Raised Terror Threat Prompts Government Talks

Caution No Excuse For Chaotic Response To IS

Updated: 6:52pm UK, Friday 29 August 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

This is a Corporal Jones moment: "Don't Panic!"

But it is one that, so far, has revealed that the British approach to the rapid emergence of Islamic State from almost nil to "a deeper and greater threat than we have ever seen before" has been as chaotic as the Dad's Army character.

David Cameron has now elevated IS above al Qaeda in terms of the danger it poses to the safety of British citizens.

And the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre has raised the immediate threat level for the UK from substantial to severe – which means it's likely.

The Prime Minister will announce new measures to restrict the ability of would-be terrorists to leave the UK to get training and to return to commit atrocities.

For now, though, he has continued to rule out the use of force to battle IS in its home territory.

Instead the UK will continue to offer logistical and intelligence support to the US which has been conducting very limited air strikes against the 'Caliphate'.

If, as the PM suggested, this is to be a conflict that could last years or decades, then there is clearly no rush.

But caution can no longer be an excuse for chaos in the response.

The world isn't the way that anyone would wish it. Not now and not for the foreseeable future.

The next generation of Britons will be facing a Malthusian struggle over resources with a hungry China, a Russia brimming with ambitious consumers, Africa's exploding population, India's intellectual empire, and global warming.

The mess that is the Middle East may have its roots in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I and sectarian rivalry – but it will be further fuelled by the competition that is going to drive conflicts for years to come.

These may involve a long-term campaign against political Islamist terror.

But that won't be the only problem the UK and her allies will face.

For proof one only has to look at eastern Ukraine.

Nato's leaders are going to meet in Wales next week to thrash out priorities and strategy for the next few years.

Cameron's recent short speech and his appearance on Monday in the Commons, is a clear sign that he's steeling himself to grasp a handful of nettles.

He's bracing the British for a long haul conflict with the IS. He's fortifying the debate over what it is to be British by insisting that adopting "British values" are not an option or a choice but "a duty".

He will soon have to help drag more money for Nato out of its members.

And he'll be ordering his security services to come up with tactics and long-term strategies to deal with the uncomfortable realities of the modern world that politicians have been refusing to confront.

These are that it's going to get more dangerous, more expensive, harder work and just tougher all around. Few politicians will want to sell that less than 12 months from an election.

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Missing British Boy Ashya Could Be In Spain

Hampshire Constabulary has confirmed there is positive information to suggest the family of Ashya King may now be in Spain.

The police force said it now has information which suggests the family has strong links to the Marbella area and that they may be travelling there.

The family's car was spotted on Friday, according to police, which has shifted the focus of the search to Spain.

Officers are now working with Spanish authorities in a continued effort to locate the missing five-year-old, who has a brain tumour.

Five-year-old Ashya needs treatment for a brain tumour

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Shead said: "The need to find Ashya is now desperate. It is really important that we find him and ensure he receives medical attention at the earliest opportunity.

"We still don't know whether the King family has any spare batteries for the machine which administers food, the knowledge, or any way of recharging the battery. Without properly administered food Ashya's situation is very serious.

"We have information to suggest that the family may well be on the way to Spain and our search is concentrating on the Marbella area.

"I do have to stress although that's what we're focusing our attention at this point in time, they could equally be anywhere and we would urge anybody on the continent to stay vigilant, keep your eyes open, and if they see the vehicle they're travelling, if you see the family or indeed if you see Ashya please contact police."

Ashya was taken from the hospital by his parents Brett and Naghemeh

Mr Shead added officers would be contacting hospitals across Europe, looking for someone matching the little boy's description or symptoms to see if he has been admitted.

Ashya's family took him from Southampton General Hospital, where he was receiving treatment, at around 2pm on Thursday and travelled on a ferry to Cherbourg, France, two hours later.

The little boy is in a wheelchair and is being fed through a tube. He has undergone "extensive surgery" - with his last operation seven days ago.

Police were told by the hospital that the little boy was missing at 8.35pm that day - more than six hours after he was taken by his parents - Jehovah's Witnesses Brett King, 51, and Naghemeh King, 45.

The family, from Southsea, is travelling in a grey Hyundai I800 Style CRDI registration KP60 HWK.

Interpol has issued a yellow alert in 190 countries

Interpol has sent out a missing persons alert to its 190 member countries as concerns for the boy's welfare have grown.

Ashya is likely to be in a wheelchair or buggy, cannot communicate verbally and is immobile, a police spokesman said.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust said Ashya was allowed to leave the ward under his parents' supervision and hospital staff raised the alarm when his absence "became a cause of concern".

Legal experts have said that it is "unlikely" that the Kings had committed an offence by taking Ashya out of hospital.

A post on Hampshire Constabulary's Facebook page said: "This is my mother's friend, she has run away in desperation because they cannot accept that there is nothing that can be done for their son and want to look for help abroad.

"Please don't judge, they are a very sweet loving family and I can only believe they are doing this because they want to help their son."

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James Argent: Towie Star Found 'Safe And Well'

The Only Way Is Essex star James Argent has been found "safe and well", his father has told Sky News, after his family reported him missing and a police hunt was launched.

Argent's father said his son had been in contact to explain his "phone was broken and he's now on his way to Blackpool".

His agent Neil Dobias also confirmed the news: "I'm not sure of any of the details but he's called home and spoken to his mum. I just know that he's safe and well."

Police had earlier said they were concerned for Argent's welfare after he was reported missing by his family.

Argent with Towie's Tom Pearce at the National Television Awards in January

Known as "Arg" on the hit reality show, he was last seen at around 3am on Friday at his home in Woodford Green, Essex.

He was meant to be flying out of Gatwick on Friday morning, but he did not make his flight and did not contact his family, friends or agent, who he was supposed to be meeting.

They said it was was "unusual" and very out of character, so increasingly the concern grew for his well-being.

