Thatcher's Ironclad Funeral Plans Revealed

Baroness Thatcher left instructions that the current prime minister should give a reading at her funeral, it has been reported.

Britain's first and only female PM will be given a ceremonial funeral with full military honours at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday, which will be attended by the Queen.

It is the same status as that accorded to the Queen Mother and Diana, Princess of Wales, although some Tories want a full state ceremony.

Her friends and family indicated that Lady Thatcher said she did not want such treatment; she did not want to lie in state and thought a fly-past would be a waste of money.

But there were far more details left by Lady Thatcher on how she thought her memorial service should be carried out, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Mark Thatcher greets his sister Carol as she arrives at their mother's home

They were said to include the choice of hymns - among them the patriotic I Vow to Thee, My Country - and readings from the Bible.

She specified that the prime minister at the time of her death should read a lesson from the Gospels.

Her choice of reading was John 14.1, which says: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.

"I go to prepare a place for you."

Another lesson will be read by Lady Thatcher's 19-year-old granddaughter Amanda, the Telegraph said.

The service will also include readings from the Book of Common Prayer, including the burial prayer that begins: "Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live and is full of misery. He cometh up and is cut down like a flower."

The service will be held at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday

There will be the traditional reading for meeting the body arriving at a church, which begins: "I am the Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord. He that believeth in me, yea, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

Among the other hymns selected by Lady Thatcher are John Bunyan's To Be A Pilgrim and Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.

It has also been announced that MPs and peers will be able to pay their respects to Lady Thatcher in Parliament's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft on the eve of her funeral.

The chapel will be open on Tuesday evening so members and staff from both Houses can visit the former prime minister's coffin.

Around 100 people, mainly family members and MPs, will also be invited to a short service led by the Dean of Westminster welcoming Lady Thatcher's body.

A painting of Lady Thatcher in the Downing Street study

Downing Street said she requested her body rested overnight in the historic chapel, and the Queen had given her consent.

Meanwhile, on Friday evening, Lady Thatcher's daughter Carol arrived at her mother's home ahead of the funeral.

Miss Thatcher flew in from overseas and was driven to the Belgravia townhouse in central London, where she was greeted outside by her brother Sir Mark.

Earlier Sir Mark said his family has been overwhelmed by the messages of support, as well-wishers continued to leave floral tributes throughout the day outside the Chester Square property.

He said his mother would have been very proud to know the Queen would attend her funeral.

She will be accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, and other heads of state and foreign dignitaries from around the world are attending.

The Queen will attend Lady Thatcher's funeral

The Queen also went to Sir Winston Churchill's state ceremony in 1965.

The funeral plans were revealed as Downing Street released two collections of photographs on the Flickr website documenting Lady Thatcher's time in office and her lasting influence inside Number 10.

The photos show renovations she ordered during her time in power, while her third general election victory is featured with her giving a three-fingered salute outside Number 10.

Lady Thatcher died at The Ritz in central London on Monday morning after suffering a stroke. She had battled ill health for a number of years.

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Weather Turns As Spring Finally Starts

Spring is at last set to begin in earnest this weekend, with forecasters predicting temperatures of up to 20C (68F).

Sunday is expected to be the warmest day of the year so far after what has been a dismal and extended winter dogged by snow and freezing conditions.

Sunshine in the South East and East Anglia will deliver the highest temperatures, with weather in the North and West due to remain wet and cloudy.

But even there, temperatures will still be in double figures after months struggling to rise above freezing - with highs of 14C (57F).

Temperatures in most of England and Wales are not forecast to drop below 10C (50F) on Saturday night.

Supermarkets are bracing themselves for an increased demand for ice cream and barbecue meats, with Asda predicting a 50% surge in sales of sunglasses.

March was one of the coldest on record

Sky weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said SAturday would see some unsettled conditions that it would still feel warmer.

"Despite the rain and the strong winds, temperatures should be in double figures for most places today so feeling milder than recently," she said.

Looking ahead to Sunday, she added: "It is likely to stay dry and warm across parts of south-east England and East Anglia, ahead of the rain.

"Temperatures will be in double figures for most and across East Anglia and the London area we could see highs of 18-20C."

However, next week is set to bring an unsettled spell of spring weather, with bands of rain and showers moving across the UK.

The change in the weather is due to the jet stream, the narrow band of strong wind that moves weather systems around the globe, finally moving north.

It had been diverted south in recent weeks, making March one of the coldest on record and extending the winter for Britain.

Temperatures for last month were an average of 2.5C (36.5F), according to the Met Office, which makes it the coldest March since 1962.

It would also make it the fourth coldest March since records began in 1910.

Hundreds of farmers lost livestock in the snow, which hit just as spring lambs were being born across the country.

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Thatcher: Daughter Carol's Personal Tribute

Baroness Thatcher's daughter Carol has spoken of the "tough and tearful week" ahead as she prepares for the former prime minister's funeral.

Ms Thatcher spoke publicly about her mother's death for the first time as she appeared outside the ex-leader's home in London.

With her brother Mark standing behind her, she thanked those who had sent messages which she said had given her strength.

But she admitted that the days ahead and the funeral on Wednesday would be difficult "even for the daughter of the Iron Lady".

Ms Thatcher wore a black shawl and black trousers and clutched a pair of sunglasses as she delivered the statement.

Mark Thatcher, wife Sarah, Carol Thatcher and her boyfriend Marco Grass

She said: "I would just like to say that I feel like anyone else who has just lost a second parent. It's a deeply sad and rather thought-provoking moment in life.

"My mother once said to me: 'Carol, I think my place in history is assured'.

"The magnificent tributes this week, the wonderful words of President Obama, and others of colleagues who once worked alongside her, have proved her right."

She thanked those who had sent messages of "sympathy and support", adding: "These have given me strength.

However, she admitted: "But I know this is going to be a tough and tearful week, even for the daughter of the Iron Lady."

Carol Thatcher with her mother at Wimbledon ladies' singles finals in 2006

Lady Thatcher died at The Ritz last Monday after suffering a stroke. She had been staying at the hotel since January.

Ms Thatcher flew in from Switzerland with her boyfriend ski instructor Marco Grass on Friday night after spending some days grieving privately.

Her brother Mark arrived earlier in the week and spoke of how his mother would have been "humbled" that the Queen would be at her funeral.

Police, ministers and family representatives have been meeting regularly to finalise arrangements for the ceremony.

Operation True Blue, as it has been dubbed, will see a huge security presence amid fears of anti-Thatcher protests.

Lady Thatcher with her husband Denis and their children in 1976

It has emerged that the former politician left very specific instructions for the service, to which more than 2,000 people have been invited.

She chose the hymns - including I Vow To Thee My Country - and selected the Bible readings, according to the Daily Telegraph.

She reportedly also made clear that she wanted the current prime minister to read a lesson from the Gospels. Another lesson will be read by her granddaughter Amanda.

It is officially a ceremonial funeral but the Queen's presence effectively elevates it to a state ceremony.

She has broken with protocol by deciding to attend.

The last former prime minister's funeral the monarch went to was Sir Winston Churchill's in 1965 which was a state event.

Other guests will include Lady Thatcher's old Cabinet foes, former prime ministers, TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson and singer Shirley Bassey.

Some key players - including former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan's wife Nancy - cannot attend.

