More Buyers Building Homes - The Old Way

By Enda Brady, Sky News Correspondent

With property prices rising and many young people still finding it hard to get a mortgage, more and more would-be homeowners across Britain are turning to one of the oldest methods of building.

Cob building involves using earth, sand, straw and clay as the raw materials for walls. It's estimated that a three-bed cob home would cost in the region of £25,000 to build.

All that's needed is a plot of land and planning permission - and the right knowledge.

Charlotte Eve runs classes on how to build cob homes from her Norfolk base and says that hundreds of people are signing up to learn the skills needed for their own projects.

Natural, cheap materials are used in DIY cob building

"You can't get more sustainable than a cob home," she told Sky News.

"You dig your foundations on site and you use the clay from that foundation trench to make your walls. It's very environmentally friendly and it's also cheap - cheap in terms of construction costs and also in terms of heating the finished home.

Video: Archive: House Building In Crisis

"Your costs for the project are extremely low."

Self building accounts for only 10% of the UK market. That's despite lower costs - £150,000 for the average project, which is £80,000 less than a ready-made home.

Tony Tkaczuk from Lancashire is working on an upgrade of his cob cottage and says he'd recommend a self-build to anyone.

Video: Archive: Osborne On Housing

"It's very fulfilling actually, you have done it yourself and that's a great feeling," Tony told Sky News.

"You can work together as a team, like my wife and I do. And at the end it's wonderful to think to yourselves 'yes, we did that'."

At the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in Watford, experts monitor construction trends across the UK each year. They point out that around 11,000 projects in Britain last year were self-builds.

Video: Experts Debate The Generation Gap

"There's a lot of time, energy and emotion required," said BRE's chief executive, Dr Peter Bonfield. "There are a lot of benefits to self-builds, you can feel really proud of what you have achieved.

"There are also a lot of professional companies out there doing this kind of thing day in and day out. So it's a choice really, a big decision for people."

The Government hopes self-built properties could help combat a housing shortfall of 750,000 homes across the UK by 2025.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aintree Racegoer 'Knocked OAP To The Ground'

Police are investigating after a video emerged appearing to show a Grand National racegoer deliberately knocking over an elderly man.

The video is believed to have been made outside the racecourse in Aintree where around 150,000 people attended the event.

In the footage, a racegoer walks along the pavement before knocking into the victim, who then falls to the ground.

Onlookers are heard gasping and seen rushing to the pensioner's aid before an ambulance is called.

The video appears to have been made by a friend of the racegoer and he shouts "text bomb" and "is there any need?" just moments before the incident, as he sniggers from behind his phone.

A Merseyside Police spokesman said officers are treating the incident as an assault and appealed for help in finding the victim.

"Merseyside Police has been made aware of a video showing a man shoulder-barging another, older man, over in a road near to the Aintree racecourse," he said.

"The incident is being treated as assault and officers are speaking to several people believed to have further information that could help the investigation.

"Inquiries are also being carried out to establish exactly when and where the incident occurred and checks are being made with local hospitals to see if further information can be found out about the victim and what his condition is now.

"We are grateful to the people who reported this video to us and we will endeavour to update them once further enquiries by officers have been made. "We would continue to welcome any information from anyone who witnessed the incident itself on 101. "

Earlier, police said the annual race had seen no arrests over its three-day course, thanking the public for making the event such a "safe and enjoyable occasion".

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Boy Killed In Alps Ski Fall 'Was Lost'

A British boy who died in a skiing accident while on a family holiday in the French Alps was skiing alone at his own request, according to reports.

The seven-year-old fell around 160ft from a cliff to his death in the alpine resort of Flaine on Friday.

He had been skiing with his mother, brother and sister but is understood to have asked to ski the day's final descent on his own.

His family became worried after he failed to reach the bottom of the slopes, prompting a search which ended when his body was discovered around three-and-a-half hours later.

The alpine resort of Flaine, in France

The circumstances around the incident are still being investigated by the authorities, with some reports suggesting the boy was instead somehow separated from his family.

There have been reports that the boy was not skiing on his own, and had instead gotten lost from the group he was with.

Michel Ollagnon, an officer with the Bonneville mountain rescue service, said the boy's body was spotted off his expected course by rescuers in a helicopter on Friday evening.

Police chief Patrick Poirot, the head of the mountain rescue division in the nearby town of Annecy, was quoted in the Daily Mirror saying: "Specialists are at the scene to try and determine exactly what happened and understand every element that led to this tragedy.

"Hypothetically we think that, after losing his parents, the little boy didn't know where to go and skied in the wrong direction.

"He's just seven-years-old.

"He left the marked ski slope and probably skied to the top of a cliff.

"He then stopped, removed his skis, walked a little way and then fell.

"He fell 50 metres."

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said they were aware of the death and are providing consular assistance.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

One Dead As Stolen Ambulance Collides With Bus

The driver of a stolen ambulance has been killed after the vehicle crashed into a double-decker bus near York, according to Sky sources.