His agent told Sky News earlier: "James was meant to meet me at the airport yesterday morning for a work trip to Majorca but he never turned up and now we are all very concerned."

Argent completing the London Marathon in 2012

The 26-year-old, who joined the Towie cast along with his best friend Mark Wright when the series first aired in 2010, is known to frequent the Brentwood area and nightclubs in Redbridge.

Argent, who has more than 1.4 million followers on Twitter, mentioned missing his ex-girlfriend and Towie co-star Lydia Bright in his most recent tweet on Thursday.

He wrote: "I really miss my old pal @LydiaRoseBright will you hurry up and get back from Italy ASAP! #Needy x."

Their will they/won't they relationship was the focus of the Essex-based show's last series.

Argent with Lydia Bright

The response on Twitter to concerns about Argent's whereabouts was huge this morning.

Former Towie star Sam Faiers tweeted: "We're all worried come home @RealJamesArgent."

Fans also expressed their concerns on social media, with one tweeting: "I hope @RealJamesArgent is found unharmed and well!! Xx."

Another wrote: "Omg can't believe it, hope @RealJamesArgent is okay."

Argent collected Towie's Bafta Audience Award in 2011 and completed the London Marathon in just over six hours in aid of Cancer Research in 2012.

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Rotherham PC Accused Of Child Sex Offence

A South Yorkshire police officer based in Rotherham has been charged with causing a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity.

Pc Daniel Cookson, 27, appeared at Leeds Magistrates' Court on Thursday accused of the offence, the force said in a statement.

Cookson, who was arrested in November, was charged on August 21 but South Yorkshire Police has has only just released the information.

The force said he was "previously based in Rotherham".

It said the charge relates to an alleged offence committed between March and November last year, and Cookson was suspended when he was arrested in November.

Cookson was bailed to appear at Leeds Crown Court on September 11, according to the magistrates' court.

South Yorkshire police say his arrest is not related to the wider investigation into grooming in the town.

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Hospital Food Shake-Up Announced By NHS Chiefs

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

The days of lumpy mash and watery gravy should become a thing of the past for hospital patients and staff as new mandatory food standards are introduced.

The rules will be legally binding and are aimed at putting an end to unhealthy and inedible meals on the NHS.

Under the changes, all patients will be checked for malnutrition, given an individual food plan and get help eating and drinking.

Canteen food must also be healthy, meet guidelines on salt, sugar and fat and be sustainably sourced.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said most people enjoyed the meals they currently received.

But he added: "Patients say the quality of food at their hospital is one of the most important things in their stay, on top of which we know that if you give people healthy, nutritious food it means they recover more quickly, they stay in hospital for a shorter amount of time and it costs the NHS less, so there are lots of reasons why this is very important."

The plans come from a report by the Hospital Food Standards Panel, which also recommended hospitals develop food and drink policies that encourage healthy eating, high-quality food production, sustainability and excellent nutritional care.

The changes will be included in NHS contracts

Hospitals will also be scored on the standard of their food, with results to be posted online.

It is a move being welcomed by 22-year-old Craig Benwell, who said the meals he received during a recent stay in hospital were often inedible or served in tiny portions.

The hospital says thin, plain food was appropriate for his condition because he was being treated for Crohn's Disease.

But Mr Benwell told Sky News: "I can understand why I was on the special diet because I can only eat certain foods.

"But the amount of food that was coming out and the look of it just wasn't very appetising at all.

"The main problem was portion size ... I had to really gain weight and the portions they were giving me just really weren't enough."

The new changes will be included in NHS contracts but will not be written into law, leading to criticism from campaigners that they could be easily ignored.

Alex Jackson, coordinator of the Campaign for Better Hospital Food, added: "We're also alarmed that the Government's food standards are weak and only reflect basic catering and care standards, which are already commonly implemented in the NHS, including that 'tap water is available' to patients.

"Good things in themselves, but nowhere near ambitious enough to have a transformative effect on patient meals."

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Ex-Tory MP Calls For End Of 'Little Clique'

MPs Defection Statement In Full

Updated: 8:31am UK, Friday 29 August 2014

The Clacton MP caused a shock in Westminster with his surprise defection to UKIP. Here is his statement in full:

It's time for change. I'm today leaving the Conservative party and joining UKIP.

This hasn't been an easy decision.

I've been a member of the Conservative party for all my adult life. It's full of wonderful people who want the best for Britain.

My local Conservative Association in Clacton is thriving. It brims with those that I am honoured to call my friends.

The problem is that many of those at the top of the Conservative party aren't on our side. They aren't serious about the changes that Britain desperately needs.

Of course, they talk the talk before elections. They say what they feel they must say when they want our support.

But on so many issues - modernising our politics and the recall of MPs, controlling our borders, less government, bank reform, cutting public debt, an EU referendum - they never actually make it happen.

All three of the older parties seem the same. They've swathes of safe seats. They're run by those who became MPs by working in the offices of MPs.

They use pollsters to tell them what to tell us.

Politics to them is about politicians like them. It's a game of spin and positioning.

First under Tony Blair, then Gordon Brown, now David Cameron, it's all about the priorities of whichever tiny clique happens to be sitting on the sofa in Downing Street. Different clique, same sofa.

Few are animated by principle or passion. Those that are soon get shuffled out of the way. Many are just in it for themselves. They seek every great office, yet believe in so little.

Only UKIP can change this. Only UKIP can shake up the cozy little clique called Westminster.

I'm joining UKIP not because I am a conservative who hankers after the past. I want change. Things can be better than this.

I am an optimist. Britain's a better place than it was when I was born in the early 1970s.

We're more open and tolerant. We're, for the most part, more prosperous. More people are free to grow up and live as they want to live than ever before.

As the father of a young daughter, I've come to appreciate what feminism's achieved. Most girls growing up in Britain today will have better life chances than before thanks to greater equality.

There's been a revolution in attitudes towards disabled people.

What was once dismissed as "political correctness gone mad", we recognise as good manners. Good.

