Man Charged With Murders Of Mother And Son

A man has been charged with the murders of a mother and son who were found with multiple stab wounds at their home in Bolton-le-Sands near Preston.

Paul Chadwick, 34, of Lowlands Road, Bolton-le-Sands, has been remanded to appear before Preston Magistrates on Saturday.

The Crown Prosecution Service had authorised Lancashire Constabulary to charge Chadwick with two counts of murder.

Police discovered the bodies of Lisa Clay, 40, and her six-year-old son Joseph Chadwick at their home address in Lowlands Road on Tuesday, April 9.

The house where Lisa Clay and her son Joseph Chadwick were found

A post mortem examination by a Home Office pathologist revealed that both died from multiple stab wounds.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of murder at the scene and airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital with serious stab wounds.

Police were called to the pebble-dashed dormer bungalow in the village of Bolton-le-Sands by a concerned relative.

Anybody with information is urged to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Prince Harry To Race To South Pole

Prince Harry has announced he will take part in a race to the South Pole with a team of wounded British servicemen and women.

The 28-year-old will take on teams from the United States and the Commonwealth in the 208-mile (335km) Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge in November and December this year.

Speaking at a conference in London at which the teams were announced, Prince Harry said: "It just remains for me to say to Soldier On Canada, Soldiers To Summits from the US and Soldier On Australia - welcome to the party.

"As a member of the British team, I will have a brew ready for you when you join us at the Pole."

Harry, who took part in the charity's trek to the North Pole in 2011 and is the event's patron, confirmed he will be competing as part of Team Glenfiddich.

He missed out on a bid to conquer Mount Everest with the group last year because of his military commitments and he withdrew early from the successful North Pole expedition to attend his brother's wedding.

The prince had to drop out of a previous trek to the North Pole

He said of the South Pole race: "The format may be different. The scale is certainly different.

"But the aim remains the same - to enable our wounded to do what they and all other servicemen and women do better than anyone else I know - meet a challenge head-on and overcome it and inspire others to do the same.

"Ladies and gentlemen, these men and women have given their all in the cause of freedom, in our cause.

"That they should once again step into the breach - this time facing down the extreme physical and mental challenges of trekking to the South Pole - just underlines their remarkable qualities."

Harry, who is known as Captain Wales in the Army, will race in Team Glenfiddich with Sergeant Duncan Slater, 34, who lost both his legs in a blast in Afghanistan in 2009; Major Kate Philp, 34, who lost her left leg after a bomb blast in 2008; Captain Guy Disney, 31, who lost his right leg in a rocket attack in 2009; and Captain Ibrar Ali, who lost his right arm in a roadside bomb in 2007.

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Vinyl Releases Help Boost Record Store Day

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

Several big names in the music industry are releasing limited edition vinyls to mark national Record Store Day.

The annual event aims to deliver a much-needed boost to music shops, which are struggling to keep up with online sales and free downloads.

The sixth annual Record Store Day sees special vinyl and CD releases from artists including Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, Marc Bolan, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix.

Hundreds of live performances will take place in stores across the UK as musicians and DJs show their support for traditional music sales.

The Marc Bolan Maxi Pack includes two 7" discs

Figures from the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) show 15% more digital music was sold in 2012 than in 2011.

According to the Official Charts Company the amount spent on CDs and vinyl fell by more than a third between 2008 and 2012.

Last year, sales of music in shops were worth £447m. Digital sales are catching up, with £383m spent on downloads in 2012.

The chairman of the ERA, Paul Quirk, told Sky News: "Digital will always be there now, and it will develop and it will get better, but it will never ever completely replace buying a CD or buying an album.

"I think what may happen is we may get to the stage where you've got an album and you've actually got the download code as well available, so you're getting two things together.

"So you can download one and it'll go straight into your cloud and you can listen to it immediately on your phone as you walk out the store and you've still got the physical copy when you get home."

Bat For Lashes is one of the more modern artists being released on vinyl

The recent woes of HMV were blamed in part on the growth in digital sales. The high street chain went into administration in January.

