UK's 20 Worst Burglary Hotspots Revealed

Full List Of The UK's Burglary Hotspots

Updated: 1:04am UK, Friday 24 January 2014

Here are the top 20 burglary hotspots by postcode in the UK, according to the number of previous claims made per thousand people:

1. M21 - Chorlton-cum-Hardy; Barlow Moor, Manchester, 45.2

2. SE24 - Herne Hill; Tulse Hill (part), London, 41.8

3. N10 - Muswell Hill, London, 40.9

4. RM8 - Dagenham; Becontree; Becontree Heath, London, 35.9

5. N2 - East Finchley; Fortis Green; Hampstead Garden Suburb (part), London, 34.5

6. L18 - Allerton; Mossley Hill, Liverpool, 33.3

7. L22 - Waterloo, Liverpool, 32.6

8. N18 - Upper Edmonton; Edmonton (part), London, 32.3

9. UB6 - Greenford; Perivale, London, 30.9

10. SE27 - West Norwood; Gipsy Hill (part), London, 30.5

11. B73 - Boldmere; New Oscott; Wylde Green, Birmingham, 29.5

12. E8 - Hackney Central; Dalston; London Fields, London, 29.4

13. DN2 - Intake; Wheatley; Wheatley Hills, Doncaster, 28.7

14. N20 - Whetstone; Totteridge; Oakleigh Park, London, 28.0

15. E9 - Homerton; Hackney Wick; South Hackney; Hackney Marshes; Victoria Park, London, 27.8

16. N11 - New Southgate; Friern Barnet; Bounds Green; Arnos Grove (part), London, 27.7

17. N16 - Stoke Newington; Stamford Hill (part); Shacklewell; Dalston (part); Newington Green (part), London, 27.7

18. LS16 - Adel, Bramhope; Cookridge; Eccup; Far Headingley; Holt Park; Ireland Wood; Lawnswood; Moor Grange; Tinshill; Weetwood; West Park, Leeds, 27.6

19. B24 - Erdington; Tyburn, Birmingham, 27.6

20. HP10 - High Wycombe; Flackwell Heath; Handy Cross; Hedsor; Loudwater; Penn; Tylers Green; Wooburn; Wooburn Green; Wooburn Moor, Buckinghamshire, 27.3

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New Ultrasound Could Mean End Of Stethoscope

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

The days of the doctor's stethoscope could be coming to an end thanks to modern unltrasound devices.

The latest point-of-care devices are becoming increasingly more accurate and portable.

They scan for trauma, can reduce complications, assist in emergency procedures and improve diagnostic accuracy.

It is all a far cry from the limitations of the trusty old stethoscope, which has been hanging around the necks of doctors since 1816.

An editorial in Global Heart, the journal of the World Heart Federation, said: "Several manufacturers offer hand-held ultrasound machines slightly larger than a deck of cards, with technology and screens modelled after modern smartphones. 

Thames Valley & Chiltern air ambulance trust carry portable ultrasound kits

"Many experts have argued that ultrasound has become the stethoscope of the 21st century."

The journal asks why we do not see ultrasound machines in the pockets of every clinician. Several factors are said to play a play a role, including cost.

Ultrasound can diagnose heart, lung and other problems with much more accuracy than the 200-year-old stethoscope, therefore potentially saving time and money.

A number of air ambulance services in the UK use ultrasound, including the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust.

Dr Syed Masud, a consultant in pre-hospital care, said: "We have to kind of bring the hospital to the patient at the roadside or at their home and the ultrasound has fitted in there, because it is a diagnostic window.

Modern ultrasound devices are becoming increasingly more accurate

"In the past we used to use the stethoscope. Well, actually, if you think about it, a stethoscope on the roadside with the noise level and everything else it is probably not that useful.

"In cardiac arrest, putting the finger on someone's neck and trying to feel for a pulse is less useful than actually using an ultrasound.

"The ultrasound can tell us whether the lungs are up; it can tell us what the heart is doing; whether it is beating; whether there are any particular injuries.

"We can look inside the abdomen rather than just feeling the abdomen to see whether there is fluid inside which could be potential bleeding."

The demise of the stethoscope is likely to be a very gradual process, especially among older GPs who are being appraised and reassured about ultrasound technology and its versatility.

They will also be weighing up the potential of increased power and speed of diagnosis against increased cost.

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Older Cancer Patients Are Being 'Written Off'

Some patients with cancer are being denied treatment because they are too old, according to charity Macmillan Cancer Support.

Elderly patients are being "written off" for treatment after being assessed on age rather than fitness, claimed the charity.

The claim comes despite research showing tens of thousands of pensioners have survived the disease for 10 years or more.

"It's wrong to write off older people as too old for treatment," said Macmillan chief executive Ciaran Devane.

Some 130,000 patients over 65 survived at least 10 years with the disease

"With a proper assessment and appropriate treatment, our research shows that many older cancer patients can live for a long time and can even be cured.

"While it's good news that so many older people are benefiting from treatment, many thousands more could live longer if our survival rates for over-65s matched those in comparable countries.

"The barriers to getting treatment - which include age discrimination and inadequate assessment methods - must be tackled now so older people can survive cancer and live for many years."

For cancers such as prostate, breast, lung, stomach, ovary and kidney, the UK and Ireland have a lower five-year survival rate than the rest of Europe, a spokesman said.

At least 130,000 patients in the UK have survived for at least 10 years after being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 65 or above, including more than 8,000 patients diagnosed at age 80 or over.

Dr Mark Porter, chairman of council at the British Medical Association, said: "It is important that all healthcare professionals ensure that patients are treated on the basis of their clinical need.

"With an increasingly ageing population, it should be a key part of medical professionalism to guarantee that older patients are treated with the care and respect they deserve."

Sean Duffy, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: "We need to deliver better services for people over 65 and 75 because we know there's an issue and interventions need to be designed to that end."