So much about Britain is so much better. Except when it comes to how we do politics.

UKIP is not an angry backlash against the modern world. Modernity has raised our expectations of how things could be.

We need change.

People have a right to expect a government that gets the basics right.

In a world of 24 hours supermarkets and instant access everything, it ought to be possible to make an appointment to see a GP. Yet in my Essex constituency patients have to literally stand in line and wait. They have to compete to been seen by doctors.

There is an alphabet soup of NHS quangos supposed to be in charge. But who takes responsibility?

People have a right to expect the Government to control who crosses our borders. Tens of thousands of Londoners log in and log out of the London underground each day. Yet the Government just wasted another £224 million on a system that failed to log people in and out as they cross our borders.

On the subject of immigration, let me make it absolutely clear; I'm not against immigration. The one thing more ugly that nativism is angry nativism.

Just like Australia or Switzerland, we should welcome those that want to come here to contribute. We need those with skills and drive. There's hardly a hospital, GP surgery or supermarket in the country that could run without that skill and drive. Real leadership would make this clear.

We should speak with pride and respect about first generation Britons.

But like Australia, we ought to have the right to decide who comes.

Ministers promised us a great Freedom Bill, which was going to repeal all that unnecessary red tape. It never seemed to happen.

Ministers promised us real bank reform. They only seemed to tinker.

They don't think things through. They make one glib announcement after another - and then move on. On to the next speech. The next announcement. The next headline.

They promised to cut the public debt. In just five years of this government, public debt will increase by more than it did during thirteen years of Gordon Brown.

Clever word play about debt and the deficit doesn't conceal that fact that we're still having to borrow over £100 billion a year - and even then government is not getting the basics right.

We need change.

People have a right to expect a government that answers to Parliament, and a Parliament that's accountable to the people.

All three parties went into the last election promising to give local people a right to recall their MP. The Coalition agreement promised a system of open primaries, to throw politics open to those beyond SW1.

None of it has happened.  The whips spent the summer trying to undermine Zac Goldsmith's proposals for real recall. They're really not serious about real change.

We need change in our relationship with Europe.

When we joined what was to become the European Union all those years ago, we imagined we would be joining a prosperous trading block. In the early 1970s, it accounted for almost 40 percent of world economic output.

Today it accounts for a mere 25 percent. In a decade, its expected to be down to 15 percent.

Far from growing, the European Union has grown sclerotic. Indeed, it's the one continent on the planet that isn't growing.

Even a decade ago, we were told that we had to join the Euro because it would raise our output. It would bring prosperity.

Looking across the channel, no one seriously argues that any more.

Yet who in Westminster - who amongst our so-called leaders - is prepared to envisage real change?

To be fair, over the past four years ministers have at times done the right thing about Europe. They vetoed a treaty change. They refused any budget increase. And of course they agreed to an In/Out vote.

But on each occasion they only did the right thing because they had been forced to by their own side. On each occasion, they had instructed their own MPs on a three line whip to support the wrong thing.

With an election approaching, ministers' most Eurosceptic boasts are about things they know that they were pushed into doing. It's not leadership. They've not serious about real change. They're only interested in holding office.

No one cheered David Cameron more loudly at the time of his Bloomberg speech, when he finally accepted the case for a referendum. He would, he claimed, negotiate a fundamentally new relationship with the EU, and put it to the people in 2017; In or Out.

But there's been no detail since. That's because there isn't any. Again, they've not thought it through.

Ministers have specifically ruled out a trade-only arrangement with the EU. The Prime Minister said so specifically at a meeting of the 1922. It won't even be on the table.

His advisers have made it clear they won't contemplate any deal with UKIP. They're more comfortable doing deals with Nick Clegg than with a party that wants real change in our relations with the EU.

His advisers have made it clear that they seek a new deal that gives them just enough to persuade enough voters to vote to stay in. It's not about change in our national interest. It's all about not changing things.

Once I realised that, my position in the Conservative party became untenable.

There is a world of change and opportunity out there. Tens of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty within my life time. There is a growing middle class in India, China and elsewhere.

Our future prosperity rest on being able to produce things that those millions of new consumers want.

Ministers are simply not up to giving us the kind of realignment that we need.

It is not enough that I leave the Conservative party and join UKIP.

As someone who has always answered directly to independent-minded Essex folk, there is only one honourable thing to do.

I must seek permission from my boss - the people of Clacton. I will now resign from Parliament, and stand for UKIP in the by election that must follow.

I don't have to do this. It would have been easy for me to have muddled along comfortably as a backbench MP. There are all too many who enjoy that convenient life. But that's not the sort of person I am.

I stood for Parliament in the first place because I believe in certain things. I still do. With greater determination than ever.

I just happen to know that principle in politics is more important than the career of an individual MP - even if that MP happens to be me.

Things don't have to be this way.  I'll be asking the voters of Essex to help me bring change. Let's do this together. Let's see if we can make history.

Thank you. I must now return to Clacton to prepare for what is to come.

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Parents 'Cut Back On Food To Pay For Homes'

By Rachel Younger, Sky News Correspondent

Three million working parents in England are being forced to cut back on food so they can afford to pay for their homes.

A YouGov poll of working families has found that rising housing costs mean more and more of our wages are needed to keep a roof over our heads.

The problem has got so bad that more than one in 10 parents - over 750,000 people - admit to skipping meals rather than risk losing their home.

Recent figures from the government's English Housing Survey show households are spending 28% of their weekly income on housing costs alone - and that rises to 40% for private renters.

With rent or the mortgage swallowing so much of the monthly budget, many ordinary families are finding that regardless of how hard they work, any sudden drop in income from an unexpected job loss or illness can quickly put their homes at serious risk.

The poll found parents are facing tough choices. Some 13% say they have put off buying their children new shoes, with one in 10 delaying buying new school uniforms over the past year.

Now charities like Shelter are calling on the Government to provide a safety net strong enough to catch families who fall on hard times.

