Park Users Could Be Asked To Pay By Councils

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

Park users could be asked to pay for membership as part of proposals to fund green spaces in Britain.

It is just one proposal put forward by a report from the Heritage Lottery Fund which warns that the country's parks and green spaces are "on the edge of a precipice".

A £700m cash boost in the mid 1990s from lottery money has helped get parks in good health but the report says that councils are cutting budgets in order to cut costs.

Dame Jenny Abramsky, chair of Heritage Lottery Fund, says: "Parks are highly valued, precious places that are vital to our physical and emotional well-being. Following decades of decline, lottery funding sparked a parks renaissance but that is now at risk.

"We realise these are financially tough times and that is why we need collaborative action and a fresh approach to halt this threat of decline and stop this cycle of boom and bust.

"Our parks are far too important not to act now."

Almost half of UK councils are considering selling parks and green spaces

As parks are a non-statutory service, their budgets are highly vulnerable.

A survey of more than 170 councils found that 86% of parks managers' report cuts to revenue budgets since 2010, a trend they expect to continue over the next three years.

Forty-five per cent of local authorities said they are considering either selling parks and green spaces or transferring their management to others.

As well as potentially charging park users for membership, other ways to bring in money are being suggested.

Around 34 million people use Britain's parks each year

For example, money could be raised through sponsorship or advertising in parks, small-scale agricultural projects like bee-keeping could be set up, or park space could be hired out privately.

Speaking to Sky News, park users had mixed feelings about the ideas.

One said: "I pay enough in my council tax so I wouldn't want to pay more despite councils being squeezed."

Another park user said: "I wouldn't mind sponsorship or advertising as long as it wasn't over the top as I think it could take away the enjoyment of the park a bit."

The report points to a short-term impact on park users with 85% of managers intending to increase fees for parking or facilities in the next three years.

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Missing Elvis Impersonator: Man Arrested

Police hunting an Elvis impersonator wanted in connection with a firearms alert that closed a Cornish school have arrested a man.

Police detained a 60-year-old man on land in Widegates, Looe, and recovered two firearms, around 9.30pm on Friday.

The man was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences and was being taken into custody at Launceston police station.

He was first taken to a local hospital for a medical assessment as a precaution.

Police are not seeking anyone else in connection with the investigation.

Police tweeted a version of this photo of Derrel Weaver

Armed officers were called after a domestic-related alert at 60-year-old Derrel Weaver's home in Widegates around 9.30pm on Thursday.

The nearby Trenode Church of England Primary School was closed. Devon and Cornwall Police tweeted a photo of Mr Weaver of Higher Widlake Farm.

The caption read: "Have you seen this man, Derrel Weaver, 60, #widegates Looe, if you see him please ring 999 and do not approach."

Police maintained a "high presence" at the scene near Looe

Another tweet added: "Police are doing everything possible to maintain public safety, but we ask local people to be patient during this time."

Mr Weaver's Google+ page says he owns a tree surgery business and is also a "rock n roll singer".

Local resident Ann Chudleigha said Mr Weaver was a well-known member of the community.

The decision to close the school was made by its headteacher in consultation with police.

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House Sitters Bag Top Properties On Cheap

By Gemma Morris, Sky News Reporter

More and more young professionals, who cannot afford to get on the housing ladder, are bagging themselves plush temporary accommodation for very little money under "guardian schemes".

Becoming a guardian is a bit like glorified house sitting - often in grand and eccentric properties that would otherwise be left standing empty.

It saves the property owners from forking out on security costs and also keeps squatters at bay.

At the same time, the guardians get to live in buildings they could otherwise only dream of - while paying monthly fees which can sometimes be as low as 20% of the market rental rate.

One of the properties on offer to guardians

Robyn Winfield-Smith is a theatre director who lives in a 10,000 sq ft building in the heart of London's West End.

Her bedroom is a spacious former dance studio.

She says being a guardian works for her and her housemates because they cannot afford typical rents in the capital.

"This enables us to stay within the careers that we want whilst living very cheaply."

