Lord McAlpine: Ex-Thatcher Aide Dies Aged 71

Former Conservative Party deputy chairman Lord McAlpine has died at his home in Italy, aged 71.

Lord McAlpine was previously an aide to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and a highly successful fundraiser for the party.

When she left office in 1990 the peer became disillusioned with the leadership of John Major and launched a number of harsh attacks on the new leader of his party.

In 2010, the former political adviser and businessman stood down from the House of Lords to keep his non-domiciliary tax status, but retained his title.

The peer, who had three daughters, spent his final years running a bed and breakfast near Puglia with his third wife Athena.

His family said in a statement: "It is with great sadness that the family of Lord McAlpine announce his peaceful death last night at his home in Italy."

Lord McAlpine was wrongly implicated in a child abuse scandal in 2012, when allegations were contained in a BBC Newsnight investigation.

The claims led to the corporation's then-director general George Entwistle quitting his job less than two months into the role. Mr Entwistle said he had to take "ultimate responsibility" for the broadcast.

The BBC was forced into making an apology after abuse victim Steve Messham admitted that the man who abused him in the 1970s and 1980s was not Lord McAlpine.

Mr Messham told the BBC he had been abused by a senior Tory from the Thatcher era at a north Wales children's home when he was a teenager. This led to fierce online speculation as to the identity of the politician, and the peer was incorrectly accused of being a paedophile.

Solicitors for Lord McAlpine said they were ready to sue for defamation, arguing his reputation had been left in "tatters" as a result of the programme.

Lord McAlpine later received damages from a number of internet users, including the wife of the House of Commons speaker John Bercow, after libellous messages were posted on Twitter.

Ms Bercow agreed to pay £15,000 in damages for her "innocent face" tweet. Comedian Alan Davies paid damages after he reposted a tweet which linked the peer's name to a television report about a "senior political figure who is a paedophile".

The BBC Trust investigated the broadcast and found that members of the team responsible failed to follow the corporation's editorial guidelines.

More follows...

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Social Smokers 'In Denial' Over Their Habit

Almost a quarter of smokers believe they only have a social habit despite the fact many smoke six to 20 cigarettes a day, new research reveals.

A poll of 2,000 smokers found 24% class themselves as social smokers - but more than one in three of these buy up to a packet a day.

Around 60% of all those questioned said they have tried giving up in the past, with women being slightly more likely than men to have tried quitting.

One in six of those who had attempted to stop smoking succeeded for over a year but then slipped back to their old habits.

Some 13% said part of the reason they took up smoking again was because their friends smoked and they did not like being left alone on nights out.

Of those who did go back to smoking, 47% said they had initially cut down how many cigarettes they smoked.

The poll also found that 54% of smokers admitted to smoking in banned areas, such as indoors in public spaces.

Catherine Cox, primary care manager at The Co-operative Pharmacy, which carried out the poll, said: "The smoking ban in public places has had a major effect on the health of the nation with a significant number of people giving up.

"But many smokers are convincing themselves they are consuming less tobacco than they actually are by classing their habit as a 'social' one.

"People see it as more acceptable to be a social smoker than admitting they regularly light up each day, even though our research shows that this is the case.

"Just smoking a few cigarettes a day has an impact on your health and the wellbeing of those around you."

Public Health England's national director of health and wellbeing, Kevin Fenton, offered this advice: "There are a variety of different ways to help people stop smoking and it is important that everyone finds a way that works for them.

"Pharmacists are easily accessible and well-placed to offer ongoing support, keeping motivation levels high along the way."

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Bingo Hall Burden: MPs Call For Tax Cuts

By Adele Robinson, Sky News Correspondent

The UK's bingo hall business will "stagnate" if the Government does not cut tax on it, campaigners say.

More than 50 MPs are backing calls to reduce duty and bring levies on the game in line with other forms of gambling.

Bingo hall profits are currently taxed at 20% compared with a 15% rate for most other gambling activities.

