New Robot Mannequin Is Army's Latest Recruit

A new robotic mannequin - made using Formula 1 technology - will be used to test chemical and biological protective suits for Britain's armed forces.

Porton Man can run, walk, march, sit and kneel, allowing scientists to test suits against attacks such as nerve agents like sarin.

It was made by UK firm i-bodi Technology for the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) in Porton Down, Wiltshire, where military clothing is tested against chemical warfare agents.

Porton Man can run and march

Mannequins have been used by Dstl in the past, but the new £1.1m animatronic version has a raft of improvements and sensors all over its body that allow real-time analysis.

It is also much lighter than its predecessor - 14kg (30lb) instead of 80kg (176lb).

Jaime Cummins, of Dstl's Chemical and Biological Physical Protection group, said it is hoped the mannequin will help produce a new, lighter-weight protective suit for the future.

Jez Gibson-Harris, chief executive of i-bodi Technology, said his firm was tasked with producing a lightweight robotic mannequin based on data collected from 2,500 soldiers, that was easy to handle and had a wide range of movement.

He said: "Of course there were a number of challenges associated with this and one way we looked to tackle these challenges was through the use of Formula One technology.

"Using the same concepts as those used in racing cars, we were able to produce very light but highly durable carbon composite body parts for the mannequin."

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Badgers Should Be Gassed, Princess Anne Says

The Princess Royal has been criticised by animal rights campaigners after she described the gassing of badgers as a "much nicer way" to control them than shooting them.

Gassing has been banned since 1982 and is considered inhumane by animal rights activists. 

But Princess Anne said she believed most people "will tell you that gas is a much nicer way of doing it, if that's not a silly expression".

"Because of the way it works. And how it works is that you go to sleep, basically."

Speaking about the recent badger cull pilot programmes designed to reduce TB in cattle, Princess Anne said controlling the spread of the disease was just one reason for killing the animals. 

"From a conservation issue alone, you'd have to say there are too many badgers. A bigger growth in the badger population is not good for the balance of conservation anyway," she told the BBC's Countryfile programme.

A third of one cattle herd at Princess Anne's Gatcombe estate in Gloucestershire - where one of the pilot culls took place - has been wiped out by bovine TB over the past two years.

Princess Anne farms at her Gatcombe estate in Gloucestershire

An independent experts' report has found the "controlled shooting" of badgers could deliver the level of culling needed to bring about a meaningful reduction of TB in cattle.

Humane Society International UK executive director Mark Jones said a reintroduction of gassing would result in a "slow and painful" death for many badgers and possibly other animals.

"Gassing experiments carried out at Porton Down in the early 1980s were abandoned because of the appalling levels of suffering to which the badgers were exposed," he said.

"Lethal concentrations of gases in complex badger setts are difficult to achieve, making sub-lethal exposure and associated suffering highly likely."

His remarks were echoed by Green Party animals spokeswoman Caroline Allen.

The badger cull pilots sparked widespread protests

Ms Allen, a working vet, said: "It is very sad that a high-profile figure such as Princess Anne has chosen to weigh in to the badger debate showing even less awareness and even more ignorance on the issue than we have come to expect from Secretary of State Owen Paterson.

"Defra has clearly stated that gassing with cyanide should never again be considered and there are no alternate gases available without similar unacceptable effects."

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said last year that gassing badgers was being considered but would only be used if proven to be safe, humane and effective.

The Government recently announced the pilot culls would continue this year but will not be extended to other areas.

Princess Anne also spoke of her support for genetically-modified crops in the interview.

"I think the claims are probably slightly greater than most of the deliverables actually are. They do add to our ability to perhaps be more efficient users of the land," she said.

And she admitted she "seldom" discusses the subject with her brother Charles, who once suggested the method risked creating "the biggest disaster environmentally of all time".

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Mafia Boss 'The Professor' Arrested Again In UK

An alleged Italian mafia boss has been arrested on a fresh international warrant a week after he was told he was free to remain in the UK.

