Top Sun Creams 'Don't Live Up To SPF Claims'

Three leading sun cream brands have failed protection tests conducted by the consumer watchdog, Which?

Products manufactured by Piz Buin, Malibu and Hawaiian Tropic, which claimed a sun projection factor of 30, were all found to have an SPF of below 25.

Which? has now branded the creams "Don't buys".

The company's executive director, Richard Lloyd, told Sky News: "We found three products from three big brands that don't live up to the claims made by the manufacturer.

"Consumers will be rightly worried that products of this kind that are meant to protect you from sunburn, with thousands and thousands of cases of people now getting skin cancer … aren't living up to the very strict British standards that we tested them against.

"The manufacturers now need to reassure the public that their products are good to use and in the meantime we recommend to people that they don't buy these three products."

Which? said the results were identified in two separate British Standards tests looking into 15 products with SPF 30 -  a bestseller in the UK.

The tests found that price was not linked to the level of protection provided, with more expensive products often offering a lower SPF.

The consumer watchdog said Calypso Sun Lotion SPF30 250ml, the cheapest product tested, passed both British Standard tests. It is priced at just £1.20 per 100ml.

The more expensive products were not found to offer better protection

Piz Buin Ultra Light Dry Touch Sun Fluid SPF30, which costs £11.30 per 100ml, was among those which failed.

Malibu Protective Lotion SPF30 200ml also failed tests looking into products' ability to protect consumers from a form of ultraviolet radiation called UVA, which has been liked to skin cancer and premature ageing of the skin.

EU recommendations say sun creams should over a UVA protection that is one third of their SPF value.

The Malibu cream was found to have a UVA protection factor below 10.

All three companies have rejected the tests' findings.

Malibu said: "We stand by our testing and are willing to have our formula tested again by any reputable UK testing house.

"We have nothing to hide. Our files are open for any legitimate person to come and examine."

A statement from Hawaiian Tropic said: "Hawaiian Tropic focuses fully on providing quality products and effective sun protection that meets all EU and Cosmetic Regulations.

"Consumers can fully rely on Hawaiian Tropic products, including Satin Protection SPF 30; safe in the knowledge they are protected against the sun to the level they want, need and expect."

Piz Buin said: "Our products are subject to rigorous safety and efficacy testing; in the case of sun care products, this includes SPF testing in line with the EU sun care recommendation.

"Consumers can be confident that PIZ BUIN® Ultra Light Dry Touch Sun Fluid SPF 30 provides effective sun protection at SPF 30, when used as directed."

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3D Printer Used To Make Woman's Hip Joint

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

British surgeons have for the first time implanted a hip joint made on a 3D printer - and held it in place with the patient's own stem cells.

The titanium metal implant was custom-made for Meryl Richards, 71, using precise measurements taken from detailed body scans.

Surgeons have hailed the procedure as a "game-changer" for complex orthopaedic procedures.

Mrs Richards had six previous hip replacements which left her pelvis so weak that her leg had punched a hole through the bone.

It meant one leg was two inches shorter than the other and she was increasingly disabled by the pain.

Speaking to Sky News she said that without the technique she would soon have been in a wheelchair.

Mrs Richards was facing life in a wheelchair before the operation

"For years now I've walked with crutches or stick," she said.

"Hopefully this will give me movement and mobility again. It's absolutely fantastic."

Mrs Richards had the pioneering operation at Southampton General Hospital.

Surgeons sent CT body scans of her pelvis to the Belgian company Mobelife.

Using computer-aided design and a 3D printer they created a tailor-made socket for the new hip joint.

The shape was built in thin layers from titanium powder that was spot-welded together with a high-temperature laser beam.

Mr Douglas Dunlop, the consultant surgeon who carried out the operation, said: "The benefits to the patient through this pioneering procedure are numerous.

"The titanium used to make the hip is more durable and has been printed to match the patient's exact measurements - this should improve the fit."

