Man Held Over Killing Of Continuity IRA Leader

A 26-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of former dissident republican leader Tommy Crossan.

The 43-year-old was shot dead at a fuel depot in an industrial complex near the Peter Pan centre in West Belfast on Friday - the sixteenth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) tweeted: "Serious Crime Branch detectives investigating the murder of a 43-year-old man in West Belfast yesterday have arrested a 26-year-old man."

Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson condemned the shooting.

Politicians have condemned the killing

He said: "The small minority of people who want to continue terrorising the community need to understand that they will not be allowed to drag Northern Ireland back to the dark days of the past.

"They must be hunted down and brought to justice."

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness added: "The people behind this killing are criminals and will further no cause through this shooting.

"Whoever carried out this act has nothing to offer the community and have no role to play in our future."

Mr Crossan was the Continuity IRA's former leader and was believed to have been the subject of a death threat from his former allies.

He had been expelled from the group some years ago and was jailed for conspiracy to murder Royal Ulster Constabulary officers following a shooting at a police station in West Belfast in 1998.

The organisation has opposed the peace process which largely ended three decades of violence and transformed the region.

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British Gas Bonus Claims To Be Investigated

Claims that British Gas workers have been paid large bonuses to inflate customer bills are to be investigated by the energy regulator, Ofgem.

It comes after a former employee claimed the energy company encouraged its sales staff to sign up charities, churches and small businesses to its highest-priced tariffs in order to boost their own earnings.

British Gas has strongly denied the allegations.

The whistleblower, who worked for the company between 2010 and 2013, told the Daily Mail the firm's policies were designed "to rip off" customers.

He claimed sales agent typically earned between £4 and £37 in commission per deal if they persuaded existing customers to renew contracts.

But by moving a customer to a more expensive deal they could earn more than £400 a time, he alleged.

"People were desperate to make the salaries they had been promised, so everyone inflated the prices," he told the paper.

"Scout clubs was a favourite one; churches, charities, small businesses, where people would just go for the maximum 5p notch-up," he added.

Ofgem will investigate whether the sales activities were 'honest and fair'

A British Gas spokeswoman said: "British Gas strongly refutes any suggestion that employees are paid commission on any prices charged to residential customers."

British Gas Business managing director Stephen Beynon said his sales agents are paid commission, but he denied any suggestion that contracts were negotiated inappropriately.

"This is a highly regulated market, and every part of the sales negotiation process is closely monitored," he said.

"Sales agents in British Gas Business do receive commission, but we are reducing its importance.

"We're leading the way in addressing the variability in price that customers face in this market, and we'll continue to do so."

Ofgem said in a statement: "There are strict rules in place which require suppliers to take all reasonable steps to ensure information provided is accurate and not misleading, and that sales activities are conducted in a fair, honest, transparent and professional manner.

"Ofgem is an evidenced-based regulator and we would encourage anyone with information that an energy company is not complying with Ofgem rules to provide us with this."

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: "This is a very serious and deeply disturbing allegation that comes as we are doing all we can to make the energy markets work better for all consumers - whether domestic or businesses.

"The Government fully supports Ofgem's recommendation for a full market investigation.

"In the meantime, we'll continue to help people pay less for the energy they use, driving the competition that has seen the number of energy suppliers triple since 2010 and people switching supplier in record numbers."

The allegations come days after Ofgem fined British Gas Business for a series of failures including blocking firms from switching to other suppliers.

Ofgem said British Gas Business would pay a total penalty of £5.6m of which £800,000 would be in fines, on top of £1.3m already paid to 1,200 customers who paid higher bills because they were not notified when their contracts were due to expire.

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Teachers' Strike Possible If Talks Break Down

By Emma Birchley, Sky News Correspondent

Teachers are considering a fresh walkout just weeks after strike action forced schools across England and Wales to close.

Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) meeting for their annual conference today will debate the possibility of industrial action next term unless "significant progress" is made in talks with the Government.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: "We have a motion that's going to be put to delegates which envisages industrial action in late June if we don't make progress in the talks with the Government in May.

"But the first priority is for a minister to actually come to those talks and we'd like to make progress on a list of things."

That list includes performance-related pay due to be introduced from September, heavy workloads and pensions.

The national walkout on March 26 saw 12% of schools shutting their doors, according to the Government, but thousands more were disrupted.

Any further strike action would be held in the week starting Monday, June 23 after the majority of GCSEs and A Level exams are over. However, some exam boards have papers scheduled for that week.

