Sarah's Law Reveals
 700 Child Sex Offenders

More than 700 sex offenders have been unmasked using powers under Sarah's Law since it was rolled out nationwide in April 2011.

New figures - released by police forces in England, Wales and Scotland under the Freedom of Information Act - show on average about five child sex offenders have been revealed every week since the scheme was launched.

Avon and Somerset Police uncovered the most paedophiles, with 42 separate individuals being identified, followed closely by Devon and Cornwall Police which disclosed 39 offenders.

The figures also show police forces received 4,754 applications from parents and guardians wanting to know whether people who have contact with children pose a risk - meaning just one in seven result in a disclosure.

However, applications have fallen since the scheme was launched, from 1,944 in 2011/2012 to 1,106 so far in 2013/2014, while disclosures have also declined from 281 in the first year to 122 in current year to April.

Sara Payne led the campaign for the law to be implemented

Charities and campaigners have expressed concern that only one in seven applications result in a disclosure and raised questions over how well the scheme is being publicised in the face of waning numbers of applications.

However, other groups said the figures highlighted a "worrying shift of responsibility" away from the state and onto ordinary members of the public in dealing with sex offenders.

Donald Findlater, director of research and development at Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity which works with sexual abusers as well as victims, said: "Given the apparent drop in applications since the start of the scheme, albeit small, we have some concern that people may not know the scheme is available to them.

"We would like to see continued public awareness and publicity, whether by local forces or nationally by the Home Office, so that people know that this means of checking someone out exists.

"While the number of applications being made is small, at 4,754 over two and half years, the conversion rate of one in seven applications resulting in a disclosure is encouraging. It shows that adults can and do notice worrying behaviour in others around them - a key factor in keeping children safe.

"Our concern here would be the other six out of seven people who made an application but did not get a disclosure. The police know of only a proportion of offenders - many have not been caught and are not on any police database. For members of the public to make an application to police they must have had some concerns in the first place."

Sarah Payne's killer Roy Whiting was a known paedophile

The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, known as Sarah's Law, was brought in following a campaign by Sara Payne, whose eight-year-old daughter Sarah was murdered by convicted paedophile Roy Whiting in 2000.

The scheme is a watered-down version of laws in the US under which details of where convicted paedophiles live are actively publicised.

Under the Home Office scheme, parents can ask police about anyone with access to their children and officers will reveal details confidentially if they think it is in the child's interests.

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Rolf Harris Faces Three More Sex Charges

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9:53am UK, Monday 23 December 2013

Rolf Harris pictured at an earlier court hearing

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Weather: Storm 'Everywhere By Lunchtime'

Dozens of flood alerts are in place as heavy rain and winds of up to 80mph sweep across the country, bringing chaos for Christmas travellers.

The stormy weather started in the South West and is moving eastwards and northwards throughout the day.

Hundreds of homes were left without power in Cornwall.

East Coast has already announced cancellations to and from London

A spokeswoman for Western Power Distribution said high winds brought down overhead power lines.

Almost all of the UK will be affected by the wet weather by midday and winds will reach 70-80mph in eastern and central areas in the afternoon.

The Met Office's severe weather alert started at dawn on Monday and 71 amber "be prepared" warnings are in place for London, southeast and southwest England, and South Wales.

Five areas, including three in the South West, have been issued with "immediate action required" flood warnings.

Localised flooding is possible and winds of 50-60mph are forecast in inland areas, gusting up to 80mph along the coast.

Essex Police said the Dartford QEII bridge will be closed from 12.30pm on Monday to 4am on Tuesday.

The Met Office's more serious "be prepared" warnings are in the south

Sky News' weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said rain would be the biggest problem for most people on Monday.

"There will be heavy downpours bringing 20-40mm of rainfall quite widely and over 60mm likely across parts of the high ground.

"As the rain is falling on already saturated ground that could cause both surface water and river flooding in these areas."

:: See the latest weather forecast here.

Emma Compton from the Met Office said: "By lunchtime it will be everywhere. It's going to be fairly persistent."

