'Mumpreneurs' Could Be Lifeline To Recovery

By Poppy Trowbridge, Business and Economics Correspondent

Companies run by mothers contribute around £7bn a year to the economy but there are calls for the Chancellor to introduce measures to make it easier to start a business from home.

It has been five years since the depths of the financial crash and still the key to kick-starting growth eludes the coalition Government.

The British economy started 2013 with zero momentum, but could helping mums open businesses help get Britain growing again?

According to StartUp Britain, a group that supports entrepreneurs, 60% of small businesses are started from home.

And a growing number of those are being started by women who have left the workforce to have, or care for, their children.

Julia Hunter is a former City bond trader, and mum. Starting a family prompted her to start a business.

"I was looking to start my own business rather than work for somebody else purely because of the family side of things. It is important to me to just be around."

Mum-run companies are contributing a significant amount to the economy already.

According to Mumpreneur UK, there are 300,000 mum-run companies in the UK today.

As a group, they add about £7.4bn a year to the economy. Yet the average startup cash they require is only £500.

That's a low-risk, high-reward ratio that the Chancellor would admire.

Ms Hunter says British business needs more support from the Chancellor. She believes cutting VAT would be one way to encourage enterprise in the upcoming Budget.

Becky Jones from StartUp Britain says big banks and established companies should be encouraged more to support smaller startups.

She told Sky News: "Giving them support at the early stage can be a complete game changer for the life of a small business."

After all, these are the firms that will hire, produce, sell and export - at each stage contributing to the tax that the Government so desperately needs to slowly pay down debt.

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Wales v England: Cardiff Six Nations Showdown

By Charlie Thomas, Sky Sports Presenter

So much history, and so much at stake; whatever the outcome at the Millennium Stadium this afternoon, it will be a great occasion.

How can it fail to be? The Grand Slam, the Six Nations and the Triple Crown are all up for grabs. Rugby matches don't come much bigger than this.

Wales, after a stuttering start to the tournament, have shown plenty of character to keep alive their title ambitions.

England, meanwhile, have maintained their upward trajectory since Stuart Lancaster took over, their unconvincing display against Italy notwithstanding.

Now they find themselves one match away from a first Grand Slam since their annus mirabilis of 2003.

The size of their task cannot be underestimated.

Not only will they face a resurgent Wales, full of confidence after victory away to Scotland last weekend; they must also do what no England team has managed previously: that is, to win the Grand Slam in Cardiff.

Five of their 12 Slams have been won away from home: three in Paris, one at Murrayfield and one in Dublin.

Wales after their win against Italy

The permutations are thus: an England victory will secure the Slam, regardless of the margin; an England defeat by six points or fewer would be enough for them to win the Six Nations; if they lose by seven points but outscore Wales by three tries or more, they would also win the title.

But, a Wales victory by seven points or more, providing they stay ahead of England on tournament tries (7 to 5 so far), would see Wales retain the title.

Oh, and there's one more: If Wales win by seven points but England score two more tries then the title would be shared. Clear?

I said at the beginning that it would be a great occasion. But will it be a great match? That's something nobody can predict.

If I had to hazard a guess, I would say it will be brutal, nail-biting and desperately close, with point-scoring at a premium.

That is, after all, the pattern which has been set throughout the tournament.

Penalties rather than tries have been settling matches: so far there have been 31 tries compared with 72 penalties, an unhealthy imbalance.

At Murrayfield alone last weekend an astonishing 28 penalties were awarded, a Six Nations record.

This has merely served to underline the impression that international rugby has become solely about brute force, with the finer subtleties now a thing of the past.

Barry John in 1971

This feeling was brought home to me earlier in the week while watching a poignant documentary about the great Wales fly half Barry John.

Known in his heyday simply as the King, John retired 40 years ago, at the peak of his powers.

The footage showed him ghosting between players, leaving them clutching at air. He seemed to find space where there was none.

But where are those pulse-quickening arts of the sidestep, the dummy and the feint now?

Modern players barely consider going round an opponent; the sole aim is to hammer into them as hard as possible, setting up yet another interminable phase. Progress? I think not.

So while being impressed by the extraordinary fitness and physicality on display at the Millennium Stadium this afternoon, a part of me will be mourning the absence of the kind of brilliance that once brought crowds to their feet and at which Barry John was the undisputed master.

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Jessie J Has Hair Shaved Off For Charity

Singer Jessie J said goodbye to her famous locks when she had her head shaved to help raise money for a good cause.

The Price Tag star underwent the daring deed on live TV during Red Nose Day.

Comedian Lenny Henry started off the process of cutting off Jessie's hair to a length of just 0.5mm, before the singer's hair stylist took control of the clippers.

After she was left bald, Jessie touched her head several times, apparently in disbelief.

Speaking to host Dermot O'Leary, the singer said: "It's the weirdest feeling."

Jessie J with her once trademark locks

She had admitted being nervous beforehand, but told viewers: "It feels so liberating. But this isn't about this (gesturing to her head), it's about donating."

She added: "I wanted to do something that wasn't just for today and wasn't just for five minutes, it's going to last a few months. It will remind me and hopefully others that everyday you should do something good if you can."

Jessie, who has visited Comic Relief-funded project Body & Soul which helps young people living with HIV, so far raised more than £500,000 by having her head shaved.

She said it was "amazing" to have raised so much cash, and added: "Everyone's crying. My mum's back there, crying with happiness."

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Victoria Cross Award For L/Cpl James Ashworth

A soldier killed protecting his comrades in Afghanistan is to be awarded the Victoria Cross - the UK's top bravery medal.

Lance Corporal James Ashworth's courage was hailed as "beyond words" by friends who served with him until his death last June.

The 23-year-old died in a grenade attack during a fierce battle with the Taliban in Helmand's Nahr-e Saraj district.

He was on foot patrol and battling his way through compounds against enemy fighters when he was fatally wounded.

The cross was first bestowed during the Crimean War

It is expected that the rare VC award to the soldier from Kettering, Northamptonshire, will be officially announced later this month.

The VC has been awarded 10 times to British soldiers since World War Two and only once for bravery in Afghanistan.

At the time of L/Cpl Ashworth's death, his family said: "We are devastated by the loss of our son, brother, uncle and boyfriend. He meant the world to everyone and has left an irreplaceable hole in our hearts."

His father Duane was also a Grenadier Guard, while his younger brother Coran is also a soldier.

He also left behind his mother Kerryann, sisters Lauren and Paige, brother Karl and four-year-old niece Darcy, as well as his girlfriend, Emily.

His company commander, Captain Mike Dobbin, praised the soldier's actions.

He said: "Lance Corporal Ashworth was killed while fighting his way through compounds, leading his fire team from the front, whilst trying to protect his men and he showed extraordinary courage to close on a determined enemy.

"His professionalism under pressure and ability to remain calm in what was a chaotic situation is testament to his character."

Lance Corporal Ashworth's body being repatriated

Guardsman Jordan Loftus also paid tribute to his friend's bravery.

He said: "Selfless, brave, courageous ... words like these don't come close to what Ash demonstrated that day. He will be missed by all as a commander, but most of all a good mate."

L/Cpl Ashworth's Commanding Officer in the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, Lieutenant Colonel James Bowder said: "Lance Corporal Ashworth was an outstanding soldier whose loss has moved us all. A real self-starter, he excelled in everything that he undertook.

"Fit, strong and brilliant at his job, he set the bar very high. Indeed, such was his calmness under pressure, his charisma, and his selflessness that he made an exemplary junior leader."

The previous recipient of the VC in Afghanistan was 29-year-old Corporal Bryan Budd of 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, who died when he single-handedly stormed a Taliban position in Sangin in 2006.

The last living recipient was L/Cpl Johnson Beharry of 1st Battalion the Prince of Wales's Royal Regiment, who twice saved the lives of colleagues under enemy fire in Iraq in 2004.

The medal is the British military's highest bravery award and was first bestowed on troops during the Crimean War in 1854-55.