Domenico Rancadore had been told by a judge he could return to his home in Uxbridge, west London, after prosecutors withdrew their appeal against a ruling that blocked his extradition to Italy.

But he was arrested in Uxbridge on Friday night on a European Arrest Warrant by officers from Scotland Yard's extradition unit.

The 65-year-old was taken into police custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London later this morning.

Scotland Yard said in a statement: "(The warrant) alleges that he has an outstanding sentence of seven years' imprisonment to serve for participation in Mafia association between December 17, 1987 and April 13, 1995 in Palermo, Italy."

The warrant was issued in Italy and certified by the UK's National Crime Agency.

The house in Uxbridge where Rancadore was arrested

Rancadore - known as "The Professor" - was arrested in Britain last August after 20 years on the run.

He had won his legal fight against extradition on March 17 on the basis that returning to Italy's overcrowded prisons would breach his human rights.

At a hearing last week, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed they had lodged an appeal, but said it was not served within the statutory time limit and was therefore being withdrawn.

Rancadore fled to England in 1994 with his wife and two children, and lived under the false name of Marc Skinner.

Italian authorities claim he was a leading figure in the Cosa Nostra, a Sicilian mafia group controlling Trabia near Palermo.

He is one of Italy's most wanted criminals and was sentenced to seven years in prison in his absence.

Italian police claim he was involved in extortion, racketeering and drug trafficking.

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Cheers! More Booze-Free Bars For Britain

By Gemma Morris, Sky News Reporter

A growing number of alcohol-free bars cropping up across the UK could signal a shift in attitudes towards drinking.

Catherine Salway set up a dry bar in London last year after spotting a trend in young people wanting to be healthier and cutting back their drinking.

She said: "If you're 30 now, you've grown up in an environment where everyone is getting lashed all the time ... and really, as young people want to do, they are questioning the status quo which is to say why is socialising constantly linked with being drunk all the time?"

Catherine Salway spotted the trend for dry bars

Ms Salway funded her Redemption bar independently, but a number of other dry bars in the country have been backed by alcohol charities.

These have included venues in Nottingham and Liverpool.

Sophie Fordham, a university student who has blogged for Alcohol Concern, reckons younger people are becoming more open to the idea of alcohol-free bars.

"Say you go out three nights a week, if you replace that with one night at a chilled out, nice place, where you don't have to think about spending money on alcohol, you don't have to think about how you're getting home ... It's just a nice alternative," she said.

Instead of cocktails it's mocktails

Figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest UK alcohol habits are changing among young people.

The number of people, aged 25-44, who said they had had a drink in the previous week dropped from 74% to 63% for men and from 62% to 50% for women, between 2005 and 2012.

Other research appears to show a reduction in teenagers drinking alcohol too.

Former Coronation Street star Kevin Kennedy, better known to soap fans as Curly Watts, is a recovering alcoholic who hasn't had a drink for 17 years.

Kevin Kennedy, who has been sober 17 years, is hoping to join the trend

The actor is hoping to open his own dry bar in Brighton.

"I think in the UK we have got a kind of reputation of being just drunks, especially abroad and I think people are getting fed up of that. I think as a collective we are growing up," he said.

But when customers at a typical London pub were asked if booze-free nights can be as fun as alcohol-fuelled ones, the reaction was not overwhelmingly positive.

One drinker said: "I don't think it would be very fun because that's the whole point of a bar isn't it, that it serves alcohol?"

Another added: "Fun sometimes comes when you lose your inhibitions and alcohol helps you lose your inhibitions."

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Dawlish: Damaged Railway Reopens After Repair

David Cameron has paid tribute to workmen after they completed a £35m repair project on the badly damaged rail line at Dawlish.

The Prime Minister was in Dawlish to deliver on his pledge made in February that he would do "everything I could" to get the line back in action.

He said: "This is a great day for the hard-working people of Dawlish, and for businesses and commuters across the South West whose lives have been turned upside down by the devastating loss of their train line."