Trains are expected to bear the brunt of the weather and at least 21 train companies are predicting changes to timetables and cancelled services.

Virgin Trains is one of many operators warning of delays and disruption

An emergency go-slow limit of 50mph is likely on many routes.

Train bosses say "hundreds of engineers" will be on call over the next two days to deal with any blocked tracks or technical problems.

Passengers are being urged to check the latest information before setting out.

Network Rail Managing Director Robin Gisby said: "I want to be very clear that our priority is running as many trains as we can safely, rather than worrying about hitting the timetable bang on."

Many companies have removed limits on day tickets to deter people from travelling at the height of the bad weather.

Virgin Trains is advising passengers to travel before 3pm and says advance tickets for specific trains will be accepted on any service.

The A82 in Scotland, where there is an ice alert. Pic: @pressscotland

It says fewer trains than normal will run between London and Manchester, and London and Birmingham - where the 50mph limit is likely to be enforced.

South West Trains is another operator warning of "significantly reduced speeds" on its network.

Motorists are also being urged to be take special care on the roads and check the flood updates ahead of their journey.

The Environment Agency and the AA strongly advise not entering flood water that is moving or more than 10cm deep.

David Jordan, Director of Operations at the Environment Agency, said: "Tragically people die because they've taken risks and attempted to drive through flood water just to save a few minutes.

"Flood water is dangerous. If there is widespread flooding in your area then don't travel and if a road is closed then turn around and make a detour."

The Highways Agency said high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists should be especially careful in the high winds and and has put out a list of potentially treacherous routes.

John McTaggart, head of on-road services at the Agency, said: "We are working closely with the Met Office to monitor conditions.

"In the event of persistent high winds we may need to close certain bridges to traffic for a period, so please be alert for warnings of closures and follow the clearly signed diversion routes."

The RAC is predicting that 13 million people will take to the roads from December 24 to 26.

Visitor attractions are also playing it safe ahead of the bad weather, with the popular Winter Wonderland in London's Hyde Park staying shut on Monday

The worst of the weather is expected to clear by the end of Christmas Eve.

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Denis MacShane Jailed Over Expenses Claims

Former Labour minister Denis MacShane has been jailed for six months after admitting making £13,000 of bogus expense claims.

The ex-MP previously pleaded guilty to false accounting by filing 19 fake receipts for "research and translation" services from 2005 to 2008.

MacShane, 65, used the money to fund a series of trips to Europe, including one to judge a literary competition in Paris.

His guilty plea followed more than four years of scrutiny into his use of Commons allowances.

Mr Justice Sweeney, sitting at the Old Bailey, stressed that this expenses case was different to others because it was not for "personal profit".

But he added: "The dishonesty involved was considerable and was repeated many times over a period.

"In your case you have no one to blame but yourself."

Flanked by two security officers, MacShane, wearing a dark suit with a blue striped tie and glasses, said "Cheers" as the sentence was delivered, before adding, "Quelle surprise" as he was led from the dock.

MacShane resigned as MP for Rotherham

Sky's Darren McCaffrey, at the court, said MacShane argued with the dock officer before sentencing after being told he could not take his luggage and mobile phone in with him.

MacShane was told he must serve half his sentence in prison and was ordered to pay costs of £1,500 within two months.

Parliamentary authorities began looking at his claims in 2009 when the wider scandal engulfed Westminster, and referred him to Scotland Yard within months.

But the principle of parliamentary privilege meant detectives were not given access to damning correspondence with the standards commissioner in which MacShane detailed how signatures on receipts from the European Policy Institute (EPI) had been faked.

The body was controlled by MacShane and the general manager's signature was not genuine. One message, dated October 2009, said he drew funds from the EPI so he could serve on a book judging panel in Paris.

It was not until after police dropped the case last year that the cross-party Standards Committee published the evidence in a report that recommended an unprecedented 12-month suspension from the House.