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Five Dead In Crash Between Lorry And Car

Police have confirmed that five people who died in a head-on crash between a car and a lorry were from the same family.

The victims, who included a baby, were all from the Durham area, according to Humberside Police who are investigating.

Three of the family died at the scene after the smash on the A18 near Grimbsy on Friday lunchtime.

Two were taken to the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital but died later.

They had been on their way to Skegness with friends, travelling in a Nissan Primera.

Three ambulances and an air ambulance rushed to the spot in Laceby, which was then closed until late on Friday night.

The driver of the lorry - a light goods vehicle - is thought to have sustained minor injuries.

The accident happened on the A18 near Grimsby

A Humberside Police spokesman said: "Police officers investigating the serious collision which happened on the A18 near Laceby on Friday 12 April 2013 are now able to confirm that all five people who tragically died were from the same family who were from the Durham area.

"The family, which included a baby, are thought to have been driving to Skegness with friends when the collision happened."

Operations Superintendent Tracy Bradley said: "Our deepest thoughts go out to the family and friends of those who were tragically killed in this collision.

"We are working closely with relatives of those who lost their lives and are supporting them through what will be a very difficult time.

"Roads policing officers are working closely with our collision investigation team to piece together the evidence we have gathered in order to try and determine what led to this tragic incident taking place and took the lives of those travelling in the Nissan at the time.

"We have spoken to a number of key witnesses already, however, if anyone saw the incident but has not come forward I would ask them to do so."

The Grimsby stretch of the A18 featured in a BBC television programme, Britain's Most Dangerous Roads, in 2011.

The show, which aired two years ago, claimed the stretch of road was 25 times more dangerous than the average British motorway, with 20 crashes in the previous three years.

It was also found to be the UK's highest-risk stretch of road for car drivers in a nationwide survey conducted by the Road Safety Foundation in 2010.

After the crash, Jason Abrams, a golfer at the nearby Laceby Manor Golf Club, told ITV News: "All we know is that there's been four adults and one baby killed in the accident.

"It's a bendy road but people do go at a great lick along it. It's 60mph at the moment but the council are looking at changing it to 50 and hopefully this will make a difference.

"A car went into an articulated lorry. All we know is what the police have said - that the car tried to overtake something or the car hit a kerb which has sent it spinning out of control and obviously gone head-on into a lorry."

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Baby P: Man Jailed Over Death Back In Prison

One of the three people jailed over the death of Baby Peter has been returned to prison two years after being released.

Jason Owen was sentenced to six years' jail for causing or allowing the death of 17-month-old Peter Connelly, but he was released halfway through his term in 2011.

The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that Owen has since been returned to custody, following reports he breached conditions of his parole.

A spokesperson told Sky News: "Public protection is our priority. Offenders released on licence are subject to a strict set of conditions and controls.

"If they fail to comply with their licence conditions, they are liable to be returned to custody."

Peter - known as Baby P during the trial over his death - died in 2007 after sustaining more than 50 injuries, including fractured ribs and a broken back at his home in north London.

Owen, of Bromley, Kent, was jailed along with Peter's mother Tracey Connelly and her boyfriend Steven Barker over the abuse.

Tracey Connelly and Steven Barker were also jailed over Baby Peter's death

Connelly and Barker remain in prison for their role in the toddler's death.

Owen - who is Barker's brother but changed his name after Peter died - had been staying at the boy's home with his 15-year-old girlfriend.

Peter suffered fatal injuries despite being on the at-risk register of Haringey Council and receiving 60 visits from social workers, police and health professionals during the final eight months of his life.

A series of reviews have identified missed opportunities when officials could have saved him if they had acted properly on the warning signs.

Owen was originally given an indeterminate punishment to protect the public, with a minimum term of three years, at the Old Bailey in May 2009.

But the Court of Appeal later ruled Owen should have an exact prison term and he was sentenced to six years.

In May 2009, Baby Peter's mother was also given an indefinite sentence with a minimum term of five years after pleading guilty to causing or allowing her son's death.

Barker, who Peter called "Dad", was sentenced to 12 years behind bars for playing what a judge described as a "major role" in the toddler's death.

He was also jailed for life with a minimum term of 10 years for raping a two-year-old girl.

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Shoppers 'Misled' By Copycat Packaging

Retailers are misleading shoppers into buying own-brand products which "borrow" elements from the packaging of well-known competitors, according to a watchdog.

A fifth of Which? members said they had accidentally bought a supermarket version of a favourite brand at least once with 60% of those saying the mistake left them feeling annoyed or misled.

The consumer group found more than 150 own-label products had mimicked the packaging of products such as McVitie's digestives, Kellogg's coco pops, Simple cleanser and wipes, Radox bath gel and Jacob's cream crackers.

Lurpak butter seemed to have "a recognisable own-label imitator" in most major supermarkets, Which? said.

Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Boots, Superdrug and Tesco were named for stocking such items.

Own-label products, which tend to be cheaper than brands, are becoming more popular among shoppers struggling with tightened finances and rising food prices, according to separate research from the group.

Its survey on own-brand packaging found 18% of members had deliberately bought an own-label product because it resembled the branded equivalent, with 60% of these shoppers doing so because it was cheaper and 59% wanting to see if it was as good.

But consumers looked upon own-brand products less favourably when they were confused by the packaging, with 38% of those who bought such a product by mistake saying it annoyed them and 30% reporting that they felt misled.

British Brands Group director John Noble said: "Our research shows that consumers are more likely to buy own-label products if they look like brands.

"Brands survive by being distinctive and standing out, and retailers are free-riding on brands' reputations.

"Currently in the UK there is little to stop a competitor packaging its product to look like a familiar brand, whether or not the product's performance is in any way similar.

"That can't be good if we want a market in which shoppers can make informed decisions at speed."

Boots said that colours could be synonymous with certain active ingredients and helped consumers find the right product, while Morrisons, Superdrug and Aldi all said retailers used the same colours as branded products to help customers find products quickly.

A Which? spokeswoman said: "Own-brand products can provide good value and several have topped our tests to become best buys.

"But retailers should make sure that people are under no illusions about what they are buying and not leave so many consumers feeling that they have been misled."

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'Hounslow Slasher' Jailed Over Knife Attacks

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

A man dubbed the "Hounslow Slasher" after he knifed two women in random attacks in London has been jailed for 18 years.

Sasha Masamba, 21, from Hounslow, grabbed both women from behind before cutting them in random attacks 10 days apart last August.

Masamba was sentenced at the Old Bailey for two offences of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following the attacks on Kaja Zablocka, 19, and Deserilyn Aurelio, 26.

He had previously pleaded not guilty to attempted murder.

Speaking in court, Bobby Cheema QC said Masamba was "every woman's nightmare, a man that arms himself with a knife, prowls around in public places waiting for a lone female to attack."

One reason for the length of the sentence was the apparent lack of motive behind the attacks.

On sentencing, Recorder of London Judge Brian Barker said: "This is a most disturbing case. Noticeably, there was no request for money or sexual intent. The deep concern is a lack of any rational explanation for these acts.

"The victims could easily have died because the knife wounds were near arteries."

 At the time of the stabbings, police issued CCTV of Masamba and warned women to be on their guard.

He was arrested at Hounslow train station on August 21.

Shortly after the attacks, Masamba wrote on an online rant on Facebook.

"I want to bite your ear off, pluck your eyes out with chopsticks, cut your limbs with a bread knife."