Storms caused a 100m breach in the sea wall at Dawlish

Mr Cameron added: "Back in February when I visited the town to see the damage for myself, I promised to do everything I could to get to this vital artery back up and running as quickly as possible.

Half of Dawlish train station has been rebuilt after the storms

"I am delighted to say that promise has been delivered today. A promise which says that the South West is well and truly open for business."

The rail line became a symbol of politicians' failure to adequately respond to the chaos caused by widespread flooding during a months of storms.

The coast-hugging line bore the brunt of the severe weather

A 300-strong team has spent weeks repairing the line, which was badly damaged on February 4 when the sea wall was breached during storms.

The line which links Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance was forced to close after part of the wall collapsed.

A team of 300 workers spent weeks fixing the line

Shipping containers were put into place in Dawlish to act as a temporary sea wall, but they suffered damage after further storms in February and engineers also discovered a cliff face just south of the village in Teignmouth had sheared away above the track.

As part of the repair work, half of Dawlish station has also been rebuilt, new cabling has been installed and the sea wall breach has been fortified with more than 6,000 tonnes of concrete.

National Rail chief executive Mark Carne said: "Our army of engineers has done an amazing job of putting back together a railway that was ravaged by the elements.

"They have overcome every obstacle thrown at them, winning many battles along the way to restore this critical piece of the network, ahead of schedule, and in time for the Easter holidays."

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Who To Follow In This Year's Grand National

By Nick Powell, Sports Editor, at Aintree

There is a noticeably more relaxed air about Aintree than 12 months ago, when the anxiety was palpable after two fatalities in each of the two previous Grand Nationals.

Adjustments to fences, the start and jockey instructions seemed to pay dividends, and everyone came back safely.

However, no one will be relaxed come 4.15pm on Saturday at the start of the first £1m National, neither here nor on millions of sofas around the world.

What might you back? Here are a few of the big contenders.

Mr Moonshine jumps a fence

:: MR MOONSHINE

If lightning striking twice is your thing, this is for you.

Sky Bet's Dale Tempest tipped Aurora's Encore last year on Saturday Sport on Sky News. Hardly anyone else did, and it won at 66-1.

Mr Moonshine comes from the same Yorkshire stable of Sue and Harvey Smith, has the same jockey in Ryan Mania, and has been schooled over the same special National-type fences at Malton.

Teaforthree came third in 2013

:: TEAFORTHREE

While Aurora's Encore has been retired, last year's third-placed horse is back for more.

Teaforthree is making the long trek from Pembrokeshire on the day, so much does he like his own bed.

Great chance of being involved in the finish. Odds too short to be attractive for me.

Monbeg Dude is co-owned by Mike Tindall

:: MONBEG DUDE

Clear the front pages if this wins - and it could. Royal connections for the Princess Royal to present the trophy to.

Dude used to be a dud jumper, much more sound after regular Monday sessions with Zara Phillips, wife of co-owner and ex-England rugby captain Mike Tindall.

Long Run will be ridden by amateur Sam Waley-Cohen

:: LONG RUN

Could not have a more appropriate name for this four and a half mile slog, nor a jockey with a better record.

Amateur Sam Waley-Cohen, taking time off from running his dental businesses, has finished second, fourth and fifth in his three Nationals - and won Thursday's race over the big fences.

Owned by Sam's dad Robert, chairman of Cheltenham racecourse, where he won the 2011 Gold Cup. Interesting.

Very classy, but is he still as good?

Rocky Creek is fancied by two time National winner Ruby Walsh

:: ROCKY CREEK

Good jumper. Top trainer in Paul Nicholls, who won with Neptune Collonges two years ago.

Second in the Hennessy Gold Cup, and second in January to The Giant Bolster, who so nearly won the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month. Definite chance.

No need to take my word for it - twice National winner Ruby Walsh (missing this year with a broken arm) fancies him too.

:: DOUBLE SEVEN

Trainer Martin Brassil won with Numbersixvalverde in 2006.

If he triumphs again, you'll have to listen very carefully - Brassil is as quietly spoken as trainers come, and owner JP McManus rarely talks above whisper level.

