Report: Youth Joblessness Rises Fastest In UK

Youth unemployment has increased in the UK at a faster rate than any other country in the G8 since the start of the recession, a new report has said.

A study by the Work Foundation found that the UK now lags only behind Spain and Greece for youth joblessness in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) countries.

The problem cannot be attributed just to the recession because other countries have fared better, the research group said.

The Government was urged to follow the lead of countries like Germany and Denmark by taking measures including more apprenticeships and increased training.

Lizzie Crowley, the report's author, said: "In many other developed nations, youth unemployment has remained low despite the global downturn.

"However, in the UK youth unemployment as a proportion of 15 to 24-year-olds has increased at a faster rate over the course of the recession than both the European and OECD averages.

"While the reasons for this are complex, it's clear that the UK can learn from the experiences of those countries that have fared much better in terms of youth unemployment.

"The Government should focus on those policies that have been shown to work, cherry-picking the best responses from other countries and adapting them to the needs of the UK labour market."

Unemployment for people aged 15 to 24 had increased in the UK by 35% to 916,000 between 2008 and 2011.

That compares to an average of 15% in the other G8 countries Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.

Germany, Russia and Japan saw a reduction in youth unemployment in the same period.

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Sugary Drink Tax 'Could Pay For School Meals'

Sugary drinks should be taxed at up to 20p a litre, say health campaigners – with the proceeds helping to pay for free school meals.

Food and farming charity Sustain said the Government could raise £1bn a year from the duty, while also saving lives by cutting excessive consumption of unhealthy drinks.

The report has been backed by more than 60 organisations, including the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Friends of the Earth, the National Heart Forum and the Royal Society for Public Health.

Diet-related illness is now costing the NHS £6bn every year, the report said.

Sustain urged Chancellor George Osborne to introduce the duty in the Budget on March 20 and to channel most of the cash raised into a Children's Future Fund for programmes to improve children's health.

Money could be spent on campaigns to encourage youngsters to eat more fruit and vegetables, the report said.

The group's campaigns manager, Charlie Powell, said: "Sugar-laden drinks are mini-health time bombs, contributing to dental diseases, obesity and a host of life-threatening illnesses which cost the NHS billions each year.

"We are delighted that so many organisations want to challenge the Government to show it has a public health backbone by including a sugary drinks duty in Budget 2013.

"It's a simple and easy-to-understand measure which will help save lives by reducing sugar in our diets and raising much-needed money to protect children's health."

Sustain chairman Mike Rayner, of Oxford University's Department of Public Health, added: "Just as we use fiscal measures to discourage drinking and smoking and help prevent people from dying early, there is now lots of evidence that the same approach would work for food.

"Our obesity epidemic causes debilitating illness, life-threatening diseases and misery for millions of people. It is high time Government did something effective about this problem."

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Bali Drugs Case: Brit Jailed For Six Years

British national Julian Ponder has been jailed for six years after being convicted of cocaine possession in Bali.

Prosecutors in Indonesia had asked for a seven-year prison term, and he could have faced a maximum sentence of life.

Lindsay Sandiford, the British grandmother sentenced to death for smuggling cocaine worth £1.5m onto the island, had alleged that Ponder was the man she was going to deliver the cocaine to.

He was originally charged with drug trafficking, but that was later reduced to possession.

Sky's Jonathan Samuels said: "It was alleged that he was linked to Lindsay Sandiford … she was caught at the airport and arrested, and she alleged that Julian Ponder was the man she was going to deliver the cocaine to.

"It's something he has always denied. He was initially charged with drugs trafficking, but that charge was dropped.

"He was then charged with drugs possession after a small amount of drugs was found in his home.

"The judges did have the right to re-examine the evidence, and to re-charge him with drug trafficking.

"They've decided not to do that, so he will spend six years in one of the most notorious jails on the holiday island."

More follows...

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Cosmetic Surgery Rates Soaring In UK

Growth rates for surgical facelifts and other anti-ageing procedures have shown a double-digit rise - despite a double-dip recession, new figures show.

Even though anti-ageing procedures are becoming increasingly popular, breast augmentation still tops the charts for the most common cosmetic surgeries with almost 10,000 women going under the knife in 2012.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) study also found that fat injections have become more popular than liposuction.

