Bernard Gallacher 'Critical' After Heart Problem

Former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher is in hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack.

Gallacher is being treated in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and was said to be in a critical condition on Friday night, NHS Grampian confirmed.

It could not confirm any other details about the 64-year-old's condition, but it is understood to have been caused by a heart problem.

His daughter, Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher, is believed to be at his bedside with her mother Lesley, brother Jamie and sister Laura.

George O'Grady, chief executive of the European Tour, said: "We are in touch with Bernard's wife Lesley and the Gallacher family and, obviously, we join with everyone in wishing Bernard a speedy recovery."

His nephew Stephen, who pulled out of the ISPS Handa Wales Open during his second round on Friday morning due to a back injury, said: "I understand that he is critical but stable.

"My family is in disarray at the moment and it is obviously a worrying situation. We are all anxious."

Gallacher, 64, was had a successful career as a golf broadcaster

Gallacher, who was born in Bathgate in 1949, turned professional in 1967 and became the youngest winner of the prestigious PGA Championship two years later, a record which stood until earlier this year.

He made the first of his eight Ryder Cup appearances as a player in 1969, defeating Lee Trevino 4&3 in the singles at Birkdale in a contest which famously ended in a 16-16 draw after Jack Nicklaus sportingly conceded a putt to Tony Jacklin on the 18th green of the final match.

The next seven contests all ended in defeat, the last  by a single point at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida in 1983.

Gallacher went on to captain Europe in 1991, 1993 and 1995.

His teams suffered two narrow defeats - the first in the controversial "War on the Shore" at Kiawah Island - before a memorable one-point win at Oak Hill in New York.

That victory was sealed by Philip Walton's win over Jay Haas on the 18th green of the penultimate singles match, with Walton still holding on to his putter as Gallacher hoisted him into the air in jubilation.

Gallacher went on to become a successful broadcaster and reported on 2012's dramatic 'Miracle at Medinah' European victory for BBC Radio Five Live.

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Queen's Daimler Limo Up For Auction

It has a special space for a handbag and had "one careful lady owner" and now a Daimler belonging to the Queen is up for auction.

The 2001 Super V8 LWB limousine was owned, and driven, by Her Majesty for three years until 2004.

Now it is being sold by the auction house Historics at Brooklands in Surrey and could fetch as much as £30,000.

Sporting a British Racing Green livery, the car was tested over 2,500 pre-delivery miles before being handed over to the Queen.

A further 11,000 miles were covered while the car was with the Queen before the vehicle was returned in 2004 to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, with whom it is still registered.

The car is being offered today with all its specifications, including its original tyres, and with a mileage of 15,242.

One feature is a factory-adapted centre armrest that has a sliding holder specifically designed for the Queen's handbag.

The Queen's handbag is never far from her side

The vehicle's ashtray was crafted to house the security lighting controls, which remain fully functioning.

This includes a set of blue flashing strobes occupying the front fog lamp inserts, alternate flashing headlamps and alternate flashing rear lights.

A further feature is a pair of neon blue lights by the rear view mirror, which were used to identify the vehicle in which the Queen was travelling when approaching her destination.

In the vehicle's capacious boot, the fittings can still be found for direct contact to the Home Office and Downing Street, although the working components have been removed.

Inside, there are deep lambswool floor rugs.

The car has a full service history by RA Creamer of Kensington and Guy Salmon of Ascot, and is sold with all original documentation, two sets of keys and original registration number, along with photographs of the Queen driving and being driven in it.

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Spain: British Man Held Over Father's Death

A British tourist has been arrested on suspicion of killing his 69-year-old father during a fight at a holiday camp in a Spanish beach resort.

A security guard reportedly called police to the Castell Montgri camp in the village of L'Estartit near Girona after an argument broke out between the man, 45, and his father. It is not thought any weapons were used in the lethal attack.

Police discovered the suspect's father lying on the ground with serious head injuries and he was taken to hospital where he died later. Reports suggest 

A police spokesman said: "Officers from the Mossos d'Esqudra have arrested a 45-year-old British man in connection with the death of his 69-year-old father.

The Castell Montgri holiday camp is located in the town of L'Estartit

"The victim was taken by emergency services to hospital to be attended for the wounds he suffered, while local police in Torroella de Montgri arrested the alleged perpetrator for domestic violence.

"The victim died this morning and investigators from the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan regional police) took on the case."