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Take-Home Pay 'Rising Faster Than Prices'

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky Political Reporter

Nine out of 10 British workers have seen their take-home pay increase in the past year, according to Treasury figures.

In a counter attack on Labour's so-called cost of living crisis, the Tories argued there was "stark" evidence that the economic recovery is for all.

Conservative ministers said nearly everyone except the richest 10% saw their take-home pay rise by at least 2.5% once tax cuts were taken into account.

This is above the Consumer Price Index inflation rate which stood at 2.4% in the year ending April 2013.

It is claimed conditions have improved most for the bottom 50% of earners with take-home pay rising three quarters faster than CPI inflation.

Though the figures take into account cuts to income tax and national insurance, they do not include cuts to benefits to people in work.

The Treasury says all but the top 10% of earners saw a rise last year

Labour accused the Conservatives of being "highly selective" with their statistics and failing to "understand the cost-of-living-crisis".

Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise Matthew Hancock MP said: ‪"Of course as a consequence of the Great Recession people who work hard have been made poorer and times are tough for families as a result.

‪"That's why, as part of our long-term economic plan, we are cutting taxes for hardworking people so they have more money in their pockets and are more financially secure.

"Last year, our tax cuts meant people's take home pay rose faster than prices. So while there is still a long way to go, these figures show our plan is working.

"Only by continuing to work through our long-term plan will we secure a better future for Britain."

Labour though argued that for most - real wages have fallen.

Shadow Treasury Minister Cathy Jamieson said: "The truth is that under David Cameron real wages have fallen by over £1,600 a year and analysis of IFS figures show families are on average £891 worse off as a result of tax and benefit changes since 2010.

Overall, wages rose by a third more than the rate of CPI inflation

"At the same time this government has given a huge tax cut to people earning over £150,000."

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank, said the Government's figures did not take account of benefit reductions and so did not reflect what has happened to household incomes overall.

Mr Johnson said it appeared that pay was now rising faster than inflation for most workers, but predicted that - after inflation is taken into account - incomes will remain "well below" their pre-recession levels by the time of the 2015 general election.

"There are two problems with this which one needs to take into account," he said.

"First, we have other sets of data - the Office for National Statistics publishes an average weekly earnings index. That went up quite a lot less quickly than inflation in the most recent months.

"And of course they are not taking account of reductions in things like benefits which were occurring over the time.

"So if you are looking at household incomes, that will be different from what's happened to take-home pay," he told BBC Radio.

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Murder Case Misconduct Detective To Keep Job

A detective disciplined for not following arrest guidelines in the Becky Godden-Edwards murder case will keep his job, police say.

Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher had previously been found to have breached murderer Christopher Halliwell's rights by failing to caution him and denying him a solicitor in an attempt to force information out of him.

Although 49-year-old taxi driver Halliwell was jailed for life for killing Sian O'Callaghan, the charge that he murdered Rebecca Godden-Edwards was dismissed due to Mr Fulcher's mistake.

A police disciplinary upheld three allegations of gross misconduct over alleged breaches of Wiltshire Police's policy and the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (Pace).

Two related to the execution of his duty during the Sian O'Callaghan and Becky Godden-Edwards case in March 2011 and one related to inappropriate contact with the media around 12 months later.

The police watchdog report found Mr Fulcher breached the act and ignored orders from his own force during the high-profile inquiry in Swindon.

"The panel have upheld the allegation that Detective Superintendent Fulcher committed gross misconduct by breaching the standards of professional behaviour as outlined by the Police Conduct Regulations 2008," a force spokesman said.

"The panel has decided the most appropriate action is for Detective Superintendent Fulcher to be given a final written warning.

"He will remain within Wiltshire Police."

More follows...

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Syria Terror Offences: Two UK Women Charged

Two women have been charged in relation to funding terrorist activities in Syria, Scotland Yard has said.

Amal Elwahabi, 27, and Nawal Msaad, 26, both from northwest London, were arrested on January 16.

Msaad was detained at Heathrow Airport while Elwahabi was held later that day in northeast London.

Scotland Yard said the pair is accused of "becoming concerned in an arrangement as a result of which money was made available or was to be made available to another, and they knew or had reasonable cause to suspect that it would or may be used for the purposes of terrorism".

The alleged offences are said to have taken place between January 13 and 16 and relate to terrorist activity in Syria, a spokesman said.

He added: "SO15, the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, will continue to pursue individuals and networks in the UK seeking to support terrorists engaged in the Syrian conflict."

The women will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later.

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Army Chief Looks To Future After Final Job Cuts

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

A line has been drawn "under the forced exodus of people from the Army", the Head of the British Army has declared.

Later today the Defence Secretary will announce details of the fourth round of military redundancies. It is also expected to be the final tranche.

Philip Hammond is expected to reveal that roughly 350 redundancies will come from the Ghurkha regiment, 70 or so medical and staff from the RAF and Navy.

The majority though will be chosen from the wider Army, although it is hoped a significant proportion will be voluntary.

As has previously been the case, anyone currently serving on operations will be exempt, as will those serving on the date the exact redundancies are announced - expected to be mid-June.

There will be the option for people to transfer to areas of the military that need bolstering, although those opportunities will be limited.

And financial incentives will be offered to anyone leaving the regular force but willing to join the Reserves.

Chief of General Staff Sir Peter Wall

Speaking ahead of today's announcement, the Chief of the General Staff General Sir Peter Wall said this demonstrated the military has done what was asked of it: "This redundancy tranche marks the final leg in our reduction of the Army from its former strength towards 82,500.

"It's the end of a period of significant uncertainty, albeit the relatively small number affected in this final tranche who will get our particular attention in making sure that they are fairly treated and support their transition to civilian life.

"This actually draws a line and we are now concentrating on drawing in the right talent to populate the future Army structure which is all about our operational readiness for future challenges."

It is hoped by senior officials within the Ministry of Defence that this is the last tranche of redundancies and will therefore remove the uncertainty that has been hanging over the military for some years - known anecdotally by troops as "life in the tranches".