Rajiv Grover, consultant plastic surgeon and Baaps president, said: "Interestingly, for the first time we see a greater number of women having procedures to re-insert fat - known as fat transfer, to add volume to the face - than to remove it, in the form of liposuction."

Breast implants are still the most popular procedures

The number of women who are transferring fat from one part of the body, such as the hips or thighs, to areas that have lost plumpness through age, including the face or hands, has increased by 13% in just one year.

The number of women who had liposuction has reduced by 14%.

A total of 2,641 women underwent a "fat transfer" procedure last year, making it the seventh most popular cosmetic surgery conducted by Baaps members.

Meanwhile, liposuction has dropped to eighth place, with 2,638 women undergoing the procedure in 2012.

Of the 43,172 surgical procedures carried out by Baaps members last year, one in 10 were conducted on men.

The most popular procedures for men were nose jobs, eyelid surgery and breast reduction.

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Dock Master Saves Baby From Icy Waters

A dock master has rescued a six-month-old baby after his buggy was blown into freezing cold waters by strong winds.

The infant, who was strapped in the buggy, was swept into the water as his mother walked along Watchet Harbour, Somerset, at 8am on Sunday.

After hearing screams for help George Reeder, 63, initially thought a dog had fallen in but was horrified to see the pushchair upturned in the water.

He dived in and pulled it to the wall, before a member of the public helped attach a rope and hauled it to dry land - but not before the baby had spent around five minutes in the water.

The infant was revived by a passer-by who administered CPR, before being taken to hospital, where he is believed to be out of intensive care.

The Coastguard and an ambulance arrived at the scene

Mr Reeder, who has worked at the marina for 11 years, said he heard screaming from a couple of hundred yards away before jumping on his bike to see what had happened.

He added: "I don't know exactly how he went in, but I was on the esplanade and heard the commotion and I assumed somebody's dog had gone into the water, so I went cycling over.

"They were on the West Pier, where you walk up to the lighthouse, some way away, but the noise travels and I could hear screaming from a woman.

"The mother was there and she said 'my baby has gone in the water', so I went to the edge and I could see the pushchair upside down, floating away.

"I just jumped in and pulled the pushchair back over to the edge of the quay, and then somebody put a rope down over and I tied it on and they lifted it out.

"As far as I know, what the police told me was that the wind blew the buggy in."

The dramatic rescue happened at Watchet in Somerset

Mr Reeder said it was "amazing" that the baby survived, adding: "The baby was still in the pushchair, it was very cold, it is amazing really because he must have been in there for a good five minutes, under the water.

"They pulled up the pushchair and a lady started doing CPR, and then the coastguard came, and the ambulance and the police, so I backed out the way."

A local member of the coastguard took over the CPR from the woman and Mr Reeder said the baby started to take in breaths.

He said: "You could see his little mouth opening and taking in a breath and that's when I thought it's OK, he's going to be OK.

"I know the family and the granddad came over and said he's out of intensive care now and on the ward.

"The poor mother, she'll probably never get over something like that, it's your worst nightmare."

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: "It is believed a gust of wind blew the buggy with the child in it into the water.

"A local fisherman rescued the six-month-old boy and he was airlifted to hospital for treatment.

"The condition of the baby is believed to be no longer life-threatening."

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Teenager Dies After Being Stabbed In Pimlico

A teenager has died after being stabbed in Pimlico, central London on Sunday, said police.

Officers were called to Lupus Street at 6.50pm where they found a youngster who had been stabbed.

The victim, believed to be 16, was taken to a south London hospital but died from his injuries at 8.45pm.

No arrests have been made so far. Police have launched a murder investigation and are keeping an "open mind" as to the motive.

Mohammed Alzubaidi. 49, from nearby Peabody Close, said his friend had witnessed a gang made up of black and white teenagers carrying out the attack.

The street has been cordoned off by police

"He said they were carrying knives, some of them with wide swords. He said the victim was screaming and trying to get away."

Mr Alzubaidi's friend told him that the gang had scattered and run off in different directions.

The scene of the attack is close to Pimlico Underground station and is bordered by many council estates.