An autopsy is due to take place today to confirm the cause of death.

The Castell Montgri holiday camp is located at the foot of the Rocamaura mountain next to the town of L'Estartit in the Costa Brava region of northeast Spain. This resort is popular with British tourists during the holiday season.

Police have yet to name the deceased or his son.

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Puma Crash: Struggle To Retrieve Black Box

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

Salvage experts believe they know the location of the black box flight recorder from the Super Puma helicopter which crashed off Shetland, killing four people.

A locator beacon on the black box is still sending out signals from the seabed.

However, a heavy swell in the water is diffusing the signal, meaning searchers cannot pinpoint an exact location.

The rough conditions are also making it difficult for divers to search the seabed.

The black box should contain vital information as to why the helicopter suffered a catastrophic loss of power.

Without it, crash investigators have been frustrated in their efforts to pinpoint a cause.

Currently, the salvage teams are focusing on an area half the size of a football pitch and have told Sky News they rate their chances of recovering the black box at "50/50".

Several important sections of the helicopter have already been recovered

Sea conditions are expected to become calmer today, providing a window of increased opportunity, before becoming rough once again.

Important sections of the aircraft have, however, been found. They include both engines, the gearbox and the rotor head of the Super Puma.

Earlier, John Henderson, of Shetland marine engineering firm Ocean Kinetics, told Sky News: "Ocean Kinetics have successfully located, lifted and passed the gearbox and rotor head of the helicopter. 

"We have also located both engines and parts of the cockpit, which will likely be recovered on Thursday.

"We are still searching for the flight recorder which we believe is located at the Point of Garths Ness. There is a heavy swell running, hampering diving operations."

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said the helicopter appeared to proceed normally until three miles from the runway, "when there was a reduction in airspeed accompanied by an increased rate of descent".

"The helicopter struck the sea approximately two miles west of the Runway 09 threshold," the AAIB said in a statement.

Flights by all the Super Pumas like that in the crash have been suspended

"The evidence currently available suggests that the helicopter was intact and upright when it entered the water. It then rapidly inverted and drifted northwards towards Garths Ness.

"The helicopter was largely broken up by repeated contact with the rocky shoreline."

Representatives from across the North Sea oil and gas industry will meet on Thursday for the second time in two days to decide whether or not to lift a flying ban on Super Puma helicopters.

A meeting broke up without agreement on Wednesday after some companies argued that Super Puma models, other than the L2 which crashed off Shetland, should be allowed to resume flights.

The Unite union has made it clear that it wants flights of all Super Pumas suspended until the cause of the tragedy is known.

Contingency plans have been drawn up to maintain North Sea operations in the absence of the Super Pumas, which account for more than 50% of all flights to and from North Sea platforms.

Oil and gas companies are sharing transport and sourcing other aircraft from around the world.

Some have also commissioned boats to ferry workers to and from rigs, although sea transport does not offer an attractive alternative.

Four people were killed in the crash

Journeys can take upwards of 12 hours and transferring staff from boat to platform typically involves a "basket transfer", in which three or four people at a time are strapped inside a capsule and lifted by crane onto the rig.  It is not a pleasant experience in flat, calm conditions; in a rough sea it can be impossible.

The RMT union held a rally at their Aberdeen office calling for improved safety. General Secretary Bob Crow told Sky News that lessons must be learned.

He said: "One thing's for sure, our members shouldn't pay the ultimate price of losing their life as a result of going to work."

Four oil workers were killed when the Super Puma AS332 L2 travelling from the Borgsten Dolphin support vessel came down off the southern tip of Shetland on Friday with 16 passengers and two crew on board.

The victims have been named as Duncan Munro, 46, George Allison, 57, Sarah Darnley, 45, and 59-year-old Gary McCrossan.

The crash was the fifth incident involving Super Pumas in the North Sea since 2009.

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Rolf Harris Charged With Child Sex Offences

Rolf Harris has been charged with nine counts of indecent assault and four counts of making indecent images of a child.

The 83-year-old is accused of the assault offences between 1980 and 1986 relating to two alleged victims, who were aged 14 and 15 at the time, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

The charges he faces are:

:: Six counts of indecent assault relating to a girl aged between 15 and 16, from 1980 to 1981;

:: Three offences of indecent assault relating to a girl aged 14, in 1986;

:: Four offences of making indecent images of a child between March and July 2012.

