Walthamstow Rape: Police Hunt Three Men

Police are looking for three men after a 12-year-old girl was "brutally" raped in London.

The girl was lured to a garage area in Walthamstow, east London, where she was pinned down and raped by two of the men, who are thought to be aged between 17 and 19.

The suspects left the area after the girl managed to call a friend who came to the scene and took her away.

Scotland Yard said the girl met the three men between 12.15am and 12.30am on Saturday, July 27.

Detective Inspector Simon Ellershaw, who is leading the investigation, said: "This was a very nasty attack on a vulnerable girl just 12 years old by a group of older males who engaged her in conversation before leading her to a secluded area.

"She was pinned down and two of the males then brutally raped her."

The first of the three men was described as dark-skinned and of mixed race, with a diamond stud in his left ear and a London accent. He told the girl his name was Mo and that he was 17.

He had large brown eyes, short hair, was very skinny and wore a black puffa-style jacket with a hood, black chinos, black trainers and a grey/black T-shirt.

The second was described as black and very tall with big lips. His hair was partly shaven and he wore black trousers with a red and blue shirt.

The third, who did not rape the girl, was black and had a moustache. He wore a blue hooded top and a red and blue cap, and told her his name was Miles.

The attack happened in an area at the end of Hibbert Road, near Theydon Street.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0208 217 7408 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Fracking Arrests: Protesters Take On Cuadrilla

By Siobhan Robbins, in Balcombe, West Sussex

The boss of energy company Cuadrilla has told Sky News the company plans to start drilling in West Sussex within the next day or so, as protesters vow to fight on to stop the site from opening.

The drill site in Balcombe has been the scene of anti-fracking protests for the past week, with demonstrators facing off against Cuadrilla over the controversial hydraulic fracturing technique.

Protester Natalie Hynde, the daughter of the Kinks' Ray Davies and the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde, today superglued her hands to a fellow demonstrator in an attempt to stop a gate at the site being opened.

Police later unstuck the pair and both protesters were arrested.

Protesters at the scene of the protest in West Sussex

So far the latest protests have been peaceful following a number of arrests earlier in the week.

Cuadrilla chief executive Francis Egan told Sky News the company has "no intention of ruining the countryside" and insisted there were only plans for exploratory drilling for oil, not for fracking.

"We would expect to start drilling within the next day or so. It is an oil exploration well - we're not actually going to fracture the well. We've been very clear about that," Mr Egan said.

"If we wanted to do that in the future we'd come back and go through a separate environmental impact assessment and planning application process, which is typically a nine to 12 month process.

Police and protesters gather at the site in Balcombe

"So there will be no fracturing at the site as part of the current operation."

Many of the demonstrators at the site live outside the area and have created a makeshift camp at the side of the road.

Protest spokeswoman Katy Dunne told Sky News: "We will stay here until we win this war and anywhere the unconventional gas and oil industry goes will face this resistance because there is no social licence for destroying people's health.

"Ninety per cent of Balcombe say they do not want this industry here."

Banners and signs have been put up by the side of the road

Fracking involves high pressure liquid being pumped deep underground to split shale rock and release gas supplies.

Mr Egan said the majority of people in the UK were "open-minded" about the importance of sourcing oil and gas resources for the future.

He said: "I'm not naive enough to think everybody who's camped outside is going to change their opinion overnight. But I do believe that the majority of people in the UK are open-minded about this.

"They do realise that we are in need of oil and gas, and that's nothing against renewables, but we will need oil and gas for decades to come.

"And it's a big question of do we carry on importing it at great cost, or develop our own resources at great benefit?"

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Right-To-Die Campaigners Lose Court Appeal

Road accident victim Paul Lamb and the family of the late locked-in syndrome sufferer Tony Nicklinson have lost a right-to-die challenge at the Court of Appeal.

Judges rejected their appeal against the long-established legal position that voluntary euthanasia is murder.

Former builder and father-of-two Mr Lamb, 57, from Leeds, who wants a doctor to help him die in a dignified way, had won the right to join the litigation to continue the battle started by Mr Nicklinson.

Mr Nicklinson, 58, died at home in Melksham, Wiltshire, in August 2012, a week after he lost a High Court bid to end his life with a doctor's help.

The father-of-two, who was paralysed by a stroke while on a business trip to Athens in 2005, had refused food and contracted pneumonia after he was "devastated" by the decision.

