NHS Volunteers Help Ease Maternity Pressure

By Isabel Webster, West of England Correspondent

Volunteers are being used by the NHS at the Royal Gwent Hospital in South Wales to ease pressure on overstretched maternity wards.

Twenty so-called "maternity buddies" handle babies at the request of new mums while they sleep or shower, sit and chat to keep them company, help with meals, or even change water in flower vases.

The unpaid helpers are given basic training in confidentiality and infection control but are not permitted to carry out any clinical duties including bathing or changing newborns' nappies.

The buddy scheme was piloted at the hospital over a six-month period and has now gone live due to its success.

Linda Hall, a mother of four and grandmother of two, finds time around her full-time job at a nursery to pop into the postnatal ward whenever she can.

"The midwives are so busy that sometimes the new mums are anxious about buzzing and asking for help," she said.

"So we just come along and get them some milk or some drinks - all the things the midwives struggle to fit into their busy days."

The scheme is intended to free up the midwives so they can focus on clinical care.

The NHS is looking to increase volunteers at hospitals

The Royal College of Midwives believes there is a shortfall of around 5,000 midwives in England and Wales as a result of the birth rate exceeding the rate of midwives joining the profession by around 6%.

But the Aneurin Bevan Health Board in Gwent maintains the buddy scheme is not about plugging a staffing gap.

Suzanna Hardacre, the senior midwifery manager at the Royal Gwent Hospital, said: "We're not short-staffed. We don't have any shortages of health care support workers or with midwives. There are sufficient clinical staff to be able to give that care.

"Our volunteers are purely there to enhance the patient and the woman's experience while she is in hospital with us."

A recruitment drive is now under way to bolster the number of volunteers in NHS hospitals across the UK.

Many hospitals already enlist them to help patients eat their meals and the Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust says their volunteers sometimes help to make the beds.

But Beverley Lawrence Beech, from the Association For The Improvement of Maternity Services, warns that unskilled helpers are no substitute for trained health professionals.

"If they really want to enhance patient experiences what they should be providing is community based midwifery. But this is the first step towards removing yet more midwives," she said.

"Frilly hand-holding is no substitute for proper trained midwives who know to look out for things like postnatal depression or infections."

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Hertfordshire Crash Leaves Three Men Dead

Three men have been killed in a collision between a car and a lorry on the A10 in Hertfordshire.

The men - the driver of the car and two passengers, thought to be in their late teens and early 20s - died at the scene.

They were travelling in a Vauxhall Corsa on the northbound carriageway near Turnford, at 2.15pm on Friday, when the collision with a Mercedes lorry happened.

A fourth person in the car suffered serious injuries and was taken by air ambulance to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel for treatment.

The driver of the lorry was not injured.

Sergeant Colin Jenkinson, of Hertfordshire Police, said: "We are conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the collision and are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to get in contact as soon as possible.

"Perhaps you saw the vehicle just before the collision took place or maybe you saw something immediately after. Any information you provide could be crucial to our investigation."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101.

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Wiggins Thanks Well-Wishers After Collision

Bradley Wiggins has said he is "looking forward to getting back on the bike" after he was injured in a collision, as it emerged a van driver may face prosecution.

The 32-year-old Olympic champion cyclist spent a night in hospital after suffering a bruised hand and ribs after he and a van collided in Lancashire on Wednesday. He is now recuperating at home.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and messages over the last 48 hours, and of course all the staff at the Royal Preston Hospital who looked after me so well," Wiggins said on www.teamsky.com last night.

"Although I'm still a little bit sore I will now be spending time at home with my family and concentrating on making a full recovery.

"I'm looking forward to getting back on the bike soon and continuing my preparations for the 2013 season."

After a formal interview, the van driver, Cath Burrows, 44, was summonsed by Lancashire Police over driving without due care and attention.

In a statement, a police spokesman said: "Following a voluntary attendance for interview with Lancashire Police, a 44-year-old woman from West Lancashire has been reported for summons for driving without due care and attention.

"However an investigation into the full circumstances of the incident is still under way."

Wiggins was reportedly riding a mountain bike to meet a group of local cyclists near to his home in Eccleston when the collision happened in Wrightington, shortly after 6pm.

Wiggins, who became the Tour's first British winner in July before winning Olympic time-trial gold at Hampton Court on August 1, also issued an apology for a one-fingered gesture to photographers as he travelled home on Thursday.

He said yesterday: "I would also like to apologise for the gesture that I made when I arrived home yesterday afternoon.

"I was tired, in a lot of pain, and just wanted to get inside, but I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I'm sorry for that."

In a separate road accident, British cycling head coach Shane Sutton was also admitted to hospital on Thursday with a fractured cheek bone and bleeding on the brain.

The 55-year-old was riding along the A6 Stockport Road in Levenshulme when he was involved in a collision with a blue Peugeot 206 driven by a 61-year-old man.

Sutton was part of the management team which has helped Wiggins to many successes including the world's toughest bike race and this year's time trial gold medal at the London Olympics.

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Olympic Stadium: Dismay Over Delayed Future

By Enda Brady, Sky News Correspondent

Olympic and Paralympic champions have voiced their dismay at news that the stadium may not open fully until the summer of 2016.

Four bids are still being considered as full-time tenants at the Stratford venue, but each bid will require significant and time-consuming modifications.

Dennis Hone, chief executive of the London Legacy Development Committee, revealed this week that it will not re-open until August 2015 at the earliest and probably not before August 2016.

Olympic champion Jessica Ennis told Sky News it was important the stadium was opened to the public without delay.

She said: "I've some amazing memories of the stadium, like a lot of other athletes.

"I'd love to see it opened to the public as soon as possible."

Leyton Orient FC are among four bidders to use the stadium in Stratford

Paralympic double gold medallist Hannah Cockroft said it was vital to speed up the process so that the goodwill generated by the success of London 2012 could be tapped into.

"The danger is that if it's not opened fully to the public for four years then that interest will wane," she said.

"It's an amazing venue and people want to see it, they want to be a part of it. I really hope they sort this out, they have to."

A transformation project costing nearly £300m is currently under way at the site and is expected to last up to 18 months.

The park itself will be opened to the public on July 27 next year, one year to the day the Games opened in London.

Maria Miller, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, told Sky News: "The stadium is vital for the legacy of the Games, but the important thing is to get the right tenant in."

The four bidders are West Ham United FC, Leyton Orient FC, a Formula One venture and the University College of Football Business - an academic institution owned and run by Burnley FC.

A final decision is expected in the first half of 2013, or possibly sooner.

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Ex-Oil Exec Archbishop Faces Big Challenges

The Bishop of Durham has been officially unveiled as the new Archbishop of Canterbury - in what is seen as a meteoric rise in the clergyman's career.

The Rt Rev Justin Welby, 56, was only in his current job for a year and will now become the spiritual leader of the 77 million-strong Anglican Communion.

Eton-educated Bishop Welby is a former oil executive with 11 years in the industry who turned to the church in the early 1980s.

The clergyman, who is a member of the House of Lords, is on the parliamentary committee looking at banking ethics in the wake of the Libor-rigging scandal.

