Man Arrested After Pensioner Attacked For £5

A man has been arrested on suspicion of robbery after 93-year-old Stanley Evans was knocked over by an attacker who fled with just £5.

The pensioner, who was 92 when the incident happened last month, was followed through the door at the block of flats in Soho, central London and attacked in a communal entrance area.

He lay on the floor for around five minutes before managing to take a lift up to his home before calling police.

The crime, which was captured on CCTV, was described by officers as an "unprovoked, callous and sickening assault on a defenceless pensioner".

A 29-year-old man was arrested in Camberwell in south London on Monday night.

The widower was left with a shoulder injury but did not need hospital treatment, but police say he has been left "living in fear of his safety".

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PM: Young Unemployed Will Work For Benefits

Young people out of work or not in education or training for six months will need to do unpaid work to claim benefits under welfare reforms drawn up by the Conservative Party.

The reforms mean people aged between 18 and 21 will have to do 30 hours of community work each week and 10 hours of job-hunting to qualify for benefits.

The work will begin from day one of their claim. It could involve preparing meals for elderly people or working at charities.

Prime Minister David Cameron said the reforms seek to end long-term youth unemployment and help youngsters understand that "welfare is not a one-way street".

The scheme - called the Community Work Programme - extends already-announced Conservative plans to abolish Jobseeker's Allowance, replacing it with a Youth Allowance.

Video: March: Welfare Capped At £119bn

Claimants will be required to undertake an apprenticeship or community work to receive their benefits after half a year on the Youth Allowance.

Mr Cameron is expected to announce the scheme during a speech in England's South East later today.

Speaking ahead of the speech, he said: "Our welfare reforms are a key part of our long-term economic plan.

"They are not just about saving money. They are about changing lives and making this a country that rewards work and gives everyone the chance of a better future.

"That is why we are taking further steps to help young people make something of their lives. Our goal in the next parliament is effectively to abolish long-term youth unemployment.

Video: Sept: Osborne's Fair Welfare Pledge

"We want to get rid of that well-worn path from the school gate, down to the jobcentre, and on to a life on benefits."

"For those 18 to 21-year-olds who have not been in employment, training or education for six months before they sign on, we are going to take intensive action.

"What these young people need is work experience and the order and discipline of turning up for work each day.

"So a Conservative government would require them to do daily community work from the very start of their claim, as well as searching for work."

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Two Men Held Over Fatal Tipper Truck Crash

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence over a tipper truck crash that killed four people.

The pair, aged 19 and 28, were held after their vehicle careered down a hill in Bath last week, killing three men in one car and a four-year-old girl.

The youngest victim, Mitzi Rosanna Steady, was out walking with her grandmother near a busy school when she was hit.

The three male victims, aged 59, 52 and 34, are thought to have died when the truck overturned at the bottom of the steep hill and smashed into their car in the city's Upper Weston area.

More follows...

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Murder Investigation After Three Found Dead

A murder investigation has been launched after three people were found dead at two properties in west London.

Police were called to a property in Westbourne Park Road, an area not far from Portobello Road market, were they found a 30-year-old man dead on a first floor roof on Friday.

His death is being treated as unexplained, the Metropolitan Police said.

On Saturday, officers went to inform the man's next of kin, but after entering the house they found the bodies of a man and woman inside. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Both are thought to have died in suspicious circumstances.

Formal identification has not taken place and a post-mortem examination will be carried out.

The identities of the victims have not been released.

No arrests have been made, but detectives are not looking for anyone else in connection with the case.

Scotland Yard said the 30-year-old had been arrested on 10 February on suspicion of affray and had been due to answer bail on Wednesday.

A spokesman said: "A referral will be made to the Independent Police Complaints Commission on Monday."

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Rail Passengers Frustrated By Poor Service

By Katie Spencer, Sky News Reporter

Rail travellers on busy commuter routes say they are frustrated by delays and bad service, with less than half of passengers on some lines saying they are satisfied with their journeys.

A survey carried out by the consumer group Which? found services from England's South East into London are the most likely to be delayed.

Travellers on the Southern train company reported experiencing the most delays, while those least satisfied with their service were customers with the Thameslink and Great Northern / First Capital Connect routes.

Only 44% of customers with Southeastern said they were satisfied with their journeys, and Southern and Abellio Greater Anglia scored only 46%.

