Royal Baby: The 'Great Kate Wait' Continues

The Duchess of Cambridge is thought to have returned to London from her family home fuelling speculation the arrival of the royal baby may be imminent.

The Duchess has been dividing her time between her official London residence at Kensington Palace and her parents' home in Bucklebury, Berkshire.

But Sky's Royal Correspondent Paul Harrison says it is widely believed that the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge have travelled back to London.

The Duke is with his wife because he is on annual leave from his job as a search and rescue helicopter pilot. His two-week paternity leave will begin when the baby is born.

However, it is unclear whether the couple have gone straight to the private Lindo wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington where Kate is due to give birth, or back to Kensington Palace to sit out the wait.

Kensington Palace confirmed the Duchess of Cambridge is due to give birth this month, but has never specified an exact due date.

The royal couple have kept their baby's due date under wraps

Only 4% of women give birth on their due date. Most women go into labour one week either side of 40 weeks and statistically women pregnant with girls have shorter pregnancies than those having boys.

Louise Silverton, of the Royal College of Midwives, told Sky News: "One would presume the Duchess of Cambridge would have had a scan early on in her pregnancy and that's a very accurate way of determining the size of the baby at that stage.

"So I suspect they know pretty much when the baby is due  -  theoretically."

Since the start of the month, the world's media have been camped outside St Mary's Hospital waiting for the Duchess to arrive.

Harrison said: "Since disappearing off the scene in mid-June the Duchess of Cambridge has maintained kept a very low profile, keeping her due date a closely-guarded secret.

"In the 'Great Kate Wait' due date debate perhaps the biggest clue lies in where the Duchess is at any one time and the thought is she is back in London."

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Female Genital Mutilation: Campaigners' Rally

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

Campaigners against the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) will rally in Trafalgar Square later to highlight the issue of girls being taken abroad to be 'cut' during the summer holidays.

It is estimated that more than 20,000 girls as young as four are at risk of mutilation in Britain. But there is a lack of accurate recent figures.

As many as 66,000 women and girls are thought to be living with the consequences of being ritually cut in England and Wales.

That is a staggering amount considering the latest crime figures suggest only four FGM crimes were detected in the UK last year.

There has never been a prosecution even though FMG is illegal in Britain.

The issue is a taboo subject and has prompted the NSPCC to recently open a new helpline to encourage concerned children to contact them.

The problem appears to be predominantly with children being taken abroad to a parent's cultural homeland for FGM to be carried out.

We went to meet Sarian Kamara. She has four daughters and a son - but it has been a difficult journey to motherhood.

She now lives in London. But as a child in Sierra Leone at the age of 11 she was subjected to female genital mutilation - a cultural practice in which some or all of a girl's external genitals are cut away.

The NSPCC has launched a FGM helpline

She recalls how her family celebrated in her village as the practice was considered normal to mark a girl's transition from childhood to womanhood. But the grim reality was quite different. It is a way of controlling a woman's sexual desires and relationships by men.

She said: "I was lying flat on the floor. This huge woman was sitting on my chest - very big. I was so skinny. My legs were spread apart and I felt a sharp cut - I cannot even explain.

"I am still trying to find the words that would fit the kind of punishment I went through on that day as a child. Nobody should expose their children to this kind of thing.

"It is wrong - it is child abuse. As a parent we should protect our children from harm. You should not subject your child to this kind of harm."

But the desire to protect young girls is complex. 

Efua Dorkenoo is a campaigner with Equality Now with over 30 years' experience in the field. It is a very difficult crime to detect.

She said: "Screening is a very controversial issue for the UK. It's done in France and I think it's been the quick way to detect whether it's happened but in the UK politically it doesn't seem to fly and therefore we should be focusing on soft monitoring in terms of education."

That education involves trying to get the message across, particularly during the school summer holidays. 

Jane Ellison, the Conservative chairwoman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Female Genital Mutilation, said: "There's still very widespread ignorance about the fact that the law covers you when you go abroad.

"So actually one of the things we most want to do, particularly at this time of the year, is simply get across to people what the law is - that you can go to jail for 14 years if you are found to commit this on a girl."

