Armed Robber On The Run Is 'Threat To Public'

Police have warned the public to stay away from a convict who is the latest to go on the run from an open prison.

Officers said that David Blood, who is serving a life sentence for robbery, may pose "a threat to the public".

The 48-year-old absconded from Ford Prison in West Sussex, some time between 8.30am and 1pm on Thursday.

It is thought to be the second time he has escaped from an open prison. It is understood he went missing from HMP Sudbury in Derbyshire in April 2012.

On that occasion, he was not found until almost three months later.

Blood was jailed for life at Stafford Crown Court in 2003 after he was convicted of robbing a post office in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands with a number of other men in December 2000.

PC Stephen Reed said: "Because of Blood's record, we have to consider that he could pose a threat to the public.

Simon Rhodes-Butler handed himself in at Sutton police station

"I would urge anyone that sees him to contact us on 999 rather than approaching him."

Police have described Blood as 6ft 1in tall (1.85m), of small build with brown eyes and cropped black hair. He is known to have links in Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

Blood's escape is the latest in a spate of inmates absconding from open prisons.

The most high-profile offender to go missing was the violent armed robber Michael Wheatley - known as Skullcracker.

Wheatly carried out a raid on a building society while on the run after being let out of the Standford Hill prison in Kent last month.

He was later jailed for life.

The latest escape came as another convicted robber who had failed to return to Ford on May 22 handed himself into police.

Simon Rhodes-Butler - who robbed a garage owner of his watch in March 2011 - has been charged with escaping lawful custody.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "The Justice Secretary has been clear that keeping the public safe is our priority and has already ordered major changes to tighten up temporary release processes and open prison eligibility.

"Absconds have reached record lows under this Government - down 80% over the last 10 years - but each and every incident is taken seriously, with the police contacted as a matter of urgency.

"Open prisons and temporary licence are an important tool in rehabilitating long term offenders but not at the expense of public safety."

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Named Doctors 'Will Improve Hospital Care'

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Hospital patients will for the first time be assigned a named consultant responsible for all their care.

New guidance from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges puts individual doctors in charge of patients, even if they have multiple medical problems.

Patients will have the doctor's name written above their bed. And a named nurse on every shift will provide day-to-day care.

According to the Academy the move should improve patient safety and the quality of care - and was a key recommendation of the Francis Report into the mid-Staffs scandal.

It should also mean patients are discharged only if it is clinically appropriate and they have appropriate support.

Sky News revealed last month that many hospitals are sending patients home overnight without adequate care in place.

Professor Terence Stephenson, Chair of the Academy said: "Doctors recognise that we need to have clear lines of responsibility when it comes to the way patients are treated during their stay in hospital.

"(Patients) need to know who to go to if they have questions or if they think something needs to be done differently.

"This is vital if we are to drive up standards of care and continue to safeguard patient safety."

The guidelines were produced in response to a request by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Mr Hunt said: "Patients tell us that, too often, their care isn't joined up.

"That's why every patient should have a single responsible clinician whose job it is to help them with anything that goes wrong and make sure they get the care they need. This guidance will make that a reality."

The move was welcomed by the parents of two-year-old Alice Mason, who died from irreversible brain damage after a breakdown in communication by doctors at two hospitals caring for her.

Alice's mother Rosalyn told Sky News: "They should have been talking to each other on the phone at the very least.

"Faxes that were supposed to have been received from one hospital did not arrive, voicemails were not picked up. So communication is part of it."

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Interest Rates May Rise 'Sooner Than Expected'

George Osborne Acts To Curb Housing Bubble

Updated: 1:25am UK, Friday 13 June 2014

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Barely a few minutes into his Mansion House speech, George Osborne said: "So while I know this is my fifth speech to you as Chancellor, I hope it is not my last."

I'll bet he does!

But whether he's back this time next year addressing the bankers and City money men and women, or listening to Ed Balls make it, could depend on the success or not of the measures he announced in this year's speech.

