Military Complaints: MPs Want Ombudsman

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Bullying and harassment are on the increase in the UK armed services and the system needs to change, according to a senior group of politicians.

Their report goes on to claim that the existing structure within the military is incapable of dealing with complaints because it is inefficient and complicated.

The House of Commons Defence Select Committee has spoken out against the current complaints procedure and made it clear that an Armed Forces Ombudsman should be appointed to rectify this.

Committee chairman James Arbuthnot has claimed "there are too many reports of Service personnel being reluctant to raise genuine complaints and grievances".

Replacing the Service Complaints Commissioner with an Armed Forces Ombudsman would hold "the Services to account for the proper administration of their complaints processes and the delivery of justice, and identifying possible improvements to the system".

However, the committee made clear its disappointment that the Ministry of Defence has not taken its wishes onboard.

Among other recommendations, the politicians want the performance of Commanding Officers to be monitored when facing complaints.

"There are still too many instances of delay and inefficiency, in part caused by a lack of resources," Mr Arbuthnot said.

"This must be dealt with urgently so as to ensure there is confidence in the system and the Commissioner.

"Our Servicemen and Servicewomen deserve a complaints system that is as good as it can be. Not to provide this would be a failure of the nation's duty to them."

The report does recognise that more complaints could be an indication of a more effective system and admits that the number of sexual harassment complaints remains low - although it questions how faithful these statistics are.

The report cites fear of redundancy as one reason why many serving personnel might chose not to make complaints.

Because of cuts to the UK defence budgets, thousands of staff are losing their jobs across all three services. They have asked the military to investigate this fear and report back immediately.

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Lack Of Sleep Impacts On Gene Activity

One week of poor sleep can disrupt hundreds of genes linked to stress, immunity and inflammation, research has shown.

Scientists think the discovery could explain why lack of sleep can have a devastating impact on health.

For the new study, researchers examined gene activity in 26 sleep-deprived volunteers.

They found that insufficient sleep had an impact on more than 700 genes. Some had their activity dampened, while others became extra-active.

Those affected included genes associated with the "body clock" cycle, metabolism, and immune and stress responses.

Poor sleep also altered chromatin - the DNA and protein "packaging" that plays an important role in gene regulation.

The researchers believe their findings may be particularly relevant to people working long hours in industrialised societies.

The scientists, led by University of Surrey sleep expert Professor Derk-Jan Dijk, analysed RNA - the messenger chemical that delivers coded "instructions" from the genes to cells - in the blood of volunteers.

Participants were exposed to a week of poor sleep during which they slept no more than six hours a night. At the end of this time, they had to stay awake for around 40 hours while samples were collected at three-hourly intervals.

The results were compared with the effect on the same volunteers of sleeping up to 10 hours a night for a week. Again, samples were taken when volunteers stayed awake for a long period at the end of the study.

The scientists noted: "Sleep obtained in the sleep-restriction condition was not sufficient to maintain alertness or performance."

Meanwhile, a new study has found two out of five office staff are working under "dangerously high" stress levels.

A survey of 2,000 workers from private companies as well as the NHS and police, revealed that stress at work affected their health.

Just over half those studied said they worked more than 10 hours unpaid overtime every week.

Neil Shah, who conducted tests on hundreds of workers as part of the study, said: "This research shows that many people in the UK today are working under some dangerous levels of stress - they may not even be aware of how stressed they are."

The research, by office supplies firm Viking, showed that some employees such as teachers, blamed incompetent colleagues for stress.

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Ben Nevis Climber Killed In 165ft Fall

A climber has died after falling 50 metres (165ft) on Ben Nevis.

The man was climbing with a friend in the Raeburn's Buttress area of the UK's highest mountain, in the Scottish Highlands, when he fell at around 12.30pm on Monday.

Two helicopters flew to the scene with Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, but the man died during the rescue.

Police are trying to establish the exact circumstances around the death and will not release information on the victim until his family have been informed.

Raeburn's Buttress is a popular climbing area on the north face of Ben Nevis, which stands at 1,344 metres (4,409ft).

Last month a 22-year-old climber died after falling 100 metres on the mountain.

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April Jones Murder: Mark Bridger On Trial

Former lifeguard Mark Bridger will go on trial today accused of the murder of schoolgirl April Jones.

Bridger, 47, was arrested the day after the five-year-old vanished while playing on her bike near her home in Machynlleth, Wales, on October 1 last year.

April vanished in October last year

The disappearance of April, who had cerebral palsy, sparked a massive outpouring of support for her family, with hundreds of people joining the search.

The girl's body has never been found despite a major operation led by Dyfed Powys Police.

Bridger, of Ceinws, is charged with abducting and murdering April, and of unlawfully disposing of and concealing her body with intent to pervert the course of justice.