Earlier this month it was rescued by restructuring expert Hilco in a £50m deal which secured 2,500 jobs and will ensure 141 stores stay open.

Adam Helliwell, the owner of independent record store 3brecords in Liverpool, told Sky News that far from seeing HMV as a competitor, he is pleased there will still be a national music retailer on the high street.

He said: "In terms of the labels, they're more likely to press vinyl and CDs if there are people like HMV around to contribute to the amount of product they can sell.

"The less people in town the less people are likely to walk into our shop as well, so we need them as much as they need us."

Duran Duran's Is There Something I Should Know is another 7" single

Like many independent record store owners Mr Helliwell says 3brecords often struggles to break even.

He describes running the store as a "labour of love" and sells club tickets online to stay in business.

Customers at the store are divided on whether digital downloads are the future. DJ Michael Di Scala says 80% of the music he owns is digital.

He told Sky News: "I DJ with MP3s, but if I really want something on vinyl I will buy it."

Twenty-five-year-old customer Daniel Anderson-Heaps says he still prefers vinyl.

He explained: "It's just vintage really, it's like a throwback to the past. There's always that nice sentimental feeling about it.

"Just being really passionate about music, it just feels like there's something more when you've got it in your hand than wherever you got it off the internet."

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Planning Reforms To Give Neighbours A Say

Plans to relax planning laws covering the building of extensions are to be changed to allow neighbours to have a say if they object.

The original proposals led to a rebellion by 16 Tory MPs and eight Liberal Democrats in the Commons on Tuesday following warnings that they would trigger disputes between neighbours.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has now written to MPs setting out a "light-touch neighbours' consultation scheme" for building work which will not require planning permission under the new rules.

Eric Pickles: Proposing a 'light-touch neighbours' consultation scheme'

Ministers announced last year that they intended a three-year relaxation of the depth of allowed single-storey extensions from 4m (13ft 1.5in) to 8m (26ft 3in) for detached houses and from 3m (9ft 10in) to 6m (19ft 8in) for all other houses.

In his letter to MPs, Mr Pickles said: "I believe colleagues' key concern has been about potential effect on neighbours' amenity, and the lack of any say for those neighbours.

"I propose we tackle this head on. We will seek to move ahead with these new permitted householder development rights, but introduce a new light-touch neighbours' consultation scheme."

Under the revised scheme homeowners wishing to build extensions under the new powers would notify their council with the details and the local authority would then inform the adjoining neighbours.

If the neighbours do not object the development can proceed, but if they do raise concerns the council will have to consider whether it had an "unacceptable impact on neighbours' amenity".

If councillors decided it was necessary the proposed extension could be considered by a planning committee.

Mr Pickles said the approach would build consensus, ensure uncontroversial projects were fast-tracked and save householders money.

In an attempt to win over rebels he said the scheme was similar to proposals set out in 2007 by Zac Goldsmith, a ringleader of the Commons revolt.

The Growth and Infrastructure Bill containing the measures is in its final stages in Parliament and the changes will be introduced in the Lords on Monday.

Mr Pickles told MPs: "I hope this shows that we have listened constructively and made a targeted and common sense improvement."

But Mike Jones, chairman of the Local Government Association's environment and housing board, said there were "serious questions" about the new system.

He said: "Councils have been calling for the right of neighbours to have a say to be protected, and we are pleased that Government is listening.

"However, there are serious questions to be answered as to how this new separate scheme will work in practice.

"Government needs to clarify how this new scheme, which will require planning departments to dedicate a significant amount of time and resources, will be paid for at a time when local authorities are already facing significant cuts to their budgets."

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Gove Wants An End To Long School Holidays

England's schoolchildren should have shorter holidays and spend more time in the classroom, Michael Gove has declared.

The Education Secretary called for longer school days and term times, warning that the current system is out of date and fit for the agricultural economy of the 19th century.

Mr Gove said pupils are at a "significant handicap" compared to youngsters in East Asian nations, who benefit from extra tuition and support from teachers.