He wouldn't admit it. But the Chancellor now appears to accept that the threat of a "housing bubble" in London and some other parts of the country is a potential problem.

He doesn't want interest rates to rise before next year's general election to curb house price inflation. We know that from no lesser source than Her Majesty the Queen last week.

"To strengthen the economy and provide stability and security, my ministers will continue to reduce the country's deficit, helping to ensure that mortgage and interest rates remain low," she said right at the outset of her speech at the State Opening of Parliament.

So instead, the Chancellor plans to give the Bank of England powers to curb big mortgages being offered to people who can't afford the repayments.

Excuse me, though. Aren't many of the big lenders doing that already? Some lenders are limiting loans to four times salary and scrapping loans of more than £500,000. There has been a clampdown on interest-only mortgages too.

But the price of an average house rose by £223 a day last month and by 16% over the past year. It's not as if Mr Osborne hasn't been warned.

For months, the Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable has been warning about a "housing bubble". But until now he has been slapped down by the Tory Chancellor.

Not any more. Mr Osborne told his City audience: "If London prices were to continue growing at these rates that would be too fast for comfort."

In other words, the Chancellor now recognises what critics of his Help to Buy scheme have been telling him: there is a problem in the capital, particularly, and elsewhere.

It doesn't take a genius to work out why: demand massively outstrips supply. So Mr Osborne is proposing to relax planning laws on so-called "brownfield sites", while protecting the green belt in those Tory constituencies in the shires.

Relaxing planning laws? How many times have we heard that before from senior Conservative politicians? The "Nimbys" in the leafier parts of Britain have other ideas.

To tackle the supply and demand problem in the capital, the Chancellor is promising "new housing zones across London backed by new infrastructure". Thousands of new homes for London families is the promise. We've heard a lot about that before, too.

No wonder Ed Balls MP, Labour's Shadow Chancellor, said: "George Osborne is still failing to tackle the root cause of the housing crisis which is that we are not building enough homes to match rising demand.

"And the danger of the Chancellor's failure to act on housing supply is that we see a premature rise in interest rates to rein in the housing market which ends up hitting millions of families and businesses."

A rise in interest rates before the election? No chance, Mr Balls.

But despite Mr Osborne's attempts to cool the housing market to avoid a rate rise before voters go to the polls in May 2015, I predict the so-called "housing bubble" will lead to interest rates going up after the election.

Whoever it is delivering the Mansion House speech this time next year.

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Passport Backlog: Staff 'Told To Relax Checks'

Passport Service Cuts Hit Expat Applications

Updated: 12:14pm UK, Wednesday 11 June 2014

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

The backlog and workload problems at the passport office are causing frustration and anger - not just for people based in the UK, but for Britons living all around the world.

Until a few years ago, British citizens living abroad could simply wander down to their embassy and apply for a passport. It would be issued within a day or two. Job done.

The system was then changed largely because passports had become more sophisticated - with biometric technology for security. Embassies didn't have the equipment to produce the new biometric passports.

So, regional offices were set up within certain embassies around the world. For those of us living here in Beijing, Hong Kong became the regional hub.

We could apply via the British Embassy in Beijing, the application would be sent to Hong Kong and the new passport would be issued there. A little more bureaucratic but still entirely workable.

But in December, "cost saving" measures were made to the application system. All regional offices were shut and Britons globally were told they must apply for their replacement passports in the UK.

They now have two options. Either they can travel to the UK and then apply for the "one-day" service. That could cost a huge amount in air fares.

The alternative is to send their application form, together with their old passport, to the UK Passport office in Liverpool - a process that the Passport Office says will take "at least six weeks".

That means that for at least six weeks the applicant is unable to leave wherever it is they live. For many, that's entirely impractical. For some, it will impact on their business.

With a bit of research and a half-hour long distance phone call to the passport office, I have discovered that it is possible to send a copy of your old passport rather than the original, but only in "exceptional circumstances" determined on a "case-by-case basis".

However, this leads to its own problems - the moment the new passport is issued (back in the UK) the old one (still in the hands of the applicant) is cancelled.

