Heathrow Dreamliner: Probe Into Cause Of Fire

Air accident experts are continuing their investigation into the cause of a fire on board a Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet at Heathrow Airport amid concerns the aircraft type could be grounded again.

The Ethiopian Airlines-operated plane caught fire while on a remote parking stand shortly after 4.30pm on Friday, but nobody was on board and there were no injuries.

Thousands of travellers faced long delays resulting from diversions as both runways at the airport were closed to all flights for an hour and a half while emergency crews dealt with the blaze. The runways are now fully open.

The US National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a representative to London to assist the Air Accidents Investigation Branch with its examination of the incident.

Foam surrounds the Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner

Ethiopian Airlines said the aircraft had been parked at Heathrow for more than eight hours before smoke was detected.

The fire appeared to have caused damage to the top of the plane's fuselage.

Boeing temporarily withdrew the Dreamliner from service earlier this year for modifications after concerns that batteries on board could cause fires.

The Ethiopian Airlines plane involved in the Heathrow fire was the first Dreamliner to fly in April after the battery problems.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident Thomson Airways said a Dreamliner flight to Florida had to be diverted back to Manchester due to a "technical issue".

Boeing shares fell sharply on the New York Stock Exchange after the news broke of the incident.

Damage to the top of the Dreamliner's fuselage

Travel Expert Simon Calder told Sky News: "It's entirely possible that the Dreamliner could be grounded, which I think would be unprecedented in the history of aviation to have an aircraft type be grounded twice in quick succession.

"If that were to happen, clearly, airlines would be very badly affected. They'd have to completely reconfigure their fleets (in) which they were hoping to be a very profitable summer."

Thomson Airways became the first British carrier to operate the Dreamliner earlier this week and is taking delivery of eight of the planes.

The company had hoped to take delivery of the first of its 787s in time to start Dreamliner operations in May, but this was delayed due to the battery problems.

Thomson had to scrap plans to use the ultra-green aircraft in May and only received its first plane in June.

The battery problems followed endless production difficulties for the Dreamliner, which has been marketed as a quiet, fuel-efficient aircraft carrying between 201 and 290 passengers on medium-range routes.

It should have entered passenger service in 2008, but it was not until October 2011 that the first commercial flight was operated by Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways.

British Airways is taking delivery of the first two of its 24 Dreamliners, while Virgin Atlantic said it "remains committed" to taking the first of its 16 Dreamliners in September next year.

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Dartmoor Deaths: Mum And Son Fall From Rocks

Police investigating the deaths of a woman and her young son, who died after falling 100ft from rocks on Dartmoor, have discovered a child's body at her home.

A murder investigation has been launched after the 24-year-old woman, named in reports as Katharine Hooper, and her five-year-old son Joshua died at Haytor in Devon - one of Dartmoor's most famous landmarks which is popular with walkers and climbers.

The body of a two-year-old boy, believed to be her youngest son Samuel, was later found at her home address in Dukes Close, Paignton.

Joshua was found with his mother

Neighbour Tracey Cole, told the Western Morning News: "The whole community is feeling utterly shocked and devastated. This is a close-knit community.

"We always looked after each other, especially because of the kids. With Kat we were always in and out of each other's houses. We would see each other every day.

Samuel's body was found at the family's home

"I really don't understand what happened. Kat was totally and utterly devoted to her children."

Detective Superintendent Paul Burgan said: "We are keeping an open mind about all three deaths, but at this stage we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

Katharine with Samuel

"We are keen to speak to anyone who may have any information or might have been in the Haytor area earlier today, Friday."

An air ambulance, a police helicopter and members of the Dartmoor Rescue Group were called to the scene at 11.50am.

The family's home (Pic: Google Street View)

The Dartmoor National Park Authority asked members of the public to avoid visiting the area due to the tragedy.

Tributes were paid to the mother and child by members of the emergency services.

The Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team tweeted: "The team were called to assist at a tragic incident at Haytor today. Our thoughts are with the family."

Post-mortems are due to take place. Police said the next of kin have been informed.

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Heatwave: Hottest Day Of The Year So Far

This weekend will bring the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures set to top the current record by several degrees.

But the heat has prompted warnings from health authorities urging the public to take care in the potentially "dangerous" heatwave conditions.