He pleaded not guilty to the allegations on January 14 when his barrister Brendan Kelly QC told Mold Crown Court that Bridger is "probably responsible" for her death.

The trial, also at Mold, is expected to be occupied with legal matters and jury selection today and is due to open later this week.

On the day she went missing, Mr and Mrs Jones had allowed April to play out late as a treat after she received a glowing report from school.

Bridger was arrested the following day.

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Nick Clegg On Rennard: I've Nothing To Hide

Nick Clegg has insisted he has "nothing to hide" over the handling of allegations about sexual harassment by his party's former chief executive.

The Deputy Prime Minister is facing accusations of a cover-up after admitting he knew five years ago about the claims against Lord Rennard.

Several women have accused the peer of inappropriately touching and propositioning female party workers, which he strenuously denies.

Mr Clegg admitted on Sunday that his office had been aware of "indirect and non-specific concerns" about his conduct back in 2008 but insists he acted appropriately.

And on Monday, he again insisted: "I have got nothing to hide, the party has nothing to hide.

Mr Clegg said Danny Alexander put the concerns to Lord Rennard

"We have now got to listen to the women who feel they weren't properly listened to and get to the truth and that is what we will do."

He added: "I totally understand people have got lots and lots of questions but I hope I have given a full, frank, honest account.

In his statement on Sunday, the leader had said: "I am angry and outraged at the suggestion that I would not have acted if these allegations had been put to me.

"Indeed, when indirect and non-specific concerns about Chris Rennard's conduct reached my office in 2008, we acted to deal with them.

"My chief of staff at the time, Danny Alexander, put these concerns to Chris Rennard and warned him that any such behaviour was wholly unacceptable.

"Chris Rennard categorically denied that he had behaved inappropriately and he continues to do so. He subsequently resigned as chief executive on health grounds."

Lib Dem President Tim Farron, who is conducting a review into how the party dealt with the allegations, has acknowledged it "screwed this up".

Lord Rennard strenuously denies the claims

"We screwed this up as a party. There are individuals out there who we had a duty of care towards and we did not fulfil that duty of care," he said on Monday.

He had earlier told Sky News: "My guess is that the party has indeed let itself down in the past and not dealt with these complaints when they were put."

Mr Clegg's aides have said he only learned about the specific complaints made against Lord Rennard after a Channel 4 News report last week.

The women claim they reported Lord Rennard's alleged behaviour to senior party officials at the time, but no further action was taken.

The peer was a key party strategist and adviser to a succession of Liberal Democrat leaders before standing down due to ill health in 2009.

He said he was "deeply shocked" by the allegations, which he "strongly disputes" and regards as a "total distortion" of his character.

Lib Dem MP Vince Cable said: "It's obviously wrong if there are women there who have made complaints and felt they weren't dealt with properly, so we are now setting up a proper investigative process - we want an independent element to that - and we'll get to the bottom of it."

Asked on the BBC's Andrew Marr show whether he knew about the allegations before the Channel 4 show, he said: "Absolutely not."

Former Lib Dem head of press Mark Littlewood said: "Nick Clegg is definitely going to have to outline and spell out in exact detail what he knew and when and what actions he took."

Labour's shadow minister for equalities and women, Kate Green, said: "At issue is not just a series of serious allegations from a number of women, but how the Liberal Democrat Party responded to those allegations.

"Only with a fully independent investigation can the public have confidence that the truth will prevail and lessons learned for the future."

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Two Police Officers Injured In Hit And Run

Two people have been held on suspicion of attempted murder after police officers were injured in a hit and run in Manchester.

The male officers pulled over the vehicle - believed to be a red Hyundai - at about 10.50pm on Sunday on Rochdale Road in Harpurhey, when it hit them and drove off.

One of the officers was able to use his radio to call for help and extra patrols were sent to the scene, along with paramedics.

Their injuries are not life threatening - one officer suffered a fractured skull with bleeding to the brain, while the other suffered a broken wrist.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said: "The two officers were out on patrol when they pulled over a car they believed was travelling at excess speed.

"However, as they were approaching the car on foot, the car was deliberately put into reverse and driven at the two officers.

"As a result, one of the officers suffered a fractured wrist and the other a fractured skull. Both men are in hospital receiving treatment and their families are with them. Our thoughts are with both the officers and their families as they recover from their injuries.

"Sadly, what this incident painfully highlights is the dangers officer face every day when protecting the public. What should have been a routine vehicle stop resulted in two officers being deliberately driven at and suffering serious injuries.

"I know the friends and colleagues of both officers will be anxious to know how the two men are doing, as it is always very unsettling when friends and colleagues are injured in the line of duty, so we will be offering support to anyone who needs it.