Johnson Beharry is the last living recipient of a medal

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Kate Middleton: US Women Going After Her Nose

The Duchess of Cambridge's popularity has crossed the pond to the US, but one part of her might be more beloved than the rest.

The New York Daily News reports a sharp upsurge in the number of women asking their plastic surgeons to give them Kate Middleton's nose.

Manhattan's Dr Stephen Greenberg said he started getting the requests a few months ago.

"It has become so popular that we have made a file of a dozen Kate Middleton pictures to show patients when they come in for their consultation," Dr Greenberg said.

The Duchess' nose is considered regal, refined and strong

He added that he currently has about 20 women scheduled to get the royal treatment in the next month, at about $7,000 (£4,641) a pop.

Lenox Hill Hospital's Dr Thomas Romo told the Daily News the Duchess' nose has a certain allure for more mature women in her age bracket.

"Women, especially over the age of 28, want the nose of a woman who is regal, refined and strong," he says. "They certainly don't want the scooped out, over-affected, upturned, pinched nose of a pop star."

It is not unusual for women to want the hair or facial features of a celebrity. Jennifer Aniston not only inspired the much-coveted "Rachel" hairstyle, but also has topped the list of most-desired noses, Dr Romo says.

Jennifer Aniston's nose and "Rachel" 'do were once among the most coveted

One woman who has already gone under the knife to get Kate's sniffer is New York University pre-medical student Jessica Blaier.

She underwent her operation a year ago and says she loves the result.

"The goal was to have my new nose look natural," she says. "So when people don't notice it, that's a good thing. But I know that my nose was modelled by Kate Middleton, and that's what is most important."

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School Places: Call For 250,000 Extra Spaces

By Gamal Fahnbulleh, Sky News reporter

More than 250,000 extra school places will be needed by next year to meet a continuing surge in demand, the spending watchdog has warned.

The rise in the number of children born in England between 2001 and 2011 was the largest 10-year increase since the 1950s.

This has led to an increase in demand for primary school places.

The Department for Education has increased the funding it provides to local authorities with a net increase of almost 81,500 primary school places in the last two years. More than £5bn has been invested into new school places since 2010.

It is expected more school places will be needed beyond next year

However, there are still indications of a real shortage, the National Audit Office has found.

In May last year just over 20% of schools were full or over capacity despite the more than 80,000 extra places created between 2010 and 2012.

In the next two years 240,000 of the new places needed are in primary schools - 37% in London.

Julian Wood, Study Director at the National Audit Office said: "I think it's important to say that of the 256,000 (places) there has been a year's further work that hasn't been reflected in these numbers.

"The level of funding has increased to something like that which was originally expected to be needed and local authorities are working hard to deliver these places.

"Nonetheless, we think there's an awful lot more that needs to be done to help that money work as efficiently as it can if those 256,000 places are to be delivered."

The report authors say it's important the right amount of money gets to the areas that need it most to prevent part of a younger generation missing out on the first few crucial years of education.

Lindsey Barrett, manager of the Busy Bees nursery in Ealing, London, told Sky News: "Parents are worried that perhaps they are not going to get a school in their local area, or their first choice.

"Being a parent myself I am completely in empathy with those parents because it is a very big decision that is being made - it's their child's future education."

She added: "As a parent you always want the best education you can get for your child."

Schools Minister David Laws insisted the coalition was tackling the problem and had increased funding for new places to double that spent by the previous government.

He told Sky News: "Unfortunately the last Labour government cut the number of primary school places by 200,000 in the run up to 2010 - a really, truly negligent policy."

Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg accused the Government of making the school places crisis "worse".

"David Cameron and George Osborne have cut capital funding by 58% and Michael Gove has wasted £1bn on mismanaging the academies programme.

"Their free school programme is setting up schools in areas which already have enough places. Instead of dogma the Government needs to look at the evidence of where new schools are most needed."

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Man With Crossbow Threatens Police In Siege

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

Police in Greater Manchester are involved in a stand-off with a man armed with a crossbow.

The siege began at 8.30pm last night after the 31-year-old man is thought to have barricaded himself into his house and threatened police officers and social workers.

Police negotiators have arrived and streets around the address at North Lonsdale Street, in Gorse Hill close to the Manchester United stadium.

Neighbour Kathryn Sherden said the on-going operation had frightened people nearby who had been given little or no information about what was happening.

"I would have preferred the police to tell us there was an incident going on. My daughter has walked past on her way to school. If I'd known I'd have taken her myself. It terrified me."

Superintendent Simon Retford said: "We do not believe that anyone in the address is there under duress but our priority at the moment is to ensure that we reach a peaceful conclusion to this incident, and that this man gets the appropriate support he needs from our partner agencies.

"I would reassure the local community not to be overly alarmed by what is happening as highly trained officers are currently dealing with this incident.

"We have put a cordon in place around the house as part of the co-ordinated police response that is normally implemented when an incident of this nature occurs.

"As part of this, a small number of officers who are there are armed, but the main focus of our efforts is through the negotiating team.

"We are working closely with the local authority to minimise any disruption to the community and thank them for their support.

"Officers have been on the ground to offer reassurance to local people."

More follows ...

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HS2 High-Speed Rail Scheme's 'Unlawful' Ruling

The Government insists its HS2 high-speed rail project has not hit the buffers after a High Court judge ruled the consultation process for compensating those affected was "unlawful".

It was the only successful case among five in which Mr Justice Ouseley had been asked to send the multi-billion pound project back for reconsideration.

Despite the decision at London's High Court, Transport Minister Simon Burns insisted the scheme would not be held up.

"This has been a convincing victory for the Government," he said.

"It's a green light to go ahead. It will not hold up us going ahead with the project, which is in the national interest."

"This is a major landmark victory for HS2 and the future of Britain.

"HS2 is the most significant infrastructure investment the UK has seen in modern times and a project the country cannot afford to do without.

"The judgment ensures that nothing now stands in the way of taking our plans to Parliament.

"We will now move forward as planned with the crucial business of getting the scheme ready for construction in 2017 and delivering enormous benefits for the country."

The decision on compensation was a victory for the High Speed 2 Action Alliance (HS2AA), consisting of more than 70 affiliated action groups and residents' associations.

Human rights lawyer Richard Stein, who helped represent HS2AA, said: "This was never a Nimby argument. Many thousands of people living along the route will not be able to sell their homes for some 15 years because their homes are blighted.

"They should not have to bear the burden for this national project.

"We hope now that proper arrangements are put in place by the Government for compensation for those who live by the proposed HS2 route to make it possible for them to move if and when they wish, in the same way that the rest of us can."

The first phase of HS2 would see a high-speed railway line running through Tory heartlands from London to Birmingham.

Controversy has surrounded the scheme, with major opposition from residents' groups and local councils.

Supporters point to the benefits of a reduction in journey times between the UK's two biggest cities.

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Potholes: 'Crumbling Road Crisis' Warning

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

England and Wales are facing a "crumbling road crisis" according to a report that says the cost of repairing all the countries' potholes would be £10.5bn.

The road survey carried out by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) has found one in five local roads is in "poor condition", which is defined as having five years or less life remaining.

Lack of funding for road repair work is blamed by the group, with local authorities in England reporting a shortfall in their annual budgets of £829m.

Rosemarie Dutton broke her leg after tripping up on a pothole while crossing the road in Middlewich, Cheshire, last month.

She told Sky News: "I was checking on the lights that they weren't going to change on me and before I knew it I was down on the floor due to one of the large potholes on the pedestrian crossing.

"Obviously I was in excruciating pain and no-one came to help me - I was amazed."

Mark Morris' son wrote off his car after he hit a pothole and lost control of the vehicle.

He told Sky News: "He hit a pothole which appears to have disconnected the steering of the car.

"As he came down the hill and turned into the bend his steering just hasn't been engaged with the wheel - and the wheel's turned left straight into a lamp post."

Four million potholes have been fixed over the last two years, the LGA says

The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling on Whitehall to free up money and invest it in resurfacing roads.