Campaigners estimate that reducing bingo duty is expected to raise around £40m for the Exchequer over four years.

Miles Baron, from the Bingo Association, says investment is vital for growth.

"By building new clubs and investing in new clubs, attendances would improve that would generate more income, that would generate new taxes, that would employ more people ... this is at the heart of the community, this is a vital and important part of some people's social repertoire."

Campaigners claim gambling taxes are forcing more and more clubs to close

The Government says it would have to carefully consider before reducing the rate because its priority is to cut the budget deficit.

Jim Cunningham, Labour MP for Coventry South, says if more support is not given then the "social service" side of bingo will be lost.

"The implications can be that some of these places may have to close because they're not profitable and if that happens then there is a problem for some of these elderly people, during the day in particular, to find somewhere else to go."

Nearly 400 bingo clubs across England, Scotland and Wales are hosting free bingo games this weekend to support the campaign to cut tax.

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Mikaeel's Mum Detained As Body Discovered

Police are questioning the mother of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular after finding the body of a young boy near her former home.

Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham announced the discovery just after 1am at a hastily convened news conference at Police Scotland's Edinburgh HQ.

There were gasps from people who had gathered for the update as he announced that the body had been found shortly before midnight.

Police said they had detained one person - understood to be Mikaeel's 33-year-old mother Rosdeep - in connection with his disappearance.

:: Live updates as the search for Mikaeel Kular is called off

ACC Graham said: "The investigation into the disappearance of Mikaeel Kular has been wide-ranging and fast moving.

Mikaeel was reported missing on Thursday morning

"As a result of enquiries the body of a young child was recovered in Fife just before midnight.

"We strongly believe this to be the body of Mikaeel.

"A person has been detained in connection with the recovery of the body and members of Mikaeel's family have been informed of the recovery."

The body is understood to have been found on land surrounding a house in Kirkcaldy, Fife, which is owned by Mikaeel's aunt Pandeep Kular.

Sky News Scotland Correspondent James Matthews said: "There is no suggestion that police want to speak to her about any of this at this stage."

A neighbour told Sky News that Rosdeep Kular visited the house alone, by car, last week.

Police are examining a wooded area near a house owned by Mikaeel's aunt

The family lived there for a time before moving to Edinburgh and neighbours remember Mikaeel and his twin sister playing on the steps.

Mikaeel was reported missing from his home in Edinburgh on Thursday morning.

Hundreds of police officers from across the UK joined the search and lines of volunteers swept the local area, searching for clues about his disappearance.

Police were told that Mikaeel had not been seen since his mother put him to bed on Wednesday night.

There was shock when ACC Malcolm Graham announced a body had been found

On Friday evening ACC Graham revealed the boy had not attended nursery since before Christmas and said there were "grave concerns" for his safety.

Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt in Edinburgh said: "We know that according to the police, a person was detained last night.

"The police haven't named that person detained, but we understand from our sources that it's Mikaeel's mother Rosdeep, known as Rosie.

"Under Scottish law, she can be detained initially for 12 hours during questioning and then on the say so of a senior officer can be held for another 12 hours.

The body was found around 30 miles from Mikaeel's family home in Edinburgh

"At the end of that period police must decide whether to release her, charge her or formally arrest her." 

Police analyst Graham Wettone told Sky News: "(His mother) will be questioned as police try to establish what has taken place."

Police Scotland officers have cordoned off the road and been carrying out searches in Woodland around Pandeep Kular's Kirkcaldy house.

The body is being left in situ for forensic and scenes-of-crime officers to carry out investigations.

There was sadness and anger among families living near Rosdeep Kular's home in Ferry Gait, Edinburgh - some 30 miles away across the Firth of Forth - as they woke up to news of the grim discovery.

Neighbours have been living flowers and toys near the family home

MSP Colin Keir, who joined the search for Mikaeel, was woken at 5am to be told the news.

He told Sky News: "It's just devastating and I think the community will take it personally.

"There was an unprecedented outpouring from the community in the hunt for Mikaeel.