The bishop is reportedly set to keep his place on the committee despite his new appointment.

Bishop Welby is keen to increase Church congregations

He is apparently known for his outspoken criticism of corporate excess and is likely to be a champion of banking reform and a key figure in discussions of business ethics.

The Rt Rev Justin Welby will have his work cut out in his new role as Archbishop as he takes over the leadership of an institution battered in recent years by rows over women bishops and gay priests.

He will take up the mantle from Dr Rowan Williams, whose tenure has been marked by a bruising war between liberals and traditionalists in the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion over the issue of homosexuality.

The new appointment also comes as the Church of England stands poised to give final approval later this year for the introduction of women bishops following several years of tortuous negotiations and the departure of some Anglican bishops to the Catholic Church.

The long-running war within the Anglican Communion over gay people will be a very difficult issue for him.

But Bishop Welby's skills in conflict resolution and peace building will stand him in good stead in dealing with the warring factions in the run-up to the next worldwide meeting of Anglican bishops, the Lambeth Conference, due in 2018.

Dr Rowan Williams is stepping down as Archbishop of Canterbury

Bishop Welby, who is himself opposed to gay marriage, is also well travelled, particularly in Nigeria.

And he understands the viewpoints of both conservative Nigerian Anglicans and those of the liberal US Episcopalian Church which is strongly divided on the issue.

The new Archbishop, who was first ordained as a deacon in 1992, will also have to face declining Church congregations.

Bishop Welby is clearly keen to turn this around, and in his first sermon after becoming Bishop of Durham last November, he reportedly called on churchgoers to rekindle Christian faith in the North East and "reconvert" the region.

While Dean of Liverpool before this, he instigated a five-year plan to double congregation figures, and saw them rise considerably during his leadership.

Being the public face of the Church of England in the 21st century also means being able to deal with the demands of the media and 24-hour news.

Bishop Welby has already shown that he embraces social media with an account on Twitter, and the 2,500 followers that he currently has are set to rise dramatically now he has been named as the new archbishop.

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Calculators To Be Banned In Maths Tests

Eleven-year-olds are to be banned using calculators in maths tests amid concerns by ministers that primary school pupils are overly reliant on them.

Under the current curriculum, pupils can begin using calculators at the age of seven but, from 2014, pupils will not be able to use them in the maths national curriculum tests, the Department for Education (DfE) said.

The tests, known as Sats, are taken by youngsters in their final year of primary school.

The current maths Sats test is split into three papers, and pupils are allowed to use calculators for one 45-minute test.

The new draft primary maths curriculum, published earlier this year, suggests that calculators should not be introduced until the later years of primary school, after children have a good grounding in mental and written arithmetic.

Education minister Elizabeth Truss said that all pupils should know their times tables, and be able to add, subtract and divide sums before they begin using calculators.

"By banning calculators in the maths test, we will reduce the dependency on them in the classroom for the most basic sums," she said.

"Children will have a solid grounding in the basics so they can grow up to be comfortable with the maths they will need in their adult lives."

Around 98% of 10-year-olds in England are allowed to use calculators in maths lessons, compared to an international average of 46% according to research published in 2007, the DfE said.

Ms Truss said: "Maths influences all spheres of our daily lives, from working out the change from your shopping to an architect's calculations in designing the latest London skyscraper.

"The irony is that while maths is all around us, it seems to have become acceptable to be 'bad with numbers'. The habit of simply reaching for the calculator to work things out only serves to worsen that problem."

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Ash Dieback: New Trees To Be Destroyed

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

New and young trees infected with ash dieback disease will be destroyed under new Government plans to contain the outbreak.

The action plan will also see the search for trees with the deadly fungal disease spread beyond the countryside into towns and cities.

But there are no proposals yet to remove mature trees due to fears for wildlife as well as hopes they could help research into ash dieback.

The public, along with foresters, land managers and environmental groups, will also be told how to spot the disease and what to do if they find an infected tree.

An ash sapling infected with the disease

The proposals to tackle the crisis, which threatens millions of the UK's native ash trees, were finalised by ministers at a Cobra crisis meeting on Friday

Department of the Environment officials have worked with the Forestry Commission and other agencies to find the best way to contain the spread of Chalara fungus, known as ash dieback disease.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson will later outline the Government's response to the outbreak.

The fungal infection, which causes leaves to turn black and drop off before the tree eventually dies, is thought to have arrived in Britain on wind-borne spores blown in from mainland Europe.

So far more than 100 cases have been reported across the country, in Sussex, Berkshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Northumberland, Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent and Essex.

Other countries including France and Belgium have already been hit hard by the tree disease but Denmark has been the worst affected - losing 90% of its ash population.

Ash dieback has been found at 115 sites in the UK

It is feared the disease could have the same impact in Britain as the infamous Dutch Elm epidemic of the 1970s, which wiped out most of the country's elm trees.

There are an estimated 80 million ash trees in Britain - one-third of the entire tree population.

In a bid to contain the epidemic, the importation of ash trees has already been banned and the planting of new ones has also been halted.

Officials have also carried out surveys on acres of forest and woodland.

Signs warning visitors to take extra precautions to stop the spread of ash dieback have been posted at several National Trust sites, including Ashridge, Hertfordshire.

Ashridge has hundreds of ash trees in its 5,000 acres of woodland. The site is popular with walkers taking in the magnificent countryside - especially in the autumn.

It has also been the setting for several films, including Sleepy Hollow and Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire.

Some of these ash saplings in Suffolk are infected with the disease

Graeme Cannon, Ashridge Estate manager, told Sky News: "It's potentially very dangerous. Ashridge is here because ash trees feature very prominently in its background and they have done for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

''With ash dieback in the country we'll end up in a situation where we will be losing a lot of our trees and they are an important feature of the British landscape and woodland.

"So far we have not had any confirmed cases in Ashridge but if we do then the impact would be catastrophic.''

Mr Cannon said several of the ash trees were more than 200 years old. ''Although it seems to be impacting younger trees, we would hate to lose those veteran ash," he said.

Infected saplings have been burned to contain the spread, but visitors to woods are also being asked to do their bit by keeping to marked paths to help reduce the spread of infected leaves.

They are also being advised to clean footwear and bike and car tyres of mud and earth when they get home.

Although the Government claims it has acted as swiftly as it could, there has been some criticism that the response has not been quick enough.

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New Archbishop Of Canterbury 'Astonished'

The Bishop of Durham has been officially confirmed as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, in an appointment that was widely expected.

The Right Reverend Justin Welby succeeds Dr Rowan Williams as the spiritual leader of the 77 million-strong Anglican Communion.

The former oil industry executive becomes the 105th holder of the post.

As he addressed the media, he began by saying a prayer and then joked his appointment was "the best kept secret since the last Cabinet reshuffle".

He went on: "To be nominated to this post is both astonishing and exciting", and it was something "he never expected".

The clergyman, who has been Bishop of Durham for a year, admitted the last few weeks "have been a rather strange experience".

He added: "We are at one of these rare points where the tide of events is turning and the Church nationally, including the Church of England, has great opportunities to match its very great but often hidden strengths.

