverend Justin Welby spoke of the "great times" the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will have as parents in the years to come.

The 45-minute christening will take place on Wednesday at 3pm at the Chapel Royal within St James's Palace.

The Chapel Royal at St James's Palace

The ceremony will be conducted by the Archbishop in what he called a celebration of "the next hugely important moment" in Prince George's life.

He said: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have had so much advice they could probably fill a house with it.

"My message to them would be 'what a treat, what an amazing gift, what wonderful times you will have'.

"A few months ago millions of people around the world celebrated the birth of Prince George.

The ceremony will be a private family occasion and an historic event

"Now we're celebrating the next hugely important moment, which is his christening."

The Chapel Royal has been the setting for historic royal occasions ever since the reign of Henry VIII, such as the marriage of Queen Victoria in 1840.

Beneath the ornate Hans Holbein ceiling, the third-in-line to the throne and future supreme governor of the Church of England will be christened George Alexander Louis.

The Eton-educated Archbishop said: "I will mark Prince George with the sign of the cross on his forehead and that's exactly what every priest always does every single baptism.

Kate and William have 'great times' ahead, according to the Archbishop

"It's an extraordinary moment because that is the sign by which we understand this person belongs to God.

"There'll be great times, there'll be tough times - there always are with children.

"Through christening you are bringing God into the middle of it all and I know that when he's in the middle of it all, somehow, it's held in his hands, and that's extraordinary."

Mr Welby also talked about how Prince George's baptism means he joins almost 2,000 million people around the world in what he calls the "family of the Church".

A gold proof kilo coin worth £50,000 struck to commemorate the event

But Prince George is entering a family that is dwindling in number.

Both Anglican and Catholic Churches have seen a steady decline in the numbers choosing to christen their children in recent decades.

Reverend Sally Hitchiner, who has worked alongside Mr Welby in the past, told Sky News: "I don't think it's an entirely bad thing.

"My experiences as a priest are that people I meet coming forward to have their child christened tend to be more sincere.

"There tends to be a genuine interest in faith and I always think that being honest in front of your newborn child is a good thing."

She believes William, Kate and of course Prince George, are in safe hands.

She said of the Archbishop: "He's actually quite normal.

"He makes a joke when things are funny and he's not afraid to smile if something goes wrong.

"I would imagine his welcome would be very warm and very personal."

:: For coverage of Prince George's christening on Wednesday October 23 watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad.

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Alcohol Poll: Half Of Kids See Parents Drunk

Almost half of 10 to 14-year-olds have seen their parents drunk, according to new research.

A survey by the industry-funded charity Drinkaware found 46% had seen their parents drunk, with 29% saying they had seen it on more than one occasion.

The poll of 1,000 parents and their children also found 42% of parents admitting their child had seen them or their partner drunk.

But 72% of parents said they felt very confident talking to their child about drinking and 75% believed they were best placed to do so.

Elaine Hindal, chief executive of Drinkaware, said: "While setting rules about alcohol and speaking to children about the risks is a positive step, equally important is that parents understand their significant influence as role models and feel confident to set a good example.

"Children are aware of alcohol from a young age.

"Estimates suggest that around one in three children under 16 in the UK live with an adult binge-drinker, and studies show that the odds of a teenager getting drunk double if they have seen their parents drunk - even if only on a few occasions.

"Understanding the impact of what parents say as well as what they do is important, as both can shape children's attitudes towards alcohol."

Public opinion is mixed on the streets.

In Chester in Cheshire, a mother told Sky News she has no concerns about drinking in front of her family.

"Yes, they have seen me drunk, being silly and doing silly things ... but it doesn't worry me at all," she said.

"I have a teenage daughter who is old enough to drink, but I wouldn't offer to buy her one. I don't encourage her to drink at all."

But a father said he would never get drunk in front of his children because he wanted to set a good example.

He told Sky News: "I normally have a drink after they have gone to bed. However, they have seen me drink, but they have never seen me drunk."

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Maria Mystery: No Link With Ben Needham Case

Police say there is no link between the case of missing British boy Ben Needham and the discovery of a young blonde girl found living in a Roma settlement in Greece.

Ben - one of Britain's longest-running missing person cases - was 21 months old when he went missing on the Greek island of Kos in 1991.