Councillor Peter Box, the chairman of the LGA, said: "Keeping roads safe is one of the most important jobs councils do and over the past two years they have fixed almost four million potholes - one every 16 seconds.

"Almost half a billion pounds is being taken away from us and our general fund is being reduced by some 30%.

"Now something has to give. It's no good anyone saying 'well, actually, you should be doing this despite the fact that your budget's being cut'."

But the AIA report says there is a mounting cost to councils of not repairing roads. Last year £32m was paid out in road user compensation claims.

It is estimated that poorly maintained roads are costing small and medium-sized businesses £5bn a year in reduced productivity, increased fuel consumption, damage to vehicles and delayed deliveries.

Andy Jennings runs a taxi firm in Sandbach and has recently had to spend £400 repairing the suspension on two of his vehicles

He told Sky News: "Obviously we can't afford to do this at the moment. In times of recession every penny counts."

Local Transport Minister Norman Baker said: "We are providing councils with more than £3bn between 2011 and 2015 to maintain their roads and pavements.

"In December 2012 we announced an extra £215m to help councils get the best out of their road network.  This is on top of the additional £200m we gave to councils in March 2011 to repair local roads damaged by the severe winter weather in 2010.

"It is ultimately up to local highway authorities to determine how they prioritise their funding, but we want to help them get the best value for money.

"That is why we are funding the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme, which helps councils work together to deliver a first-class service to their residents, at the same time as saving money."

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Four Held In Sunday Mirror Hacking Inquiry

Four senior journalists have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in a phone voicemail hacking conspiracy involving the Sunday Mirror newspaper.

Sky sources have named those arrested as:

Tina Weaver, the former editor of the Sunday Mirror.

James Scott, the former deputy editor of the Sunday Mirror and current editor of The Sunday People newspaper.

Nick Buckley, the former head of news at the Sunday Mirror and now deputy editor of the Sunday People and;

Mark Thomas, the earlier former deputy editor of the Sunday Mirror and former editor of the Sunday People.

Police revealed they had made the arrests on Thursday morning after a series of dawn raids.

The allegations relate to offences which are said to have occurred in 2003 and 2004.

They are being interviewed at various police stations in London and searches were continuing at a number of addresses.

A statement released by the Metropolitan Police Service said: "Detectives on Operation Weeting have identified and are investigating a suspected conspiracy to intercept telephone voicemails at Mirror Group Newspapers.

"This conspiracy is being treated as a separate conspiracy to the two being investigated at the now defunct News of the World newspaper.

"It is believed it mainly concerned the Sunday Mirror newspaper and at this stage the primary focus is on the years 2003 and 2004.

"As part of the inquiry four people were arrested at separate addresses at approximately 0600 hrs this morning (14 March) on suspicion of conspiracy to intercept telephone communications contrary to the Criminal Law Act 1997."

More follows...

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Labour Peer Lord Ahmed Suspended By Party

Labour peer Lord Ahmed has been suspended by the party as it launched an investigation into claims he blamed a Jewish conspiracy for his jail term.

The Muslim peer was jailed for 12 weeks for dangerous driving in 2009 after sending and receiving text messages minutes before he was involved in a fatal crash.

He has now allegedly blamed the sentence on pressure placed on the courts by Jews "who own newspapers and TV channels".

The peer is said to have told an Urdu-language broadcast in Pakistan that the judge who jailed him was appointed to the High Court after helping a "Jewish colleague" of Tony Blair during an important case.

During the interview, Lord Ahmed apparently argued that he should have been sentenced by a magistrate.

"My case became more critical because I went to Gaza to support Palestinians. My Jewish friends who own newspapers and TV channels opposed this," he is alleged to have said.

The peer allegedly suggested High Court judge Mr Justice Wilkie was sent to pass his sentence because other judges refused.

Labour suspended him after the remarks were published in The Times and has launched an investigation.

A party spokesman said: "The Labour Party deplores and does not tolerate any form of anti-Semitism."

Born in Kashmir but raised in Rotherham, Lord Ahmed joined the Labour Party at 18 and was made a life peer in 1998.

However, his political career has been dogged by a series of controversies.

In 2007 he hit the headlines when he criticised the awarding of a knighthood to Salman Rushdie.

And in 2008, he had to publicly deny rumours he planned to defect to the Conservative Party, alleging the speculation was being spread by a Labour minister who was a "sad loser".

He was also suspended by the party for three months last year for allegedly offering a £10m bounty for the capture of US president Barack Obama - which he denied.

After he was jailed in 2009, the peer served only 16 days of his prison sentence before he was freed by the Court of Appeal.

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Hopes Rise Fuel Duty Hike Will Be Scrapped

Hopes are rising that Chancellor George Osborne will scrap a planned hike in fuel duty in next week's Budget to help ease the cost-of-living.

The move would mean that the coalition has axed or frozen every scheduled rise since 2010 and the prospect has already been welcomed by motoring groups.

The duty was due to rise in the autumn but Mr Osborne will cancel it to appease Tory MPs, according to Spectator magazine.

He is also tipped to unveil the coalition's long-awaited plans to ease the cost of childcare, with proposals that will apparently go further than expected.

Both moves appear designed to offset criticism from some backbenchers who are concerned the Government is not doing enough to help households struggling to make ends meet.

After a drop in pump prices in recent months, average petrol prices have bounced back to the 140p mark again - crippling many families who rely on their cars for work.

George Osborne's Budget is next week

There has been some respite for drivers this week due to supermarket cuts but many households have to spend a large proportion of their income on petrol.

AA president Edmund King said scrapping the rise would be "very good news for motorists, for businesses and for the economy generally".

The AA had already written to Mr Osborne warning about the high cost of fuel and arguing that scrapping the rise would increase business confidence.

"High fuel costs hit not only drivers but the entire economy. Any scrapping of planned fuel duty increases gives a degree of certainty to the country," Mr King said.

Since the beginning of this year, petrol has risen around 8p a litre to an average of 140p and diesel has gone up 6.5p to an average of 146.38p.

David Cameron was asked about fuel duty during a visit to a Mercedes-Benz plant earlier this week and admitted it was a struggle to run even an "inexpensive family car".

"We've got to do everything we can to help people to get on, help people get to work, help people live their lives," he said.

The Budget on March 20 is probably Mr Osborne's most crucial so far as the Tories suffer in the polls and the economy continues to flounder.

He was widely criticised for his financial statement last year, which was dubbed the "omnishambles" budget because of a series of U-turns.

The Chancellor is likely to be forced to admit that his own economic targets will be broken because of the lack of growth but is not expected to signal a change of course.

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Bionic Eye 'Enables Blind People To See'

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

A bionic eye has enabled blind people to read letters and simple words.

The implant converts images from an external camera into electronic signals that the brain can "see".

Tests on 21 patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative disease that destroys light-receiving cells at the back of the eye, showed that three quarters were able to correctly identify single letters.

More than half were able to read four-letter words, according to results published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Before being fitted with the device Richard Barrett only had vague light perception in one eye.

Now he can locate objects and find his way around.

He said: "When I am indoors I can see where windows are. To go to a door you can scan and pick up where the door frame is.

"If you have a path and grass down one side, you can pick up the edge of the path. That's where the device comes into its own."

Lyndon da Cruz, consultant retinal surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, said the Argus II device could "restore some meaningful vision in patients that otherwise would have been left blind".

He told Sky News: "At the best end of it they can start to read small 5cm letters formed into words. This was a huge change in perception of what we thought this device could do."

The Argus II is currently the only approved retinal prosthesis. A camera mounted on a pair of glasses feeds pictures along a cable to an electronic chip resting against the retina inside the eye.

The chip stimulates the optic nerve, which carries signals to the visual processing centre of the brain, giving the wearer a highly pixellated black and white view of the world.

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Shark-Wrestler Sacked As He Was On Sick Leave

A man who was hailed a hero after grappling with a shark in Australia has been sacked after it emerged he was on long-term sick leave with stress.