Teachers gathering for the conference called on Education Secretary Michael Gove to listen to their concerns.

"Certainly I will be thinking about voting to strike," said one. "Where I work people are concerned about the work loads, targets and the pressure Government puts on teachers."

Last month's national walkout organised by the NUT

Another told Sky News: "If Mr Gove would just listen to us and negotiate with us then strike action wouldn't go forward but he has to listen to us."

A poll commissioned by the NUT shows that two thirds of parents support teachers' right to strike.

But for the Lamberti family it smacks of double standards.

Mother-of-two Clare Lamberti said: "We applied for a day's holiday to take the girls away for the weekend and they turned it down.

"They said it would disrupt their education but obviously a day here and a day there for strikes, that's going to disrupt their education.

"One rule for them ... one rule for us obviously."

The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) is also holding its conference this weekend.

Both unions will be discussing concerns over the growing number of unqualified teachers taking classes.

Of 7,000 teachers surveyed, 53% told the NASUWT they worked alongside unqualified staff. That rose to 61% in academies.

But in a separate poll by the NUT, 82% of parents said schools should only employ qualified teachers.

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Aberdeen: Boy Found On Fire After 'Petrol Game'

A seven-year-old boy who suffered serious burns while playing in an Aberdeen street may have been set on fire in a game that went tragically wrong.

Preston Flores, who is believed to have suffered 80% burns, was reportedly playing with friends in Bedford Avenue when he was engulfed in flames.

The children are believed to have taken a petrol can from the back of a van shortly before the fire started, local newspaper The Press and Journal reported.

A police spokesman confirmed petrol was involved but said there was no evidence to suggest the "tragic incident" was a deliberate act.

Witnesses described hearing screams and said the youngster's clothes stuck to his body as neighbours tried to douse the flames.

One relative told the Daily Record that Preston had been "mucking about" with mates before his clothes caught fire.

"I've never seen anything so horrible in my life," the family member said.

"The flames were covering his whole body."

Preston was initially taken to the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital but was moved to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh overnight.

He is being treated in a specialist unit, where his condition is described as critical.

Chief Inspector Nick Topping, the local Police Scotland area commander, said: "We're grateful for the continued assistance we've received from the local community to help us piece together the events leading up to this incident.

"We've spoken to a number of residents about what they saw or heard which has been very helpful and important to our inquiry."

He added: "Our investigation into this tragic incident will continue and I'd reiterate that so far there's been no evidence of any deliberate act."

Anyone who saw what happened or has information that may assist the police inquiry is asked to contact officers on the 101 non-emergency number.

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House Price Increases Create 'Generation Rent'

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

The booming housing market is causing a generation of young people to become increasingly pessimistic about their chances of getting on the property ladder, according to a new study.

Halifax's 'Generation Rent' report found that despite the launch of schemes like Help to Buy to give a boost to people with small deposits, 36% of 20 to 45-year-olds felt they have no realistic prospect of owning their home in the next five years.

Around half of those polled in England, Scotland and Wales agreed Britain will become a nation of renters in the next generation and 20% of people aged 23 to 27 said they have no desire to own their own home.

A fifth of people surveyed said they had no desire to own their own home

Caroline Hill, 23, told Sky News she would rather rent than buy.

"I can see myself being able to buy in the future but I'm just really not interested in doing so," he said.

"My parents have always been renters and I think that has had a big effect on the way I feel about it."

Danny Palmer, 27, is frustrated the market is running away from him.

"I think it's going to be really difficult for me to get onto the property ladder purely because rent these days is taking up about 40% of my salary, and that's before bills, living costs and anything else," he said.

Estate agents say high prices mean potential buyers are moving into rentals

Halifax mortgages director Craig McKinlay, said: "We may be heading towards the point where the aspiration to own a nice home will be replaced by the aspiration to simply live in one.

"It seems that people are now beginning to accept a lifetime of renting and this would not only change the way the property ladder looks in the future, it could even bring into question whether or not it will exist at all for some people."

The report warned that any future collapse in the number of first-time buyers - the "life blood" of the housing market - will have a knock-on impact on people trying to move up the property ladder.

If some existing home owners are unable to trade up because of a lack of potential buyers for their property, the market will be brought to a standstill, the report warns.

Woking estate agent Yassar Latif, said: "People who were thinking of buying, but have been let down by the rise in prices, have moved towards rentals now."

The Government has said that Help to Buy and plans to build more houses should ease the problem. But despite this, only around 30% of the people polled believed Help to Buy was working.