"The community will be devastated, angry and looking for answers as to why this has happened."

Jackie Brownlee, 29, a mother-of-two who lives opposite the family home, said that local people will support each other as they try to come to terms with what has happened.

Hundreds of people volunteered to help with the search for Mikaeel

She said: "Everyone was hoping and now that hope's gone - we still can't believe it. But I think the community will come together because we have to."

Her son Darren, 11, added: "He was such a cute lad, always running around the street. I can't believe it's happened in my street - I'm really scared now." 

Denise Fergus, the mother of James Bulger, the two-year-old who was murdered in Liverpool in 1993, tweeted her condolences.

She said on Twitter: "My heart is aching for that poor boy Mikaeel Kular brings it all back so sad."

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Food Safety: Worst Councils Named And Shamed

Local councils that are failing to ensure food businesses comply with hygiene regulations have been named and shamed by a consumer watchdog.

The investigation into 395 local authorities by Which?, using data obtained from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), revealed more than a third of high and medium-risk food businesses are not complying with safety rules.

The hygiene risk of a business was based on the type of food, the number of consumers at risk, the method of processing and confidence in the management.

Local authority food checks are in decline according to the study

Local authority rankings were based upon criteria such as the number of premises compliant with hygiene requirements, the number of visits performed by council inspectors and the percentage of premises yet to receive a risk rating.

Bexley in London was exposed as the worst-performing local authority, with five further London councils appearing in the bottom 10, including Ealing, Enfield, Harrow, Richmond upon Thames and Southwark.

The study revealed that overall, food testing fell by 6.8% from the previous year, while testing for correct labelling and presentation fell by 16.2%.

The figures showed no hygiene sampling at all was carried out by Bexley, Christchurch, Isles of Scilly, Medway, Tamworth, West Lindsey and West Yorkshire authorities.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd, said: "No one wants another horse meat fiasco, so it is very worrying that local authority food checks are in decline.

"We want to see a more strategic approach to food law enforcement that makes the best use of limited resources and responds effectively to the huge challenges facing the food supply chain."

But the Local Government Association defended local authorities it said were "working hard" to improve food hygiene standards in the face of government funding cuts.

The Local Government Association's regulation spokesman Nick Worth said: "Random sampling is just one tool available to councils and a reduction in testing does not mean an increased safety risk to the public.

"Targeting high-risk businesses and acting on complaints is a far more effective use of their limited resources and also allows councils to free up responsible businesses from unnecessary inspections and red tape."

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Miliband: 'We Must Tackle Middle Class Crisis'

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

A crisis of confidence for the middle classes is the "greatest challenge for our generation," according to Ed Miliband.

The Labour leader argues families believe their chances of getting good quality jobs, secure pensions and affordable housing have been "undermined".

And he claims middle class parents are worried their children do not have the same opportunities as the older generations.

In an article for The Daily Telegraph Mr Miliband writes: "Our country cannot succeed and become collectively better off unless Britain has a strong and vibrant middle class.

"Indeed, the greatest challenge for our generation is how to tackle a crisis in living standards that has now become a crisis of confidence for middle class families."

The article will be seen as an attempt to reach out to the middle class households seen as the political centre ground. Labour has already tried to toughen its position on welfare in order to grow the party's appeal outside of its traditional support base.

He adds: "The cost of living crisis is not just about people on tax credits, zero hours contracts and the minimum age. It is about millions of middle class families who never dreamt that life would be such a struggle."

Britain's improving economic performance poses new challenges for Mr Miliband.

Labour's Tristram Hunt, centre, and Emma Reynolds, right, part of drive

As faith in the recovery grows, Labour's initial argument of "too far, too fast" has already been replaced by a renewed focus is on the cost of living.

However, there is concern that if wages begin to rise at a faster pace than prices this argument could also lose its resonance.

A Guardian/ICM poll shows Mr Miliband's party has dropped two points to stand at 35% - just three points ahead of the Conservatives.