Harris was interviewed under caution on November 29 last year, five days after his Berkshire home was searched.

Police passed their evidence to the CPS on August 12.

"We have carefully considered the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police Service as part of Operation Yewtree in relation to Rolf Harris, who was initially arrested on November 29 2012 over allegations of sexual offences," said the CPS' Alison Saunders.

Harris performed last year at the Queen's Jubilee concert

"A file of evidence was passed to the CPS on August 12 2013.

"Having completed our review, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest for Mr Harris to be charged."

Harris will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 23.

The Australian, who painted a portrait of the Queen in 2005 and performed at her Diamond Jubilee concert last year, has been a family favourite for decades.

The entertainer was awarded a CBE in 2006

He had his first musical hit Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport in 1960, and continued to enjoy success in the industry, gaining cult status in recent years and performing at Glastonbury festival several times.

He also proved popular as a television presenter, getting his first big break in 1967 when he began hosting his own BBC1 programme, The Rolf Harris Show, before moving on to children's television in the 1980s and then to Animal Hospital, which he hosted from 1994 to 2004.

Harris, who has lived in Bray, Berkshire, for more than 50 years, was awarded an MBE in 1968, an OBE in 1977 and a CBE in 2006, and was made Officer of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours list last year.

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Gillian Astbury: Staffordshire Trust Charged

Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust will face criminal charges over the death of a 66-year-old diabetic woman who fell into a coma.

Gillian Astbury died in 2007 at Stafford Hospital, with an inquest finding that a failure to administer insulin was a gross failure to provide basic care.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has decided there is enough evidence to bring criminal proceedings

A report earlier this year highlighted "appalling and unnecessary suffering of hundreds of people" at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust between 2005 and 2009.

Mrs Astbury, from Hednesford, Staffordshire, died in the early hours of April 11, 2007, while being treated for fractures to her arm and pelvis.

Jurors at the September 2010 inquest found that a contributory factor in her death was a systemic failure to provide adequate nursing facilities and low staffing levels.

In its verdict, the 10-member jury said that "there were serious shortcomings in systems and in implementation, monitoring and management of the systems in place.

"Nursing facilities were poor, staff levels were too low, training was poor, and record keeping and communications systems were poor and inadequately managed."

The inquest heard that Mrs Astbury's blood sugar levels were not properly monitored and insulin was not administered on the day before her death, despite being prescribed by doctors.

As many as 1,200 patients may have died needlessly after they were "routinely neglected" at Stafford Hospital.

More follows...

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UK's Syria Crisis Dossier Is Published

British action against Syria would still be legal without UN support, according to advice from the Government's lawyers.

The experts said "exceptional measures" would be justified on humanitarian grounds and permitted under international law.

Downing Street revealed the legal position and its intelligence advice shortly before the start of a Commons debate about the crisis.

More follows...

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Peru: Plea Decision Looms For British Women

A lawyer for one of the British women accused of drug smugling in Peru says they will have to decide soon whether they are going to plead guilty or continue to maintain their innocence.

Peter Madden, who is representing Michaella McCollum, 20, from Northern Ireland, said she and co-accused Melissa Reid, also 20, from Scotland, are scared and confused but will have to decide within weeks what to plead.

"They are basically confident enough that what they have told the authorities will be eventually proved," Mr Madden said.

"The Peruvian system is still that they are innocent until proven guilty but in reality they have to try to prove that what they said happened to them did happen."

Mr Madden, a well-known human rights solicitor from Belfast who has acted for high-profile republicans, has just returned from South America.

Melissa's father has already been over to Peru to see his daughter

He added: "They are frightened. They are unsure of their future. They are in a prison in which they are the only two foreigners."

Mr Madden said that, under new laws soon to take effect in Peru, they could be released after two years if they accept responsibility for their crime.

He added: "The position is that at some stage there will have to be a decision made by Michaella and Melissa as to whether or not, in our terms, they plead guilty, or plead not guilty and go to trial.

"That stage hasn't been reached yet."

The pair say they were forced to travel from Ibiza to Peru

Mr Madden told BBC Radio Ulster: "Anybody who is arrested and found in possession of drugs goes straight into prison. There is no bail.

"If they want to protest their innocence in a trial that may take up to or over two years, whereas if they accept their responsibility, as it is put, it could be over in six months.

"The law is changing so they could actually serve just over two years and be released.