The results were based on responses from 7,309 travellers who were asked about journeys they had taken in the 12 months ending in November 2014.

Areas covered included availability of seating, cleanliness of toilets and carriages, as well as punctuality and value for money.

Travellers were also asked if they had experienced a delay on the last journey they had taken with their train company.

It comes as official figures show rail passengers are paying more for services, while Government funding is falling.

A report by the Office of Rail Regulation shows commuters are contributing an increasing amount to the cost of running the railways.

Official figures show the amount passengers are contributing to the funding of the railways stood at £8.6bn in 2013/14 - an increase of more than 6% on the previous year.

In the same period, the level of Government funding was just £3.8 billion, a fall of 8%.

Funding per passenger journey works out to be far less in England than it is in Scotland and Wales.

In England it works out to be £1.88 per passenger journey, whereas in Scotland it's £7.77, and £9.18 in Wales.

Alex Neill, director of campaigns for Which?, told Sky News: "We found commuters are really unhappy with the service they're getting.

"Seven of the 21 providers that we looked at scored less than 50%, which is a pretty poor result.

"People are fed up with overcrowded trains that are dirty, generally late and that are not good value for money."

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CCTV Shows 'Sickening' Attack On 92-Year-Old

A "defenceless" 92-year-old man was knocked to the ground by a mugger who grabbed his wallet and fled with just £5.

The victim was followed through a the door at the block of flats in Soho, central London, where he lives alone, and attacked in a communal entrance area.

The Metropolitan Police have released CCTV footage of the "sickening" attack, which shows the robber taking the wallet and leaving the pensioner on the floor.

Five minutes later the man managed to get to his feet and took a lift to his flat to call police.

The widower was left with a shoulder injury but did not need hospital treatment, but police say he has been left "living in fear of his safety".

Detective Sergeant Gemma Alger of the Westminster Serious Crime Unit said: "This is a totally unprovoked, callous and sickening assault on a defenceless pensioner.

"The victim is fiercely independent and has lived in London all his life. His confidence has been eroded as a result of the actions of this individual and now he is fearful about going out.

"I would urge anyone who has any information on who was responsible to contact us as soon as possible before he targets someone else."

The suspect is described as a black man, between 5ft 10ins and 6ft, slim and aged 20-30. He was wearing casual dark clothing.

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HSBC Issues Apology Over Banking Standards

HSBC has taken out full-page adverts in several national newspapers offering "sincerest apologies" for the standards in place at its Swiss operations eight years ago.

In the open letter to its customers, shareholders and colleagues, the bank's group chief executive Stuart Gulliver described recent media coverage about past practices at the Swiss Private Bank as a "painful experience".

The advert states: "We would like to provide some reassurance and state some of the facts that lie behind the stories.

"The media focus has been on historical events that show the standards to which we operate today were not universally in place in our Swiss operations eight years ago.

"We must show we understand that the societies we serve expect more from us. We therefore offer our sincerest apologies."

The advert was published in the Mail On Sunday and The Sun On Sunday

The bank added that since 2008 it had established a "much tighter central control around who are our customers".

It said it had also implemented tougher standards around tax transparency.

Earlier this week Mr Gulliver sent a memo to the bank's staff saying the revelations were painful and frustrating.

The adverts come amid a political row over tax avoidance, with Labour leader Ed Miliband on Saturday vowing to carry out an inquiry into the UK's tax authority should his party win power in the next General Election.

Mr Miliband argued that people not paying their fair share of tax had left "a £34bn hole in the nation's finances" and threatened "the fabric of society".

Promising an "aggressive" review into Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if his party wins in May, Mr Miliband pointed to suspicions of "sweetheart deals" with wealthy firms.

This week Mr Miliband seized on allegations about tax avoidance by HSBC clients to brand Prime Minister David Cameron a "dodgy Prime Minister, surrounded by dodgy donors".

After a week of clashes between Mr Miliband and Mr Cameron, the former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke said there needs to be agreement on a "more sensible and defensible" system for funding political parties.

Mr Clarke told The Observer newspaper that the Conservatives should break their reliance on wealthy donors and embrace the need for more state funding of politics.

"I think the Conservative Party will be strengthened if it is less dependent on having to raise money from wealthy individuals," he said.