"What I do want to stress is that as a result of inquiries, we quickly traced what we believe to be the offending car to an address in Haslingden and arrested two people on suspicion of attempted murder.

"Those individuals remain in custody for questioning and we would continue to appeal to anyone who either witnessed the incident or has information to come forward."

A car has been taken for forensic analysis.

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Banksy Mural Withdrawn From Auction

By Liz Lane, Sky News Reporter

A Banksy work that was removed from the side of a north London Poundland shop under mysterious circumstances has been withdrawn from sale in the US.

The world's most famous street artist painted the mural on the side of Poundland in Wood Green last May, before the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Called Slave Labour, it showed a boy hunched over a sewing machine making Union Flag bunting.

It was suddenly removed from the wall last weekend, to the anger of local people, and turned up at Fine Art Auctions in Miami where it was expected to fetch up to £460,000 ($700,000).

It looks like a week-long campaign by Haringey Council to stop the sale may have worked as, at the last-minute, the lot was pulled.

A spokesman for the Florida auction house said there were "no legal issues" regarding the sale but that it had decided to withdraw two Banksy lots. No further explanation was given.

Wood Green councillor Alan Strickland said: "To have the mural withdrawn from sale at the 11th hour is a wonderful surprise for the community here in Wood Green.

"It suggests the level of international media attention has had a real impact."

Mr Strickland emailed FAA owner Frederic Thut to ask why the sale had not gone ahead and if there were any plans to auction it in the future.

"Local people have already been in touch about the brilliant news, but we need to know what's going to happen now," he said.

A stencil of a rat holding a sign saying "Why?" has appeared on the wall

"It seems like we're half-way there. The next step is to get it returned."

It is still unclear who intended to sell the artwork via the auction house, but the Metropolitan Police had said there had not been any reports of theft.

A solicitor for Wood Green Investments, which owns the Poundland site, told Sky News: "My clients do not court publicity, but find themselves in the quite remarkable position that if they deny removing the mural then they will become embroiled in an international criminal investigation that has already involved the FBI.

"But if they admit to consenting to the removal of the mural then they will become the target of abuse."

The episode has started a debate about who, if anyone, owns street art.

Artist "Stik" is clear about who he paints for: "Street artists are putting their work on the street for people. It's for communities, and it's an artistic expression. It's a public gallery. It's open 24 hours a day and it's the biggest gallery in the world, because it is the world."

This isn't this first time murals have been removed to be sold for huge sums. French artist Thierry Noir contributed to the longest concrete painting in the world on the Berlin Wall.

He told Sky News that when the wall came down, his work was stripped by East German soldiers and sold in Monaco for £2m: "It was the soldiers so what can I do against soldiers? Nothing except look at those soldiers.

"It took them one week to take the complete pieces I paint in Berlin, but it was too strong for me so I had to accept it."

A rat holding up a sign saying "Why?" has been stencilled next to the empty space where the Banksy mural stood, with some speculating it could be another work by the elusive artist.

Whether Slave Labour will be returned to the community it was meant for, remains as mysterious as the artist.

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Doctors From Abroad Must Take English Test

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

New checks will be introduced to make sure all NHS doctors can speak English well enough to treat patients, the Government has announced.

It comes five years after David Gray, 70, was killed by a German doctor on his first out-of-hours shift in the UK.

Daniel Ubani accidentally gave the pensioner 10 times the recommended dose of the painkiller diamorphine.

The locum was struck off the medical register in the UK, but still practises in Germany, despite admitting death by negligence in a German court.

Mr Gray's son Stuart, 53, himself a GP, said: "What Ubani had done was try to register with Leeds PCT (Primary Care Trust).

"They'd made him sit an English language test to see if he was proficient. He failed that, so he decided to apply to another PCT, this being Cornwall.

"They didn't bother to test his English language skills, put him on the list, once he was on the list he can practise anywhere in the country and he then went to practise in Cambridgeshire where he killed my father."

Daniel Ubani caused the death of 70-year-old David Gray (pictured)

Last year, research by Pulse magazine for GPs found that 792 EU doctors were on the so-called "performers lists" of 51 Primary Care Trusts, allowing them to work in the UK. Of those, 657 doctors, or 83%, hadn't had their English skills tested.

From April 1 there will be one national list which every GP will have to be on before treating patients. There will also be a legal duty to ensure those on it have good English.

Health minister Dr Dan Poulter said: "It's not something that should cause huge public alarm, but it's something that we do know from the case of Doctor Daniel Ubani, and other doctors, who are sometimes flown in to do short-term locums in the NHS from Europe, that it is something that has actually caused deaths in this country.