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Ex-Apprentice Winner Loses Sugar Job Claim

Former Apprentice winner Stella English has lost her claim of constructive dismissal against millionaire businessman Lord Sugar.

Ms English, 34, sued the Labour peer after resigning from the £100,000-a-year job that was her prize for winning series six of the BBC1 show in 2010.

She complained her role at Lord Sugar's Viglen division was that of an "overpaid lackey", which her former boss strongly denied.

Ms English also claimed the job was "a sham" and a "PR construct", a tribunal heard last month.

The businessman insisted he had no case to answer and that Ms English was after his money.

In a written judgment, the tribunal said: "There was no dismissal of the claimant - the claimant resigned.

"Therefore the complaint of unfair constructive dismissal contrary to section 95 Employment Rights Act 1996 fails and is dismissed."

Ms English and Lord Sugar pictured after she won The Apprentice

Reacting to the verdict, Lord Sugar said the case was a "charade" and he vowed to put an end to the so-called claim culture.

After winning the TV series, Ms English was given a job at Viglen, supplying IT equipment to academy schools.

But she claimed that when the business mogul told her he would not be renewing her contract she was given no choice but to resign.

Ms English, who quit Viglen in May 2011, said she had no real role there and was not taken seriously by her colleagues.

She said did not feel like Lord Sugar's "apprentice" as she only saw him five times during her 13-month employment.

Ms English fought back tears as she said she was given no guidance about what she was meant to be doing, and was "ostracised" by her colleagues, who told her she had taken over another woman's job, which had a salary of £35,000.

Allegedly relegated to carrying out basic administrative tasks, mother of two Ms English said her employment was a "sham".

Lord Sugar said Ms English tried to 'extract money' from him

Ms English, of Whitstable, Kent, said she felt pressurised into taking up a new position at Lord Sugar's internet set-top box company You View.

In September 2011, Ms English was told that her contract was not being renewed and she then quit.

However, the peer said there was no long-term position available at YouView following the end of her 12-month contract and that she had already made it clear she did not want to work at Viglen.

Tribunal judge John Warren concluded Ms English was "ill-advised" to continue with the case and also found she was given a "real job" at Viglen.

At the tribunal, Lord Sugar accused Ms English of lying and taking him to a tribunal "to extract money from me".

He said: "She is a suspicious, untrusting person and one who believes she has always been done down and places blame with others.

"I believe this claim, together with its publication in the media, is simply an attempt to extract money from me."

He said Ms English wrongly believed he was "scared" of articles about him or The Apprentice appearing in the press and that he would pay her off to avoid a hearing.

After the tribunal ruling, he said: "There was never a case for us to answer but her need for money and fame meant that the whole system was subjected to this charade.

"I have been cleared of a derisory attempt to smear my name and extract money from me.

"The allegations were without substance, and I believe this case was brought with one intention in mind - the presumption that I would not attend the tribunal, that I would not testify and that I would settle out of court, sending Ms English on her way with a tidy settlement."

He added: "This case was a sham and a total abuse of a tribunal system, which is there to protect employees who have been mistreated.

"It is not there to aid those chancing their arm at landing a big payday. I hope that other companies will learn from this example and also fight off derisory claims."

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Welfare Cuts 'Will Widen North-South Divide'

People living in northern England will be hardest hit by the Government's welfare reforms, which will take nearly £19bn out of the economy every year.

Researchers say adults in Blackpool will lose an average of £910 a year each - more than anywhere else in Britain - because of changes to Housing Benefit, Disability Living Allowance and Child Benefit, as well as Tax Credit and Council Tax Benefit.

Former industrial areas including Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Glasgow will also be disproportionately affected.

However, wealthier areas, such as Cambridge, parts of Surrey and the Cotswolds, are expected to see the smallest financial losses.

Cambridge will be among the places least affected, researchers say

Westminster, with its high cost of living, will be the worst-affected London borough, with the average adult losing £820 in annual benefits.

Professor Steve Fothergill, of Sheffield Hallam's Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, which led the study, said: "A key effect of the welfare reforms will be to widen the gaps in prosperity between the best and worst local economies across Britain.

"Our figures also show the coalition Government is presiding over national welfare reforms that will impact principally on individuals and communities outside its own political heartlands."

Professor Fothergill found that, on the whole, the more deprived the local authority, the greater the financial impact.

Former industrial towns such as Middlesbrough are likely to feel the pinch

Collectively, the North West, North East, Yorkshire and Humberside stand to lose £5.2bn a year in benefit income.

However, a spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: "Around nine out of 10 working households will be better off by, on average, almost £300 a year as a result of changes to the tax and welfare system this month.

"Raising the personal allowance to £10,000, we will have lifted 2.7 million people out of income tax since 2010.

"Our welfare reforms, including reassessing people on incapacity benefit, will help people back into work, which will benefit the economy more than simply abandoning them to claim benefits year after year.

"These changes are essential to keep the benefits bill sustainable, so that we can continue to support people when they need it most across the UK."

Changes to Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Disability Living Allowance have already been made.

A benefit cap of £500 per week for a family and £350 for a single person will be introduced on April 15, while Universal Credit, which replaces a number of means-tested benefits, will be rolled out from October.

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Emo Teen Is First Sub-Culture Hate Crime Victim

Emo, Goth And Punk Explained

Updated: 1:15pm UK, Thursday 04 April 2013

A look at what defines goths, emos and punks as Greater Manchester Police becomes the first force in the country to officially recognise hate crimes against such sub-cultures.

GMP says it recognises alternative sub-culture as a broad term to define a strong sense of collective identity and a set of group-specific values and tastes. This typically centres on distinctive style, clothing, make up, body art and music preference. Those involved usually stand out to both fellow participants and to those outside the group.

According to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, cultures such as goths, emos, and punks are largely peaceful by definition, and are more interested in music, alternative fashion and niche media than intimidation.

:: EMO

Described as the "new goth" when it started to become a trend in the early 2000s, emo is a youth movement based around dark music, dark clothing and a sometimes darker view of the world. Emos are typically perceived to be angsty or depressed but this is not always the case, according to the Emo Rawr website, which says: "Emo is a meshing of the punk and goth cultures with a twist, gathering its music influences more from the punk side of things and the fashion style more from the gothic side of things."

Emo fashion is characterised by skinny jeans, tight t-shirts, studded belts, canvas sneakers, thick glasses and dark zip-hoodies. They wear less black than goths and often have a long fringe.

Emo music, described as "punk with emotion", has been made popular by bands such as My Chemical Romance, whose album The Black Parade topped the charts, Bullet for My Valentine and Jimmy Eat World.

:: GOTH

Many stereotypes exist of dark, depressed and even evil teenagers who are all about death, pretension and angst. They typically always wear black clothing, or white but never other colours, and have dyed black hair, black nails, white face make-up and black lipstick and eyeliner.

However, Goth.net says: "There is no specific thing that defines what you need to do or be to fit into the goth scene (except, of course, the implied black clothing).

"People in the goth scene all have different musical tastes, follow different religions, have different occupations, hobbies, and fashion sense."

The modern goth movement started in the early 1980s as part of the punk subculture.

:: PUNK

Punk evolved from the 1970s music phenomenon. The sub-culture is made up of those considered to have rejected things considered part of society's 'norms' and those thought to often hold anarchist political views.