So in the time it takes to send the new one to the applicant overseas - several weeks - they are unable to travel because the passport they hold will be flagged as 'cancelled' at immigration.

Confusing? Frustrating? Certainly.

The stories we're hearing are mounting up - a British bride-to-be, living in Hong Kong, has been waiting for her replacement passport for eight weeks. She still doesn't have it. Her wedding, in Bali, is in two weeks.

A Briton living in South Africa who's taking a group of South African children to the World Cup, had been waiting 15 weeks.

A British businessman living in Hong Kong told us he'd waited 10 weeks. His new passport has just arrived but the passport office forgot to send back his old one which contained his visas. He is therefore still unable to travel.

The bottom line is this - not all that long ago, Britons living abroad could get a replacement passport in a day or two.

Now they are being grounded for "at least six weeks" and in many cases, far longer.

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Madeleine McCann Police: 'No Fresh Clues Yet'

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 7:29am UK, Wednesday 11 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

:: June 11 - Police begin to search an area between Praia da Luz and the town of Lagos behind a water treatment plant. The search of the scrubland site was wound down on June 9.

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Rik Mayall Post-Mortem To Take Place

Rik Mayall's Memorable Lines

Updated: 5:50pm UK, Monday 09 June 2014

Rik Mayall, who has died aged 56, starred in a host of comedy productions. Here are some of his most memorable lines and scenes:

:: As Lord Flashheart in Blackadder II:

(To Baldrick [Sir Tony Robinson], dressed in drag as a bridesmaid): "Thanks bridesmaid, like the beard. Gives me something to hang on to!"

:: As hero pilot Squadron Leader Lord Flashheart in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)

Flashheart: All right men, let's do-oo-oo it! The first thing to remember is: always treat your kite [taps chalkboard picture of a biplane] like you treat your woman [whips the air with his cane]

Lieutenant George (Hugh Laurie) : How, how do you mean, Sir? Do you mean, do you mean take her home at weekends to meet your mother?

Lord Flashheart: No, I mean get inside her five times a day and take her to heaven and back.

Captain Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson): I'm beginning to see why the suffragette movement want the vote.

Lord Flashheart: Hey! Any girl who wants to chain herself to my railings and suffer a jet movement gets my vote!

"Captain Darling? Last person I called darling was pregnant 20 seconds later."

:: As Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman (1987 - 1992)

"Why should we, the country that produced Shakespeare, Christopher Wren, and those are just the people on our banknotes for Christ's sake, cower down to the countries that produced Hitler, Napoleon, the Mafia, and the the the, the the the, the the the Smurfs! Remember my friends, God is dead. Marx is also dead. But the market lives.The market must become your new God."

:: As Richard "Richie" Richard in Bottom (1991 - 1995)

Richie: Some people are short-tempered, aren't they?

Eddie Hitler (Adrian Edmondson): Yeah, well, about four or five thousand of 'em, by the looks of things.

Richie: Yeah. But it's wonderful, though, Eddie. I mean, look. All the local communities are out there, on the streets.

Eddie: Beating the shit out of each other.

Richie: Yeah! Oh, I love carnival time. Oh, look at that policeman over there!

Eddie: Which one?

Richie: The one jumping up and down, waving his arms.

Eddie: The one that's on fire?

Richie: Yeah!

Source: IMDB

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Experts Say Statin Guidance Is 'Deeply Worrying'

How Do Statins Help Prevent Heart Disease?

Updated: 4:16am UK, Wednesday 11 June 2014

Statins are a group of drugs prescribed to help lower the level of "bad" cholesterol in a person's blood.

The official term for "bad" cholesterol is low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol that, over time, can lead to a hardening and narrowing of the arteries and heart (cardiovascular) disease.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death in the UK.

People with CVD mainly suffer from one of four problems: coronary heart disease, when the blood supply to the heart becomes restricted; angina, a sharp chest pain, caused by coronary heart disease; heart attacks, when the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked; or stroke, when the supply of blood to the brain becomes blocked.