Champion jockey AP McCoy has chosen to ride this Munster National winner, which enhances his chances, but will shorten the price.

Swing Bill might be a long shot

:: SWING BILL 

Great story if he wins. Judy Halewood, leading light of new race sponsors Crabbies, bought him in order to have a runner in "her" race.

But he only just scraped in as one of the last of the 40 runners, and when I sat next to trainer David Pipe at a recent lunch, he did not exude confidence that he can make this fairytale come true.

The Package came third at Cheltenham

:: THE PACKAGE

I think this is a much likelier winner for David Pipe. Quite well backed, especially after a good third place at Cheltenham. Class act.

Pipe says he has jumped well over National-style fences at home.

Unseated his rider here four years ago but he is more experienced now and the fences more forgiving.

Hankies needed if he wins - he still runs in the colours of the late David Johnson, owner of Pipe's 2008 National winner Comply Or Die.

Lion na Bearnai won the 2012 Irish National

:: LION NA BEARNAI

What's in a name ? This one means "fill the gaps". In case you were wondering.

More relevantly, winner of the 2012 Irish National - the right sort of pointer to possible Aintree joy.

Older than most at 12, but no falls over fences. Very decent each-way option.

Battle Group will be ridden by Brendan Powell

:: BATTLE GROUP

Love it or hate it, the National always delivers a story. How about Brendan Powell following his dad 26 years ago in riding the winner?

There is the irritating fact that Battle Group has yet to complete a race this winter (and actually refused to start Newbury in November).

But he has come good in April before.

So which of those 10 will actually win ? If only it were that simple. I could give you good reasons to back at least half the remaining 30.

But here goes, in 1-2-3-4 order: The Package, Rocky Creek, Teaforthree, Mr Moonshine.

Others to consider include Long Run, Monbeg Dude, Double Seven and Pineau de Re; and at longer odds Hawkes Point, Walkon, and Alvarado.

In the latter category I mentioned Mon Mome in 2009. It won at 100-1.

I can stop dining out on that if The Package wins this time.

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Triple-Killer Levi Bellfield Wins £4.5k Payout

The killer of schoolgirl Milly Dowler has been awarded £4,500 compensation for a prison attack that left him with only minor injuries.

The payout to Levi Bellfield has been branded a "complete disgrace" and has raised questions over prisoners "playing the system" at the taxpayers' expense.

He was attacked with a makeshift weapon in Wakefield prison in 2009 where he was serving life sentences for the murders of 22-year-old Amelie Delagrange and 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell in southwest London.

He suffered what he admitted were minor injuries but took the Government to court on the basis that he should have been protected.

Bellfield also killed Marsha McDonnell

Labour MP Ian Austin said: "It is a complete disgrace that a child murderer should be getting what most people would consider a lot of money for what he himself admitted were only minor injuries.

"We have got to get to a position where prisoners are prevented from playing the system and gaining at the taxpayers' expense

"It is impossible to imagine how difficult it must be for the Dowler family."

Mr Austin told Sky News he would be raising the matter with Justice Secretary Chris Grayling in a parliamentary question.

Milly Dowler with her mother, Sally

The Ministry of Justice fought the claim for three years after it was launched by Bellfield but finally had to admit it was liable. Durham County Court made the compensation award on Wednesday.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said it was "hugely disappointed" over the decision.

Bellfield was finally given a life sentence without parole for Milly's murder in 2011, nine years after he snatched the 13-year-old from a street in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

It is thought he might be responsible for as many as 20 unsolved attacks on women.

Sentencing him, Mr Justice Wilkins said he was a "cruel and pitiless killer" who had robbed Milly of "her promising life" and "treated her in death with total disrespect".

Speaking after Bellfield was sentenced in 2011, Milly's mother Sally said: "The lengths to protect his human rights have seemed so unfair compared to what we as a family have had to endure.

"I hope that whilst he is in prison, he is treated with the same brutality he dealt out to his victim and that his life is a living hell."