"This is a really terrible situation for many, many parents across the country," said the CEO of Shelter, Campbell Robb.

"What we're seeing is that people are just struggling to keep up their costs. Housing has gone up ... but other costs have gone up too.

"Generally speaking it's not about people being in places they can't afford. It's the places they're in becoming unaffordable."

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Shaun Wright 'Should Face Criminal Probe'

Police Commissioner Shaun Wright should face a criminal investigation over the Rotherham child abuse scandal, a Labour MP has said.

John Mann told Sky News he is writing to Home Secretary Theresa May asking for police to investigate Mr Wright with a view to bringing a case of misconduct in public office against him and others responsible for childcare while hundreds of children were abused.

The Bassetlaw MP said an independent force, rather than Mr Wright's South Yorkshire Police, should take charge of the inquiry.

Speaking on Sky News Sunrise, he said: "I'm writing to the Home Secretary and to South Yorkshire Police asking for an investigation into misconduct into public office, which is a criminal offence, for wilful neglect of duty.

Shaun Wright is facing fresh calls to resign over the Rotherham scandal

"Having looked at the law, it seems to me that there is a case to be heard, potentially by him - also potentially by others involved in this scandal for wilfully failing to act."

Mr Wright is facing fresh calls to resign after he quit the Labour Party to keep his £85,000-a-year job on Wednesday night.

He announced his move less than an hour after Labour threatened to suspend him from the party over his perceived failings in the key child protection role from 2005-2010.

Mr Wright was a Rotherham councillor, charged with heading up the local authority's child protection services at the height of the scandal, where an estimated 1,400 children are believed to have been groomed and abused by gangs of Asian men.

Sonia Sharp has apologised to victims of abuse in Rotherham

On Tuesday, a highly critical report highlighted widespread failings at both Rotherham Council and South Yorkshire Police for allowing that abuse to continue unchecked for more than 16 years.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg - speaking on his LBC radio phone-in - became the latest senior politician to call for Mr Wright to go.

He said: "As Theresa May said, she can't tell the police and crime commissioner, who clearly should do the decent thing and stand aside, to do so.

"All we can do, which is what I'm doing now, which is what everybody's doing, across parties, is to say 'please, do the decent thing and stand aside because you have to take responsibility and then let's try ... to go after the perpetrators."

Rotherham's former director of children's services has said sorry to children abused in the town and said she wished more could have been done to help them.

Sonia Sharp, who was in the key role from 2005-2008, said it was known "that there were many children in the community at risk and feared that this was the tip of an iceberg".

Dr Sharp, now working for the Australian state of Victoria's department of education and early childhood development, said: "You can't be a director of children's services and not take responsibility for what happens to children. 

"I am sorry that these children and young people suffered terrible abuse and I wish we could have done more to prevent the abuse of children and young people in Rotherham."

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Immigration: 'Significant' Rise In Last Year

New immigration figures show a "significant increase" in net migration in the year to March, with 243,000 long-term migrants.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) described the net figure of 243,000 - the difference between people arriving in the UK and leaving - as being "statistically significant".

The previous 12 months saw a net flow of 175,000.

More follows ...

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Tax Fugitives Brought To Justice By HMRC

Five of the UK's top tax fugitives have been brought back to the UK to face justice following a global HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) initiative, the organisation has said.

HMRC said it is "excellent news for all honest taxpayers" and released images of a further five people it wants to track down.

These are: Ahmed Salim Khezri, Norbert Dombo, Mohammed Kasim Farook (aka Mohammed Kasim), Paul Edwards and Murugasan Natarajan (aka Murucasan Natarajan and Raj Natarajan).

The five fugitives HMRC wants to apprehend

Those who have been apprehended in the last year are:

:: John Sabin, who fled to Spain after being convicted for his role in smuggling more than 150 million illicit cigarettes into the UK

:: Malcolm McGowan, who also fled to Spain before he could be sentenced for smuggling more than 28 million cigarettes

:: Magdalena Ferkova, returned from the Czech Republic after being found guilty of tax credit and child benefit fraud

:: Michael Voudouri, who fled to northern Cyprus prior to sentencing after being found guilty of an £11.6m money laundering scam

:: Michael Fearon, who fled to the Republic of Ireland while on trial for his part in smuggling more than 8 million cigarettes

Malcolm McGowan, one of those who has been caught in the last year

Jennie Granger, HMRC's Director General of Enforcement and Compliance, said: "This is down to the determination of our people with the help and support of the general public.

"We would like to thank the public for that help, and ask them to look at the 2014 list and help us to bring back the rest.

"These fugitives were involved in frauds that have collectively cost the UK more than  £844 million but the success of our campaign means those on the run should know that HMRC will relentlessly pursue them."

HMRC said it had also received "important information" on the location of five other people on its "most wanted" list.

It is two years since HMRC first published images of its top tax fraud absconders, and since then the pictures have been viewed three million times, leading to the capture of some of the fugitives.

There is also a map showing where HMRC believes the remaining people on the list to be.

HMRC says that, where legally possible, it will seek extraditions with the help of the Crown Prosecution Service and other partners in the UK and abroad to ensure they are brought back to the UK. 

:: Anyone with information should contact the Tax Evasion Hotline on 0800 788 887 or email via the HMRC website. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Rotherham Abuse: Pressure Grows On Police Chief

By Becky Johnson, North Of England Correspondent

Pressure is growing on South Yorkshire's Police Commissioner to resign in the wake of the Rotherham abuse scandal, after it emerged he was once a councillor with responsibility for children's services there.

A damning report has revealed more than 1,400 children were victims of abuse there between 1997 and 2013.

It detailed examples of 11-year-olds being gang raped and children being forced to watch violent sex abuse while being threatened that they would be next.

It has emerged authorities in the town "could and should" have done more to stop the abuse but did not listen to children trying to report it.

In some cases victims were treated with contempt.