He said the custom-made implant also speeds up the operation and is likely to reduce the risk of a serious joint infection.

To increase the chances of success scientists at Southampton University developed a way of using Mrs Richards' bone marrow stem cells as a "glue" to hold the implant securely in place.

Professor Richard Oreffo said cells are growing new bone around the implant, adding: "That will allow the structure to be much stronger and for Meryl we hope it will be the last time she comes back to the operating room."

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E.ON To Pay Customers £12m Over Mis-Selling

Energy Complaints Soar By Staggering 224%

Updated: 1:53am UK, Monday 07 April 2014

Complaints about energy companies have trebled in the first quarter of this year, according to the energy sector's ombudsman who is calling for "increased transparency".

The record figures showing a 224% rise in the first three months of this year come after regulator Ofgem said it was referring the energy sector to the Competition and Markets Authority for a full-scale competition inquiry.

Between January and March, complaints trebled to 10,638, compared with 3,277 received during the same period last year.

More than 2,000 consumers complained about not receiving bills, 1,474 people made complaints about billing charges, and over 1,000 consumers criticised the quality of customer service.

The numbers suggest that 2014 will see more complaints overall, as there were 17,960 complaints made over a 12-month period last year.

Chief Energy Ombudsman Lewis Shand Smith said: "Consumer frustration and dissatisfaction is something that we hear about every day, and we welcome any attempts by Ofgem to make the energy market fairer.

"With energy complaints trebling in the first quarter of this year and problems relating to billing the greatest concern, increased transparency is something that should be addressed."

A spokeswoman for Energy UK, the trade body that represents the industry, said most customers had no problems with their energy company, but accepted that sometimes things go wrong.

She added: "If a customer has any concerns relating to their bills, they should contact their provider as soon as they can, and if possible have an up-to-date meter reading to hand which will ensure their bill is as accurate as possible.

"Energy companies work very hard to resolve problems and most complaints are fixed within a few working days with no more than a phone call."

The spokeswoman said there were new rules in force which made matters "more open and clear for customers including: explaining bills so people understand what they are paying; making it easy to switch; ensuring customers are on the right deals; and simplifying tariffs".

But Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, the consumer watchdog, said the rise in complaints was "further proof that the energy market is broken".

He added it was "right" that the energy sector had been referred for a full-scale investigation.

A Department of Energy and Climate Change spokeswoman said the figures were "worrying", and added: "We would advise consumers to shop around and switch to find a better deal, whether on cost or customer service."

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Victoria's Secrets: Diaries Of Queen Go On Show

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

Cuttings from the teenage diaries of Queen Victoria describe her shock at the "blasted" and "desolate" Midlands which she visited on a royal tour when she was 13.

In her diary entry in 1832, the future Queen described Wolverhampton as "a large and dirty town" and wrote that the surroundings were "very desolate everywhere, there are coals about, and the grass is quite blasted and black".

The diary is being put on show alongside dozens of never-before-seen letters and papers from the Royal Archives.

A letter Bonnie Prince Charlie wrote to his father

The archives were established in 1904 in the Round Tower at Windsor Castle, Berkshire and this exhibition has been created to celebrate the centenary.

As well as Queen Victoria's diary, writings from her majesty Queen Elizabeth II are also on display.

Her diary entry for the day of her father's coronation in 1937 shows a mixed experience for the 11-year-old future monarch.

She writes: "The arches and beams at the top [of the abbey] were covered with a sort of haze of wonder as Papa was crowned, at least I thought so."

But later she explains: "At the end, the service got rather boring as it was all prayers.

"Grannie and I were looking to see how many more pages to the end, and we turned one more and then I pointed to the word at the bottom of the page and it said 'finis'.

"We both smiled at each other and turned back to the service."

A sketch of the Battle of Rorke's Drift drawn by a commander

Exhibition curator Lauren Porter hopes people will be intrigued to read the thoughts of Queen Victoria and others.

She said: "Many of these documents were only intended for her and there's lots of private correspondence on display here so they were never expected to be exhibited.