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British Man's Body Found On Spanish Beach

A British man believed to have been kidnapped by men posing as police officers in Spain has been found dead.

Merseyside Police say the body of Francis Brennan, 25, has been found on a beach in Alicante, where he was last seen in January.

He left the UK ahead of a sentencing date last October for an assault he committed in the Thames Valley area in 2012.

Merseyside police said Brennan's family have been informed and that authorities in Spain are investigating.

More follows...

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Smog Health Problems Spark Leap In 999 Calls

Paramedics in London have seen a 14% rise in the number of patients with breathing problems, as people across the country were warned to avoid exercising outdoors amid record levels of air pollution.

London Ambulance Service said it is still experiencing higher than normal volumes of calls from people with asthma, lung problems and heart conditions.

Doctors in Solihull, near Birmingham, reported a "slight increase" in the number of people coming to them with respiratory problems, while a poll of asthmatics found about a third had suffered an attack as a result of the pollution.

Jason Irving believes air pollution may have triggered his asthma attack

The survey, by the charity Asthma UK, found 84% had used their blue reliever inhaler more often than usual.

Air pollution has already reached record levels in Harrow, northwest London, and Rochester, Kent.

High levels of smog are also forecast for East Anglia, the Midlands, Lincolnshire, the Wirral and the north coast of Wales and a health warning remains in force for millions of vulnerable people.

The smog has shrouded many of Britain's most famous landmarks

Much of the concern surrounding the poor air quality is over particulates - the tiny chemical particles emitted by diesel-powered cars and industry that can be inhaled deep into the lungs.

Combined with other pollutants including nitrogen dioxide and ozone, these can cause breathing difficulties.

Asthma sufferers and patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), a condition which inflames the airways, are particularly vulnerable and may notice their symptoms get worse.

At the Acute Medical Unit in Solihull, half of the patients seen in the first hour of opening on Thursday reported difficulties breathing.

Air quality is expected to improve on Friday and Saturday. Pic: Defra

They include Jason Irving, who suffered an asthma attack and is now receiving treatment at the unit.

He told Sky News: "I travelled into work as normal this morning and as I was walking in, my chest and my throat were tightening and I was struggling for breath.

"I sat down and occupational health at work had to call an ambulance.

Karen Lytton is treated by a doctor at Solihull's Acute Medical Unit

"I think it could well be to do with the poor air quality."

Karen Lytton, a COPD patient who is also receiving treatment at the centre, added: "It's like when you hold your breath until you can't hold it any longer and then try to breathe again.

"It's got worse over the last few days. I get very out of breath and have to stop to use my inhalers. I took a taxi yesterday to the shops, rather than trying to walk round."

Even those without breathing problems say they have been coughing, wheezing or suffering with sore eyes.

Anyone experiencing such discomfort should consider reducing physical activity, especially outdoors, according to Public Health England.

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Smog Creeps Over UK As Pollution Hits Level 10

Air pollution has reached the highest possible level in some parts of the country, with "very high" readings reported in London and Kent.

High levels of smog are also forecast for East Anglia, the Midlands, Lincolnshire, the Wirral and the north coast of Wales and a health warning remains in force for millions of vulnerable people.

The elderly, people with asthma and those with lung and heart conditions are being told to take precautions, with forecasters warning the smog will not clear until Friday.

Sky News Correspondent Lisa Dowd, at the Acute Medical Unit in Solihull, near Birmingham, said the clinic had seen a "slight increase" in the number of people coming in with respiratory problems possibly linked to the poor air quality.

Forecast for April 3, 4 and 5. Purple/reds are highest levels. Pic: Defra

Karen Lytton, who was among the patients admitted, said: "The breathing problems I suffer with have been getting worse.

"It's been getting harder to get about. Normally I'd be able to walk to the shops but yesterday I had to catch a taxi instead."

Parts of England are experiencing the highest level of air pollution ever recorded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in part due to dust from the Sahara.

Level 10 readings were reported at monitoring sites in Harrow, northwest London, and Rochester, Kent.