Shaun Wright was a Labour councillor for Rotherham until he was elected Police Commissioner in 2012, and was in charge of children's services from 2005 to 2010.

Colin Ross, the leader of the Lib Dem group on Sheffield City Council, said it is "difficult to see how local people can have confidence in him to continue as our Police and Crime Commissioner".

UKIP Yorkshire and Humber MEP Jane Collins also called on Mr Wright to go, adding: "The apologies we have heard are totally insincere and go nowhere near repairing the damage done."

Alexis Jay's highly critical report detailed "appalling" abuse

A spokesperson for Mr Wright said: "The Commissioner has previously apologised for the failure of Rotherham Council while he was in its cabinet from 2005 to 2010.

"He repeats that apology today and he fully accepts that there was more that everyone at Rotherham Council should have done to tackle this terrible crime.

"Since becoming Police and Crime Commissioner he has repeatedly publicly made tackling child sexual exploitation his number one priority."

The leader of Rotherham Council, Roger Stone, stepped down with immediate effect following the publication of the report.

Rotherham Council leader Roger Stone has left his post

The council has apologised for its failings but confirmed no staff will face disciplinary action.

South Yorkshire Police also issued an apology but it too revealed that no officers have been disciplined.

Several of the individuals named in the report are still working in child protection.

Chief Superintendent Jason Harwin, police district commander for Rotherham, said no officers had faced disciplinary action but added: "A number of individuals that were in the service then are no longer in the service.

Chief executive Martin Kimber revealed no council staff will face action

"Clearly we have failed on this occasion. We know that but we need to understand understand what we need to do next."

"If people have done things they shouldn't have done they should be held to account."

Jim Gamble, former Chief Executive of CEOP, told Sky News: "Every person particularly in a leadership role who has got it wrong whether today, yesterday, or in the years before must take responsibility for their actions.

"There's a couple of things, you need to make sure; 1) that they're not in a position of authority in any other local safeguarding board, in any other organisation that works to protect children and 2) if there is evidence that individuals supressed information that there's a criminal investigation."

A lawyer who represents some of the victims has told Sky News they intend to take legal action against the authorities.

Solicitor David Greenwood said he was "appalled" by what he called a "systematic failure".

He added that some of the girls involved have displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and will need "a lot of input to get their lives back on track".

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Abuse Scandal 'Happening All Over Country'

The child exploitation scandal in which 1,400 youngsters were abused over 16 years is not "peculiar" to Rotherham, according to a leading children's charity.

A damning report on abuse in the South Yorkshire town detailed examples of 11-year-olds being gang raped and children forced to watch violent sex abuse.

Barnardo's was called to the town by police last year to tackle the problem - but the charity says it is also working with other councils to "learn lessons from the past".

Chief executive Javed Khan told Sky News: "Barnardo's is working very closely with that council and many other councils across the country.

"We're trying to help those professionals learn lessons from the past.

Some 1,400 children were abused in Rotherham over 16 years

"This is happening all over the country - it isn't just peculiar to Rotherham.

"It's important that they learn the lessons from the past, work with agencies like ours that have experience.

"We work with more than 2,000 children who've been sexually exploited every year. We know how to spot the signs and put it right."

The report on abuse in Rotherham, between 1997 and 2013, said authorities in the town "could and should" have done more to stop the abuse.

But officials did not listen to children trying to report it, the report said.

Council leader Roger Stone resigned after the report was published

Council leader Roger Stone resigned after the report was published - and there have been calls for South Yorkshire's Police Commissioner to follow.

Shaun Wright was elected in 2012 - but his previous role as a councillor put him in charge of children's services between 2005 and 2010.

However, Mr Khan insists it is important the victims are not forgotten amid the "recriminations".

"I'm sure Shaun Wright is doing some deep thinking about what he did and what he could have done differently - many other people will be doing as well," he said.

"Apart from the recriminations, the important thing is that we learn the lessons about how to protect children.

"Whatever actions need to be taken, let's focus on the victims and make sure this never, ever happens again to children who need our support.

"I'm not sitting on the fence. Children were failed. But the report says children's services in Rotherham are fit for purpose now - that's what interests me.

"What we're trying to do is work with the schools, work with the police, work with the social services, so they're more aware and more able to spot the signs of children who need our support."

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UK Ebola Case: Family Praise 'Excellent Care'

The family of a British nurse airlifted from Africa to London to be treated for ebola has thanked the medical team looking after him.

Volunteer nurse William Pooley is in the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead after contracting the virus in Sierra Leone.

He is the first confirmed British ebola case. There is no cure and outbreaks have a fatality rate as high as 90%.

A statement from his family said: "We would like to express our thanks to all involved in bringing our son back to the UK.

Mr Pooley is brought to the Royal Free with a police escort

"We have been astounded by the speed and way which the various international and UK government agencies have worked together to get Will home.

"Will is receiving excellent care at the Royal Free Hospital and we could not ask for him to be in a better place.

"We ... ask everyone to remember those in other parts of the world suffering with ebola who do not have access to the same healthcare facilities as Will."

Mr Pooley, 29, was flown back to the UK on Sunday night for emergency treatment.

The victim is being treated at the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, London

Days before he contracted the disease, he spoke about the joy of seeing ebola victims make a full recovery.

He told The Guardian: "It's great seeing them walk away after some of them have been in a terrible state. Seeing them on the wards and then seeing them recover and walk out the door is great."

Mr Pooley is being treated in Hampstead because it has the only isolation ward in the country.

His bed will be surrounded by a tent with its own controlled ventilation system and the only people allowed inside are specially-trained medical staff.

Liberia has been receiving shipments of USAid as it struggles to cope

A Liberian doctor who was one of three Africans to receive the experimental Ebola drug ZMapp is among the latest to have died, the country's information minister said on Monday.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday that protective equipment had been sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where two cases of ebola have been confirmed.

Japan said it had developed an anti-influenza drug which may be able to treat the virus.