During the appeal hearing the judges heard argument that people who are too sick or disabled to end their "unbearable" lives without help are currently being condemned to "suffer in silence or make desperate attempts to kill themselves".

The ruling was given by the Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge, Master of the Rolls Lord Dyson and Lord Justice Elias.

Mr Lamb said he was "absolutely gutted" by the decision.

He added: "I was hoping for a humane and dignified end. This judgment does not give me that.

Paul Lamb said he was "absolutely gutted" by the judgment

"I will carry on the legal fight - this is not just about me but about many, many other people who are being denied the right to die a humane and dignified death just because the law is too scared to grapple with these issues."

Via Twitter, the Nicklinson family said: "We are sorry to say that we have lost our Court of Appeal challenge."

They said they "will continue the legal campaign and appeal again".

The Court of Appeal granted the family permission to appeal to the Supreme Court, the UK's highest court.

Lawyers for a third man welcomed a ruling in his case asking for clearer guidance from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for carers or health professionals assisting those wishing to end their own lives.

Martin, 48, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, needs the assistance of a doctor, nurse or carer to help him die because his wife does not want to be actively involved in bringing about his death.

His lawyers say that current DPP guidance makes clear that friends or family members are unlikely to be prosecuted, but does not cover health professionals.

Speaking by means of special computer software, Martin said in response to the judgment: "I am delighted by the judgment today. It takes me one step closer to being able to decide how and when I end my life.

"I am only unable to take my own life because of my physical disabilities. Almost every aspect of my daily life is outside of my control.

"I want, at least, to be able to control my death and this judgment goes some way to allow me to do this."

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it has made an application to the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court over the issue.

DPP Keir Starmer said: "While I respect the carefully considered judgment of the Court of Appeal, I think it would be sensible for the CPS, if possible, to have the benefit of the views of the Supreme Court before any amendments are made to the DPP's guidelines in this important and sensitive area of the law."

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Stephen Lawrence's Mother Given Lords Seat

The mother of Stephen Lawrence, who has campaigned for justice since his murder in 1993, is being given a seat in the House of Lords.

Doreen Lawrence, 60, is being made a baroness and will sit on Labour's benches in the Upper House as a working peer.

Party leader Ed Miliband signed off the proposal and it was put forward to Downing Street as part of Labour's recommendations.

A new peerages list is expected to be released on Thursday, confirming the appointment.

Stephen's murder in 1993 and its handling by police became notorious

Mrs Lawrence led the campaign to expose the failings of the police investigation into her teenage son's murder.

This led to the groundbreaking MacPherson Report which warned of "institutional racism" at Scotland Yard.

A special needs teacher and divorcee, she also founded a charity in her son's name to promote a positive community legacy.

Last year, she was picked to take part in the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics and held the Olympic flag.

She was awarded an OBE for services to community relations in 2003 and is also on the board of human rights group Liberty.

Stephen, 18, was killed by a gang of white youths at a bus stop in Eltham in April 1993.

The case and its handling by police became notorious and forced a reassessment of how police investigated racially motivated crimes.

Two of the original murder suspects, Gary Dobson and David Norris, were convicted of the murder in January last year.

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Twitter: Police Investigate MP Rape Threats

Detectives are investigating a string of sexually explicit and violent tweets sent to an MP as TV classics expert Mary Beard outed an internet troll on Twitter.

Stella Creasy faced a vicious online attack after she spoke out in support of feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez, who received threats to rape and kill her on Twitter following her successful campaign to put Jane Austen's picture on the new £10 note.

The Walthamstow MP retweeted some of the sinister messages to her 30,000 followers as she warned the "morons" behind the abuse would face justice.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "Officers in Waltham Forest received an allegation of malicious communications from an MP. The allegation relates to comments made on Twitter and is currently under consideration."

Ms Creasy has called for Twitter to take faster and stronger action against online thugs, and criticised the microblogging site's security policies.

She told Sky News: "This is illegal activity. It would be illegal if someone said this to you in the street, it would be a form of harassment, and it's legal online.

"And what we're looking for is companies like Twitter not simply to ask people to report stuff so they can think about it, but to actually work with the police so they can identify the individuals committing this crime."

She added: "It's not the technology that makes them idiots, it's because they are idiots. And actually Twitter has a role to play in helping us end the violence against women that this represents."

