Don Valley: Jessica Ennis' Track To Close

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

The athletics stadium where Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis trains is to close.

Sheffield City Council voted to go ahead with the closure of the Don Valley stadium as part of a package of cuts. The council has to save £50m in the next financial year.

Ennis reacted to news of the closure minutes after it was announced, tweeting: "So sad to lose Don Valley Stadium! Where it all started for me. Great memories."

She had called on councillors to rethink the plans, saying: "It would be a huge shame. I've got some amazing memories, starting my athletic career there and having that iconic stadium in my home city is incredible.

"To lose that would be such a shame for future athletes coming through, so I hope that the right decision's made and we can find a way to keep it."

Thousands cheered Ennis to London 2012 glory on a screen at Don Valley

The stadium will remain open until September 2013 so planned events over the summer, including the British Transplant Games, can still go ahead. Alternative uses for the stadium or site will be considered by the city council until then.

Ennis began her athletics career after attending a summer camp at the stadium in her home city. Thousands gathered at the stadium to watch on a big screen as she won Olympic gold in the heptathlon at London 2012.

Councillors have been accused of failing to build on the Olympic legacy by closing the venue. A smaller, currently mothballed, stadium will be refurbished for athletes in Sheffield.

Jessica's coach Toni Minichiello says he is not convinced sufficient investment will be made in the alternative site and says the loss of the Don Valley stadium is a blow to the sport.

Jessica Ennis did most of her Olympic training at her home town venue

He told Sky News: "It is an iconic stadium and it's a place that has inspired youngsters and none more so than Jessica Ennis.

"It is a fantastic facility and it is an incredible shame to lose something like this from the sporting map.

"Having taken the youngsters all the way through to Olympic gold you see that this actually can be done in Sheffield.

"Why, if you can have one Jessica Ennis, can you not have two or three?

"That opportunity all of a sudden looked to be there and now it's going to be taken away from a whole new generation of youngsters."

Sheffield City Council said in order to keep the Don Valley Stadium open and achieve the same level of saving it would have had to close up to five community sports facilities.

Cllr Isobel Blower says the stadium is too expensive to subsidise

The council says that would have resulted in a loss in sports participation of up to 10 times greater that shutting the athletics stadium.

Councillor Isobel Bowler, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Leisure at Sheffield City Council said "No-one wants to close Don Valley but we can no longer afford to subsidise it by £700,000 a year.

"Over the next 10 years, the council will save over £6m - a huge amount of money."

"We will still provide a home for athletics at Woodbourn, which is less than a mile away and will cost less than £70,000 a year to run.

"This approach has been endorsed by the sport's governing body and the city's two main athletics clubs are already engaged in constructive discussions with the council about the transfer.

"Woodbourn will technically offer the same quality of track and field facilities and in fact will provide uninterrupted access for our local clubs."

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Defence Sec: Cut Welfare Not Troops

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has warned he will resist further cuts to the armed forces in Chancellor George Osborne's forthcoming spending review.

After Downing Street said publicly last month that the military would not be immune from further financial retrenchment, Mr Hammond has vowed to fight against anything more than modest "efficiency savings".

He said other Conservative Cabinet ministers believed that the greatest burden of any cuts should fall on the welfare budget.

A Whitehall source said Mr Hammond's comments were aimed particularly at the Lib Dems following remarks by senior Lib Dem ministers indicating that they believed welfare spending should be protected over defence.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Hammond said there was a "body of opinion within Cabinet who believes that we have to look at the welfare budget again", and that "we should be seeing welfare spending falling" as a result of rising employment levels.

He said the "first priority" for the Government should be "defending the country and maintaining law and order" and that further defence cuts were not possible while meeting stated security objectives.

Mr Hammond says the welfare budget should be curbed instead

"I shall go into the spending review fighting the case for the defence budget on the basis that we have made very large cuts to defence, we've done that with the collaboration and co-operation of the military," he said.

"Any further reduction in the defence budget would fall on the level of activity that we were able to carry out - the idea that expensively bought equipment may not be able to be used, expensively employed troops may not be able to be exercised and trained as regularly as they need to be.

"I am not going into the spending review offering any further reductions in personnel."

Mr Hammond's comments are likely to be welcomed by Tory backbenchers who have been calling for a return to a core Conservative values in the wake of the party's trouncing in the Eastleigh by-election.

However they will also heighten tensions within the coalition, with the Liberal Democrats resisting a further squeeze on welfare spending.

Sky's Defence Correspondent Alistair Bunkall said: "Philip Hammond's words are significant for two reasons: he's clearly saying to the Lib Dems 'enough is enough' and by so blatantly suggesting that the British Armed Forces would be unacceptably weakened if subjected to further cuts, he's drawing a line that would be dangerous to cross."  

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Middle-Aged Drinking Takes Toll on 'Ladettes'

By James Matthews, Sky Correspondent

The "ladette" culture of the 1980s and 90s is a key factor in the growing number of middle-aged women turning to drink, according to the founder of a support website.

Lucy Rocca says women between 30 and 50 are turning to alcohol as a natural choice, having grown up in an era when drinking to excess was encouraged. 

Ms Rocca set up the Soberistas website after developing - and overcoming - a dependency on alcohol. 

Within two months, more than 1,500 women had joined the forum to discuss problem drinking. The overwhelming majority are middle-aged and many are professional, career women.

Ms Rocca told Sky News: "I think the reason that women of that age are finding themselves in that position where they are drinking too much is that a lot of them grew up in a ladette culture and went on to get married and have children. 

"They had grown up in a culture where it was acceptable and encouraged, really, to drink excessively and, once they found themselves dealing with motherhood and stresses of work, they swapped the pints for the wine and they drank at home to try to deal with that stress."