Temperatures are predicted to reach 32C (89.6F) in the South East, with the majority of England and Wales still sizzling at between 28C (82.4F) and 31C (87.8F).

And the hot spell shows no sign of ending with temperatures set to remain in the mid-to-high 20s well into next week.

The Saltburn Inclined Tramway at Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire

The hottest temperature of the year so far was 29.9C (85.8F) in Edenfel, County Tyrone, in Northern Ireland on Monday.

Although temperatures in London will soar, Sky News Weather Presenter Jo Wheeler said most other places will be a few degrees cooler with isolated thunderstorms expected over northern England and the East Midlands.

The North of the UK has seen the best temperatures over the last few days, with the highest recording in the region of 29.2C in Branham, Yorkshire, on Friday.

A warning issued by the Met Office has been escalated to a level three alert for Yorkshire and the Humber, while level two alerts are in place across most of England.

"Heatwaves can be dangerous, especially for the very young, very old or those with chronic diseases," the alert said.

A spokesman for Public Health England (PHE) said: "Level two alerts are triggered as soon as the Met Office forecasts that there is a 60% chance of temperatures being high enough on at least two consecutive days to have a significant effect on health.

Portstewart Strand on the Causeway coast - 60 miles north of Belfast

"This will normally happen two to three days before a heatwave is expected to occur. As most deaths occur in the first two days, this is an important stage at which to ensure readiness and swift action to reduce harm from a potential heatwave."

Dr Angie Bone, head of the PHE's Heatwave Plan, said: "Everyone can enjoy the sun safely by keeping out of the heat at the hottest time of the day, avoiding sunburn and staying hydrated with plenty of cool drinks.

"The elderly and those with long-term illnesses are particularly vulnerable to the effects of very hot weather, so it's important to look out for them and keep indoor areas as cool as possible."

More than 11 million motorists are planning to hit the road this weekend, according to the RAC.

Popular spots include the Lake District, Devon and Cornwall, the south coast of England, and Yorkshire.

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Teachers' Unions Announce One-Day Strikes

Teachers will stage a one-day national walkout in the autumn in an ongoing row over pay, pensions and workload.

Every region in England and Wales will be affected by rolling regional strikes in the week beginning September 30 and the week beginning October 14, the NASUWT and the National Union of Teachers (NUT) said.

This will be followed by a one-day, all-out national strike before the end of the autumn term.

The announcement comes just weeks after the two unions staged a regional walkout in the North West.

The government has condemned the action.

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: "The secretary of state needs to take seriously the very deep concerns and anger of teachers and school leaders."

She added: "The secretary of state has the opportunity to avoid further national strike action by demonstrating that he is willing to engage seriously on the issues that we have put to him."

Christine Blower, general secretary of the NUT, said: "Strike action is always a last resort for teachers and they are very well aware of the difficulties that this causes for parents and pupils. Teachers, however, have been left with no option.

"If we do not take a stand now to defend the profession, then the consequences for teacher recruitment and education will be disastrous for all."

Under the Government's reforms, due to come into effect from this autumn, teachers' pay will be linked to performance in the classroom - with schools setting salaries, rather than following a national framework.

Changes have also been made to public sector pensions.

Education Secretary Michael Gove wrote to both unions in March to say he was willing to meet them to discuss their dispute, but also insisting that the "direction of travel" on both of their key issues - pay and pensions - is "fixed".

A Department for Education spokesman said: "We are very disappointed that the NUT and NASUWT have announced they will be taking further strike action, which less than a quarter of teachers actually voted for.

"Industrial action will disrupt pupils' education, hugely inconvenience parents and damage the profession's reputation in the eyes of the public at a time when our reforms are driving up standards across the country.

"It is disappointing that the NUT and NASUWT are opposing measures to allow heads to pay good teachers more. We have met frequently with the NUT and NASUWT to discuss their concerns and will continue to do so."

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Litvinenko: No Inquiry Into Spy's Death

The Government has refused to set up a public inquiry into the death of poisoned Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in a blow to his widow's quest for the truth.

Coroner Sir Robert Owen told a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice that his request to the Justice Secretary for an inquiry, in place of an inquest, had been turned down.

Sir Robert previously ruled that vital secret evidence could not legally be considered as part of a normal inquest and asked the Government to hold an inquiry instead.

His call was backed by Mr Litvinenko's widow Marina, who was present at the hearing.