Tory MP Claire Perry, who has been advising David Cameron on measures to tackle the spread of extreme pornography and child abuse on the internet, has also received a torrent of abuse from Twitter users.

Ms Perez described how the online abuse had left her feeling "under siege"

The Devizes MP tweeted: "I am tempted to shut down my Twitter account given the trolling going on incl. to me - but that would be giving in."

Meanwhile, Ms Beard silenced an internet troll after naming and shaming him on Twitter.

The professor of classics at the University of Cambridge retweeted the "highly offensive" post from Oliver Rawlings, who has 243 followers on the social networking site.

In his tweet, Mr Rawlings called Ms Beard a "filthy old slut" and made a sexual comment.

Fellow users responded by condemning Mr Rawlings and within minutes he responded: "I sincerely apologise for my trolling. I was wrong and very rude. Hope this can be forgotten and forgiven."

Ms Beard said exposing trolls was the best tactic.

Talking to a fellow user about her decision to highlight the abuse, she tweeted: "It is a tough call. I have increasingly opted for name and shame. It has to be outed. And maybe his friends can say 'stop'."

Ms Perez described how the online abuse had left her feeling "under siege" and terrified in her own home.

She criticised the response from Twitter and claimed to have been blocked by Mark Luckie, one of its senior managers, after he was made aware of her ordeal.

Police have arrested a 21-year-old man in Manchester in connection with the abuse.

Twitter said it plans to include a button for reporting abuse within every tweet, which is already available on its iPhone app.

John Whittingdale, chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee has told Sky News Twitter bosses may be called as witnesses in an inquiry to be held in the autumn on "harmful content on the internet".

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Hospital Family Test: More Than 30 Wards Fail

Patients in 36 hospital wards across England would not recommend them to their family or friends, according to the results of a new test.

The first results of a survey designed to expose poor patient care revealed the large majority were happy with their treatment.

But some 36 of 4,500 wards were given an overall negative figure in June. This was down from 66 in April.

Despite months of criticism, only one A&E department - Chase Farm Hospital in north London - was given a negative score.

And even then, 295 of 516 patients asked about the hospital said they were "extremely likely" to recommend it and another 167 said they were "likely" to do so.

Overall, A&E services scored between 100 to minus 13 and scores for inpatients ranked from 100 to 43.

But there will be disappointment at the response rate, which was just 13.1% across England.

The so-called Friends and Family Test was announced in January and first introduced in April.

Patients are asked one simple question - whether they are likely to recommend the ward or A&E department they were treated in to friends and family.

They chose from six responses ranging from extremely likely to extremely unlikely and were asked to give reasons for their decision.

A score was created for each hospital by subtracting the number of negative responses from the number of positive ones.

More than 400,000 people completed the survey and results relate to around 4,500 NHS wards and 144 A&E services.

NHS England's national director for patients and information Tim Kelsey said the initiative was a "major step forward".

"Direct patient and citizen feedback is vital to improving the services the NHS provides. Trusts can concentrate their focus on improvement with this information," he said.

"From this first publication, we can see a significant and real variation in the quality of customer service across the NHS.

"There are home truths here and everyone will expect those Trusts who have large numbers of their patients choosing not to recommend their services to respond as quickly as possible."

David Cameron, who is on holiday in Portugal, said: "I want the NHS to put patient satisfaction at the heart of what they do and expect action to be taken at hospitals where patients and staff say standards are not good enough."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt called it a "historic moment".

"By making these ratings public, we're giving patients the power to choose the best place for their care - and driving other hospitals to raise their game," he said.

However, critics claimed the data had little meaning because it is not specific enough and is not an accurate way to measure hospital performance.

The new patient charity Point of Care Foundation noted that it is currently impossible to tell whether someone's negative response was due to poor care or an issue such as car parking.

Director Jocelyn Cornwell said: "Some hospitals were using much better methods of collecting feedback but they have had to abandon what they were doing and replace it with this rather blunt instrument which is not good for patients, or for developing useful information to improve health services.

"We would ask the Government to think again about how more useful information on patient care could be collected and used to improve services."

NHS England is to publish monthly updates on patient feedback.

By the end of next year, it hopes to roll the test out to include GP practices, community services and mental health services. All other services will be included by April 2015.

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Todmorden: Major Clean-Up After Flash Flood

A major clean-up is under way after a flash flood burst through homes and swept away roads in a Pennines village.