It is not known if favipiravir, which trades under the name Avigan, can treat the disease, but it was designed to treat new and re-emerging influenza viruses, which have similarities to ebola.

Residents have been quarantined in several parts of Liberia

Mr Pooley was working at a hospice in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, but moved to a government hospital in Kenema when he found out workers at the hospital had died.

In an interview with a blogger for freetownfashpack.com published earlier this month, he is reported to have said: "It's the easiest situation in the world to make a difference."

His friend Dr Oliver Johnson, who has been working in Freetown, said Mr Pooley was an "extraordinary guy" who knew the risks involved but was prepared to take them in order to help.

The Department of Health said he was not "seriously unwell", and health chiefs have insisted that the risk to the public from ebola is "very low".

There have so far been 2,615 confirmed cases and 1,427 deaths in the outbreak in Africa.

Ebola is contracted through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids and there is currently no cure or vaccine.

Symptoms of the virus appear as a sudden onset of fever, headache, sore throat, intense weakness and muscle pain.

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Two Officers Assaulted At Notting Hill Carnival

One police officer was hurt while trying to make an arrest at the Notting Hill Carnival - and a second was injured while going to his aid.

A male PC, 33, was taken to hospital after being attacked while trying to arrest a suspected drug dealer during the event in West London.

He was found in Lancaster Road at the junction with St Luke's Road at around 3.15pm on Sunday with injuries to the head and torso.

The officer has since been discharged from hospital.

Colleagues also came under attack when they went to help him, and a 35-year-old female officer suffered injuries to her torso. She was taken to hospital but also released on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan police activated special stop and search powers across the Carnival between 7pm on Monday and 2am on Tuesday following a spate of violent incidents.

It was decided to impose Section 60 and Section 60AA orders in the area.

Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 allows senior police officers to authorise constables to stop and search people in a specific area, either where a serious public order problem is likely to arise or has taken place, or for offensive weapons or dangerous instruments.

Officers can conduct searches under the powers whether or not they suspect the subject to have been involved in wrongdoing.

Section 60AA gives police powers to order the removal of disguises where section 60 has been invoked.

The decision was taken "in response to incidents of violence, and intelligence received, which have taken place within a short period of time in the last few hours".

Six men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man suffered "a serious stab wound".

In another incident shortly before 4pm on Monday several men were injured - one 29-year-old man sustained a serious stab wound and is in a stable condition.

Eight others also received knife wounds.

Eight people were arrested in connection with the disorder.

By 9pm on Monday there had been 123 arrests over the course of the day taking the total for the two-day event to 227.

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Stop And Search Code Of Conduct Lauched

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Police forces across the country will today sign up to a crackdown on the misuse of stop and search powers that have caused tension between officers and the black community.

A new voluntary code will mean the outcome of each stop will be recorded to measure how many lead to an arrest.

There will also be tougher rules around the controversial "section 60" stops where there are no grounds for suspicion.

Under the plans these powers will require higher authorisation - from a chief police officer - and will be limited to 15-hour periods, down from 24.

They will also have to believe that violence "will" occur without the measure, while before it was only if more junior officers thought it might occur.

Police used 'section 60' at the Notting Hill Carnival

Some 24 police forces across England and Wales will start implementing the code, which has been brought in by Home Secretary Theresa May, immediately. By November all 43 forces will have signed up.

"Nobody wins when stop and search is misused," said Mrs May. "It can be an enormous waste of police time and damage the relationship between the public and police.

"I am delighted that all 43 police forces have signed up to the Best Use of Stop and Search scheme. It will increase transparency, give us a better understanding of how stop and search is actually being used and help local communities hold the police to account for their use of the powers.

"I hope it will also go a long way to building public confidence and forging an important link between communities and the police."

Mrs May believes the way the powers have been used is unfair to young, black men in particular. They are six times more likely to be stopped overall, but this rises to 29 times in some areas.

All 43 forces will abide by the code by the end of the year

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has called the figure "stubbornly" high.

The Met police, one of the first to sign up to the code, admitted they used Section 60 powers this weekend at the Notting Hill Carnival.

They also brought in Section 60AA powers - through which people can be asked to remove disguises. The force said it was in "response to incidents of violence and intelligence received".

The country-wide reforms are being led by black police inspector Nick Glynn, of Leicestershire force, who said he has been stopped and searched about 30 times when off duty.

Chief Executive of the College of Policing, Chief Constable Alex Marshall, added: "Stop and search powers are necessary to help us tackle crime and keep people safe but it is clear they are being misused too often. This can leave resentment in our communities and hinder our ability to prevent crime."

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First Briton With Ebola Virus Begins Treatment

A Briton who contracted the deadly ebola virus in Sierra Leone is being treated at a specialist hospital after being evacuated to the UK.

The volunteer nurse, who is understood to be William Pooley, tested positive after treating patients suffering from the disease at Kenema Government Hospital (KGH) in the south-east of the country.

It is the first confirmed case of a Briton contracting ebola during the outbreak. There is no cure and outbreaks have a fatality rate as high as 90%.

Mr Pooley, who is understood to be in his late 20s or early 30s, was transported to the UK on a specially-equipped C-17 Royal Air Force jet, which landed at RAF Northolt in west London on Sunday evening.

He was then taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London, which has the UK's only high level isolation unit.

The nurse is taken off the plane and into a waiting ambulance

His bed will be surrounded by a specially-designed tent with its own controlled ventilation system.

The only people allowed inside are specially-trained medical staff.

Dr Robert Garry, from Tulane University in New Orleans, has worked at KGH for around a decade on a virus research project.

He said he was told by a university colleague that the test results for William were received on Saturday.

"They worked as hard as they could, as fast as humanly possible to make these arrangements," he said.

William was treating ebola patients in Sierra Leone

"Of course they were wanting to make sure that he got the best care possible.

"It was kind of a remarkable turnaround, barely over 24 hours (later) he was heading towards that plane."

