Written By Unknown on Senin, 29 Desember 2014 | 16.12
A man has been charged over the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man in Sheffield.
Asif Yousaf, 32, has been charged with the murder of Jordan Thomas and with the attempted murder of a 27-year-old who was seriously injured in the shooting last Sunday.
The 27-year-old man has since been released from hospital.
Mr Thomas was sitting in the passenger seat of a Ford Mondeo when he was shot in what detectives believe could have been a targeted attack.
The silver Mondeo was shot at while stationary at traffic lights on the A61 Derek Dooley Way about 10.15pm last Sunday.
In a statement, Mr Thomas' family had described the shooting as an "act of cowardice" and appealed to anyone with information to come forward.
"Jordan was such a likeable, caring, loving individual with a larger-than-life personality who really did brighten up any room he entered," they said.
"He truly was full of life, with his cheeky grin and quick wit, he was a charmer, anyone lucky enough to have met Jordan will attest to this and those that have met him truly did love him."
A statement released by South Yorkshire Police said: "Jordan, from the Waterthorpe area of Sheffield, was a passenger in a silver Ford Mondeo, when the car was shot at while stationary on Derek Dooley Way.
"He was taken to hospital but died a short time later. A post-mortem examination revealed he died from gunshot injuries."
Yousaf has been remanded in custody and will appear before magistrates on Monday.
A 25-year-old who was also arrested on Thursday has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
Police have launched a murder investigation after the body of a 51-year-old man was found in Bath city centre on Christmas Eve.
A member of the public discovered Thomas Downey under a railway arch on Lower Bristol Road, near Bath railway station just after 1.30pm on Wednesday.
The area was cordoned off and a detailed search of the area continues.
A post mortem examination has been carried out and confirmed that Mr Downey died from significant head injuries.
His family have travelled down from Manchester and are helping investigating officers with the inquiry.
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: "They are being supported by a police family liaison officer and our thoughts are with them at this sad time."
Mr Downey is known locally as "Manchester Tommy".
Officers have urged anyone with information to share it with police to help them piece together what happened on Christmas Eve.
Two men in their thirties have been arrested on suspicion of murder and continue to be questioned.
The spokesman added: "The neighbourhood policing team are working with the local community to provide support and reassurance and to assist with the investigation.
"However, we are still keen to speak to anyone who was in the area near to the station in Lower Bristol Road around lunchtime on Christmas Eve.
"We believe the area would have been busy with shoppers and people leaving work early."
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Major Crime Investigation Team on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
London's King's Cross station was hit by more problems today as an investigation was launched into disruption caused by overrunning engineering work.
A number of trains out of King's Cross were cancelled and other services delayed after a signalling failure this afternoon.
The failure meant that some Great Northern services from the station were cancelled, while incoming trains ended their journeys at Finsbury Park.
A Great Northern spokeswoman said: "At approximately 13.30 this afternoon signalling problems were experienced in the Finsbury Park area, resulting in no trains being able to run in and out of London King's Cross.
"Several trains terminated at Finsbury Park and Welwyn Garden City. Rail replacement buses were organised for passengers to transport them across to the Thameslink route, where ticket acceptance was in place.
Video:Probe Launched Into Travel Chaos
"Signalling was restored at 14.15. Customers may have been affected by residual delays of up to 60 minutes whilst the service recovered.
"We would like to apologise for any inconvenience that Great Northern's customers may have experienced."
Today's problems follow major disruption yesterday when King's Cross and Paddington stations were closed because engineering works ran over schedule.
Both stations have since reopened and services from Paddington were running as planned, a Network Rail spokeswoman said.
Network Rail's Robin Gisby, managing director of network operations, apologised for yesterday's disruption which led to extra police being brought in to control crowds.
"I'm deeply sorry for the delays, upset and upheaval caused... to passengers impacted by our overrunning improvement work outside King's Cross," he said.
"We've had an army of 11,000 engineers out over Christmas Day and Boxing Day at 2,000 locations nationwide.
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 26 Desember 2014 | 16.12
Forecasters have issued a cold weather alert for parts of Britain as millions are expected to hit the roads to visit relatives or take advantage of the Boxing Day sales.
Snow is likely in some northern and central areas and regions that do experience snow could see in excess of 10cm on higher ground.
Rain and sleet are also expected to fall across parts of Northern Ireland, England and Wales before conditions settle through the weekend.
But temperatures are expected to dip below freezing across much of Britain next week.
The Met Office cold weather alert for parts of England warns there is an 80% probability of conditions that could "increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services".
A Met Office spokesperson said: "The public should be aware of the potential for disruption from snow. Please watch for updates to this warning, especially if travelling."
Areas most likely to be affected by snow
Met Office meteorologist Krista Mitchell said: "This year as a whole has been very mild, so this could be the coldest spell that we've had.
"As we go towards Monday and Tuesday, we will see overnight temperatures really drop, with widespread frost and most places dropping below freezing."
A spokesman for Transport Scotland said it was monitoring the conditions.
"As ever, the public have a vital role to play in terms of helping to minimise disruption," he said.
"We would advise people to prepare for some travel disruption as bridges could be affected by high winds and driving conditions could be challenging in some areas, so please allow extra time for your journeys.
"They should also check the relevant websites, such as Traffic Scotland, for up-to-date travel information before they set off."
More than 2,700 jobs are at risk over the festive period after one of the UK's biggest parcel delivery services companies collapsed into administration.
Sky News has learnt that City Link, which has been a perennial loss-maker, called in the professional services firm EY on Christmas Eve and immediately ceased accepting parcels from customers.
A public statement confirming the move is expected to be circulated on Friday.
City Link, which is owned by the investment firm headed by Jon Moulton, the veteran venture capitalist, is understood to count John Lewis among its largest clients.
John Lewis said it has transferred all its business with the company to alternative carriers.
"John Lewis has worked with City Link during this challenging period and provided significant support to enable them to trade," a spokesperson said.
"It is always a matter of deep regret when any of our suppliers are unable to continue with their business."
In a statement issued to Sky News, EY confirmed its appointment, saying it had put in place the ban on accepting new parcels at its Coventry head office, three other transport hubs and 53 depots across the UK.
City Link has a fleet of 1,700 vehicles, according to its website
"The company has entered administration as a result of continued substantial losses and is unable to continue accepting new parcels due to the further losses it would incur," it said.
The scale of possible job losses among City Link's 2,727 employees has not yet been identified, although EY said they were likely to be '"substantial" following an unsuccessful process to identify a new owner.
A number of staff would be retained to help return parcels to customers and assist with winding down City Link's operations, the administrator said.
Mr Moulton's firm, Better Capital, bought the courier and parcel delivery group last year, paying just £1 to its previous owner, the pest control firm Rentokil.
City Link has been loss-making for many years, suffering from poor systems and intense competition from rivals buoyed by the explosion in online shopping.
A number of competitors, such as Yodel, were the target of consumers' fury in the run-up to Christmas amid a series of delays.
Last month, Better Capital wrote down the value of its £40m investment in City Link by 50% and said that "various options to maximise the value of the (holding)".
In the wake of a £14m loss for the 2013-14 financial year, City Link's owner added that the business had "progressively deviated from its monthly profit budget during its current year to 31 December driving the conclusion that its current structure is unsustainable in the long term".