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Woolwich Suspect 'Attack': Prison Staff Suspended

Five prison officers have been suspended following allegations that Woolwich murder suspect Michael Adebolajo was assaulted at one of Britain's top-security jails.

Adebolajo, 28, who is accused of killing soldier Lee Rigby, reportedly lost two teeth as he was being restrained at Belmarsh prison in southeast London on Wednesday.

The Prison Service has refused to comment on the detail of what happened, but the Met Police confirmed it was investigating an allegation of assault.

During an investigation of this kind, the suspension of staff is standard practice, the Ministry of Justice said.

Adebolajo is in Belmarsh Prison awaiting trial for the murder of Lee Rigby

The Prison Officers Association (POA) has denied any wrongdoing by the officers and said its members would challenge the allegations made by the prisoner.

"We are aware of an incident that took place on Wednesday July 17, which involved a prisoner being subjected to restraint using approved techniques called Control and Restraint," it said in a statement.

"Our members strenuously deny any wrongdoing and the POA will be supporting them legally and emotionally during this difficult time.

"The use of restraint is only used where necessary when dealing with incidents up and down the country."

It said it will fully co-operate with any police investigation, and expects the officers to be "fully exonerated".

The prison officers' trade union also accused the Ministry of Justice of not doing enough to avoid what they described as "sensationalist reporting" of the alleged assault.

Adebolajo is accused together with Michael Adebowale, 22, of hacking Drummer Rigby to death near Woolwich Barracks in southeast London on May 22.

The pair are due to stand trial at the Old Bailey on November 18.

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Weather: Wildfire Warning As Heatwave Continues

Swathes of the British countryside could be at risk from wildfires as the country continues to swelter in its longest heatwave for seven years.

Soon-to-be-harvested crops such as wheat and winter barley are thought to be among the most vulnerable.

Six days of 30C-plus temperatures and a lack of rainfall have led to an "elevated risk" of fires, a spokesman for the Met Office said.

The warning echoes that issued by firefighters in London, who have dealt with twice as many grass fires this summer than in 2012.

A blaze at Mitcham Common, which destroyed an area of grass and gorse equivalent in size to four football pitches, was one of around 40 wildfires extinguished by crews in just 24 hours.

Temperatures in Hampton, around 12 miles away, soared to 32.2C on Wednesday - the highest temperature recorded in the UK this year.

Dave Brown, head of operations, prevention and response at London Fire Brigade, urged smokers to be especially careful when disposing of their cigarettes.

"A small spark from a cigarette is often all it takes to start a grass fire in these dry conditions," he said.

"Drivers also need to take care not to throw cigarettes out of car windows as they can easily burn grass verges.

"If you see a grass fire, don't attempt to put it out yourself as grass fires can be fast moving and change direction without warning. Call the fire brigade and let us know where the fire is."

Temperatures are expected to remain in the mid to high-20Cs for many parts of England and Wales well into next week.

The prolonged hot spell prompted the Met Office to issue level three heatwave health warnings for southwest and southeast England, London and the West Midlands.

Health officials urged people to drink plenty of cold water and keep an eye on vulnerable people, including the elderly and the very young.

It comes after a four-week-old baby was among 10 children admitted to the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, West Sussex, with sunburn.

Meanwhile, police officers and firefighters warned about the dangers of attempting to escape the heat by swimming in open water after a number of deaths in recent weeks.

Four people died in separate incidents on Tuesday in the sea, rivers and lakes in Norfolk, the Shropshire-north Wales border and Cornwall.

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Mosque Evacuated As Bomb Experts Called In

Investigations are continuing at a mosque in Wolverhampton that was evacuated amid fears of a "possible device activation".

Military bomb disposal experts were called to Wolverhampton Central Mosque and roads around the building were cordoned off.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said the measures were necessary "to ensure the absolute safety and security" of the local community.

Police officers arrive at the scene. Pic: Sophie Calvert/Free Radio/Twitter

Information about the possible device, which police believe may have been activated last month, was uncovered as part of an investigation into recent attacks near mosques in Walsall and Tipton.

Two men aged 25 and 22, both of Eastern European origin, were arrested in Small Heath, Birmingham, in connection with the blasts.