Recent figures from LSL Property Services put the average monthly rent in England and Wales at £745 per month.

In London, it's £1,124.

This home in Hampstead Heath is offered as planning permission is obtained

Guardian schemes are only ever temporary, usually for a few months or years, and tend to be while the building owners await planning permission.

But Robyn enjoys the constant change.

"You can bring along all your furniture and create a brand new home every time you move ... Some of the buildings we've had have been extraordinary."

Properties managed by guardian companies include churches, pubs and other commercial buildings as well as privately owned more "normal" looking flats and houses.

Robyn Winfield-Smith enters her London dance studio home

Arthur Duke, managing director of Live-In Guardians, said the number of young professionals applying to be guardians in the past 18 months has grown.

"One of the attractions is the fact that they pay at least 50% of the going market rental which is all inclusive so there's no bills on top and no council tax either.

"We used to get around 8-10 on line applications a day, whereas now we are getting around 15-20."

Critics though warn it is not a solution to the housing crisis.

Antonia Bance, from Shelter, said: "We'd urge caution, [there are] very few tenancy rights attached to property guardianship schemes. If we're looking to solve our housing crisis the thing that we need to do is build more affordable homes."

Robyn admits there are some downsides too, but she is not put off.

"You're not allowed pets, not allowed smoking, and not allowed to have more than two people for longer than three hours  - that's the kind of general rule on guests. But that's fine because what we're getting in exchange is this amazing environment to live in."

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PM Warns Juncker Vote Is 'Bad For All Of Europe'

David Cameron has warned it will be "bad for all of Europe" if arch-federalist Jean-Claude Juncker is nominated for the EU's top job in an unprecedented vote.

The Prime Minister insisted he was "completely unapologetic" about his outspoken opposition to the appointment of the former Luxembourg premier. 

He has forced today's vote on the nomination, breaking with tradition that the Commission chief is chosen by consensus of the EU's national heads of government.

Mr Cameron's stance has left him increasingly isolated at a two-day summit of the European Council.

Germany has thrown its weight behind Mr Juncker, while other potential allies for Mr Cameron - Sweden and the Netherlands - have dropped their opposition.

Angela Merkel is supporting Mr Juncker's nomination

Only Hungary remained as a possible partner for Britain in voting against his installation.

However, Britain insists its dissatisfaction with Mr Juncker is "not a unique view" and that privately other capitals have misgivings about his candidacy.

There are also widespread reports that Mr Juncker's liking for "a cognac at breakfast" was causing concerns in Brussels.

One European diplomat said: "His alcohol consumption has been raised by a number of leaders since the (European) parliamentary elections."

Mr Cameron said he continued to believe his fellow leaders were making a "mistake" to nominate Mr Juncker, who Britain regards as an obstacle to reform.

Diplomats have expressed concern about Mr Juncker's alcohol consumption

In an apparent swipe at leaders who have voiced disquiet behind closed doors, Mr Cameron said: "It's very important in Europe that you say what you say in private and it's the same as what you say in public."

Asked whether there could be consequences if the other 27 leaders refuse to accept the need for consensus, the Prime Minister said: "Everything has consequences in life.

"Obviously, I think proceeding in the way that countries are planning to proceed in choosing this individual, I believe that this is the wrong approach. And I think that would be bad for... all of Europe."

Mr Cameron made clear that defeat in Brussels would not affect his determination to press ahead with the renegotiation of Britain's EU membership.

That would be followed by an in/out referendum in 2017, if Conservatives win next year's General Election.

And the PM repeated his opposition to Mr Juncker as he arrived at the summit in Brussels, arguing there were times when "you stick to your principles and you stick to your convictions even if the odds are heavily stacked against you, rather than go along with something you believe is profoundly wrong".

He added: "The European elections showed there is huge disquiet about the way the European Union works, and yet the response I believe is going to be wrong on two grounds.

"Wrong on the grounds of principle. It's not right for the elected heads of government of the European countries to give up their right to nominate the head of the European Commission, the most important role in Europe. That is a bad principle.