It was originally thought as many as 5,000 could be made redundant in this round.

Soldier currently deployed on operations will be exempt from the cuts

That number is significantly smaller, in part due to problems with recruitment meaning that not so many jobs need to go.

"The defence review of 2010 set very clearly the requirements of defence going into the future," explained Major General David Cullen, Assistant Chief of the General Staff.

"We certainly don't need any further redundancies to achieve that target and to deliver the policy outputs that are required of us."

Earlier this month the military launched another recruitment campaign - the third in the space of just a year.

It is a response to inadequate recruiting figures, and a flawed recruitment process, described by one senior military source as being "clunky".

In the case of the Army Reserve, there are now fewer soldiers than six months ago.

However, the MoD is confident that many of the problems have been ironed out.

The number of staff in the national recruiting centre has been almost doubled and there is a simplified online application process.

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'Missed Opportunities' In Boy's Heart Care

A coroner has ruled there were "missed opportunities" in the care received by a four-year-old boy recovering from heart surgery.

Recording a narrative conclusion, Avon coroner Maria Voisin found no "gross failures to provide basic care" for Sean Turner.

Sean, from Warminster, Wiltshire, was a patient on Ward 32 of Bristol Children's Hospital and died in March 2012 from a brain haemorrhage.

He had previously suffered a cardiac arrest, six weeks after he underwent corrective heart surgery.

Sean's parents Steve and Yolanda Turner, aged 47 and 45, told the inquest at Avon Coroner's Court how they pleaded with doctors and nurses to help him.

Sean died at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children

Mr and Mrs Turner accused doctors of transferring their son to Ward 32 from intensive care too soon and said they missed signs of his worsening condition, with rising blood pressure, vomiting and fluid loss from his chest.

His mother told the inquest: "Sean was deteriorating. We could see it but nobody listened to us.

"We asked so many times and so many staff - from ward doctors, outreach nurses, cardiac liaison nurse and the nurses - if Sean could go back to intensive care as he had been better there.

"We were told no beds or that simply he was not critical enough. Over four days Sean had increasing heart rate, was constantly being sick and was becoming so chronically dehydrated he was grabbing tissues used to cool his forehead and suck the water out of them.

"He kept asking for drinks but we were told he was on a fluid restriction to clear out his drains and this was normal procedure after a Fontan procedure."

After collapsing Sean was transferred to intensive care, where he remained for 11 days before being returned to the ward.

Mrs Turner described it as the "worst news" when they were told Sean was being returned to Ward 32 and the "beginning of the end".

She said nurses did not respond to automatic alarm calls on her son's monitoring equipment, did not complete regular fluid checks and did not fill in his record charts.

He suffered a cardiac arrest on February 16 and returned to the intensive care unit where he remained until he died on March 15.

Up 10 families are believed to be taking legal action against the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust over treatment on Ward 32.

Ms Voisin said there were "lost opportunities" in the treatment of Sean but said this did not amount to a neglect verdict because there was not a gross failure to provide basic care.

Ms Voisin said she would not be writing to the hospital trust to recommend that changes are made to prevent future deaths.

"I am aware that the trust has made lots of changes since Sean's death and I do not consider that I need to make any report in connection with this matter."

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Cable Vows Fight Over Royal Mail Chief's Pay

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

An explosive executive pay row is brewing between Vince Cable and Royal Mail over the £1.5m package earned by the newly privatised company's chief executive.

Sky News can reveal that the Business Secretary is preparing to face down moves by Royal Mail's board to hike Moya Greene's annual remuneration just months after the Government sold a 70% stake in the company.

Mr Cable is understood to be willing to consider going as far as using his vote as the postal operator's biggest remaining shareholder to try to block any such increase.

If that were to happen, it would represent a remarkable new chapter in the privatisation of Royal Mail, which was bitterly opposed by Labour and the Communication Workers' Union.

The Government has been heavily criticised since last October's £3.3bn stock market listing, with the company's soaring share price leaving ministers vulnerable to accusations that it had been seriously undervalued.

The conflict over executive pay has been simmering since last weekend, when Donald Brydon, the boardroom veteran who chairs Royal Mail, said in a newspaper interview that increasing Ms Greene's pay was necessary if the company wanted to retain her services.

"I think it's only fair to pay Moya the right market rate for her job," he told The Sunday Telegraph.

"I'm not in the school that says top executive pay is without fault, there are parts of it that are egregious and wrong. But happily we are so far away from that end of it that to try and right-size her a bit I think is a necessary part of making sure we keep her."

Mr Brydon did not quantify the perceived shortfall in the Royal Mail chief's pay, although Ms Greene is paid less in aggregate than any of her peers at the helm of companies in the FTSE 100. She is also paid substantially less than her predecessor, Adam Crozier.

Last year, she received just under £498,000 in basic salary with further sums totalling nearly £1m based on her performance and directors' judgements about her success at modernising the company.

Royal Mail has pledged not to give Ms Greene a significant pay rise until after the current financial year.

Mr Cable is said to be irritated at Mr Brydon's intervention in the context of a row last year which led to Ms Greene returning a £250,000 housing allowance after he objected to the "material" payment.

The sum was disclosed in Royal Mail's annual report last summer. A review of Ms Greene's employment contract by Sky News after the company's flotation found no further discretionary payments of that kind.

At the time, Mr Cable said: "I am pleased that this unapproved payment is being returned. The company acted quickly to rectify the situation.

"A mistake was made in not seeking my approval: I would not have approved it. The chairman is sorry; the payment is being returned. I now regard the matter closed.

"Moya Greene is an exceptionally good CEO and she and the board have my full support to take the company forward."

Under laws passed at Mr Cable's instigation, most listed companies will face for the first time in 2014 a binding shareholder vote on their future pay policies for senior executives.

The prospect of one of the first big protest votes under the new regime being orchestrated by Mr Cable himself would stun the City.