"I feel a massive sense of privilege at being one of those responsible for the leadership of the Church in a time of spiritual hunger when our network of parishes and schools, and above all people, means we are facing the toughest issues in the toughest places."

The Bishop said he was astonished and excited to be nominated

He told reporters that one of the biggest challenges was taking over from Dr Williams, who he claimed "will be recognised as one of the greatest Archbishops of Canterbury".

Bishop Welby also said he was "wildly optimistic about the future of the Church".

He added: "We'll certainly get things wrong, I certainly will. But the grace of God is greater than our biggest failures. We will also certainly get much right and do so already."

Bishop Welby takes over the leadership of an institution battered in recent years by rows over women bishops and gay priests.

Dr Williams' tenure has been marked by a bruising war between liberals and traditionalists in the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion over the issue of homosexuality.

The new appointment also comes as the Church of England stands poised to give final approval later this year for the introduction of women bishops following several years of tortuous negotiations and the departure of some Anglican bishops to the Catholic Church.

The new archbishop, who was first ordained as a deacon in 1992, will also have to face declining Church congregations.

The Bishop of Chichester, Martin Warner, welcomed his appointment, saying he would bring "many gifts and a rich experience of life to this calling".

But he warned: "He faces a daunting task, but the priority he attaches to a spiritual life of prayer, to reflection on the Bible and dependence upon the holy spirit will sustain him, as will the love and support of his family and friends.

"To that support I add my own and my prayers for his future ministry."

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Petrol Prices Down By Another 2p At Supermarkets

Three supermarket chains have cut their petrol prices again, reducing the cost of fuel by 2p at pumps across the nation.

Asda was the first to announce the discount, which follows similar reductions towards the end of last month.

It will now charge 137.7p for a litre of diesel and 131.7p for unleaded petrol on its forecourts.

Sainsbury's and Tesco followed suit, saying they would also slash 2p off their prices.

Welcoming the move, the president of roadside recovery group AA, Edmund King, said: "Once again the supermarkets have led the way on fuel price reductions.

"We have said there is scope for price cuts given wholesale price falls and welcome the move and hope all the other retailers follow."

He said that many people are cutting back on the number of car journeys they make because of the high cost of fuel.

"This reduction will go a little way towards helping families and businesses keep mobile," he added.

Asda's petrol trading director, Andy Peake, said his company was "leading the way" in reducing the price at the pump.

"Unlike other retailers, our price cuts benefit everyone across the country, meaning that no one filling up at Asda will be forced to play a postcode lottery," he said.

A Tesco spokesman said: "As Britain's biggest petrol retailer with 490 forecourts, more motorists will make savings at the pumps at Tesco than at any other fuel retailer."

And Sainsbury's head of fuel, Richard Crampton, said: "With Christmas on the horizon, we know that this can be an expensive time of year so we're delighted to announce that we will be lowering our petrol and diesel prices."

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Surgeon Faces Inquiry Over Breast Cancer Ops

A surgeon is to face a criminal inquiry over allegations about his treatment of more than 1,000 breast cancer patients.

West Midlands Police said they were liaising with the Crown Prosecution Service to determine the course of the investigation into the conduct of Ian Paterson.

Mr Paterson is alleged by a law firm representing some of his former patients to have performed up to 1,150 "unnecessary, inappropriate or unregulated" operations.

Thompsons Solicitors, which is pursuing negligence claims for several women, said Mr Paterson worked at a number of NHS and private hospitals from 1994, including those run by Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, which covers hospitals in Sutton Coldfield, Solihull and Birmingham.

An investigation into Mr Paterson by the General Medical Council potentially spans up to 700 cases of an unregulated procedure that involved leaving some breast tissue behind after a mastectomy, Thompsons said.

It is further alleged that up to 450 women could have had invasive breast surgery when a biopsy might have been sufficient.

Mr Paterson is alleged to have performed "unnecessary" operations

The Medical Defence Union said in a statement: "Mr Paterson is co-operating fully with the GMC investigation. He cannot comment further due to his duty of patient confidentiality and the ongoing investigation."

Sky News' Health and Science correspondent Thomas Moore said the GMC has been looking into Mr Paterson for some time, adding that conditions were imposed on his practice in July 2011.

Mr Paterson's GMC record shows that the Interim Orders Panel ruled that he "must not carry out breast surgery" and that he should "confine his medical practice ... to general surgical work and out-patient consultations with patients with breast disease".

Kashmir Uppal, a senior medical negligence solicitor at Thompsons, said she believed patients had been subjected to needless worry and risk.

She said the law firm was also liaising with the GMC to assist its investigations.

"The women who have come forward so far have been very brave," Ms Uppal said.

"Hopefully all who have had unnecessary or inappropriate treatment will seek reassurance or justice."

In a statement confirming the police inquiry into Mr Paterson, who has not been arrested, Detective Chief Inspector Matt Markham said: "West Midlands Police can confirm it has received a referral from the General Medical Council in relation to allegations about the medical practices of a surgeon who previously worked in Solihull.

"A criminal inquiry has been launched and the force is working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to determine the course of the investigation."

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TA: 'Radical' Revamp Planned For Reserves

By David Bowden, Defence Correspondent

The Territorial Army is to be doubled in size under Government plans as defence cuts bite, with reservists given more training.

Veterans of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will be encouraged to join the TA, with reports of "golden handshakes" of up to £15,000 for former soldiers.

The Government aims to integrate reservists better with regular troops and ensure that they are "prepared to deploy".

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond wants to double the TA in size to 30,000 in the coming years - and rename it the Army Reserve.

In a speech earlier, he set out proposals to boost the number of formal training days for part-time soldiers from 35 a year to 40.

The Army is to be slashed by 20,000 troops

As part of the shake-up, employers will be given more notice about their staff being called up.

The announcement comes as the military increases its reliance on reserves, with the regular Army being slashed by 20,000 troops to 82,000 by 2020.

Mr Hammond said: "For too long, the Reserves have been the forgotten part of our Armed Forces. Today marks the beginning of a fresh start.

"The changes I am proposing today amount to a radical shift in the role of reservists in delivering the nation's security.

"A shift which will see reservists routinely sharing responsibility for activities once the exclusive domain of regular forces.

"An exciting new proposition bringing with it new opportunities, and new challenges, for reservists, and for their employers."

The Government has pledged £1.8bn to fund the reservist project over the next 10 years but critics argue it is a policy driven by financial rather than military needs.

The former head of the Army, General Sir Mike Jackson, told Sky News: "Can 20,000 reservists on a contingency basis, when the unexpected comes round the corner, can they react with the speed of their regular counterparts? I think the answer to that is no."

Mr Hammond wants to rename the TA

The MoD knows it has to win over not only potential recruits to the TA, but their full-time employers as well.

There are proposals to create a "kitemark" type award to recognise supportive businesses and create a league of "patriotic employers".

Mr Hammond said: "We want to work with employers - building partnerships that deliver mutual benefit from reserve service.