A view of London's Canary Wharf on Wednesday

Tests by an independent monitoring company in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, revealed there were 130 micrograms of particulates - very fine particles, primarily from diesel-powered car and industry - in every cubic metre of air.

That figure is more than six times higher than normal and two and half times the European limit of 50 micrograms.

The plummeting air quality - caused by a cocktail of dust from the Sahara desert, domestic pollution and European emissions, coupled with low southeasterly winds - has led charities and health bodies to warn of possible health risks.

Sotiris Vardoulakis, of Public Health England, advised adults and children with lung problems, as well as adults with heart conditions, to consider reducing strenuous physical exercise, especially outdoors.

Some commuters have taken to wearing face masks

"Anyone experiencing discomfort such as sore eyes, coughing or sore throat should also consider reducing activity," he said.

The UK's 3.6 million asthmatics have also been advised to use their blue reliever inhalers more often to prevent attacks.

Saharan dust gets blown over to Britain several times a year, with the latest episode caused by a large wind storm in North Africa.

Cars in some areas of the country have been covered with speckles of the dust.

The World Health Organisation estimates seven million premature deaths annually are linked to air pollution.

The UK is not the only place to be hit by increased smog levels.

Last month, Paris imposed a day-long driving ban after pollution particles in the air exceeded safe levels for five straight days.

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New Names Request For Abused Siblings

The local authority at the centre of the Baby P scandal has asked to be allowed to give two children waiting to be adopted new identities after an internet campaign backed by their jailed parents.

Haringey Council asked a High Court judge for permission to change the forenames and surnames of the youngsters - aged three and two - because of concerns that they could be "tracked down".

In a written analysis of the case after a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London, Mr Justice Holman said the application raised "considerable issues" over "identity and self-esteem" and would need "very careful consideration".

The children are the youngest of seven siblings taken from their parents, who were jailed after being convicted of child ill-treatment and banned from having any contact with their children.

The judge said the eldest five were in foster homes and the youngest two were placed together with an adoptive family.

Mr Justice Holman did not name the children but confirmed the local authority involved was the London Borough of Haringey

Peter Connelly was 17 months old when he died after months of abuse

He said that the council had asked for the forenames to be changed because "the parents of the children promoted a considerable campaign on the internet and in other places with regard to this case so that the names of their children have apparently gained some notoriety".

"The local authority (and maybe also the prospective adopters) are fearful that unless the two youngest children are given completely new identities with completely new names, they will be tracked down and the placement potentially destabilised," he said.

"That, of course, is a very serious and worrying aspect of this case."

Haringey Council was heavily criticised in a damning 2008 report into the death of a child known at the time as Baby P.

Peter Connelly, who was 17 months old, died in 2007 after months of abuse

He had suffered more than 50 injuries, despite being on the at-risk register and receiving 60 visits from social workers, police and health professionals over eight months.

His mother, Tracey Connelly, her boyfriend, Steven Barker, and his brother, Jason Owen, were jailed in May 2009 for causing or allowing the child's death.

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Maria Miller In 30-Second Expenses Apology

Maria Miller has been told she must repay thousands in taxpayer-funded allowances she wrongly claimed for a second home.

The Conservative MP apologised to the House of Commons after being ordered to do so by the Parliament's standards watchdog because she "breached the current Code of Conduct by her attitude to this inquiry".

The Standards Committee said Mrs Miller had tried to argue her case over claims on a second home in which her parents lived "in a legalistic way".

It added that had the investigation been able to gather the documents they needed more easily, the allegations "might have been a relatively minor matter".

Mrs Miller said: "I have accepted the Committee's report in full and I will apologise. I am pleased that the Committee has dismissed the allegation made against me by a Labour MP.

"Separately, I will of course make the required repayment, having drawn the Committee's attention to this matter."

The Prime Minister's spokesman said David Cameron had spoken to Mrs Miller after the release of the Standards Committee expenses report and offered her "warm support".

John Mann made the complaint to the commissioner

He said Mr Cameron felt the approach she was taking by accepting the report and apologising was "absolutely the right one".