Walsden, near Todmorden, in West Yorkshire, was hit by up to 18in (46cm) of water last night after a cloudburst and torrential rain.

Residents said the flood caused "sheer devastation" as it poured from a culvert, ripping out huge chunks of tarmac, and destroying roads.

Water is still pouring down a side street and through at least one house.

Around 20 homes have been flooded, and more heavy rain is on the way, bringing the risk of more flooding.

Police warn waves from cars will damage homes. Pic: Twitter/@jams1999

Roger Stansfield, who was cleaning up his property this morning, said: "It started raining really heavily and within 15 minutes this road was completely flooded to the depth of my wellington boots.

"There's nothing you can do."

Flood warden Keith Crabtree said an "unprecedented" amount of rain caused "sheer devastation" in the village.

"Every road in and out of Todmorden was flooded. There's still a lot of water coming off the hillside," he said.

A man walks through floodwaters. Pic: Twitter/@jams1999

"It happened so quickly. The floods 12 months ago took three days to build up.

"This one, we just got three quarters of an hour of cloudburst and there's just nothing you can do about that."

Water floods the tracks but does not stop services. Pic: Twitter/@jams1999

West Yorkshire Police have asked people to avoid travelling through the area, saying waves from driving through water could damage houses.

Railway lines are submerged and Walsden station is closed as maintenance crews repair the tracks.

People in the region are still struggling to recover from last year's severe flooding, which caused more than £3m of damage.

Prime Minister David Cameron went to Yorkshire in June 2012 to visit flood victims and warned he would "robustly" negotiate with insurance companies to make sure they paid out.

Parked cars in the floodwaters. Pic: TWITTER @jams1999

The Environment Agency currently has three flood alerts in place - two in the Midlands and one in the South East.

Joanna Robinson, Sky News weather producer, said: "There'll be further heavy, possibly thundery, showers around this afternoon.

"Torrential downpours will bring the risk of local flooding, especially across North East England, including West Yorkshire.

"The showers will ease and fade going into the evening, but more general rain will move in from the South West tonight.

"Wednesday will bring yet more rain, locally torrential, to much of England, Wales and Ireland.

"By Thursday, the South East will turn briefly hot and humid, with temperatures up to 31C."

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London Stabbings: Murder Probe As Man Held

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was killed and two others suffered serious stab wounds.

The 40-year-old was detained overnight after officers were alerted to attacks at two separate addresses in south London on Monday evening.

A woman aged 28 and a 17-year-old girl were found with knife wounds at 7.10pm at an address in Tilson Gardens, Brixton.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, while the teenager was taken to a south London hospital and is in a serious but stable condition, Scotland Yard said.

The suspect was arrested in Leigham Court Road, Streatham

Half an hour earlier, another woman, aged 46, was found at a property in Redlands Way with a number of injuries, including stab wounds. Her condition is described as critical.

The two properties are less than a mile apart.

Police said all three victims were known to the man being held in custody at a south London police station.

He was arrested on a bus in Leigham Court Road, Streatham, south London, shortly before 1am.

Detective Inspector Will Reynolds said there was no suggestion it was a random attack and officers are not looking for anyone else.

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Manchester Stabbing: Girl Fights For Life

A 13-year-old-girl is fighting for her life after a stabbing attack in which her father died.

The man who is understood to have launched the knife attack in Moston, northeast Manchester, died of knife wounds a short time later after driving a car into the side of a nearby pub.

Police found the seriously injured girl after 10pm on Sunday at a house where the body of her 41-year-old father, who had been stabbed, was also discovered.

He has been named locally as Robert Jackson, while his daughter, Aisha, is also thought to have suffered knife wounds.

Neighbours in Moston heaped praise on Robert Jackson and his daughter

Neighbours said Mr Jackson was separated from Aisha's mother and that the teenager was visiting him when the attack happened.

Less than three hours later, officers were called to Watfield Walk in Harpurhey, a two-mile drive away, after reports that a man had threatened a car owner with a knife before stealing the vehicle.

The car was then seen by police near Rochdale Road and the 34-year-old driver drove it into the side of the Alliance Inn pub as officers approached.

Wall damage to the Alliance Inn, which the suspected knifeman crashed into

He was taken to hospital suffering from a stab wound and injuries from the crash but died a short time later.