Former 'ladette' poster girl Zoë Ball recently gave up alcohol

Figures for hospital admissions reflect a recent increase in problem-drinking among women between 30 and 50. 

According to the Department of Health, in England in 2010 there were 110,128 alcohol-related hospital admissions for women in their mid-30s to mid-50s. This was nearly double the number of admissions of women aged 15-34.

In Scotland, the number of alcohol-related deaths among women aged 30-44 has doubled in the past 20 years. 

In January, the Scottish Government launched a new photo app called Drinking Mirror as part of an initiative it dubbed Drop A Glass Size.

Its aim is to encourage women to curb excessive drinking by showing them a photo of how they will look in 10 years' time, depending how much they drink.

Sarah Turner, 57, who runs a centre for women with drink problems, was a millionaire property developer until she developed an addiction to wine and vodka.

Her business collapsed and her home was repossessed. Having now recovered, she helps middle-class, middle-aged women deal with drink problems. 

She believes their needs are too often ignored, while resources are channelled towards areas like teenage binge-drinking.

She told Sky News: "There is enough being done for the disassociated and the disadvantaged.

"The middle-class, middle-aged woman is so shameful, guilty and fearful of coming forward to talk about this problem and they become hidden, secret drinkers.

"This is happening in the home on an epic scale now."

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Rape T-Shirts: Amazon Offers 'Hit Her' Tops Too

Amazon UK has continued to offer controversial clothing on its website hours after an American fashion firm was forced to apologise for selling "Keep Calm And Rape" T-shirts.

The discovery comes after the "Keep Calm And Rape A Lot" shirts, offered for sale by the Solid Gold Bomb company, were withdrawn following widespread criticism.

A spokesman for Amazon UK told Sky News that the 'rape' garments were no longer available and said: "I can confirm that those items are not available for sale."

However, although Amazon has withdrawn that item, it sill offered shirts from the same firm that apparently advocate domestic violence.

One shirt for sale on Saturday morning in both Britain and Germany was emblazoned with the message: "Keep Calm And Hit Her".

Another for sale through Amazon said: "Keep Calm And Grope On".

Solid Gold Bomb was 'sorry for the ill-feeling this has caused'

Critics of the T-shirts quickly let their feelings be known by posting scores of negative comments on the relevant Amazon pages about the online retailer and the fashion company.

One said: "Do the decent thing and pull this disgusting item now. Remove all items by the same company to show them this will not be tolerated."

Another online customer, Jody, said: "Your on a roll now Amazon. So not content with supporting and encouraging rape your also advocating violence against women.

"Domestic violence is a crime. Real men don't beat there partners."

The firm posted an apology but later shut down Twitter and Facebook

Amazon listed the manufacturing quality as "Fine Jersey T-Shirt", saying the items were made by American Apparel prior to printing in the US.

When Solid Gold Bomb withdrew the 'rape' garment it also posted a statement on its website which said: "We have been informed of the fact that we were selling an offensive T-shirt primarily in the UK.

"This has been immediately deleted as it was and had been automatically generated using a scripted computer process running against 100s of thousands of dictionary words."

Solid Gold Bomb said it received death threats and its Twitter account was bombarded with scores of angry messages - many of which said: "Rape is not a joke."

The Amazon UK site still offered "hit her" T-shirts on Saturday

Solid Gold Bomb replied: "We're sorry for the ill-feeling this has caused! We're doing our best here to fix the problem."

It said the scripted programming process that created the slogan was compiled by "only one member of our staff", but that it "accepted the responsibility of the error".

Solid Gold Bomb said it sends its T-shirts from Worcester in Massachusetts to throughout the US, UK, Germany, Canada and 79 other countries daily.

:: The Twitter and Facebook accounts of Solid Gold Bomb have since been taken down.

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Lloyds: Osborne Plans Taxpayer Stake Sale

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

The Government will signal today that it will begin the sell-off of its stake in Lloyds Banking Group when the lender's share price hits 61p - a far lower level than previously thought.

I have learnt that UK Financial Investments (UKFI), which manages the taxpayer's 39% stake in Lloyds, and the Treasury will indicate today that the privatisation of the Government's stake can begin within months.

The 61p level is the price at which the stake - bought in 2008 at the height of the banking crisis - is booked at in the national accounts.

The £1.48m bonus awarded to Lloyds boss Antonio Horta-Osorio can vest if the Government sells at least one-third of its stake above 61p, Lloyds confirmed today.

"This award is subject to the normal performance adjustment policy and will only vest if a share price of 73.6p has been reached for a given period of time or the Government has sold at least 33% of its shareholding at prices above 61p," Lloyds said, confirming a report on Sky News.

"The board believes that these additional conditions are in the interests of all shareholders and support our common aim of repaying the taxpayer.

"HM Treasury has informed us that 61p is the average price at which the equity support provided to Lloyds Banking Group is recorded in the Public Finances."

The news comes as Lloyds reported a loss for last year of £570m, down from £3.5bn in 2011.

The loss was attributable to a £3.5bn provision during 2012 for mis-selling payment protection insurance, £1.5bn of which was taken during the fourth quarter.

Lloyds paid out £365m in bonuses for the year, with an employee average of £3,900.

:: The FTSE 100 share price for Lloyds Banking Group dropped almost 6% to 51.2p in late morning trades on Friday.

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Jessica Ennis Makes Don Valley Stadium Appeal

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis has made an eleventh-hour appeal to save the stadium that helped to inspire her.

Councillors are expected to approve closure of the Don Valley Stadium at a budget meeting today.

It is where the sports star perfected her athletic prowess as a youngster and where she still trains.