They continue to be held under the Terrorism Act on suspicion of being involved in the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism.

Roads around the mosque were closed. Pic: Sophie Calvert/Free Radio/Twitter

The discovery of the device in Walsall led to an evacuation of more than 100 people from their homes.

Residents reported hearing a loud bang but no one was injured and the device - the remains of which were found in a nearby alleyway - caused minimal damage.

The suspected nail bomb blast in Tipton, around eight miles from Walsall, took place on July 12 outside the Kanz Ul Iman Masjid mosque.

Bomb experts carried out a controlled explosion on part of the device, which officers said was designed to cause "serious harm".

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'Rigby Killers' Memorial Graffiti: Man Held

A man has been arrested on suspicion of daubing "Lee Rigby's killers should hang" on the RAF Bomber Command War Memorial in London, it has emerged.

Scotland Yard said the 20-year-old was held at his home in Manchester last Tuesday on suspicion of an act of criminal damage at the memorial in Green Park on June 5.

The memorial, which was created to remember the thousands of RAF crew who lost their lives in World War Two, was vandalised twice in just over a week following the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich, southeast London, on May 22.

In the first incident on May 27, the word "Islam" was scrawled across the monument.

Red graffiti was also found on the Animals In War Memorial in Hyde Park, which honours animals that have served and died for the British military forces.

After the second attack on the Bomber Command Memorial, Crimestoppers said it was offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for vandalising the memorials.

The RAF Benevolent Fund released CCTV footage of the first attack which appeared to show someone spraying it.

The person stopped a few times as traffic passed and looked around several times before eventually moving out of the shot.

In a separate CCTV clip from a camera pointing towards the centrepiece of the memorial, a person was captured walking around the statue and looking up at it.

:: Anyone with information about the acts of vandalism is asked to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Bond Actor Paul Bhattacharjee Found Dead

The body of an actor who disappeared a week ago has been found, police have confirmed.

Paul Bhattacharjee, who appeared in the James Bond film Casino Royale and EastEnders, had last been seen leaving rehearsals at the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, London, on July 10. He appeared to walk in the direction of a nearby Tube station.

The 53-year-old was said to be in good spirits that evening but after sending his girlfriend a text message at 9pm, no-one heard from him and he was reported missing.

Scotland Yard was contacted by officers in Sussex on Wednesday morning and told that the body of a man matching his description had been found near cliffs at Splash Point in Seaford, East Sussex, last Friday.

Mr Bhattacharjee, from Redbridge, northeast London, was formally identified and his next of kin have been informed.

His death is not being treated as suspicious.

His friends and family had made pleas for his safe return, including his 24-year-old son Rahul Bhattacharjee-Prashar, who told the Evening Standard the disappearance was "completely out of character".

He added: "He was doing well in his career and everything seemed to be going okay."

The actor, who also appeared in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, White Teeth and Dirty Pretty Things, had been due to appear in this week's play Talk Show at the Royal Court.

Bhattacharjee and Meera Syal rehearse last year

His role in the play, which began last night, was recast.

He was part of the theatre's company of 14 actors performing in the Weekly Rep series, which sees six plays staged in six weeks, and had already appeared in two of the productions.

Tributes have been paid to the actor, with many from the theatre world taking to Twitter to express their sadness.

Director Jamie Lloyd wrote: "Very sad to hear about the death of Paul Bhattacharjee. He was a very fine actor. My thoughts are with his family."

Muzz Khan, who appeared in Much Ado About Nothing alongside the late actor, said: "Rest In Peace, Paul Bhattacharjee. I can't believe you're gone, mate."

Playwright Duncan Gates wrote: "'When you depart from me sorrow abides and happiness takes his leave'. RIP Paul Bhattacharjee."

Actor Rick Warden wrote: "Having a bad time with the news about friend and colleague Paul Bhattacharjee's death. An intelligent & charismatic man. Very sad."

He played a doctor in Casino Royale in 2006 and was in several episodes of EastEnders as Inzamam between 2008 and 2010.

Other television credits for the actor included Waking The Dead, Spooks and The Bill.