The look is characterised by piercings, tattoos, Dr Marten boots and multi-coloured Mohawks.

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Margaret Thatcher: 2,000 Invited To Funeral

More than 2,000 people have been invited to Baroness Thatcher's funeral, although some key players have already confirmed they cannot attend.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will head a congregation of former leaders, current politicians and a string of celebrities at the ceremony next Wednesday.

But former Labour leader Lord Kinnock, former Soviet leader Michail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan's wife Nancy all cannot attend.

Three days after Lady Thatcher's death, Downing Street released highlights of the guest list for what will be one of the biggest funerals in Britain for years.

Family, friends, colleagues and aides of the politician during her time in power have all been invited.

Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock is at another funeral in Wales

All surviving former prime ministers and former US presidents, along with Hillary Clinton, are also on the list.

Tony and Cherie Blair, and Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah, have already confirmed they will attend.

Any members of Lady Thatcher's Cabinet who are still alive are invited, along with the current Cabinet and Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Others invited include her former press secretary Sir Bernard Ingham, European Commission President Manuel Barroso, author Frederick Forsyth and a representative of Nelson Mandela.

Michael Portillo, singer Shirley Bassey, TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeffrey Archer are among the guests already confirmed.

Mikhail Gorbachev, here with Lady Thatcher in 1987, can't make the service

FW de Klerk, the last president of apartheid South Africa, will also be there as a guest of the Thatcher family.

Lord Kinnock cannot go because he is at another funeral in Wales. Mr Gorbachev and Mrs Reagan are both not fit enough to travel.

Mrs Reagan's spokesman said: "Mrs Reagan is heartbroken over Baroness Thatcher's death and would really like to be there in person to pay her respects.

"Unfortunately, she is no longer able to make that kind of a trip, so will not be attending the funeral."

Argentinian president Cristina Kirchner, who has repeatedly called for the Falkland Islands to be handed to Argentina, is unsurprisingly not invited.

Lady Thatcher's ashes will be buried at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea

It has been reported that Lady Thatcher's children Mark and Carol also vetoed the presence of any Argentine officials.

The service will involve more than 700 members of the armed forces in recognition of Lady Thatcher's success in the Falklands.

She is not being given a state funeral but the Queen's presence effectively elevates the event to that level.

Preparations for the ceremony and huge security operation have been dubbed Operation True Blue and ministers and organisers are meeting daily to finalise the arrangements.

It has also emerged that Lady Thatcher's ashes will be buried next to her husband Denis' in the cemetery of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea.

The former prime minister was a long-term supporter of the hospital, where the Chelsea Pensioners live, and an infirmary on the site is named after her.

Politics however will start to get back to business as usual now that a special session of Parliament where MPs and peers were able to pay tribute is over.

David Cameron is visiting the Midlands as he resumes his regional tours, where he will speak to Sky's Adam Boulton this lunchtime.

Claims have emerged that Speaker John Bercow and Mr Cameron's own chief whip Sir George Young were against recalling Parliament from the Easter break.

A further row appears to be brewing over arrangements for the funeral, with Mr Cameron pushing for PMQs to be cancelled and the Commons to sit later. 

Mr Bercow is said to have insisted the Government tables a motion to change the timetable, which will now be put to the vote when Parliament returns on Monday.

The Prime Minister led the tributes in the Commons on Wednesday, calling Lady Thatcher an "extraordinary leader and an extraordinary woman".

Choking up with emotion, he said: "She made the political weather, she made history, and - let this be her epitaph - she made our country great again."

Labour leader Ed Miliband hailed her as a "unique and towering figure" who had "defined the politics of a generation", while making clear his opposition to some of her work.

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg appeared the most uncomfortable of the three men as he insisted it was possible to reject the tenets of Thatcherism and still respect her achievements.

The Labour benches were sparsely populated for the session, despite the party urging members to attend as a mark of respect, and there were some bitter contributions.

Former minister Michael Meacher said her "scorched earth" tactics had "polarised" the nation, while veteran David Winnick referred to the "immense pain and suffering" she caused to ordinary people.

Labour backbencher Glenda Jackson sparked howls of protest from Conservatives as she launched a full frontal assault on the "heinous" Thatcher record.

"The first Prime Minister of female gender, OK. But a woman? Not on my terms," she said.

In the Lords, speakers included Lord Tebbit who expressed sadness that he had not been able to stop her being ejected from Downing Street in 1990.

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Schoolgirl Tells Of Rapist's Threat To Film Her

An 11-year-old, who was abducted and raped in a park on her way home from school, has told how her attacker threatened he would film her and send it to her school.

The girl told how she was snatched as she walked home after getting off her bus in Enfield, north London, and subjected to a three-hour sex ordeal.

In a police interview played to jurors at the Old Bailey, the girl said she had tried to run away from her attacker but that he had grabbed her and dragged her into the park, threatening to stab her.

She said: "He kept saying 'Stop moving or I will stab you'.

"I tried to run away but then he grabbed me when I got to the pavement of the park entrance.

"I kept on saying 'stop' because it was hurting me and he kept saying 'shut up' to me. He was just saying it every time I spoke.

"When I was on the floor, he said he would film me and send it into my school.

"I was saying 'Get off me, get off me, stop'."

The youngster was recorded by police a week after the attack, in Jubilee Park, which resulted in her undergoing an operation for an injury.

Opemipo Jaji, 18, of Edmonton, north London, denies raping the girl in November last year, claiming he is a victim of mistaken identity.

He was arrested for the attack a few days later after CCTV was viewed and his bedroom searched.

A book was found about a little girl being sexually assaulted, ads for childcare vacancies and a picture of a little girl in Australia marked FC – a possible reference to Facebook.

There was also an article about missing April Jones, "the little girl who was taken", said Rosina Cottage QC, prosecuting.

Miss Cottage said Jaji had "an interest in pre-pubescent girls".

The previous year, Jaji had pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting and robbing another girl dressed in her school uniform.

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Two Killed As Train Hits Car At Crossing

Two people have died after a train travelling at 60mph hit a car on a level crossing.

Emergency services were called to the crash in Great Coates, near Grimsby, Lincolnshire, at around 7.40pm on Tuesday.

The two who died are believed to be the driver and passenger of the vehicle, a spokesman for British Transport Police (BTP) said.

One was declared dead at the scene and one died en route to hospital.

None of the passengers on the train - the 1926 First TransPennine Express service from Cleethorpes to Scunthorpe - or the driver were hurt.

The BTP spokesman said the Rail Accident Investigation Branch had been informed of the crash, which happened at an automated half-barrier crossing.

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Unicef: Austerity Risks Children's Prospects

British children's prospects trail behind many of their European neighbours and current Government policies are making it worse, a UN organisation has warned.

Unicef's report on child well-being placed the UK 16th out of 29 developed countries, but it ranked much lower on key indicators including involvement in further education (29th), teenage pregnancy (27th) and youth unemployment (24th).

The children's rights organisation warned that a generation of British teenagers is being "sidelined" by the Government's austerity agenda and called for more state investment in young people.

Anita Tiessen, deputy executive director of Unicef UK, said: "There is no doubt that the situation for children and young people has deteriorated in the last three years, with the Government making policy choices that risk setting children back in their most crucial stages of development.

"With the UK ranking at the bottom, or near the bottom, of the league table on teenage pregnancy and young people not in education, employment or training, we know that many are facing a bleaker future.