"We've noticed in Hong Kong and Singapore and other East Asian nations that expectations of mathematical knowledge or of scientific knowledge at every stage are more demanding than in this country," he told a Spectator conference in central London.

"In order to reach those levels of achievement a higher level of effort is expected on behalf of students, parents and teachers.

"School days are longer, school holidays are shorter. The expectation is that to succeed, hard work is at the heart of everything."

Michael Gove also wants longer school days

Mr Gove added: "If we look at the length of the school day in England, the length of the summer holiday and we compare it to the extra tuition and support children are receiving elsewhere then we are fighting, or running, in this global race in a way which ensures we already start with a significant handicap."

He later said that he wanted to see schools introduce a longer day for pupils, which he pointed out was already happening in some of the best British schools.

Mr Gove said the Government's changes to teachers' pay, terms and conditions would mean they could be paid more for taking on extra duties.

This would allow headteachers to organise their staff "in a way to get more out of young people", he claimed.

"It may be that there are one or two legislative or bureaucratic obstacles that prevent all schools from moving in this direction but I think it's consistent with the pressures of a modern society," he said.

He insisted that changes to term times and the school day would be "family friendly".

"I think it's the case that the structure of the school term and the school day were designed at a time when we had an agricultural economy," he said.

"Half-term in October, when I was at school in Aberdeen it was called 'tattie holiday' because it was the period when children went into the fields to pick potatoes.

"It was also fixed on a world where a majority of mums stayed home. That world no longer exists and we can't afford to have an education system that essentially its hours were set in the 19th century."

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Kate Middleton: More Patronages For Duchess

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Duchess of Cambridge's workload is expected to nearly double in the coming months as she becomes a mother for the first time.

Kate is taking on a further three patronages, taking her total to seven.

Announcing the news, a St James's Palace statement said: "The Duchess will, over the coming months, undertake both private and public visits across the UK to these organisations."

Kate, who is now more than six months pregnant, has chosen Place2Be, SportsAid and the Natural History Museum to add to the four patronages she already has.

The Duchess and her baby bump during a charity visit to a rehab centre

A Palace aide told Sky News Kate's inspiration for choosing Place2Be came from an increased understanding of the need to intervene early with children who experience problems.

"Through her other patronages like Action on Addiction, The Duchess of Cambridge realises early intervention is key for vulnerable children," explained the aide.

The Duchess' experiences as an ambassador for the London 2012 games and her love of sport inspired her second choice, SportsAid, which helps the Olympians and Paralympians of tomorrow by offering funding that helps young athletes focus on competitions.

She is also giving her backing to the Natural History Museum.

"The Duchess of Cambridge visited the museum a number of times as a child. She's an avid supporter," the statement from St James's Palace added.

Kate was an Olympic ambassador

"One of the key things she's interested in, along with Princes William and Harry, is protecting the natural world for future generations."

As her new patronages prepare to experience the new level of exposure which comes with Kate, they ready themselves too for other benefits.

Benita Refson, chief executive of Place2Be, said: "What I hope this will do is help people understand and recognise how vital it is to support any charity or any work that's going on with mental health.

"Along with that we hope will also come the support we need to sustain the services and reach more children across the country."

The Duchess is already Patron of Action on Addiction and the National Portrait Gallery and is Royal Patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices and The Art Room.

Compared to the Queen, who has more than 600 patronages, and the Duke of Edinburgh, who has 700, Kate's seven may seem few in number.

But she is adding to the list which shows an intent to return to work soon after her baby is born.

Kate is not the only member of the royal family to announce new patronages.

Princess Beatrice has become parton of the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre

Princess Beatrice, who was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of seven, has become patron of the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre in Surrey.

She told Sky News: "I have benefited hugely from the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre and I am looking forward to supporting them in giving a chance to others to benefit from their experience and teaching.

"I would not have been able to achieve my academic results without the support I received from the centre."

The princess passed eight GCSEs, three A-levels and graduated with a 2:1 in History and the History of Ideas from Goldsmiths College, London. 