Better Capital blamed the worsening outlook on "excess (and increasing) capacity in the sector, made worse by customers developing their own delivery capabilities".
The administrators said customers who had handed over parcels to City Link on Christmas Eve should go to a depot to retrieve them on or after December 29.
The company's online parcel tracking system and helpline telephone numbers remained open to enable fulfilment of existing orders, EY added.
City Link's website said it had annual revenues of approximately £300m, a fleet of 1,700 vehicles and delivered 60m items each year.
A rival ParcelBright.com says:
"This shows the immense pressure couriers are placed under further outlining the need for retailers to have alternative delivery solutions available at all times should one of their providers fail."
Bargain hunters are expected to hit the High Street in their millions today to take advantage of the Boxing Day sales.
Retailers claim big discounts will be available for consumers prepared to brave the winter cold and join early morning queues to be first in line for the best deals when doors open at dawn.
Shoppers searching for discounts online are expected to spend £748m today, or £519,000 every minute, according to data firm Experian and online retailing trade association IMRG.
An estimated 142 million visits were made to retail websites on Christmas Day and an online survey found that more than a third of Britons buy Christmas presents in the post-Christmas sales.
Today's sales are not expected to be as busy as Black Friday
Experian's Giles Longhurst, said: "This year has seen record breaking online shopping rates, particularly on Black Friday, which saw an astronomical £810m in estimated spend due to the massive resources put behind promotions by a wide range of retailers.
"Traditionally, the Boxing Day sales have been the busiest day for retailers in the UK, but this year we expect them to come second to Black Friday."
Myf Ryan, director of the Westfield shopping centres, said Boxing Day remained a "huge attraction" for shoppers.
"Last year we had queues out of the door on Boxing Day by 5am," he said.
Some retailers are claiming to offer discounts of 50% on some goods
"This year we expect an exceptionally busy day yet again, fuelled by excellent retail offers and special deals with over 50% off by many of our 600 retailers."
But retail staff will also spend much of their time sorting out disputes with consumers returning Christmas presents.
The new retail ombudsman, Dean Dunham, who takes up his new role on 2 January, said he expected thousands of complaints from shoppers who have been refused refunds.
He said: "If the goods are not faulty, the law places no obligations on the retailer so you have to examine their terms and conditions.
"If their terms say the retailer will not accept returns where packaging is damaged or missing, and most terms do, the retailer will be perfectly within their rights to enforce this."
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 25 Desember 2014 | 16.12
Christmas Day online shoppers are predicted to set a new spending record splashing out an estimated £636m today.
Shoppers are expected to make 142 million visits to retail sites today - a 25% increase on last year.
Research by Experian and online retailing trade association IMRG found Britons will spend around £441,000 a minute.
"The ease of shopping online via connected devices raises the prospect of a very large amount of shopping activity on Christmas Day itself," said Experian general manager of consumer insight Giles Longhurst.
Dominic Trigg, managing director for Europe of digital advertising technology company Rocket Fuel, said: "Shopping online on Christmas Day is now a normal part of UK consumers' holiday experiences every year.
Video:The Year In Retail
"It is clear that UK consumers now see shopping from the comfort of their own home, following Christmas Day dinner, as much of a tradition as a turkey and ham dinner."
Shoppers have already been enjoying heavy discounting as some stores began their traditional Boxing Day sales up to two days early.
Britain's retail sector has already been celebrating a record-breaking year as official figures are projecting an all-time high for sales in 2014.
Video:Annual Retail Sales To Reach £342bn
The forecast from the Office of National Statistics shows that sales for the year are expected to reach £342bn - a £48bn increase since 2010.
Pre-Christmas sales are up by 5.2% compared with last year.
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Video:Tears Shared With Victims' Families
Thousands of people have turned off their Christmas lights as an act of remembrance for the victims of the Glasgow bin lorry crash.
Some 72,000 people signed up to a Facebook event page asking people to turn off their decorations for two minutes at 9pm on Christmas Eve.
The event was created for people to reflect on the tragedy, which saw six people killed and 10 others injured on Monday.
The tribute came after the Archbishop of Glasgow Philip Tartaglia led a memorial mass at St Andrew's Cathedral to remember the victims.
He told mourners he had spent time with those who lost loved ones in the crash, including a mother who saw her daughter and parents killed.
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Gallery: Victims Of Glasgow Bin Lorry Crash
Jacqueline Morton, 51, who had left work early to collect her granddaughters
Stephenie Tait, 29, was a teacher at St Philomena's Primary school
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Gillian Ewing, 52, was also killed in the accident
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Jack Sweeney, 68, from Dumbarton, was killed along with his wife and granddaughter
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Erin McQuade, 18, with her grandmother Lorraine Sweeney, aged 69
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Jacqueline McQuade was on a Christmas shopping trip when her 18-year-old daughter Erin McQuade and parents Jack and Lorraine Sweeney, all from Dumbarton, were fatally injured.
Primary school teacher Stephenie Tait, 29, and Jacqueline Morton, 51, both from Glasgow, and Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh, were also killed.
Another 10 people, including the driver, were injured.
Archbishop Tartaglia said: "On the evening of the tragedy, I was privileged to be permitted to spend some time with one of the families who had been cruelly devastated by the incident.
1/13
Gallery: Tributes For Lorry Crash Victims
A service to remember the victims of the disaster will be held at Glasgow's St Andrew's Cathedral at 1pm
]]>
"I was able to witness and share the grief and sadness of a mother and of a father for their daughter, and of two daughters for their mother and father.
"The distressed woman to whom I was speaking had seen her daughter and her own parents killed almost right in front of her. Can you imagine the horror?
"I tried to console them and comfort them. We spoke and we cried and we were silent before the abyss of their loss and the random meaninglessness of what had happened.
"They openly spoke of their faith, but their faith was sorely tried, and I commended them silently to God that the Lord would find the way to bring them comfort."
Video:Glasgow Crash Victims Remembered
It is not yet clear what caused the driver, who has not been named, to lose control of the vehicle.
Witnesses reported seeing him slumped at the wheel as the lorry collided with pedestrians on Queen Street, before crashing into the side of the Millennium Hotel at George Square.
The driver and five other people remain in hospital, with one patient said to be in a critical condition.
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Christmas Lights Tribute To Glasgow Victims
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Video:Tears Shared With Victims' Families
Thousands of people have turned off their Christmas lights as an act of remembrance for the victims of the Glasgow bin lorry crash.
Some 72,000 people signed up to a Facebook event page asking people to turn off their decorations for two minutes at 9pm on Christmas Eve.
The event was created for people to reflect on the tragedy, which saw six people killed and 10 others injured on Monday.
The tribute came after the Archbishop of Glasgow Philip Tartaglia led a memorial mass at St Andrew's Cathedral to remember the victims.
He told mourners he had spent time with those who lost loved ones in the crash, including a mother who saw her daughter and parents killed.