Mr Jackson's neighbour Clare Calvert told Sky News: "He was the nicest bloke you'd ever meet ... He'd bend over backwards to help anybody - (he) wouldn't hurt a fly."

She described Aisha as "lovely".

Flowers are left at the house in Moston

Forensics officers are at the scene of the attack, where an area around the house in Delta Walk has been sealed off. Flowers have been left at the scene.

Sky's Nick Martin, who is in Moston, said the two men were known to each other:

He said: "The priority now will be to ensure that the girl pulls through - she will have critical information about the events that played out here."

The attack happened a two-mile drive from where the stolen car was crashed

Detective Superintendent Simon Barraclough, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "We are in the very early stages of our inquiries and are piecing together the circumstances that led to two men losing their lives and a 13-year-old girl fighting for her life in hospital.

"Obviously the community will be shocked as to what has happened but we can say we do not believe anyone else was involved and are not looking for anyone else in relation to this incident."

Anyone with information can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Double Yellow Parking Ban Set To Be Lifted

Drivers will be able to park on double yellow lines for 15 minutes under proposals to boost trade in high street shops.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles wants to introduce a "grace period" that would allow motorists to pop into local shops without being hit by hefty penalties, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The plans have been proposed by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles

Higher fines could be introduced outside London for motorists who park dangerously in order to secure support for the move.

A source close to Mr Pickles told The Daily Telegraph: "The high street is in danger of shrinking or dying off, and over-aggressive parking enforcement is part of the reason why.

"If people are worried about paying a fortune in parking fines, it will make them more likely to do their shop online or go to out of town shopping centres.

"For too long parking has been a revenue raiser. It's time to end that.

"There is room for a deal (with the Liberal Democrats). Dangerous parking is a menace to people, whereas if you're in the parking bay or just on the side of the road you're not presenting any risk."

Higher fines could be introduced for dangerous parking

It is understood the Lib Dems believe the Tory Cabinet minister's plans could prove "unworkable" and are keen to raise the current £70 cap on fines for all illegal parking outside London, according to the newspaper.

Lib Dem Transport Minister Norman Baker told the newspaper: "We are keen to ensure that the high street works for businesses by stopping people parking illegally for hours on end.

"I have been in discussions with other colleagues from government about how we can best take decisions on this forward.

"This is about tackling motorists who are parking illegally, not about raising charges for those who park legally."

But AA president Edmund King said: "Rather than just allow drivers to park on double yellow lines, a thorough review of the lines would be more effective.

"Many double lines are there for historical reasons and could be lifted. There is plenty of opportunity to ease back on the signs and lines in many places, giving drivers short-term waiting bays instead, so they can stop briefly to buy a paper or loaf of bread."

He added: "Local authorities should be encouraged to do what the Government does with regulations - 'one in one out' - so that yellow lines do not run out of control.

"Lifting restrictions on yellow lines should not be an excuse for hiking parking penalties outside London."

The Government has previously issued guidance to councils encouraging them to attract shoppers by setting competitive parking charges and urging them to improve the quality of parking in town centres.

Tory local government minister Brandon Lewis said: "This Government has scrapped Whitehall rules that previously told councils to hike up parking charges, adopt draconian enforcement and impose arbitrary limits on off-street parking spaces.

"Councils now need to play their part in reining back in the overzealous culture of municipal parking enforcement".

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Wedding Knife Killer Gets 25 Years In Jail

A jilted husband who stabbed his wife to death after arming himself with knives given to them as a wedding present has been jailed.

Ty Medland will serve at least 25 years behind bars after "brutally" attacking 24-year-old Samantha in public.

He thought she had started a relationship with another man and could not accept her decision that their marriage was over, according to the judge.

Medland, 26, was described in court as a "petulant, self-centred man" incapable of dealing with rejection.

Before the "frenzied and savage" murder in central Brighton, East Sussex, he uploaded to his Facebook page a link to a series of graphic pictures and videos of the couple having sex.

A message he wrote accompanying the link referred to Mrs Medland as "the cheating, lying, unloyal whore who destroyed everything I loved and believe in".

Medland armed himself with four knives - three were wedding gifts. The fourth, and the one Medland most likely used to fatally stab his wife, was a lock knife.

He attacked her as she collected belongings from him near her workplace in Queen Square on February 17.

A two-week trial at Lewes Crown Court heard she had become close to another man and had rebuffed her husband's repeated attempts to patch up their marriage.