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Axelrod Role Is 'Seriously Bad News For Tories'

The man credited with masterminding Barack Obama's back-to-back presidential victories will play a key role in Ed Miliband's General Election campaign.

David Axelrod's appointment has been described by the Labour party as "seriously bad news for the Conservatives".

Mr Miliband said: "It's excellent news that David has agreed to help One Nation Labour win the next election and build our campaign to change Britain so hard-working people are better off.

"He will be a huge asset to our campaign as we work to show the British people how we can change our country for the better."

Following the announcement, Mr Axelrod said: "I've had several conversations with Ed Miliband over the course of the last year in which I have been struck by the power of his ideas, the strength of his vision and the focus he brings to solving the fundamental challenge facing Britain.

"We can't just have prosperity hoarded by a few where people at the top are getting wealthier and wealthier but people in the middle are getting squeezed."

He will work alongside Douglas Alexander - Labour's shadow foreign secretary and the chair of Labour's general election strategy

Mr Axelrod will arrive in London next month for two days of strategy meetings with Mr Miliband, deputy leader Harriet Harman, and other senior shadow cabinet members.

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Boy, 14, Charged With Raping 10-Year-Old Girl

A 14-year-old boy is due to appear in court charged with raping a 10-year-old girl.

West Mercia Police said the teenager has been charged with rape and attempted rape.

The youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will appear at Telford Magistrates' Court later.

It comes after a girl was sexually assaulted at an isolated spot on disused land in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

The offence occurred near the Arc car wash centre, off St Michael's Street, between 3.30pm and 4.30pm on April 11.

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Family Learns Of Brit's Syria Death On Facebook

The family of a Brighton teenager, who has died in Syria, found out about his death on Facebook.

The parents of Abdullah Deghayes, who live in Saltdean, near the south coast city, thought he was visiting family in Libya.

The 18-year-old's father, Abubaker Deghayes, said: "At the moment we don't have any details. We found out on Facebook.

"I hope he died for a noble cause, trying to help Syria, I need to find out. I might go and travel and see.

"He was a youngster who didn't communicate a lot. With parents, once they grow, they don't tell you much about their lives."

The circumstances of the teenager's death remain "unclear", police in the UK have said.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the death of a British national and are urgently looking into it."

The student is the nephew of Omar Deghayes, who was held by the United States as an enemy combatant at Guantanamo Bay detention camp between 2002 and 2007 after he was arrested in Pakistan. He was released without charge.

The situation in Syria is currently so volatile the UK does not have a representative there, making it difficult to establish the facts.

The government currently advises against all travel to Syria and says it cannot offer consular services.

The Syrian civil conflict has been raging for more than three years

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "On Monday, April 14, we received information that an 18-year-old Brighton man had been killed in Syria in recent weeks.

"The circumstances of this reported death remain unclear and we are in contact with the family."

The teenager's Facebook page says he was a student at Longhill High School, at Rottingdean, near Brighton.

It adds that he intended to be a University of Brighton student from 2015 and works for Adidas.

Messages on Mr Deghaye's Facebook page suggest he left the UK in February and may have been going to Libya.

On April 4, messages were posted saying "may God protect him".

As news of his death in Syria emerged, friends posted tributes on social networking sites.

Finn Langford said: "Feels so weird that your actually gone rip Abdullah Deghayes gone but never forgotten sleep tight mate xxx."

Harry Hall posted: "Never forgett you brother, love ya."

Louise Tierney said: "Miss you like mad! Love you mate forever in my heart."

Nezar El-bayouk posted on Twitter: "R.I.P. To My Boy Abdullah Deghayes. Jannah InshAllah!"

Another woman, Miss'Newland, posted: "R.I.P this is such a shock, can not get my head around it. Everyone's gonna miss you Abdullah Deghayes. much love xxx"

Around 400 Britons are believed to have gone to Syria over the last two years, authorities believe, many of them to join the civil war, with an estimated 20 having died.

The Foreign Office website says: "British nationals in Syria should leave now by any practical means."

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Coulson Tells Trial He Heard Hacked Voicemail

Former News Of The World editor Andy Coulson has told a jury he heard voicemail messages hacked from David Blunkett's phone.

Coulson told the Old Bailey court that the paper's then chief reporter, Neville Thurlbeck, had phoned him to say the former Home Secretary was having an affair with a married woman and he - Neville Thurlbeck - had "heard voicemail messages".