Labour hopes to tackle this challenge with a series of speeches by key Shadow Cabinet ministers including Tristram Hunt on education, Rachel Reeves on welfare, Emma Reynolds on housing and Ed Balls on the economy.

Mr Miliband will be giving a speech on Friday setting out his own policy ideas.

Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps said: "Ed Miliband has no plan. He has opposed every difficult decision we have taken to start turning our economy around.

"All he offers is more of the same old Labour policy that got us into a mess in the first place – more spending, more borrowing and more taxes. That would mean a less secure future for hardworking people and their families."

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Dave Lee Travis Sex Assault Trial Begins

DJ Dave Lee Travis has arrived at court at the start of his trial on charges of indecent assault and sexual assault.

The 68-year-old, whose real name is David Patrick Griffin, is facing 13 counts of indecent assault dating between 1976 and 2003 and one count of sexual assault in 2008 at Southwark Crown Court.

The former Radio One DJ, from Buckinghamshire, is accused of assaulting 11 women, one of whom was 15 at the time of the alleged crime.

He denies the charges.

The prosecution is due to open its case. A jury of eight women and four men were sworn in on Tuesday morning.

Judge Anthony Leonard warned them not to research the case, adding: "You will try the case on the information obtained here in this court and nothing else."

The trial is due to last up to six weeks.

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William Roache: Actor Arrives For Assault Trial

Actor William Roache has arrived at Preston Crown Court at the start of his trial for sexual offences against five girls.

The 81-year-old soap star was arrested at his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in May 2013 and later charged with two counts of raping a 15-year-old girl in east Lancashire in 1967.

A month later he was additionally charged with five indecent assaults involving four girls aged between 12 and 16, allegedly committed in the Manchester area between 1965 and 1968.

Roache has pleaded not guilty to the seven counts he faces.

Wearing a blue suit, Roache arrived at  the court ahead of the hearing, together with his sons Linus and James and a security guard.

The world's longest-serving soap actor, who plays Ken Barlow in the ITV1 show Coronation Street, has not appeared in the programme while the legal proceedings are ongoing.

The trial is expected to last up to four weeks.

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Childcare Costs 'Stop Parents Going To Work'

The spiralling cost of childcare is preventing parents from returning to work, with one in four saying they would like a job but cannot afford it, according to a study.

The cost of childcare has increased by 19% in the last year and the average hourly rate for hiring a nanny is now £9.80.

One in four unemployed parents say they would like to work but the cost of childcare was too high, according to childcare search website Findababysitter.

This increases to two out of five of 18 to 24-year-olds.

Half of the 1,000 parents questioned for the study said the Government was not doing enough to support families.

The website's chief executive, Tom Harrow, accused politicians of a "lack of understanding" and said he had met MPs to discuss Government policies a number of times.

He said: "They still think the local nursery is the only option."

The average hourly rate for a nanny was now £9.80, an increase from £8.10 last year and after-school nannies were charging £10 an hour.

The average hourly rate for a nanny is now nearly £10

The most unaffordable cities for childcare were Birmingham, Bristol, Oxford, London and Leeds.

Anand Shukla, chief executive of the Daycare Trust, said: "Finding affordable, flexible and high quality childcare is still - and will remain - one of the biggest challenges faced by families."

Sharon Greene, Unison's women's officer, said: "It is a sad fact that in 2014 women still face too many barriers in the workplace.

"The high cost of childcare is pricing many women out of their jobs, forcing them to give up work which puts family finances under massive pressure."

She added: "If the country is to recover from the economic downturn the Government needs to listen to working parents and take account of the needs of the modern workplace.

"That means providing funding for more affordable, flexible and quality childcare."

The coalition Government scrapped universal child benefit but last year announced that parents earning less than £150,000 would be entitled to claim £1,200 per child to help with childcare costs.

Free early education for three and four year olds has been increased from 12.5 hours to 15 hours a week.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Recent figures show childcare costs are stabilising after more than a decade of constantly rising prices.