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Rolf Harris Questioned By Savile Police

Police have confirmed television star Rolf Harris was arrested in March on suspicion of committing sexual offences.

Police first raided his home in November 2012. He was interviewed under caution a few days later after agreeing to attend a South London police station by appointment. He was then arrested on 28 March.

Harris was honoured for services to entertainment and the community in 2001

The arrest is not understood to be linked to the Jimmy Savile investigation. A statement issued by Scotland Yard said: "An 82-year-old man from Berkshire was arrested by officers on Operation Yewtree on suspicion of sexual offences.

"He has been bailed to a date in May pending further enquiries. The individual falls under the strand of the investigation we have termed 'others'. He has been bailed by Yewtree detectives until a date in May.

Harris was first named as a suspect on Twitter nearly five months ago by a former Surrey police detective. Since then, police have refused to confirm Harris was being investigated.

Reporters have been gathering outside the entertainer's home but the entertainer has yet to appear.

Harris is originally from Perth, Australia but has lived in the UK for fifty years. In 2001 he was awarded the Centenary Medal for service to entertainment, charity and the community.

In June 2012 Harris was one of the comperes at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace and in October 2012 he began presenting a Channel 5 series based around Liverpool University's Veterinary School called Rolf's Animal Clinic.

Both Harris and his publicity agent have refused to comment on his arrest. He is one of 11 men arrested by Yewtree detectives investigating sexual abuse allegations in the wake of the Jimmy Savile probe.

Others questioned by police include Freddie Starr, Jim Davidson, Dave Lee Travis and Max Clifford.

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First Measles Death Suspected In South Wales

A 25-year-old man from Swansea has died from suspected measles, according to public health officials.

The body of the man, who has not been named, was discovered by a relative on Thursday morning at his home in the Port Tennant area of the city. A post-mortem is due to be carried out to confirm the cause of death.

Dr Marion Lyons, Director of Health Protection, said in a statement: "Public Health Wales is aware of a death being investigated by the Swansea Coroner.

"A diagnosis of measles has not yet been confirmed.  Testing the deceased for measles is forming part of the investigations being overseen by the Coroner.

Parents queue outside a vaccination clinic a few weeks ago

"My sympathies are with the family at such a tragic time.  Whatever the cause of death in this case, we should not be surprised if, as the outbreak grows, we start to see deaths in Wales.

"Measles is a potentially fatal disease and around one in every 1,000 people who contracts measles in developed countries will die.

"We continue to work to end the current outbreak of measles, which is centred on the Swansea area, and which has now passed 800 cases."

Mass vaccination has begun in schools in Swansea on a scale never seen before in South Wales.

Some 5,000 children have been identified as at risk in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot and five schools in the area are offering immunisations over the next three days to try to halve that figure.

Public Health Wales has recorded a 10% rise in cases of the virus since last week, bringing the total number affected since the start of the outbreak in November to 765.

Of those, 77 have had to receive some form of hospital treatment.

Last week Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt urged parents to come forward. Speaking in the Commons, he reassured parents about a global scare, which was sparked by the claims of a doctor 15 years ago.

"What Andrew Wakefield said had absolutely no scientific basis and has caused huge damage and huge worry to many thousands of parents," he said.

"It is very important to reiterate that the scientific way to prevent measles, which can be a horrible, even fatal disease, is to make sure that you have had two doses of MMR."

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Paul Lamb: New Face Of Right-To-Die Battle

Right-To-Die Witness Statement

Updated: 11:03pm UK, Wednesday 17 April 2013

An extract from Paul Lamb's witness statement at the Court of Appeal outlines his case.

... As a result of the accident, I have been left with quadriplegia and have no function in any of my limbs apart from a little movement in my right hand. I have had to have a urethral catheter inserted and bowel movement is managed by suppositories or enema by carers and manual evacuation of the rectum ever since. This is all immensely distressing to me.

… From being fit and healthy I have become virtually housebound and have had great problems in adjusting to the severe level of disability which I have suffered.