Statins are prescribed to lower the production of LDL cholesterol inside the liver and thus lower the risk of CVD.

There are five types of statins available on prescription in the UK - atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), pravastatin (Lipostat), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor).

They come in tablet form and are taken once a day at a regular time.

Doctors usually prescribe statins to patients with a history of CVD or whose personal or family medical history suggest they may develop it within the next 10 years. 

In most cases, people who take statins will need to keep taking them for the rest of their lives to prevent a return to dangerous levels of cholesterol.

For some people, statins may have side effects. These include an upset stomach, a headache or nausea.

Very rarely, according to NHS Choices, there are cases involving more serious side effects such as kidney failure.

Opponents of statins say a person can reduce their cholesterol level naturally through a change in diet and lifestyle.

They advise eating a healthy diet high in fruit and vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids (commonly found in oily fish), as well as losing weight, regular exercise, moderate drinking and giving up smoking.

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Passport Delay Denied: Emergency Plan In Place

The Government has claimed there is no passport backlog despite bringing in emergency measures to tackle the soaring number of applications.

An extra 250 staff have been redeployed to frontline tasks in the Passport Office to tackle the 12-year high in applications that unions claim has led to a 500,000 backlog.

They are working extra hours, seven days a week to make sure the applications are dealt with, according to Immigration Minister James Brokenshire.

However, the Government has continued to insist there is no backlog.

Union bosses have claimed the Home Office has a "track record" of denying delays and said the Passport Office was in crisis.

Pictures taken by a disillusioned worker in the Liverpool passport office show tens of thousands of applications waiting to be dealt with.

One MP said thousands of families face having their summer holiday plans ruined because documents were not being prepared in anything like the normal time.

Some families who want to make sure their documents are returned in time for them to go on holiday face paying extra for a faster service - up to £55.50 on top of the £72.50 standard fee.

Mr Brokenshire admitted the Passport Office did make a profit from those who elected to use the faster services.

Three million passports have already been issued this year, with officials processing an average of 18,000 applications a day over the last two months.

Mike Jones, from the PCS Union said: "There are half a million applications that are waiting within the Passport Office at the moment.

"That figure is raised steeply over a number of months. The Home Office and the Passport Office used to have strategies in place for when the figure reached 150,000, that they would put contingency plans in to deal with those amounts."

He told Radio 4's Today programme: "Now we have seen the figures are up to 500,000 and rising at the moment. Even all the contingencies that they are trying to put in place, we are still seeing that figure rising, so there is clearly a crisis going on within the Home Office and the Passport Office as well."

Mr Brokenshire said: "It is certainly fair to say the Passport Office has seen a significant increase in demand for its service during the months of this year between January and now.

"The figures that I've seen show that's showing at around a 12-year high."

He insisted the number of people working at the Passport Office had increased by 300.

Paul Pugh, chief executive of the Passport Office, said more than 97% of straightforward applications were being processed within the target turnaround time of three weeks, with 99% processed within a month.

"We've been experiencing exceptional early summer demand for passports, in part due to the improving economy and a rise in holiday bookings," he said.

Labour's Geoffrey Robinson, the MP for Coventry North West, claimed the Government had left it so late to react to what he called a "burgeoning problem" that there was not enough time to deal with it before the start of the summer getaway.

"The nub of the problem lies in the cuts the Government has made," he said.

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London Faces Gridlock As Black Cabbies Protest

Thousands of black cab drivers are set to bring severe disruption to central London in protest at the regulation of rival cab services such as Uber.

The Google-backed app allows users to order a car at the touch of a button, and the fare is calculated using GPS tracking.

But traditional cabbies say this is effectively a taxi meter, which only black cabs are legally entitled to use in the capital.

The protest will see up to 12,000 cars fill the streets around Trafalgar Square from 2pm.

Transport for London (TfL) has warned of significant traffic disruption.

The transport authority is seeking clarification from the High Court over whether or not services such as Uber should be licensed, and say today's action is "pointless".