"While children and young people will be the first to bear the brunt if we fail to safeguard their well-being, over time society as a whole will pay the price."

The UK has actually crept up the child well-being tables since Unicef's last report in 2007, which branded Britain the worst place in the developed world to be a child.

But the organisation warned that the improvement seen under the previous Labour administration risks being reversed by the Coalition cuts programme.

It cited research by the Family and Parenting Institute and Institute for Fiscal Studies predicting that 400,000 more children will be in poverty by 2015/16 due to austerity measures.

The new report draws on statistics from 2010 and shows a general improvement in children's experiences over the first decade of this century, compared with the previous scorecard, which looked at data from 2001/2.

But the brighter picture for younger children is not matched among teenagers, who remain more likely than their peers in other developed countries to drop out of education and get involved in underage drinking and teenage pregnancy.

The table was topped by the Netherlands, then Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Romania was ranked last.

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Horse Drug Found In Asda Corned Beef Products

Asda has recalled batches of its "Smart Price" corned beef after tests found low levels of veterinary medicine Bute in some of the products.

All batch codes of product affected - 340g tins of 'Smart Price' Corned Beef - have been recalled.

Customers who have bought the 340g tins, with any date code, have been urged not to eat the corned beef but to return it to the supermarket.

It comes just over a month after Asda withdrew the same product after tests found more than 1% equine DNA.

Further sampling and testing has revealed the presence of low levels of phenylbutazone - used in veterinary medicine as a pain-killer or anti-inflammatory.

Asda has recalled Smart Price Corned Beef

A statement from Asda said: "In March 2013 we withdrew tinned Smart Price Corned Beef (340g) after receiving a positive test for horse DNA above the 1% trace level set by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

"Today, 9th April 2013, tests on further batches have shown a positive result for very low levels of horse medication called phenylbutazone, also known as bute, at four parts per billion.

"The FSA has reassured us that the quantities we've found pose a low risk to human health."

It added it was recalling tins of Chosen By You corned beef as a precaution because it was made in the same factory. The product had not tested positive for phenylbutazone.

The FSA said no other Asda products are thought to be affected and that customers who had bough the corned beef should contact the supermarket for a refund.

It added that while animals treated with bute should not enter the food chain, the risk of damage to the health of anyone who ate the meat was "very low".

Chief medical officer Professor Dame Sally Davies previously said the levels of bute found in horse carcasses meant a person would have to eat up to 600 burgers, containing 100% horsemeat, every day to come close to consuming a human's daily dose of the drug.

A Defra spokesperson said: "Consumers have a right to expect that food is exactly what it says on the label.

"While bute presents very low risk to human health, the Food Standards Agency is investigating this specific horsemeat contamination case and will take action as necessary." 

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Fracking Earthquake Fears Dismissed By Study

Fracking: The Pros And Cons

Updated: 2:51pm UK, Thursday 13 December 2012

Opinion about fracking is bitterly divided amid fears of its environmental impact. Here are the key arguments.

What is fracking?

Hydraulic fracturing - or fracking - involves drilling into the ground. Drills go down and then sideways into areas of gas-bearing shale. Small charges are used to blow holes in the walls of the well before water and chemicals are pumped in at high-pressure to shatter the rock. This releases natural gas, formed from deposits of mud, silt and other matter that is stuck in pores within the rock layers, which is then pumped up to the surface.

The Pros

Energy security: Using Britain's own natural gas could provide a major proportion of Britain's energy needs and reduce the country's reliance on imports. Well operator Cuadrilla Resources estimates the Bowland Basin prospect site in Lancashire contains as much as 200 trillion cubic feet of gas. If even a fraction of that is extracted, Cuadrilla says it could make a significant contribution to Britain's energy supplies.

Availability: Britain has high resources of shale gas in areas including the Pennines. It could be an alternative to other fossil fuels and be worth billions of pounds.

Lower prices: There have been claims that the use of shale gas could result in lower energy costs, although the Government's own advisers have now cast doubt on the prospect.

Economic boost: Cuadrilla, the only company currently with a fracking licence, says it could create tens of thousands of jobs and generate significant tax revenue.

The Cons

Safety fears: Cuadrilla's testing in Lancashire caused small tremors in Blackpool in 2011 although there was no structural damage. Strict measures will now aim to minimise any risks.

Contamination: Environmentalists believe the process risks polluting water suppliers with chemicals. In the US, there have been reports of dangerous methane leaks, toxins from extraction plants escaping, sick animals and tap water turning grey. Cuadrilla denies the British water supply could be spoiled and insists fracturing fluid cannot escape from the rock.

Visual impact: There are concerns about drilling and hydraulic rigs, and general industrial development, in areas of natural beauty - although this also applies to many renewable projects.

Shift of focus: Proponents say shale gas could be a transitional fuel that helps to bridge the energy gap but campaigners insist attention should be on developing renewable energy. Environmental groups also claim fracking will affect efforts to slash carbon emissions.

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Margaret Thatcher: Critics Party In Brixton

Police were called to Brixton in South London after people celebrating the death of Margaret Thatcher gathered in the streets.

Some revellers climbed onto the Ritzy cinema building and rearranged letters on its film listings board to spell out the words: "Margaret Thatchers (sic) dead LOL".

Britain's first and only female prime minister died on Monday after suffering a stroke at the age of 87.

Other critics gathered in Windrush Square celebrated with cheers of "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, dead, dead, dead".

A banner celebrating Margaret Thatcher's death hangs from the Ritzy cinema

The area was the scene of fierce riots in 1981, two years into Lady Thatcher's first term in office.

Pictures of anti-Thatcher graffiti scrawled on walls in Brixton also appeared on Twitter, with one reading: "You snatched my milk! & our hope"

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said extra officers were brought in to control the crowds, who "caused low level disorder" and threw "a small number of missiles" at officers.

There were no reports of any arrests and the group dispersed in the early hours of the morning, acccording to police.

Some revellers sprayed champagne as they celebrated in Brixton

A spokesman for Ritzy said there was some damage to its building, adding that staff helped clear up the streets after the demonstration.

Meanwhile in Glasgow, up to 300 people gathered in George Square, 24 years after poll tax protests were held there.

Some anti-capitalist campaigners wore party hats and launched streamers into the air, while a bottle of champagne was sprayed.

Earlier, David Hopper, general secretary of Durham Miners' Association, said he was celebrating on his 70th birthday after learning of Baroness Thatcher's death.

"She was a heartless woman who tore the heart out of the mining communities of the North," he said.

George Galloway, the Respect MP for Bradford West, wrote on Twitter: "Thatcher described Nelson Mandela as a 'terrorist'. I was there. I saw her lips move. May she burn in the hellfires."

Parliament is being recalled on Wednesday for a special session to allow politicians to pay tribute to Lady Thatcher.

A full ceremonial funeral will take place at St Paul's Cathedral next week.

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M42 Flyover Crash: Lorry Falls On To M6 Toll

Paramedics say a lorry driver has had an "amazing" escape after his vehicle fell from a motorway flyover and crashed onto a road below.

The HGV left the M42 and landed across four lanes of the M6 Toll near Coleshill, Warwickshire, although it avoided hitting other vehicles.

The driver, who is in his 50s, crawled out of his badly-damaged cab and was treated at the scene by ambulance crews.