"A survey for the National Day Nurseries Association found that 58% of nurseries are freezing their fees."

The shadow minister for childcare and children said Labour would introduce measures to help parents with before and after-school care and would extend free childcare for three and four-year-olds from 15 to 25 hours.

Lucy Powell, shadow minister for childcare and children, said: "Families facing a cost-of-living crisis are being failed by David Cameron, who is offering no help with the rising cost of childcare for hard-pressed mums and dads.

"Soaring childcare costs are a drag on our economy and lock parents who want to get back to work out of the jobs market."

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N Ireland Child Abuse Inquiry: Hundreds Respond

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

More than 400 people have applied to speak to the state inquiry into historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland, the largest tribunal of its kind anywhere in the UK.

Most applications, some 280, were from people living in Northern Ireland, but 63 came from Great Britain, 61 from Australia, 20 from the Republic of Ireland and the remainder from elsewhere.

The Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry was established by the Stormont Executive this time last year and will hold its first public evidence session today at Banbridge Courthouse in County Down.

It has a remit to investigate historical child abuse and/or neglect in institutions over a 73-year period up to 1995 and is currently investigating 13 establishments, including Kincora Boys' Home in Belfast.

Kincora was the scene of a notorious sex scandal and while three members of staff were convicted in the 1980s, questions remain about who knew what and why it continued.

The inquiry's chairman, Sir Anthony Hart, a retired senior high court judge, will make a short statement before an opening address from senior counsel to the inquiry, Christine Smith QC.

More than 300 witnesses are expected to give evidence during the public sessions, the majority in person although some may give their evidence in writing or via a live video-link.

Applications to participate in the statutory inquiry are now closed but potential witnesses can still apply to speak to the Acknowledgment Forum, a less formal evidence-gathering process operating in parallel.

The first "thematic module of evidence" will focus on two former institutions run by the Sisters of Nazareth: St Joseph's Home and Nazareth House Children's Home, both in County Londonderry.

The public hearings are expected to continue until June 2015 and under the terms of reference, the inquiry must complete its investigation by mid-summer and submit its report by January 2016.

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Obesity: Scale Of Problem 'Underestimated'

The true scale of Britain's obesity crisis may have been seriously underestimated, a report has found.

The National Obesity Forum said the UK is in danger of surpassing predictions of a 2007 report which estimated that 50% of the nation would be obese by 2050.

The organisation's latest report calls on health officials to introduce hard-hitting awareness campaigns - similar to those for smoking - to try to curb the problem.

It also called on family doctors to proactively discuss weight management with patients and to check waist circumferences.

The report said: "It is entirely reasonable to conclude that the determinations of the 2007 Foresight Report (i.e. that half the population might be obese by 2050 at an annual cost of nearly £50bn), while shocking at the time, may now underestimate the scale of the problem."

Professor David Haslam, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: "We're now seven years on from the Foresight Report.

"Not only is the obesity situation in the UK not improving, but the doomsday scenario set out in that report might underestimate the true scale of the problem.

"There needs to be concerted action.

"There is a lot more we can be doing by way of earlier intervention and to encourage members of the public to take sensible steps to help themselves - but this goes hand in hand with government leadership and ensuring responsible food and drink manufacturing and retailing."

Professor Kevin Fenton, director of health and wellbeing at Public Health England (PHE), said: "Obesity is an international problem.

"It is a complex issue that requires action at national, local, family and individual level.

"Everyone has a role to play in improving the health and wellbeing of the public, and children in particular.

"PHE are committed to helping to tackle obesity through a range of approaches that support action on the local environment to make eating less and being more physically active easier."

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Fracking: Cameron Offers Councils Drill Money

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

Financial rewards worth £1.7m a year will be given to councils which give permission for fracking projects in their areas.

David Cameron said the Government was "going all out for shale" as he announced the move, which campaign groups opposed to the controversial method of extracting the gas from deep underground described as bribes.

The Prime Minister has declared that shale gas exploration is part of his long-term economic plan and says local authorities that allow drilling will receive 100% of the business rates collected from the scheme - double the current 50%.