Garrett Emmerson, TfL's chief operating officer for surface transport, said: "A number of taxi drivers are set to cause pointless disruption for Londoners over a legal issue that is down to the courts to decide upon.

"TfL will work with the Metropolitan Police to do all we can to keep central London moving, however, given the scale of the likely disruption, we would advise drivers to avoid the area if at all possible."

Mick Cash, acting general secretary of the RMT transport union, said: "There will be serious disruption on Wednesday.

"But that will be nothing compared to the disruption and dangers of allowing our licensed taxis to be driven from our streets through a combination of ignorance and greed."

There are some 25,000 black cabs in London which can be flagged down in the street and use a metre to calculate fares.

There are a further 44,000 private-hire minicabs which must be pre-booked with a set fare and destination.

Uber has been the focus of anger from taxi drivers across European countries, including Spain and France.

On Wednesday Uber announced that a black cab service was being added to its app platform, meaning drivers of the classic London cab can now be booked through the app if they sign up.

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Madeleine McCann: New Search 'Will Be Useful'

By Tom Parmenter, Sky Correspondent, in Praia da Luz

The renewed searches in Praia da Luz will be "useful" in understanding what happened to Madeleine McCann, a former Portuguese attorney general has told Sky News.

Pinto Monteiro, who was in post when Madeleine disappeared in the resort of Praia da Luz in May 2007, explained that he believed the Portuguese and British are working professionally together in the latest phase of the investigation.

"All investigations deemed to discover what happened to Madeleine will be useful - we need to establish some certainty as to what happened," he said.

The site of digs in Praia da Luz

He added that the case was a complex criminal investigation due to "hundreds of false directions, hundreds of false statements … some were well-intentioned and others just malicious".

Specialist teams have spent the past week on new searches.

Monday was a rest day for the detectives and search staff who will move their focus onto a new site on Wednesday. Today is a national holiday in Portugal.

The scrubland they cordoned off for the past week is once again open; most of the holes dug have now been filled back in.

A discarded police bag on scrubland where searches finished at the weekend

A discarded Metropolitan Police evidence bag is one of the few items the teams have left behind.

The detectives have not revealed what intelligence led them to conduct the searches on the land which now seems to have been discounted from their investigation.

Portuguese police sources confirmed to Sky News that the next searches on Wednesday will take place on sites just outside Praia da Luz.

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Speeding Drivers Could Be Fined £10,000

Drivers caught speeding on motorways could be fined up to £10,000 under plans being considered by the Government.

Magistrates would be able to issue fines four times larger they can at present, with maximum penalties for a range of offences including drink-driving and driving with defective tyres or brakes, so-called 'level four' offences, all increasing to £10,000.

People convicted of criminal damage, racially aggravated disorder or failing to provide a drugs sample could all be fined the same amount.

Meanwhile, motorists who ignore red traffic lights or use their mobile phone while driving, both of which are 'level three' offences, could be given fines of up to £4,000 - up from £1,000 at present.

Courts would also be able to levy unlimited fines for the most serious crimes dealt with by the lower courts, such as arson, fraud and animal cruelty, which at present attract penalties of up to £5,000.

The Government paved the way for the huge increase - the first in more than two decades - when it passed new legislation in 2012.

Justice Minister Jeremy Wright said the changes would give magistrates the "greater powers" they need to punish offenders.

However, motoring groups have criticised the changes, with Robert Lipton, director of the National Motorists Action Group, telling the Daily Telegraph the move was "disproportionate and draconian".

Edmund King, president of the AA, added: "We wouldn't condone excessive speeding ... but fines have to be proportionate to the offence.

"One has to question whether increasing the fines four-fold is proportionate and it probably isn't."

Mr Wright said financial penalties were "an effective way of punishing criminals and deterring them from further offending".

"Magistrates are the cornerstone of our justice system and these changes will provide them with greater powers to deal with the day-to-day offences that impact their local communities," he said.

Legislation to increase the levels of fines will be laid before Parliament on Tuesday and will be debated before coming into force.