The heptathlete was discovered on a summer schools training camp at the Sheffield stadium and thousands watched her charge to Olympic glory on a big screen inside the venue.

But despite the heptathlete's objections it looks likely that councillors will approve a plan to bulldoze the building.

Ennis said: "It would be a huge shame.

"I've got some amazing memories, starting my athletic career there and having that iconic stadium in my home city is incredible.

"To lose that would be such a shame for future athletes coming through, so I hope that the right decision's made and we can find a way to keep it."

Councillors in Sheffield have been accused of squandering the Olympic legacy but they say the 22-year-old stadium is often empty and needs major refurbishment that the city cannot afford.

Ennis won one of Team GB's 29 gold medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games

The Labour-controlled council argues that it has to save £50m as a result of Government budget cuts and if the venue remained open local leisure centres would have to close instead.

Councillor Isobel Bowler said: "We have to choose where we put our money. If we kept this stadium open we might have to shut two or three or possibly even four local leisure centres. That's not the way to preserve the Olympic legacy."

Deputy Prime Minister and Sheffield MP Nick Clegg has urged the city council to keep the stadium open.

The sporting community is also strongly opposed to its closure.

Jessica Ennis' coach Toni Minichiello has invested many years of nurturing young talent at Don Valley and accuses the local authority of short-sightedness.

He told Sky News: "It is an iconic stadium and its a place that has inspired youngsters and none more so than Jessica Ennis.

"It is a fantastic facility and it is an incredible shame to lose something like this from the sporting map.

"Having taken the youngsters all the way through to Olympic gold you see that this actually can be done in Sheffield.

"Why, if you can have one Jessica Ennis, can you not have two or three?

"That opportunity all of a sudden looked to be there and now it's going to be taken away from a whole new generation of youngsters."

The local authority says the building costs £700,000 a year to run.

It aims to redevelop the nearby Woodbourn athletics stadium - an older building that has been mothballed for a few years. That would cost approximately £100,000.

The Don Valley stadium was opened in 1991 to host the World Student Games in the hope that it would help revitalise the largely derelict east end of Sheffield.

The full cost of staging the event is not due to be paid off until 2024.

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Breast Cancer: UK Lagging In Survival Rates

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Ageism and poor treatment are reducing women's chances of surviving breast cancer, new research suggests.

The study, funded by the Department of Health, revealed that women in Britain are far less likely to be alive three years after diagnosis than those in other well-developed countries.

Researchers at the Cancer Research UK Cancer Survival Group found that 87-89% of women in the UK and Denmark were alive three years after diagnosis, compared to 91-94% in Australia, Canada, Norway and Sweden.

Figures published in the British Journal of Cancer show the biggest difference was in women aged over 70. In the UK the three-year survival rate is 79%, whereas in Sweden it is 91%.

The scientists say the findings suggest older women and those with more advanced disease are treated less aggressively in the UK.

Dr Sarah Walters, who led the research, said: "In the UK, women are diagnosed at a similar stage as elsewhere, but survival is lower than women with the same stage of disease in other countries.

"We should now investigate whether the treatment of women with later-stage breast cancer meets international standards. There is particular concern that this is not the case, especially for older women."

Sara Hiom, the group's director of early diagnosis, said the survival gap between the UK and other countries is closing, but Britain still fares worse.

"We know that UK women diagnosed with breast cancer are not routinely given CT scans to check if the disease has spread, which could mean we aren't always accurately staging more advanced disease.

"But we also need to investigate the possibility that fewer women with later stage breast cancer in the UK receive the best treatment for their circumstances."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "This study will help us keep improving breast cancer treatment as part of our cancer strategy to save an extra 5,000 lives a year by 2014.

"We have worked with Macmillan Cancer Support to improve access to assessment, treatment and aftercare for cancer patients over 70.

"The NHS is also working to ensure all patients are treated as individuals and receive care that meets their healthcare needs whatever their age or condition."

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Premier League To Use Goal-Line Technology

By Enda Brady, Sky News Correspondent

Debates over whether the ball crossed the line or not will soon be a thing of the past in the Premier League with the news that goal-line technology will be used from next season onwards.

The Premier League is understood to be in discussions with two companies, thought to be Hawkeye and GoalRef.

Fifa has already confirmed that the technology will be used at next year's World Cup in Brazil, while this summer's Confederations Cup will also employ the system.

A spokesman for the Premier League confirmed that all 20 clubs must have the equipment in place for the first day of the new season, "including those promoted".

Hawkeye works by using six cameras to focus on the goal and when the ball crosses the line an encrypted message is sent to the referee's wristwatch within a second, if a goal has been scored. GoalRef uses sensors on the posts and crossbar which detect any change in the magnetic field when the ball crosses the line.

Lampard reacts after his goal was disallowed

It is likely that the league will now choose one system and deploy it across all 20 clubs, with the same system likely to be employed at Wembley for England international fixtures in the future.

A Premier League spokesman said: "We are in advanced discussions with two of the companies who provide the systems and we are working on the basis of having goal-line technology in place for the start of the season.

"All clubs will have to have the system to ensure the universal integrity of the competition, including those who are promoted."

The Premier League will make its decision on which system to use based on cost and ease of use.

The move should take the pressure off referees whose decisions have been greatly criticised by clubs and fans in the past.

The most high profile case in recent years was a Frank Lampard strike for England against Germany in the 2010 World Cup. Germany ran out 4-1 winners, but the incident happened when England were only trailing 2-1.

The International Football Association Board - effectively the game's rule-makers - will meet in Edinburgh on Saturday where officials are due to be told that the first use of the technology at the Fifa World Club Championship in Japan in December was a resounding success.