"There is a new law going through the Peruvian Congress which states that any foreigner who has a sentence of less than seven years will get two-thirds remission and be removed from the country after a period of one third.

"This is a fairly complex decision but at some stage they will have to make that decision."

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Body Of Missing Boy Recovered From River Cam

A 12-year-old boy has been found dead after going into the River Cam near Cambridge.

Cambridgeshire Police confirmed his body was recovered at around three o'clock this morning following a major search operation.

Witnesses reported seeing him enter the water on Tuesday evening.

Police and other emergency services began searching after reports the boy did not resurface after going into the river at Lammas Land, the Fen Causeway, at about 6pm.

The boy was pulled from the water near Lammas Land, the Fens Causeway

Inspector Kate Scott said: "Emergency services recovered the body of the boy, who was deceased, at about 3am."

According to the Cambridge News, the boy's family watched as officers, paramedics, fire crews and a police helicopter searched the water. Rescue teams were seen dredging the river.

One witness told the paper: "The police helicopter was up and the firefighters were everywhere. They were going up and down the river looking for a child.

"We heard that four boys had gone into the river but only three came out and one didn't."

A spokesman for East of England Ambulance Service said: "We received the call at 6.11pm to an incident involving a 12-year-old boy in water.

"We sent three ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and a land crew from East Anglia Air Ambulance."

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British Climber Dies In Mont Blanc Fall

A British climber has died after falling 1,000m (3,281ft) from near the peak of Mont Blanc, according to Italian news agency Ansa.

The man, who is known to be a member of the Armed Forces, was said to be climbing with a partner although the two were not roped together, police in Entreves near the French border.

The climber began his ascent on the French side of the mountain but fell on the Italian side.

A Spanish climber saw the fall and raised the alarm.

The victim's body was recovered by mountain rescue in Italy's Val d'Aosta region and taken to Courmayeur.

An investigation has been opened, the report said.

More follows...

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Syria Crisis: Cameron Holds 'War Talks'

David Cameron is holding 'war talks' at Downing Street as military commanders draw up plans for missile strikes against Syria.

Mr Cameron is chairing a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) after insisting the West must not "stand idly by" in the wake of Syria's suspected chemical attack.

In talks by telephone last night with US President Barack Obama, the two leaders agreed that "all the information available confirmed a chemical weapons attack had taken place", said a Downing Street spokesperson.

"They both agreed they were in no doubt that the Assad regime was responsible," said Number 10.

David Cameron cut short his holiday to return for the talks

Britain has also drafted a United Nations resolution condemning the attack and "authorising all necessary measures".

It will be put forward when the five permanent members of the UN Security Council meet in New York later.

The government's NSC meeting is expected to discuss the intelligence gathered by UN inspectors from their initial visit to Mouadamiya, the site of last week's suspected chemical weapons attack that allegedly killed more than 1,300.

General Sir Nick Houghton, chief of the defence staff, is also expected to outline a series of options for targeted attacks.

It is understood the most likely military response would be a strike launched from US Navy warships against targets such as command and control bunkers.

A UN weapons inspector visits wounded Syrians after the alleged gas attack

The US Navy is repositioning several vessels, including four cruise missile-carrying destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean, as well as a missile-firing submarine.

Military analysts have also suggested a British Trafalgar class submarine might be used as a potential launch platform.

However, some experts remain sceptical about whether limited strikes on tactical targets would provide a strong enough deterrent.

Defence analyst Francis Tusa told Sky News: "I'm not necessarily sure it puts any particular pressure on the regime to change its behaviour.

"Losing the odd bit of hardware that the Russians will replace for free doesn't seem to be that much of value."

A child is treated after the alleged chemcial attack

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also responded to the rising tensions.

He reportedly said that US military intervention in Syria would be "a disaster for the region".

"The region is like a gunpowder store and the future cannot be predicted," Iran's ISNA agency quoted him as saying.

Parliament will be recalled on Thursday for a final vote on what action the UK should take.

Sky sources say a government motion is expected to call for "appropriate measures" but will not contain a timetable for action.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Cameron said action must be "proportionate, have to be legal, would have to specifically be about deterring the use of chemical weapons".

Decisions about British involvement have not been taken, he said on Tuesday, adding Parliament was the "right place to set out all of the arguments".

More than 1,300 are said to have died as the result of the alleged attack

"We shouldn't stand by when we see this massive use of chemical weapons and appalling levels of suffering," he said.