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Firms Paid To Prevent Electricity Blackouts

National Grid has begun offering to pay firms to manage their electricity use from this winter to help prevent the 'lights going out'.

The company, which runs the power network in England and Wales, is asking the largest energy users to agree to cut their usage at peak times over the next four winters to help prevent possible blackouts.

National Grid said any requests to reduce power consumption would apply between 4pm and 8pm on winter weekdays and would add no more than £1 annually to the average household energy bill.

The Demand Side Balancing Reserve service (DSBR), as the scheme is being called, would only be enacted on a voluntary basis, the company insisted.

National Grid was also looking, from winter 2015/16,  to boost capacity from electricity generators that would otherwise be closed or mothballed between the hours of 6am and 8pm on winter weekdays.

Both initiatives followed a consultation exercise.

Worries about power shortfalls have grown in recent years following the closure of many old generators under European emissions rules.

Fierce debate among politicians, industry figures, communities and environmentalists on replacing them and extending capacity has delayed addressing the issue.

It was anticipated, the power operator said, that both initiatives would not be required in 2018/19 because the Government was introducing reforms to ensure sufficient capacity was available to meet future demand.

National Grid's Peter Bingham said: "It's our job as electricity system operator to make sure we've got all the right tools at our disposal to balance supply and demand on the electricity network, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

"For winter 2014/15 we are inviting providers of demand side response services to offer a small volume of demand reduction capability to pilot the new DSBR service.

"For winter 2015/16, we will tender for both services. This offers generators an incentive to make their power stations available in winter where they might otherwise be unavailable."

Dermot Nolan, Ofgem Chief Executive, said: "Ofgem has taken decisive action by giving National Grid additional tools to manage lower electricity margins from this winter, when Britain will have less generation available. We welcome their announcement on tenders for using these tools.

"An early indication of our analysis shows that the risks to security of electricity supplies for next winter are going to be very similar to last winter. And while no electricity system anywhere in the world can give a 100 per cent guarantee we are confident that National Grid has the right levers to keep the lights on for households this winter. However, there can never be any room for complacency: National Grid and the industry must be vigilant at all times."

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Veteran's Medals Stolen On D-Day Anniversary

A war veteran has had his military medals stolen as former soldiers gathered to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

The 92-year-old had 11 medals taken from his home in Whetstone, north London, after answering the door to a man claiming to be from the water board.

The bogus caller appeared to look at the taps in the kitchen before leaving a short time later.

Later that evening, the veteran, who served with the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War, noticed items in his bedroom had been moved and his war and service medals stolen.

Nothing else was taken in the apparent distraction burglary.

The man who entered the house spoke with an Irish accent and wore grey clothing that looked like an engineer's outfit.

He is described as white, about 5ft 10in tall and of stocky build.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on the non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Madeleine McCann Police Shut Down Search Area

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 10:22am UK, Monday 02 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

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'Trojan Horse' Schools Reject Ofsted Findings

The education trust at the centre of the alleged "Trojan Horse" plot has hit back saying schools "do not promote extremism".

David Hughes, vice-chairman of the Park View Educational Trust has confirmed their three schools have been placed in special measures following Ofsted inspections.

Speaking ahead of the official release of details of Ofsted spot checks on 21 schools in the wake of allegations of an Islamic fundamentalist takeover at Birmingham's schools, Mr Hughes said he "wholeheartedly rejects" the findings.

It was disclosed by the Government on Sunday that Park View Academy, its sister school Golden Hillock and Nansen Primary School were found by Ofsted inspectors to be in need of special measures.

Mr Hughes confirmed the Ofsted findings on Monday morning and said the speed at which the schools had been condemned was "truly shocking".

He said the trust would be looking to mount a legal challenge to the findings and insisted the inspections were carried out in a "climate of suspicion".

He said his schools "do not tolerate or promote extremism" and the inspection results and inquiry into Islamist extremism in Birmingham put Muslim children at "substantial risk of not being accepted".