"I think it's really interesting to get these very personal, honest responses to moments in history."

Also on display for the first time is one of the many love letters exchanged between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Written in the Prince's native German during their engagement, a letter reveals the depth of Albert's devotion to his bride-to-be.

It begins "Dearest deeply loved Victoria" and continues "your image fills my whole soul. Even in my dreams I never imagined that I should find so much love on earth".

Treasures From The Royal Archives will be open to the public at Windsor Castle from May 17 until January 25.

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Rolf Harris 'Abused Girl At Two Little Boys Show'

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

A woman has told a court how she threw away a Rolf Harris autograph in disgust after he allegedly indecently assaulted her when she was a young girl.

Entertainer Harris, 84, is said to have touched the seven or eight-year-old girl's back, before running his "big, hairy" hand down her bottom and between her legs.

The woman, now 52, and who cannot be named for legal reasons, was among dozens of children who had queued excitedly to get his autograph on a Saturday morning after he performed his hit song Two Little Boys.

But she was left so shocked and scared after he touched her, she threw the piece of paper away after the incident at a community centre in Portsmouth, which she said happened in around 1969.

Speaking from behind a screen, the woman told jurors at Southwark Crown Court: "It was so quick, I thought 'what's just happened?' More or less instantly his hand was back again.

"Straight up between my legs, aggressively, forcefully, as if it didn't matter if it was going to hurt me, I knew then it wasn't an accident."

The woman went on: "I understood it was wrong. I wanted to get away. I wanted to scream out 'what are you doing?' but it wouldn't come out."

"He scared me. His eyes were fixed. He was carrying on as if nothing had happened," she said.

Prosecutor Ms Sasha Wass QC asked her what she did with the autograph and she replied: "I threw it on the floor".

She said that afterwards she felt she "wasn't the same child".

The woman said even now, years later, she still cried when she heard the song Two Little Boys.

She said she later told her husband and children that Harris was a ''dirty old man'' who had ''touched her up as a child".

Jurors heard that she eventually told police what had happened in May 2013 after seeing reports that another woman in Australia had come forward with similar claims following the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Under cross-examination from Ms Sonia Woodley QC, she denied suggestions that Harris had not been to the community centre and that she had not been indecently assaulted by him.

She insisted: ''Rolf Harris was there. I met Rolf Harris at that community centre when I was a little girl.''

Australian-born Harris, dressed in a grey suit and tie, listened via a hearing loop from the glass-fronted dock, occasionally making notes.

Relatives and friends were in the public gallery but for the second day his wife Alwen did not accompany him to court.

Harris, of Bray, Berkshire, is accused of indecently assaulting four girls and women between 1968 and 1986 and denies the 12 charges.

The case continues.

More follows...

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Stephen Sutton Tributes Push Up Donations

Stephen Sutton's cancer fundraising campaign has raised £300k in less than 24 hours since the teenager's family announced his death.

Thousands of people inspired by the 19-year-old's story have pledged cash to his JustGiving page since he passed away in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The total, which stood at just over £3.2m before Stephen's death, had rocketed to more than £3.5m by 8am on Thursday as tributes continued to pour in from politicians, celebrities and members of the public.

Many of the most recent donations to the JustGiving campaign for the Teenage Cancer Trust have been accompanied by simple messages of tribute or thanks.

Rebecca G wrote: "Inspirational Young Man. Rest in Peace :)."

Stephen's JustGiving total had passed £3.5m on Thursday morning

An anonymous donor said: "In memory of a truly courageous and inspirational young man - Stephen, you will never be forgotten xx."

Stephen's mother Jane Sutton announced that he had passed away on his Facebook page, saying: "My heart is bursting with pride but breaking with pain for my courageous, selfless, inspirational son who passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of this morning, Wednesday 14th May.

"The ongoing support and outpouring of love for Stephen will help greatly at this difficult time, in the same way as it helped Stephen throughout his journey.