1/5
Gallery: Victims Of Glasgow Bin Lorry Crash
Jacqueline Morton, 51, who had left work early to collect her granddaughters
Stephenie Tait, 29, was a teacher at St Philomena's Primary school
]]>
Gillian Ewing, 52, was also killed in the accident
]]>
Jack Sweeney, 68, from Dumbarton, was killed along with his wife and granddaughter
]]>
Erin McQuade, 18, with her grandmother Lorraine Sweeney, aged 69
]]>
Jacqueline McQuade was on a Christmas shopping trip when her 18-year-old daughter Erin McQuade and parents Jack and Lorraine Sweeney, all from Dumbarton, were fatally injured.
Primary school teacher Stephenie Tait, 29, and Jacqueline Morton, 51, both from Glasgow, and Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh, were also killed.
Another 10 people, including the driver, were injured.
Archbishop Tartaglia said: "On the evening of the tragedy, I was privileged to be permitted to spend some time with one of the families who had been cruelly devastated by the incident.
1/13
Gallery: Tributes For Lorry Crash Victims
A service to remember the victims of the disaster will be held at Glasgow's St Andrew's Cathedral at 1pm
]]>
"I was able to witness and share the grief and sadness of a mother and of a father for their daughter, and of two daughters for their mother and father.
"The distressed woman to whom I was speaking had seen her daughter and her own parents killed almost right in front of her. Can you imagine the horror?
"I tried to console them and comfort them. We spoke and we cried and we were silent before the abyss of their loss and the random meaninglessness of what had happened.
"They openly spoke of their faith, but their faith was sorely tried, and I commended them silently to God that the Lord would find the way to bring them comfort."
Video:Glasgow Crash Victims Remembered
It is not yet clear what caused the driver, who has not been named, to lose control of the vehicle.
Witnesses reported seeing him slumped at the wheel as the lorry collided with pedestrians on Queen Street, before crashing into the side of the Millennium Hotel at George Square.
The driver and five other people remain in hospital, with one patient said to be in a critical condition.
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 24 Desember 2014 | 16.12
A bankrupt property tycoon whose body was found impaled on railings did not die in suspicious circumstances, a coroner has said.
Scot Young was discovered in what was described as a "grisly" and "brutal" scene following his death in Marylebone, central London, on December 8.
The 52-year-old had been jailed during a public divorce row over a multimillion-pound settlement because he would not reveal financial records.
After his fatal fall, friends of Mr Young came forward with concerns about a potential "ring of death" in his inner circle - saying four of his reported close friends had died in a similar way.
They pointed out Johnny Elichaoff, Boris Berezovsky, Robert Curtis and Paul Castle all appear to have killed themselves after suffering financial setbacks over the past four years.
But opening the inquest into Mr Young's death, Westminster assistant coroner Angela Hodes said there were no suspicious circumstances.
She said his body was identified by brother-in-law Guy van Ristell, with details supplied to the police by his daughter Sasha.
No members of Mr Young's family or friends were present at the hearing, which was adjourned until January 12.
Speaking after his death, his 30-year-old American model girlfriend, Noelle Reno one of the stars of the Ladies Of London reality TV show, said she was "distraught by the sudden loss of my best friend" and wanted to "grieve in peace".
Mr Young had been locked in a long-running legal battle with his ex-wife Michelle, 50, with whom he had two daughters.
Comedy writer Jeremy Lloyd, who created sitcoms including Are You Being Served? and 'Allo 'Allo!, has died aged 84.
His agent said he died in a London hospital on Monday evening from pneumonia.
Alexandra Cann said: "Jeremy was a great wit and always a mass of original ideas. He had a wonderfully original mind and will be greatly missed."
Lloyd, who was married three times including to Joanna Lumley, created a string of hit shows with his writing partner David Croft.
He was given an OBE for services to comedy in 2012.
Lloyd enjoyed a screen career of his own before devoting himself to providing the funny lines for others.
He made his film debut in School For Scoundrels and had minor roles in the Beatles films Help! and A Hard Day's Night, as well as classics such as Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines.
Lloyd and Croft had worked together on the Billy Cotton Band Show, contributing sketches, and were brought together again for a short-lived sitcom It's Awfully Bad For Your Eyes Darling, which starred Lumley.
'Allo 'Allo stars Francesca Gonshaw, Gordon Kaye and Vicki Michelle (L-R)
The two writers went on to work up an idea based on Lloyd's past experiences working at Simpsons of Piccadilly, which became Are You Being Served?, set in the fictional Grace Brothers store. Its run spanned 13 years.
'Allo 'Allo!, which starred Francesca Gonshaw, Gordon Kaye and Vicki Michelle, ran for over a decade from 1982.
It was set in a small cafe in Nazi-occupied France during World War Two.
Lloyd and Lumley were married for less than a year. Writing about the marriage, the actress said: "He was witty, tall and charming - we should have just had a raging affair."
His third marriage, to interior designer Lizzy Moberly, took place in central London this June.
He said his third bride, who was 49 when they tied the knot, was "beautiful, clever and sent from heaven on mission impossible".
Northern Ireland's political parties have reached agreement on a range of issues that had threatened the devolved government's future.
The "Stormont House Agreement", which has been forged after weeks of talks, has resolved wrangles over the budget and welfare reforms and established new structures to deal with the legacy of unsolved killings during the Troubles.
An Independent Commission on Information Retrieval will help the bereaved and injured obtain information about events during the conflict.
The First and Deputy First Ministers will also bring forward proposals to deal with parades after the General Election, while a commission will be set up to address the issue of flags.
The agreement paves the way for corporation tax powers to be devolved to Belfast as well, after Chancellor George Osborne said he would do so, provided there was progress at the talks.
Prime Minister David Cameron has also agreed to lend the devolved government £2bn to address a shortfall, after Stormont agreed to cushion welfare reform from its own budget.
Mr Cameron said: "I am delighted that a workable agreement has been reached that can allow Northern Ireland to enjoy a brighter, more prosperous future, while at the same time finally being able to deal with its past.
"This historic agreement has been long in the making and I would also like to pay tribute to all those involved - the Northern Ireland parties, the UK and Irish governments and Senator Hart - for getting us to this position.
"We will now all work collaboratively to see this through. The people of Northern Ireland deserve nothing less."
First Minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson said the deal acknowledged that further work was needed.
"Of course every one of us would have liked to have had a more comprehensive and complete agreement but this is as much and more than we have ever been able to do on these issues in the past," he said.
"So it is a very significant agreement."
Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the "remarkable agreement" had the potential to give the Executive a "fresh start".
"And it is a fresh start we need to seize with both hands," he said, flanked by party leader Gerry Adams.
Irish foreign affairs minister Charlie Flanagan, who was involved in negotiations, said: "Today we are building on the hard-won peace on this island with a new agreement which aims to further reconciliation and foster economic growth."
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 23 Desember 2014 | 16.12
By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs Editor
Two whistle-blowers who had information about MPs' alleged involvement in a paedophile ring could have been murdered, according to a Labour MP who has handed a dossier of evidence to Scotland Yard.
Speaking to Sky News, John Mann MP claims he has evidence relating to the suspicious deaths of two men - a former Lambeth council official named Bulick Forsythe, and a caretaker whose name he did not disclose.
He said the police were already aware of the potential link between one of the deaths and the child sex abuse ring, which involved "highly influential" politicians during the 1970s and 1980s.
Although Mr Mann has now handed the information to the Metropolitan Police, he has been aware of it since the 1980s and 1990s, when he said the police declined to fully investigate.