Judge Anthony Scott-Gall told Medland: "I am satisfied, as were the jury, that you couldn't accept this rejection, added to which was the suggestion in your mind that your wife had started a relationship with another man."

The judge said he accepted that tragedy had touched Medland's life before he murdered, including the death of his daughter and a miscarriage suffered by Mrs Medland.

But Judge Scott-Gall added: "In my judgement, your motive was clear. You intended to kill your wife because a) she had rejected you and b) because you couldn't bear the prospect of her being with another man.

"This was a brutal attack that was pre-planned."

Medland, of Peacehaven, had pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility but on Friday he was convicted of murder.

Defence counsel Graham Trembath QC said Medland was "indescribably sorry" for his actions and that he was "desperate" for that to be publicly known.

He said: "He knows he will live with what he has done for the rest of his life."

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NHS Direct Plans Withdrawal From 111 Helpline

The troubled NHS 111 hotline is in fresh turmoil after one of its main providers announced it wants to pull out of the service.

NHS Direct, which provides the non-emergency phone line in nine regions of England, said it wanted to quit its contracts because they were too expensive.

It has found that the cost of providing the service, where staff give the public non-emergency health advice, exceeded the contract price.

NHS Direct is now seeking a "planned withdrawal" from the deals after projecting a £26m deficit for the coming financial year.

Its chief executive Nick Chapman said: "We will continue to provide a safe and reliable NHS 111 service to our patients until alternative arrangements can be made by commissioners.

"Whatever the outcome of the discussions on the future, patients will remain the central focus of our efforts, together with protecting our staff who work on NHS 111 to ensure that the service will continue to benefit from their skills and experience."

The announcement came as an undercover investigation revealed "serious failings" in the system, with staff shortages, long waits for callers and unnecessary ambulance call-outs.

In Channel 4's Dispatches programme NHS Undercover, one call centre manager was secretly filmed admitted the service was exposed at the weekends.

"We had a very bad service. Still realistically on the weekends we still are unsafe. We don't have the staff to deal with the calls that are coming in," the worker said.

Reporters posed as trainee call handlers and filmed secretly at centres run by the private health care company Harmoni, which has a third of the hotline contracts in England.

They found many patients had to wait longer than 10 minutes to hear back from a clinician and some workers with no medical training were filmed giving medical advice to the journalists.

A spokesman for Harmoni told the programme: "We provide a clinically safe service. We expect all staff to only provide advice according to their role and their level of training and take a zero-tolerance approach to any breach.

"Our audits show no evidence of widespread poor practice. Our staffing levels are extremely robust with around one clinical adviser to every four health advisers.

"While it has been acknowledged that NHS111 services generally did not get off to a good start, we and other providers have successfully delivered substantial improvements including recruiting 180 more advisers."

The 24-hour phone line replaced NHS Direct as the number to call for non-emergency care but has been dogged by problems since its inception.

Patients complained about unanswered calls, poor advice and calls being diverted to the wrong part of the country.

Doctors claimed its "problematic roll-out" had left patients not knowing where to turn and it has also been blamed for fuelling the current A&E crisis.

Earlier this month, the Health Select Committee attacked ministers for the "premature" launch, claiming it was done with little understanding about how it would affect the wider NHS.

 Direct worked on the 111 pilot, which was based on a cost of £13 per call to cover staff salaries and other costs.

But it says local health commissioners refused to pay more than £7.80 per call when the first 111 contract was awarded in the North East of England.

NHS Direct initially won 11 of the 46 regional contracts for the hotline but pulled out of two before they were even launched.

It now wants to axe the remaining nine in Buckinghamshire, East London and the City, South East London, Sutton and Merton, West Midlands, Lancashire and Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire and Somerset.

A company spokesman said it had encountered "significant problems" when it launched the three contracts in the north west of England and West Midlands in March.

She said the calls took "twice as long as expected" and as a result, NHS Direct did not have "sufficient capacity" to handle all the calls that it received.

The firm had worked on the pilot, which was based on a cost of £13 per call to cover staff salaries and other expenses, but local health commissioners refused to pay so much.

The NHS Direct board remodeled its costs and decided it could bid based on £7 to £8 per call and was later awarded deals covering 34% of the country.

However, its annual report says: "It is now clear that the trust is not able to to provide the 111 service within this lower cost range, and that the 111 contracts that the trust has entered into are financially unsustainable."