"That's completely unacceptable and that's why we're introducing language checking for all overseas doctors including those within the EU."

But Dr Gray, of Blakedown, Worcestershire, has his doubts. He said: "I'd like to know how they're going to police it.

"If they say it's going to be illegal for the doctor to work here if they can't communicate in English, well, it was illegal for Cornwall PCT to put Ubani on their list, and no one has been held to account for breaking the law there."

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'Appalling Tragedy' Of Caravan Park Deaths

The deaths of a woman and her elderly parents at a caravan park in Cornwall have been described as an "appalling tragedy".

The victims are all believed to have died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.

The alarm was raised at the park near Camborne just before 1pm after the couple's helper was unable to reach them, Devon and Cornwall Police have said.

Firefighters were called to break into the static caravan at Tremarle Home Park, North Roskear, and found the bodies of three people, and a dog, inside.

The woman was aged in her mid-40s. The age of her parents is not yet known.

The caravan site where the bodies were found

Inspector David Eldridge of Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Shortly before 1pm this afternoon, we were called to a caravan park near Camborne in Cornwall, where a helper had been unable to get a reply from an elderly couple who lived in the caravan.

"We were able to see that there was a figure sat in a chair but they were unresponsive to knocks at the door.

"Cornwall Fire and Rescue were called. They forced entry into the property and found that the three occupants were all dead."

An investigation into what caused the deaths is under way, but the incident is not being treated as suspicious.

A Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said a crew from Camborne Community Fire Station attended the scene with a hazardous materials advisor after being called at 12.56pm.

Camborne Town Council member David Biggs described the deaths as an "appalling tragedy".

"Tremarle Park is a residential caravan site and has provided homes for people for many years. It's a well established facility and is very well run. It was a shock to learn that three people have died there."

Stephanie Trotter, president and director of the independent charity CO-Gas Safety, said carbon monoxide was an incredibly lethal gas.

"Less than 2% of CO (carbon monoxide) can kill in between one and three minutes. It cannot be sensed using human senses of smell, touch, sight or hearing," she said.

"The Department of Health estimates that about 40-50 people die of CO and about 4,000 attend Accident and Emergency every year in England and Wales alone."

Mrs Trotter added: "We are very sorry to read of these tragic deaths. We send sympathy to family and friends and offer free, confidential help and advice."

The Health and Safety Executive said it would not be investigating as the incident took place at a domestic address.

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Britain's Premium Credit Rating Downgraded

Rating agency Moody's has stripped Britain of its top-grade AAA credit rating, citing slow growth and a rising debt burden.

After the international agency announced the one notch drop to AA1, Chancellor George Osborne said it was a "stark reminder" of the country's debt problems, but said the coalition was determined to stick by its plan for economic recovery.

The downgrade is a major blow for Mr Osborne, who has been coming under increasing pressure to take action to stimulate the economy.

Moody's said Britain's recovery was proving to be significantly slower than previous rebounds from recession and it did not expect the situation to change.

"[There's] increasing clarity that, despite considerable structural economic strengths, the UK's economic growth will remain sluggish over the next few years," it said.

Moody's is the first of the major credit rating agencies to knock the UK off of its top rating.

Moody's said it did not expect Britain's slow recovery to change

The ratings agency also cut the Bank of England's AAA rating by one notch, also to AA1.

Sky Economics Editor Ed Conway said: "The fact that Britain has lost its AAA crown for the first time since credit ratings were given to the UK back in the 1970s, it's a really big blow to Britain's reputation.

"It's something of an economic blow, but in a way it's more of a political problem for George Osborne. He made a key part of the Conservative election pledge to safeguard Britain's credit rating."

On Friday evening, the Chancellor said: "We have a stark reminder of the debt problems facing our country - and the clearest possible warning to anyone who thinks we can run away from dealing with those problems.

"We are not going to run away from our problems, we are going to overcome them."

Moody's said that the British economy is constrained both by the troubled global economy and the drag from businesses and the Government slashing its debt burdens.

"Moreover, while the Government's recent Funding for Lending Scheme has the potential to support a surge in growth, Moody's believes the risks to the growth outlook remain skewed to the downside," it said.

Mr Osborne has used maintaining the top credit rating for government bonds as one of the key arguments for the Government's austerity programme.

However, Labour has insisted that withdrawing demand from the economy has put it more at risk by stunting growth.

Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "This credit rating downgrade is a humiliating blow to a Prime Minister and Chancellor who said keeping our AAA rating was the test of their economic and political credibility.

"In the Budget the government must urgently take action to kick-start our flatlining economy and realise that we need growth to get the deficit down. If David Cameron and George Osborne fail to do so and put political pride above the national economic interest we face more long-term damage and pain for businesses and families."

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