MacShane, 65, who served as Europe minister under Tony Blair, resigned as MP for Rotherham last November before the punishment could be imposed.

Police then reopened their inquiry in the light of the fresh information and he was charged in May - even though the letters are still not thought to be admissible in court.

MacShane is reportedly in a relationship with Vicky Pryce, the ex-wife of former Energy Secretary Chris Huhne.

Huhne and Pryce were released from jail in May after serving sentences for perverting the course of justice.

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Heather Mills' Anger Over Paralympic Boot Row

Heather Mills has revealed her anger over a dispute about a ski boot which ended her hopes of representing Britain at next year's Paralympic Games.

Speaking in a six-minute video posted on YouTube, the ex-wife of Sir Paul McCartney claimed an International Paralympic Committee (IPC) official "had it in for me".

The row erupted when the 45-year-old Paralympic skiing hopeful was told by IPC official Sylvana Mestre that she would have to change her ski boot to comply with IPC rules.

Ms Mills reacted angrily to the request, and reportedly told Ms Mestre she would "make your life a misery".

Ms Mills competing in Queenstown, New Zealand, in August

The IPC later accused Ms Mills of having committed a "disgraceful outburst".

But in her statement on YouTube, Ms Mills said Ms Mestre "wouldn't listen to me at all" and rejected reports that she had threatened to harm the official.

"She wouldn't listen to me at all. I never physically touched her, like the misreporting in the media (said I did)," she said.

"She has never made a statement saying I physically harmed her. The ridiculous reports that she begged me not to hit her are just tabloid rubbish.

"I just said to her, very loudly, I was very upset, that I'd had enough of this, and that I wouldn't be involved in these ridiculous rules."

Ms Mills had her left leg amputated below the knee after a road traffic accident in 1993.

She earned a place in the development squad of the British Disabled Ski Team (BDST) in 2010 and won a silver medal in a slalom race in New Zealand in August.

She has since quit the BDST, ending her hopes of competing at the Games in Russia next March.

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Clutha Tragedy: Comedy Gig To Help Raise Cash

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

Glasgow's comedians are lining up to raise a laugh for victims of the Clutha Pub tragedy.

They also hope tonight's comedy gig will raise several thousand pounds for the Clutha Appeal Fund, which has already amassed more than £220,000.

Friends and relatives of the 10 people who died when the Police Scotland helicopter crashed into the Glasgow pub have been invited to the show at the city's O2abc Academy. 

They will be joined in the audience by emergency service workers who helped at the scene of the tragedy.

Comedian Janey Godley told Sky News: "The love and affection of Glaswegians will carry every laugh from that stage right up into the rafters. That's who we are, as a people; you might knock us down but we'll get up and - do you know what? - we'll get up laughing."

Jai McDowall recording the tribute song Won't Forget

The comedy show is one a number of initiatives aimed at raising cash for bereaved families suffering financial hardship as a result of the crash on November 29.

Those who died included the three occupants of the helicopter along with seven customers in the pub. Five people remain in hospital, being treated for a range of serious injuries.

Four police officers who attended the scene of the accident have recorded a song called Won't Forget, which features Britain's Got Talent winner Jai McDowall on vocals.

Police officers Paul Keenan (L) and Jamie Easton

PC Paul Keenan, who wrote the song, told Sky News: "It obviously involved our friends and colleagues, so we felt personally touched by it. It was a tragic loss of life, so we came up with the idea of recording a charity single."

PC Jamie Easton said: "The police is such a close-knit family and it was such a terrible disaster, everybody felt it. Being at the scene myself, it was terrible both for the emergency services and the public. You could see the effect it had on everybody, so I'm grateful to be able to play on the track."

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Volunteers Keep Revellers Safe Over Christmas

By Emma Birchley, East of England Correspondent

A front-line team of volunteers has been confronted with the aftermath of assaults, drug abuse and too much to drink as the Christmas festivities for some got out of hand in Norwich.

Sky News spent the night following staff on board the city's SOS bus and medical unit as they coped with one of the busiest party nights of the year.