Mr Pooley was working at a hospice in the capital, Freetown, but moved to Kenema when he found out other workers at the hospital had died from ebola.

In an interview with a blogger for freetownfashpack.com published earlier this month, he is reported to have said: "It's the easiest situation in the world to make a difference.

"I'm not particularly experienced or skilled, but I can do the job and I am actually helping."

The C17 plane lands at RAF Northolt on Sunday evening

Dr Garry praised William's decision to help. He said: "It's a very honourable thing. He saw the need.

"He read about our nurses who were unfortunately dying there and took it on himself to come over and volunteer and learned how to be as safe as he could.

"But when you work hard like that, when you put in so many hours, you're going to make a mistake and unfortunately that seems to have happened in this case.

"I just hope the best for him, that he can get the best treatment he can get."

The Royal Free Hospital in north London

The Department of Health said he was not "seriously unwell", while health chiefs have insisted that the risk to the public from ebola is "very low".

There have so far been 2,615 confirmed cases and 1,427 deaths in the outbreak in Africa.

Ebola is contracted through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids and there is currently no cure or vaccine.

Symptoms of the virus appear as a sudden onset of fever, headache, sore throat, intense weakness and muscle pain.

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Leaders Meet For Second TV Debate On Scotland

Salmond: The Man Behind The Nationalist

Updated: 9:14am UK, Monday 25 August 2014

Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond was born at home in Linlithgow in 1954, on what is one of the most important days in the Scottish calendar - New Year's Eve.

He was the second of four children born to Robert and Mary Salmond, both of whom were civil servants.

The future Scottish National Party leader attended school locally and then went on to the University of St Andrews where he took his first step towards his lifelong passion for an independent Scotland by joining the Scottish National Party.

Mr Salmond graduated in 1978 with a 2:2 MA honours degree in Economics and Medieval History.

He went to work for the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland in 1978, serving as an assistant economist.

He moved to the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1980, working there as an assistant economist and then being appointed an oil economist - he later combined that role with that of a bank economist.

The early 1980s were a good time personally for Mr Salmond who met and married his wife, Moira, in 1981.

The engineer's daughter was herself a senior civil servant and had been her husband's boss during his time in what was then the Scottish Office.

The couple have no children and Mrs Salmond, who gave up her job at the time of her marriage, is known to prefer to keep a low profile.

Mr Salmond began his political career in 1987 when he was elected MP for Banff & Buchan.

He became leader of the Scottish National Party in 1990 when he beat sole opponent Margaret Ewing by 486 votes.

The General Election of 1992 was a disappointment for the party and its leader when, despite increasing its share of the vote, it failed to win a large number of seats and make the breakthrough it had hoped for.

Following a referendum in 1997 when the Scottish electorate backed the setting up of a Scottish Parliament, Mr Salmond was elected as an MSP in 1999.

But two years later he resigned as leader after being criticised from within the party about a number of fall-outs with party members. He left the Scottish Parliament.

He remained deeply involved in politics, publicly protesting about the 2003 invasion of Iraq in which the UK took part. This was not a new stand; he had also opposed PM Tony Blair's bombing of Serbia in 1999 because it was not backed by a UN Security Council resolution.

In 2004, despite having earlier said he would not be leadership candidate for the SNP, Mr Salmond decided to stand and won the contest with more than 75% of the vote.

After becoming leader of the SNP, he was elected as an MSP for the constituency of Gordon in May 2007, making political history by becoming the first nationalist to be elected First Minister of Scotland.

Mr Salmond lives with his wife in Strichen, Aberdeenshire, and he lists his hobbies as horse racing, football - he supports Scotland and Heart of Midlothian FC - golf and reading.

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Richard Attenborough: Director Dies Aged 90

Tributes are being paid to Oscar-winning director Richard Attenborough, who dominated the British film business for more than half a century.

Lord Attenborough, who won two Academy Awards for directing and producing Gandhi in 1983, died at lunchtime on Sunday.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) described its former president as a "titan of British cinema" who set an example of "industry, skill and compassion" that business would do well to live up to. 

2005: Lord Attenborough with his wife Sheila whom he married when he was 21

He was president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) and championed the British film business for more than 60 years as an actor, director and prolific movie-maker.

Gandhi was the highlight of his career, winning eight Oscars, including best film. He also directed Young Winston, A Bridge Too Far and Cry Freedom.

As an actor he won acclaim for starring roles in films such as Brighton Rock and 10 Rillington Place. 

Lord 'Dickie' Attenborough was born in Cambridgeshire in 1923 and educated at Wyggeston Grammar School and Emmanuel College Cambridge.

Richard Attenborough was a 'titan' of cinema for decades, says BAFTA

He was the older brother of naturalist Sir David Attenborough.

He married the actress Sheila Sim when he was 21. His son Michael was born in 1949, followed by two daughters, Jane and Charlotte.

Tragedy struck on Boxing Day 2004 when his elder daughter Jane Holland, her daughter Lucy, and her mother-in-law, also Jane, died in the south-Asian tsunami.

Director Steven Spielberg said: "Dickie Attenborough was passionate about everything in his life -  family, friends, country and career. 

With his brother, naturalist David

"He made a gift to the world with his emotional epic Ghandi and he was the perfect ringmaster to bring the dinosaurs back to life as John Hammond in Jurassic Park.

"He was a dear friend and I am standing in an endless line of those who completely adored him."

David Cameron said: "His acting in Brighton Rock was brilliant, his directing of Gandhi was stunning - Richard Attenborough was one of the greats of cinema."

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, Labour's leader in the House of Lords, said she was "proud" that the actor was a Labour peer.

Former Cabinet minister Peter Hain also paid tribute to the "brilliant actor and film director" who he also hailed as an "anti-Apartheid, Labour and Chelsea Football Club stalwart".

In a statement on their website, Chelsea said: "Chelsea Football Club is tonight deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our Life President Lord Attenborough.

"His personality was woven into the tapestry of the club over seven decades. He will be greatly missed."