"And it's the wrong person. Jean-Claude Juncker has been at the heart of the project to increase the power of Brussels and reduce the power of nation states for his entire working life.

"He's not the right person to take this organisation forward.

"I am very clear about the right thing to do. I know the odds are stacked against me, but that doesn't mean you change your mind, it means you stand up for what you believe and vote accordingly."

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Breast Cancer: Early Warning Blood Test Hope

A new blood test may offer women an early warning of breast cancer even if they do not inherit genes associated with the disease.

Researchers have identified a molecular "switch" in blood samples that increases chances of having breast cancer.

The marker is associated with the BRCA1 breast cancer gene, but was also found in those without the mutation who went on to develop the disease.

Around 10% of breast cancers are caused by BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene variants inherited from parents.

A woman with the BRCA1 gene has an 85% risk of developing breast cancer, leading some carriers to take the step of breast removal.

The blood test may support breast cancer screening programmes

This leaves around 90% of cases unexplained and until now there has been no reliable way of predicting the likelihood of non-inherited breast cancer.

The "switch" is part of the process by which certain molecules acting on DNA cause genes to be turned on or off.

Professor Martin Widschwendter, from University College London, said: "We identified an epigenetic signature in women with a mutated BRCA1 gene that was linked to increased cancer risk and lower survival rates.

"Surprisingly, we found the same signature in large cohorts of women without the BRCA1 mutation and it was able to predict breast cancer risk several years before diagnosis.

"The data is encouraging since it shows the potential of a blood-based epigenetic test to identify breast cancer risk in women without known predisposing genetic mutations."

Dr Matthew Lam, senior research officer at the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, described the findings as "definitely promising".

He added: "This could mean that in the future a woman may be able to have a simple blood test to look for this DNA signature, and therefore know if she is at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

"If she does have this signature, she could then work with her doctor to explore the options available to help her take control of her own risk.

"These could include lifestyle changes, tailored breast screening, risk-reducing drugs or surgery."

Their results appear in the online journal Genome Medicine.

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Primary School Shut After Firearms Incident

A primary school in Cornwall has been closed as police hunt a 60-year-old man who is thought to have access to guns.

Armed officers were called to a house close to Trenode Church of England Primary School near Looe at 9.30pm last night.

Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Police are not able to share much detail at this time but can say that this is a domestic situation and it is understood one of the occupants has access to firearms.

"The situation is being contained and police at the scene are searching for a 60-year-old male in the vicinity.

"No further information is available at this time."

The decision to close the school was made by its headteacher in consultation with police.

The police spokesman added: "This unusual decision has been taken as a precautionary measure for safety reasons and because of the ongoing police activity in that area.

"We do understand that this will cause some significant inconvenience for some parents and local residents and this decision was not taken lightly, but public safety is the most important concern of the school and police."

People have been warned to avoid the area, a rural location in Widegates, and to report anything suspicious.

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NHS Delay 'Worsened Distress' After Boy's Death

A family whose three year old son died as a result of NHS errors has hit out at the time it has taken to find out what went wrong.

Sam Morrish died in December 2010 from the effects of sepsis, an illness that could have been treated if he had been assessed properly.

The Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) found four separate health service organisations made repeated mistakes in his care.

Cricketfield GP Surgery, NHS Direct, out-of-hours service Devon Doctors Ltd and South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust made what was described as a "catalogue of errors".

The PHSO found there was an inadequate assessment made of Sam's illness, a failure to recognise he was vomiting blood and a three-hour delay before he received antibiotics when he arrived at hospital.

Ombudsman Dame Julie Mellor said had Sam received the appropriate care, he would be alive today.

But his family said as well as losing their son, their distress had been increased by the length of time it had taken for the PHSO to find out what had happened.

In a statement, they said: "The astonishing length of time it has taken for PHSO to finalise this report has inescapably prolonged our distress, as we have repeatedly had to revisit and relive the hardest day of our lives.