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Lord Rennard: 'Several' Call Police Hotline

Sky sources say that "several" women have called a Scotland Yard hotline over sexual harassment allegations relating to the former Lib Dem chief executive.

It comes as a former party activist told Sky News she offered to make an official complaint that peer had made inappropriate sexual advances towards her.

The claim by Alison Smith contradicts accounts from Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg and the party's senior leadership that no formal allegations were made about Lord Rennard.

Several women have come forward to accuse him of inappropriately touching and propositioning female party workers. Lord Rennard denies all allegations of wrongdoing.

Ms Smith told Sky News she first reported a complaint about the peer to Paul Burstow, then the chief whip, in April 2007.

"That wasn't listened to so I took the matter to various other people and really kept hitting brick walls," she said.

"At the time, I didn't have any ambitions for a political career, so I felt less prohibited coming forward and complaining.

"I said from the very first instance to Paul Burstow that I was willing to take (my complaint) all the way. I told him I was willing to put it in writing and to go to the police if he thought that was the right thing to do."

Ms Smith said the matter was dealt with informally in 2009.

Mr Clegg earlier conceded that his party made "very serious mistakes" in failing to deal properly with complaints of sexual harassment against the peer.

The Deputy Prime Minister admitted women in his party were "let down" when their allegations of sexual harassment against the peer were not listened to.

Lady Williams, the former Lib Dem leader in the House of Lords, stepped into the row saying that it had been "hopelessly exaggerated".

"Chris Rennard, in my view, is a very fine man, and I think the whole this has been hopelessly exaggerated," she said.

"Let's be frank, the bad stuff is basically what's happened to Savile. It's abusing children, it's abusing very young innocent women, it's using the temptations of celebrity.

"And all that, I completely understand that this is terrible, simply terrible. I don't think anything that's been said about our chap is in the same category at all."

Lord Rennard issued a fresh denial of any wrongdoing this week and has said he is ready to "co-operate with any properly-constituted inquiry".

The statement said "that in 27 years of working for the Liberal Democrats he received no complaint or allegation about his behaviour".

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Woman's Diamond Ring Stolen As She Lay Dying

A dying woman had a treasured diamond ring stolen from her finger in the final moments of her life at a hospice.

The gold band was taken from Wendy Dolton's hand as she lay powerless in her bed.

Hours later, the 65-year-old lost her battle with cancer.

The ring was given to Mrs Dolton by her husband to celebrate her 40th wedding anniversary. It was the last gift he gave her before he died nine years ago.

Her son Sean, 46, said: "It's a violation of morality that is just unbelievable. I'm speechless. Whoever did this is absolute scum.

"I saw her at about 6pm on the Wednesday and she had it on and she died at around 5pm on the Thursday. I feel sick to know that someone could do that in the last hours of her life.

"It's not just any ring. It was a 40th anniversary present from my father in the last months of his life, so the value is hugely sentimental.

"The fact that someone could do that to someone when they are at their most vulnerable is unbelievable. She would have been lying there and unable to do anything."

The theft took place at the Pilgrim's Hospice in Canterbury, Kent, between 6pm on February 13 and 6pm the following day.

The chief executive of Pilgrim's Hospice, Steve Auty, said: "Pilgrims Hospices is co-operating fully with the police and I am leading our own internal investigation.

"We are not aware of an incident like this occurring in our three hospices at any time in our 30-plus years history.

"Clearly it is not a situation that we want to occur in our hospices and especially not at such a difficult time for the family members concerned."

He said that there was no evidence to suggest any members of staff were implicated in the theft.

Pc Chris Poulter, of Kent Police, who is investigating the theft, said: "The theft of the ring has caused a great deal of upset for Wendy's family at a time when they are already trying to cope with her sad passing.

"Pilgrim's Hospice has been fully co-operative and our investigation continues. We have already visited some second-hand shops and will continue to make inquiries."

Anyone with information about the theft of the ring, described as a gold band with a large square diamond, is asked to call Kent Police on 101.

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Tia Sharp: Neighbour Denies Time-Wasting

A neighbour of the grandmother of murdered schoolgirl Tia Sharp has denied wasting police time.

Paul Meehan, 40, is accused of causing wasteful employment of the police by making a false report saying he had information linked to an inquiry in August last year.

Meehan, from Croydon, south London, entered a not guilty plea at Croydon Magistrates' Court.

During the short hearing, he spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address and to deny the offence.

He was released on bail and will next appear at the same court on May 3 for a one-day trial.

Meehan is the neighbour of Tia's grandmother, Christine Sharp, whose boyfriend, Stuart Hazell, is due to stand trial for the 12-year-old's murder in May.

Christine Sharp's boyfriend Hazell is due to stand trial

Tia's body was found in the loft of her grandmother's house in New Addington, south London, in August last year, more than a week after she went missing.

Hazell, 37, from New Addington, is charged with murdering the schoolgirl between August 2 and 11.

Christine Sharp was arrested on suspicion of murder but in December she was told she would face no further action in relation to the case.

The disappearance of the schoolgirl sparked a huge search around the Croydon area with family members leading the campaign.

Police officers had previously visited Christine Sharp's home, but it was only days into the search that Tia's body was discovered hidden in the loft.

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Secret Baggage Searches For Air Passengers

Air passengers are having their bags secretly searched for alcohol and cigarettes in a practice that is "prohibited", an inspector's report has found.

Customs staff routinely searched travellers and holidaymakers bags without the owners being present, according to the report.

However, it raised concerns that "there were no assurances that this power was being used in a lawful, proportionate and controlled manner".

The report, by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, John Vine, found that: "There had been an absence of any assurance being undertaken to ensure that the correct procedures were being followed to protect Human Rights obligations during these searches."