David Cameron's spokesman admitted there had been problems with the hotline's launch but insisted performance and patient satisfaction was now high.

"He is confident that we will continue to push up standards and deliver a high level of service for patients across the country," the spokesman said.

NHS England blamed the earlier problems on providers not having enough call handling capacity in place but also claimed they had now been resolved.

The Department of Health said NHS Direct had "struggled to meet the standards required" but defended the hotline as a whole and vowed it would continue.

A spokesman said: "There is widespread consensus that NHS 111 is in principle a good idea.

"It makes obvious sense that for many patients, accessing the NHS by phone is often the quickest and easiest way to get advice and speak to a doctor or nurse when needed.

"So of course it's disappointing that there have been problems with its implementation but these are flaws that can and will be overcome."

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Gloucester Stabbing: Three People Arrested

Three people have been arrested after a man was stabbed to death close to where a carnival procession passed just hours earlier.

Officers were called to Park End Road in Gloucester shortly before 8pm last night following reports that a man had been stabbed.

The road borders Gloucester Park, where the town had held its annual family carnival and fete celebrations, including a procession.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire Police said two men and a woman have since been arrested on suspicion of murder.

A cordon remains in place at the scene.

Detective Inspector Jon Thompson said: "I would like to reassure people living in the area or visiting Gloucester that this type of incident is extremely rare.

"The investigation is ongoing and three people are currently in custody.

"However, we would still like to speak to anyone who was in or around Gloucester Park at the time and who might have seen what happened."

Anyone with information is urged to contact Gloucestershire Police on 101 or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Theresa May 'Shocked' By Diabetes Diagnosis

Theresa May has spoken of her shock after being diagnosed with a chronic illness, but insists it will not affect her political career.

The Home Secretary was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes two months ago and must now inject herself with insulin at least twice a day for the rest of her life, the Mail On Sunday revealed.

Commentators had seized on Mrs May's dramatic weight loss over the past 18 months as proof that she was undergoing a style makeover in preparation for a future leadership bid.

But the Conservative Cabinet minister told the newspaper that dropping two stones was partly down to the illness.

"The diabetes doesn't affect how I do the job or what I do. It's just part of life ... so it's a case of head down and getting on with it," Mrs May told the Mail On Sunday.

"It was a real shock and, yes, it took me a while to come to terms with it."

There are around 300,000 people in the UK with Type 1 diabetes

Speaking about the timing of the announcement, Sky's chief political correspondent Jon Craig said: "I suspect she wanted to get the Abu Qatada deportation out of the way and wanted nothing to distract from that."

There are around 300,000 people in the UK with Type 1 diabetes. Despite decades of research, no vaccine has been found to prevent the disease.

Pressed on whether the illness would prevent her from one day succeeding David Cameron, she told the newspaper: "There is no leadership bid.

"We have a first-class Prime Minister and long may he continue."

Doctors told Mrs May she had the condition, which means her body does not produce insulin, in November but initially they thought she had Type 2 diabetes.

"It doesn't and will not affect my ability to do my work. I'm a little more careful about what I eat and there's obviously the injections, but this is something millions of people have," she said.

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Weather: Downpours As Summer Getaway Begins

Torrential rain, thunder and lightning is blighting the first weekend of the school holidays, as thousands set off across the UK for their summer break.

The heavy downpours have already caused flash flooding in the South East and the Midlands, with more expected today as the rain spreads north and west.

In just four hours yesterday evening Market Bosworth in Leicestershire endured 61mm of rain and many other areas saw between 20mm and 30mm, with similar amounts forecast today.

This compares with an average rainfall of around 80mm for the whole month of July.

A woman shelters from a heavy downpour in Clapham, London, last night

The Met Office has increased its weather warning level to "amber", the second of three levels, urging residents in the Midlands and north of England to be prepared for storms likely to cause surface water flooding and disruption today.

The Environment Agency has also issued 32 flood alerts in the same areas, and two more serious flood warnings near Rochdale and Sheffield as river levels rise.

But forecasters said there is a chance of being hit by heavy downpours almost anywhere in the UK today.

Sky News Weather Presenter Jo Wheeler said: "Yesterday's torrential rain brought flash flooding and miserable road conditions to many parts of central southern England, the Midlands and the North.