Mr Litvinenko, 43, was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 while drinking tea at the Millennium Hotel in London's Grosvenor Square in 2006.

Mrs Litvinenko believes her husband was poisoned on orders from the Kremlin

The family believe he was working for MI6 at the time and was killed on the orders of the Kremlin.

Ben Emmerson QC, representing Mrs Litvinenko, said there had been an "utter lack of professionalism" in the way the Government handled the request for an inquiry.

"The repeated catalogue of broken promises is a sign of something gone awry," he said.

Mr Emmerson said the family wants a judicial review into the decision not to hold an inquiry on the grounds of "irrationality".

Sir Robert had determined that he could not hear evidence linked to the alleged involvement of the Russian government in public after the Foreign Office said it wanted to keep some information secret.

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NHS Computers With Patient Data Sold On Ebay

An NHS trust has been fined £200,000 by the data watchdog after it sold an old computer which contained the personal details of more than 3,000 patients.

The sensitive information was left on the computer sold by a data destruction company employed by NHS Surrey.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) was tipped off after a member of the public bought the second-hand computer online.

Sky News understands that some of the PCs were sold on the internet auction site eBay.

The company had been employed by NHS Surrey since March 2010 to wipe and destroy its old computer equipment.

The company carried out the service for free, with an agreement that they could sell any salvageable materials after the hard drives had been securely destroyed.

The ICO said: "On 29 May 2012 NHS Surrey was contacted by a member of the public who had recently bought a second-hand computer online and found that it contained the details of patients' treated by NHS Surrey.

"The organisation collected the computer and found confidential sensitive personal data and HR records, including patient records relating to approximately 900 adults and 2000 children."

The watchdog added: "After being alerted to the problem, NHS Surrey managed to reclaim a further 39 computers sold by the trading arm of their new data destruction provider.

"Ten of these computers were found to have previously belonged to NHS Surrey; three of which still contained sensitive personal data."

The ICO's investigation found that NHS Surrey had no contract in place with their new provider, which clearly explained the provider's legal requirements under the Data Protection Act, and failed to observe and monitor the data destruction process.

NHS Surrey mislaid the records of the equipment passed for destruction between March 2010 and 10 February 2011, and was only able to confirm that 1,570 computers were processed between 10 February 2011 and 28 May 2012.

The data destruction company was unable to trace where the computers ended up, or confirm how many might still contain personal data.

Stephen Eckersley, ICO Head of Enforcement, said: "The facts of this breach are truly shocking. NHS Surrey chose to leave an approved provider and handed over thousands of patients' details to a company without checking that the information had been securely deleted.

"The result was that patients' information was effectively being sold online. This breach is one of the most serious the ICO has witnessed and the penalty reflects the disturbing circumstances of the case.

"We should not have to tell organisations to think twice before outsourcing vital services to companies who offer to work for free."

NHS Surrey was dissolved in March 2013 with some of their legal responsibilities passing to the NHS Commissioning Board.

The board will be required to pay the penalty by July 22 or serve a notice of appeal by July 19.

The full penalty is eventually paid into the Treasury's Consolidated Fund.

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Wimbledon Queue Rape Claim: Police Investigate

Police are investigating claims a woman was raped in the overnight queue for the Wimbledon final.

Dozens of tents were set up in Wimbledon Park as hundreds of tennis fans waited to buy tickets to see Andy Murray on Centre Court on Sunday.

Scotland Yard said a 30-year-old man was arrested and bailed over the alleged attack.

A spokesman said: "Police are investigating an allegation of serious sexual assault in Wimbledon Park, off Church Road, in the early hours of Sunday July 7.

"A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and has been taken into custody at a south London police station.

"He was bailed until early September pending further enquiries."

The spokesman said the 34-year-old victim was being cared for by specialist teams.

He added: "Inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances of the incident."

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Shard Protest: Activists Climb London Landmark

Six protesters from Greenpeace have evaded security at London's Shard skyscraper and are attempting to climb to the top.

Officers were called at 4.20am when the activists, who are from the UK, Canada, Sweden, Poland, Holland and Belgium, began to ascend the 72-storey building.

A statement from Greenpeace said the action was part of their campaign against oil and gas drilling in the Arctic and that the activists carried out a safety assessment beforehand. 

The group of six women began their climb at 4.20am. Pic: Greenpeace

The women were able to access the Shard from the roof of nearby London Bridge station, after months of planning and training.