A 58-year-old local resident, who did not want to be named, said there had been two murders in nearby Gloucester Street in recent years and a stabbing of a boy outside a row of shops in Lupus Street before Christmas.

"The violence that has started to occur around here is something else, it is frightening for all the residents. You used to be able to walk around at night but I am starting to be very wary, especially at night-time," she said.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "We must retain an open mind re the circumstances of the incident and any motive at this early stage."

Anyone with any information can call police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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'Explosive Device' Found In N Ireland

Northern Ireland police say they have found a "crude viable explosive device" in Omagh, County Tyrone.

The device was found near the home of a police officer.

The discovery prompted a security alert but police said "everyone has returned to their homes".

Police found the device as they were conducting an investigation in the area after an off-duty officer had fired some shots on Friday night.

Officers urged anyone who could provide information to come forward.

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Childcare Better In Wealthy Areas, Report Says

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky Reporter

Children from wealthier areas receive a better standard of childcare, according to a new report.

Research by Policy Exchange showed Ofsted judged 79% of childminders in the richest parts of England as good or outstanding, compared to 64% in the most deprived areas of the country.

It also found that children from richer areas were further ahead when they started primary school.

In the City of London and Trafford 78% were at a good level, compared to just 51% in Middlesbrough at the bottom of the list.

The vocabulary development of the poorest children was 16 months behind those from the highest income families, the report said.

Harriet Waldegrave, the author of the report said: "Early years education will only have a positive impact on a child's development if it is of a high quality.

"While provision is improving, it's not doing so fast enough. Most worryingly of all, lower quality provision in disadvantaged areas means positive effects of early years education are less likely to be seen for the children who need it most."

The government is now being asked to improve the quality of early years teaching and the financial support it gives to families with lower incomes.

In response, a Department for Education spokesperson said: "This report is absolutely right to say early years education needs to improve.

"We need to learn from other countries that ensure the profession is better trained and give them the freedom to do their job. We will be announcing plans on improving the quality of provision shortly."

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Payday Loan Sites' Dirty Tricks To Boost Traffic

By Jason Farrell, Sky Correspondent

A Sky News investigation has found that some payday loan brokers have benefitted from hacking into websites to divert the history and status of a legitimate business to their domain.

This increases their ranking on Google, and the tactic has given unregulated brokers access to online traffic worth millions of pounds.

The findings come as the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) prepares its report into dirty tricks in the market, due to be published in February.

Every month, tens of thousands of potential customers use Google to search for payday loans.

The search engine has a complex algorithm based on a website's history and credibility which tries to ensure that users are directed to the most appropriate websites.

However, Google's natural listings system can be tricked. Sky News found three payday websites that were stealing the credibility of other websites to boost their ranking. The target victim sites included a music business, a graduate website and even a church website.

In November last year, Sky News discovered established music licencing website Ricordi was one of several domains that began ranking highly for selling payday loans on the front pages of Google. Clicking on the link diverted the user to a payday broker's site.

Dr Joseph Somerhalder says brokers have been 'stealing identities'

Web analyst Dr Joseph Somerhalder from search optimisation company Chillicow explained what was happening.

He told Sky News: "They hack into the website. They optimise the website for something that it is not about such as payday loans. Then they wait for the right moment, and then they forward all the history and all the credibility from the old website, the legitimate business, into the illegitimate business."

He added: "It's a bit like stealing your identity online. They take the website's identity and history and they point it somewhere else."

Ricordi is owned by Universal Music Group. A spokesperson for the company said: "We recently discovered the unauthorised access to our Ricordi UK website. UMG takes the protection of its sites very seriously and has implemented measures to prevent a recurrence of this type of event."

But other companies may not be aware of the hacking. Using web analysis software, we found that over 10,000 websites have been compromised by this technique on one server alone.

Sky News spoke to the owners of UK graduate website Gradfunding which was also in the process of being hijacked.

Dr Luke Blaxill, director of the website, said he was also trying to deal with the problem.

"To get rid of this we are going to have to rewrite every bit of code on the website and transfer it to a new server."

The payday loan intrusion meant his company was starting to fall down the listings for its own business operations and it could lose years of building up an online reputation.