"Many employers see very clearly the benefits that reserve training and experience bring to them: Delivering motivated, skilled, talented employees representing the values of the wider armed forces - integrity, application and commitment."

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has broadly welcomed the moves.

But FSB policy chairman Mike Cherry said the Government must ensure businesses are properly compensated for the loss of an employee for a period of time.

He said: "It's not just the deployments, it's the additional training required. What happens if they have an accident on service that employers will want to be reassured of going forward?

"The bottom line is that like it or not the coffers won't stretch to a regular Army of the size we've been used to and the Government is having to put the best gloss it can on boosting reservist numbers to plug the gap."

Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said: "We support action to enhance the role of the Reserves, but the Government can go further to protect our reservists' patriotism.

"If more is going to be asked of reservists, ministers must provide more support. Anti-discrimination legislation, improved pre-deployment training and better mental healthcare are vital.

"At a difficult time for many companies, employers must be given the support they need when their workers serve on reserve duty.

"Crucially, reserve units must be integrated with regular forces rather than form stand alone units and civilian skills must be maximised in military contexts."

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G4S Loses Contract To Run Yorkshire Prison

G4S has lost its contract to run a Yorkshire jail and failed to win any further prison contracts, says the Ministry of Justice.

The Wolds prison, which has been run by the security firm since it opened in 1992, will return to the public sector in July 2013, the department said.

G4S, which has been at the centre of the Olympics security shambles, failed to secure the Northumberland prison and the South Yorkshire group of jails - Lindholme, Hatfield and Moorland - it was bidding for.

Prison inspectors found the performance of the Wolds Prison in East Yorkshire deteriorated in 2010.

Concerns were expressed over "the availability of drugs, a lack of staff confidence in confronting poor behaviour, weaknesses in the promotion of diversity and limited work and training provision".

Reporting on its latest inspection in June, Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick warned that while there were some improvements, "many of our previous concerns still needed to be addressed effectively".

He also found "the third of single cells that had been doubled up to hold two prisoners were too cramped, lacked sufficient furniture and had poorly screened toilets".

Overall, it was a "mixed report" and the prison found itself "on the cusp of potentially significant change, with competitive tenders for the management of the prison signalling uncertainty about its future".

The prison is a category C training prison holding up to 395 men.

A G4S spokeswoman said: "We are disappointed by today's announcements. As the leading private provider of prison management in the UK, we have 20 years of experience of running prisons for the MoJ.

"Our performance across all six prisons we run has been to a high standard with every aspect of performance either meeting or exceeding the key performance indicators applied by the MoJ.

"We look forward to discussing the contract award decision with the MoJ within the next few days to determine why we were unsuccessful."

G4S shares were down 5% after the announcement.

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Sellafield Nuclear Waste Storage Warning

Hazardous waste being stored in run-down buildings at Sellafield nuclear plant is posing "intolerable risks to people and the environment", a watchdog has warned.

For more than 50 years, the owners of the Cumbrian nuclear power station have failed to plan how to dispose of radioactive waste, according to a report by the National Audit Office (NAO).

The public spending watchdog said some of the older facilities have "deteriorated so much that their contents pose significant risks to people and the environment".

Operators of the nuclear power station do not know how long it will take to build storage and treatment centres for the hazardous material or how much the final bill is likely to be, the report says.

Sellafield, the UK's largest and most hazardous nuclear site, stores enough high and intermediate level radioactive waste to fill 27 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Sellafield's radioactive waste could fill 27 Olympic swiimming pools

The highest risks are posed by the ponds and silos built during the 1950s and 1960s to store fuel for early reprocessing operations and radioactive waste, according to the report.

A long-term plan to clean up the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority-owned site, which is managed by Sellafield Limited, was agreed last year after an earlier one stalled because it was "unrealistic".

Progress in 12 of the 14 major buildings and equipment projects considered "critical" for reducing risk, which range in cost from £21m to £1.3bn, failed to achieve what they were supposed to and had not provided good value for money, the NAO said.

The report found there "is still considerable uncertainty in the schedules and costs" of the projects.

Margaret Hodge, who chairs the Commons Public Accounts Committee, said: "Projects of this length and ambition are ripe for dithering and delay.

"I am dismayed to discover the clean-up of Sellafield is no different. The authority's revised plan sees critical milestones shunted back by up to seven years.

"After only 10 months of operating under the new plan, performance in 12 out of 14 major projects has been dire.

"Between May 2011 and March 2012, the seven major projects in construction accumulated delays of between two and 19 months.

"My concern is that unless the authority holds Sellafield Limited to a clear and rigorously benchmarked plan, timetables will continue to slip and costs spiral.

"It is totally unacceptable to allow today's poor management to shift the burden and expense of Sellafield to future generations of taxpayers and their families."

Around 240 of Sellafield's 1,400 buildings are nuclear facilities and so far 55 buildings on the site have been decommissioned.

Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said: "Owing to historic neglect, the authority faces a considerable challenge in taking forward decommissioning at Sellafield.

"It is good that the authority now has a more robust lifetime plan in place but it cannot say with certainty how long it will take to deal with hazardous radioactive waste at Sellafield or how much it will cost.

"Securing future value for money will depend on the authority's ability to act as an intelligent client, to benchmark proposed levels of performance and to provide better contractual incentives for making faster progress towards risk and hazard reduction."

In a statement on its website, Sellafield Ltd welcomed the report and said it was making improvements and "progress"..

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Jimmy Savile 'Was Yorkshire Ripper Suspect'

Jimmy Savile was questioned by detectives investigating the Yorkshire Ripper murders, a senior officer who worked on the inquiry has claimed.

Former West Yorkshire Police detective John Stainthorpe said the disgraced presenter was a suspect in the notorious case more than 30 years ago.

Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe has jumped to the defence of Savile, claiming the TV presenter was innocent of newly-emerged child abuse allegations.

Sutcliffe said Savile befriended him during visits to Broadmoor high security hospital.

Mr Stainthorpe, who spent 40 years in the force, told ITV's Calendar News: "When the Ripper was really active, one of the suspects put forward by the public was, in fact, Jimmy Savile.

"Obviously, it was not he, but he was interviewed along with many others."

Mr Stainthorpe said the person who gave police the anonymous tip-off was "aiming in the right direction".

"Child perverts soon become child killers," he added.

Peter Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering 13 women in 1981 and sentenced to life imprisonment. He is held at Broadmoor and has been told he will never be freed.

Sutcliffe has claimed Savile regularly visited him in custody and the pair became friends.

Dismissing claims the late DJ abused around 300 victims over six decades, he said those making allegations were "jumping on the bandwagon".

Sutcliffe, 66, told The Sun: "It's a load of rubbish. People are just getting carried away.

"He visited a lot. He'd always come and chat with me on visits and I would introduce him to my visitors. Several times he left £500 for charities I was supporting."

Savile, who died a year ago aged 84, is now believed by police to be one of the UK's most prolific child abusers.

Scotland Yard is leading a national investigation into the television and radio star's activities. Detectives are following 400 lines of inquiry while the BBC has launched an inquiry into the culture and practises at the corporation in the era of Savile's alleged sexual abuse.