It is not clear whether Mr Cable is opposed to any increase at all in Ms Greene's salary while the Government remains a shareholder in the company, but he is understood to be determined to hold Royal Mail's board to account over the issue.

However, the Business Secretary's stance may leave the Government vulnerable to accusations of hypocrisy given that both Antonio Horta-Osorio and Ross McEwan, the chief executives of state-backed Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland, are paid far higher sums than Ms Greene.

There is a widespread expectation that ministers will sanction the sale of the remaining stake before next year's general election, which would leave Royal Mail's board answerable only to external investors.

The Business Secretary is said to be keen to avoid the "nuclear option" of using the Government's vote to oppose Royal Mail's remuneration report.

Unions are likely to apply intense pressure on him to do so, however, with Unite national officer Ian Tonks saying this week: "Calls to boost Moya Greene's huge salary even further is proof the rushed privatisation of Royal Mail is descending into a farce. The Government should step in and make clear it opposes this sort of corporate greed."

If Mr Cable did vote against it, it could leave some Royal Mail directors feeling that their positions were untenable because they were not able to act in the interests of all shareholders by securing the services of the company's chief executive.

It would also revive memories of the vote by UK Financial Investments against Royal Bank of Scotland's pay report in 2009 following its taxpayer bail-out, although that vote was only on an advisory basis.

Mr Cable will give evidence later on Wednesday to the Business, Innovation and Skills select committee about the department's annual report, when he may face further questioning about the Royal Mail sell-off.

A spokeswoman for Mr Cable declined to comment.

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Flood Victims Demanding More Protection

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

Flood victims across the country are hoping for reassurances that more will be done to prevent a repeat of their recent problems, as those responsible for defences are quizzed in Parliament today.

None more so than the people of Muchelney, the village on the Somerset Levels that has now been cut off for three weeks.

The only way in and out of the picturesque and historic hamlet is by boat, and for the residents here the novelty, and their patience, is wearing thin.

Most of the villagers think the severe flooding here in recent weeks, and in November 2012, has been due to the rivers around the Somerset Levels not being dredged, a practice that was stopped because of the expense involved.

"It's not rocket science," says resident Paul Belding.

"If you let the rivers silt up to half their size, it'll have a massive impact, and dredging is the only way ahead.

"Eighteen years ago the dredgers were out in force in this area. I haven't seen them since."

Defra Minister Dan Rogerson and Environment Agency chief executive Paul Leinster will today face questions from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.

The thousands of people affected by the floods will be hoping the meeting will prompt some positive action.

Retired doctors Peter and Elizabeth Nightingale now own a smallholding in the village of Muchelney Ham.

They were flooded for the first time in almost 90 years in 2012, and there is still a foot or more of water still in their home after it flooded again this year.

The village of Muchelney has been cut off to road traffic

The couple have around 60 sheep that should have been sold at market in the past couple of weeks, but they simply can't get them there.

"The place is a disaster zone. It's ridiculous in a first world country that the Government doesn't do more to help us and protect us from this sort of thing. It's laughable really," says Mr Nightingale.

"This needs a major effort by the government, not just bits of spending here and there."

Many of the local pumping stations on the Levels are not in use at the moment, because with the rivers still full, there is nowhere for the water to go.

:: Government and Environment Agency officials will face questions from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee later. Watch it live from 3pm on Sky News - Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Unemployment Rate Falls To 7.1% In Job Surge

The UK unemployment rate fell to 7.1% during the three months to the end of November, prompting concerns of a rise in mortgage rates.

It was the biggest ever quarterly increase in employment. A total of 280,000 jobs were created in the period.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of those jobless fell by 167,000 between September and November, to 2.32 million.

The ONS said a total of 30.15 million people are now in work. The number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance last month fell by 24,000 to 1.25 million, the ONS said.

It said average earnings increased by 0.9% in the year to November - excluding bonuses. The pay figure was unchanged on the previous month.

Base rate and unemployment rate since June 1992

The drop in the unemployment rate has potential implications for both savers and borrowers.

The Bank of England's monetary policy committee said it would consider a base rate rise, from the current record low of 0.5%, when the unemployment rate reached 7%.

The 0.5% is the lowest sustained base rate since 1964.

Forecasters had not expected the threshold to be reached until later in the year.

The 7% jobless rate will not trigger an automatic rate rise, according to the bank.

The latest unemployment rate of 7.1% is down by 0.5% from June-August, and by 0.6% from a year earlier.

But youth unemployment reached its highest rate since 1993.

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Electric Shock Collars 'Should Be Banned'

By Adele Robinson, Sky News Correspondent

Calls to ban the sale and use of electric shock dog collars in England are being debated in the House of Commons.

Matthew Offord, Conservative MP for Hendon, is presenting the argument during a Ten Minute Rule Bill.

He is being backed by dog welfare organisations the Dogs Trust and the Kennel Club.

Tory MP Matthew Offord believes electric collars are cruel

The Bill follows the publication of research, funded by Defra, which shows that the collars can cause negative behavioural and physiological changes in dogs.

Mr Offord said Defra was ignoring its own research.

He said: "In 2013, Defra published its two studies which showed that electric shock collars can cause some dogs negative welfare issues even when trained by a professional using 'relatively benign training programmes', so therefore many would deem them unsafe.

"Very few people who buy these devices would have the skill set of an experienced training and behaviour adviser, so there would surely be a heightened chance of long-term negative impacts.

"... As a dog will have no idea what has caused the pain, it is far more likely to associate it with something in its immediate environment than to connect it with its own behaviour at the time.

Electronic dog collars are banned in Wales

"This is why cases of dogs attacking other dogs, their owner, or another animal close by at the time of the shock are common."

It is believed there are several hundred thousand electronic dog collars in use in the UK.

The Dogs Trust and The Kennel Club believe positive training methods have a greater influence over a dog's behaviour than the collars.

The sale and use of electronic dog collars was banned in Wales in 2010.

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Harry's Arctic Reunion To Help Injured Veterans

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Prince Harry has used a reunion with his South Pole challengers in London to further highlight the need to support injured servicemen and women.