"Bulick Forsythe had significant information in relation to child abuse," he said.
Video:Police Appeal For Help Over Abuse
"The second was a caretaker who said he had tapes relating to sex parties that were taking place," he added.
"Mr Forsythe went to the police at the time and got nowhere. What I want to see is both those suspicious deaths reinvestigated."
His dossier includes 22 names of MPs he believes were involved in paedophile rings in North Wales, Lambeth in south London, Dolphin Square in central London, Rochdale, and one other location which he declined to name for legal reasons.
The MPs named include 14 Conservatives, five Labour politicians and three from other parties. Of them, 13 are former ministers.
Mr Mann told Sky News that he has given the police enough evidence on some of the suspects that he would expect the police to act "soon".
"I am confident there will be people arrested," said Mr Mann. "In some cases I'd be surprised if it didn't happen soon."
Video:Victim: Ministers Abused Children
The prospect of arrests for child abuse by MPs is likely to intensify calls for an inquiry into the historical allegations.
Home Secretary Theresa May has been dogged by setbacks after two successive chairs were forced to resign over their links to establishment figures in positions of power at the time.
Mrs May said last week that the inquiry should have the powers of a statutory inquiry in order to compel witnesses to give evidence but members of the panel are reported to be "devastated" that the existing inquiry, which has started preliminary work, is to be disbanded.
Scotland Yard detectives were already investigating "credible" claims that the murders of three young boys - aged between seven and 16 - were linked to high-profile abusers, including MPs. One victim was allegedly run over by a car.
Last Thursday, a fresh appeal was launched for further victims of historical abuse at the Dolphin Square estate, in southwest London, to come forward.
Children were allegedly taken to sex parties at the plush property, which was popular with politicians.
Police in Glasgow are investigating why a bin lorry crashed into a crowd of Christmas shoppers in the city centre killing six people.
The truck mounted the pavement outside the Gallery of Modern Art - hitting a group of people waiting to cross the road - carrying on for another 300 metres until it crashed into the Millennium Hotel.
The driver, who was said to be lucid when the vehicle finally stopped, was taken to hospital after the tragedy and it is believed he may have fallen ill at the wheel.
"We heard from eyewitnesses saying he wasn't looking around as the lorry was going across the pavement. He appeared to be slumped over the wheel," Sky's Gerard Tubb, reporting from Glasgow, said.
Seven other people are also being treated for their injuries in three hospitals in Glasgow.
Video:Aftermath Of The Crash
Chief Inspector Mark Sutherland from Police Scotland said on Monday night: "We are currently working with our other agencies to establish exactly what happened.
"It's important that we do a thorough investigation to establish the full circumstances.
"It's important that we take all the necessary steps to do it as quickly as we can so that we get the answers for the families and get their loved ones back to them as quick as we can."
Video:Witness: Lorry Knocked People Down
Police Scotland has appealed to anyone who has photos or videos of the incident to send it to them at georgesquareincident@scotland.pnn.police.uk.
Roads around George Square, which was packed at the time of the accident, remain closed.
A large cordon remains in place and dozens of floral tributes have been placed at the scene.
1/11
Gallery: Images From The Devastating Scene In Glasgow After Bin Lorry Crash
The lorry crashed into the Millennium Hotel at the top of Queen Street in the city centre
One police officer said it first mounted the pavement 300 metres down the street
Written By Unknown on Senin, 22 Desember 2014 | 16.12
By Emma Birchley, East of England Correspondent
The diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases and cancer could be transformed by an ambitious project that will see 100,000 complete sets of people's genes decoded.
Eleven Genomic Medicine Centres (GMCs) across England will begin work in February to collect and map the samples over a three-year period.
The initiative, known as the 100,000 Genomes Project, will help scientists and doctors understand more about specific conditions such as the rare genetic illness cystinosis, which left 24-year-old Christopher Melville needing a kidney transplant when he was just 10.
"I'm excited," he said. "Obviously the more knowledge we have, the more understanding we have of how to treat people. It leads to better development, better research and better treatment."
Christopher Melville has a rare genetic illness called cystinosis
Samples will be taken from people like Christopher and also their parents, while cancer patients will provide both blood and tumour tissue as part of the research.
Professor Dion Morton, who will run the West Midlands GMC, based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, described the work as "transformational", adding that not long ago it took eight years to decode a single person's genome.
Video:Project To Make UK Genetics Leader
"It's going to change the way we practice medicine (and) it's going to give us opportunities to bring new medicines to our patients.
"Historically medicine's been delivered to groups of patients with similar conditions and now we can start subdividing those groups into the exact genetic code that is really causing that condition, so target the treatment of that code and hopefully make treatment safer, more effective."
NHS England's medical director, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, said the project was an achievable ambition "which positions Britain to unlock long-standing mysteries of disease on behalf of mankind".
Video:Home DNA Test Goes On Sale
"Embracing genomics will position us at the forefront of science and make the NHS the most scientifically-advanced healthcare system in the world," he added.
A total of 75,000 people will take part in the project.
Christopher's mother, Julie Melville, is delighted the project is about to begin.
Video:On-The-Spot DNA Testing
"It feels like finally somebody is sitting up and taking note that this rare disease exists," she said.
Her hope is that gene therapy could eventually mean a cure for cystinosis sufferers like her son - one of 150 people in the UK with the disease.
It is estimated new diagnostic tests and drugs could be available as a result of the work within 15 years.
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 21 Desember 2014 | 16.12
A second man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after an off-duty police constable was beaten to death in Liverpool.
Neil Doyle, 36, was attacked by a group of men during a Christmas night out with colleagues from Merseyside Police.
Two other off-duty officers suffered facial injuries in the attack, which took place near the Aloha nightclub in Colquitt Street at around 3.15am on Friday.
A 28-year-old suspect from Huyton walked into a police station on Friday evening and is still being interviewed by detectives.
Now a 30-year-old man from the same area has been arrested and taken to a police station for questioning.
Both men were also arrested on suspicion of assaulting the two other officers.
Detectives are investigating the possibility they were targeted because of their jobs.
PC Doyle got married in July and was due to go on honeymoon next month.
In a statement, his widow Sarah said: "Neil was very well loved by all of his family, friends and colleagues and it is a great loss to us all.
"We are finding it extremely difficult to come to terms with what has happened and need time to be left to grieve."
Mr Doyle, who joined the force in May 2004, was taken to the Royal Liverpool Hospital, but died a short time later.
A post-mortem examination concluded he died from fatal bleeding around the brain, consistent with an assault.
Chief Constable Sir Jon Murphy said: "On behalf of everybody connected with Merseyside Police I extend our heartfelt and sincere condolences to his wife Sarah and the rest of his family.
"Constable Doyle was enjoying a Christmas night out with his work colleagues.
"At around 3.15am Neil left the Peacock bar and walked with two colleagues along Colquitt Street in the city centre.
"The three officers were subjected to an apparently unprovoked and vicious attack by a group of males."
Mr Doyle had received a commendation for his actions in arresting three men after a violent robbery.
The two other officers required hospital treatment. One suffered a fractured cheekbone.
Victims of domestic abuse are being warned to beware of Christmas gifts containing hidden spyware.