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Man Arrested Over David Black Murder

Police investigating the murder of prison officer David Black have arrested a 46-year-old man.

The married father-of-two was gunned down in a high-speed motorway ambush as he drove to work at Maghaberry prison in Co Antrim.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said: "Detectives investigating the murder of David Black on the M1 motorway on Thursday November 1 have arrested a 46-year-old man in the Lurgan area."

He was taken to Antrim police station for questioning.

Three men, two in Northern Ireland and one in the Republic of Ireland, have previously been questioned and released by police.

The scene of the motorway ambush that killed David Black

Police believe Mr Black, 52, was killed by dissident republicans.

He is the first prison officer to be murdered by paramilitaries in Northern Ireland in 20 years.

Gunmen travelling in a stolen car fired on the victim's Audi near a junction leading to Portadown, Co Armagh, as he was on his way to Maghaberry.

The vehicle careered off the road and into a ditch.

At Mr Black's funeral at Molesworth Presbyterian Church in Cookstown his daughter Kyra, 17, paid tribute to her "special hero".

Thousands of people paid their respects at Mr Black's funeral

The funeral attracted thousands of people and uniformed prison officers carried the coffin to the church behind a Scottish bagpiper who played a lament.

A prison service hat, gloves and a single cream flower were carried on the Union flag-draped coffin as officers formed a guard of honour.

Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson, Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable Matt Baggott and justice ministers north and south of the Irish border attended.

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London Bus & Tube Fares To Rise Above Inflation

Tube and bus fares are to rise above the rate of inflation in London in the new year, to the fury of union and passenger groups.

The capital's mayor, Boris Johnson, announced a 4.2% average increase from January 2 2013 - and said the figure would have been higher had he not managed to secure additional funding of £96m.

The rise is 1% above the rate of RPI inflation when it was measured in July and used as a benchmark for the planned increase and matches the average rises facing national main line season ticketholders.

The mayor also confirmed that charges for his "Boris bike" Barclays Cycle Hire scheme would double.

Such a move would see daily hire going up from £1 to £2, weekly access rising from £5 to £10 and yearly membership going up from £45 to £90.

The bike project has suffered financially as the majority of trips are made within the free 30-minute usage charge period but it was confirmed there would be no additional penalties for late return, non-return and bicycle damage.

Mr Johnson said today: "Before the end of the year I will spell out further investment on the transport network that will help us to provide faster, more frequent and reliable journeys for Londoners, which is crucial to the economic development and growth that is so vital to our great city.

"This fares package is hugely important to our millions of passengers and I am very pleased to have secured nearly £100m that will help to keep fares as low as possible, and protect the important concessions that we offer the most vulnerable Londoners."

But Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT transport union, said the mayor should have announced a fare freeze.

He explained: "This increase shows that we are still paying off a heavy price for the expensive failure of the PPP (public private partnership) privatisation disaster.

"It also means that the mayor has no excuse for cutting staff and closing ticket offices as he's lumping on above-inflation fare rises.

"We believe there should be a policy of freezing fares to recognise the tough times people are facing, to increase the use of public transport and to help boost the economy."

His words were backed by Richard Hebditch, campaigns director at Campaign for Better Transport.

He said: "Earlier this week, Boris Johnson rightly received plaudits for his support for a living wage in the capital. His position on public transport is in stark contrast.

"By putting fares up above inflation, he is hitting hard-pressed families in the pocket simply for travelling to work."

More follows...

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Missing Atiya: Mother's Plea for Information

The mother of a missing girl abducted by her father says she prays her "little bundle of joy" is safe and well, after being taken to Pakistan without her knowledge.

Gemma Wilkinson, 32, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, said not knowing whether five-year-old Atiya is even alive is an "absolute nightmare".

Atiya vanished in November 2009 after going to stay with her father, Razwan Ali Anjum.

The former insurance salesman said he was taking the girl to Southport. Instead he took her to Lahore, Pakistan, and told Ms Wilkinson she was "never going to see Atiya again", courts have heard.

Anjum, who is in his late 20s, returned to the UK shortly after and was jailed by a High Court judge for refusing to reveal where his daughter was.

Judges have imposed jail terms of two years, 12 months and another 12 months in the hope that he would provide information. They have re-jailed him as each sentence neared its end.

Speaking ahead of Atiya's sixth birthday on Wednesday, Ms Wilkinson said: "It's been an absolute nightmare. As to her whereabouts we know nothing. We've had no contact.

"I'm worrying every day, every single day. Everything is affected by it. When I close my eyes I see her.

"I say goodnight to her every night before bed. I pray she's okay. We don't have any proof that she's okay, there is no proof she is still alive.

How missing girl Atiya Anjum-Wilkinson might look at 4-5 years of age.

"It's been discussed that she could have been sold, but I don't want to believe it.

"She was so funny. She was a little bundle of joy. She loved her lip gloss and handbags - as soon as she got hold of my makeup bag, everything in it was hers. We just want her home."

Ms Wilkinson's "on-off" relationship with Anjum ended in 2008.

"He's enjoying playing his controlling mind games. It's just sick. Razwan is refusing to say where she is, who she's with and he won't say anything other than 'she's in Iran'," he said.

Detective Constable Emma Constantine, of Greater Manchester Police's Child Protection Unit, said: "As far as we know, Razwan has had no contact with Atiya himself.

"He's never received any letters or photographs of Atiya, so there's no way that he knows how she is."

Detective Superintendent Phil Owen added: "We're working with a range of international agencies in order to find out who may be harbouring her, but it presents its challenges and problems and hopefully this is now the time to tug at heart-strings and generate information from the public."

He argued Anjum "will convince himself that she's looked after" but that he couldn't know that.

:: Anyone with information should phone police on 101, the Foreign Commonwealth Office on 020 7008 0878 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Nadine Dorries Joins I'm A Celebrity

Conservative MP Nadine Dorries could face a backlash from her constituents as she heads to Australia for up to a month to take part in reality TV show I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here.

Ms Dorries, 55, who represents Mid Bedfordshire, will be the first serving MP to take part in the programme.

As well as risking the anger of those she represents for taking extended leave from her £65,738 day job, she will also face questions from senior MPs, The Sun said.

Ms Dorries' appearance on the show, which begins on Sunday, will mean she stands to miss an EU budget vote and Chancellor George Osborne's autumn statement on the economy.

She is already in Brisbane preparing for the programme and justified her decision by telling The Sun: "I'm doing the show because 16 million people watch it. If people are watching I'm A Celebrity, that is where MPs should be going.

"I'm not going in there to upset people, but I have opinions."

Her decision will infuriate senior colleagues as she did not follow long-standing party rules by asking permission from the Chief Whip or Prime Minister David Cameron.

George Galloway infamously pretended to be a cat on Celebrity Big Brother

A senior Conservative source told Sky News: "This came as a surprise to everyone."

Asked about Ms Dorrie's decision during his tour of the Middle East, the Prime Minister said: "It's up to Nadine to speak for herself."

When asked if she risked losing the party whip, he joked: "The whips might be relieved if she did."