Whitehall officials estimate that could be worth £1.7m extra a year for each site a council agrees.

Shale exploration firms will also pay out £100,000 when a test well is fracked and 1% of revenues, a deal which could in total be worth up to £10m.

Anti-fracking protesters at a rally at a driling site in Salford on Sunday

However, local community representatives say this is not enough in the face of the vast profits that stand to be made by the energy firms and the damage that would be caused to local areas.

Mr Cameron's announcement comes as the French energy giant Total has announced it will invest millions with a 40% interest in two shale gas exploration licences in the UK.

Mr Cameron said: "A key part of our long-term economic plan to secure Britain's future is to back businesses with better infrastructure.

"That's why we're going all out for shale. It will mean more jobs and opportunities for people, and economic security for our country."

The protest was against an exploratory drilling site known as Barton Moss

Jackie Anderson, a teacher who lives within a mile of an exploratory drilling site at Barton Moss near Salford, was on Sunday protesting about the effects of fracking on the community.

She told Sky News: "For the local residents it's got no benefit whatsoever. More and more the businesses and the councils are going to benefit because the incentives are going to them and we're getting none of the benefits at all."

Protesters at Barton Moss today handcuffed themselves to a lorry trying to enter the site.

A Local Government Association spokesman said: "Given the significant tax breaks being proposed to drive forward the development of shale gas and the impact drilling will have on local communities, these areas should not be short-changed by fracking schemes.

"One per cent of gross revenues distributed locally is not good enough; returns should be more in line with payments across the rest of the world and be set at 10%."

Protesters handcuff themselves to a lorry at Barton Moss

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a process that involves drilling thousands of feet down into the earth to create a narrow well. Water and chemicals are then pumped in at high pressure to create fractures in the rock. Gas then flows from the cracks and is captured.

Vanessa Vine, who founded the British Anti-Fracking Action Network, said: "Concerns of local residents range from everything from heavy traffic through villages, damage to the roads, right up to triggering of earthquakes and permanent, potentially permanent contamination of the groundwater, of the aquifer, of drinking water."

The Government estimates the industry could attract £3.7bn a year in investment and support 74,000 jobs.

Last year, a study by the British Geological Survey suggested there could be enough shale gas in the north of England to supply Britain for 40 years.

It is thought there may be as much as 1,300 trillion cubic feet at the Bowland site in Lancashire alone.

Vanessa Vine, founder of the British Anti-Fracking Action Network

Energy minister Michael Fallon said he expected between 20 and 40 wells to be drilled over the next couple of years but that it was as yet unclear whether it would provide "a really good reliable source of cheap energy".

"It is only right, when there is local growth and local jobs, that the councils are able to retain more of the business rates in order to help improve or maintain local services.

"I think that is only fair that local people should see some of the direct benefit."

Lawrence Carter, from Greenpeace, said: "This is a naked attempt by the government to bribe hard-pressed councils into accepting fracking in their area.

"Cameron is effectively telling councils to ignore the risks and threat of large-scale industrialisation in exchange for cold hard cash."

Shadow energy minister Tom Greatrex said: "Gas will remain an important part of our energy mix in the future, and if shale gas can replace our rapidly depleting North Sea reserves it could help improve our energy security.

"It is right that any communities that host nationally significant energy infrastructure are able to share in its rewards.

"But the Government must get its priorities right. Only by fully addressing legitimate environmental and safety concerns about fracking with robust regulation and comprehensive monitoring, will people have confidence that the exploration and possible extraction of shale gas is a safe and reliable source that can contribute to the UK's energy mix."

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Snow-Hit Sheep Farmers Fear Worse Is To Come

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

Farmers will have to prepare for the impact of more extreme weather on livestock and crops, according to the National Farmers Union.

The Union's deputy president has told Sky News he believes climate change may be to blame for unseasonal conditions like the damaging spring snowfall in 2013.