"Accordingly, although we are grateful that the PHSO has upheld our complaints, and we want to thank them for the clear recommendations that they have now made, we are left with serious concerns about the competence, capability and accountability of the PHSO itself.

"We pursued our complaints because we wanted to reduce the likelihood of the mistakes that were made in Sam's care, and the subsequent investigations, from being repeated.

"This was not only for the individual organisations that made those errors - but for the NHS as a whole.

Dame Julie Mellor said the NHS "needs to do more"

"We never have been interested in blame. We have only ever been interested in learning and understanding, in the hope of change wherever necessary.

"Clearly we feel the complaints systems failed us, but it is important to note that we also believe it failed NHS staff too."

The family added:  "Now the report has been published we hope that we will be free to concentrate on our futures, and on remembering our beautiful, sparkling, affectionate little boy, who we continue to miss every day."

Dame Julie said: "We've published this case so that the wider NHS learns from Sam's death and action is taken to help prevent lives being lost from repeated mistakes.

"Sadly, this case reinforces that the NHS needs to do much more to prevent avoidable deaths from sepsis."

Dr Graham Lockerbie, speaking on behalf of the local NHS, said it was "determined to ensure that the lessons really have been learnt".

"It's clear that there were shortcomings at every stage of his contact with the health service and that, in the words of the Ombudsman, Sam died when he should have survived."

According to the UK Sepsis Trust, the condition claims 37,000 lives in Britain every year.

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Royal Family Costs Taxpayer 56p Per Person

By Tadhg Enright, Sky News Business Reporter

The Royal Family spent £36.1m of taxpayers' money last year - a figure portrayed by royal aides as 56p for every person in the country.

The Sovereign Grant, which is set at 15% of profits made by the Crown Estate, rose from £31m in 2012/13.

Buckingham Palace was at pains to highlight how the all of the extra money was spent on maintaining and repairing palaces and castles.

Sky News cameras were invited into Buckingham Palace to see asbestos removal which has cost £800,000 over the past two years and to Windsor Castle where a 10-year project to replace its lead roof cost £900,000 last year.

Cameras were not invited into Kensington Palace's Apartment 1A which has been renovated as a new home for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, where the cost of has spiralled to £4.1m from an original estimate of £1m.

Royal sources pointed out the 20-room apartment, which had previously been used as an office, was "completely uninhabitable" and needed a "complete refit".

Despite the high cost, they stressed it was "not opulent" and had been completed to a "very comfortable but ordinary level". 

The royal couple had used their own money to meet the cost of carpet, furniture and a high spec kitchen.

When asked if Prince Charles had made a contribution to the fit out, an aide said: "It's not unusual for a parent or grandparent to help a young couple set up in their first home."

The accounts also showed the total cost of official travel fell by £300,000 to £4.2m.

Around £434,000 was spent on the visit of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall to India and Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference.

A total of £255,000 was spent to send Prince Charles to represent the Queen at the funeral of Nelson Mandela.

Royal sources said his long, complicated journey at short notice necessitated the chartering of an aircraft but that other options had been considered.

Sir Alan Reid, keeper of the Privy Purse, said public funding of the monarchy had fallen by 8% in real terms in the last two years when maintenance costs are stripped out.

He added: "We take our responsibility to run as efficient an operation as possible.

"In our view we think that we do as good a job as possible in terms of trying maximise the value for money."

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Head Of MI6 To Step Down

The head of MI6, Sir John Sawers, is to step down in November at the end of his five-year term.

More follows...

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Strike By French Air Traffic Controllers Slammed

Airlines have been forced to cancel dozens of flights to and from France on the first day of a six-day walkout by air traffic controllers.

The stoppage comes at the height of the tourist season and follows a rail strike that affected services abroad and domestically and is still continuing in some parts.

According to the country's civil aviation watchdog, about one in five flights travelling to and from several big cities in the south, or taking off from Paris to the south, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, were cancelled.

Passengers also experienced delays on other services.

Some 20% of flights are expected to be cancelled today.