Mrs Miller will have to repay £5,800 which was wrongly claimed on a second home she owned in Wimbledon, south London, in which she lived with her parents.

She was reported to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards by the Labour MP, John Mann, in December 2012 over concerns she had improperly claimed around £90,000 in mortgage repayments and household costs on the property between 2005 and 2009.

It was claimed that Mrs Miller, who also rents a home in Basingstoke, was not entitled to the claim because her parents were living in the home.

However, her disabled parents had lived in the property, which she has since sold for £1.47 for a £1.2m profit, since 1996 and she lived with them as their carer.

The watchdog found that while she was entitled to claim for the home, she had over-claimed by not reflecting the fall in interest rates in the claims for mortgage repayments to the amount of £5,800.

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Five-A-Day Fruit And Veg 'Is Not Enough'

By David Crabtree, Sky News Correspondent

The current "five-a-day" recommendation for fruit and vegetable consumption is inadequate, according to a new report.

It proposes that certain drinks and tinned and processed fruit should not form part of the suggested intake, claiming they could decrease life expectancy. 

Research from the influential Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health says eating seven or more portions of fresh fruit and veg will give people the best chance of staving off death and ill-health.

Vegetables are said to pack more of a protective punch than fruit, according to the analysis of lifestyle data from 65,000 adults.

Canned fruit is "not good for health", claim researchers

They tracked recorded deaths from among the sample for an average of seven and a half years.

The authors say a diet rich in fruit and vegetables has been linked to good health, but many of the studies on which this association is based have largely been carried out on people who are already likely to be health-conscious.

And while plenty of fruit and vegetables in the diet are recommended to boost cardiovascular health, the evidence for its impact on warding off cancer has been less clear-cut.

The analysis revealed the higher the intake of fruit and vegetables, the greater the protective effects seemed to be.

Eating at least seven daily portions was linked to a 42% lower risk of death from all causes.

For cancer the risk was lowered by 25%, and for heart disease and strokes by 31%.

At least seven portions each day was linked to a 42% lower risk of death

But while fresh and dried fruit seemed to strongly curb the risk of death, a portion of processed, frozen or tinned fruit seemed to increase it by 17%. 

Lead investigator Dr Oyinlola Oyebode said: "What we found was that the most beneficial is fresh fruit, dried fruit, salad and vegetables.

"Canned and frozen fruit were not good for health. Nutritionists say they have just as many micro-nutrients and just as much fibre in them, so it's possible it is to do with canned fruit having a lot of sugar."

The authors believe current dietary guidance, which includes consumption of tinned fruit, smoothies and fruit juice as legitimate ways of reaching the "five-a-day" goal, might need to be revised.

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UK Prisons 'Are Revolving Door For Offenders'

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

More than one in three offenders sentenced in the year up to September 2013 had 10 or more previous convictions, Sky News can reveal.

Figures released by the Ministry of Justice lay bare the scale of career criminality across England and Wales.

Of the 177,597 people with prior convictions running into double figures, 14,646 had more than 50.

Sky News was given exclusive access to Wormwood Scrubs in London, where one prisoner explained he had 20 convictions and 10 prison sentences behind him at the age of 34.

Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, said prisoners released into society had a huge "temptation" to turn to alcohol or drugs and slip back into the lifestyle that landed them in jail in the first place.

Sky's Anushka Asthana talks to a prisoner inside Wormwood Scrubs

He said one of the problems was that people who carried out short jail sentences of under 12 months were released with no support whatsoever.

Today's figures show that over a six-year period - up to 2011 - huge numbers of crimes were committed by people who had been let out of prison just months earlier.

There were 84,564 thefts including burglary, 11,751 violent crimes and 901 sexual offences committed within a year of a short sentence ending.

The MoJ is hoping to reduce such crimes by a change this June that will see the vast majority of offenders, including those on short sentences, face supervision for a year after release.

The prisoner - who asked not to be named - said he repeatedly slipped back into a cycle of committing commercial burglaries.