He was airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, where he was treated for serious lower leg fractures, neck and back pain and cuts to his face.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said around 1,200 litres of diesel spilled across the carriageway, which was closed overnight for emergency repairs.

The M6 Toll is Britain's first privately-funded tolled motorway and runs from Cannock, Staffordshire, to Coleshill.

It bypasses a congested section of the M6 and carries around 40,000 vehicles a day.

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Film-Maker Death Post-Mortem Inconclusive

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

A post-mortem on the body of a young film-maker who died while sleeping rough for a documentary has proved inconclusive.

Lee Halpin, 26, had planned to spend a week living rough in his home city of Newcastle but his body was found in a derelict building three days into the project .

Newcastle coroner David Mitford said the post-mortem was not able to establish the cause of his death and that further tests were being carried out.

Mr Mitford said: "There are tests being taken and will need to be analysed. That might take some time and it depends on the nature of the tests.

"We don't know the reason why he died and we do not have full information about the background circumstances."

Speaking in a YouTube video he made the day before he started his week on the streets, Mr Halpin, whose body was found on Wednesday, said the documentary was part of an application for a Channel 4 investigative journalism scheme.

He said he hoped it would be an example of fearless reporting.

On the video, he said he had spoken to a homeless charity about the rise in the number of people on the streets and the effect of changes to Britain's welfare system this month.

"I'm about to go and spend a week being homeless in the West End of Newcastle. I will sleep rough for a week, scrounge for my food, access the services that other homeless individuals use," he said.

"I will interact with as many homeless people as possible and immerse myself in that lifestyle as deeply as I can."

Channel 4 has defended its decision to ask aspiring journalists to demonstrate their "fearlessness" following Mr Halpin's death.

In an online application form for the broadcaster's Investigative Journalism Programme 2013, applicants were asked to post a YouTube video describing a time in which they were "fearless in a pursuit for a story".

No date has been fixed for the inquest to resume because the tests could take some weeks.

Meanwhile, the police investigation continues.

Two men, aged 26 and 30, were arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs in connection with Mr Halpin's death and have both been released on bail.

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Margaret Thatcher: Funeral Next Wednesday

Margaret Thatcher's funeral will be held next Wednesday at St Paul's Cathedral in central London - and will be attended by the Queen.

The monarch will be joined by the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as other heads of state and foreign dignitaries from across the globe.

Downing Street said the date had been agreed at a meeting with Lady Thatcher's family and officials from Buckingham Palace.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, who is in charge of some of the arrangements, said: "There's already a huge amount of interest. There's a guest list and people will be invited over the coming days. It will be a big event. I think there's a huge amount of people - not just in Britain, but around the world - who will want to pay their respects to her."

The Queen was "sad" to hear the news of Lady Thatcher's death

Parliament is expected to be suspended for the event, which means the first Prime Minister's Questions since the Easter break could be cancelled.

The announcement came amid calls by supporters for a state funeral, as preparations for the ceremonial farewell for Britain's first and only woman prime minister got under way.

Some Tory MPs have expressed their disappointment that the 87-year-old has not been granted a state funeral - even though such a ceremony would be against her own wishes.

Peter Bone, MP for Wellingborough, said she should have "the highest kind of funeral that can be allowed".

The media, home and abroad, reacts to the news

"I would have thought a state funeral would be very appropriate. She was the first female prime minister. She was also the greatest peacetime prime minister we ever had," he told the Daily Mail.

However, it is understood she did not want to lie in state, or attract controversy, and thought a fly-past would be a waste of money.

Lady Thatcher's body was removed shortly after midnight by private ambulance from the Ritz Hotel in central London where she suffered a stroke, following her death on Monday morning.

The former prime minister will be laid to rest with a televised ceremonial funeral with full military honours - the same status afforded to the Queen Mother and Princess Diana - in recognition of her influence on the country.

A private ambulance takes Lady Thatcher's body from the Ritz

The last non-royal honoured with a state funeral was Sir Winston Churchill in 1965.

For such a ceremony to be granted to a non-royal, a parliamentary vote must be passed to permit public funds for a state funeral.

The day before Lady Thatcher's funeral her coffin will be transferred to the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster. There will be a short service following its arrival before the coffin rests in the chapel overnight.

A Downing Street statement said: "On the day itself, the streets will be cleared of traffic and the coffin will travel by hearse from the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster to the Church of St Clement Danes, the RAF Chapel, on the Strand.

A flag flies at half-mast over the Houses of Parliament

"At the church the coffin will be transferred to a gun carriage drawn by the King's Troop Royal Artillery. The coffin will then be borne in procession from St Clement Danes to St Paul's Cathedral.

"The route will be lined by tri-service military personnel."

At St Paul's it will be met by a guard of honour as members of the armed services and pensioners of the Royal Hospital Chelsea line the steps.

The service will reportedly be followed by a private cremation.

The former PM sits for a 70th birthday photograph at her London home

The public will not be able to attend the funeral service itself but will be able to line the route of the procession.

Lady Thatcher's family have asked that if people wish to pay their respects, they consider making a donation to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, rather than laying flowers.

Parliament has been recalled from Easter recess on Wednesday to allow MPs to voice their tributes to the former Tory prime minister.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who has already hailed Lady Thatcher as "a great Briton", is expected to give a statement to the Commons, followed by Ed Miliband, the Labour leader.

Margaret Thatcher in a tank on a British base in Germany in 1986

Mr Miliband said on Monday that while he "disagreed with much of what she did", he respected "her extraordinary achievements and her extraordinary personal strength".

Friends and foes alike marked the end of an era.

While some laid lowers in tribute outside Lady Thatcher's home in Belgravia, London - others took to the streets to rejoice.

Bottles and cans were thrown at police officers - injuring six - when a scuffle broke out at a party in Bristol where some 200 people assembled to celebrate.

Flowers are left outside Lady Thatcher's home in Belgravia, London

There were similar scenes in south London, where more than 100 people gathered in Brixton - the scene of fierce riots in 1981, two years into Lady Thatcher's first term in office.

A crowd of 300 gathered in Glasgow's George Square, where in 1989 protests at the introduction of the infamous poll tax took place.

Many on the Left have condemned the social impacts of her policies encouraging the free market and stripping power from unions during her 11 years in office.

Her death was also welcomed by veterans of the Falklands conflict in Argentina, who blamed her for the deaths of the 649 troops who died during the 74-day war.

Crowds celebrate the death of the former Tory PM on the streets of Brixton

But the news was received with "great sadness" by islanders on the Falklands, who flew the union flags at half mast and hailed her intervention 31 years ago.

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Disability Benefits: New System Rolled Out

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky Reporter

A petition calling on Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith to live off £53 a week has been handed in to his office - as major changes to disability benefits are rolled out.

New claimants in parts of northern England will now receive Personal Independence Payments (PIP) in place of the old Disability Living Allowance (DLA), which critics say will leave many worse off.

The new system which includes face-to-face assessments and regular reviews will take at least two years to roll out across the country.

Iain Duncan Smith: Old system is "ridiculous"

Steven Sumpter from Worcestershire, who suffers from ME and diabetes so finds walking painful, told Sky News he was worried about the future.

Previously, to get disability benefit he had to prove he was unable to walk 50m, but that will be changed to 20m.

He said he fears in the future he will lose half of the money he receives and the subsidised car he relies on.