"We all know he will never be forgotten, his spirit will live on, in all that he achieved and shared with so many."

Stephen gave speeches about his positive approach to terminal illness

Prime Minister David Cameron, who met Stephen, told Sky News: "He was really inspiring. I feel deeply sorry for Stephen's family, for everyone that knew him.

"He was determined not to waste a minute, not to waste an hour, or a day. I can hardly think of anyone I have met with such a zest for life, with such a belief that you can get things done, and who wanted to live every minute.

"He did extraordinary things for charity and meeting him was a huge privilege. A very bright light has gone out."

The Teenage Cancer Trust, which Stephen raised money for, said in a statement: "We are humbled and hugely grateful for what Stephen achieved, and continues to achieve, for young people with cancer."

David Cameron congratulated Stephen in person for his charity efforts

News of Stephen's death came shortly after his family said the teenager from Burntwood, Staffordshire, had become too sick to communicate as his condition deteriorated.

He was readmitted to hospital on Sunday after having previously been discharged when it appeared he had made a "miraculous recovery" by coughing up a tumour.

At the time he revealed that he was suffering from breathlessness and said doctors thought there was something blocking his airway.

He wrote on Facebook: "The doctors think there may be something restricting my airway again, they're not sure exactly what yet though (tumour regrowth, infection, inflammation, are all potential reasons mentioned), but are currently discussing the possibilities and my scan results to decide what to do next."

Stephen, from Burntwood in Staffordshire, was diagnosed with bowel cancer when he was 15.

Despite treatment the tumours spread, with doctors telling him the disease was terminal in 2012.

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Exclusive: Sky's Man Goes Inside GCHQ

As I crossed the various levels of security required to get into GCHQ, signs went up around the building. Staff were warned that an outsider was inside, and to be aware of that if engaged in any sensitive conversations.

This rare access for a journalist appears to be part of a conscious but cautious effort to explain the workings of the intelligence agency, in the wake of the allegations by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

Most of the interior of Britain's signal intelligence agency looks similar to any large modern office building, but there are constant reminders of the extraordinary inside the ordinary.

This is true of the architecture. The building is referred to by both media and the intelligence community as "the doughnut".

From the outside it is somewhat foreboding, ringed by high fences topped with razor wire. But inside the colours are calming, the ceilings high, and the corridors surprisingly light.

The main internal circular corridor, known somewhat affectionately as "the street" is a busy thoroughfare and a reminder that thousands of people work here. GCHQ is Cheltenham's biggest employer.

On the ground floor, open plan offices look out on to a circular garden complete with water feature and smoking area.

Edward Snowden's revelations have left intelligence staff ruffled

From there you can see a variety of satellite dishes and myriad aerials perched on the roof of the second floor.

It is rumoured the design of the circular walls enclosing the garden were built in a way which limits how much sound from conversations will carry upwards in the direction of interested parties who might be listening high above the building.

Inside, the juxtaposition of the ordinary and extraordinary continues. Next to one of the coffee bars is a pop-up "help with your expenses" desk, which is near a small museum housing the first Enigma coding/decoding machine.

The contraption, which cracked the German codes in the Second World War was purchased in Berlin and brought to the UK in the 1930s,  a move described as "the best £30 Britain has ever spent".

You can also find notes on JRR Tolkien's application to join the Bletchley Park code breakers. His services "were not called upon".

It is a state-of-the-art building, but there may be a few dents in the doughnut.

Staff are stirred, if not shaken in the aftermath of the Snowden furore. For more than a year now there have been allegations that they spend their time engaged in possibly illegal mass surveillance and bulk-trawling through our emails and phone calls.

Time and again officials repeated to me: "Everything we do is lawful, necessary, and proportionate."

This view was recently upheld by Sir Anthony May, the Interception of Communications Commissioner.

However, it appears the agency does indeed engage in scooping up vast amounts of data.