The Apache helicopter pilot, who last week announced he is moving to a new job with the Army based in London, emphasised the importance of supporting all personnel returning home as a complete draw-down of British forces in Afghanistan approaches.

Captain Harry Wales completed a trek to the South Pole last year alongside single and double amputee ex-servicemen and women to raise money for the charity Walking With The Wounded.

While in the Antarctic, Harry, who is also the charity's patron, told Sky News: "Every single person who takes part in this challenge is extraordinary.

"The fact these guys have made it to this point is extraordinary and I count myself incredibly lucky to be part of it."

Prince Harry completed the gruelling trek to the South Pole in December

The challenge, beset with delays due to worse-than-expected weather conditions, saw many of those taking part struggle with altitude sickness.

Prince Harry is also understood to have struggled with the severe temperatures and altitude for the 200-mile race to the South Pole.

Such were the conditions that Harry's British team, in the lead after four days, joined forces with the US and Commonwealth teams with a sole objective: for everyone to reach the planet's southern-most point.

Before he made the speech at a central London hotel on Tuesday, the fourth-in-line to the throne was reunited with his British team-mates including Duncan Slater, Ibrar Ali, Kate Philp, Guy Disney, guide Conrad Dickinson and mentor Richard Eyre.

Harry is due to take up a new role with the Army based at Horse Guards Parade in Westminster in a move signalling the end of the 29 year old's period of operational duties.

He is expected to use the move as an opportunity to bring the Warrior Games for injured personnel to London by the end of the year.

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£6,000 Of Viagra Stolen From Military Stocks

Nearly £6,000 of Viagra has been stolen from military reserves since 2007, according to Government figures.

The anti-impotence pills are among £7m of stolen stock, which also includes 100 bayonets, thousands of rounds of ammunition, televisions, a karaoke rig and an industrial washing machine.

The Ministry of Defence was quick to point out that Viagra was also used for conditions such as low blood pressure and altitude sickness.

Also among the thefts is equipment from nuclear submarines, £7,000 of silver cutlery from Redford Cavalry and Infantry Barracks near Edinburgh and a £25,000 silver statue from the Household Cavalry barracks in Knightsbridge.

The figures were disclosed by the MoD in response to a written parliamentary question from Conservative MP Nick de Bois.

A silver statue was stolen from the home of The Household Cavalry

Defence minister Dr Andrew Murrison told The Times newspaper: "The Ministry of Defence takes detecting and deterring fraud and theft seriously and set up a new counter fraud and loss department last year to improve the way fraud and theft is managed across defence ...

"The focus of this new department's work is to secure reduced losses caused by fraud, theft and loss, increased recovery through civil and internal procedures and the improved protection of assets through increased target hardening."

The thefts were significantly greater between 2009 and 2010 with £2.5m of equipment going missing, while just £816,906 worth of kit vanished between 2012 and 2013. 

Since April 2013, £572,549 of military stock has been misappropriated.

The figures were released following the case of Sergeant Major Steven Barratt, who was last week jailed for 20 months for trying to sell £115,000 of Army night vision kit on eBay.

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Power Bosses Questioned Over Storm Response

By Ashish Joshi, Sky News Correspondent

The bosses of some of the country's leading power distribution companies are being questioned about their response to the Christmas storms by a panel of MPs.

The House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee is holding a one-off evidence session on the companies' response to the severe weather.

Hurricane-force winds and torrential rain led to hundreds of thousands of power cuts during the Christmas period.

Retired insurance executive Neil Bailey was one of those left without electricity for five days.

His home in Horsham ,Surrey, was without power from December 23 until December 28.

A large ash tree in an adjoining field was toppled by the gale force winds that tore through southern England bringing down an electricity pole.

The supply to the severed cable was cut off by engineers sent to inspect the damage due to safety fears.

Heavy flooding struck many parts of Britain over the Christmas period

Friends helped the Baileys cook a Christmas turkey, but the family were forced to take a room in a local hotel for warm showers.

"Fortunately we've got some very good friends who helped us through from the time when the power was taken out on Christmas Eve through to Christmas Day," Mr Bailey said.

"I had my turkey cooked in a local village and another friend lent me their house to cook the vegetables and the potatoes.

"We were driving up down the dual carriage way to make Christmas dinner.

"The house was very cold and dark. There was no light from 4pm to 8am. It's not very pleasant."

The extreme weather stretched resources and resolve to the limit.

The response to the emergency by the power companies has been criticised heavily.

Mr Bailey has already been asking questions.

Power companies faced strong criticism over their response to outages

A letter from Basil Scarsella, CEO at UK Power Networks, one of the executives called to appear today, apologised for the outages and explained why power had not been restored to his home earlier.

"The recent storms have been the worst weather we have experienced for several years," the letter read.

"The high wind speeds and torrential rain caused widespread damage to our network and caused a large number of power cuts through the South East of England.

"Due to the unprecedented amount of damage caused, all of our engineers were working throughout the Christmas period to try to restore the supplies as quickly as possible with a priority given to dangerous situations."

Mr Bailey wants to see the panel of MPs demand greater accountability from the power supply companies.

"When you have a company in a virtual monopoly position there has to be some regulation to ensure that the service they are providing is being delivered," he said.

"Some kind of audit needs to take place to check that the plans they have for an emergency or contingency times are checked."

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Motorway Pub Opens Despite Opposition

A new £1m pub has opened at a motorway service station, in the face of fierce criticism from road safety and alcohol campaigners.

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon says The Hope & Champion will be open from 4am to 1am, seven days a week.

The venue is located in the Extra Motorway Service Area at junction 2 of the M40 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.

The first person to order a pint was a man called Tom who told Sky News he had heard on the news that it was the first motorway pub to open so he had stopped on his way into work.

He ordered his pint at 9.20 and, when asked what he thought of the idea of selling alcohol on the motorway, he said it was "frankly ridiculous".