The four-year-old girl - known as Maria - was discovered living in a Gypsy camp near the Greek town of Farsala on Wednesday after a raid by police looking for drugs and weapons.

A bedroom in the Roma house where Maria was found

South Yorkshire Police said there appears to be "no direct correlation" between the two cases.

In a statement, the force said: "The case of Ben Needham continues to be investigated by the Greek authorities and South Yorkshire Police continues to support his family.

The alarm was raised when a prosecutor spotted a blonde child in the house

"No investigation is currently being carried out by the force in light of this recent case and officers from South Yorkshire Police will only become involved should authorities in Greece require our assistance."

A Roma couple accused of abducting the girl are due to appear in court in Greece later.

Ben Needham before he went missing in 1991 and how he might look today

They are being named in local papers as Hristos Salis, 39, and Eleftheria Dimopoulou, 40.

A prosecutor who accompanied police on the raid thought it odd that Maria did not look like her darker-skinned "parents".

Roma stand next to the house where Maria lived in Farsala, central Greece

DNA tests later confirmed the couple are not her biological parents.

Greek authorities have put out a worldwide appeal to help identify the youngster and find her real family.

As Maria is being cared for in Athens by the charity Smile Of The Child, the Roma community in Farsala is said to be anxious about the attention the case is attracting.

The Roma community in the town number about 2,000

In a country already devastated by economic crisis, the Roma in the camp make a living selling fruit, carpets, blankets, baskets and shoes at local markets.

They are already considered by some to be social outcasts, thieves and beggars, and now they are worried they will be wrongfully stigmatised as kidnappers and child traffickers.

The community insists they are not child-traffickers or kidnappers

The president of the local Roma community, Babis Dimitriou, said he hoped there would not be a backlash following Maria's discovery.

"There are no transactions involving children here," he said, adding that the couple cared for the little girl "even better than for their own children".

The Roma in Farsala insist their community is not involved in abductions or trafficking.

But police say they are aware of "dozens" of such cases involving Bulgarian Roma in Greece.

Lieutenant General Vassilis Halatsis said: "We know these cases exist, but they involve Bulgarians, not Greeks like us."

Local resident Christos Lioupis said: "After this event, the police have been searching everyone. Isn't this racist?"

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Boy Charged Over Manchester Uni Sex Assaults

A 14-year-old boy has been charged in connection with the sexual assaults of several women near Manchester University.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with five counts of sexual assault.

He will appear at Manchester City Magistrates Court later today. 

The charges relate to five reports of sexual assault, including three near the grounds of Manchester University, over a period of two weeks late last month. 

Detective Chief Inspector Colin Larkin thanked the public for their assistance in the case. 

"I am extremely grateful to the public for all the calls we received this weekend after putting an appeal out for information in connection with these incidents," he said.

An 18-year-old man also arrested in connection with the assaults has been bailed pending further enquiries.

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Girl, 8, Mauled By Two Bulldogs In Glasgow

An eight-year-old girl is in hospital with serious facial injuries after being mauled by two bulldogs in Glasgow.

A man and a woman have been charged under the Dangerous Dogs Act following the attack in Gartloch Road in Garthamlock at about 5.10pm on Friday.

The girl is being treated at the city's Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "An eight-year-old has suffered serious facial injuries after being bitten by two dogs, believed to be American bulldogs.

"The dogs have been seized and one man aged 34 and one woman aged 33 have been charged with offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

"Inquiries are continuing."

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Inmates Bullied Into Converting To Islam

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Sky News has learned that increasing numbers of British inmates are being bullied into converting to Islam while in jail.

The Prison Officers Association says it is symptomatic of the growing power and influence of Muslim gangs in prison.

However, there are also concerns that some of those converts could be radicalised by more extremist elements in prison.

Sky News spoke to one young woman who said her brother was being bullied by members of a Muslim gang, who were trying to force him into converting to Islam.

The woman did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals against her brother, who is serving a sentence in excess of 10 years in a high security prison in England.

She said: "He just looks like a broken man ... he's tearful on visits. I'm just really scared for him."

She also claimed the bullying had taken a more violent turn: "He's been physically assaulted. He's had black eyes. 