Those who are travelling have been warned not to go to the airport "without having been guaranteed that their flight is maintained".

Ryanair was forced to cancel more than 200 flights on Tuesday, and is set to cancel more than 250 today.

The airline slammed the strike, calling on the EU Commission "to remove the right to strike from Europe's air traffic controllers, who are once more attempting to blackmail ordinary consumers with strikes".

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) airlines group also condemned the action.

IATA head Tony Tyler said: "Unions bent on stopping progress are putting at risk the hard-earned vacations of millions of travellers, and from the public's perspective, the timing of the strike could even be regarded as malicious.

"In addition to vacationers, businesspeople undertaking important trips and those awaiting urgent shipments will all face hassles and uncertain waits as flights are cancelled, delayed or diverted around a major portion of European airspace."

Twenty-eight easyJet flights were cancelled, while British Airways said eight flights had been affected.

The majority of Air France's flights were unaffected by the strike, with only 10% of short and medium-haul journeys scrapped.

Not all air traffic controllers are striking, but those who have walked out are protesting against what they say is a lack of sufficient funding for a sector they say is in dire need of modernisation.

They want airport fees for airlines to increase by 10%, while companies want them to decrease.

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PM Has 'Serious' Questions To Answer On Coulson

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

David Cameron is likely to face difficult questions about his former spin doctor Andy Coulson at Prime Minister's Questions.

Labour Leader Ed Miliband has said the Prime Minister's apology is not enough and he has "very, very serious questions to answer".

He said: "This was not some small or accidental mistake. He stuck with Coulson over a long period of time and it wasn't like there wasn't information out there to arouse his suspicions.

"He was warned by the Deputy PM; he saw front page stories; he was warned by newspaper editors and yet still he refused to act and even today, defending some of the conduct of Coulson when he worked for him," Mr Miliband said.

"I think Cameron must do much more than an apology - he must give the country an explanation as to why he did not act, why he did not act on these allegations against Andy Coulson."

Mr Cameron has already apologised for employing Mr Coulson as his Director of Communications, saying it was "the wrong decision".

Coulson was employed by David Cameron in 2010

On Tuesday the former News of the World editor was convicted of phone hacking while working for the newspaper.

However, Mr Cameron's judgement is now under scrutiny. The Prime Minister employed Mr Coulson as his top communications chief in May 2010, after he had resigned from the News of the World.

Mr Cameron said the former editor had given him "false assurances" he had no involvement in phone hacking and he had wanted to give him a "second chance".

The Prime Minister said he was given "undertakings by him on phone hacking and I always said if they turned out to be wrong I would make a full and frank apology and I do that today".

He said: "I am extremely sorry that I employed him. It was the wrong decision and I am very clear about that."

Some insiders believe David Cameron's judgement was affected by his relationship with Mr Coulson.

Sean Kemp, a former adviser to Nick Clegg in Downing Street, told Sky News: "I think they genuinely believed his denials, you could argue that maybe they wanted to believe his denials because they liked him and because he was an impressive performer.

"Obviously with hindsight they wish they hadn't done it. But hindsight is always easy."

Mr Cameron has said employing Coulson was 'a mistake'

Mr Cameron insisted there had never been any complaints about the work Coulson did for him as leader of the opposition before he became Prime Minister or while he was working at Downing Street.

He said he and his chief of staff, Ed Llewellyn, had questioned Coulson on "whether he knew about phone hacking" but had been assured he had not.

Mr Cameron said: "But knowing what I now know, and know that the assurances were not right, it was obviously wrong to employ him. I gave someone a second chance and it turned out to be a bad decision."

Business Secretary Vince Cable said the PM had apologised for appointing Coulson.

He told Sky News: "The Conservatives make their own appointments in government.

"I think we now need to focus much more on the victims.

"Some people suffered terribly as a result of this hacking scandal.

"The responsibility on the politicians of all parties is to now make sure the recommendations of the Leveson inquiry, which is to have a proper independent regulator to finally close down the last chance saloon as he called it, that this action is now taken."