Tom, who was "slightly surprised" by the number of photographers on hand to record the moment, had a few sips of his pint and then put it down, saying he was driving.

It is the first pub ever to be opened at a motorway service area, and will sell real ale from local and regional brewers.

But critics say the location of the pub is "at odds" with public opinion.

Wetherspoon's is defiant about the opening, despite critics' complaints

The RAC said a survey of 2,000 people showed only 12% of respondents supported putting pubs into motorway service stations.

Around two-thirds said they did not agree with the move, with older drivers more likely to oppose the sale of alcohol at motorway service areas.

Only 8% of over-55s were in favour, with 71% against, while almost one in five of those aged between 18 and 34 were in support.

The RAC's head of external affairs Pete Williams said: "The public appear to be very much against the introduction of motorway pubs.

"In our view this is a risky and frankly unnecessary move. The question we are struggling to answer is - of all the places to open a pub, why choose a motorway service station?

"The temptation to drink and drive can only be increased by easier access to alcohol."

But Steve Baldwin, manager of the new pub, said the venue would serve the local community.

"The Extra Motorway Service Area, now including The Hope & Champion, primarily serves the motorway users, but its facilities are also available to the surrounding community from the local road network," he said.

Sir Ian Gilmore, Royal College of Physicians special adviser on alcohol and chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: "I am disappointed by the decision to open a JD Wetherspoon on the M40.

"We are trying to prevent harm from alcohol-related traffic accidents and this sends out completely the wrong message."

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Stress: Children Growing Up 'In Toxic Climate'

Britain's youngsters are growing up in an "unprecedented toxic climate" of stress and pressure in a "24/7 online culture where they can never switch off", according to a survey by charity YoungMinds.

In the poll of 2,000 youngsters aged 11 to 25, over half believed they would be a failure if they did not get good grades, half said they had been bullied, while a third said they did not know where to turn to get help when they feel depressed or anxious.

Of the 11 to 14-year-olds questioned, four in 10 said they skipped meals to try to stay thin and over half said they had viewed online pornography, with four out of 10 of these saying it had affected their relationships with others of their age.

Lucie Russell, director of campaigns at YoungMinds, said: "We are sitting on a mental health timebomb."

Frankie Sandford, of The Saturdays, and Labour leader Ed Miliband are among those backing the charity's new campaign YoungMinds Vs, which is calling for improvements across a range of issues that young people say are the biggest they face.

Frankie Sandford is backing new campaign

Ms Sandford said: "I get to talk to a lot of young people and I know there are so many who are really suffering and struggling with life.

"That's why I really support the YoungMinds Vs campaign because it's raising awareness of the importance of young people having good mental health and everything that can be done to make that happen, including young people getting access to help when they need it."

Mr Miliband added: "Mental health is the biggest unaddressed health challenge of our age, and young people's mental health must be a top priority for Britain."

Nick Clegg will launch the Mental Health Action Plan

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg pl to improve the standards of mental health treatment for people of all ages and to end the stigma and discrimination faced by those with mental health issues.

Mr Clegg today launched the Government's new Mental Health Action Plan, which sets out 25 areas where immediate action is called for to improve care, support and treatment.

He said: "All too often, attitudes to mental health are outdated; stuck in the dark ages; full of stigma and stereotypes.

"It's time for us to bring mental health out of the shadows and to give people with mental health conditions the support they need and deserve."

Mr Clegg said that mental illness cost the economy £105bn every year and that life expectancy for a man with severe mental illness was reduced by 20 years compared with the rest of the population, and 15 years for a woman.

He said people with mental health issues would have the same legal right as those with physical conditions to choose where they went for care, including being able to choose the person and provider from April.

The choice would not be limited to an NHS organisation, and patients would also be able to choose from a voluntary or independent provider offering services on the NHS when they went to see their GP to seek help, he added.

New standards on access and waiting times for mental health services are also to be introduced next year, so that patients will know what kind of treatment to expect and when.

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'Sickening' Footage Of Birmingham Street Robbery

Police have released footage of what they have described as a "sickening" unprovoked violent attack on a man who was knocked unconscious and repeatedly kicked in the head by two thieves.

The victim who has been left with permanent scarring to his body, was ambushed by the "thugs" as he made his way home from a night out at a birthday celebration in Birmingham.

CCTV obtained by West Midlands Police of the attack shows the men picked their target by throwing a cermic plate at the 51-year-old's arm as he walked along Bordesley Green Road.

The victim is punched in the head, which knocks him to the ground

The footage shows the victim turn around as the plate strikes him and shatters into pieces at his feet.

He confronts the man that has thrown the plate and continues walking up the road when suddenly a second man appears and punches the victim in the head, immediately knocking him to the gutter unconscious.

What follows is "absolutely horrendous", police said, as the first offender begins to rifle through the vcitim's coat and trouser pockets, helping himslef to a watch and mobile phone.

While this is going on, the man who threw the punch saunters back over to the pair and can be seen stamping on the victim's head and slapping him across the face, back and forth, a few times.

One of the attackers rifles through the victim's pockets

He then kicks the victim in the head twice, stamps on it again two times and appears to slap his face again before both attackers run out of view of the CCTV camera.

A motorist then appears to slowly drive by and pull up with his window wound down in the foreground down to see what has happened, and appears to be confronted from a distance by one of the robbers.

A second car pulls up in the distance near to where the victim is lying unconscious in the road, his legs partly on the pavement, as the two perpetrators stroll away, just as a concerned passer-by stops to call the emergency services.

The victim, who suffered extensive cuts to his face and head and more cuts and bruising to his body, is having to also deal with the psychological impact of the assault, as well as the loss of his watch and phone.

The offender who knocked him down joins his accomplice ...

More than a dozen other witnesses can be seen driving along as the attack took place and the victim today encouraged them to speak to detectives.

Speaking anonymously, he said: "I urge you to come forward and furnish the police with information which could assist and lead to the conviction and imprisonment of these perpetrators and cowards.