What was lost in the headlines was that officers do not actually look at the text of emails or listen to phone conversations without a warrant signed by a Cabinet Minister and overseen by senior members of the judiciary.

"Don't you actually think your hands are tied?" I asked a senior official, who replied: "Our hands are tied appropriately."

Another added: "We are not struggling against our bonds."

Despite the Snowden affair, and the possibility the agency did not act in the spirit of the laws governing it, the damage to public trust in Britain's spooks appears limited.

Polls suggest that a majority of the public appears not to be concerned about the powers held by GCHQ, nor its methods.

Nevertheless, the presence of a journalist inside the headquarters of an agency (which did not officially exist until the 1980s) indicates that management understands it needs to explain GCHQ more fully.

Staff appear to be at best irritated, and at worst hurt, by suggestions they have acted illegally. They are keen that there should be a better understanding of not just what they do, but why they do it.

For example, if the 'opposition' is developing weapons of various types, including surveillance weapons, it is part of their work to find out and develop counter measures.

About a third of analysts' work is in counter-terrorism. The rest is in cyber security, support for military operations, operations against serious criminals, and a variety of other tasks.

In the public domain, but not widely known, is the fact that more than 200 staff have been awarded medals for service in a military theatre.

Many of these have been won during the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The staff were remarkably normal. Some in suits, some in shorts, none of them looking like Daniel Craig.

I did ask to see the "big room with the map of the world on a screen and a guy stroking a white cat" but permission was refused. The room does exist but, alas, the cat does not.

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Jasmyn Chan Hit And Run Death: Man Arrested

A man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after a 14-year-old was knocked down and killed.

Jasmyn Chan was crossing the road in Normanton Hill, Sheffield on Friday evening when she was fatally injured by a small, dark car.

Witnesses said she pushed her 12-year-old friend out of the way.

The girls had fallen behind three other friends when they were hit by the car as it travelled down a hill towards the A57 Mosborough Parkway.

A tribute to Jasmyn left at the scene

South Yorkshire Police said: "A 32-year-old Sheffield man has been arrested in connection with the death of 14-year-old Jasmyn Chan.

"The man, who was arrested overnight on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, remains in police custody today."

On Wednesday, her parents made an emotional appeal for the driver of the car to come forward.

Jasmyn's mother Paula McCullie and father Peter Chan said they could not put into words the "loss and devastation" her death has caused.

Jasmyn was walking with a friend when she was hit

In the aftermath of her death, Jasmyn's friends gathered at the scene to lay flowers and pay tribute.

One, Hannah Bellamy, told Sky News: "We're shocked and sad that she's gone.

"She was always smiling - a funny person to be around who spoke to anyone.

"She always made me smile when I was down. I'm going to miss her loads - she's going to be missed by everyone."

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Peaches Geldof's House Raided Twice By Burglars

Peaches Geldof: From Wild Child To Doting Mum

Updated: 12:33pm UK, Tuesday 08 April 2014

Peaches Honeyblossom Geldof was just 11 when she lost her 41-year-old mother Paula Yates in an accidental heroin overdose in 2000.

As the second daughter of Bob Geldof and Yates, much of her life was lived in the public eye as the family coped with the tragedy and she started to make a name for herself as a model and journalist.

She left home aged 16 and began a career which included writing for UK newspapers, Elle magazine and presenting TV shows including OMG!

Ms Geldof received constant attention from the paparazzi, and tabloids often compared her to other troubled young celebrities Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty.

She admitted to experimenting with drugs and was often labelled as a "wild child".

In August 2008 Ms Geldof married rock musician Max Drummey in Las Vegas but the pair separated in 2009.

But it was meeting second husband Tom Cohen and the birth of their first son, Astala Dylan Willow, which triggered her transformation from a partying socialite to doting mother.

The couple married in 2012 at St Mary Magdalene and St Lawrence Church in Kent, where Ms Geldof's parents got married and her mother's funeral was held.

She said she felt Yates was "watching over" her that day.