Coulson, 46, who denies a charge of conspiracy to intercept communications and two of making corrupt payments, said he was on holiday in Italy when he took the call and and his reaction was initially "shock and anger" at a "direct breach of privacy".

On Coulson's return, his former colleague went to NOTW offices to repitch the Blunkett story, saying it was in the public interest and playing the messages to try to convince Coulson of that point.

The information was revealed as the journalist's barrister, Timothy Langdale QC, asked him about the NOTW's relationship with Mr Blunkett which, Coulson said, was good.

During his third day in the witness box, Coulson said: "I was on my way to the airport to collect my brother who was coming to stay with us. I was lost, I remember that, I parked up on the side of the road to take the call.

"Neville told me he had a tip that David Blunkett was having an affair with Kimberly Fortier. He said that he believed the story was true because he heard some voicemails.

"I was shocked because he told me he had heard some voicemail messages. I was shocked that he was telling me this as well because it was in relation to David Blunkett, the home secretary.

"I was quite angry about it. I used reasonably colourful language, words to the effect 'What in earth do you think you're doing'."

Coulson told the court he told the reporter to stop the investigation.

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Drug Charges For Former Co-Op Boss Flowers

Former Co-Op Bank boss Paul Flowers has been charged with two counts of possession of a class A drug and one of a class C drug.

The former Methodist minister was arrested in Liverpool by West Yorkshire Police officers last year.

A police spokesman said: "Paul Flowers, 63, of Hollingwood Drive, Bradford, has been charged with two offences of possession of a class A drug and one offence of possession of a class C drug.

"He has been bailed to appear before Leeds magistrates on May 7."

Mr Flowers stepped down as chairman of the Co-Op bank in June last year.

Clare Stevens, from the CPS' Yorkshire and Humberside Complex Casework Unit, said: "We have carefully considered a file of evidence gathered by West Yorkshire Police in relation to alleged criminal offences committed by Paul Flowers in Bradford in November 2013.

"Following a review of the evidence, I have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge Paul Flowers with possession of class A and class C drugs relating to an incident on November 9 2013."

Paul Flowers will appear at Leeds Magistrates' Court on May 7.

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Official: Average Earnings Outpace Inflation

Average UK earnings increased by 1.7% in the year to February, above the inflation rate of 1.6%, according to official figures.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said it was the first time since spring 2010 that the consumer price index for inflation had not exceeded pay increases.

It said pay increases averaged 2% in the private sector and 0.9% in the public sector.

It added the number of people out of work in the UK fell by 77,000 between December and February.

The unemployment rate of 6.9% is the lowest for five years.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "Throughout the economic crisis, and now in the recovery, our labour market has shown itself to be resilient and flexible.

"These latest employment figures show that conditions are continuing to improve rapidly."

The improving statistics have eroded Labour's stance on the economic policies at the heart of the coalition Government.

Sky News Economics Editor Ed Conway said: "There are likely to be quibbles with the data and the timing, and many of them are perfectly legitimate.

"What's less in doubt is that wages and inflation are converging meaningfully for the first time since 2010.

"That implies the squeeze on incomes is in the process of coming to an end."

He added: "By the same token, families have had to withstand a whole five-year period of falling real wages, so in real terms they remain significantly less well-off than they were before the crisis.

"That damage will take some years to mend."

The ONS said the total jobless in the period stood at 2.24 million, with a record 30.3 million people in work.

A total of 691,000 people have gained employment in the last year, taking the rate to 72.6%.

It added the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance last month fell by 30,400 to 1.14 million.

Meanwhile, the number of people in Britain defined as economically inactive, including those caring for relatives or withdrawn from the job market, fell by 86,000 in the latest quarter to 8.8 million.

Those out of work for more than 12 months was also cut by 32,000, down to 807,000.

The jobless figure for 16 to 24-year-olds has also continued to fall, down by 38,000 to 881,000 - the lowest for five years.

The ONS said 1.42 million people are working part-time on the basis of not being able to find full-time employment.

It was a drop of 17,000 over the three months, although still 10,000 higher than the same time last year.

Esther McVey, the minister for employment, told Sky News: "More young people are in work, more women are in work, wages are going up and more and more businesses are hiring.

"It's a credit to them that Britain is working again."

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Thousands Miss Out On First Choice School

Thousands of children have missed out on their parents' preferred primary school place in the first National Offer Day.

Emails and letters have been sent to parents across England but increasing pressures on schools mean many have been left disappointed.

Education hotspots Bristol and London are expected to be among the worst affected, with one in five children not being admitted to their school of choice.