Paul Marshallsea, 62, waded in to the surf and grabbed the 6ft shark by the tail amid fears it would attack paddling children.

The charity worker, from Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, claims he risked his life at the beach outside Brisbane in January.

A local news crew caught his exploits on camera and his story made headlines around the world and earned him praise from lifeguards.

But now Mr Marshallsea has lost his job with children's charity the Pant and Dowlais Boys & Girls Club, because he had been signed off with work-related stress since last April.

The grandfather-of-one and his wife Wendy, 56, who also worked for the charity and was off ill at the time, flew back to Britain to letters informing them they had been sacked.

He has now hit back saying he was "disgusted" by the way he has been treated. He said: "What am I going to do now? There's not much call for shark wrestlers in Merthyr Tydfil."

Mr Marshallsea claims that he should have received a pat on the back for his efforts and that he only took the holiday with his wife on the advice of his GP.

"If I hadn't gone in to save the kids on that beach that day my wife and I would still have a job," he told WalesOnline.

Mr Marshallsea worked as project co-ordinator at Dowlais Engine House, where the charity has a base, and his wife was a senior youth worker.

He had been featured on Sky News for his work with the charity and once met Prince Charles, who visited to find out about the project's work in the town.

The letter he received read: "Whilst unfit to work you were well enough to travel to Australia and, according to recent news footage of yourself in Queensland, you allegedly grabbed a shark by the tail and narrowly missed being bitten by quickly jumping out of the way, the photographs and footage appearing in newspapers and television broadcasts."

A follow-up letter added: "The breakdown of the trustees' confidence and trust in you and your ability to perform the role is so great that we find that dismissal is the only course of action we can recommend."

Mr Marshallsea said running the club became increasingly stressful as it gained in success and the couple were working up to seven days a week.

"We created a whip to hit our own backs. It grew so big and we didn't realise. There was no stopping it."

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No Smoking Day: Charity Launches 'Hijacking' App

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has pledged to hijack cigarette packs from today - No Smoking Day - by virtually transforming them in smokers' hands into items they could afford if they quit.

The charity is encouraging smokers to "swap fags for swag" by thinking about how much money they could save if they quit.

Someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day could save £7 a day, £49 a week, £210 a month and £2,555 a year if they kicked the habit, the BHF said.

The charity has developed a new smartphone app, Blippar, which virtually transforms a cigarette pack into a puff of smoke, before revealing items they could afford with a week, month, or year's worth of smoking savings.

This year's BHF No Smoking Day campaign

Betty McBride, director of policy and communications at the BHF, said: "The tobacco giants are notoriously protective about their slick cigarette packaging - here's a bit of slick that does some good for once.

"We need to up our game if we are going to help people beat their addiction to tobacco by finding new ways to reach out to them."

The new app comes on BHF's 30th annual No Smoking Day. A survey conducted for the 2013 campaign found that 11% of smokers are desperate to kick the habit.

And 82% of 2,000 UK smokers surveyed had tried and failed to quit.

Around one in five people smoke, according to the charity, and the latest data from the World Health Organisation shows that smoking prevalence in Europe is higher than the rest of the world.

A separate poll, conducted on 2,000 ex and current smokers by Pru Health, found that the average smoker spends 11% of income on tobacco.

:: Smokers who want help in quitting are encouraged to visit wequit.co.uk or call 0800 434 6677

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Minimum Alcohol Pricing: Anger Over U-Turn

The Government is planning to ditch proposals for a minimum price on alcohol in another U-turn by David Cameron, according to Sky sources.

The Prime Minister has personally backed the move for a base price in England and Wales, which experts argue would save lives and cut crime.

But it has been blocked by senior Tories, with opponents said to include Home Secretary Theresa May who has been at the centre of recent leadership rumours.

Education Secretary Michael Gove and Commons leader Andrew Lansley have also signalled their doubts about the proposal.

There were believed to be concerned about hitting responsible drinkers already struggling as the cost-of-living rises, as well as potentially breaking EU laws.

Senior Tory backbencher David Davis said he would welcome the abandonment of what he called a "blunderbuss of a policy" doomed to failure.

"It will hit poor people, it will hit people in the north, it will hit the pensioner having their one bottle of wine a week, it'll hit the hard-up couple doing the same," he said.

"It will transfer £1bn from the public to the people who sell alcohol and it's not going to work."

Theresa May (right) was among senior Tories to disagree with David Cameron

But other Tories who support the change expressed their dismay at the U-turn, which follows a 10-week consultation.

Totnes MP Sarah Wollaston - a former GP - told Sky News: "We know that when alcohol is too cheap, people die. That is the bottom line. This is about saving lives."

She suggested the plans could go through, with a sunset clause so that the impact could be judged after three years.

Her Tory colleague Tracey Crouch added that the base price would not hit responsible drinkers, who would still be able to buy a bottle of wine for £5.

She said: "We know that the Prime Minister is personally quite committed to this policy so I think we need to continue to press our case."

Campaigners also warned that a change of heart would be a mistake and urged the Government not to give into pressure from the drinks industry.

Eric Appleby, from Alcohol Concern, said: "All the evidence shows it will save lives and reduce crime - and we mustn't allow the interests of big business to derail this important policy."

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore from Alcohol Health Alliance UK added: "We are seeing admissions to hospital rising, we are seeing deaths rising every year. If the Government caves in to pressure from the global drinks industry it will be a disaster.

"At the moment, the UK is being praised around the world for taking tough action and to see a U-turn would be very sad indeed for everyone."

But Miles Beale, the chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said consumers would welcome the move.

"Minimum unit pricing would penalise responsible drinkers and treat everyone who is looking for value in their shopping as a binge-drinker," he said. "Evidence has also shown it will do little to tackle problem drinking."

Labour accused Mr Cameron of "weak leadership and weak government", calling the U-turn a "humiliating climbdown".

Shadow home office minister Diana Johnson said: "The Home Secretary and the Prime Minister said this measure would cut crime and prevent alcohol abuse. What's changed?"

Introducing a 45p base price per unit would mean a can of strong lager could not be sold for under £1.56 and a bottle of wine for under £4.22.

Last year, ministers claimed the change would cut the number of crimes by 5,000, slash hospital admissions by 24,000 and lead to 700 fewer alcohol-linked deaths annually.

The Home Office said consultation on the plans had ended on February 6 and that it would "listen to all views" before setting out a response.

Scotland is already set to introduce a 50p minimum price but is facing legal challenges due to claims the price floor could breach EU free trade rules.

Northern Ireland is still examining the issue.

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UK Economy: Triple-Dip Fears Reignited

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

The pound has fallen by more than half a cent against the dollar as a sharp fall in manufacturing output raised the likelihood that the UK could slip back into recession.

Sterling dropped from just under $1.492 to $1.484 in intraday trading after the Office for National Statistics reported a 1.5% fall in manufacturing output in January.

The figures, which analysts had expected to be flat, feed directly into the first estimate of UK gross domestic product, which will determine whether Britain is back in recession.

They add to growing fears that the UK economy has slumped decisively over the past six months, and will raise the prospect that the Bank of England acts to pump more stimulus into the economy at its next Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

The Bank Governor, Sir Mervyn King, voted for more quantitative easing at last month's meeting.

Overall industrial production, which also includes mining and quarrying, dropped 1.2% in January – far worse than the 0.1% increase economists had expected.

Some analysts said that the figures had been affected by poor weather in the month, but even bearing that in mind, they were worse than anticipated.

James Knightley of ING said: "It looks as though this sector is going to be a major drag on growth in the first quarter of 2013.

"We have already had poor construction numbers for the start of the quarter so the prospect of yet another return to technical recession is very real.

"This will intensify the pressure on the BoE to do more to help support the economy given government officials suggests they have no intention of letting up on austerity.

"As a result more QE remains probable with sterling very much biased to the downside."