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Bank Holiday Weather Alert Over Rain And Wind

A weather alert has been issued as heavy rain and wind threaten travel problems for millions of Britons returning home from a weekend break.

The Met Office has issued a sweeping yellow weather alert for Bank Holiday Monday, predicting significant surface water on roads and gusts of up to 40mph (64kph). 

Meanwhile, overnight temperatures will plummet to freezing point in some areas, with the first frost of the summer arriving in the north this morning.

Tomorrow's weather warning relates to parts of Wales, as well as London, the South East, East and South West of England, although most of the UK will see some rain.

Winds of up to 40mph are expected in some areas

Temperatures will struggle to get above 17C (62.6F) - well below average for August.

Scotland, where it is not a bank holiday, will enjoy the best of the weather tomorrow.

The Met Office said: "Heavy rain is expected to affect many southern areas of Britain at times during Bank Holiday Monday, with strong winds a possible additional factor close to southern coasts.

"The public should be aware that there may be some impacts to holiday traffic and other outdoor activities.

The first frost of the summer is expected to arrive in the north on Sunday

"A complex area of low pressure looks like bringing an unpleasant day's weather to much of the south on Monday.

"Rainfall amounts look like exceeding 20mm quite widely, while a few places might see around 40mm, so there will be a lot of surface water and spray on roads.

"The spray will probably be made worse by strong winds across some southern areas; gusts to around 40mph may occur at some coastal locations although this will depend on the exact track of the low pressure."

More than five million people in the UK are planning an overnight holiday trip this weekend, VisitEngland said.

Around one million people are expected to be drawn to Notting Hill Carnival, one of Europe's biggest street carnival events, today and tomorrow.

Despite a cold start, Sunday's weather will be largely fine across the UK with spells of sunshine and highs of 18C (64.4F).

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Independent Scotland 'Would Have To Join Euro'

Alex Salmond's "only realistic plan B" for the currency of an independent Scotland is the euro, according to shadow chancellor Ed Balls.

Mr Balls reiterated his warning that the Scottish National Party's preference for keeping the pound in a formal currency union with the rest of the UK is "off the table".

The Labour MP, who was against UK entry to the euro when he worked for Gordon Brown, has previously ruled out a currency union if his party wins the next election.

The current Conservative chancellor, George Osborne, and Scottish Liberal Democrat Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander have also dismissed the prospect.

Keeping the pound without a currency union would accelerate "the movement of financial services out of Scotland", Mr Balls told the Observer newspaper.

Meanwhile, new currency would be "very expensive, very risky" and people would "pay a big price in terms of higher interest rates for mortgages", Mr Balls claimed.

Ed Balls ruled out a formal currency union in the newspaper interview

He said: "I fear that an independent Scotland would end up finding that joining the euro would be the least worst of all the bad options.

"It's not what I would choose for Scotland. And I am not surprised at all that Alex Salmond doesn't want to admit it now, but joining the euro would likely be his only realistic plan B."

Mr Balls added: "Given the size of the UK relative to Scotland, given that Scotland would be leaving the UK, the size of the Scottish financial sector and given the risk, therefore, to UK taxpayers, a sterling currency area would be off the table."

Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling will stage another debate on Monday

He urged Mr Salmond "to tell people what plan B is" at his next debate with Better Together leader Alistair Darling, which will be shown on Sky News on Monday.

A spokesman for Mr Salmond told The Observer: "An independent Scotland will keep the pound because it's our currency too, and pensions and public services will be more sustainable after a yes vote because Scotland's economy is stronger than the UK's."

A Better Together spokesman said: "Alex Salmond wants us to vote for independence on the basis of his blind faith and guesswork alone.

"We should say no thanks to taking on so much risk."

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British Ebola Patient 'May Be Flown To UK'

Nigeria Confirms First 'Secondary' Ebola Cases

Updated: 8:47am UK, Sunday 24 August 2014

Ebola fears in Nigeria have heightened after two more people tested positive, despite having no contact with the man who brought the virus into the country.

The infected people are the spouses of a man and woman who had contact with Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who died in July after flying into Abuja and infecting 11 others.

It comes as blood tests confirmed an Irish engineer who died on Thursday did not have ebola.

Dessie Quinn, 43, had been working in Sierra Leone, one of the countries struggling with the current outbreak.

Nigerian officials now have more than 200 potential ebola cases under "surveillance" after the discovery of the secondary infections.

"They were quarantined two days ago," said Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu.

"But the other ones that were quarantined along with them have been released.

"Those on treatment (in isolation) currently are four - two primary contacts, two secondary contacts. Presently altogether we have 213 on surveillance."

Patrick Sawyer, 40, died from ebola after becoming sick during a flight to Nigeria from the Liberian capital, Monrovia.

Two doctors, two nurses, and a man who picked him up from Abuja airport also died.

The World Health Organisation said earlier this week it was hopeful over the situation in Nigeria because all the cases there had come from a single chain of transmission.

The country now has 14 confirmed cases, including five deaths.

Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have suffered the worst from the outbreak, accounting for most of the 1,350 fatalities.

Liberian capital Monrovia, in particular, has seen chaotic scenes in recent days as ebola cases increase.

The local crematorium is struggling to burn the infected bodies and is having to send some back to the hospital, according to the Red Cross.

Troops have also fired tear gas to enforce a quarantine zone and prevent looting in the city's huge West Point slum.

A teenage boy, Shakie Kamara, has died after being shot by security forces earlier this week, Information Minister Lewis Brown said on Friday.

Senegal has become the latest country to lock down its border with an ebola-affected neighbour, closing its land border with Guinea.

Decisions to bar widespread use of an experimental ebola drug have caused controversy.

Two Americans, Kent Brantly, 33, and Nancy Writebol, 60, recovered after taking ZMapp, but there are no plans to send it to the heart of the outbreak.

Specialists believe the pair, who were treated in Atlanta, now pose "no public health threat" and will probably be immune to the disease.

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