"But I would say this to people - there is never 100% certainty, there is never one piece or several pieces of intelligence that give you absolute certainty.

"But what we know is this regime has huge stocks of chemical weapons. We know they have used them on at least 10 occasions prior to this last widescale use."

Labour leader Ed Miliband has indicated that his party would consider supporting international action if it was legal and had "clear and achievable goals".

While political momentum towards intervention mounts, the British public has yet to be persuaded.

A YouGov survey for The Sun revealed that nearly three-quarters of people oppose the deployment of British troops to Syria.

A vast number of the victims were children

And a majority of 3-1 believe the Government should be bound by Parliament's vote tomorrow.

Meanwhile, UN weapons inspectors arrived at the site of the alleged attacks on Wednesday morning, a day after suspending their mission over safety concerns.

The inspectors came under sniper fire when they began their operation on Monday.

Russia has confirmed it has started to pull its citizens out of Syria as the likelihood of military action increases.

It flew 89 people out of the country on Tuesday night and 28 more on Wednesday morning.

The country is strongly against the intervention, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov believing it would seriously destabilise the region.

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Gaddafi's Son Seeks UK Help Over 'Show Trial'

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

The lawyer representing Colonel Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, is urging the British Government to do all it can to prevent him facing trial in Libya and deliver him to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

John Jones QC told Sky News he fears his client, who faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, will be subjected to a 'show trial' and sentenced to death.

He said: "Executing Saif Gaddafi would be a complete violation of the ICC orders so it's logical and right, and a moral and legal obligation on the UK, to intervene."

It follows a Libyan court's decision to sentence to death Colonel Gaddafi's former education minister Ahmed Ibrahim.

The ICC has also raised concerns about the ability of the Libyan authorities to hold the trial and the charges they plan to present against Saif al-Islam.

Saif al-Islam pictured after his capture

Fadi El-Abdallah, a spokesman for the court, told Sky News: "There is no legal representation for him on a national level and the operation of gathering the evidence and protecting the witnesses is not secured."

But the process of transferring Saif al-Islam from Libya to The Hague is proving to be a complex one.

He was captured by rebel fighters from the Libyan city of Zintan in November 2011 and has been held there, in solitary confinement, ever since.

The Libyan Government is struggling to exert its influence over large parts of the country and can't transfer him without the permission of Zintan's militia leaders.

John Jones, QC, says it's further evidence that Mr Gaddafi must be handed over to the ICC.

He was once tipped to lead Libya towards democracy

He said: "Libya's central authorities don't have control of his custody. That proves the point that if there's no control of is custody, if there's no rule of law in Libya, he should be tried in The Hague".

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was once tipped by western governments to lead Libya towards democracy.

Educated at the London School of Economics and considered by many to be the country's de-facto prime minister, he refused to abandon his father when protests sprung in several Libyan cities in early 2011.

He was found by fighters from the Zintan brigade trying to cross into Niger just a month after his father Colonel Gaddafi was captured and killed.

His last public appearance was in May when he briefly appeared in court to answer separate charges of endangering national security after he was accused of providing an ICC lawyer with 'sensitive' documents.

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Ashes Wee Scandal: ECB Probes Pitch Piddle Claim

The English Cricket Board (ECB) are to investigate after team spinner Graeme Swann appeared to confirm England players urinated on the Oval pitch after their Ashes win at the weekend.

Swann told The Sun newspaper he thought some members of the team may have answered the call of nature "once or twice" as they celebrated their victory on the pitch.

"We did go out to the middle of the pitch, all the lads, drinking beers, singing a few songs and enjoying each other's company," Swann said.

The accused: James Anderson, Kevin Pietersen and Stuart Broad

"I think the call of nature might have come once or twice, but it was nothing untoward. It was midnight, a private celebration in the middle of the pitch and the ground was dark," he added.

A row has been growing after Australian journalists claim they spotted three England players spending a penny on the pitch after the team returned to the field after their 3-0 series win over Australia.

They reportedly saw bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad, and batsmen Kevin Pietersen relieve themselves while the rest of the team cheered.

The England team beat Australia 3-0

Surrey County Cricket Club chief executive Richard Gould told The Sun: "We've spoken to the ECB and they say they will be looking into the matter.

"We would be very disappointed if it turns out they did urinate on the pitch."