Oldknow School, a primary school, and Saltley, a secondary school, which are overseen by Birmingham City Council have also been found to be in need of special measures.

Staff at Oldknow School told inspectors they had been ordered to put on an Easter assembly and Christian activities when they discovered they were to be inspected.

Downing Street released findings of the key Ofsted reports on Sunday and announced David Cameron had ordered Michael Gove to start "dawn raid" inspections after schools were found to be covering up evidence of Islamist infiltration.

The developments come after a damaging spat between the Education Secretary and the Home Secretary over how the Government should deal with Islamic extremism.

In comments leaked to The Times newspaper last week, Michael Gove accused the Home Office of failing to properly tackle with extremism - leaving it until it turned into terrorism.

Theresa May's camp responded by leaking a letter she had written to Michael Gove asking why his department had failed to act in 2010 when the allegations of Islamist infiltration in Birmingham schools had first been raised.

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GPs 'Should Offer On-The-Spot Smear Tests'

By Harret Hadfield, Sky News Reporter

Women should be offered on-the-spot smear tests during regular doctor's appointments, according to a new study.

All women in the UK aged between 25 and 65 are offered the test regularly every three years to screen for cervical cancer.

A smear test can also detect pre-cancerous cells, that could lead to cancer, making it a highly effective preventative measure.

The recommendation comes from the think tank Demos, working alongside charity Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust.

Jo Salter from Demos told Sky News: "We think that doctors are really crucial to tackling this problem because they are the gatekeepers who invite women to be screened, but often they are a barrier because they can't get an appointment or because their GP is quite off-putting about it."

It has found 3,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year. Of those, 900 will die from the disease.

Cervical cancer is the third most common gynaecological cancer in the UK.

Improved screening rates will cut those diagnosed cancer in half

Currently only 78% of eligible women take up the test - but with a 100% screening rate, the number of those diagnosed with the illness would be cut in half.

For GPs, who are already very short of time, it is another thing to have to fit into an appointment slot.

Dr David Lloyd, from The Ridgeway Surgery in Harrow, said: "In a 10-minute appointment we have to cover the problem that the patient came with in the first place ... then, if she hadn't had a recent smear, we'd have to have a discussion with the patient.

"Some women may not want to have a smear at that stage as it's a bit more than just having your blood pressure taken and then there's a little extra time on everything else."

Embarrassment, busy lives and finding the test painful are among the reasons given by women who avoid screening.

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Metal Studs Treat The Homeless 'Like Animals'

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

Metal studs installed to stop homeless people from sleeping outside private flats in London have been described as "brutal" by a homelessness charity.

Residents at the block on Southwark Bridge Road said they appeared a few weeks ago after someone had been sleeping rough there.

In reaction, Howard Sinclair, Chief Executive of St Mungo's Broadway, said: "Each year our teams, in Southwark and elsewhere, help thousands of people off the streets.

"Part of their role is to prevent people adopting a street lifestyle which, on occasions, means adapting the physical environment to prevent people sleeping rough in a particular location on a regular basis. These 'studs' appear a rather brutal way of doing just that."

The studs are intended to prevent rough sleepers from using the doorway

Its not clear who ordered them and if they are solely to deter rough sleepers but their installation has sparked an angry reaction.

Emi Takehara lives in the block and told Sky News: "I feel really uncomfortable having these spikes in front of my home. It's like treating these homeless people like animals."

Andrew Horton spotted the studs on his way to work and posted pictures of them online.

It is split opinion on Twitter.

David Wells wrote: "These Anti homeless studs are like the spikes they use to keep pigeons off buildings. The destitute now considered vermin."

The anti-homeless devices appeared outside the flats a few weeks ago

Others, including Gavin Logan defended the installation, tweeting: "There will be a context behind those anti-homeless spikes. Possibly a last resort against someone who was aggressive and refused housing."

Homelessness charities say this is not a one-off, metal studs have been appearing across the country for the last decade as the number of people sleeping rough rises.

The management company has not been available for comment but Councillor Peter John, leader of Southwark Council, issued a statement confirming the council is not responsible.