Last year he appeared as Benedick opposite Meera Syal in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of Much Ado About Nothing.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org

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A&E Admissions Rise In Britain's 30C Heatwave

Hospitals have reported a rise in A&E admissions as Britain's 30C heatwave continues.

Doctors at North Middlesex University Hospital said they have treated people for severe dehydration, heatstroke and breathing difficulties.

In Plymouth, the Derriford Hospital urged people to take extra care after heat-related admissions soared.

A Level Three health warning has been put in place by the Met Office in London, the South East, the West Midlands, and the South West due to the unusually high temperatures.

Public Health England advised people to stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, store medicines in the fridge and keep an eye on elderly neighbours.

Crowds of people have headed to the beach in the hot weather

The aged, the very young, and those with respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, are among those most at risk.

"The risk of death and risk of illness really concerns us," Professor Virginia Murray, head of extreme events and health protection at Public Health England (PHE), said.

"Those with pre-existing illnesses are at much greater risk of not being able to cope with heat. It's much harder for them to cope with cooling."

She warned that those with breathing difficulties could find themselves struggling to regulate their temperature, while those with heart problems were more likely to suffer a heart attack.

As part of the heatwave plan in the South East, high-risk people are being contacted by hospitals.

Health experts have estimated that hundreds may have died already as a result of the heatwave.

The death toll for the first nine days of the heatwave is between 540 and 760 people in England alone, according to the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

If the hot weather continues until the end of next week, as many predict, the number could rise substantially.

The figures were produced by using temperature data supplied by the Met Office and comparing it with studies conducted on death rates during previous heatwaves in Britain.

Ben Armstrong, a professor in epidemiological statistics at LSHTM, said risk increases at temperatures above 26C.

"A lot of evidence has been pulled together that the risk in London, for instance, is greatest when it is above 32C in the day and above 18C at night," he said.

On Wednesday, temperatures in London reached 32C (89F), the hottest day of the year so far.

On Call Clegg the Deputy Prime Minister said that temperatures on London transport were brutally hot, after being told the temperature on a Northern Line tube had hit 35C.

He said: "Other countries are used to very hot summers, we are not ready for this. 35 degrees is pretty brutal and you need to be careful, particularly if you're frail.

"My small kids don't realise when they're overheating. I was padding around in the office wearing no shoes yesterday, and I am relaxed about staff not overheating in my private office - providing they're not engaging in public facing tasks."

Extreme heat can lead to heatstroke, in which the body is unable to stay cool - leading to brain damage and death.

Temperatures are considered significant if they are high relative to the normal temperature for that area.

During the summer of 2003, there were 2,000 excess deaths in Britain.

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New Crime Stats Show Lowest Total On Record

There were 8.6 million crimes in England and Wales up to March 2013, the lowest figure since the official survey began in 1981.

It was a 9% decrease compared with last year, the latest crime figures show.

Overall crime is now running at half the level it peaked at in 1995.

But in these times of financial hardship for many, fraud is up by 27%, with over a quarter of a million offences recorded.

The number of rapes recorded by police has risen by 2% in the past year, with the increase thought to be linked to the knock-on effect of the high-profile Jimmy Savile investigation, the Office for National Statistics said.

Firearm offences have fallen by 15% in year ending March 2013, continuing to fall since a peak registered in 2005/2006.

Offences that involved knife or sharp instrument decreased by 15% compared to previous year.

Sky News Deputy Political Editor Joey Jones said the figures are good news the Government.

"From David Cameron's point of view, he'll be wanting to press home that sort of political advantage. As long as long as those statistics keep coming along those lines, it clearly makes things that much more comfortable from the Government's point of view."

More follows...

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Trident Review: Warning Against Downgrade

A group of former defence secretaries and military chiefs has warned the Government not to "take risks with our security" by downgrading Britain's nuclear deterrent system.

Liberal Democrat Cabinet minister Danny Alexander's long-awaited review is expected to argue the case for a scaled-down Trident force.

A leaked version of the Trident Alternatives Review suggested it will include an array of options short of like-for-like replacement, including a proposal that the Royal Navy's fleet of nuclear-armed submarines could be cut from four to two.

But the five former defence secretaries and two ex-defence chiefs have voiced their support for a £25bn like-for-like replacement of Trident.