"There is a shortage of primary school places throughout the country," said Lydia Gibbs, primary teaching and curriculum lead for the Reach Academy in Feltham, west London.

Last year the school had 160 applications for only 60 primary school places.

"There is a sense of competition that parents would love to have their children come to our school. I know that because we were oversubscribed for reception places," she added.

National Offer Day marks the first time councils across England have co-ordinated offers for primary school places.

Demand is believed to be increasing due to higher birth rates and immigration, with the number of children entering reception classes at primary schools this September among the highest in years.

According to the Local Government Association some areas - Costessey in Norfolk, Central Croydon and Purfleet in Essex - will see 75% more pupils than school places by next year.

By 2016, councils across England will have to increase school capacity by at least 20% to ensure every child gets a school place.

Parents are now going to greater lengths to secure places at the most popular schools.

A poll by Netmums revealed more than a fifth of those questioned (21.2%) had bought a house closer to their preferred school, with a further 17% renting nearby.

Nearly half had put their children in a nursery linked to a school in an attempt to get their children a place, despite warnings from the schools adjudicator that children should not miss out because the did not attend the right nursery.

The survey also found around one in six (16.2%) parents had started thinking about primary schools when their child was still under one, with a further 9.3% considering it when they were expecting and 6.9% thinking about the issue before they fell pregnant.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said more needs to be done to ensure every child has a school place.

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Donations Top £38k After Runner's Death

The runner who died after the London Marathon has been named as Robert Berry.

The 42-year-old collapsed after crossing the finishing line and received medical attention, but was pronounced dead when he arrived at hospital.

He was raising money for the National Osteoporosis Society, which issued a statement expressing "heartfelt condolences" to his family.

Mr Berry's Just Giving page has received more than £38,000 following his tragic death.

Claire Severgnini, the charity's chief executive, said in a statement: "Our immediate concerns are for Mr Berry's family. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them at this tragic time."

In a statement, the event's organisers, Virgin Money, expressed their "sincere condolences" to his family.

"Mr Berry was immediately taken to one of our medical facilities where he was treated by four consultants, including one in emergency medicine," the statement said.

"He was transferred to St Mary's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 

"We would like to continue to express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr Berry and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them all at this difficult time."

It was the first death at the event since 30-year-old hairdresser Claire Squires collapsed just a mile from the finishing line in 2012 before dying of cardiac failure.

She had been raising money for the Samaritans and donations to the charity soared to more than £1m in the weeks after her death.

A total of 36,000 competitors took part in the 26.2 mile event, which started at Blackheath and Greenwich parks and ended on The Mall.

Runners were advised to take on plenty of water as bright sunshine and light breeze meant conditions were warm, reaching 16C in St James's Park.

The men's race was won by Kenyan Wilson Kipsang, while compatriot Edna Kiplagat finished first in the women's event.

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Children 'Damaged By 10-Hour School Days'

Pupils as young as four are spending 10 hours a day in school turning them into "ghost" children who talk to no-one, regularly fall asleep and lag behind, teachers have warned.

The long-hours culture means children are regularly either in school or after-school care from 8am to 6pm, according to research by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers.

Family life is being damaged by the pressures of modern life, forcing parents to abandon time with their children for work or other priorities, they claim.

More than half of the school staff questioned (56%) said they thought children spent a lot less time with their families than 20 years ago, and 94% thought it was because of work.

An early years teacher in a North Yorkshire state school said: "Some children are placed in before and after-school care from 8am to 6pm.

Education Minister Liz Truss wants children to start school at two

"These children walk around like ghosts, do not talk to anyone, fall asleep frequently, do not progress as quickly as their peers. Their parents are also 'too busy' to support them in an adequate way at home."

Steve Wood, a state secondary school teacher from Kirklees, said: "The pressures on family time have grown considerably and work-life balance for many parents is an increasingly difficult area.

"The necessity to stay in work means time spent with children isn't always a priority."

ATL members, who are holding their annual conference in Manchester, are expected to back a resolution saying proposals calling for longer school days and shorter school holidays do not put children first.

Education minister Liz Truss has been pushing for children to start school from the age of two, backed by the head of Ofsted, Sir Michael Wilshaw.

Education Secretary Michael Gove is encouraging schools to stay open for 10 hours.

The survey of 1,300 staff found that most teachers thought children should start school at the age of four, and the primary school day should be five hours, the secondary school day, six.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "Extending school nursery hours from 8-6 will give more flexibility to parents and enable more of them to use these high quality facilities to ensure their children start learning basic skills, such as number and letter recognition, from a young age. This can have a real and lasting impact on their development and life chances."