Abusers will hide cameras or listening devices inside presents such as mobile phones, laptops and toys to snoop on their targets, say campaigners.
Jennifer Perry, CEO of Digital-Trust, which helps victims of digital abuse, said: "Surveillance technology is getting cheaper, better disguised, simpler to use and easier to find.
"We work with a range of domestic violence professionals who are telling us that digital abuse is making it much more difficult to help women and keep them safe."
She said new smartphones given by a possessive spouse could include an app that can turn on the microphone remotely and eavesdrop on their partner's conversations.
Emma, a woman with a jealous and controlling partner, said: "I had been out having coffee with a friend and when I returned he played back part of our conversation.
"I couldn't figure out how he had done it.
"Had he hired someone to follow me? Did he bug the cafe? It was my domestic violence case worker who told me to check my phone.
"I found he had put spyware on my phone and had been listening and reading my texts for months."
Digital-Trust said listening devices can be hidden in everyday products such as extension cords, phone chargers and carbon monoxide detectors, all of which will function normally.
It said the new Paddington Bear movie will promote sales of a voice-activated Paddington Bear recorder, which could become popular with people who want to spy on their partners or have shared custody of children.
"An abuser can send the bear home with the child and then during their next visit the abuser can listen to the recordings and charge the battery," Ms Perry warned.
"Add a small tracking chip in the bear and the abuser will also be able to track the child and its mother."
The trust offers advice for anyone who suspects they are being monitored at www.digital-trust.org.
Some patients who need an ambulance may soon have to wait longer for it to arrive even if they are classed as a serious case, under new proposals seen by Sky News.
In a letter, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives suggests the target time to get to patients suffering a range of "serious but not the most life-threatening" problems, including strokes and seizures, could be increased to 19 minutes.
The current target for an emergency vehicle to reach people in life-threatening situations is eight minutes.
According to the memo, NHS England says there will be no changes to response times where patients have "immediately life threatening" conditions such as cardiac arrest, choking and major bleeding - known as Red 1 calls.
In these instances, a "fast response" car is often sent ahead of a fully-crewed ambulance to meet the time limit.
Video:A&E Waiting Times: The Figures
For serious cases like strokes and fits - Red 2 calls - there would be an extra three minutes added on to the response time.
But a proportion of Red 2s would have the eight-minute target scrapped in favour of a 19-minute one for a full ambulance crew to be sent on its own.
Andy Burnham, Labour's shadow health secretary, said: "This has all the hallmarks of a panic move and suggests Jeremy Hunt's only solution to the A&E crisis is to give up and move the goalposts.
"Rather than getting ambulance response times back up to established standards, it looks like he is running up the white flag. The situation in the NHS is now serious and Jeremy Hunt is failing to provide the leadership it desperately needs.
"While there may be a case for reviewing these rules, this is not the way to do it. It is nothing short of dangerous to make a snap decision at the start of the most difficult winter in the NHS for years.
"Hunt's decision risks leaving thousands of seriously ill people waiting longer for ambulances this winter. The Health Secretary needs to provide urgent reassurance that this change can be safely made and won't put lives at risks."
But a Department of Health spokesman insisted there were "absolutely no plans" to increase ambulance waiting times.
"We have given ambulances an extra £50m this winter to ensure the service remains sustainable and the Secretary of State agreed that NHS England should investigate a proposal from the ambulance services themselves to see whether the service they offer the public could be improved," the spokesman said.
"No decisions have been made, and the Secretary of State would only agree to proposed changes that improve response times for urgent cases."
Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 20 Desember 2014 | 16.12
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after an off-duty police constable was beaten to death in Liverpool.
Neil Doyle was attacked by a group of men during a Christmas night out with colleagues from Merseyside Police.
The 36-year-old got married in July and was due to go on honeymoon next month.
Two other off-duty officers suffered facial injuries in the attack, which took place near the Aloha nightclub in Colquitt Street at around 3.15am on Friday.
Officers are investigating the possibility they were targeted because of their jobs.
The 28-year-old suspect walked into a police station on Friday evening and is being interviewed by detectives.
Police at the scene of the killing in Liverpool
Mr Doyle, who joined the force in May 2004, was taken to the Royal Liverpool Hospital, but died a short time later.
A post-mortem examination concluded he died from fatal bleeding around the brain, consistent with an assault.
Chief Constable Sir Jon Murphy described the investigation as being at a "very early stage".
He said: "On behalf of everybody connected with Merseyside Police I extend our heartfelt and sincere condolences to his wife Sarah and the rest of his family.
"Constable Doyle was enjoying a Christmas night out with his work colleagues.
"At around 3.15am Neil left the Peacock bar and walked with two colleagues along Colquitt Street in the city centre.
"The three officers were subjected to an apparently unprovoked and vicious attack by a group of males."
Mr Doyle had received a commendation for his actions in arresting three men after a violent robbery.
Peter Singleton, chairman of Merseyside Police Federation, said the police community was "devastated" by his killing.
"He exemplified the British bobby. He was a solid, good, hard-working, honest copper," he said.
The two other officers required hospital treatment. One suffered a fractured cheekbone.
Flood victims in Somerset say they are facing insurance quotes of tens of thousands of pounds to protect their homes from future flooding.
Sky News has seen one renewal quote of almost £100,000 for one year. That falls to just under £500 for the year if flood cover is removed.
The owners did not want to speak on camera but told Sky their property in Moorland would only cost around £120,000 to rebuild from scratch.
Neighbour Sally Vize has been told she won't be able to move back into her home until March - 13 months after the winter storms caused £120,000 worth of damage.
Sally Vize's home suffered £120,000 worth of damage
She is due to renew her insurance in the next few months, but is extremely concerned she won't be able to afford the quote.
"I think someone said £12,000 if they want to insure for floods again, who can afford that? It's ridiculous, and I think it's morally wrong," she said.
Video:Home Ruined By Floods
One in six homes in England are at risk of flooding and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) estimates between 300,000 and 500,000 UK households could struggle to obtain affordably priced flood insurance.
From next summer, in conjunction with the Government, the ABI is hoping to launch its Flood Re scheme which will allow insurers to pass the flood risk element of a home insurance policy into a fund that will pay any subsequent flood claim.
Mark Shepherd, from the ABI, explained: "In certain parts of the country this is becoming a much bigger problem and that's why we are working with the Government to introduce Flood Re, which in the future will ensure those homes at the highest flood risk will still be able to get affordable flood insurance."
Video:Flood Emergency Aid Box
Since the flooding began last Christmas, a group called the Somerset Emergency Volunteers have been helping those in need of immediate help.
They have filled a warehouse with donations including food, clothes, furniture and household goods to allow people to begin replacing what they have lost.
They are also providing 400 homes with emergency boxes and sandbags so they are prepared for any repeat.
Video:Flood Aid Supplies Stockpiled
"Moorland and Fordgate were only given six sandbags by the council when it was flooded - three for the front door, three for the back," said assistant operations manager Sadie Forster.
"We're giving them 36 reusable sandbags."
The Environment Agency has now dredged 8km of river in Somerset, with the Government promising to spend £4.2m on flood defences in the county.
A teenage attempted murder suspect who was mistakenly released from jail has been recaptured by police.