The person driving the ambulance - who police believe was not a paramedic or a member of ambulance staff - was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the bus and five of its 16 passengers were taken to hospital after the collision on the A64, near the Flaxton junction, about 8.30pm.

Their injuries were not life-threatening.

Another person, travelling in a Toyota Yaris with one other, was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Motorists have been asked to stay away from the area.

North Yorkshire Police tweeted: "The A64 at #York, near the Flaxton junction, is closed in both directions due to a serious collision. Please avoid the area."

Police have urged anyone who witnessed the crash or saw either of the vehicles beforehand to contact police and quote reference number 556 of 10 April.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jewel Heist: Victims' Anger As Alarm Ignored

The Metropolitan Police has come under fire after it emerged officers initially failed to go to the scene of the Hatton Garden jewel heist despite a burglar alarm going off.

A security firm had contacted the force about an intruder alert at the safe deposit company shortly after midnight on Good Friday.

But the call was graded in a way that meant officers did not consider it worthy of a response.

And it was not until Tuesday morning, following the four-day bank holiday Easter weekend, that the raid - one of Britain's biggest - was discovered.

The Met is now investigating why the force did not respond to the alarm activated as the heist was thought to be getting under way.

Video: Raid: How Thieves Gained Entry

Police insisted it was too early to say if the handling of the call about the alert would have had an impact on the outcome.

But the revelations have led to anger from potential victims who spoke of their shock that the police "just weren't there".

Millions of pounds worth of gems were thought to have been stolen in the raid in London's jewellery district.

Michael Miller, from Knightsbridge, who may have lost £50,000 in uninsured jewellery, said: "I am just so shocked and disappointed to hear the police didn't answer that alarm.

"I mean before, we thought maybe the police didn't even know about that but now we know that they knew something was wrong.

Video: Ex-Detective On Jewel Heist

"This completely changes things, the knowledge that something could have been done.

"The police pride themselves on being somewhere in a couple of minutes, but on this occasion they just weren't there."

A store owner near the scene, who did not wish to be named, said: "It's just shocking that someone didn't answer that call that come in when the alarm went off.

"You think what on earth isn't a high priority call if it's isn't a safe deposit alarm going off in there.

"I know they're investigating but really what is the good of that when the damage is done. There are people who will have lost their livelihoods because of this."

Video: Jewel Heist Drilling Explained

Scotland Yard said: "The call was recorded and transferred to the police's CAD (computer aided despatch) system. A grade was applied to the call that meant that no police response was deemed to be required.

"We are now investigating why this grade was applied to the call. This investigation is being carried out locally."

Those behind the raid disabled a communal lift shaft and climbed down to the basement before using power tools to drill through a two-metre wall into the vault.

Once inside, they ransacked a total of 72 safety deposit boxes, although five were empty at the time.

A further 11 were due to be "drilled out" due to non-payment of fees, meaning detectives are attempting to contact a total of 56 box holders.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Grand National Expects Record Betting Bonanza

More than nine million people are expected to watch the Grand National today, as bookies predict the biggest betting turnover of all time.

The National gets under way at 4.15pm at Aintree with 39 horses lining up to tackle the famous course, over 30 fences and nearly four-and-a-half miles.

Favourite to triumph is Shutthefrontdoor, ridden by jockey AP McCoy, who says he will retire if he passes the winning post first.

The horse has been a consistent 7-1 all week, but the odds are likely to shorten when the public support arrives.

Bookmakers Betfred predict the biggest betting turnover on a single race in British history.

Video: Drone Shows Jockey's View Of Course

"Normally there is about £150m waged - but we are expecting that figure to be some way north of that today," a spokesman told Sky News.

:: Click here for Sky News Sports Editor Nick Powell's top 10 runners and riders to watch

The winning horse will collect £561,300. Second place brings in £211,100, while the horse finishing third collects £105,500.

Video: Behind The Scenes At Aintree

This afternoon's rank outsider is River Choice, attracting odds as high as 250-1.

A win for Shutthefrontdoor, trained by Jonjo O'Neill, could cost bookmakers up to £50m, with millions of punters expected to place their faith in the horse. 

Some expect the mount to become the shortest-priced National favourite since Red Rum 40 years ago.

1/3

1. Gallery: Grand National: The Ones To Watch

   Shutthefrontdoor

]]>

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Air Pollution Alert: UK Set For Hottest Day

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

The elderly and people with health problems have been warned to avoid strenuous activity because of harmful levels of air pollution expected to blanket parts of the UK.

The warning comes as forecasters say Britain could enjoy the hottest day of the year so far, with parts of eastern England predicted to reach highs of 22C (71.6F).

Eastern, central and southern England are forecast to be affected by "high" pollution today.

Parts of East Sussex and west Kent are expected to reach "very high" levels, according to the Government's UK-Air monitoring service.

Air pollution maps released by Defra

The high levels are due to domestic soot particulates, combined with dirty air from the Continent and some Saharan dust.