Mr Alexander has reviewed plans for the fleet

"In an uncertain world, in which the number of nuclear weapons remains high and some states are increasing their holding, we should not take risks with our security by downgrading to a part-time deterrent," they wrote in a letter to the Daily Telegraph.

"We cannot possibly foresee what threats will develop over the next 30 years.

"Reducing our submarine-based Trident capability would weaken our national security for the sake of a very small fraction of the defence budget.

"It is our view that if Britain is to remain a leading global power with strong defences, nothing less than a continuous-at-sea deterrent will do."

The letter was signed by former Conservative defence secretaries Liam Fox and Sir Malcolm Rifkind, alongside Labour's former defence secretaries Bob Ainsworth, Lord Reid and Lord Robertson, who was also a Nato secretary general.

Also signing were ex-chiefs of defence staff Lord Boyce and Lord Stirrup.

Treasury Chief Secretary Mr Alexander's review results from a compromise reached by Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in the 2010 coalition agreement which brought them into government together.

The issue is likely to set a clear dividing line between the parties at the next general election.

The fleet of four Vanguard-class submarines which carry the Trident missiles are due to be replaced from 2028.

The final decision on whether to replace all four boats is due in 2016, after the 2015 election.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond on Monday warned it would be "reckless" to downgrade Trident, insisting that two subs would not be able to offer the "continuous at-sea deterrence" which Britain has maintained since the 1960s.

Prime Minister David Cameron has left no doubt of his preference for like-for-like replacement of the ageing Trident fleet, which was also backed by then-Labour PM Tony Blair in a 2006 review.

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Horsemeat: MPs Criticise 'Slow' Investigation

MPs have condemned the "slow pace" of an investigation into the horsemeat crisis in the UK as no one has been prosecuted six months after the scandal erupted.

Horsemeat contamination was first revealed in January by officials in the Irish Republic and the food crisis then spread across Europe.

Several supermarket products and school dinners across the UK were found to contain horse DNA.

But authorities in both the UK and Ireland are yet to acknowledge the scale of the illegal activity involved, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee said.

"The evidence suggests a complex network of companies trading in and mislabelling beef or beef products which is fraudulent and illegal," said committee chair Anne McIntosh.

"We are dismayed at the slow pace of investigations and seek assurances that prosecutions will be mounted where there is evidence of fraud or illegality."

Birds Eye products were found to contain horse DNA

The committee complained that there was still a "lack of clarity" over where responsibility lay in dealing with the contamination, and that role of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) was not clear.

"The FSA must become a more efficient and effective regulator and be seen to be independent of industry," Ms McIntosh said.

"It must have the power to be able to compel industry to carry out tests when needed.

"It must also be more innovative in its testing regime and vigilant in ensuring every local authority carries out regular food sampling."

Major supermarkets in the UK have been caught up in the scandal

The MPs were also "surprised" that in EU-mandated tests, 14 out of 836 samples of horsemeat from the UK tested positive for the painkiller bute.

But the committee acknowledged that horsemeat contamination was limited to a "relatively small" number of beef products sold in the UK, with 99% of products tested containing no horse DNA.

They said more regular testing of products is necessary to protect consumers.

"Regular and detailed DNA tests are needed on all meat or meat-based ingredients which form part of a processed or frozen meat product," the MPs said.

"Consumers need to know that what they buy is what the label says it is."

The committee also said there were clearly "many loopholes" in the current system of horse passports and called for assurances that horse movements were being properly monitored.

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Energy Bills 'To Increase By £240 By 2020'

British consumers are forecast to pay £240 more for their annual energy bills within seven years, according to a utility firm report.

RWE npower predicted the average yearly bill - for all energy customers, not just its own - will rise from £1,247 to £1,487 by 2020.

The company believes official forecasts for future energy savings have been too optimistic when it comes to green technology.

It said support for low-carbon technologies would add £82 to the average energy bill by the end of the decade, up from £34 this year, and £12 in 2007.

Support for low-carbon power sources accounts for less than 3% of the average household bill, which will rise to 5.5% in 2020, the company predicted.

The firm's chief executive, Paul Massara, said: "Government policy is rightly delivering the transformation we need to address the UK's poor housing stock and encourage investment required in new infrastructure.