Dr Blaxill said: "It has taken years for us to get to the position that we are in this particular market and for that effectively to be almost rewritten overnight by a scammer, is a real problem."

Gradfunding was among the target victim websites

Raiham Islam from Jar Applications, which fixed the problem for Gradfunding, told Sky News: "What they did was inject a malicious code into the web server, and the files trick Google by the method of cloaking.

"They then bomb the site with payday loan links to increase its ranking for payday loans and redirect the traffic to their scam website. That's when the hacker starts making money."

During the investigation we found church website Canada had been hacked for this purpose. We also discovered 21,000 payday loan links had been pointed at a Bonsai society website.

There are concerns these tactics leave UK loan customers exposed to unscrupulous, unregulated brokers.

Over the last two months Sky News conducted test searches on Google for payday loans which produced websites high in the natural listings that were in breach of OFT regulations.

Several had no consumer credit licence, a requirement for any loan broker and lead generator.

Some websites claimed to be 100% secure, but actually had no data protection when customers entered their bank details. This exposes customers to fraud and identity theft.

We also found many websites broke legal requirements on transparency to customers, such as failing to prominently display a representative APR or an address where the company can be contacted.

Sky News found three payday websites involved in dirty tricks

Some legitimate lenders in the industry have told us they are aware of the problem. Many of them advertise on Google's pay per-click service as an alternative to the natural listings.

One lender who did not want to be identified suggested the price of Google's sponsored links have gone up because demand has increased with legitimate companies struggling to get on the natural listings.

"Google could solve this problem by tightening up their algorithm" he suggested. "But they have no incentive to do so. We're all having to use the sponsored listings to get any traffic to our websites."

He added: "But customers don't realise that some companies on the natural listings don't have a consumer credit licence, which means they don't have to tell the customer how much they're going to pay back, which feeds into some of the problems we're seeing at the moment of customers not able to pay back their loans."

Google says its key motivation is to try to direct customers to the best websites.

A spokesman told Sky News: "As part of our on-going effort to reduce webspam and return high-quality websites to our users, we are constantly improving our search algorithm to better detect and decrease rankings for sites that we believe are violating Google's quality guidelines and engaging in webspam tactics to manipulate search engine rankings."

For legal reasons we are not naming the websites linked to hacking but we have passed our evidence to the OFT, which told us: "The OFT is clear regarding the standards it expects from those businesses that it regulates and has publicised an extensive suite of guidance documents. We take very seriously any evidence tending to show that businesses are not meeting the standards set out in our guidance.

"The guidance for credit brokers and intermediaries states that creditors should satisfy themselves that persons they deal with are appropriately licenced. Accepting leads from unlicensed sources would raise concerns about a lender's fitness to hold a consumer credit licence."

At one point during our investigation we found the highest ranking website on Google was a four-day-old domain registered to a field in California.

Just a few days in this position can earn the web owner tens of thousands of pounds. Yet this site was in breach of several regulations and displayed nothing on the website to suggest it was licenced to sell loans in the UK.

Last November, the OFT opened formal investigations into the tactics used by an number of payday lenders. But if the regulator wants to properly police the market, it seems it is going to have to work with Google.

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Armed Robber Pinned Down During Raid Dies

An armed man has died after being restrained by customers during an attempted robbery at a bookmakers, police said.

The man, in his 50s, was believed to be wearing a gas mask and holding a gun when he entered a Ladbrokes branch on Crownhill Road in Plymouth shortly before 7pm.

Customers managed to disarm him and held him on the floor while others raised the alarm, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

Police arrested the man, who was already unconscious, but he was declared dead shortly afterwards.

"It quickly became clear the man was unresponsive and an ambulance was immediately requested by police who carried out CPR until they arrived," a police spokesman said.

"A few minutes later three paramedics arrived at the scene and continued to carry out further CPR. Around 20 minutes later the man was declared dead at the scene by the paramedics."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has been informed of death.

Chief Inspector Ian Drummond-Smith said: "This is a very serious incident. We cannot speculate on what has actually taken place here today.

"A full investigation has now begun and while the IPCC carry out their investigation it is not appropriate to comment further."

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