Jordan Francois, 18, was on remand from Wandsworth Prison in southwest London.
A £10,000 reward was being offered by the Metropolitan Police for information which led to his arrest. Scotland Yard had said he was "unlawfully at large".
Francois was known to have ties to north London, and was arrested in Edmonton at 5.35am on Saturday morning.
The Prison Service has now confirmed it will be "formally investigating" the incident.
A spokesman added: "Releases in error are a very rare but regrettable occurrence. The number of incidents have fallen significantly in recent years with figures down by a quarter compared to 2009/10 but every incident is taken extremely seriously and we are not complacent."
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 19 Desember 2014 | 16.12
CCTV footage of a shoot-out between a criminal and a policeman on a north London street has been released.
Gunman Sedat Meric is seen in the video firing three shots into West Green Pool Bar, in Haringey, where officers from the National Crime Agency were conducting surveillance.
One officer appeared from behind a car, prompting Meric to turn and fire in their direction.
He is then seen running off while shooting eight times at the pursuing officer, who is shown returning fire.
Realising he had run out of ammunition, Meric discarded his firearm on the pavement and subsequently gave himself up to police. No one was injured.
Meric, aged 25, was found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life at the Old Bailey, over the shoot-out in May.
His 22-year-old accomplice, Oktay Ayanoglu, was convicted of the same offence, although both men were acquitted of attempted murder.
DI Shaun Fitzgerald, from the Trident Gang Command, said: "Meric went out that evening intent on causing fear and intimidation and with no regard for who may have got caught up in the crossfire.
"Shooting at officers of the law highlights his complete disregard. I commend the officers from the National Crime Agency for their bravery in the face of an armed man.
"It is sheer luck that no one was injured as a result of this incident and it highlights the inherent dangers present when carrying a gun."
Meric and Ayanoglu will be sentenced on 9 January.
Women could be allowed to fight on the front line from 2016 the Government has announced.
The Defence Secretary has signed off a major review that concluded females could serve in a combat role if they achieved the rigorous physical standards required.
A senior defence source has described it as a "significant step-forward".
The final decision will be made after an 18 month physiological exam. This will look at women's basic physical ability to cope in harsh environments on lengthy deployments of six months or more.
"There is a real desire among Ministers and the military to open up ground combat roles to women," a Whitehall source told Sky News.
Video:Should Women Be On The Front Line?
"This detailed review is a big step forward in the process, however it is clear further work needs to be done before a final decision is taken.
"The wellbeing of all of our personnel is of the utmost importance, but there is genuine hope this will be a reality come 2016."
Women already serve on the front line in a variety of roles: medics, intelligence officers, fighter pilots, and on submarines.
This will open the way for them to join infantry regiments, tanks units and The Royal Marines.
Some allies, the United States, Canada and Australia, already allow women to serve on the front line.
The six-month review was ordered by the last Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond. It has been on the desk of his successor Michael Fallon for a few weeks.
It was overseen by the Head of the Army, General Nicholas Carter.
Amongst many things, the review examined the possible consequences of male soldiers serving in close quarters with female colleagues including what effect this might have on the morale of a fighting unit.
It also looked at whether women are more prone to injury.
The review, whilst not conclusive, has removed doubts within the MoD.
Tumbling oil prices are resulting in lower petrol costs, but there are warnings the good news for drivers may not last.
With prices falling by more than 40% since June's high of $111 a barrel, there have been an increasing number of reports suggesting petrol prices across the UK could soon fall below £1 per litre - the lowest level since the end of May 2009.
Experts at the RAC believe petrol could fall to 99p a litre next year, while economists at Goldman Sachs also believe petrol could fall close to £1.
But AA president Edmund King insists this possibility remains "remote".
He said: "A 6.6p-a-litre drop in the price of petrol releases a potential £3m-a-day switch of consumer spending from fuel forecourts to other businesses.
Video:What's Causing Falling Oil Prices?
"It will also lower the cost of transporting goods, hopefully also to be passed on to customers."
Mr King went on: "However, the parallels with the 2008 crash, albeit that was a market in freefall while this one has been engineered by OPEC and could be stopped any time, carry a warning from the ghost of Christmas past.
"In 2009, a new year brought a new assessment of the market and pump prices started to rise again on January 5."
Analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also suggests petrol prices are unlikely to fall below £1-a-litre in the coming months.
Video:How Do Oil Traders View The Future?
But while the ONS said the price consumers pay at the pumps for petrol and diesel were "strongly related to the price of crude oil", it highlighted that price changes were "less volatile and the effect of changes in crude oil prices are delayed".
Ian Taylor, chief executive and president of Vitol, the world's largest oil trading company, told Sky News' Ian King Live that although the future was difficult to predict he believes the market "will steady up".
He said: "As you know oil traders are pretty useless at predicting price, but we sort of feel that inevitably at these price levels that several areas of the world will begin to cut back on capex (capital expenditure) and we'll see some reductions in supply and a big transfer of income to the consumers - hopefully lower petrol prices in the UK etc - and that will increase demand.
"We feel at the current prices and with Brent at $60 a barrel we should begin to see some stability, but oil has been a lot lower than this and a lot higher so it's difficult to predict just at this moment - but I do begin to believe the market will begin to steady up."
Video:Oil Prices - Winners And Losers
He added: "It's a pretty big tax cut for every single consumer in the world and it's a huge transfer of income from oil producers to world consumers. It's pretty positive for the UK, Europe and other big consuming countries around the globe."
Petrol pump prices have plunged in the last month with the mid-November to mid-December fall the third biggest in 25 years, according to the AA.
The motoring group said that between mid-November and mid-December UK average petrol prices fell 6.6p to 116.32p a litre.
Only the October-November 2008 fall of 11.5p a litre and the August-September 2006 dip of 7.9p have been greater than the most recent decline.
Video:Oil Chief's Petrol Price Prediction
The AA also said that average diesel prices have fallen 5.27p a litre to 122.16p over the mid-November to mid-December 2014 period.
And the fall does not include the very latest 2p-a-litre petrol reduction by the four biggest supermarkets which took effect on Wednesday.
Currently, south west England has the cheapest petrol, at an average of 116.1p a litre, while East Anglia has the dearest, at 117.1p.
The cheapest diesel is to be found in Northern Ireland, at 121.8p a litre, with the most-expensive in Scotland, at 122.7p a litre.
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 18 Desember 2014 | 16.12
A £5bn project to guarantee mobile phone voice and text coverage to 90% of the UK geographical area by 2017 will go ahead.
The deal means the four mobile networks - EE, O2, Three and Vodafone - have all agreed to tackle poor coverage in so-called partial "not spots".
These are areas that may have coverage from some but not all of the four networks.
This will halve the number of areas where there is patchy mobile coverage.
In addition, the operators will increase full coverage from 69% to 85% - allowing phone users to download data.
Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Too many parts of the UK regularly suffer from poor mobile coverage leaving them unable to make calls or send texts.
"Government and businesses have been clear about the importance of mobile connectivity, and improved coverage, so this legally binding agreement will give the UK the world-class mobile phone coverage it needs and deserves."
A Vodafone UK spokesman said: "We support the Government's objective of delivering better coverage to rural areas including partial not-spots.