"It means every single trip to the shops and the doctor will turn into maybe three hours of effort and that will leave me in bed, exhausted and in pain for days afterwards," he said.

The Government insists DLA was outdated and the changes mean those who really need support will now receive it.

Mr Duncan Smith has described the previous system as "ridiculous".

"We've seen a rise in the run-up to PIP. And you know why? They know PIP has a health check. They want to get in early, get ahead of it. It's a case of 'get your claim in early'," he told the Daily Mail.

He added that rigorous new health checks for claimants were "common sense".

Some charities have already expressed concerns that it will mean 600,000 people miss out on support.

Chief Executive of Scope, Richard Hawkes admitted changes were needed but claimed the Government was motivated by cost cutting.

"The Government has already announced how much the Disability Living Allowance budget is going to be reduced, they've already announced how many people are going to lose DLA and they're introducing a test which is going to provide them with the results they want to reduce those costs. It's not right, it's not fair," he told Sky News.

PIP will initially be introduce for new claimants in northwest England, Cumbria, Cheshire, northeast England and Merseyside.

Welfare reform campaigners this morning delivered a petition bearing 450,000 names to the Department of Work and Pensions.

Campaigners handing in the IDS petition at Caxton House, central London

Mr Duncan Smith was challenged to live on £53 a week after a market trader on a radio show said that was all he had to live on despite working 50 to 70 hours a week.

Asked whether he could live on £53 a week, the former army officer who now earns around £1,600-a-week after tax replied: "If I had to I would."

The Cabinet minister has since dismissed the campaign as a "complete stunt".

Musician and part-time shop worker Dominic Aversano, who started the petition on campaigning website Change.org, said: "I don't think Mr Duncan Smith has a choice about whether to listen to the petition because so many people have signed it.

"I think it has changed the debate around welfare cuts. I was surprised because I didn't think we would have such a large response. I am delighted."

As well as the Personal Independence Payments, other reforms including a below inflation 1% cap on working-age benefits and tax credit rises for three years, have already come into force.

Around 660,000 social housing tenants deemed to have a spare room will lose an average of £14-a-week in what critics have dubbed a "bedroom tax".

Trials of a £500-a-week cap on household benefits are also due to begin in four London boroughs.

Chancellor George Osborne insisted on Sunday that the public was behind his changes to the benefits system.

Mr Osborne also said he felt "angry" that too much money was being "spent in the wrong way in our welfare system".

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Grand National: Ryan Mania Stays In Hospital

Grand National-winning jockey Ryan Mania will stay in hospital for another 24 hours after suffering a nasty fall at Hexham.

Sky sources say Mania, who had been hoping to leave the hospital on Monday, is in stable condition and is due to have an MRI scan later.

The 23-year-old rider was airlifted to hospital on Sunday after his mount Stagecoach Jasper came down early on the final circuit of the St John Lee Handicap Hurdle.

He received what appeared to be a kick between his shoulder blades in the fall, which came less than 24 hours after he rode to victory on Auroras Encore at Aintree.

Mania, who was treated at the track for 25 minutes before being attached to a spinal board and flown to Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary, tweeted from his hospital bed on Sunday.

Mania was attended to on the track and then taken to hospital

He wrote: "Thanks so much for all the messages. I'm grand. Staying in hospital to get another scan tomorrow then should be home. #highsandlows."

The MRI scan will provide doctors with a detailed image of the inside of Mania's body, allowing them to see any injuries to his bones, joints or internal organs.

A spokesman for the Great North Air Ambulance confirmed the jockey received "severe/serious" back and neck injuries but said he was in a stable condition by the time he arrived at hospital.

James Armstrong, clerk of the course at Hexham, said he had been conscious and talking after the fall.

Mania's Grand National victory marked a dramatic turnaround in his career, which was temporarily halted when he spent six months out of racing and working in the hunt service after his former boss Howard Johnson lost his training licence.

He became the first Scottish-born winning rider of the world-famous steeplechase since 1896, when David Campbell won on The Soarer.

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Glasgow Schoolgirl Bus Rape: Two Men Arrested

Two men have been arrested over the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl on a bus.

The teenager was on the top deck of the 57 bus as it left Silverburn shopping centre in Pollok, Glasgow, at around 10.30pm on March 22.

She was travelling with a friend, also 14, but went up to the top deck where she was allegedly attacked.

Her friend raised the alarm with passengers downstairs.

Police said both men arrested in connection with the incident are 22.

They are due to appear before Glasgow Sheriff Court.

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New Chocolate Recipe That Halves The Fat

Scientists have found a way to halve the fat content of chocolate without compromising the treat's silky texture.

New technology allows manufacturers to replace up to 50% of the fat with fruit juice, vitamin C, water or diet cola.

Stefan A. F. Bon, from the University of Warwick, said: "This approach maintains the things that make chocolate 'chocolatey', but with fruit juice instead of fat.

"Now we're hoping the food industry will take the next steps and use the technology to make tasty, lower-fat chocolate bars and other candy."

Lead scientists Stefan A. F. Bon (Credit: University of Warwick)

He said the juice is in the form of micro-bubbles - helping the chocolate to retain the velvety mouth-feel.

This process also prevents "sugar bloom", the white film that coats the surface of chocolate that has been on the shelf for a while.

 A gelling agent called agar makes tiny "sponges" that displace fat.

The technology works with dark, milk and white chocolate, Dr Bon says.

His team at the University of Warwick has made chocolate infused with apple, orange and cranberry juice.

"Fruit-juice-infused candy tastes like an exciting hybrid between traditional chocolate and a chocolate-juice confectionary," he said.

"Since the juice is spread out in the chocolate, it doesn't overpower the taste of the chocolate."

Dr Bon unveiled his research at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

Chocolate -  an emulsion of cocoa butter and water or milk combined with cocoa powder - is generally seen as a healthy treat when enjoyed in moderation, but its high fat and sugar content is a downside.

A 60g serving of premium dark chocolate may contain 13 grams of fat - 20% of the total daily fat recommended for a person who eats 2,000 calories per day.

Scientists used apple, orange and cranberry juice

Much of that fat is saturated - the unhealthy variety.

Substituting fruit juice or cola also reduces the overall sugar content of the candy, Dr Bon said.

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Magic Mushroom Depression Trials Stalled

A trial that could lead to the use of magic mushroom treatments for depression has been stalled because of "absurd" regulations restricting the use of illegal drugs in research, it has been claimed.

Study leader Professor David Nutt, who was controversially sacked from his role as the Government's chief drug adviser in 2009, says "archaic" rules obstructing scientific progress should be abolished.

His team at Imperial College London has uncovered evidence that the hallucinogen psilocybin may combat severe depression which resists conventional treatment.

The problem is that psilocybin is the psychoactive ingredient in so-called "magic mushrooms" and is banned as a Class A drug.

Although the Medical Research Council has awarded a £550,000 grant for the trial, Professor Nutt said it has not yet been able to proceed.

Speaking ahead of the British Neuroscience Association's Festival of Neuroscience in London, he said: "We're not allowed to go and pick the mushrooms anymore and finding a company to provide this illegal drug in a way that can be prepared for trial use as yet has proved impossible.

Professor Nutt was the Government's chief drug adviser

"We are between a rock and a hard place, and that's very unfortunate because if this is an effective treatment, as it may well be for some people, then they are obviously being denied that possibility."