It was not until after 1am that the trouble really started.

The police called the bus to say a woman was intoxicated nearby. It emerged she had not only drunk too much but had also taken drugs.

She was taken in a minibus back to the main bus to be checked over.

Shift leader Holly Brown said: "People can go unconscious, choking on their own vomit, they can be incontinent.

The volunteers help ease the workload for emergency services

"We need to judge what has happened. We need to make sure they are OK as we want them to get home safely."

Next it was a trip to a report of an assault on a young woman inside a club. She had cuts on her face and was ushered onto the minibus.

Some people will still end up in hospital, but by responding to reports of injury and sickness the pressure is taken off other services such as Accident and Emergency and ambulance crews.

Leigh Baggaley, 25, works for St John's Ambulance Service and first started helping on the bus five years ago.

"It's an eye-opener. If we weren't here there would be lots more A&E admissions.

"We don't tell people what to do but we try to educate people on how they should drink."

The SOS bus was the first of its kind to be set up in the UK

The volunteers even keep every type of phone charger so that drinkers can get back in touch with lost friends. And they offer flip-flops in return for a small donation for those finding their high heels a challenge.

The SOS bus was the first of its kind to be set up in the country back in 2001 and operates every Friday and Saturday night.

Action was taken after two teenagers were found dead in the river following a night out in Norwich. A short time later,  the body of a 21-year-old was discovered in the toilets of a nightclub in the city after drinking too much.

As well as the setting up of the bus, a radio system was installed linking the SOS team with the police, pubs and nightclubs.

Toby Middleton is operations manager of four clubs in the city including Roccos and Mercy.

He said: "Having the facility of having the bus and the people who are prepared to do it free of charge and help us with our duty of care ... is a great asset."

In the past five years alone the SOS bus and medical unit have looked after more than 3000 people.

It has proved such a success that towns and cities are following Norwich's lead.

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Death Of UK Doctor In Syria 'Despicable'

The family of a British doctor who died after 13 months in a Syrian prison have said it is "absolutely despicable" that the regime has not fully explained the circumstances surrounding his death.

They were speaking on Sky News as Doctor Abbas Khan's body was due to be flown home, after it was received by family members in Lebanon almost a week after his death.

The 32-year-old father of two was arrested more than a year ago after travelling to the rebel-held city of Aleppo to treat injured civilians.

His family believe he was abused while in custody and have blamed the Syrian regime for his death, despite authorities in Damascus claiming he took his own life.

His brother and sister, Shahnawaz and Sara Khan, told Sky News that nobody has explained to the family how or why he died and that they feel he was let down by the British authorities.

Dr Khan's brother and sister, Shahnawaz and Sara Khan

Shahnawaz Khan told Sky News: "We are still unclear why there's been such a protracted process in releasing his body.

"Everything that the Syrian government has done over these past 13 months to us has been arduous and has inflicted much insult upon us. I guess this was their final attempt to inflict as much misery upon us as they could.

"They had already embalmed him and carried out some tests that we had requested them not to.

"It has been a difficult time. We haven't had a chance to grieve properly because we are still fighting to get him back."

Dr Khan was arrested in Aleppo where he was helping civilians

The married British surgeon was due to be released from prison and allowed home for Christmas.

Sara Khan said: "We still haven't been given a clear explanation as to what happened to him, which is absolutely despicable, that the Syrians can feel that they can give us multiple explanations for his death.

"We want the British Government to help the family in getting those answers from the Syrians as somebody needs to own up for this absolutely cruel injustice that has been done to my brother."

The family has criticised what they said was a lack of support given to them by the Foreign Office during Dr Khan's incarceration.

Foreign Office minister Hugh Robertson has said: "There is no excuse whatsoever for the treatment that he has suffered by the Syrian authorities who have in effect murdered a British national who was in their country to help people injured during their civil war."

Claims that the surgeon had picked sides and had jihadi links, and was in the country without a visa, were dismissed by his brother.