Home Secretary Theresa May told ITV's This Morning: "I think an MP's job is in their constituency and in the House of Commons."

Ms Dorries' sojourn in the jungle has attracted criticism on Twitter and calls for her to donate any fee to charity.

Former Tory MP Louise Mensch, who gave up her Corby seat in August to live with her husband in America, wrote: "Nothing sadder than a politician, or ex-politician, on any of those shows.

"Just imagining the scene in the whips' office if I said I wanted to skip Parliament for weeks to go on a celebrity TV show."

Former Tory MP Harry Greenway, said: "This is outrageous. Her local constituency party should think very deeply as to whether she is putting them first or not.

"She is certainly making a very good case out for herself to be dumped as a candidate at the next election.

"Whatever fee she receives should go to charity, because her parliamentary pay won't stop during her absence," Mr Greenway added.

The TaxPayers' Alliance told The Sun: "While she is being a Z-list celebrity, her constituents will be without an MP."

Ms Dorries has courted controversy in her political career and earned a reputation for outspoken attacks against David Cameron.

Earlier this year she branded the Prime Minister and chancellor George Osborne: "two posh boys who don't know the price of milk".

In 2010 the MP appeared on another reality show, Tower Block of Commons, which challenged politicians to live on a council estate and get by on jobseekers' allowance of £64.30-a-week.

But she was caught cheating when it emerged she had stashed a £50 note in her bra.

George Galloway was criticised for appearing on Celebrity Big Brother in January 2006, while serving as MP for Bethnal Green and Bow.

Liberal Democrat Lembit Opik also appeared on I'm a Celebrity soon after losing his seat in the 2010 general election.

He backed Ms Dorries' decision, tweeting: "Good on Nadine Dorries for the jungle if she's really going in. Go gal!"

Tim Montgomerie MP, editor of Conservative Home, wrote: "When, some months ago, Nadine told me, in strictest confidence, that she was going to do this I tried to persuade her not to.

"But she wasn't for budging and I can increasingly understand why.

"Her ambition isn't, of course, to persuade any of the viewers about specific policies (she's unlikely to get any opportunity to talk in those terms) but perhaps, just perhaps, to present an image of a Tory MP that defies some of the popular pre-conceptions and caricatures.

"She may be voted off the show quickly and the popularity that follows her appearance may be a bubble that quickly bursts.

"There is a possibility, however, that this Liverpudlian of working class roots will become one of our party's best known MPs.

"I don't think that's a bad thing although I don't suspect David Cameron will agree."

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Met Detective Dies After Chasing Suspect

A 30-year-old female police officer has collapsed and died while chasing a suspect, Scotland Yard has confirmed.

Detective Constable Adele Cashman, collapsed in Belsize Park Gardens, Camden, at 9.45pm on Monday night.

A response team officer based at Kentish Town police station, she was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead but died at 11.10pm.

Her family has been informed and inquiries into the circumstances surrounding her death are under way, the Metropolitan Police said.

Commander Tony Eastaugh said: "The thoughts of everyone in the Metropolitan Police Service are very much with Adele's family, friends and colleagues at this extremely difficult time.

"Adele worked on both Camden and Wandsworth boroughs and was held in high regard by all who met her."

"She will be sorely missed by everyone who had the privilege of working alongside her."

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Derby Fire: Third Person Appears In Court

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A third person charged with the murders of six children who died in a house fire in Derby has appeared in court.

Paul Mosley, 45, from the city, was arrested on Monday.

He appeared at Derby Magistrates Court at a short hearing on Tuesday morning, wearing dark trousers and a black waterproof jacket.

He spoke only to confirm his name, age and address.

Mosley was sent for trial at Nottingham Crown Court and will appear on November 8 for a plea and case management hearing.

He is due to appear alongside the children's parents Mick Philpott, 55, and Mairead, 31, who have previously been charged with murder.

As Mosley was remanded in custody a number of members of the public were in tears.

Jade, 10, and brothers John, nine, Jack, eight, Jessie, six and Jayden, five, all died in the blaze on Victory Road, Allenton.

Their brother Duwayne, 13, died  three days later in hospital.

The children's parents Mick Philpott, 55, and Mairead, 31, have previously been charged with murder and are due to appear at a plea and case management hearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday.

A 49-year-old man, who was also arrested on Monday, has been released without charge.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cotterill said: "Three people have now been charged with the murder of these children.

"This man stands accused alongside Michael and Mairead Philpott.

"Our investigation will continue in an effort to gain justice for the children."

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Delicate Diplomacy On Cameron Gulf Arms Tour

David Cameron is attempting to cement major UK arms sales and bolster relations with allies on a three-day tour of the Gulf and Middle East.

The Prime Minister is personally spearheading a push to persuade the United Arab Emirates to buy 60 of BAE's Typhoon jets over French rivals in a deal reported to be worth upwards of £3bn.

On Tuesday, he will travel to Saudi Arabia - Britain's biggest trading partner in the region - which is also considering adding to its fleet of aircraft.

Downing Street said the visit - Mr Cameron's second to each country as premier - was part of a wider effort to build a "reinvigorated partnership" between Britain and the region's leaders.

Reinforced military ties are seen as crucial amid continued fears over Iran's nuclear ambitions and the threat Tehran could seek to badly disrupt oil supplies by blocking the Straits of Hormuz.

Mr Cameron's first stop was a military airbase near Dubai, where a number of RAF Typhoons are stationed, to promote the aircraft to military and political figures from the UAE.

He will also hold talks with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Prime Minister of the UAE on the potential for a joint work on the next generation of military aerospace equipment.

David Cameron having breakfast with troops in Dubai

The Government hopes to secure deals for 100 Typhoons to be sold to the region in the coming year - worth at least £6bn to British firms.

Mr Cameron faces a tough balancing act as he attempts to secure billions in investment from the oil-rich states while addressing concerns about the human rights records of their regimes.

The Arab Spring has led to an increased focus on largely autocratic rule in many states, including crackdowns on pro-democracy and other protest movements.

The Government has been criticised for failing to condemn abuses and accused of continuing to sell military equipment with insufficient guarantees it would not be used in repression.

Meanwhile, Gulf states are unhappy about the UK's support of the Arab Spring and there are reports it could lead to British firms being snubbed for future contracts.

Saudi officials has already warned it would be "re-evaluating" relations after an inquiry into the country by the Commons foreign affairs committee, that it called "insulting".

David Cameron on the Dubai metro (Pic: Number10gov)

After arriving in Dubai, Mr Cameron insisted: "On human rights, there are no no-go areas in this relationship. We discuss all of these things but we also show respect and friendship to a very old ally and partner.

"We have one of the strictest regimes anywhere in the world for sales of defence equipment but we do believe that countries have a right to self-defence and we do believe that Britain has important defence industries that employ over 300,000 people so that sort of business is completely legitimate and right."

He said British exports to the UAE were up 16% in the first half of the year and that it was vital to be involved in the fastest-growing economies in the world to compete in the "global economic race".

"It is not just about trade and investment," the premier added. "We are also partners in defence and security, we worked together in Libya and Afghanistan and we will be talking about all the key regional and global issues."