With the fine, settled weather conditions the pollution will be trapped over the UK for several hours.

Video: The Latest Weather Forecast

Dr Sotiris Vardoulakis, head of the air pollution group at Public Health England, said: "While most people will not be affected by short term peaks of air pollution, some individuals, particularly those with existing heart or lung conditions, may experience increased symptoms."

Dr Vadoulakis said in areas with very high pollution levels people should reduce physical exertion if they develop a cough or sore throat.

He added: "Adults and children with lung problems, adults with heart problems, and older people should avoid strenuous physical activity.

1/10

1. Gallery: Worst Ten UK Cities For Air Pollution

   Nottingham is joint top of the list, with a PM10 level of 25. The WHO say most cities across the world are failing to meet safe levels for outdoor pollution

Thurrock is also joint top with a level of 25.

]]>

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Radicalisation - 'Third Of Muslims' Blame Police

More than a third of British Muslims blame the actions of the police and MI5 for radicalising the younger generation, suggests an exclusive Sky News poll.

Some 39% said the authorities were contributing to radicalising young people, with 29% saying they were not.

The research found the issue of young people travelling to fight with extremist groups, including Islamic State, or becoming so-called 'jihadi brides', remains highly controversial.

Saima Alvi and Miranda Rutley: areas of disagreement but also common ground

Abase Hussen, father of 15-year-old Amira Abase - one of three London teenagers to head to Syria in February, has blamed police for failing to warn families the girls were at risk.

However, the opinion poll - carried out for Sky News by Survation, suggests both Muslims and non-Muslims were most likely to see families as being responsible for preventing young people heading to Syria: 44% of Muslims and 65% of non-Muslims agreed.

Just 3% of Muslims thought the police were responsible, 15% said the Government, 9% religious leaders and 2% schools.

Sympathy with those leaving the UK to fight for or marry terrorist groups in Syria was highest among women.

Some 11% of female Muslims agreed they had a lot of sympathy, compared to 5% of males. The figures for non-Muslims were at 4% for both sexes.

However, a majority of Muslims and non-Muslims said they had no sympathy for those joining extremist groups.

The Sky News survey is the first of its kind and looked at what Muslims and non-Muslims think about issues including radicalisation, security concerns, political uncertainty, a rise in hate crimes and growing prejudice.

We asked 1,000 Muslims and 1,000 non-Muslims to share their opinions and found that while 71% of Muslims in the UK said the values of British society were compatible with those of Islam, 16% believed they were not.

The results found younger Muslims were more likely to see their values aligned to those of Britain, with 73% of those aged 18 to 34 agreeing, compared to 71% of those aged over 55.

Male Muslims were also more likely to agree - 78%, versus 64% for females.

On the issue of integration into UK society, the survey found 58% of non-Muslims believed their Muslim neighbours were not doing enough, with those aged over 55 more likely to be critical.

]]>

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Woman Held Over M60 Crash 'Murder Attempt'

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a motorway crash which left three people injured.

Police say a red Renault Megane was travelling clockwise at junction 20 of the M60  at 7.10pm on Thursday when it swerved and collided with the central reservation.

A 43-year-old man, a 40-year-old woman and a 19-year-old-man were taken to hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.

A 40-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

The carriageway was closed in both directions but was later opened.

Police asked anyone with information about the collision to call the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0161 856 3243.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Murdered Preacher Spoke Out Against Terror

A Syrian-born preacher who was shot dead in London did not hold radical views and was "actively involved in the fight against extremism," according to his family and community.

Abdul Hadi Arwani was found in his Volkswagen Passat in Wembley with a gunshot wound to the chest on Tuesday morning.

A murder investigation was launched into the death of the 48-year-old, who was a preacher at the An-Noor Mosque in Acton, and is now being led by counter-terror police.

Mr Arwani's son Abdelmoneim Mahmoud, one of his six children, posted a message on Facebook on behalf of his family paying tribute to his "peaceful" father.

The An-Noor Mosque in Acton, west London

"He was the most peaceful man you could ever wish to meet," the statement said. "He just loved to help people. He did not care what your background, race or status was."

Mr Mahmoud continued: "My father was actively involved in the fight against extremism, campaigning for peace and advocating the importance of democracy and freedom.

"He loved the idea of freedom for all, regardless of religion, race and background.

"He spoke up and out against the crime of terror and oppression wherever he found it."

An-Noor Mosque has previously hosted the son of radical preacher Abu Hamza, and was the location for the November 2013 escape of terror suspect Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed, who dressed himself in a burka.

But Mr Arwani had been "the voice of reason and transparency" at the mosque, where he was a preacher between 2005 and 2011, the family said.

Visitors to the mosque added that the cleric, a British national who was born in Syria, did not hold radical views.

One visitor said: "He was a beloved man, he used to give lectures, and teach. He was well loved in the community around here. And he wasn't radical or anything, that wasn't him."

A post-mortem examination into Mr Arwani's death will take place today.

:: Anyone with information should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More