The pound has fallen by around 10% against the dollar since the start of the year, and some economists expect it to fall further in the coming months. It has rarely dropped beneath $1.50 in the long run.

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Brian Lynch: Runaway Killer Held In Manchester

Police have arrested a convicted murderer who fled prison while on day release.

Brian Lynch, 44, was held just before 5am at an address in Gorton, Manchester.

A woman, 40, who was also at the address was arrested on suspicion of harbouring an escaped prisoner.

Lynch fled from Preston city centre last Thursday afternoon while on a day trip from nearby HMP Kirkham.

He was jailed in 1988 for the killing of 21-year-old Chi Yeung Yip in Clayton, Manchester.

A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police said: "Absconded prisoner Brian Lynch was arrested in the early hours of this morning at an address in the Gorton area of Manchester.

"A 40-year-old woman has been arrested for harbouring an escaped prisoner and both are currently in police custody in Manchester.

"Lynch will be charged with absconding and will be sent back to prison."

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Snow And Ice Cause Chaos On Rail And Roads

Police are still assisting hundreds of motorists stuck in their cars across the country after heavy snowfall - with more on its way.

Ice warnings are in place for much of the country, and drivers in snow-hit areas have been urged to postpone journeys if possible.

The Met Office has issued yellow "be aware" warnings for parts of the South East and Scotland.

Temperatures are expected to stay below freezing in many areas for the next few days, with the minimum as low as -7C.

Up to 10cm (4in) of snow is forecast to settle in the worst-affected areas, including Kent, Sussex and southern Hampshire, and over higher ground in areas like the Pennines, while large areas could see around up to 4cm (1.6in) accumulate.

The M20 southbound remains gridlocked due to the severe weather

Some of the roads where driving conditions are at their worst include the M20 in Kent and the A2.

The Highways Agency has warned motorists heading north from the Dover Ports to take the M20 London bound and avoid the A2, while those driving in and around West Sussex have been advised to avoid the A23 and M23.

Rail services also face disruption. Southern has warned of short-notice cancellations and delays of up to an hour on all services.

There have been delays to Southeastern services between Paddock Wood and Strood in Kent because of a signalling problem, while some Gatwick Express services have been cancelled.

On First Capital Connect, journeys between Bedford and Brighton are also subject to short-notice cancellations, with delays of up to 45 minutes.

Popstars Toyah Willcox and Cheryl Baker were among those trapped

Intense showers and possible snowfall are due across Suffolk, Essex and the London area, with gusty winds of up to 55mph.

Eastern and central parts of Scotland have also been hit by poor weather conditions, and a dusting of snow is expected in all other areas of the country.

Ice and snow has made roads across much of the South East impassable, with Dover and Folkestone among the worst affected.

The Channel Tunnel has reopened after technical issues, with delays back to Junction 10 (Ashford) on the M20.

Eurostar has suspended its services until further notice because of bad weather in France and Belgium.

A message on its website said: "Our advice to passengers is not to travel today and not to come to our stations. Exchanges and refunds will be available to affected passengers."

Poor road conditions have hampered much of the UK

At the Port of Dover in Kent, cross-Channel ferry operations are operating "as far as possible", but passengers have been advised to allow extra time for their journeys amid possible road blockages on the A2 and A20.

Jersey Airport is closed all day due to snow, while travellers heading for Gatwick have been warned to allow extra time to reach the West Sussex airport due to snow on the roads in the area.

Speed restrictions are in place on the M48 Severn Bridge in Monmouthshire due to strong winds.

Police in Sussex have attended more than 300 crashes in the past 24 hours across the county, where some motorists were trapped in their cars in the snow for up to 10 hours in blizzard-like conditions.

The British Red Cross sent emergency teams out to help those stranded in the freezing conditions overnight on the A23 with tailbacks stretching 30 miles.

A spokesman for the police force said it was stretched to "capacity" recovering abandoned vehicles and helping those stranded.

Residents in Crawley wake up to the snow

Chief Inspector Phil Nicholas, from the force's roads policing unit, said: "Today is going to be about helping recover vehicles as many people fell asleep in their cars or abandoned them, so even when the roads did become clearer they were still blocked.

"Although the conditions have improved slightly, we are asking people to not make any journeys unless they are essential."

Cheryl Baker, the 1980s pop star with the Eurovision-winning group Bucks Fizz, was among those stuck on the A23 as she tried to make her way to Brighton to her children.

At 10.30am she tweeted: "WE'RE HOME!! Only taken 15 1/2 hours!!"

South East Coast Ambulance Service has asked the public to only dial 999 in a genuine emergency with its staff having to be picked up in 4x4s where possible because they are struggling to get into work.

The continuing disruption follows a night of chaos on the roads during which snow ploughs and gritters struggled to get through to clear the roads after a number of vehicles jackknifed causing gridlock.

Temperatures plummeted to as low as -3C (27F), forcing many people to abandon their vehicles for service stations.

Abandoned cars had to be moved to allow the gritters, snow ploughs and emergency teams to pass.

Snow ploughs and gritters were stuck in the traffic. (Pic: Jonathan Lava)

The worst affected areas were the A23 between Crawley and Brighton and the M23 around Handcross Hill.

Toyah Willcox, another 1980s pop star, who was among those stranded on the A23 around 15 miles from Brighton, tweeted: "Still on A23, not moved yet northbound is moving freely. 6 hours! Come on snow isn't that bad."

A number of motorists questioned why gritters had failed to keep the roads clear despite clear forecasts of heavy snow.

The Highways Agency said extra gritters had been out on the roads since 6am on Monday preparing for the freezing weather.

A spokesman said: "We've been working hard with our contractors and partners, including local authorities and the police, to keep the roads across the south east open.

"Our roads have been treated throughout the day; however some lorries have jackknifed causing closures at several locations and as a result our salt spreaders and recovery vehicles have become stuck in the traffic."

Forecasters believe Monday was the coldest March day in 27 years, since March 1, 1986. Saughall, in south Lanarkshire, reached -12C (10F).

Ladbrokes said they have been forced to slash the odds of snow reappearing across Easter weekend, March 29 to April 1.

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Savile: Police Failings 'Could Happen Again'

The failings identified in the Jimmy Savile sex abuse investigation "could happen all over again", one of Britain's top policemen has warned.

Sir Peter Fahy, the chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, said officers are "cautious in taking cases to court" because they fear victims will be put under too much pressure when giving evidence.

He added that the lack of a "national headquarters for policing makes achieving consistent national standards all the more difficult".

It comes after a damning report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) found Savile was first named in connection with a sexual abuse investigation in 1964.

A separate report by the Metropolitan Police and the NSPCC said his offending spanned from 1955 to 2009, meaning his reign of abuse could have been cut short by 45 years.

Sir Peter Fahy's comments follow a damning report by HMIC

Sir Peter said: "Police forces have significantly improved the way that victims are treated but the fact is many, many victims do not come forward or if they do are reluctant to support a prosecution.

"This highlights another issue in the way our adversarial court system treats victims.

"Whatever other evidence is collected, prosecutions for sexual offences rely hugely on the evidence of the victim.

"In a case of burglary, the victim will not be blamed for leaving the front door unlocked. In sexual offences, the behaviour of the victim - whether they had been drinking, any weaknesses of character, how they were dressed - may well be picked over at great length in the court room.

"Where the details are particularly salacious or the case involves a celebrity, then these very intimate details will receive full publicity in the media."

Just five allegations and two pieces of intelligence were recorded against Savile during his lifetime, HMIC found.

This is in stark contrast to the 450 claims made against the former Top Of The Pops presenter after Operation Yewtree was launched by the Metropolitan Police in October.

Savile's offending is believed to have spanned from 1955 to 2009

Alan Collins, a solicitor from law firm Pannone who is representing more than 40 of Savile's victims, said many opportunities to investigate Savile had been lost.

"Consequently, Savile was able to carry on regardless, duping the country in the process, and the price was paid by his many victims," he said.

"There is a definite risk that unless policies and attitudes change, Savile will happen again."