Covert searches of luggage are prohibited under the current Border Force Enforcement Handbook guidance.

According to the report into practices at Birmingham Airport, information from the Border Force indicated 1,147 seizures were made as a result of the secret searches between October 2011 and September 2012.

The searches were carried out to try to catch those bringing more than their allocated allowance of cigarettes and alcohol into the country.

However, despite the large number of successful seizures, there were no records to show occasions where bag searches were made and nothing was found.

Civil liberties campaigners say that the searches that could not be guaranteed to be either "lawful or proportionate" were an abuse of power.

Passengers' bags may have been rifled through without their knowledge

Nick Pickles, director of privacy and civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: "Security on aircraft is clearly important, however people shouldn't be afraid that their luggage will be searched on spurious grounds or at random.

"People can't challenge these searches if they don't even know they're going on.

"The glaring absence of any detail about how these powers have been used leaves open a number of troubling questions, particularly how many people's luggage was searched without anything being found."

Senior managers at the airport had said that the searches were carried out in accordance with the 2008 HMRC consultation and the draft Code of Practice.

After the inspection, Mr Vine's team was told that the internet-based Border Force Enforcement Handbook had now been updated to reflect the HMRC consultation paper.

However, when the inspectors checked: "Our access to the web-based Border Force Enforcement Handbook established it had not been updated to include this guidance."

A Border Force spokesperson said: "Border Force protects the public and our economy by stopping the importation and exportation of illegal and restricted goods.

"Searching baggage, including when the owner is not present, is a legal and proportionate response to this issue. Any such searches must be authorised by a senior officer.

"We have already taken action on the recommendations the Chief Inspector made in his report."

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Lord Rennard: Clegg Admits 'Serious Mistakes'

Nick Clegg has admitted his party made "very serious mistakes" in its handling of sexual harassment claims against its then chief executive Lord Rennard.

The Deputy Prime Minister continued to insist that he was personally unaware of any specific allegations by women in the party until they were broadcast last week.

But he said the issue was "in the background" when the peer - who strongly denies the claims - retired from his senior role on grounds of ill-health in 2009.

"There were some very serious mistakes and the women were not listened to and were let down," Mr Clegg said as he was questioned on the controversy during his weekly phone-in on LBC 97.3 radio.

Lord Rennard has strongly denied the allegations

"I so much believe that it is crucial that you treat people with respect and dignity in everything you do - and that is what I expect of people in the organisation I lead. That, clearly, did not happen here, to put it mildly."

Mr Clegg said an email sent to a senior aide by the Daily Telegraph shortly before the 2010 election setting out detailed allegations "was not passed on to me".

"He felt that four days before the general election, because he knew what the answer was - that I didn't know anything about the allegations - and he would just send an answer back to the Daily Telegraph.

"Clearly something went seriously wrong in the organisation as a whole that people were not talking to each other."

He also insisted that a face-to-face conversation with then MP Sandra Gidley after he became leader in 2007 had been "of a general nature".

"She raised it in general terms. She wasn't aware of any specific allegations and, as she has confirmed today, I didn't either," he said.

The programme's final caller - called Herbie - asked Mr Clegg: "How in God's name do you expect (people in Eastleigh) to vote for you with this scandal going on and uneasiness?"

Mr Clegg answered by outlining the party's record in the area, where voters will pick Chris Huhne's replacement on Thursday.

When pressed on details of what was said during various discussions, the party leader said he could not be expected to remember what was said in conversations six years ago.

"All I can tell you is the truth as I recollect it now," he added.

Lord Rennard issued a fresh denial of any wrongdoing on Wednesday and has said he is ready "co-operate with any properly-constituted inquiry".

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Coronation Street's Michael Le Vell In Court

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

The Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell has appeared in court for the first time to face six charges of raping a child.

Le Vell, who plays Kevin Webster in the ITV soap opera, is accused of 19 child sex offences.

The actor sat glum-faced in the dock as charges of raping a child were put to him.

During the eight-minute hearing, Le Vell - whose real name is Michael Turner - spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth.

Le Vell looked shaken as he arrived for the hearing

Four members of his family sat towards the back of the court.

The alleged offences relate to one complainant and all took place between 2001 and 2010, the court heard.

District Judge Khalid Qureshi asked Le Vell's solicitor, Richard Gowthorpe, if there was any indication of plea, to which he replied: "No indication of plea today other than the fact that the charges are contested, and will be fully contested in the Crown Court."

Le Vell was bailed on the condition he surrenders his passport, does not contact named witnesses or have unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 14.

Asked if he understood the conditions, Le Vell nodded.

Le Vell is one of television's most famous faces

As he left the court, he said to waiting photographers:  "You must have enough pictures of me by now."

When the charges were announced earlier this year, the 48-year-old father-of-two said he intends to fight them "vigorously".

"I would like to make it quite clear that following the serious allegations that have been brought against me on Thursday 14th February 2013, I am innocent of these charges and intend to fight them vigorously," he said.

"I will now put all my efforts into clearing my name and proving my innocence."

ITV dropped the actor from any further episodes of the show after the charges became public.

Minders clear the path for Le Vell outside the Manchester court

An ITV spokesman said: "Given the serious nature of these charges, Michael Le Vell will not be appearing in Coronation Street pending the outcome of legal proceedings. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time."

Le Vell, who split from his wife Janette Beverley last year, is one of television's most famous faces after playing car mechanic Kevin Webster for the past 30 years in the TV show.

Originally from Manchester, he began his acting career in the Oldham Theatre Workshop after taking an interest in amateur dramatics while at school.