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Imperial Tobacco To Close Nottingham Factory

Up to 900 jobs are to be lost under plans by Imperial Tobacco to close factories in Nottingham and Nantes in France.

The company said it wanted to shut both its production plant and distribution centre in Nottingham, which together employ around 540 people - almost a third of its UK workforce.

The move would represent an end to cigarette production in the UK.

Its statement blamed "declining industry volumes in Europe, impacted by tough economic conditions, increasing regulation and excise and growth in illicit trade."

Imperial, whose brands include Golden Virginia and Lambert & Butler, said the Nottingham factory has capacity to make 36 billion cigarettes a year but will only produce 17 billion in 2014.

It said production would be moved to other European factories and distribution outsourced.

The Nantes plant, which employs 320 staff, would suffer the same fate while its research facility at Bergerac was also under threat.

The company said it was working on the proposals with unions.

Chief executive Alison Cooper said: "These projects are an essential part of securing the sustainable future of the business.

"The prospect of job losses is always regrettable and we will be doing all we can to support employees and ensure that they are treated in a fair and responsible manner."

The company, which has 46 manufacturing sites worldwide, closed a cigar factory in Bristol in 2010.

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Farage: 'Expenses Claims Are Erroneous'

Nigel Farage has hit back over EU expenses claims saying he can spend his taxpayer-funded allowances "as he likes".

The UKIP leader said that the allegations made by The Times newspaper were "erroneous", saying the £60,000 he had received since 2009 for running his office in Lyminster, West Sussex, was legitimate and that he did not have to account for how it was spent.

In an interview with Sky's Dermot Murnaghan  Mr Farage accused the newspaper of "conflating" his expenses with the row over expenses claimed by MPs at Westminster, which he said was an entirely different matter.

He said that like all MEPs he was given a general allowance of £3,580 a month to spend "as I see fit" and, under EU rules, he did not have to provide receipts.

He said he had spent £3,000 a year just on electricity for his office, which he enjoys rent-free as a gift from UKIP supporters, and estimated running costs were £1,000 each month.

He said: "I haven't bought a house or vintage wine."

More follows...

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Man Dies After Finishing London Marathon

A 42-year-old man has died after running the London Marathon.

The unnamed man collapsed after crossing the finishing line and received medical attention.

But he was pronounced dead when he arrived at hospital.

In a statement, the event's organisers, Virgin Money, expressed their "sincere condolences" to his family.

"We will not be releasing any further details of this tragic incident and would ask for your understanding in this matter," it said.

"We would like to emphasise that our immediate concern is for the family of the deceased.

"Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them at this difficult time."

It was the first death at the event since 30-year-old hairdresser Claire Squires collapsed just a mile from the finishing line in 2012 before dying of cardiac failure.

She had been raising money for the Samaritans and donations to the charity soared to more than £1m in the weeks after her death.

A total of 36,000 competitors took part in the 26.2 mile event, which started at Blackheath and Greenwich parks and ended on The Mall.

Runners were advised to take on plenty of water as bright sunshine and light breeze meant conditions were warm, reaching 16C in St James's Park. 

The men's race was won by Kenyan Wilson Kipsang, while compatriot Edna Kiplagat finished first in the women's event.

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Marathon Runner Missing After Finishing 20th

A female athlete from Sierra Leone has disappeared after finishing 20th in the London Marathon.

Mami Konneh Lahun did not return to her accommodation in Greenwich, where she had been staying since April 7, after Sunday's race.  

The 24-year-old is due to fly home later today.

Police said she has no known links to the UK and does not have a mobile phone.

Ms Konneh Lahun is reportedly Sierra Leone's fastest-ever female 5,000m and 10,000m runner. Last year, she won the Sierra Leone and Liberia marathons.

:: Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting reference 14MIS012462.

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Man Drives Car Off 80ft Cliff - And Survives

A man who drove his car off an 80ft cliff near Brighton has walked away without any significant injuries.

The arrows show where the car veered off the cliff and landed

The driver lost control of his vehicle on the A259 just after midnight on Sunday morning.

He survived the drop because the car "miraculously" managed to clear the promenade beneath the cliff and land on water.

Some 22 emergency workers attended only to find the driver had made his way to nearby rocks without any serious injuries.