The final Test at The Oval ended in controversial circumstances on Saturday, with the umpires taking the players off for bad light to end an intriguing contest that saw England needing just 21 runs for victory.

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First Badger Cull Under Way Amid Protests

A controversial badger cull has started in two counties in England as experts insist it is a vital move to stop the spread of bovine TB.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) confirmed the operation had been launched in a letter to its members on Tuesday morning.

Around 5,000 badgers are expected to be killed in Gloucestershire and Somerset over the next six weeks under the two pilot schemes.

Farmers and the Government insist culling of badgers is needed to stop spiralling rates of TB in cattle herds.

Anti-cull protesters in Minehead, Somerset

But opponents say culling the protected animal will have only a small effect on infection rates and will lead to badgers suffering.

They want the emphasis to be on vaccines and tighter on-farm and cattle movement measures.

Campaigners turned out in large numbers at the pilot sites on Monday night to protest against what they call "inhumane" action.

NFU president Peter Kendall said the cull was "an important step not just for cattle farmers but for the whole farming industry".

He wrote: "We cannot go on culling tens of thousands of cattle every year because of TB while knowing the disease exists in wildlife uncontrolled."

He added: "Badger control remains a controversial subject and we understand that some people will never agree with controlling badgers in this way.

A protest sign outside "Camp Badger" in Watchet, Somerset

"I hope that when time shows that these culls have reduced TB in cattle - just as has happened in Ireland - that even more people will understand that while sad, these culls are absolutely necessary."

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson told Sky News the badgers would be shot by trained marksmen "under very carefully controlled circumstances".

"It is something I think we all approach with regret but for the last 15 years we have been the only country with a significant problem of bovine tuberculosis in cattle and bovine tuberculosis in wildlife that has only tried to address the problem in cattle," he said.

Mr Paterson stressed that the evidence from abroad showed the cull was the only route until the disease in reduced in wildlife and there is a vaccine for cattle.

"We are working really hard and leading the way in Europe on cattle vaccines but we are at least 10 years away," he said.

However, Labour condemned the pilots and claimed they would actually spread TB further as badgers are moved around.

Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh said: "The Government's divisive badger cull will cost more than it saves and will spread bovine TB in the short term as badgers are disturbed by shooting.

"We need a science-led policy to manage cattle movements better and a vaccine to tackle TB in cattle. Ministers should listen to the scientists and drop this cull which is bad for farmers, bad for taxpayers and bad for wildlife."

The pilots are happening in west Gloucestershire and west Somerset

RSPCA chief executive Gavin Grant agreed, saying: "Science has shown that this cull is not the answer to bovine TB in cattle. In fact, it could make things a lot worse. Vaccination and better bio-security are the only sustainable and true ways forward."

Stop The Cull claimed on its Facebook page that more than 500 people turned out to protest at both pilot sites on Monday night.

Somerset Badger Patrol held a vigil in Minehead and said more than 200 people took part. "We fight on, knowing that we are right helps," it said in a statement.

The High Court has granted an injunction to stop farmers involved in the culls being harassed and abused after complaints they had been targeted.

The cull was due to begin last autumn but was postponed while research continued into the population numbers in both areas.

The Government said west Somerset has approximately 4,300 badgers, with another 3,600 in west Gloucestershire. The aim is to kill 70% of the animals.

The culls, which will be carried out annually for four years, last six weeks and are allowed to take place between June 1 and January 31.

If they are successful in stopping the spread of bovine TB, they could be rolled out, saving millions in compensation to farmers.

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MS And Parkinson's Sufferers Told: 'Get To Work'

By Frazer Maude, Sky New Reporter

Thousands of people with progressive conditions such as Parkinson's and MS are being told they could recover enough to look for work, according to charities.

The government's controversial Work Capability Assessment is again under fire after a coalition of four leading charities claimed that 45% of people were told they would be able to work again following assessment for Employment Support Allowance.

Parkinson's UK, MS Society, National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and Cystic Fibrosis Trust have called for the abolition of the system saying it is "farcical" and "defies belief".

Between 2008 and 2011, 13,600 people with cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's or rheumatoid arthritis applied for Employment Support Allowance, figures show.

Nearly half were placed in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) after being assessed for Employment Support Allowance, where charities claim they should have been in the Support Group, which doesn't require the individual to seek work.

Sue Watson, from Leeds, is one of  580,000 people in England who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis.

On bad days it can make even the smallest movements intensely painful.