"But achieving these aspirations comes at a cost, and this is what needs to be clearly communicated to consumers."

Greg Barker, minister for energy and climate change, rejected parts of the npower report and said: "Global gas prices, not green policies, have been primarily pushing up energy bills.

Onshore and offshore wind farms have been a key low-carbon strategy

"That is why it is vital we crack on with securing investment in a diverse energy mix that includes renewables and new nuclear, as well as gas.

"We must also continue to drive up the energy efficiency of the nation's housing stock, particularly the homes of the most vulnerable households."

He said Government policies were keeping bills lower than doing nothing, with a typical household saving £65 today and £166 by 2020, compared with if the UK remained reliant on fossil fuels, failed to tackle climate change and did not make homes more efficient.

Meanwhile, energy company profits have risen from £18 on the average dual fuel bill in 2007 to £59 this year, the npower report said.

In 2020, npower predicted profits would rise to £71, staying constant at around 5% of the bill.

The cost of measures to help people save energy and money through greater efficiency, such as insulation, has increased from £17 in 2007 to £69 now and £88 at the end of the decade.

EU directives restrict the life span of conventional coal power stations

Npower said the total cost of Government policy and regulation, which includes general tax on energy and support for vulnerable households, will rise from £185 today to £329 by 2020 on the average bill.

It said total operating costs will rise from £208 now to £241 in the same period.

The wholesale cost of gas and electricity currently makes up 45% of the bill, or £565, but npower said Government data showed gas and electricity will become £50 cheaper by the end of the decade.

A separate report also found that while Britons are prepared to pay for a shift to renewables, they do not trust the Government or power companies to deliver a clean, secure and affordable energy system.

Researcher Dr Catherine Butler said: "If Government or energy companies are saying your bills are going up because of renewables, that isn't necessarily going to be taken on trust."

She added: "There's a real sense of anger about the profit-making nature of energy companies when it's seen as a basic need, not a consumer good."

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Manhunt Launched After Pensioner Murdered

A manhunt has been launched after an elderly man, who had reportedly gone to the aid of a neighbour, was found dead.

The victim, known to be a man in his 70s, was found dead at an address in Nettleden Road, Berkhamsted, on Saturday.

His neighbour, in his 80s, was taken to hospital after he was injured. His injuries are not life threatening.

Detective Chief Inspector Martin Brunning, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said the death was being treated as murder.

Scene of the murder in Berkhampstead

Police have released an image of Ian John McLoughlin, 55, also known as Ian John Baker, who they would like to speak to in connection with the man's death.

DCI Brunning said: "These are initial stages of the investigation, however we urgently want to speak to Ian McLoughlin in connection with this offence.

"We now have an update to the description of what he was wearing on the day.

"He is described as being a white male, around 6ft tall with greying hair. That day he was believed to be wearing sunglasses, blue jeans or possibly three quarter length trousers and a dark, blue, light blue and white checked short sleeved shirt with a button down collar. He is of average build.

Francis Cory-Wright was taken to hospital after the attack

"We also believe that he is in possession of a large amount of £50 and £20 notes which he may be using to pay for purchases. It is a substantial amount which he could be trying to conceal.

"The nature of this murder investigation is one of significant violence and until he is caught the public are asked not to approach him as he is a very dangerous man.

:: Anyone with information should contact police on 101, quoting Operation Acaria, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Welfare Cap Of £500-A-Week Comes Into Force

How The Benefit Changes Work

Updated: 8:36am UK, Monday 15 July 2013

The coalition is pushing through radical changes to the welfare system in a bid to slash the benefits bill and make it pay to work. Here is a full breakdown:

Benefit cap

:: A cap on the total amount of benefit people aged 16-64 can receive

:: Limited to £500 per week for a family and £350 per week for a single person

:: Some 56,000 households affected

:: Average loss of £93 per week

Housing Benefit

:: Cuts for people living in council or housing association properties if they have more bedrooms than they need