He first joined the soap in 1983 and quickly endeared himself to fans who have followed the trials and tribulations of Kevin, from Brian Tilsley's apprentice mechanic through to his stormy marriage to Sally, played by Sally Dynevor, and fathering two teenage girls as well as a love child from his affair with Molly Dobbs.

Le Vell is due to appear at Manchester Crown Court on March 20.

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Horsemeat: Tesco To Source More Meat From UK

By Poppy Trowbridge, Business and Economics Correspondent

Tesco is to announce a commitment to source more of its meat from the UK at a farming conference in Birmingham later.

The supermarket kingpin will tell the National Farmers Union meeting that by July all its chicken will come from British farms, and pork products will follow.

Tesco will also offer suppliers two-year contracts to help companies plan their business for the longer term.

The company's chief executive, Phillip Clarke, who will address the conference today, told Sky News: "We feel the need to bring the food closer to home.

"We think it's right to bring more of it back to the UK, so long as we can get the demand from the UK."

Earlier this month, Mr Clarke said in a video on Tesco's website that the company would take a more open approach to food processing after it was found to be selling products contaminated with horsemeat.

Tesco was one of the first retailers to pull products from its shelves after the horsemeat contamination was revealed on January 16 after analysis was undertaken by Irish food officials.

Tesco has blamed its suppliers for the meat contamination

Tests on Findus beef lasagne revealed that some of the ready meals were made entirely from horsemeat.

And Tesco found levels of horse DNA exceeded 60% in tests on its Everyday Value Spaghetti Bolognese.

Since the horsemeat scandal broke, supermarkets have been criticised for not communicating with customers quickly enough.

They have also seen frozen burger sales and ready meal sales plunge dramatically, data by Kantar Worldpanel showed.

In an attempt to be more transparent, Tesco said it would put cameras on the supply chain so shoppers could see where the food they are eating has come from and how it was produced.

"There's nothing for anybody to hide. There never should be," said Mr Clarke.

While it already sources all its beef products from the UK and Ireland, the food retailer admits suppliers had cut corners.

"The impact so far on sales is minimal," Mr Clarke added, though he acknowledged that some customers are buying fewer frozen ready meals.

George MacDonald, Retail Week executive editor, told Sky News, "The shopper can feel fairly confident that anybody involved is going to be looking very closely indeed at how they can sort out these problems."

As the nation's biggest supermarket, Tesco should be at the forefront of campaign to restore trust in food, Mr MacDonald believes.

"It is essential for them to fully reconnect with the customer," he said.

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Badger Culls To Go Ahead In Two Areas

Controversial proposals for badger culls in West Gloucestershire and West Somerset can go ahead, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has announced.

Speaking at the National Farmers' Union conference in Birmingham, he said final licence conditions had been met.

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Ben Nevis Climber Killed In 165ft Fall

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Burger Sales Plunge 43% Amid Horsemeat Scare

Frozen beef burger and ready meal sales have plunged dramatically, according to the first retail sales data since the horsemeat scandal erupted.

Kantar Worldpanel said that in the four weeks ending February 17, frozen burger sales plunged by 43% while frozen ready meals dropped 13%.

While some of the decline can be directly attributed to consumers rejecting the products, there has also been an availability reduction as affected lines were progressively withdrawn by retailers.

Last week Birds Eye withdrew 15 beef products in four European nations

Horsemeat contamination was first revealed on January 16 after analysis was undertaken by Irish food officials. The scandal has since spread across Europe.

A Nielsen consumer survey conducted two weeks ago showed that 96% of UK adults were aware of the horsemeat scandal and 74% were concerned about it.

According to Kantar, the latest research indicates a significant change in shopping habits as a result of the contamination.

The data also indicated changing fortunes of supermarkets during the 12 weeks to February 17.

It said out of the so-called Big Four supermarkets - Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco - only Sainsbury's increased market share in the quarter.

Horsemeat is still highly regarded in some European countries

Sainsbury's saw a growth rate of 4.6% in the period, while Tesco saw its market share drop from 30.1% a year ago to 29.7% now.

Tesco was the first major retailer to withdraw its frozen burgers, after equine DNA was discovered in products produced by its meat processors.

"It might seem natural to attribute this decline to the horsemeat contamination; however, Tesco undertook heavy promotions this time last year, where consumers received a £5 voucher when they spent £40, and not repeating this offer will have adversely affected its share," Kantar Worldpanel director Edward Garner said.

Morrisons was the only retailer to post a sales decline in the 12 weeks, due in part to easing Christmas demand, a lack of convenience stores and no online presence.

It has since announced a decision to buy a swathe of Blockbuster video stores to convert into metro outlets.

Morrisons is also expected to bolster sales in the coming months as it is the only major UK supermarket with its own abattoir division, assuring meat supply chain integrity.

Brand name Findus was also found to have used horse in its beef products

Meanwhile, there appears to be a growing split in the upper and lower edges of the market.

"Waitrose and Aldi deliver all-time record shares this period of 4.8% and 3.3% respectively indicating that market polarisation and the 'two nations' consumer climate continues," Mr Garner said.

"Iceland records 10.1% growth confirming that the frozen food category as a whole remains robust."

Research now shows that the total grocery market is growing at a rate of 3.7%, which lags behind grocery price sector inflation of 4.3%.

As a result, pressure continues on shoppers who are using 'coping strategies' to reduce their effective personal inflation rate.

These strategies include switching products and retailers to seek out offers.

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Tamara Ecclestone's Ex Jailed For Blackmail

The former boyfriend of socialite and model Tamara Ecclestone has been jailed for four years for blackmailing her for £200,000.

Derek Rose, of Camden, north London, dated the daughter of Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone in 2002.