Meurig Raymond told Sky News: "The industry is facing the volatility of weather - maybe climate change. So feeding the world is going to be important going forward. We as farmers have to face up to that, but wake up for society as well."

His comments come as farmers say it will take years to recover financially from losses suffered during the coldest spring in 50 years.

Months on from snowfall that struck during lambing season, farmers have told Sky News their industry is still reeling from the heavy losses of livestock.

On the hills above Llanfairfechan in North Wales farmer Gareth Wyn Jones feeds the sheep that survived the heavy snow.

In March and April he spent weeks digging through feet of snow to recover the bodies of sheep and lambs that had perished.

Farmer Gareth Wyn Jones tends to his livestock in North Wales

Now, on a cold, sunny winter morning he surveys the surrounding hillsides that offer a stunning view across the Irish Sea.

He says the snow came at the worst possible time for sheep farmers. Most of the animals that died were new born lambs.

He estimates hundreds died on his farm alone.

"We lost about eighty breeding ewes and we lost a hundred ponies but we were fortunate - we dug eighty or ninety ewes out. A neighbour of ours lost half his hill flock overnight - gone," he said.

"There are some massive losses just in this little valley in North Wales."

Farmers in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Shropshire, Cumbria, Yorkshire and the Isle of Man also lost thousands of sheep and lambs.

The number of deaths forced the Welsh Assembly and Defra to temporarily relax strict EU rules that prevent farmers from burying dead animals. Usually farmers have to pay for carcasses to be removed.

Hundreds of sheep have been lost due to bad weather

Since the snowfall Defra says it has been working with farmers and  the insurance industry to ensure farmers are protected for future weather events.

They have also been working with the Met Office to publish detailed weather forecasts for farmers.

Joanne Briggs, from the National Sheep Association, told Sky News: "The time it will take for affected sheep farms to recover cannot be underestimated - it's not just the financial implications, which will take at least two or three years for business to overcome, but the loss of genetics from their flocks.

"Some bloodlines can never be replaced and that can mean a backward step of a decade or more for elite pedigrees.

"Like the animals that they care for, sheep farmers in general are incredibly resilient, but the spring of 2013 came at the end of an incredibly difficult 12 months and will leave a legacy for many years to come.

"But everyone can do their bit to support them, by making sure that when they buy lamb it is sourced from the UK."

Back on the farm in North Wales Mr Wyn Jones keeps an anxious eye on the long-term forecast.

He says he's not sure if they could cope with another spring snowfall. Most of his ewes are pregnant again and he's counting on the lambs due to be born this spring to help rebuild his livelihood.

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Manchester Tram Death: Man Dies By Debenhams

A man has died after been struck by a tram in a busy city centre.

The man, who has yet to be identified, was hit outside Debenhams in Market Place, Manchester city centre, at around 6.15pm on Saturday.

Fans trying to get home from Old Trafford after Manchester United's match with Swansea were advised to avoid the city centre in the aftermath of the incident.

Onlookers described seeing the man being dragged and trapped underneath the Metrolink carriage as he crossed the junction of Market Street and High Street.

The tram network was temporarily closed while emergency services dealt with the scene.

The rail network was working as normal so people were advised to use trains if possible.

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Flooding: Heavy Rain To Bring More Flood Woes

Further heavy rain next week is expected to bring more misery to parts of the UK that have already seen widespread flooding.

Seventy-nine flood warnings remain in place throughout the country while there are 117 flood alerts.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson chaired another meeting of Cobra, the Government's emergency committee, on Saturday.

He said: "River levels continue to rise and remain high in some areas, particularly parts of the Thames. I have chaired another Cobra meeting today to ensure that the Environment Agency, local authorities and emergency services are well prepared to continue supporting those at risk."

He urged the public "to remain vigilant" and said the Government was "continuing to focus on flood protection and support for those affected".

The EA's flood warnings and alerts

River levels have been rising steadily in counties including Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset and across the Midlands following days of downpours, the Environment Agency said.