Twenty-two emergency workers arrived at the scene

Chief Superintendent Nev Kemp tweeted after the incident: "Incredibly a man escaped without serious injury after his car went over the cliff near Roedean just after midnight and ended up in the sea."

Emergency crews used ladders and ropes to rescue the man.

The incident occurred in Roedean near Brighton, East Sussex

"A second ladder was installed to use as a slipway and the casualty was secured into Newhaven Coastguard's rescue stretcher and then using some of our cliff rescue equipment we were able to slide the stretcher up the ladders," a Newhaven Coastguard spokesman said.

"With nine members of various agencies on the three ropes and two of the Newhaven team at the top of the ladder we were able to bring the casualty up from the beach where they were handed into the care of paramedics.

The car was a wreck but its driver was relatively unharmed

"All the time the recovery operation was ongoing a member of the Brighton lifeboat crew who had swum ashore in a dry suit was inspecting the vehicle to check for any secondary casualties."

Brighton and Newhaven lifeboat crews made a brief sea search and two coastguard teams searched the beach in case anyone else was in the water.

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Blackpool Toddler Killed: Man Appears In Court

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

A man has appeared in court charged with murdering his girlfriend's two-year-old daughter.

Connor Gibson, 23, is accused of the murder of toddler Kacey Hambleton, who died on Saturday after suffering serious injuries.

Mr Gibson, of Melrose Avenue, Blackpool, did not speak during the brief hearing at Blackpool Magistrates Court.

He stood in the dock wearing a blue T-shirt and black trousers. He was remanded back into custody to appear at Preston Crown Court and sobbed as he was led down to the cells.

Police were called to a house on Granby Avenue in Blackpool on Thursday and found Kacey "unresponsive". She was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital and was later airlifted to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in a critical condition.

Kacey's mother, a 23-year-old from Blackpool, was also arrested on suspicion of murder but has been released on bail until July.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Gilbert from Lancashire Constabulary's Force Major Investigation Team said: "This is a terribly tragic incident where a little girl has sadly lost her fight for life and I am determined to find out exactly what has happened to her and how she has come to acquire injuries so serious that they have proven fatal.

"I personally encourage anyone who may have any information about little Kacey and the days leading up to her death to come forward to help us in what has now developed into a murder investigation."

Reports can also be made anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or Crimestoppers-uk.org. 

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Ed Davey: World's Climate Is 'On A Precipice'

Energy Secretary Ed Davey has said the world is "looking down a precipice" as the UN urges more solar and wind power investment.

The minister, who is also responsible for climate change, told Sky News' Murnaghan programme, that the new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a "stark warning".

The report says massive cuts to greenhouse gas emissions are needed in the next few decades if the world is to avoid "dangerous" climate change.

Mr Davey said: "This is a stark warning that the world is looking down a precipice if we do not take action now."

"But it also says, and some good news, that the cost of renewables, things like solar and wind, are coming down, so we can go green in an affordable way."

The latest UN report is the third part of a detailed review of the way in which the world's climate is being changed by greenhouse gases and what can be done about it.

Two weeks ago the second part of the review said the impact of climate change was likely to be "irreversible" and could lead to wars.

It said that Britain would face soaring food prices, deadly floods and heatwaves, which would only be lessened if action was taken sooner rather than later. 

In the latest part of the report, the IPCC says substantial reductions in greenhouse gases will be needed, through large-scale changes to the ways we generate energy and how we use it.

It says we need to curb deforestation and start planting forests.

Emissions need to be reduced by 40% to 70% on 2010 levels by the middle of the century and to near zero by 2100 to prevent temperatures going up by more than 2C, the report said.

There will need to be a three- or four-fold increase by 2050 in the share of energy that comes from low-carbon sources such as renewables, nuclear and power plants fitted with technology to capture and store carbon underground.

By the end of the century fossil fuel power plants without carbon capture and storage will need to be virtually phased out.

A failure to take action could result in temperatures soaring 3.7C to 4.8C by 2100, the experts warned.

Mr Davey admitted that there was a split at the heart of government over plans to cut green subsidies.

But he said the government's record showed that there was agreement about what could be done.

"The coalition government actually has done more on the green economy, more on low carbon, than any predecessor.

"Britain is leading the way. Not only have we implemented action, the Energy Act 2013, to create the world's first ever low carbon electricity market; we've got the green investment bank - the first bank that's not just being judged by financial performance, but by how it is cutting carbon - and in Europe, the coalition have been leading the way to make sure Europe has the most ambitious, the toughest, greenhouse gas reduction target."