On Wednesday, Mr Cameron will make a short visit to the Middle East before flying home for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Downing Street ahead of the crunch EU budget summit.

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Living Wage: Ed Miliband Wants Pay Shake-Up

Labour leader Ed Miliband has vowed to deliver a "living wage" to millions of people if he wins power at the next election.

The wage - the minimum rate deemed necessary for an acceptable standard of living - is a key plank of Mr Miliband's "One Nation" vision for the country.

The rates were raised on Monday to £7.45 for outside London and £8.55 inside the capital.

This is significantly higher than the minimum wage, which currently stands at £6.19 per hour for over 21s and even less for teenagers.

Labour is looking at three ways to make the new pay terms the norm, including naming and shaming listed companies who do not comply.

Firms who fail to pay enough could also be blocked from Whitehall contracts, while Treasury-funded incentives could go to higher paying companies.

The Opposition leader is believed to have worked closely with his brother David on the strategy, in a sign relations between the pair are finally thawing.

He met with leaders of Labour local authorities across the UK who are already implementing the pay structure.

Boris Johnson unveiled London's living wage

He said: "Too many people in Britain are doing the right thing and doing their bit, helping to build the prosperity on which our country depends, but aren't sharing fairly in the rewards.

"It's not how it should be in Britain, it's not how we will succeed as a country in the years ahead because we can't go on with an economy that works for a few at the top and not for most people. We need to change it."

He continued: "It is only a Labour government that will address the living standards crisis faced by so many.

"Even when money is tight and Britain is run by a Tory-led government, Labour councils have been driving the living wage forward. First in London and now across Britain.

"There are already scores of British businesses who are saying that the living wage makes sense for them because it improves staff retention and reduces absence rates.

"We will learn from them and find ways to help other businesses become living-wage employers."

Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced the new rate for London and called for it to be paid by all local authorities in the capital and across Whitehall.

He warned that some employers would find it difficult to pay the sum which he said was why he wanted the rate to remain voluntary.

No Conservative-controlled council has signed up so far and the Greater London Authority is only in the process of being accredited.

New figures released on Monday show that the Living Wage campaign has lifted 45,000 people out of working poverty since its launch in 2001.

But a report last week showed nearly five million workers - one in five - are paid less and suggested they are being hardest hit by the economic squeeze.

Organisations that are now officially accredited include KPMG, Birmingham City Council and Save the Children. Barclays has paid it in London since 2007.

TUC general secretary-designate Frances O'Grady said: "It is essential that more companies follow suit. We want millions to benefit from a living wage, not thousands.

"It is simply not good enough for large companies to plead poverty at a time when their cash reserves are increasing.

"Employers who pay the Living Wage will find it much easier to recruit and retain good staff. The extra pay in the pockets of low-paid workers will also help inject much-needed consumer demand back into our economy."

The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that every person moved onto the living wage would save the Treasury around £1,000 in tax credits and from increased taxes.

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Savile's Freeman Honour Set To Be Revoked

Jimmy Savile's name is set to be wiped from Scarborough's list of Freemen of the Borough.

Councillors will debate a motion to take his name from the roll of honour as a gesture of support to the 300 people he allegedly abused over six decades.

The disgraced BBC star was awarded the accolade in 2005 to celebrate his links with the North Yorkshire resort, where he owned a second home and was buried overlooking the sea a year ago.

Councillor Tom Fox, who proposed the motion, said: "This council wishes to send its heartfelt support to, and acknowledge the courage of, those who have come forward having suffered horrendous abuse at the hands of the alleged serial predatory sexual offender Sir Jimmy Savile.

"In addition, this council, in further acknowledgment of the serious predatory sexual allegations spanning over six decades, agrees that if the council had been aware of such revelations at the time of Sir Jimmy Savile's nomination for honorary freeman of the borough of Scarborough, the council would have refused it.

Savile's family have removed his headstone from a Scarborough cemetery

"It is therefore proposed that his name be removed forthwith from the honour board for freemen of the borough pending the final report from the Metropolitan Police, when this council will make a permanent decision in relation to the matters referred to in this motion."

Historically, anyone made a freeman was exempt from tolls and given special privileges.

It is still awarded to "persons of distinction and any persons who have rendered eminent services to the borough".

Scarborough has granted freeman status to 20 individuals and groups since the local government reshuffle of 1974, including playwright Sir Alan Ayckbourn, retired boxer Paul Ingle and the Yorkshire Regiment.

The motion to remove Savile's name from the honour board will be considered at a full council meeting later.

Savile's ornate triple headstone in Scarborough's Woodlands Cemetery was knocked down and sent to landfill last month at the request of his family.

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HSBC Takes More Hits As Profit Halved

HSBC has announced a 51% fall in third quarter profit, as the bank takes further hits on US anti-laundering fines and mis-selling insurance in the UK.

It confirmed it was setting aside another $800m (£500m) to cover fines from US authorities, taking the total bill to $1.5bn (£937m).

The bank warned no agreement has been made and the cost of its laundering actions, much of it suspected to come from Mexican drug cartels, could be "higher, possibly significantly higher".

Sky City Editor Mark Kleinman exclusively reported the £500m hit over laundering fines on Sunday.

HSBC, Europe's biggest bank, said the final resolution will probably involve criminal as well as civil charges.

The bank said it also set aside an extra $353m (£220m) to compensate UK customers over mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI), raising the total estimated cost to £1.12bn.

HSBC boss Stuart Gulliver launched an overhaul of his bank's governance

The additional penalties, as well as the impact of the value of its own debt, triggered a 52% slide in the bank's reported pre-tax profits for the three months to September 30, down to $3.5bn (£2.2bn).

"The US authorities have substantial discretion, and prior settlements can provide no assurance as to how the US authorities will proceed in these matters," the bank said.

Earlier this year, HSBC paid a fine of $28m (£17m) to Mexican authorities for non-compliance with money laundering controls.

American investigators released a report which said some $7bn had been physically transported within 24 months across the border from Mexico to the US.

The US investigations sparked by the Mexican offences prompted CEO Stuart Gulliver to launch an overhaul of the bank's compliance operation.

HSBC has also become embroiled in the Libor rate-fixing scandal after two US state attorney generals launched investigations.

Meanwhile, the bank remains third place in Asia with assets under management, holding $129bn (£80.74) or some 11%, of the total invested in 2011.

The figure held was a slight increase from $128bn in 2010, according to industry publication Private Banker International.

:: Shares in HSBC were down more than 2% in early Monday trading, and the bank was at one point the biggest faller on the FTSE 100.

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Mobo Awards: Emeli Sande Scores Hat-Trick

Singer-songwriter Emeli Sande has taken a hat-trick of titles at the Mobo Awards, beating Jessie J and Tulisa Contostavlos to the Best Female gong.

The 25-year-old also won Best Album for her number one-selling Our Version Of Events and Best R&B/Soul act at Liverpool's Echo Arena

Sande, who also opened the night with a specially-crafted rendition of My Kind Of Love, said she was "over the moon".