When she was forced to give up her work as an aromatherapist her Work Capability Assessment placed her in WRAG.

"It has a detrimental effect because stress affects rheumatoid arthritis," she says.

Iain Duncan Smith's Department for Work and Pensions has defended claims

"So the stress of being felt that you're on the scrap heap and that you're not believed, and to think that I'm going to be forced to go back into work even though I can't, that had a huge impact on me."

Caroline Hacker, Head of Policy at Parkinson's UK said "This is the latest in a long line of unspeakable failures by Atos Healthcare (who carry out the assessments) and the Government when it comes to supporting those who need it most.

"To set up a system which tells people who've had to give up work because of a debilitating progressive condition that they'll recover, is farcical and simply defies belief."

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "It's ridiculous to suggest that we think people with degenerative conditions will 'recover'. However, it is important that we don't simply write people off. There is strong evidence that working can be beneficial for many people who have a health condition."

An Atos Healthcare spokesman said: "Our healthcare professionals are trained in the assessment of chronic and progressive conditions such as Parkinson's and understand that, sadly, some people's conditions will only get worse over time.

"However, the advice we are asked to give DWP concentrates on how individuals are affected by their illness at present.

"All decisions on the outcome of claims, for example whether they are placed in the WRAG or the Support Group, are made by DWP."

The charities though are calling for an end to a system which they say causes unnecessary stress and anxiety for people who are already in poor health.

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Britain Is Boom Destination For Tourists

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

A record number of visitors are choosing the UK as a holiday destination following the success of the 2012 London Olympics.

There were almost 2.9 million tourists in June, a record for the month, according to the latest figures from VisitBritain.

Data from the Office for National Statistics showed they spent a record £1.84bn in June, an increase of 13% on 2012, which was another record.

There has been a significant rise in the number of people coming from China, the US and various parts of Europe.

Visitors from overseas spent £8.72bn in Britain in the six months to June, up 11% on the same period last year.

But it is not just overseas visitors who have been swelling the numbers.

VisitBritain predicts that over the Bank Holiday 4.5 million Britons will be taking an overnight holiday trip in the UK, a factor helped by a spell of good weather.

In Stratford-on-Avon, the draw of Shakespeare has never been so popular.

Rachel Hudson, from The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said: "We have seen a boost due to the success of the Olympics and I think people around the world realise that we have something really special to offer.

"Shakespeare is a worldwide brand and more people want to enjoy the experience in his home town."

Patricia Yates, VisitBritain's director of strategy and communications, said: "The Olympic bounce has well and truly sprung with the best start to a year since 2008.

"This has seen us achieve record-breaking spend figures for 2013 to date and record visitor numbers.

"We are surpassing our spend forecast for 2013, which is testament to the fact that our great campaign has capitalised on the showcasing of Britain through 2012 to turn viewers into visitors.

"Our marketing and promotion of Britain as a great place to visit will ensure we are well positioned to deliver continued growth through 2013 and beyond, achieving positive results for the UK tourism industry and increasing the 2.6 million job supported by the sector."

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Pets Considered Part Of The Family, Census Shows

The British family has changed in modern times - with pets widely considered to be much-loved members, according to new research.

The findings from Ancestry.co.uk, the family history website, show 90% of pet owners think of their animal as part of the family.

A third (33%) of those even claim to prefer their pets to real life members of their family, with one in six (15%) considering their pet more important than their cousin.

Dog owners are the most keen to make their pet a bona fide family member, with 16% choosing to include the animal in the 2011 Census.

A number of these even listed their dog as their "son" on the official form.

But this animal infatuation is by no means a 21st century phenomenon, with pets also listed in the 1911 Census.

For example, Arthur and Elizabeth Delve from Smethwick found it fit to record the existence of their "faithful Irish terrier Biddy". Biddy, it was noted, was a "magnificent watch and a demon on cats and vermin".

Another canine in the 1911 Census is 'Roger the Watchdog' who lived in Dulwich. His journalist owner James Little listed his age at five and a rather fitting profession of "looking after the house".

Paintings of pets were particularly popular in Victorian Britain when wealthy women were known to sit for pictures with perfectly groomed lap dogs.

This trend persists today with one in 20 owners confessing they have commissioned a professional portrait of their animal.

Many British people also leave behind a more permanent token of affection.

Nearly one in 10 (9%) of dog owners love the animal so much that they are planning on leaving money or assets to them in their will.