He added: "The council can look into health and safety or planning concerns that are reported to us.

"With regards to people sleeping rough, the council has a dedicated officer who works closely with organisations like St Mungo's [a homelessness charity], who have a 'no second night out' policy to ensure rough sleepers are found shelter and support."

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Minimum Wage Dodgers 'Named And Shamed'

Twenty-five employers who failed to pay their staff the national minimum wage have been "named and shamed" by the Government.

It is the biggest number of employers publicly named since a new crackdown was announced last year.

Between them, they owe workers more than £43,000 in arrears, and face fines of over £21,000.

The minimum wage is currently set at £6.31 an hour.

Business Minister Jenny Willott said: "Paying less than the minimum wage is not only wrong, it's illegal. If employers break the law they need to know that they will face tough consequences.

"Any worker who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. If anyone suspects they are not being paid the wage they are legally entitled to they should call the Pay and Work Rights helpline on 0800 917 2368."

The Government also plans to increase fines, so that an employer underpaying 10 workers could face fines of up to £200,000.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Under-paying your lowest paid staff is immoral and illegal. Employers caught in the act deserve to be fined and have their reputation ruined.

"This should send a clear message that dodging the minimum wage does not pay. All minimum wage cheats should be named and shamed, and HMRC need greater resources to catch even more crooks."

The 25 employers are as follows:

:: Christine Cadden and Nicola Banks of Renaissance, Wirral, neglected to pay £7,310.65 to three workers.

:: Alan King and John King of Arthur Simpson & Co, Bradford, neglected to pay £6,426.12 to a worker.

:: Central Heating Services Ltd, Hampshire, neglected to pay £6,200.28 to four workers.

:: Cargilfield School Ltd, Edinburgh, neglected to pay £3,739.58 to a worker.

:: A2ZEE Construction Ltd, Cramlington, neglected to pay £3,375.51 to 14 workers.

:: Mr and Mrs Balasco of Eugenio, Bristol, neglected to pay £3,037.53 to two workers.

:: Mr and Mrs Hampton of The Wheatsheaf Inn, Cheshire, neglected to pay £2,057.88 to five workers.

:: Steven Stainton of Steven Stainton Joinery, Cumbria, neglected to pay £1,415.82 to a worker.

:: Runbaro Ltd, Swindon, neglected to pay £1,413.88 to a worker.

:: Satwinder Singh Khatter and Tejinder Singh Khatter of The Bath Hotel, Reading, neglected to pay £1,237.79 to two workers.

:: Richard Last of Classic Carpentry, Godalming, neglected to pay £1,236.72 to a worker.

:: We are Mop! Ltd, London, neglected to pay £1,018.05 to two workers. 

:: Mrs Sue English of Legends Hairdressers, Colchester, neglected to pay £823.40 to a worker. 

:: Saftdwin Ltd, Hampshire, neglected to pay £806.37 to two workers.

:: Master Distribution Ltd, Essex, neglected to pay £718.62 to a worker.

:: Perth Hotels Ltd, Perth, neglected to pay £556.80 to a worker.

:: Bryants Nurseries Ltd, Hertfordshire, neglected to pay £494.07 to a worker.

:: Dove Mill Retail Outlet Ltd, Bolton, neglected to pay £461.84 to a worker.

:: Luigi's Little Italy Ltd, Yorkshire, neglected to pay £281.04 to five workers.

:: CPS SW Ltd, Exmouth, neglected to pay £261.29 to a worker.

:: Mr Gary Calder, Mr Richard Calder and Mr Neil Calder of Avenue Agricultural, Northamptonshire, neglected to pay £256.55 to a worker.

:: Dakal Ltd, Northampton, neglected to pay £252.00 to two workers.

:: Zoom Ltd, Havant, neglected to pay £242.28 to three workers.

:: HSS Hire Service Group Ltd, Manchester, neglected to pay £149.00 to 15 workers.

:: Sun Shack Ltd, Hamilton, neglected to pay £134.35 to eight workers.

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