As well as the 1964 Metropolitan Police ledger, a record of an anonymous letter was found that was received by the Met in 1998, alleging that Savile was a paedophile.

In addition, five victims made complaints against the presenter - one to the Met in 2003, three to Surrey in 2007 and one to Sussex in 2008.

HMIC expressed concern that other police forces did not deal with complaints properly with eight victims claiming that they tried, unsuccessfully, to report crimes.

These include four who approached the Met and one each who went to police in Cheshire, Merseyside, West Yorkshire and the then Royal Ulster Constabulary.

One man who came forward in 1963 in Cheshire to make an allegation of rape against Savile was told to "forget about it" and "move on", HMIC said.

Jimmy Savile's TV shows included Jim'll Fix It and Top Of The Pops

HM Inspector of Constabulary Drusilla Sharpling said: "The findings in this report are of deep concern, and clearly there were mistakes in how the police handled the allegations made against Savile during his lifetime."

The letter received by the Metropolitan Police Service in 1998 claiming the DJ was a paedophile was classed as "sensitive", meaning other investigators could not find it.

"The 1998 MPS anonymous letter was marked as 'sensitive' because of Savile's celebrity status and because there were allegations of blackmail and paedophilia," the inspectors said.

"This categorisation meant that the intelligence was not readily available to be searched by later investigating officers."

The Met sent the letter to West Yorkshire Police, the area where Savile lived, but other investigators could not access the information until 2011.

Considering whether such abuse on a similar scale could happen again, Ms Sharpling said it was neither "enough nor correct to say this couldn't happen now".

The HMIC report warned that "the inconsistencies in approach that the forces have taken mean that there is a distinct possibility that such failures could be repeated".

Home Secretary Theresa May said: "The public rightly want answers to how victims' voices were ignored for so long. This report brings into sharp focus police failings that allowed Savile to act with impunity over five decades.

A Met Police spokesman said: "All of this needs to be seen in the context of how much we have achieved through our approach to the public response to Operation Yewtree.

"We have seen a step change in the reporting of abuse, with a significant rise in the numbers of people coming forward."

The HMIC report recommended that recently formed professional body the College of Policing should issue guidelines to all police forces about how to deal with investigations into child abuse.

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Weather: Heavy Snow To Cause Travel Problems

Heavy snowfall across parts of Britain is likely to cause travel disruption, as the possibility of a white Easter looms.

The southern counties of England are expected to take the brunt of heavy, repeated snow showers moving in from the South West.

That will be followed by a second band of wintry weather which will hit eastern and central parts of Scotland and England.

A dusting of snow is expected in all other areas, bringing with it a risk of travel problems for the morning and evening rush hours.

Up to 10cm (4in) will settle in the worst-affected areas, including Kent, Sussex and southern Hampshire, as well as over higher ground in areas like the Pennines, while large areas could see around up to 4cm (1.6in) accumulate.

The snow is expected to fall on Monday and Tuesday, and temperatures will remain below freezing in many areas for the next few days, with minimum temperatures as low as -7C.

The Met Office has issued an amber warning of snow in the South West and yellow warnings across east Scotland and England and in the southern regions, urging the public to be prepared for disruption.

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "As well as the snow picture it's going to be a bitterly cold day thanks to those brisk northeasterly winds that will be gusting up to 60mph (96kph) added to the wind chill."

Ladbrokes said they have been forced to slash the odds of snow reappearing across Easter weekend, March 29 to April 1.

On Sunday evening it was even money for snow to fall in any major city, and there is a 4/1 chance it is the coldest Easter on record, the bookmaker said.

Spokeswoman Jessica Bridge said: "The odds of snow falling over Easter are dropping as quick as the temperatures.

"Only a week ago the UK was basking in the sunshine but there's no chance that this month will be the warmest March on record now."

The bookmaker said snow could also play havoc with Cheltenham Festival next week.

Motoring services firm RAC said it expects potential breakdowns to increase by 20% over the next few days and has an increased number of patrols planned.

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Antibiotic Resistance 'A Ticking Time Bomb'

Q&A: When Should Antibiotics Be Used?

Updated: 10:58am UK, Monday 11 March 2013

The Government's top doctor has warned of a "ticking time bomb" as diseases could become resistant to antibiotics and people may be less able to fight infections.

Professor Dame Sally Davies called for better protection of our current stock of antibiotics and is also urging GPs to prescribe antibiotics only when absolutely necessary amid fears they are being overused.

But what are antibiotics and why should they not be used to treats colds and most coughs?

:: What are antibiotics?

Antibiotics are important medicines used to treat infections caused by bacteria.

Bacteria can adapt and find ways to survive the effects of an antibiotic.

They become 'antibiotic resistant', meaning that the antibiotic no longer works.

The more often we use an antibiotic, the more likely it is that bacteria will become resistant to it.

Some bacteria that cause infections in hospitals, such as MRSA, are resistant to several antibiotics.

:: Why shouldn't antibiotics be used to treat colds, most coughs and sore throats?

All colds and most coughs and sore throats are caused by viruses and generally these will get better on their own.

Antibiotics do not work against infections caused by viruses.

Viral infections are also much more common than bacterial infections. 

:: Why can't other antibiotics be used to treat resistant bacteria?

They can, but they may not be as effective and may have more side effects.

Eventually the bacteria will become resistant to them, and we may not always be able to find new antibiotics to replace them.

In recent years fewer new antibiotics have been discovered. 

:: How can antibiotic resistance be avoided?

By using antibiotics less often, we can slow down the development of resistance.

It's not possible to stop it completely but slowing it down stops resistance spreading and buys some time to develop new types of antibiotics.

:: What can I do about antibiotic resistance?

You can use antibiotics only when it's appropriate to do so.

When they are prescribed, the complete course should be taken in order to get rid of the bacteria completely.

If the course isn't completed some bacteria may be left, and they may develop resistance. 

:: So when will I be prescribed antibiotics?

When it's appropriate. Your doctor will only prescribe antibiotics when you need them, for example for a kidney infection or pneumonia.

Antibiotics may be life-saving for infections such as meningitis.

By not using them unnecessarily, they're more likely to work when we do need them.

Source: NHS

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Queen Cancels Westminster Abbey Visit

The Queen will no longer attend today's Commonwealth service as she recovers from gastroenteritis, Buckingham Palace says.

She had been due to attend the Commonwealth Day Observance at London's Westminster Abbey that will see High Commissioners from across the globe in the congregation, and a key-note address from Sir Richard Branson.

The Duke of Edinburgh will now be the only senior royal representative but the Palace said the Queen would attend an evening reception where she will sign the new Commonwealth charter.

The monarch spent 24-hours in hospital last week being treated for the illness which leaves sufferers with vomiting and diarrhoea.

The Queen hopes to undertake some of her official engagements planned for the rest of the week, the Palace added.

She used her annual address on Monday to urge nations to harness "ambition and curiosity" to "create a better future".

""From climbing the highest mountain, to winning a sporting competition, making a scientific breakthrough, building a successful business or discovering unique artistic talent - these outcomes all begin as a simple goal or idea in one person's mind," she said.

The pre-recorded message will be part of a service at Westminster Abbey celebrating economic innovation throughout the Commonwealth and a commitment towards youth, social and sustainable enterprise.

More follows...

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Birmingham Terror Charge Teen Pleads Guilty

A teenage boy has admitted possessing explosive chemicals and bomb-making books and diagrams.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to two terror charges and another offence at a hearing at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

He admitted possessing explosive substances and a host of literature including a book on how to make the explosive Semtex.

The court heard he had planned to carry out a massacre of fellow pupils at his school, and that detailed plans of his classroom were found at his home.

The boy, who was arrested at his home in Northamptonshire, in February last year, admitted possessing explosive substances, namely sulphur powder and potassium nitrate, between January 1 2012 and February 26 2012.