Coulson resigned from his £140,000-a-year role at No 10 in January 2011 after the NOTW allegations intensified, insisting he was not involved in the scandal but saying: "When the spokesman needs a spokesman it's time to move on."

In July 2011, Mr Cameron told the House of Commons that if it "turns out I have been lied to, that would be the moment for a profound apology. And, in that event, I can tell you I will not fall short".

Chancellor George Osborne, who recommended Coulson to Mr Cameron, also apologised and said: "We gave him a second chance but, knowing what we now know, it's clear that we made the wrong decision."

A jury at the Old Bailey found Coulson guilty of phone hacking between 2000 and 2006, however, it is still considering its verdicts on conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office.

Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of News International and ex News of the World editor, was cleared of all charges against her, as was her husband, the racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks.

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Legal Challenge To Assisted Suicide Ban Lost

Campaigners have lost their latest legal challenge at the Supreme Court over the "right-to-die" for disabled people.

Jane Nicklinson, the widow of "locked-in syndrome" sufferer Tony Nicklinson, brought the case along with two other families who want to make it legal for doctors to help their patients end their lives.

The Supreme Court was ruling on whether the legal ban on assisted suicide is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

The disability rights campaigner Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson had called for the law on assisted suicide to remain unchanged.

More follows...

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Arrests After Newborn's Body Found In Hull

Two people have been arrested after the body of a newborn baby girl was found on a cycle path in Hull.

Police were called to the scene, between Rockford Avenue and Lamorna Avenue, close to the East Park area of the city, at around 9.15pm on Saturday.

They had been contacted by a member of the public who had discovered the baby's body while walking along the path.

Officers closed off the area and carried out a preliminary investigation, which led to a man and a woman being taken into custody.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said: "Officers attended right away and closed off the area for the body to be recovered and for initial inquiries to take place.

"As a result of the initial investigation two people, a man and woman, have been arrested and are helping police with inquiries at this time."

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HS3 Line From Leeds To Manchester Outlined

By Jason Farrell, Senior Political Correspondent

Britain needs a third high-speed railway line to create "a northern powerhouse", George Osborne announced today.

The Chancellor used a speech in Manchester to argue that he wants to go beyond the north-south HS2 to create an east-west HS3.

In doing so he hopes to create "a collection of cities - sufficiently close to each other that combined they can take on the world".

The east-west connection between Leeds and Manchester would be based on existing rail routes but speeded up with new tunnels and infrastructure.

The first phase of HS2

It is an effort to address Britain's financial dependence on London, which currently accounts for nearly a quarter of the country's economic output.

Mr Osborne said: "The cities of the North are individually strong, but collectively not strong enough. The whole is less than the sum of its parts. So the powerhouse of London dominates more and more. And that's not healthy for our economy. It's not good for our country.

"We need a northern powerhouse too. Not one city, but a collection of northern cities - sufficiently close to each other that combined they can take on the world. Able to provide jobs and opportunities and security to the many, many people who live here, and for whom this is all about."

Together, the North's largest cities have a higher population than hubs such as New York and Tokyo, Mr Osborne added.

The high-speed network with HS3

Under current plans the £50bn HS2 project will provide 225mph trains from London to Birmingham in its first stage, before creating a Y-shaped network with lines to Manchester and Leeds by 2032/33.

The £21bn second phase would then connect Leeds and Manchester.

The Government claims at least 60,000 jobs would be created in "the most important investment in the north for a century".

The project will be seen as an attempt to win support for the Conservatives outside their southern heartlands before the 2015 General Election, but a number of MPs with constituencies along the route are opposed to the project.

Mr Osborne said: "Of course, there are opponents of the project - just as there were opponents of the original railways. I've discovered that almost everything worth doing in politics is controversial."

No timescale is in place for the Leeds-Manchester link.

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Asos 'Loses 20% Of Stock' In Warehouse Fire

Asos has confirmed that a fifth of its stock was "compromised" after a fire broke out at its main distribution warehouse.