"It is a great result for UK consumers and businesses and it will make the UK a leader across Europe in terms of the reach of mobile coverage."
Around 85% of infants are now receiving free school meals - just three months after the scheme was launched.
Nick Clegg said more than 1.6 million children aged between five and seven have taken up the offer after it was introduced into England's 16,500 primary schools.
The deputy prime minister and Lib Dem leader said: "Well over a million-and-a-half infants are enjoying a school meal at lunchtime, giving them a better start to afternoon lessons and a healthy boost for their first years in school.
"The other good news for families is that this saves them up to £400 per child a year on the cost of a packed lunch.
"The naysayers about this policy can eat their hats, and all the leftover sprouts."
Video:Nine-Year-Old Grills Nick Clegg
Earlier this year, the free meals policy sparked a coalition row over the expense of the reform.
Later, former education secretary Michael Gove and schools minister David Laws wrote a joint article insisting they were both behind the scheme.
Some headteachers initially warned the policy would cause difficulties in schools which did not have adequate kitchen and dining facilities to feed all the children in the lunch break.
A police force has apologised for letting prolific sex offender Jimmy Savile slip through their net by not properly investigating him while he was alive.
North Yorkshire Police has admitted it missed opportunities to act and let down people who reported abuse by the disgraced entertainer and another man in Scarborough.
Assistant Chief Constable Paul Kennedy apologised to 35 people who say they were abused in Scarborough between 1958 and 1998 by Savile or his friend Peter Jaconelli, a former mayor of the town.
Two of the alleged victims say both men attacked them.
"On behalf of North Yorkshire Police I am sorry, I am truly sorry we did not respond more effectively, we did not investigate those allegations early on," he said.
Savile's headstone was removed after his abuses were revealed
ACC Kennedy said if Savile and Jaconelli were alive they would be arrested on suspicion of child sex offences ranging from indecent assault to rape.
Savile died in 2011 before being exposed as a prolific offender who abused at least 500 children and Jaconelli died in 1999.
After Savile's crimes were made public campaigners and bloggers on the Yorkshire coast pressured the police over their claims that they had no knowledge of complaints against either Savile or Jaconelli when they were alive.
When several men came forward in March 2014 to say they had been abused by Jaconelli the force referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and began an investigation.
Nigel Ward from the North Yorks Enquirer website welcomed the apology but said more needs to be done.
"The only way to get to the bottom of this now is to have a full scale public inquiry and I would welcome that because I think there are a lot of people who have been culpable in terms of covering up and making it possible for these terrible people to get away with these offences," he said.
The IPCC has recently quizzed an unnamed serving detective sergeant from North Yorkshire Police as part of an ongoing investigation into potential misconduct over how information about Savile and Jaconelli was handled.
Both men are buried in Scarborough's Woodlands Cemetery, where Savile's grave is unmarked after his headstone was removed in 2012 while Jaconelli's prominent headstone records him as Alderman Peter Jaconelli.
Scarborough Council, which is led by Tom Fox, a former Scarborough police commander, stripped Jaconelli of his civic honours when the extent of the complaints against him were acknowledged earlier this year.
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 17 Desember 2014 | 16.12
Petrol prices could soon fall below £1 per litre - the lowest level since the end of May 2009.
The RAC said the recent fall in the price of oil - now below the $60-a-barrel - would keep dropping.
"What's currently happening at the pumps with falling fuel prices is something many motorists will not remember seeing before," said RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said.
"Talk of prices going up like a rocket and falling like a feather could not be further from the truth as retailers have been quick to pass on savings at the forecourt since we forecast on December 6 that prices were due to come down by 7p a litre for petrol and 6p for diesel."
The RAC added that it was hopeful drivers would benefit from the fall in prices in the first few months of the new year.
Video:What's Causing Falling Oil Prices?
The group's monitoring of fuel prices shows the average price of a litre of petrol is 116.9p - nearly 14p a litre cheaper than at the start of the year.
Diesel is nearly 16p cheaper - 122.33p a litre now compared to 138.24p in January.
The average supermarket price of fuel is 114.26p a litre for petrol and 120.18p for diesel.
Video:Petrol Prices
Mr Williams added: "Current forecasts are for average petrol prices to fall to below 110p a litre in the next fortnight and diesel to drop to under 116p.
"At these average prices across the country the cheapest retailers will almost certainly be selling petrol for around 105p a litre, or even lower."
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Video:Britons Reveal IS Fight In Syria
By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Two Britons who went to Syria to fight IS have told of their battles on the front line - and how they vowed to kill each other rather than get captured.
Jamie Read and James Hughes told how they dodged bullets during chaotic patrols with Kurdish forces after recording a "goodbye" video for their families in case they died.
They described spending hours lying in the "pitch black" in no-man's land, in conditions they said were reminiscent of World War One.
On one occasion, it was so cold that a young Kurdish comrade collapsed with hypothermia - "body-popping" on the ground next to them.
In an exclusive Sky News interview after their return to the UK, the pair also revealed how panic alarms have been installed in their homes, amid fears they could be targets for IS supporters.
They strongly denied being mercenaries, telling how they had sold possessions to fund their flights and had returned to the UK to "mounting debts and bills".
They had not been paid "a penny" for their exploits, though they had been "treated like royalty" by some of the Kurdish troops, the men said.
And the former soldiers gave a detailed account of their time in Iraq and Syria, explaining that they had travelled to fight IS militants because they had "zero tolerance for terrorism".
The men travelled to Syria after the beheading of Alan Henning
Describing what had prompted them to travel, Mr Read said the beheading of British aid convoy volunteer Alan Henning had been the final straw.
"Alan Henning - aid worker, British - put him on his hands and knees and cut his head off, you know what I mean," Mr Read said.
1/8
Gallery: British Pair Joined Fight Against Islamic State
James Hughes and Jamie Read gave an exclusive interview to Sky News
James Hughes from Worcestershire is a former soldier who served three tours in Afghanistan
]]>
Jamie Read from Lanarkshire, Scotland, spent time training with the French army
]]>
He said that he had 'zero tolerance' for terrorism
]]>
The men joined Kurdish fighters in Syria battling IS
]]>
"Can you really find justification in sitting back here and doing nothing?"
Mr Read, 24, and Mr Hughes, 26, revealed that organising the trip had been quite simple with a "phone call here or there" and some communication over Skype.
They were screened by simply having their Facebook posts checked and ensuring that social media friends were not IS supporters, Mr Read said.
The pair said that after arriving in Irbil, northern Iraq, they were transported via the Kurdish HQ to the front line in Syria.
During the journey the Britons said they had no idea whether they had landed in a trap.
"I'm not going to lie, this was one of the most frightening processes you can go through, you know, the paranoia: through the roof," Mr Read said.
"You get picked up by a guy who doesn't speak English, so straight away there's a language barrier.
"When we got to the safe house... it's sort of dodgy-looking, so you think 'I don't really like this'. At one point, you think 'is this the point I'm going to get handed over?'"
After getting a uniform and weapons, Mr Hughes said they eventually "rocked up" on the frontline to an old schoolhouse covered in mud.