An email sent to Ms Ecclestone's manager in 2011 threatened to reveal her "intimate secrets", and claimed Rose had been approached to sell his story to a tabloid newspaper.

Rose, 33, was found guilty by a jury at Southwark Crown Court on Monday.

Judge Andrew Goymer told him: "This was an audacious attempt to obtain a large sum of money."

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Tom Maynard: Cricketer Death Inquest Begins

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

A promising young cricketer had cocaine and ecstasy in his system and was nearly four-times over the drink drive limit on the night he died, an inquest has heard.

Tom Maynard stepped on a live rail and was electrocuted before he was struck by a London Underground train in June last year.

An hour earlier, the 23-year-old was stopped by police near Wimbledon Park station.

Forensic pathologist Simon Poole tested a hair sample from Mr Maynard to find it contained ecstasy and cocaine.

Toxicologist Fiona Perry confirmed the presence of drugs and high levels of alcohol, which she said would cause "significant impairment in coordination and judgement".

Earlier, Tom's father Matthew Maynard, a former England international, described his son as a "consummate professional" who "did not suffer from depression".

Tributes to Mr Maynard were left outside the Oval

Tom Maynard's girlfriend, Carly Baker, a model, was also in court. The inquest heard he was heading to see her after drinking with friends in Wandsworth.

At around 4.15am on June 18, police officers stopped a vehicle after it was seen being "driven erratically" in Wimbledon.

Mr Maynard got out of his black Mercedes C250 and made off on foot. The officers searched the area but were unable to find him.

At 5.10am, he was found half a mile away on a London Underground line.

The court heard he was hit by a train but appeared to already be unconscious on the track. Dr Poole said his injuries included "burns consistent with contact to a live train rail".

Born in Cardiff, Mr Maynard came through the ranks at Glamorgan Cricket Club before moving to Surrey and was considered a rising star in the game.

He had played a Twenty20 game for Surrey against Kent just 14 hours before he died, scoring seven runs.

The previous month he had made his highest first-class score of 143 against Worcestershire and may well have got his first England call-up later in the year.

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April Jones Murder: Mark Bridger On Trial

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

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

April vanished in October last year

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bridger was arrested the following day.

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Pound Under Pressure After Rating Downgrade

Market Reaction: Apocalypse No

Updated: 10:58am UK, Monday 25 February 2013

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

Let's get this straight: on Friday night Moody's downgraded Britain's credit rating for the first time since it started giving official ratings to the UK back in 1978.

This means as far as it is concerned Britain is statistically more likely to default in the coming years.

On Monday, the capital markets where the Government turns to borrow, where it is constantly judged by the people who in this case really matter (investors), gave their reaction, and it can be summed up in two words: "so what?"

As of about 10am, the rate investors charge the Government to borrow was actually lower than just before the downgrade (having ticked up a touch in early trading).

The pound actually strengthened in comparison with where it was immediately after the downgrade. It's still close to a three-year low against the dollar, but it's been heading south for weeks. 

The FTSE 100 index of leading UK shares was up by 0.5%, and even banking shares, which plunged after Moody's first warned of a potential downgrade this time last year, were stable.

In other words, if you were looking for any palpable reaction to the downgrade, you would be hard-pressed to find it.

This shouldn't be particularly surprising: the notion that a downgrade would provoke economic and financial oblivion evaporated in 2011 when markets entirely ignored the US credit rating downgrade.

All of which brings us back to George Osborne.

You might be tempted to portray today's markets damp squib as good news for the Chancellor. Losing your AAA crown is not, it turns out, the end of the world. However, it's also a reminder of one of the biggest mistakes of his political career.

There was no need for Mr Osborne to tie his economic record so explicitly with the country's credit rating (particularly given the credibility of the agencies themselves).

Had he promised instead to keep the Government's cost of borrowing low, he would have been able to boast that the interest rate has almost halved since he took office.

Whether this political miscalculation deals him a lasting blow remains to be seen, but it's clear that the downgrade is no financial disaster for Britain.

However, that shouldn't distract us from what does matter: the underlying reasons for the downgrade.

It is striking that the major explanation the ratings agency gave came down to Britain's growth prospects.

It said, quite simply, that this recession has been unlike any other of recent memory. The enormous amount of debt still hanging over households and businesses (let alone the Government) has meant that the UK economy is still, even five years on, smaller than it was before the crisis.

To put that another way, this country and its citizens are generating less wealth, taking home less income and spending less than in 2008. That's why the deficit is still climbing and why the squeeze on household incomes is returning. In spite of all the money the Bank of England has thrown at the problem, and a massive of extra borrowing from the Treasury, Britain is in a serious economic pickle.

You don't need a credit ratings agency to tell you that. And it turns out the markets didn't either.

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Britain's Top Cardinal Keith O'Brien Resigns

The most senior priest in the Roman Catholic Church in Britain Cardinal Keith O'Brien has resigned over allegations of innappropriate behaviour up to 30 years ago.

The news comes just a day after the claims by three priests and a former priest first surfaced.

Cardinal O'Brien confirmed that he was to step down immediately, saying in a statement: "The Holy Father has now decided that my resignation will take effect today."

The Cardinal should have been travelling to the Vatican this week to help choose the next Pope.

He said he would not be joining the conclave to choose a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, adding: "I do not wish media attention in Rome to be focused on me - but rather on Pope Benedict XVI and on his successor."

The Vatican confirmed the news soon after.

The Cardinal missed the traditional Sunday Mass on Sunday (February 24) after the Observer newspaper carried allegations relating to actions by him 30 years ago.

The claims emerged just days after Cardinal O'Brien had called for the Catholic Church to end its celibacy rule for the priesthood.