Police are treating the fire as deliberate. Pic: @mathew_hanley

The online fashion retailer said that at the end of May the company held £159m worth of stock at cost price, with 70% of it held at the warehouse in Barnsley.

Although the stock damage at cost price is estimated at around £20m, the value may exceed £30m at retail prices.

The company said in a statement: "None of the technology, automation or structure of the building has been affected by the fire.

"Our initial estimate is that approximately 20% of the total stock at the site has been compromised by fire damage and the sprinkler systems."

Firefighters outside the warehouse. Pic: Tim Ansell

"The clean-up process commenced on Saturday morning and progressed quickly.

"Consequently, at 2am this morning we recommenced taking orders. We are fully insured for loss of stock and business interruption."

In early stock market trades, shares were down more than 2% before bouncing back to around the session's starting price.

Customer Hannah Williams, from Birmingham, had ordered a pair of shoes on Friday for next-day delivery.

"Obviously it didn't arrive on Saturday and I've since received a generic letter saying it's on its way," she told Sky News.

Firefighters battled the blaze into the early hours. Pic: @mathew_hanley

"I'm hoping it arrives today. It's pretty inconvenient, but I suppose worse things happen in life." 

The fire affected four floors of its warehouse in Park Spring Road, Grimethorpe, and led to 500 workers being evacuated after the alarm was raised at 9.50pm on Friday.

After initial investigations, South Yorkshire Police determined the fire was deliberately lit and have launched a criminal inquiry. The force appealed for anyone with information to get in touch.

Asos said it was "co-operating fully" with the investigation.

The warehouse is thought to handle over 10 million packages at any one time.

Asos has worldwide sales of £750m. Pic: @mathew_hanley

It is more than 60,000 square metres in size - bigger than seven football pitches.

In early June, the fashion giant's share price dropped 40% after the retailer issued an unexpected profit warning.

At the time Asos said it would be less profitable this year due to higher promotional activity, the strong rate of growth in low-margin products, and foreign currency weakness because of the strong pound.

Previously, ever since it floated on the stock exchange in 2001, it had been a darling for investors who saw its value rise sharply.

Asos - which was originally called As Seen On Screen - has worldwide sales of £750m.

It has been one of the most successful businesses at capitalising on the large number of British consumers who have switched from high street shopping to buying clothes online.

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Patsy Byrne: Blackadder's 'Nursie' Dies Aged 80

Patsy Byrne, the actress who played Nursie in TV comedy Blackadder, has died aged 80.

She is the second star of the hit 1980s show to die in as many weeks after Rik Mayall, who played Lord Flashheart in the second and fourth series, passed away after a sudden heart failure.

Her death earlier this week was confirmed by staff at Denville Hall, a care home for elderly actors in Hillingdon, northwest London.

Byrne and Mayall worked together during the second series of Blackadder in 1986, with Mayall's character memorably asking Nursie, whose real name was Bernard: "Am I pleased to see you or did I just put a canoe in my pocket?"

Byrne, who was born in Ashford, Kent, went to drama school before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Her longest-running TV roles included Betty Hackforth in Miracles Take Longer and Marjorie Stoneway in Watching.

She made one of her last on-screen appearances in the BBC's hospital drama Holby City in 2006.

Fans of Blackadder posted tributes to Byrne on the show's Facebook page.

Thomas Garside wrote: "Very sad loss. Nursie was a brill character played so well by Patsy."

Mandy Wilkes said Byrne's performances made her "howl with laughter", while Graham Curley posted: "Sad news to hear that another great performer has gone and left us. Good night Patsy. RIP."

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Mums-To-Be 'In The Dark About Silent Killer'

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky Reporter

A new campaign has been launched to highlight the need to protect pregnant women from a virus that can cause miscarriages, physical disabilities, deafness and blindness.

Many people carry CMV (Cytomegalovirus) - dubbed the "silent killer" because many people are unaware they have it - however, it can be extremely dangerous to unborn babies.