"In the showers, he got threatened with a knife. He's not going to back down. He's not going to convert for anyone."

She added: "He just spends his time in hiding in his cell. He's got at least another five years to serve. I don't know how much longer he can hold out."

Official sources acknowledge forced conversions are a problem in the country's prisons.

How large the problem is remains unclear, as inmates are often afraid to report such intimidation for fear of reprisals.

Joe Chapman, a former prison officer who now acts as a prison law consultant, believes the problem is on the increase.

"I think it could be a huge problem. Previously I'd probably only worked in about a dozen or so prisons as an officer," Mr Chapman said.

"But this job takes me to 40 or 50 over the year, throughout the country. It's become obvious to me that it's a growing problem.

"About half a dozen of my clients have directly reported problems with being forced to convert ... those that weren't Muslim when they came in and those that were and have been forced to look at more radical ideas about their faith."

It is the potential route to extremism that will be of most concern to the authorities.

There is no automatic pathway but Jihadist groups do focus on the vulnerable - and new converts in the prison environment offer them a captive audience.

Former Home Secretary Lord Reid told Sky News: "When they arrive in prison, inmates often feel isolated, lacking in identity. 

"They don't have family groups and kinships around them. On top of that, very often there's a need for protection, a feeling that you've arrived in prison, you're on your own but there are people who appear like you, who give you a set of beliefs but also the protection of being in a gang. 

"It is a very, very fertile ground for recruitment and proselytization and radicalisation in prison."

There are currently around 11,200 Muslims in prison in England and Wales.

That figure is about  13% of the total prison population and is far higher than in the wider community, where Muslims make up less than 5% of the population.

Around a third of Muslim inmates will have converted in prison, but sources say most are willing converts.

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Alps Murders: Brother Denies Involvement

The brother of a British-Iraqi businessman whose family were shot dead in the French Alps has again claimed he was not involved in the massacre.

Zaid al Hilli, whose brother Saad was found dead in a bullet-riddled BMW in September last year, admitted to The Sunday Times newspaper that they were engaged in a bitter inheritance dispute, but said he had nothing to do with the murders.

"I have told the police from the beginning that I am an open book. I have nothing to hide," he said.

The 54-year-old, who was arrested in June on suspicion of masterminding the killings, accused French police of failing to carry out a proper investigation.

Saad al Hilli was shot dead with his wife and mother-in-law

He said they should look at the possibility that the real target was Sylvain Mollier, a Frenchman who was shot dead near the family's car as he cycled through the hills above Lake Annecy.

"They are covering up for someone in France in that region and they know it," Mr Hilli told the BBC.

"Mollier was involved in family disputes and was an outsider to (his) rich family. There is something more to it locally ... most crime has local roots."

The scene of the shooting in France

Saad al Hilli, 50, was shot dead in his car parked in a lay-by on a mountain road. His wife Iqbal, 47, and her mother Suhaila al Allaf, 74, were also killed. Mr Mollier's body was found nearby.

The couple's daughter Zainab, seven at the time, recovered after being shot and pistol-whipped and her sister Zeena, who was four, was found unhurt hiding beneath her mother's body.

French investigators believe Mr Mollier was an innocent bystander who was killed because he stumbled upon the murder scene.

Their lead theory is that a family inheritance dispute was the motive for the killings.

Saad al Hilli's family home in Claygate, Surrey

Mr Hilli, who is due to answer police bail on Wednesday, also denied any involvement in the shooting when he was approached by Sky News last month.

He told The Sunday Times that the last time the brothers spoke, Saad had physically attacked him as they argued over the £1m house in Claygate, Surrey, they inherited from their mother.

"I was on the bed in my bedroom and he pinned me down," he said.

Mr Hilli, who works as a payroll manager for a leisure company, said he had given 25 hours of interviews to British police but has refused to go to France for further questioning.

The killings took place near Lake Annecy

"The French, I don't trust them at all," he told The Sunday Times. "My brother was killed there in that region and I am not going to take the risk."

He revealed that he had taken a day off work on the day of the murders and gone to Worthing, in West Sussex, with a friend.

He said the brothers, who were born to middle-class parents in Baghdad before the family moved to Britain in 1971, had enjoyed a close relationship but fell out over the house.

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