:: Ancestry.co.uk commissioned ICM Research to question 2,000 UK adults aged 18 and over this month about attitudes towards pets. Of these, 1,172 were pet owners.

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Woman Shot Dead On Birthday: Hunt For Killer

Police are hunting the killer of a woman who was gunned down while out celebrating her 24th birthday with friends.

Sabrina Moss, of Neasden, north-west London, died in hospital after being involved in a double shooting.

Another 24-year-old woman is in hospital. Her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

The pair are believed to have been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, according to detectives.

Officers had been called at 4.12am on Saturday to reports of shots being fired in the street in Kilburn High Road, at the junction with Messina Avenue.

Police investigate the double shooting in the capital

Both women were taken to hospitals and Ms Moss was pronounced dead later. A post-mortem examination will be arranged in due course.

Ms Moss, thought to be the mother of one son, was attacked outside Woody Grill.

She was talking to other people when two black males approached, opened fire and then ran off.

Tributes to Ms Moss have been left on the social networking site Twitter.

Officers were called to the scene after reports of gunshots

Adjei Adu wrote: "My heart goes out to her family and the lil one she's left behind, sleep well Sabrina Moss."

Leila Hassan tweeted: "My Thoughts Are With Your Family... A Beautiful Young Woman, Mother and Daughter!"

Another tweet read: "Lost the cousin I was close with when I was a child.. R.I.P Sabrina Moss."

A murder inquiry has been launched by detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command and police are appealing for witnesses to the double shooting.

Detective Chief Inspector John Sandlin of the Metropolitan Police said: "Enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances of this tragic incident.

The other woman's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening

"At this early stage, I believe the two women were innocent parties who were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I am appealing for anyone who witnessed the shooting, or who saw anything suspicion in the Kilburn area early this morning, to call police.

"In particular, I need to hear from anyone who saw two males who came into the High Road from Messina Avenue and, after the shooting, made off on foot back along Messina Avenue."

One man has been arrested in connection with the investigation.

Anyone with information that may assist the inquiry should call the incident room at Hendon on 020 8358 0300 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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NHS Managers Pocket £1.4bn In Pay-Offs

NHS chiefs have squandered £1.4bn on axing staff as part of David Cameron's shake-up of the health service, Labour have claimed.

Latest Department of Health figures show that over the past three years more than 32,000 NHS managers received "exit packages".

Of these, 330 people received pay-offs totalling more than £200,000, while just under 2,000 pocketed between £100,000 and £200,000.

The figures come in the same week that NHS workforce statistics show the number of nursing jobs lost since the election in 2010 has topped 5,000.

Labour claims the shortage of nurses is fuelling a waiting time crisis at A&E units and and leaving one in 10 hospitals without enough staff.

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "The true cost of David Cameron's NHS re-organisation is slowly revealing itself and it is enough to make people weep.

"At a time when the NHS needs every penny it can get, we have a Prime Minister handing out gold-plated, six-figure pay-offs to hundreds of managers and P45s to thousands of nurses. It stinks and begins to explain why, on Cameron's watch, A&E is in crisis and waiting lists have hit a five-year high.

"There could be no clearer illustration of a Prime Minister with his priorities seriously wrong. He has lined the pockets of management consultants and left one in 10 hospitals without enough staff on the wards.

"Billions have been siphoned out of the NHS front-line to pay for an unnecessary re-organisation no-one voted for and David Cameron personally promised would not happen.

"We are only in this position because Cameron was too weak to stand up to his old boss Andrew Lansley and allowed him to proceed with his vanity re-organisation.

"It is time for the Government to own up to the real cost of its disastrous NHS re-organisation. These payments show that official figures are under-estimating the true price-tag.

"People who are now waiting longer for operations, or seeing treatments denied, have a right to know about how this Government has chosen to spend scarce NHS resources."

A Department for Health spokesperson said: "Last year we started changes that put doctors and nurses in the driving seat as they are best placed to take decisions about care for their patients.

"The changes made as a result of the reforms mean a huge net gain for the taxpayer. They will save £5.5bn during this Parliament and £1.5bn every year thereafter, to be reinvested back into patient care."

Meanwhile, the Royal College of Midwives has claimed expectant mothers are being turned away from maternity wards because of severe staff shortages, which could last a decade.

It said a baby boom is putting strain on the system - the number of new births jumped by 7,000 between 2010 and 2012.

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