He also admitted possession of numerous books and manuals, of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism between October 1 2011 and February 26 2012 contrary to Section 58(1)(b) of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The texts in his possession included; The Terrorist Handbook; The Black Book Companion: State-Of-The-Art Improvised Munitions; CIA Explosives For Sabotage Manual; Handbook of Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents; Home Explosives Workshop; Home-made Semtex; Home-made C4 - A Recipe For Survival and Improved Landmines - Their Employment And Destructive Capabilities.

The list of manuals also featured; The Department of the Army's Improvised Munitions Handbook; Improvised Munitions Black Book; Improvised Radio Detonation Techniques; Improvised Weapons of the American Underground; Incendiaries - Advanced Improvised Explosives; Kitchen Improvised Fertilizer Explosives; Ragnar's Detonators; An Anarchist Cookbook - Recipes For Disaster; The Anarchist's Cookbook and Department of the Army Manual - Unconventional Warfare Devices and Techniques - Incendiaries.

He also admitted possession of a quantity of prohibited images of children in Northamptonshire, on February 26, 2012.

Since his arrest he has been detained under the Mental Health Act in secure accommodation in the West Midlands area, said Mark Topping, prosecuting.

More follows...

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Qatada: May Pledges To Scrap Human Rights Act

Theresa May has pledged that a Conservative government would scrap the Human Rights Act, which she claims has stopped Britain from deporting the radical preacher Abu Qatada.

The Home Secretary also went so far as to indicate the Conservatives could go further by pulling out of its European obligations on Human Rights altogether, an association dating back more than 60 years.

Ms May, who is being touted as a possible future Conservative leader, told Tory activists that the party must "consider very carefully our relationship" with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

She said that Britain must stop human rights laws interfering with its ability to protect the nation.

She pointed to the case of Qatada, once described as Osama bin Laden's right hand man in Europe, who was on Saturday returned to custody following his arrest for allegedly breaching his bail conditions.

Ms May said that the Strasbourg-based court had constantly moved the goalposts on Britain's request for his deportation to Jordan.

"We need to stop human rights legislation interfering with our ability to fight crime and control immigration," she told the Victory 2015 conference.

"That's why, as our last manifesto promised, the next Conservative government will scrap the Human Rights Act, and it's why we should also consider very carefully our relationship with the European Court of Human Rights and the convention it enforces.

Qatada arrives at his London home after his release from prison in November

"When Strasbourg constantly moves the goalposts and prevents the deportation of dangerous men like Abu Qatada, we have to ask ourselves to what end are we signatories to the convention?"

She added: "So by 2015 we'll need a plan for dealing with the European Court of Human Rights. And yes, I want to be clear that all options - including leaving the convention altogether - should be on the table."

The Government is to make a bid at the Court of Appeal on Monday to overturn a judge's decision to allow Qatada, who has been convicted of terrorism charges in Jordan, to remain in Britain.

Ms May made her comments to Tory grassroots as part of a wide-ranging speech in which she also said that she expects the Conservative's public sector reform agenda to "become even more radical" and could include allowing companies to make a profit delivering frontline services.

The country's most senior judge, Lord Neuberger, last week pointed out that if Britain was to scrap the Human Rights Act and end its association with the European Convention on Human Rights, it would also have to withdraw from the United Nations.

He pointed out that it is under the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights that terrorists could not be deported to countries where they might be subjected to poor treatment.

Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, said: "She says she wants freedom yet she wants to abolish the Human Rights Act which protects freedom of speech, freedom from torture and freedom of religion.

"And she wants to pull out of the European Convention which is protecting basic freedoms in emerging democracies across Europe and has nothing to do with her failure in deporting fewer foreign criminals."

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Paul Gascoigne Returns Home After US Rehab

Former England football star Paul Gascoigne has told how he thought he was about to die as doctors tied him to a bed to help him beat his alcohol addiction.

The player, who has fought a lengthy battle against alcoholism, said his body went into seizure during a detoxification treatment at an American clinic.

He said doctors said it was the "worst detox" they had ever seen.

"Three doctors didn't think I would make it. It has got to inspire me to never let this happen again.

"I've come through that - death. I was dead," Gascoigne told The Sun newspaper.

He added: "I thought I was on my way out. I looked like a corpse. I was a total wreck."

Gascoigne: once one of England's most naturally gifted players

The 45-year-old said he was in a coma for three days and was admitted to intensive care.

Gascoigne has returned to Britain after more than a month at the rehabilitation clinic in Phoenix, Arizona.

His treatment was organised by former England cricketer Ronnie Irani and radio presenter Chris Evans, a long-term friend.

The move came following a charity appearance in Northampton during which the star appeared unwell and shaking, before breaking down and sobbing on stage in front of a room full of fans.

The world of football has shown its concern at the latest troubled period in the life of Gascoigne, one of England's most naturally gifted players ever.

Gascoigne was sectioned five years ago under the Mental Health Act.

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Sex Trafficking Victims 'Failed' By Authorities

Full Interview With Sophie Hayes

Updated: 1:53am UK, Sunday 10 March 2013

Sophie Hayes speaks to Sky's Richard Suchet about her life as a sexual and domestic slave at the hands of the man she thought was her boyfriend.

SOPHIE: "I'd known my trafficker for five years before I was actually trafficked, from the UK to Italy. We'd become friends. Very good friends. Then I went on holiday ... and ... just that it would be a holiday ... until three days in, he told me that he hadn't waited five years for me to just leave and that actually I was there to work for him as a prostitute, and if I didn't there would be severe consequences."

SUCHET: "So you did?"

SOPHIE: "Yeah I did. The first night I thought 'this isn't real, this can't happen' and really believed that maybe the next day I could say 'actually, I just want to go home now' until ... I saw that he just wasn't the person that I thought he was. Everything that he was, everything that I knew had completely changed.

"He'd become aggressive, violent. Threats against me, threats against my family. My younger brother was only thirteen at the time and he was the one that had all of the death threats ... and ... the night that he told me, he strangled me, pinned me up against the wall, and told me that if I didn't do as I was told, I would be punished."

SUCHET: "Mentally, how do you cope with that? What goes through your head the first day, the second day, the third day? Where does your mind take you?"

SOPHIE: "Total disbelief. So ... going from a world where I had a good job, a relatively happy life, to another world with someone who had pretended to be something that he wasn't ... it just didn't feel like that was possible or that that could really happen. There's no way I could have done what he expected me to do.

"But as the days went on, I knew that actually there was no way out because he told me that he had friends in the police, that if I tried to run then someone would be there to catch me and ... the more .... the more time past ... I knew. I knew I would never escape him, I couldn't run anywhere ... until a few weeks later I just ... I just switched off.

"There was nothing left anymore. I wasn't me anymore and ... the best thing to do was ... just ... pretend it wasn't happening, that it was happening to someone else and ... just accept it."

SUCHET: "So you just switch off inside, do you?"

SOPHIE: "Completely. To begin with, I tried to hold on. I would look in the mirror and just ... want to scream. And I'd see bruises which I'd never had before.

"Until one night everything changed, with one of the men that came. After that night, I just let go. To the point that I stopped caring. Because nothing I could do or say, no matter how many tears, how many screams, nothing would change the situation ... because I was too afraid to run.

"Many people have asked me: 'Why? Why would you not run away? Why would you not ask for help?' ... but he was the person who kept me from asking anybody to help me, knowing that my family were at risk - my younger brother could be taken.

"He'd already taken me to a lake to show me that if I did something wrong, that's where he would take me. He would put a knife to my neck, a gun in my mouth, a gun inside of me. I knew there was no boundary for him. All I was to him was money. Other than that he didn't care."

SUCHET: "Was it always sexual? Or were there other things you had to do, like chores round the house, or looking after him in some other way? Or was it purely a sexual thing?"

SOPHIE: "It's always more than just sexual when someone holds you in that way. I was only allowed to speak when he said that was ok. When I cleaned, it had to be cleaned in a certain way. If I didn't do it properly, he would ... hurt me again. 