One of the biggest problems was a lack of housing when he left prison, leaving him surrounded by the "wrong people" who encouraged the criminal behaviour.

He said his family were devastated as they were hard-working and had brought him up the right way.

"It breaks (my mum's) heart, and that breaks my heart," he said.

Prisoners 'are at a crossroads when they walk out of jail'

Locked up alongside him in the prison's C-wing were the same faces again and again, he added, calling it a "revolving door".

He said he hoped a mentoring scheme at the prison, which will see him met at the gates by a volunteer, will help place him on a better path.

David Redhouse, the deputy governor at Wormwood Scrubs, said the important thing was to try to get prisoners through the first few months as that was when re-offending rates were highest.

He said the men in C-wing were at a crossroads when they walked out - and needed support to encourage them not to return to criminality.

Mr Redhouse described how the prison used vocational training - with painting courses, job sessions, welfare support and IT classes. There was also a programme through which prisoners come face-to-face with victims.

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Sniper Kills Six Taliban With One Bullet

A British sniper killed a suicide bomber and five Taliban insurgents with a single bullet after hitting the trigger switch of the bomber's device from 930 yards (850 metres).

The shot from the 20-year-old marksman, a lance corporal in the Coldstream Guards, caused the bomb to explode.

The blast killed the bomber and five men around him, the Ministry of Defence said.

The unnamed shooter prevented another attack as a second suicide vest packed with explosives was found nearby.

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Slack, the commanding officer of 9/12 Royal Lancers, told The Daily Telegraph: "The guy was wearing a vest. He was identified by the sniper moving down a tree line and coming up over a ditch.

"He had a shawl on. It rose up and the sniper saw he had a machine gun.

A British sniper carrying his L115A3 long range rifle with suppressor

"They were in contact and he was moving to a firing position. The sniper engaged him and the guy exploded.

"There was a pause on the radio and the sniper said 'I think I've just shot a suicide bomber'. The rest of them were killed in the blast."

The incident, which happened in December in Kakaran, southern Afghanistan, has just been disclosed. It is reported the soldier was using the L115A3 long-range rifle.

The Ministry of Defence describes it as a "state-of-the-art weapon used to locate and eliminate enemy activity".

The same sniper also killed another Taliban fighter from 1,465 yards (1,340m) with his first shot after arriving on the tour of duty, according to the Telegraph.

British troops are preparing to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of the year as local forces take full control of the security situation.

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Pupil Dies After School Wall Collapses

A schoolgirl has died after a wall in a PE block collapsed onto her at an Edinburgh school.

Police were called to the accident at Liberton High School shortly before 10am.

Ambulance staff treated the girl at the scene, but she was pronounced dead.

Her name will not be released until next of kin have been informed.

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: "Police in Edinburgh responded to Liberton High School after a wall within the building collapsed, injuring a female pupil at 10am.

"She was treated by ambulance staff on the scene, but was pronounced dead."

He added: "Inquiries into the full circumstances surrounding this incident are on-going and we are working alongside our relevant partner agencies."

A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "Firefighters assisted ambulance personnel to remove a female casualty from a collapsed structure but sadly she was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Thoughts are with the family at this difficult time."

A spokesman for Edinburgh City Council said: "A pupil at Liberton High School has sadly died following an incident at the school.

"Senior education staff and health and safety officers from the council are at the school providing support to staff and pupils."

Edinburgh Southern SNP MSP Jim Eadie, whose constituency covers the school, said: "I am deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic incident, and the thoughts of the entire community are with the family and friends of this young girl."

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Twitter: "Awful news from Liberton High. My thoughts and condolences with family & friends."

Edinburgh City Council has previously been prosecuted for "serious safety failings" at the same school.

The authority was fined £8,000 in February after a girl was seriously injured when she fell more than 16 feet as teachers tried to free her from a broken lift.

The student, then aged 15, needed to be kept in hospital suffering with three fractured vertebrae, bruising over her lower back, and a sprained wrist.

The council was fined at Edinburgh Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to breaching Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, according to the Health and Safety Executive.

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