"The accusation of any sort of terrorist activities has never been levied to us," Shahnawaz Khan said.

"There is no sense that he was ever involved in any sort of activities.

"The only reason why that question is raised is because he is a British Muslim, and throughout he has been treated with a degree of suspicion by their authorities and unfortunately the authorities in the British Government.

"In Syria he has been executed for being British and he has been let down by his own government for not being British enough."

He added: "We will have to move on, but moving on now will include attaining some answers around the circumstances of his death and the steps that could have possibly saved him."

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Lockerbie Anniversary: Cameron Praises Victims

Relatives of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing are gathering at memorial services in the UK and US to mark the 25th anniversary of the atrocity.

Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London to New York when it exploded above Lockerbie, in southern Scotland, on the evening of December 21 1988, killing 270 people - everyone on board and 11 on the ground.

British Prime Minister David Cameron described it as "one of the worst aviation disasters in history and the deadliest act of terrorism" ever committed in the UK.

Eleven people were killed on the ground in Lockerbie

He said: "Though 25 years have passed, memories of the 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 Lockerbie residents who lost their lives on that terrible night have not dimmed.

"Over the last quarter of a century much attention has been focused on the perpetrators of the atrocity. Today our thoughts turn to its victims and to those whose lives have been touched and changed by what happened at Lockerbie that night.

"To families, friends, neighbours, loved ones, and all those caught up in the painful process of recovery, let us say to them: our admiration for you is unconditional. For the fortitude and resilience you have shown. For your determination never to give up. You have shown that terrorist acts cannot crush the human spirit. That is why terrorism will never prevail.

"And even in the darkest moments of grief, it is possible to glimpse the flickering flame of hope."

Memorial events attended by politicians, officials, families and members of the community will take place in Lockerbie, London and in at Arlington National Cemetery in the US, where most of the 270 victims were from.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and Lord Wallace, Advocate General for Scotland, will attend a wreath-laying ceremony at Dryfesdale Cemetery in the Dumfries and Galloway town.

Mr Salmond said: "As the community of Lockerbie marks the milestone, memorial events will be held in Westminster Abbey, Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and at Syracuse University which lost 35 students in the bombing.

"But, inevitably, a focus of the day will be on the memorial in Lockerbie and it is there that I will pay my respects and condolences on behalf of the people of Scotland."

Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the disaster, told Sky News: "Anniversaries aren't in a sense that big a deal for the families of victims because we have to live with the lovely memories of those that we lost all that time ago, every day of every year. Bereavement in itself is sometimes a life sentence."

Graham Herbert, former rector at Lockerbie Academy which lost three students in the atrocity, said the market town "has always tried to move forward".

Abdelbaset al Megrahi was the only person to be convicted of the bombing

He told Sky News: "I know today there will be a lot of closed doors. A lot of people will not go out of their houses. The memories are just too bitter, there are still open wounds there.

"There are quite a lot of American families in the town today. Each year it just comes back to them, they are not allowed to heal. They want to commemorate, they want to be here where their loved ones fell, but it's hard, it's tough."

Libyan Abdelbaset al Megrahi was found guilty of the bombing in January 2001 and given a life sentence.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, leading to a decision to free him under compassionate release rules.

Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill took that decision on August 20 the following year, sparking a row among politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.

Megrahi died in Tripoli, Libya in May last year. His family is considering lodging a fresh appeal to clear his name.

British relatives of victims who believe he was wrongfully convicted of the bombing are also planning another appeal against the conviction when they meet with lawyers in the new year.

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Search For 'Woman In Sea' In Brighton

Police have received reports that a woman has been swept out to sea in Brighton, East Sussex.

Emergency services were called to a nightclub on the seafront in the early hours of this morning, but as yet no person or body has been found.

Sussex Police said in a statement: "At 0220, police received reports that a woman had been swept out to sea opposite the Digital nightclub on Brighton seafront.

"Police, ambulance, and coastguard attended. A helicopter was also deployed to search.

"As of 0500, no person or body has been found."

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