:: Those with one spare bedroom will have their benefit cut by 14%

:: Households with more than one spare bedroom will lose 25%

:: An estimated 660,000 claimants affected

:: Average loss of £14 per week

:: Introduced April 1

Council Tax Benefit

:: Current schemes scrapped and replaced by Local Council Tax Support

:: Government funding for new schemes reduced by 10%

:: Average loss of £2.64 per week

:: Some 3.1 million households affected

:: Rolled out from April 1

Disability Living Allowance

:: Replaced from April 8

:: New benefit called the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) introduced

:: New system includes face-to-face assessments and regular reviews

Universal Credit

:: A single monthly payment of benefits

:: Replace means-tested benefits including Income Support, income-based Job Seekers Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit

:: Rolled out from October

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Soldiers Died 'Trying Out For Special Forces'

Police are continuing to investigate the deaths of two serviceman who are thought to have died during a special forces selection process on the hottest day of the year.

A third serviceman is in a serious condition in hospital.

The three were part of a group training in the Brecon Beacons, some of Wales' most rugged terrain, on Saturday when temperatures topped 29.5C (85.1F).

It is understood that the men were taking part in the selection process for the Territorial Army section of the SAS.

Sky News Defence Correspondent Alistair Bunkall said the "very rigorous selection process" would have meant "long yomping walks carrying an awful lot of weight".

With military sources indicating soaring temperatures may have been to blame for their deaths, Bunkall added that the investigation into their deaths was like to focus on the climate and if enough preparations were put in place.

Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British troops in Afghanistan, pointed out the difference between the selection processes for the regular Army and the special forces, where the onus is on individual achievement and self-motivation.

He told Sky News: "The Army relies a lot on the buddy-buddy system, in other words of either a commander or fellow soldier looking our for their mates to see if they are exhibiting any symptoms of heat illness. Of course if they are doing SAS selection ... then a lot of that is done as individuals."

The Ministry of Defence and police are both investigating what happened. The soldiers' next of kin have been informed.

The MoD has refused to confirm that the three were members of the TA aspiring to join the reservists' branch of the SAS. And a spokesman said there are no plans to change "routine exercises" in light of the incident.

The Brecon Beacons is one of several locations British military use as part of their training. The deaths occurred near the Storey Arms activity centre.

The area's rugged and sprawling terrain helps prepare soldiers physically and mentally for warfare as well as put their logistic skills to the test, making it an ideal area for elite forces personnel like the SAS.

However the Beacons' jagged topography can prove dangerous even to the most hardened and physically fit.

Earlier this year, an army captain was found dead on a snow-covered Corn Du mountain.

It was thought that Rob Carnegie had been taking part in a gruelling 17-40 mile march in freezing conditions in the Brecon Beacons as part of a selection process for the special forces regiment, when he collapsed and died.

However, this time investigators are examining whether hot temperatures played a major factor.

A source said: "It is a case of the people succumbing to being affected by the training that they were doing."

The Army's website said the Brecon Beacons were used because they are so demanding and prepare soldiers for the "extraordinary things" they have to do on deployment.

The soldiers who died were thought to be trying out for the SAS

The website says: "Training for high-intensity, light-role war fighting is the way soldiers and officers are prepared for any operational situation they may face - conventional war, counter insurgency, security sector reform, peacekeeping or supporting civil authorities.

"This ensures that the training is as close to current operations and pre-deployment training as possible, whilst maintaining the ability to train for high intensity war fighting."

News of the deaths has been met with shock in the nearby town of Brecon, which is home to The Infantry Battle School.

Brecon mayor and Powys county councillor Matthew Dorrance said: "It's incredibly sad for the friends and family of the people who have lost their lives and our thoughts are with the person who is injured.

"In one way we've been blessed with the weather but for people working in this heat, they're tough conditions."

Members of all four of South Wales' mountain rescue teams said they had been called out to assist when the two servicemen died.

Thirty members of Central Beacons, Brecon, Western Beacons and Abergavenny-based Longtown Mountain Rescue Teams joined the operation near Pen y Fan, which is the highest mountain in south Wales.

Mark Moran, from Central Beacons MRT, paid tribute to its members who took part in the rescue operation.

"They are all volunteers, who are highly trained and dedicated" he said.

"We were working alongside military personnel who remained extremely calm and professional during this tragic incident. Our thoughts are now with the families of those involved."

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