Rivers including the Hampshire Avon through Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset, the Stour in Dorset, the Parrett in Somerset and the Severn through the Midlands showed little signs of receding.

Harry Martin went missing on January 2

Communities along the River Thames throughout Surrey, Berkshire and Oxfordshire have also been warned that they face the risk of flooding.

Met Office forecaster Helen Roberts said more heavy rain was due from today.

"There's going to be a band of rain coming from the West in the afternoon. It'll be over south west England from midday and spread slowly eastwards across the rest of the country."

But she said that although there might be some "moderate to heavy bursts", there were not significant amounts of rain expected until Wednesday.

Eight people have died and more than 1,700 homes and businesses have been flooded in England since the beginning of the Christmas period, with around 550 properties flooded since the new year. Some 140 properties have been flooded in Wales.

On Sunday, police said coastguards had discovered a body in the sea in the search for missing photography student Harry Martin, but that it had not been identified at this stage.

The 18-year-old left his home in Newton Ferrers, Devon, on January 2 to go out to take pictures of the stormy sea.

Hundreds help in a clean-up of Aberystwyth promenade

In Aberystwyth more than 200 residents volunteered for a three-and-a-half hour clean-up of the town's promenade, which was severely damaged by storms.

Councillor Ceredig Davies, who represents central Aberystwyth, said: "We used buckets and spades and wheelbarrows to put the sand back from the promenade, where it was washed in the storms.

"There were thousands of tonnes of sand there and the volume shifted by people today was hundreds of tonnes.

"It was great community spirit. It was back-breaking work but everyone felt that they had achieved something. They felt like they were doing their bit in putting our promenade back to how we like it."

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Missing 12-Year-Olds: Police Search For Girls

Police are searching for two 12-year-old girls reported missing after a walk to a local bus stop, Scotland Yard has said.

Friends Wiktoria Popiel, from Wood Green, and Vitalija Sidlauskaite, from Tottenham, north London, were last seen together on Morley Avenue in Wood Green at around 5pm on Saturday.

Wiktoria (pictured above right) was walking Vitalija (above left) to a bus stop on nearby Lordship Lane but did not return home.

The Metropolitan Police said they may have got on a bus towards Tottenham or have gone to the ice rink at Alexandra Palace.

Vitalija Sidlauskaite (l) and Wiktoria Popiel (r)

Speaking to Sky News's Tom Parmenter, the mother of Vitalija said she was "desperate for news".

The tearful mum said the pair were very close friends who spent a lot of time together.

She said her daughter did have a mobile phone with her but that it did not have a SIM card for making calls.

She suspected they may have been heading towards the ice rink at Alexandra Palace but did not know if they made it there.

The mother said she was searching parks and hospitals in a desperate bid to find the pair.

The pair were walking to this bus stop

Wiktoria's first cousin Alicja Ochramowicz told Sky News: "It was just a normal evening, she left the house with he friend and she said 'I'll be back shortly'."

"All she had was her Oyster card, no mobile phone, no spare clothes...it is not even an option that she has run away."

Wiktoria Popiel

The 18-year-old cousin said the pair were: "Best friends - they only hang around with each other - it is just them two all the time."

She said: "We have asked all of her friends but heard nothing."

"We'd just ask we to tell her she is Okay. I'd just say 'please come home'." 

She described her cousin as "outgoing, friendly - they used to go to the same school and then Vitajla changed schools."

Vitalija's mother urged people who were out walking or exercising in parks in the areas around Wood Green to report any sightings or information that may help the police find the girls.

A police spokesman said: "Their disappearance is completely out of character for both girls and they have never gone missing before.

The street where the girls were last seen

"Their families and police are extremely concerned for their welfare and urge anyone who sees them or who has information about their whereabouts to call police on 101."

Wiktoria was wearing glasses, a brown jacket with fur around the hood (the same as the one in the top picture), blue jeans and blue trainers. She speaks English and Polish.

Vitalija was wearing blue jeans and a black jacket. She speaks English and Russian.

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