She told Hello magazine: "I feel her presence all the time but especially today.

"Mum loved family celebrations and she would adore Tom and the fact that we've married here.

"I know that she is watching over me and feeling so happy for us."

The couple's second son, Phaedra Bloom Forever, was born last year and will turn one on April 24.

Ms Geldof spent a lot of time discussing parenting techniques and was an avid believer in attachment parenting, appearing on This Morning in a head-to-head debate with Apprentice star Katie Hopkins.

Midge Ure, Scottish musician and co-organiser of Band Aid with Bob Geldof, told Sky News Ms Geldof had become an "earth mother" figure, like her own mother Paula Yates.

"They embraced this whole motherhood thing so incredibly well, after what had maybe been ropey beginnings. They had completely found their niche in life."

Mother & Baby magazine announced in February that Ms Geldof was to be their new columnist.

A spokesman said it was after she had completed what they called, a "mama metamorphosis" from party girl to working mother. The magazine was to feature her attempts to juggle parenting, work and family.

A tribute posted online by the magazine reads: "We are extremely saddened at the tragic news that Peaches Geldof has died. Our hearts and sympathies are with her family and two little boys."

Ms Geldof's Twitter and Instagram accounts were full of photos of her sons, dogs and husband.

Her last tweet, posted on Sunday at 10.17am, was a photograph of her and her late mother with the message "Me and my mum."

But her tweets also got her into some trouble.

Last year she apologised for breaking a court order and tweeting the names of the two women whose babies were abused by rock star Ian Watkins.

She tried to explain her actions by saying she had assumed the names were already "public knowledge".

The women's names were tweeted to her 160,000 followers after she reportedly read them on a US-based website. She later said: "I deleted my tweets, however, and apologise for any offence caused."

Ms Geldof's last public appearance was at a fashion show in London on April 3.

A statement from Ms Geldof's father and sisters - Fifi Trixibelle and Pixie and half-sister Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily - said they were "beyond pain" following her death on Monday.

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Rolf Harris 'Victim Shocked By Beach Assault'

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

A woman who says she was assaulted by Rolf Harris when she was 13 was "shocked and upset" after he groped her, a court has heard.

The 49-year-old - a childhood friend of the entertainer's daughter Bindi - gave evidence about attacks she says took place while she was on holiday with the Harris family in 1978.

She said she could remember that an alleged assault happened at "four-ish" in the afternoon because she had been sunbathing and then gone for a shower.

She told the court that after Harris assaulted her as she got out of the shower she thought: "My God, did that just happen?" 

Under cross-examination, the woman told the court she did not record the alleged attacks in her diary.

She said: "If someone saw my diary I wouldn't want them to think I'd had an awful time."

The witness was asked by defence counsel Sonia Woodley QC why she had gone on holiday with Harris if she was so ''scared'' of him, as she has previously said.

She told the jury at Southwark Crown Court: ''I wanted to be with Bindi and I knew he wouldn't be around all the time.''

When pressed about the alleged shower assault, the witness said she had ''no recollection'' of how Harris got into the bedroom and where he had been previously.

Ms Woodley also questioned her about a time where she says Harris groped her on a beach within view of his wife Alwen and Bindi.

She asked the witness: ''You must have been shocked and upset ?''

She replied that she was and was then asked how Alwen and Bindi could not have noticed.

The woman replied: ''Because I didn't want to show it.''

Earlier in her cross examination the witness denied defence suggestions that in more than six hours of police interviews and statements, she had plenty of time ''to rehearse'' what she was going to say.

She also denied Ms Woodley's claims that she was ''strong minded, wilful and argumentative'' although she agreed that as a child she had gone through a phase of eating ''just marmite on toast'.'

Harris, dressed in a silver grey suit, shirt and tie listened to proceedings via a hearing loop and his wife Alwen was also in court along with other family and friends.

The TV presenter and artist denies 12 counts of indecently assaulting her and three other girls from 1968 to 1986.

More follows...

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