"I really didn't expect to win three and getting the Album of the Year was a big thing for me, so I feel like all the hard work pays off when you get acknowledgement like that," she said.

London hip-hop artist Plan B snapped up Best Male Act and Best Hip Hop/Grime, which he collected from rising global star Rita Ora.

Mobo founder Kanya King MBE said this year's event had been particularly special.

She said: "Each year we're staggered by the calibre of the talent on display at the Mobo Awards.

"This year has been outstanding and we're honoured to showcase the best of the best on the night.

"Tonight has been a night for not only homegrown talent such as Emeli Sande and Plan B, who we've championed from the beginning of their careers, but also less represented genres of music such as gospel, jazz and African, which are equally important for Mobo."

Winners JLS - JB Gill, Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes and Oritse Williams

TLC's Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas collected this year's Mobo Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.

Members of Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes's family jetted in to celebrate the honour on her behalf. The singer - the L in TLC - died in a car accident 10 years ago.

Rita Ora flew in from the US leg of her tour to pick up Best Newcomer.

Chart star Labrinth, who was a major hit with fans lining the red carpet, was awarded Best Song in association with PRS for Music for Earthquake and treated the room to a mash-up of his biggest hits.

His fellow chart toppers JLS collected the gong for Best Video for Do You Feel What I Feel and got the crowd on their feet with a performance of their newest single, Hottest Girl In The World.

Misha B presented Rachel Kerr with the Best Gospel gong for her smooth, spellbinding vocals, and D'Banj was awarded Best African Act.

Best Jazz went to Zoe Rahman, who collected the accolade from Delilah and previous double Mobo Award winner YolanDa Brown.

And after an outstanding year, Nicki Minaj beat off stiff competition for Best International Act. Sean Paul was awarded Best Reggae.

The night also saw guest of honour Dionne Warwick presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award to celebrate half a century in the business.

 "It means I'm being thought of in a very, very special way and it's always a pleasure to be thought of in that way," she said.

The event - now in its 17th year - was interspersed with a series of performances from special guests including rapper Wiley, who shared the stage with Skepta and Ms D to perform his new release Can You Hear Me and number one single Heatwave.

Rising star Misha B treated crowds to a version of her debut single Home Run, and Angel wowed the crowd with a super smooth version of his single Wonderful.

Stooshe performed their cover of TLC's Waterfalls on stage, introduced by T-Boz and Chilli.

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Cosy Texts Between PM And Brooks Revealed

Text messages exchanged by David Cameron and former News International boss Rebekah Brooks are likely to cause fresh embarrassment for the Prime Minister.

In one message, Mr Cameron thanked Mrs Brooks for letting him ride one of her horses, joking it was "fast, unpredictable and hard to control but fun".

In another, the journalist, who faces trial in connection with the phone-hacking scandal, praised Mr Cameron's speech to the Conservative Party conference, saying: "I cried twice."

Both of the messages, which were disclosed by The Mail On Sunday, were sent in October 2009, shortly after Mrs Brooks left her job as editor of The Sun and became chief executive of News International, which owns the paper.

The messages are apparently part of a cache of texts and emails handed to Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into press standards.

Very few have so far been made public.

The leak sheds further light on the close relationship between Mr Cameron and Mrs Brooks, who live near each other in Oxfordshire.

Her husband, the racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks, was at Eton with the Prime Minister.

Mrs Brooks told the Leveson Inquiry earlier this year that Mr Cameron signed some of his missives to her 'LOL' - mistakenly thinking it meant 'Lots Of Love' rather than 'Laugh Out Loud'.

Questions about Mr Cameron's close links with Rupert Murdoch's media empire, and Mrs Brooks in particular, came to the fore after the phone-hacking row erupted.

Mrs Brooks at the Leveson Inquiry

In her Leveson evidence, Mrs Brooks said, at the height of the scandal in 2010, he sent a message through an intermediary urging her to "keep your head up" and expressed his regret he could not be more loyal in public.

It also emerged previously that the Conservative leader rode a police horse, Raisa, which had been lent to Mrs Brooks by the Metropolitan Police.

Lord Justice Leveson is believed to have received a large amount of correspondence from the Prime Minister, Mrs Brooks and former Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson.

However, the inquiry's lead counsel, Robert Jay QC, has indicated that only "relevant" documents will be released.

Labour frontbencher Chris Bryant has challenged Mr Cameron to publish all the material himself, suggesting he was delaying the process because it was "too salacious and embarrassing".

Mrs Brooks and Mr Coulson, an ex-editor of the News Of The World, are among those facing trial for conspiracy to access voicemails.

In a separate case, Mrs Brooks and her husband are among a group charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister has always been happy to comply with whatever Lord Justice Leveson has asked of him."

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Teenager Killed In Hit-And-Run Crash In Bury

A 16-year-old boy has died following a hit-and-run crash in Bury, Greater Manchester.

The boy, who was out with friends, was crossing Stand Lane in Radcliffe when he was hit by a silver Peugeot which did not stop, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

He sustained a serious head injury and was taken to hospital where he later died. His family were with him at the time, GMP said.

The car was later found abandoned near Bury town centre.

Detective Inspector Amber Waywell of GMP appealed for witnesses.

She said: "First and foremost our thoughts and sympathies are with this young boy's family following this tragedy, and a specially-trained officer has been appointed to support the family during this traumatic ordeal.

"Understandably, the family are absolutely distraught and both want and deserve answers as to what exactly happened last night (Saturday).

"From our initial inquiries, it would appear this young boy was simply crossing the road when he collided with the silver Peugeot which did not stop at the scene.

"We later recovered this car and none of the occupants were present, so our main focus is now on finding all those who were on board.

"It has been more than 12 hours since this tragic incident and the occupants have still not come forward, so I would urge them in the strongest possible terms to make themselves known to police immediately.

"A young boy has tragically lost his life and his family are devastated, so do the right thing and call us.

"I would also appeal to anyone who witnessed what happened, or perhaps saw this car being driven at high speed or even abandoned in the town centre to come forward immediately."

Anyone with information should call GMP on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Contractor Electrocuted At M&S Store In Kent

An investigation is under way into the death of a contractor who was electrocuted in a Marks and Spencer store.

Police said they believed the man died after suffering an electric shock in the M&S store in a Kent shopping centre.

He is thought to have been a contractor who had been called in to repair electrical equipment.

The death was initially treated as suspicious while officers worked out the full circumstances of what happened, but police later said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

The store in the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre in Tunbridge Wells was not evacuated as the scene of the accident was not in a public area of the shop.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has been advised of the incident and their health and safety officer will be liaising with the police.

A police van outside the store after the incident (Twitter pic: @Kent_999s)

A Kent Police spokeswoman said: "We were called just before 3.30pm to the store in Calverley Road. It is believed a man suffered an electric shock. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

"The air ambulance also attended."

The spokeswoman said police were called by paramedics from the South East Coast Ambulance Service who arrived at the scene first.

An M&S spokeswoman said: "There has been a tragic incident at the store today and our thoughts are with the family concerned.

"We are now concentrating on doing all we can to assist the emergency services with their investigation and as such are unable to comment any further at this stage."

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