"If I cooked in the wrong way, there would be consequences. For example, I tried to make pasta one night and he told me there was too much sauce. So he smashed the plate ahead of me, and cleaned the floor up with my hair and then told me he was going to shave my hair off in punishment because I couldn't clean properly, I couldn't cook properly and what kind of a person was I that couldn't even do the most basic things?"

SUCHET: "I don't think people can really imagine how you end up in a situation like that. I mean, people might think you would see it coming?"

SOPHIE: "The general perception is that this happens to girls from a different country, from poor backgrounds, and that they perhaps should see it coming, when actually it's the opposite.

"The traffickers are professional businessmen. They have been doing this for years. How to groom a girl. How to make somebody feel completely isolated so that you don't see it coming. And then you're at the point that you're so frightened of them that you can't think about anything anymore, you can't do anything anymore and ... there's no other choice. No way of escape. They have you as a total prisoner."

SUCHET: "So how did you get out?"

SOPHIE: "During the time, I'd lost quite a lot of weight, so I'd gone down to about six stone. I was only allowed to eat once a day. I'd had pneumonia twice, a broken shoulder blade, and at the point I came out I'd been really ill.

"I couldn't have sex anymore. Because some nights I would have sex with up to 35 different men and it was just so painful. So I managed to go to a hospital. The hospital kept me there for a week. But they told me I had no passport, no ID, and that I would have to pay 10,000 euros.

"I managed to steal a moment to call my mum and they drove over to come and collect me, and drove me back from Italy, back to the UK."

SUCHET: "So, effectively, you became useless to him? That's how you managed to get out of his sight?"

SOPHIE: "I was still with a client when I managed to go to the hospital. I didn't tell him where I'd gone. He told me after three days of being in hospital that he was taking me out because he'd actually met some Russians, and he was going to take some girls. And ... I don't know whether or not I would have been sold to the Russians.

"And when I did come back to the UK, he took my credit card off me, and booked me a ticket to go back to Italy, and that I had to go back to work. He was never willing to just let me go. He would have just carried on. To him, he said I was a gold mine, and that because I was British I was actually the perfect person because I could stay freely in [Italy], and people paid more for me, so I was the perfect person for him."

SUCHET: "What was the reaction from the authorities when you got back to the UK?"

SOPHIE: "I had quite a challenging time with the authorities when I came back because at that time no one really knew - or understood - actually what is human trafficking and, because they'd never dealt with cases of somebody being British being taken out of the country and then back in, there wasn't really anywhere for me to go, or any real understanding.

"One policeman actually told me: "Well, you won't do that again," which ... just .... again made me lose all faith ... and ... I had no one. I was on my own. I had my mum, and my mum helped me through it. And I just .... had to pick myself up and carry on and try to live a normal life again."

SUCHET: "How did you finally extricate yourself from him?"

SOPHIE: "It turns out he was wanted in this country for an attempted shooting, years back. The police had him under surveillance and had an arrest warrant out for him. In 2008, when he returned to the UK, they performed a stop and search on him - but made it look completely random.

"They obviously knew he'd have fake documents and that they could arrest him on those grounds. And they knew that his fingerprint would then link him to other crimes. They sent me abroad for a week while all that happened so it would look as if I had nothing to do with his arrest. Anyway, he went to prison and was eventually deported back to Albania."

SUCHET: "You seem to me like the most stoic and normal person, if I may say. No one would ever be able to tell what you've been through. But is there a part of you that feels a little bit damaged? Do you ever get over something like that?"

SOPHIE: "This is something that I will never get over. But can I manage it? Yes, it has become more manageable. Although many people still don't know who I really am.

"I still have a lot of physical problems. After he broke my shoulder blade, I still have therapy and I need a lot of treatment on my back. And also ... mentally I have to stay really strong ... because ... something like that can't happen for no reason.

"And this is why I feel I have to try and help other women and other girls who are in the same situation, or could be at risk of that situation. I tell myself a lot that I can't let my past steal my future. And no matter what happened, I am still alive. And regardless of how painful it is, how many memories I have, how many times I cry ... actually it's the future, and the hope, and the hope I bring to others, that keeps me strong."

SUCHET: "Do you still cry about it?"

SOPHIE: "Yeah, if I see things or hear things and generally when I can see another women being abused or beaten - that brings it all back to me. Every day I can still picture how much he hurt me and how much he frightened me. What he made me do, hurts me. What he did to me and what he said to me is the memory that stays with me and the echoes that I can still hear."

SUCHET: "Do you trust men? Do you have problems trusting men anymore?"

SOPHIE: "I ... I would like to believe that I can still have trust in people because I can't allow one person to take over how I feel and how I behave in the future, and dictate how I have relationships. So I really try and make sure it doesn't, again, take over me, and absorb, and change my perception on men."

SUCHET: Where is the man who trafficked you? And do you now feel safe?

SOPHIE: "I don't know where he is. We've tried to locate him and police have markers on him so to speak. Potentially he's in prison (abroad). But no, I will never feel 100% free and safe. He will always be on my shoulder.

"So on a mental level, there's always a part of me that won't be free, that can't escape. But setting up the Sophie Hayes foundation has made me feel like he can't dictate my future. I can take a grip of my future, and, in that sense, I'm now free."

'Sophie Hayes' is not her real name. There are only a handful of people who know both her real name and her dreadful story and she says it's important that she remains anonymous: "Who is Sophie? Almost nobody knows. She could be anybody.

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Archbishop: Benefit Cuts Will Hit Children

PM Faces Criticism Over 'Mummy Tax'

Updated: 11:11am UK, Sunday 10 March 2013

By Tadhg Enright, Business Correspondent

David Cameron will have a Mother's Day card delivered to his door by campaigners for new mums whose benefits are about to be capped.

Labour has accused the Government of imposing a "mummy tax" and said the welfare reforms are part of a series of austerity measures which unfairly target mothers.

Shadow minister for women Yvette Cooper MP told Sky News: "It's like David Cameron and George Osborne have a blindspot about women because they're paying three times more than men in tax and benefit and pay and pension changes.

"That is so unfair when women earn less and own less than men.

"It shows that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor just don't get it and it's outrageous that new mums are hurt hardest."

The criticism came as the Archbishop of Canterbury was among 43 bishops who have written an open letter condemning the Government's plans to change the benefits system, saying it will have a "deeply disproportionate" effect on children.

The Most Rev Justin Welby has warned that "children and families will pay the price" if plans to change the system go ahead in their current form.

Around 340,000 women claim either statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance every year.

Until now their benefits have gone up in line with inflation, which currently stands at 2.7%, according to the Consumer Price Index.

But from next month new mothers' benefits will go up by just 1% every year as part of a three-year cap on welfare increases.

So by 2015 critics have calculated the benefits will be effectively cut by £180 because they will not increase by as much as the cost of living will.

Conservative MP Amber Rudd said: "The fact is there are so many good things we are doing to try to help mothers.

"What mothers really want is welfare that works, improved education and jobs.

"That's what they talk to me about on the doorstep and I feel this Government is doing a lot on that front.

"And it's rank hypocrisy of Labour to accuse us on this front when they have made no suggestions about how to reduce the deficit."

And Schools Minister, Liberal Democrat David Laws MP, also defended the welfare reforms and said the Coalition had tried to help those on lower incomes.

He told Sky's Dermot Murnaghan: "We've had a public sector pay freeze. We've also had a 1% cap in the future on public sector pay. So we've have had to take difficult decisions not just for some of those on lower incomes but for everybody in society.

"And actually we've tried to help some of those on lower incomes by raising the tax free personal allowance and also exempting some of the lowest paid public sector workers from the effects of the pay freeze."

Single mum-to-be Helen Mockridge has one clear suggestion for a better way to reduce the deficit.

"Taxing really rich people, obviously, that's where the money should come from," she said.

"For me it's a real no-brainer and it makes me really angry that certain parts of society are very, very wealthy and the gap between rich and poor is getting bigger.

"That's where the money should be coming from, not from single mothers or the disabled or any other vulnerable group."

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