Video:UK Needs Stronger Foreign Policy
They arrived to cheers from their Kurdish comrades, were plied with chai (tea) and cigarettes, and met three other Westerners who had joined the fight.
During their three weeks on the front line, their duties included terrifying night patrols where it was the "blackest black... like being in a cave with no lights".
"You are left staring into the pitch black, hoping no one sees you first," Mr Read said.
The Britons said they had hatched a plan to shoot each dead rather than being caught and paraded on television as hostages.
"We wouldn't get captured, bottom line, we couldn't get captured, we're not getting our heads paraded on YouTube, we made that vow before we went out.
"Everybody out there is carrying a round for themselves. Nobody wants to be captured by IS. Nobody wants to end up on YouTube getting their head cut off.
"So for us, as harsh as it sounds, it's probably the better way to go. It's the old saying, 'you keep a round for each other'."
Describing their final day, Mr Read told how the pair had been out on patrol towards a nearby village where IS militants had been holed up.
"All of a sudden we just got opened up on. Quite a lot of small arms (...) quite a lot of AKs and they were quite close.
1/12
Gallery: Peshmergas On The Front Line In The Battle Against Islamic State
Kurdish Peshmerga forces sweep the Bakirta village near the town of Makhmur, south of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan
Members of Kurdish "peshmerga" troops ride a vehicle during an intensive security deployment on the outskirts of Diyala, northeast of Baghdad
]]>
"There were rounds coming in and they were really close - they were pinging and they were bouncing, whizzing over your head - obviously it's a very distinctive noise.
"There was a lot of shouting, a lot of screaming, a lot of F-words being dropped."
The pair said they were forced to flee through a village which was "littered with IEDs (improvised explosive devices)" before returning to base.
"We eventually made it out but this was a real eye-opener - this is how these people were going to act - there's something more that needs to be done there."
They returned to Britain last week and were questioned by anti-terrorism officers for six hours at Heathrow airport before being released.
Asked whether they would return to Syria, Mr Read said: "I'd like to think we would have the opportunity to go back."
But he added: "I'm unsure on the political stance - I'm not sure whether our Government would appreciate us going back."
:: You can watch an extended special report on the IS-fighting Britons at 2.30pm, 4.30pm and 8.30pm, today.
Watch the report on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.
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Exclusive: Death Pact Of IS-Fighting Britons
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Video:Britons Reveal IS Fight In Syria
By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Two Britons who went to Syria to fight IS have told of their battles on the front line - and how they vowed to kill each other rather than get captured.
Jamie Read and James Hughes told how they dodged bullets during chaotic patrols with Kurdish forces after recording a "goodbye" video for their families in case they died.
They described spending hours lying in the "pitch black" in no-man's land, in conditions they said were reminiscent of World War One.
On one occasion, it was so cold that a young Kurdish comrade collapsed with hypothermia - "body-popping" on the ground next to them.
In an exclusive Sky News interview after their return to the UK, the pair also revealed how panic alarms have been installed in their homes, amid fears they could be targets for IS supporters.
They strongly denied being mercenaries, telling how they had sold possessions to fund their flights and had returned to the UK to "mounting debts and bills".
They had not been paid "a penny" for their exploits, though they had been "treated like royalty" by some of the Kurdish troops, the men said.
And the former soldiers gave a detailed account of their time in Iraq and Syria, explaining that they had travelled to fight IS militants because they had "zero tolerance for terrorism".
The men travelled to Syria after the beheading of Alan Henning
Describing what had prompted them to travel, Mr Read said the beheading of British aid convoy volunteer Alan Henning had been the final straw.
"Alan Henning - aid worker, British - put him on his hands and knees and cut his head off, you know what I mean," Mr Read said.
1/8
Gallery: British Pair Joined Fight Against Islamic State
James Hughes and Jamie Read gave an exclusive interview to Sky News
James Hughes from Worcestershire is a former soldier who served three tours in Afghanistan
]]>
Jamie Read from Lanarkshire, Scotland, spent time training with the French army
]]>
He said that he had 'zero tolerance' for terrorism
]]>
The men joined Kurdish fighters in Syria battling IS
]]>
"Can you really find justification in sitting back here and doing nothing?"
Mr Read, 24, and Mr Hughes, 26, revealed that organising the trip had been quite simple with a "phone call here or there" and some communication over Skype.
They were screened by simply having their Facebook posts checked and ensuring that social media friends were not IS supporters, Mr Read said.
The pair said that after arriving in Irbil, northern Iraq, they were transported via the Kurdish HQ to the front line in Syria.
During the journey the Britons said they had no idea whether they had landed in a trap.
"I'm not going to lie, this was one of the most frightening processes you can go through, you know, the paranoia: through the roof," Mr Read said.
"You get picked up by a guy who doesn't speak English, so straight away there's a language barrier.
"When we got to the safe house... it's sort of dodgy-looking, so you think 'I don't really like this'. At one point, you think 'is this the point I'm going to get handed over?'"
After getting a uniform and weapons, Mr Hughes said they eventually "rocked up" on the frontline to an old schoolhouse covered in mud.
Video:UK Needs Stronger Foreign Policy
They arrived to cheers from their Kurdish comrades, were plied with chai (tea) and cigarettes, and met three other Westerners who had joined the fight.
During their three weeks on the front line, their duties included terrifying night patrols where it was the "blackest black... like being in a cave with no lights".
"You are left staring into the pitch black, hoping no one sees you first," Mr Read said.
The Britons said they had hatched a plan to shoot each dead rather than being caught and paraded on television as hostages.
"We wouldn't get captured, bottom line, we couldn't get captured, we're not getting our heads paraded on YouTube, we made that vow before we went out.
"Everybody out there is carrying a round for themselves. Nobody wants to be captured by IS. Nobody wants to end up on YouTube getting their head cut off.
"So for us, as harsh as it sounds, it's probably the better way to go. It's the old saying, 'you keep a round for each other'."
Describing their final day, Mr Read told how the pair had been out on patrol towards a nearby village where IS militants had been holed up.
"All of a sudden we just got opened up on. Quite a lot of small arms (...) quite a lot of AKs and they were quite close.
1/12
Gallery: Peshmergas On The Front Line In The Battle Against Islamic State
Kurdish Peshmerga forces sweep the Bakirta village near the town of Makhmur, south of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan
Members of Kurdish "peshmerga" troops ride a vehicle during an intensive security deployment on the outskirts of Diyala, northeast of Baghdad
]]>
"There were rounds coming in and they were really close - they were pinging and they were bouncing, whizzing over your head - obviously it's a very distinctive noise.
"There was a lot of shouting, a lot of screaming, a lot of F-words being dropped."
The pair said they were forced to flee through a village which was "littered with IEDs (improvised explosive devices)" before returning to base.
"We eventually made it out but this was a real eye-opener - this is how these people were going to act - there's something more that needs to be done there."
They returned to Britain last week and were questioned by anti-terrorism officers for six hours at Heathrow airport before being released.
Asked whether they would return to Syria, Mr Read said: "I'd like to think we would have the opportunity to go back."
But he added: "I'm unsure on the political stance - I'm not sure whether our Government would appreciate us going back."
:: You can watch an extended special report on the IS-fighting Britons at 2.30pm, 4.30pm and 8.30pm, today.
Watch the report on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.
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