He added that the UK is the world leader in offshore wind power, with more offshore wind electricity generating capacity in the pipeline than the rest of the world put together.

Also, he said, the UK leads the world on carbon capture, which involves removing carbon dioxide from gas or coal-fired powerplant emissions and storing it underground. 

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High UV Ray Threat Triggers Sunburn Warning

People are being advised to guard against an increased risk of sunburn due to stronger than usual ultraviolet rays normally associated with high summer.

The Met Office says the high UV levels are due to an "ozone anomaly" currently affecting the UK, where there is less of the gas in the upper atmosphere available to absorb the UV rays before they reach the ground.

The Met Office said: "This is quite normal and similar events have occurred previously around this time of the year.

"We are confident that the levels should be no higher than those of a sunny day in June.

But it added: "It is important that, if you are in an area that is particularly sunny over the next few days, you take steps to ensure that you and your family are protected from these increased UV levels.

"During the next few weeks, we will continue to keep an eye on these low ozone events (which can be seen in satellite data) in order to warn the public when they are happening."

Sky News Weather Presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "UV levels are at their greatest when the sun is at its highest in the sky, so as we head into the summer months UV levels increase.

"At this time of the year, we usually expect levels of UV to be low to moderate, but today they could be higher due to an ozone anomaly affecting the UK at the moment where levels are noticeably lower than normal.

"This isn't an unusual occurrence and similar events have happened previously around this time of the year."

As well as the amount of ozone gas in the stratosphere, other key factors affecting the strength of UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface are the height of the sun in the sky, and the amount of cloud, dust and pollution in the atmosphere.

So-called "ozone anomalies" occur when low-level pockets that have formed near the North Pole over winter, due to the lack of sunlight, break away.

These can sometimes pass over the UK.

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Doctors' Surgeries Are Told To Open All Hours

Patients will be able to visit their GPs outside of work hours under plans announced by David Cameron to boost access to family doctors.

More than 7.5 million people will have increased access to GP services as part of the £50m GP Access Fund, including late night and weekend appointments.

The plan will see extended surgery opening hours, as well as new consultation methods including video and email.

The fund will benefit patients at 1,147 GP practices across England.

The Prime Minister has also announced plans to enhance care services for the elderly.

He said some 800,000 people over the age of 75 and those with serious health complaints will receive tailored care, coordinated by one local GP.

"Back in October, I said I wanted to make it easier for people to get appointments that fit in around a busy working week and family commitments," Mr Cameron said.

"There has been a great response from doctors, with lots of innovative ideas, and we will now see over seven million patients given weekend and evening opening hours, alongside more access to their family doctor on the phone, via email or even Skype.

"This is an important step and good news for patients."

Around 500,000 people were originally thought to benefit from the cash fund, but due to high levels of interest it has been rolled out to cover more GP services, a Department of Health spokesman said.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told Sky News: "The evidence I think is that for people who working hard, who have busy lifestyles, maybe working long hours, doing shift work over the weekends, often they would like to be able to contact their GP by email, and if we can find a way that doesn't overwhelm GPs, then I think that would be something that people would really welcome.

"We do recognise that GPs and nurses in the community work extremely hard.

"But I think it's a false economy if we don't invest in out-of-hospital care - because in the end if you don't look after people well when they're at home, they end up having to go to hospital and that ends up being worse for them and costing the NHS more as well."

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London Marathon: Mo Farah Beaten By Kipsang

Kenyan Wilson Kipsang has beaten Britain's Mo Farah to win the London Marathon, breaking the course record for the race.

Double Olympic gold medallist Farah finished in eighth place with a time of 2hrs 08mins 20secs, narrowly missing out on the British record he had targeted.

Kipsang crossed the finish line in 2hrs 04mins 27secs, beating the previous best time for the event by 13 seconds.

Farah defended his decision to switch from the track to the road and make his 26.2 mile debut in his home town.

He said: "London, this is my city, it would have been wrong to do any other marathon."

The elite runners started ahead of 36,000 competitors tackling the course on a warm and sunny day in the capital.

Famous faces taking part include former Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen, Game of Thrones actress Natalie Dormer, and Michelin-star chef Michel Roux Jr.

The amateur field includes Katie and Polly Ryall who are aiming to set a new world record for a pair of sisters combined by beating the current 5hrs 09mins 21secs benchmark while running for the charity Sense.

The races started at Blackheath and Greenwich Park ended on The Mall.

Many roads in central London have been closed and some delays are expected on public transport.

More follows...

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