The campaigners said they chose the Shard because of its proximity to oil company Shell's three London offices.

"Shell is leading oil companies' drive into the Arctic, investing billions in its Alaskan and Russian drilling programmes," Greenpeace said in a statement.

The lead climbers are understood to be 'free climbing' (scaling the building without assistance) but are fixing safety ropes as they make their way to the summit. 

They accessed the Shard from London Bridge station. Pic: Greenpeace

Greenpeace are streaming live video of the attempt from a camera worn by one of the climbers.

A statement on the Greenpeace UK Twitter account said: "Look up London. We're attempting to scale the Shard, Europe's tallest skyscraper."

The women are understood to be planning to unveil protest artwork "that captures the beauty of the Arctic" if they manage to reach the summit, which could take them all day.

One of the climbers is Victoria Henry, 32, a Canadian living in London. 

Climbers Sabine, Sandra, Victo, Ali, Wiola & Liesbeth. Pic: Greenpeace

"We'll try to hang a huge art installation 310m up that will make Shell think twice before sending their rigs into the Arctic," she said.

"It's going to be really hard work, it's going to be nerve-shredding for all of us and we may not succeed, but we're going to do everything we can to pull it off."

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "We were called at 4.20am today to a group of protesters attempting to climb up the Shard. We are in attendance and monitoring the situation along with British Transport Police."

A Shard spokesman said: "The Shard is being used by protestors as part of a campaign.

"Our primary focus is on the safety of the protestors and the workers and visitors to the building. We are working with the relevant authorities to try to ensure the safety of those concerned."

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Taser Death: Man Dies In Manchester

A man has died after police shot him with a Taser, Greater Manchester Police have said.

The 23-year-old suffered a "medical episode" and died after police fired at him with the stun gun.

Police were responding to a disturbance in Beard Road, Gorton, at about 8.15pm where a man was armed with a knife.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said: "Officers were dispatched immediately and arrived in eight minutes.

Help has been provided for the man's family

"On arrival, a Taser was discharged to detain a 23-year-old man.

"At this time it is unclear what happened but at some point afterwards the man suffered a medical episode.

"Paramedics performed first aid on the man at the scene before he was taken to hospital where he sadly died."

The man suffered a "medical episode", police said

Mr Shewan said help has been provided for the man's family.

"Specially trained family liaison officers are supporting his family during this very difficult time," he said.

A police cordon surrounded 10 terraced houses at the end of Beard Road.

A forensic tent was put up in the road within the cordon which was guarded by uniformed officers, a police van and two patrol cars.

The man's death has been reported to the coroner and to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

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Feltham Prison Labelled 'Unacceptably Violent'

A young offenders' institution in England has been classed as an "unacceptably violent place" by inspectors.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons found that Feltham Prison and Young Offender Institution in west London had an "unprecedentedly high" level of staff using batons, some "very serious" daily fights and the "unacceptable" use of prolonged isolation.

The facility, which holds up to 762 offenders, is split between children and young people, mostly aged 16 or 17, and young adult men, aged between 18 and 21.

Chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick said: "Feltham as a whole is an unacceptably violent place. Despite excellent work in some cases, staff were unable to prevent a high number of very concerning incidents that carried a significant risk of serious injury.

"In my view, staff were sometimes overwhelmed by the challenges they faced and as a consequence, some of their responses were unacceptable."

The report found that the buildings were covered in gang graffiti and on average there were almost two fights or assaults every day.

Many young people said they were frightened and didn't think that staff could keep them safe, while young adults were self-harming at a high rate and did not have their emergency cell bells answered quickly.

CCTV footage watched by inspectors showed staff putting themselves in harm's way to protect young people and using force to break up fights.

Feltham is used to house young adults who have been remanded in custody by the courts.

Michael Spurr, chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, said: "I have already announced that, from the autumn, Feltham will no longer hold young adult remand prisoners. This will increase stability and provide greater flexibility in the management of this group of prisoners."

But Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, called the inspection report "the worst of its kind we have seen in a decade".

He added: "If you want to see the effects of keeping hundreds of troubled boys cooped up in a prison, you need look no further than Feltham."

Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said: "With shocking levels of violence such as these witnessed in Feltham, it's all the harder to punish and reform offenders, and stop them returning to a life of crime on their release."

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