Under the law, academic researchers are not allowed to manufacture their own Class A drugs and must obtain them from external sources.

Companies that could supply the drugs have to go through "regulatory hoops" to obtain the necessary Home Office licence, Professor Nutt said.

This can take up to a year and triple the cost, he maintained.

Other major hurdles were the EU guidelines on Good Manufacturing Practice, which sets daunting standards for potential suppliers, and rules on storage.

Only four hospitals in the UK currently have a licence to hold psilocybin, making it difficult to roll the drug out as a prospective treatment.

Professor Nutt added: "We are the first people ever to have done a psilocybin study in the UK, but we are still hunting for a company that can manufacture the drug to GMP standards for the clinical trial, even though we've been trying for a year to find one.

"We live in a world of insanity in terms of regulating drugs at present. The whole field is so bogged down by these intransigent regulations, so that even if you have a good idea, you may never get it into the clinic."

Researchers discovered that when healthy volunteers are injected with the drug it shuts down a region of the brain known to be over-active in depression.

Professor Nutt was asked to step down from his role as chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in 2009 after claiming that alcohol and tobacco were more harmful than LSD, ecstasy and cannabis.

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Mick Philpott's Derby Home To Be Demolished

Derby City Council plans to demolish the home of Mick and Mairead Philpott, where six children were killed in a fire started by the couple.

Mick Philpott, 56, was jailed for life on Wednesday after being convicted of manslaughter over the deaths of the children in the blaze last May.

His wife Mairead, 32, and friend Paul Mosley received 17-year sentences.

The council is attempting to take legal possession of the three-bedroomed semi-detached house, as well as of the adjoining one.

Some residents want a memorial to be built on the site

"Who would want to live in a house where six children have died and why would you want to live next door to a house where six children have died?" council leader Paul Bayliss was quoted as saying in The Sunday Telegraph.

The council wants residents to decide what to do with the site.

An online petition is calling for a memorial to the victims to be built on the site.

The case shocked Britain

The Philpotts hatched a plan to start the fire at their home in order to frame Lisa Willis, Philpott's former girlfriend who had left the house taking their children with her.

They planned that Philpott should break in by the back door and rescue the children.

In the early hours of May 11, they poured petrol in the hallway of the property to start the blaze.

At one point 11 children lived in the house

But the plan went wrong as fire ripped through the council house in Victoria Road.

Mick Philpott, described as the "driving force" behind the plan, has been ordered to serve a minimum of 15 years in prison.

The Philpotts and Mosley were found guilty of six counts of manslaughter, one for each of the victims: Jade Philpott, 10, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, Jayden, five, and Duwayne, 13.

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Four Teenagers Arrested Over Man's Death

Four teenagers have been arrested in connection with the death of a man in a town centre on Saturday night.

They were held after reports of an assault at around 7.30pm in Bridge Street, near its junction with Central Avenue and Ryton Street in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.

The 40-year-old victim, yet to be formally identified, was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination is due to be conducted to find out the cause of death.

A murder inquiry is now under way, Nottinghamshire Police said.

The four boys - three aged 15 and one aged 16 - remain in custody.

Police asked anyone with information on the assault to come forward.

More follows...

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Teen Crime Commissioner In Offensive Tweet Row

Britain's first youth police commissioner has refused to step down after it was revealed she had posted a string of offensive comments on Twitter.

Paris Brown, 17, who took up the post just days ago, wrote homophobic, violent and racist comments on her Twitter account and boasted about getting drunk.

She also condoned violence in a tweet in which she said she was pleased that her brother had thumped someone that "gave his tiny little friend a black eye".

The messages were all posted before she took up the one-year post, which has a £15,000 salary funded by the taxpayer, for Kent Police last week.

The disclosure of the tweets has prompted Keith Vaz, Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, to call for her to step down from the post.

However, speaking to Sky News, Miss Brown said that she would not be resigning and felt she could still do the job.

She said: "I don't want to be judged on tweets that were written a long time ago, before I found out I had the job.

"I don't think it should affect my future, my career. I still want to be the voice of young people. I still think I can be.In a way it shows I am - those tweets are horrible obviously - but I am just a normal teenager.

"Everybody's got a regret, maybe it's a tweet, maybe it's a status but out of 4,000 tweets, there's only a few that have been picked up upon."

Paris Brown with her 'boss', the Kent Police Commissioner, Ann Barnes

In her tweets, the teenager, who turned 17 two days ago, refers to immigrants as "illegals" and gay people as "fags".

In one message she admits "Im (sic) either really fun, friendly and inclusive when Im drunk or Im an anti social, racist, sexist, embarrassing a*******. often its the latter."

Another said: "Been drinking since half 1 and riding baby walkers down the hall at work oh my god I have the best job ever haha!!"

In another she wrote: "I really wanna make a batch of hash brownies."

Miss Brown explained that a lot of the language she used was the language of youth and that "fag" was not a term of homophobic abuse, but actually meant silly or idiotic. She explained that was the youth definition given for the word "fag" in the "Urban Dictionary".

Mr Vaz told the Mail on Sunday: "I am deeply shocked by these disclosures. This individual must be removed from their post immediately. Public money should never be given to anyone who refers to violence, sex, drunkenness and other anti-social behaviour in this offensive manner.

"The Government must now reconsider its point blank refusal to publish a national list of all the appointments made by Crime Commissioners - as requested by my committee.

"The public has a right to know who they are, how they were appointed and their full backgrounds. That is the best way to stop irresponsible and unsuitable people being taken on."

Speaking on Sky News' Boulton & Co after her appointment on Friday, Miss Brown had said: "Being a young person today you feel like you have got to sort of show that you are growing up, that you are a grown up, even when you are as young as maybe 13 or 14.

"You are growing up at a faster rate in today's time and people might feel I am being patronised or I am being intimidated and that's why the are acting like they are in certain situations."

Miss Brown, whose appointment was to be a trail blazer for other Youth Commissioners across the country, reports directly to the newly elected Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Ann Barnes.

The police and crime commissioners' roles, which command salaries of up to £100,000, have themselves been controversial, largely because they put inexperienced commissioners in charge of the budget, policing and choosing the chief constable.

Mrs Barnes has said she would not be asking Miss Brown to leave the post.

She said: "I absolutely do not condone the content and language of Paris' tweets. I suspect that many young people go through a phase during which they make silly, often offensive comments and show off on Facebook and Twitter.

"I think that if everyone's future was determined by what they wrote on social networking sites between the ages of 14 and 16 we'd live in a very odd world.

"I also suspect that thousands of parents would be at best surprised and at worst deeply shocked and ashamed if they looked into the social networking of their children."

She said that the role of youth commissioner was not a "gimmick" and was part of the manifesto upon which she was elected.

Speaking to Sky News said added: "I wanted a typical teenager and frankly, it looks like I've got one."

Miss Brown, who lives with her parents in Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey, has a full-time apprenticeship role as an office junior at Kent's Swale Borough Council.

She said she had put off doing A-levels for a year while she undertakes the job as commissioner.

Miss Brown has removed her @vilulabelle account from Twitter following the revelations. She now tweets under an official account.

There was a significant backlash against Miss Brown on Twitter.

Alex Cahill wrote: "Well Paris Brown (@vilulabelle) is a shining example of young people ..."

Paul Davies wrote: "God help us and our police!!!"

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