"This community will not tolerate or accept crimes such as the one inflicted on myself and people should be safeguarded from these thugs.

"On the advice of others, I have chosen not to view the CCTV, but I want such cowardly perpetrators to know the psychological damage you inflict on innocent people can be irreparable."

... and proceeds to repeatedly stamp and kick the victim in the head

And in a direct message to the offenders, he said: "The community abhors your crimes and looks forward to you being caught, convicted and removed from our streets."

Chief Inspector Dawn Miskella, from Birmingham CID, said: "The footage speaks for itself − it was an absolutely horrendous, unprovoked attack on an innocent man who was making his way home from a night out, leaving him with long-lasting injuries.

"I would appeal directly to those people who drove past the scene as the robbery was taking place to please come forward and speak to us. You may not have realised what was going on at the time, but your information could be vital in helping us find the people responsible."

The attack happened outside the Bordesley Green surgery on Bordesley Green Road, at the junctions with Pikewater Road and Whitehall Road, at around 1.10am on Sunday, December 15.

Anyone with information can contact Birmingham Police CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Runaways Who Fled School Found In Caribbean

Two teenagers who disappeared from their boarding school in the middle of the night have been found in the Caribbean.

Edward Bunyan and Indira Gainiyeva, both 16, vanished a week ago from Stonyhurst College in Clitheroe, Lancashire.

It is believed they took a taxi to Manchester airport at around 3am on January 13, and then caught a flight to the Dominican Republic.

Their parents were said to have been desperately concerned and reportedly flew out to the popular holiday destination to help police find them.

The sixth formers were found in the Punta Cana area of the island

A Lancashire police spokesman said the sixth formers had been found safe and well at a hotel in the Punta Cana area of the island.

"Plans are now being made for their safe return to the UK. They will be given a welfare debrief by police following their arrival back in this country," he said.

"Our priority throughout this has been to ensure the safety and welfare of these students and after they have been spoken to on their return this will signal an end of police involvement in this matter."

Stonyhurst College announces the students have been found

According to their Facebook profiles, Indira says she is from Kazakhstan, but lives in Brighton, East Sussex.

Edward, who calls himself Eddy, says his home is Sotogrande, an upmarket residential development, popular with expats, in southern Spain.

Fellow pupils took to social media - using the hashtags #WheresBunyan and #WheresIndira - to try to find news of their friends.

Stonyhurst College said in a statement: "We are absolutely delighted to be able to report that the two missing pupils have been found safe and well by police in the Dominican Republic.

The pair flew from Manchester to the Dominican Republic

"They are currently in the care of the police and a family member. Thank you to all parents and friends of Stonyhurst for your support at this time and for your prayers for their safety."

Headmaster Andrew Johnson said there will be discussions with them and their families when they return but it was too early to speculate about their future.

Stonyhurst College was founded in 1593 and bills itself as one of Britain's leading Catholic boarding schools, adhering to the Jesuit tradition.

Past pupils include Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, former BBC director general Mark Thompson, three saints and seven archbishops.

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IMF Upgrades UK Growth Forecast Above Rivals

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

The International Monetary Fund is on the brink of upgrading its growth forecast for the UK more than any other major economy, Sky News has learnt.

The Fund is poised to increase its projection for UK growth in 2014 from 1.9% to 2.4%. Although the Fund will also lift its forecasts for world economic growth, the UK upgrade is significantly stronger.

It is the latest boost to the fortunes of the Chancellor, coming barely 24 hours after the Ernst & Young ITEM Club also increased its projection for UK economic growth this year.

Although the Fund's forecast for growth this year will be shy of the 2.7% predicted by the ITEM Club, the scale of the upgrade underlines how quickly sentiment about Britain's economy has turned in recent months.

The updated forecasts may also be construed as a reputational blow for the Fund itself, whose chief economist warned less than a year ago that the economic policies being carried out by George Osborne amounted to "playing with fire".

Since then, the Fund has already increased its growth projections for Britain once, last October, before this week's anticipated upgrade.

The news comes amid growing optimism about the speed of the UK recovery. In spite of concerns about retailers' fortunes over Christmas, retail sales grew in December at the fastest annual rate in almost a decade.

The Office for National Statistics is expected to announce next week that growth in the final quarter of 2013 remained relatively strong at around 0.7%.

However, some have voiced concern that Britain has been reliant for much of the growth on household spending rather than the exports and manufacturing sector.

The IMF itself has voiced concern that, having failed to rebalance the economy, the government is now reliant, through policies such as Help to Buy, on boosting the housing market and encouraging consumers to take out more debt.

Nonetheless, the IMF upgrade represents the latest evidence that Britain's recovery is starting to take real hold, pushing the country towards robust growth this year.

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Utah Murder-Suicide Includes Two Britons

A police officer in Utah shot dead four members of his family, including his wife and mother-in-law who came from the UK, before turning the gun on himself, authorities say.

The bodies were discovered by police when they went to check on 34-year-old Joshua Boren after he failed to show up for work as a patrol officer.

Through a door and window of the property in Spanish Fork, about 50 miles south of Salt Lake City, officers noticed blood and bullet casings.

In an upstairs bedroom, they found Boren's 55-year-old mother-in-law Marie King.

Police found the bodies of the Boren family in an upstairs bedroom

In another room they found Boren, his wife Kelly, and their two young children, seven-year-old Jaden and five-year-old Haley.

All the victims had been shot.

Mrs Boren, 32, and her mother were originally from Northampton.

It is understood that the couple had been having marital problems, but colleagues said Boren had appeared upbeat and not distressed prior to the killings.

Officials said no suicide note was found at the home.

Ms King's sister Jeannette Malpas, who lives in Northampton, wrote on Facebook: "Cannot get my head around this and will never understand why someone has to take away lives like this.

"My beautiful sister Marie, her daughter Kelly and Kelly's children ... may you all rest in peace."