He had told the BBC: "I realise that many priests have found it very difficult to cope with celibacy as they lived out their priesthood, and felt the need of a companion, of a woman, to whom they could get married and raise a family of their own."

Bishop Stephen Robson, who is auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, made a statement at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh explaining why the Cardinal could not attend.

He said: "A number of allegations of inappropriate behaviour have been made against the Cardinal.

"The Cardinal has sought legal advice and it would be inappropriate to comment at this time. There will be further statements in due course.

"As always in times of need such as this we cannot not be saddened by the events of the last 24 hours.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien is the only British Roman Catholic cleric able to vote in the upcoming conclave electing Pope Benedict XVI's successor.

The 74-year-old, who is Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, was created and proclaimed a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in October 2003.

He was ordained a priest on April 3, 1965.

Cardinal O'Brien served as assistant parish priest and as chaplain of St Columba Secondary School in Cowdenbeath, then was spiritual director of St Andrew's College in Drygrange and rector of St Mary's College, Blairs.

On August 5, 1985, he was ordained Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh.

He is no stranger to making the news with his views.

He has been an advocate of priests marrying but an outspoken opponent of plans to legalise same-sex marriage.

Last year his stance landed him the award, Bigot of the Year, from the gay rights group Stonewall.

In 2007 he caused controversy when speaking on the 40th anniversary of the Abortion Act he said the termination rate north of the border was equivalent to "two Dunblane massacres a day".

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Dagenham Acid Attack: Man And Woman Arrested

Police investigating an acid attack on a woman in east London have arrested two people on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

Naomi Oni, 21, suffered injuries to much of her face when she was attacked in Lodge Avenue, Dagenham, at around 12.40am on December 30.

The Metropolitan Police said a second 21-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man were arrested on Friday and Sunday respectively.

They have been bailed while investigations continue.

Officers now want to speak to a potential witness who got off the route 368 bus in Lodge Avenue around five minutes after the attack.

He is described as black, aged between 20 and 30 years old, around 5ft 5ins tall and of medium build. He was wearing a black jacket, a black hooded top and blue jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Barking and Dagenham CID on 020 3276 1058 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Banksy Mural Withdrawn From Auction

By Liz Lane, Sky News Reporter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Doctors From Abroad Must Take English Test

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Cardinal Keith O'Brien Contests Accusations

Britain's most senior Roman Catholic clergyman has been reported to the Vatican over claims of inappropriate behaviour, a newspaper has claimed.

The Observer reports that three priests and a former priest have made the allegations against Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland.

A spokesman for the Scottish Catholic Church told Sky News that Cardinal O'Brien "contests these claims and is taking legal advice".

According to the Observer, the four claimants reported to nuncio Antonio Mennini, the Vatican's ambassador to Britain, that Cardinal O'Brien had committed "inappropriate acts" going back 33 years.

The claimants, all from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, are also demanding the cleric's resignation, the paper said.

Cardinal O'Brien has a vote in the forthcoming papal conclave to choose Pope Benedict XVI's successor.

The claimants are said to be worried that their report will not be properly addressed if he is allowed to travel to Rome.

"It (the church) tends to cover up and protect the system at all costs," said one of the complainants, according to quotes published by the paper.

"The church is beautiful, but it has a dark side and that has to do with accountability. If the system is to be improved, maybe it needs to be dismantled a bit."

Cardinal O'Brien, who is due to retire next month, has angered the gay community with his conservative stance on homosexuality.

He recently said that same-sex marriages would be "harmful to the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of those involved" and has long voiced opposition to gay adoption.

When Pope Benedict announced his decision to resign on February 11, Cardinal O'Brien said: "Like many people throughout the world, I was shocked and saddened to hear of the decision by Pope Benedict XVI to resign.

"I know that his decision will have been considered most carefully and that it has come after much prayer and reflection."

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'Gas Poison' Deaths: Caravan Park Trio Named

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

The three people who died of suspected carbon monoxide in Cornwall have been named locally as John and Audrey Cook, and their daughter, Maureen.

John Cook, 90, and his 86-year-old wife Audrey died on Saturday along with their 46-year-old daughter, Maureen, in their static home in Camborne, Cornwall.

They were found dead along with a pet dog after a neighbour called in to help the elderly couple.

Devon and Cornwall Police are not treating the deaths as suspicious but it is thought a faulty appliance may be to blame.

Audrey and John Cook

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas that claims around 50 lives a year and leaves some 200 people seriously ill.

Neighbour Julie Taylor told Sky News how, within hours of hearing of the tragedy, she went out and bought two carbon monoxide alarms: "It's just absolutely devastating.

"Having seen it in the neighbourhood and myself living on my own I went out straightaway and bought them.

"It is frightening, you can't hear it, you can't see it, you can't smell it - it is the silent killer."

The Cook family had lived on the peaceful Tremarle Home Park for many years and were well known to neighbours.

Neighbour Andrew Stevenson said he was "very, very shocked."

Mr Stevenson was himself a victim of carbon monoxide poisoning in the 1990s when his chimney became blocked.

He told Sky News it was only his parents' decision to open a window that saved his life. "We were very very lucky. I got out and we worked out eventually what caused it.

"It felt like someone had given me a head cold and then I got up in the early hours of the morning and it felt like somebody had rugby tackled me but there was nobody there."

He added: "You need to have a carbon monoxide tester even if it is a basic one - it is the invisible killer."

The alarm was raised at the caravan park near Camborne where they were living just before 1pm on Saturday after the couple's helper was unable to reach them.

Firefighters broke into the caravan and found the bodies inside.

Inspector David Eldridge of Devon and Cornwall Police said: "We were able to see that there was a figure sat in a chair but they were unresponsive to knocks at the door.

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

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