"Today, the heaviest rainfall will be over eastern Scotland as the low pressure system drifts away north and east.

Storms are likely to cause further disruption in many parts of the UK

"So there'll be some dramatic weather yet to come for Scotland, with some heavy bursts of rain, thunder and lightning.

"Elsewhere, after a mild start to the day, it'll be a mixture of sunshine and showers."

It comes after a glorious run of baking sunshine in July which has turned increasingly unsettled over the last week.

The weather is likely to remain changeable over the next few days.

Wheeler added: "Tomorrow will be unsettled everywhere.

In contrast to Britain, Rome is experiencing scorching weather

"Heavy showers or thunderstorms will be prevalent once again, particularly in the north and west and Scotland may see some longer spells of rain.

"For all, temperatures will be a little bit lower, and closer to what we expect to see at this time of year."

As temperatures in Britain cool, other parts of Europe are sweltering in a heatwave.

Italy is thought to be experiencing its hottest weekend of the summer so far, with the mercury hitting 38C (100F) in Rome yesterday.

A strong heatwave coming from Africa and nicknamed 'Charon' by local forecasters is running over Italy with temperatures set to rise up to 40C (104F) in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Austria's capital Vienna saw temperatures reach 36C (97F) and Berlin in Germany recorded a high of 35C (95F) on Saturday.

Even higher temperatures are expected over the next few days.

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Immigration Figures 'Little Better Than A Guess'

Official figures showing how many immigrants are coming to the UK are "little better than a guess", according to a report by MPs.

The report by the Public Administration Select Committee says the number of migrants coming to the country is not properly measured, and warns the statistics are "not fit for purpose".

Analysis on how many non-UK residents are entering and leaving the country is primarily based on "random interviews" of travellers at ports and airports that were introduced to examine tourism trends, the report says.

Just 5,000 migrants a year are identified through the International Passenger Survey and many "may be reticent to give full and frank answers," it warned.

Although the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which uses the research to draw up its migration estimates, has "done its best" to produce informative statistics, the survey "is not fit for the purposes to which it is put" and ministers must find new ways to gather information, MPs said.

Conservative MP Alun Cairns, who sits on the committee, told Sky News: "When we come down to measuring the absolute numbers, it's far too blunt, the way in which they collect the data is too inaccurate and the margin for error is far too great."

In the year to June 2012, immigration was estimated at 515,000 while emigration was estimated at 352,000.

The Coalition aims to reduce net migration - the difference between the two figures - from the hundreds of thousands down to the tens of thousands by 2015.

But MPs warned the Government is at risk of ending up with an "inappropriate" immigration policy if it bases its target level of net migration on uncertain statistics "which could be out by tens of thousands".

ONS migration estimates contain no information on the immigration status of migrants, while statistics produced by the Home Office do not indicate the number of visa holders with valid leave to remain in the UK or the number who overstay their leave to remain, the report said.

The Coalition is aiming to significantly reduce net migration by 2015

Statistics produced by both organisations are "blunt instruments" for measuring, managing, and understanding migration, it added.

The committee said migration figures could be considerably improved if the Home Office and ONS properly recorded and linked the data they already gather.

MPs called for the e-Borders system to be used for measuring immigration, emigration and net migration as quickly as possible.

Committee chairman Bernard Jenkin said: "Most people would be utterly astonished to learn that there is no attempt to count people as they enter or leave the UK.

"They are amazed when they are told that government merely estimates that there are 500,000 immigrants coming into the UK each year.

"This is based on random interviews of around 800,000 people stopped and interviewed at ports and airports each year.

"Only around 5,000 of those are actual migrants, many of whom may be reticent to give full and frank answers, to say the least."

The International Passenger Survey also fails to garner the type of information needed to work out the social and economic consequences of migration, such as demand for the National Health Service or schools.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We disagree with the report's conclusions. Government reforms on immigration are working and the statistics do show that net migration is at its lowest level for a decade.

"The government is determined to build a fairer system and to address the public's concern about immigration.

"We are committed to getting net migration down from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands, and we want to be judged against the very best available evidence."

Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable criticised what he called the Conservative Party's "obsession" with net migration targets.

He told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "This idea that you're pursuing a net immigration figure is very misleading because, amongst other things, the largest number of people counted as immigrants are overseas students, who are not immigrants, they're visitors, but under the United Nations classification are counted as immigrants - but they're good for the country."

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