Police said Boren had been a deputy sheriff in Utah County for seven years before being hired by the Lindon Police Department last October.

In a Facebook posting, Lindon City said it was "saddened to learn of the tragic events" at the Boden home.

It said: "Lindon City will be working closely with the Spanish Fork Police Department to investigate and hopefully come to an understanding of this tragic occurrence."

The post added: "Officer Boren was selected for hire in October from a field of over 70 highly qualified applicants and had performed admirably as a patrol officer.

"His conduct, behaviour and professionalism were exemplary."

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UKIP To Purge Extreme Candidates Before Poll

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has promised to rid the party of its more extreme candidates ahead of the European and Local council elections in May.

He has ordered a clear-out in an attempt pull off one of the biggest upsets in modern political history - winning the most UK seats in the European Parliament.

He has already cut loose five MEPs from his line-up for the European and town hall elections, and the party is vetting all 1,818 candidates to make sure they do not have "extremist, barmy or nasty" views.

The clampdown was launched after MEP Godfrey Bloom branded African countries "Bongo Bongo Land" last year.

There has also been controversy this week as a UKIP councillor for Henley-on-Thames claimed the recent floods were due to Prime Minister David Cameron ignoring his warnings on legalising same-sex marriage.

David Silvester, who defected to UKIP from the Conservatives in 2012 over the issue, made the comments to his local newspaper the Henley Standard.

"The scriptures make it abundantly clear that a Christian nation that abandons its faith and acts contrary to the Gospel (and in naked breach of a coronation oath) will be beset by natural disasters such as storms, disease, pestilence and war," he said.

David Silvester: Floods due to PM ignoring warnings on same-sex marriage

Announcing the crackdown, Mr Farage told The Sun: "Politics needs people with personality and backgrounds and they will all have one or two flaws. I have got my own red lines on this. That is real extremism and nastiness.

"We introduced a set of criteria by which we judged the exiting MEPs on how they've performed and what they have done.

"Some have been pushed and some have jumped. Of 13 MEPs elected, there are about five who won't be on the list of runners and riders again.

"Of all the candidates we fielded, only about half a dozen have caused us any embarrassment."

He added that the reason people tried to portray UKIP candidates in a poor light "is because we are terrifying the political establishment."

He told the newspaper he is convinced that victory in the European poll could be a springboard to their first MP.

He said he planned to stand for election in 2015, and was considering which seat to target.

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Briton Killed In St Lucia Was Defending Wife

A British man has been murdered while trying to protect his wife from attackers on the island of St Lucia.

Two people are in custody and a murder inquiry launched after the death of Roger Pratt, 62.

The couple were attacked while their boat was moored off the Vieux Fort coast where they had been staying as part of a round-the-world voyage, celebrating Margaret's 60th birthday.

The attack happened at Vieux Fort

They left Lowestoft in June, navigating the English coastline before heading to the Algarve and on to the Caribbean.

A St Lucian police spokesman confirmed Mr Pratt died trying to defend his wife from attackers, but said there was no evidence the man was shot.

He said: "Nobody has been arrested yet but there are some guys in custody. The investigators are very busy looking at what happened."

St Lucian tourism minister Lorne Theophilus said: "It is with much regret that I and other industry partners have learnt of the unfortunate incident which has resulted in the loss of life of a visitor to our shores.

"At this time we extend our sincerest condolences to the family of British national Roger Pratt. To his wife, who also sustained injuries as a result of the attack off the Vieux Fort coast, we extend our deepest sympathies. Our prayers are with her for a speedy recovery.

The couple had plotted their route from the UK to St Lucia on their blog

"This is an active investigation and law enforcement is leading the charge in an attempt to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice speedily.

"Law enforcement officials have briefed myself and other senior tourism officials on aspects of the case although I am not at liberty to share some of those details with you at this time."

The couple lived in the village of Moreton Morrell in Warwickshire before embarking on their adventure.

Neighbours told Sky News the pair had lived there for about 25 years and were "thoroughly decent".

St Lucia is popular with people who like to sail (File pic)

"They appeared to be very content, a normal couple", one said. 

Writing on her blog in the hours before the attack, Mrs Pratt told how bureaucracy thwarted their attempts to leave that part of the Caribbean.

She said: "On Thursday morning the plan was to clear out from Soufriere, then to travel south and use up the 72 hours before we had to be away.

"But bureaucracy intervened. HM Customs and Excise in Soufriere told us that exit had to happen within 24 hours of clearing out; and that anyway, we couldn't clear out of Soufriere that day because the Immigration Officer hadn't come to work(!!)

"So here we are in Vieux Fort, the most southerly port of clearance in St Lucia. It's very different. There's a port; an airport and no tourists - and so it's a regular town."

Writing on her LinkedIn profile before she left, Mrs Pratt said: "Off travelling! The plan is to be in the Caribbean for my 60th birthday in January 2014... all a bit of a leap into the unknown. Please stay in touch - I plan to be an assiduous correspondent!"

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Mikaeel Kular's Mother Charged Over His Death

The mother of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular has been arrested and charged in connection with his death.

Rosdeep Kular, 33, is due to appear in court on Monday.

She had been questioned by officers on Saturday after her son's body was discovered in woodland near a house in Kirkcaldy, Fife, following a major search.

The body was removed from the scene at around 3pm on Saturday.

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

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: "During the course of today, the investigation into the disappearance of Mikaeel Kular has continued at pace.

"Following formal identification, I can now confirm that a 33-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with Mikaeel's death.

"The woman is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday."

A memorial service took place on Saturday night at Edinburgh's St Andrew's Muirhouse Parish Church.

Candles were given out at the door before the service, which was open only to the local community.

Dozens of teddy bears were left near Mikaeel's Edinburgh home

Mikaeel was reported missing from his home in the Scottish capital 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.

More than 500 calls were made by the public to a dedicated phone line.

Police Scotland are investigating an offensive Twitter comment relating to the case, which originated in the Greater Manchester area and was reported by an Edinburgh resident.

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