"What happens is that the Conservatives attack the Labour Party for being ever more dependent on rather unrepresentative left-wing trade union leaders, and the Labour Party spends all its time attacking the Conservative Party for being dependent on rather unrepresentative wealthy businessmen.

"In a way both criticisms are true. And the media sends both up.

"The solution is for the party leaders to get together, to agree, put on their tin hats and move to a more sensible and ultimately more defensible system."

:: There will be more on the HSBC tax row on the Murnaghan programme from 10am which will include an interview with Business Secretary Vince Cable. Watch live on skynews.com and Sky News - channels Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132.

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NHS Patients 'Feel Ignored And Sidelined'

The NHS is failing some the country's most vulnerable patients by ignoring complaints and failing to show compassion, according to a new report.

The Patients Association says many are left "uninformed" about their treatment, but are scared to complain because they fear recriminations.

Called 'Why our NHS should listen and be human', the report warns says most patients who raise grievances are driven by a desire to improve the system for others rather than punish staff.

The charity also says patients and their families understand doctors and nurses are not always able to answer their questions, but should be kept informed about their care.

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: "Today's themes report demonstrates that too often patients and their families are treated without compassion, are uninformed about treatment and next steps, feel ignored and sidelined when they raise concerns or complaints.

Video: Hunt On NHS Whistleblowers Review

"In our report, Why our NHS should listen and be human, we have identified that patients are still being shown a lack of care, compassion and dignity.

"We have also reported that openness and transparency are key themes that patients and the public are concerned about.

"The NHS is failing many of the most vulnerable members of society and patients and the public have told us about inconsistencies in the provision of care, poor standards of care and compassion, and a lack of openness and transparency in communication between healthcare staff, patients and their families.

Video: NHS To Probe Patient Deaths

"These themes can be summed up as a desire to be treated in a humane and caring way with compassion, dignity, openness and honesty."

The association said the NHS must improve its complaints procedures and the support it gives patients.

Ms Murphy added: "It is now time to stop the rhetoric; be honest with your patients and place them central to everything you do, patients and the public deserve nothing less."

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Abuse Inquiry May Probe Crimes Back To 1945

The offical inquiry into alleged child sex abuse may be extended to investigate crimes committed as long ago as 1945, according to Justice Lowell Goddard.

The New Zealand judge took over the inquiry after two other senior figures were forced to step down over establishment links.

The investigation is expected to focus on allegations of alleged wrongdoing dating back to 1970, but Justice Goddard says this could be extended.

The 66-year-old told The Mail On Sunday that fixed cut-off points for inquiries are "artificial".

"The terms of reference talk about going back to 1970, but there is a push from certain quarters to take it back to about 1945," she said.

Video: NZ Judge To Head Abuse Inquiry

"A cut-off point is always a bit artificial - someone who falls on the wrong side of it is aggrieved."

The newspaper said Home Secretary Theresa May supports Justice Goddard's position on the possibility of extending the terms of reference.

Justice Goddard said she "wouldn't shrink" from summoning prominent people to give evidence at the inquiry.

"I don't feel intimidated. Nobody should be beyond the reach of the law," she said.

"Sexual abuse of little children has never been anything short of a serious crime and that does not alter through religious or cultural mores or a different era or time.

"If criminal offending is evident it will be handed to police. There are people who need to be given a voice about what has happened to them."

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High-Tech Tissue Could 'Mend A Broken Heart'

Scientists are using new technology to create heart muscle patches that beat in sync with a patient's heart.

One of the major stumbling blocks with heart surgery is that grafted tissue does not always beat in sync with the rest of the heart.

But experts are now growing heart muscle cells from stem cells that contain proteins sensitive to light.

Light will then be used to control their beat.

This would reduce the effects of heart failure by cutting the chance of rhythm problems.

The groundbreaking research has brought together rival professors - Chris Denning from the UK and Lior Gepstein in Israel.

Prof Denning, from the University of Nottingham, said: "For years, Professor Gepstein and I have been competing to be the first in our field.

"But this project means that instead of each team doing the same things twice, we will be coordinating our efforts to ensure we can help heart patients as soon as possible."

The research is being funded by the British Heart Foundation and the British Council's Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange partnership.

"The grant ensures we can work on a very promising technique for solving one of the major challenges in regenerative medicine to mend a broken heart," Prof Denning added.

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