It currently affects 1,000 babies every year, a higher number than Down's syndrome, but there is no vaccine or screening programme.

It is normally spread through bodily fluids, so doctors say the best way for pregnant women to protect themselves is to wash their hands thoroughly.

Charity CMV Action, backed by pop star Kimberley Walsh, is trying to raise awareness by getting people to take pictures of their hands with the words "Wash away CMV" written on the palm.

Mandy Parks with her daughter Alicia, who was affected by the CMV virus

Professor Mike Sharland, children's infections specialist at St George's Hospital in London, told Sky News it is important to raise awareness among parents.

"In pregnancy because your immune system is a little weaker, if you catch the virus, very rarely it can go across to the baby and cause problems for the baby as well," he said.

Fifteen-year-old Alicia Parks caught CMV when she was in her mother's womb.

It left her blind, unable to talk or walk and needing 24-hour care.

Her mother, Mandy, is backing the campaign to raise awareness and believes more needs to be done to support parents,

"Sometimes I think the system brings you down because you fight for everything. You fight to prove that they are worse than a two-year-old or three-year-old or four-year-old, you fight for a disabled grant to adapt your house, you fight the system to prove that you can't go to work because now you're 24/7 looking after someone."

Research is ongoing into a possible vaccine for the future or more accurate screening programme, but at the moment experts insist the best protection for mothers is to wash their hands.

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Colchester Murder Police Seek 'Running Man'

Police have said they want to speak to a man seen running close to where Saudi student Nahid Almanea was killed.

The white man, aged between 18 and 25, of medium build and with dark hair was spotted to coming out of an alleyway which indirectly links to to the Salary Brook Trail, where the 31-year-old was stabbed.

He was wearing a long sleeved, plain hooded top that is described as London bus red and dark trousers.

Ms Almanea was stabbed 16 times while walking along a path on Tuesday morning.

Nadia Almanea was attacked on her way to university

Officers are carrying out door-to-door inquiries today in their search for the suspect.

In a statement, Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Worron said police also wanted to hear from anyone who could help identify a man wanted for questioning over an attack on a woman in Peache Road, Colchester, at around 10pm on June 19.

"The location of this attack, and some aspects of it, including reports that a knife was seen and the victim was a woman, mean that this suspect is also of interest to the Almanea investigation," he said.

Police have been searching the area where Ms Almanea was stabbed

The attacker was described as white, in his early 20s, and around 5ft 7in to 5ft 8in tall. He was of medium build and had a narrow face, appeared unwell, and possibly had fair hair.

Ms Almanea had been taking an English language course at the University of Essex as part of her studies for a life sciences PhD.

Police released a CCTV picture of the 31-year-old taken moments before her death and a map of her likely route from the home she shared with her brother to the spot on the Salary Brook trail where her body was found.

Police released a map showing Ms Almanea's route

Police have previously said the fact that Ms Almanea was stabbed multiple times bore "obvious similarities" to the murder of James Attfield, a vulnerable man with brain damage who was stabbed more than 100 times in a park in Colchester in March.

In the statement on Saturday, police said it was still not clear whether the two killings had been carried out by the same person.

"A criminal profiler from the National Crime Agency has carried out a thorough assessment of all the evidence in connection with both murders," DCS Worron said.

"A decision has been taken that they remain separate but parallel investigations at this time.

James Attfield was stabbed more than 100 times in March

"However the circumstances of both crimes mean that we must consider the possibility that the same killer or killers are responsible."

Police have urged people to remain vigilant and be careful about going out alone following the attacks.

Superintendent Steve Ditchburn said extra patrols were being carried out across the town.

"Our advice to people is that we have now had two knife murders in Colchester in less than three months where the motive for the attacks remains unknown," he said.

"Both of these attacks were on lone people who were in locations where it appears no one else was nearby at the time.

"For that reason we would remind people to take sensible precautions to stay safe. This includes avoiding any situations in which you could find yourself isolated and alone in a public area."

:: Anyone with information is asked to contact the Major Investigation Team on 01245 282103, Essex Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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