… I have lived with these conditions for nearly 23 years now … There have been times when I have felt depressed in the past notably in about 2005/2-06. However, now I would say categorically that I am not depressed and I am not taking any medication for depression. I just feel sad about the pointlessness of my life.

… I am provided with carers 24 hours a day every day. An additional carer comes in daily at about 9.30-11am to help with the task of getting me out of bed, washing me, getting me dresses and then seated in my wheelchair. Usually I have breakfast in bed before being washed and dressed. I eat normal food but I am Diabetic and have to make allowances for this.

For the rest of the day, I sit in my wheelchair. In good weather I can go out in theory, but when the weather is not good - which is for most of the year, I do not go out at all. This means that for the majority of the year I am housebound. My body has no thermostat and my temperature can drop very fast and I can get ill very easily in the winter from chest infections, pneumonia and the suchlike. I will not hazard going out in the winter as a consequence.

My days are very long and very tedious. The only part of my body that I can move is my right arm which I can move to a very limited extent. I have a Possum system which enables me to operate the telephone and the computer system. I wear a switch around my neck and I can flick the switch on, which then gets the cursor moving to the place that I want. I have no finger control at all and nor do I have any forward thrust.

...My limited hand movement allows me to throw my hand against a switch to get it on and then the cursor lands on a letter and I can tap it and get it to the right place in order to do what I need to do in terms of operating the Possum system by which I can use the telephone and computer. I cannot send emails using this system and have to ask care staff to do this for me. This presents a problem with private emails. Sometimes I ask my sister to help me in this respect. However, I am keen to maintain my privacy.

… I can operate an electric wheelchair by throwing my right hand onto the joystick and forming a claw onto it, just enough to be able to use my right hand to drive the chair. However, if there was a problem and I went off course with my wheelchair, I would not be able to deal with it. As a consequence I can only go out in my wheelchair with the assistance of a carer.

I have to have someone with me at all times. This means that I cannot develop any sort of relationship with anyone. I do not have any independence at all.

I am fed by carers. I cannot use my hand for example to put pills in my mouth, I cannot do anything with my hand that requires precision. If someone puts a pen in my hand, I can just about make a movement to sign a document.

In the last 23 years, I have endured a significant amount of pain. I am in pain every single hour of every single day. I have received input from various pain specialists. I have considered having operations. I am constantly on morphine. I suffer from severe pains in the back of my head. I suffer from a pain in my shoulders where the bone has worn away.

I consider that I have lived with these conditions for a lot of years and have given it my best shot. Now I feel worn out and I am genuinely fed up with my life. I feel that I cannot and do not want to keep living. I feel trapped by the situation and I have no way out. I am not getting any younger and I cannot carry on as all that my life consists of is being fed and watered. I have very little else in my life. I spend my day sitting in my wheelchair. I can watch movies on television but really I am not interested or engaged in them. I do not enjoy reading and although I have a Kindle, I feel that it is pointless.

I feel that the truth is that I have had enough. I have been in pain since July 1990 and there is no way of getting rid of the root pain. My daily routine is tedious, monotonous and pointless. I often go to bed early at 5pm - such is the pointlessness of it all.

…What I would like to do is be able to hug those people who are closest to me and say goodbye to them. I wish to end my life in a dignified way, preferably without pain. I wish to find peace. I genuinely feel this way and it is not because I am feeling sorry for myself. I want the dignity of dying with loved ones around me at home. I want to be able to say "I love you to bits, and have a good life, and think well of me". I believe that enough is enough. I feel genuinely terrified by the fact of not having any choices left and having no control or autonomy over my life. I do not wish to go to Switzerland. Why should I go to a foreign and alien country to die?

I would like a doctor to help me to die, without pain and suffering, preferably by a lethal injection with my family around me in my own home.

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Alps Crash: Last Words Of Brit Driver

The British coach driver who died in an accident in France warned his passengers they were about to crash, giving them time to escape.

Maurice Wrightson, 64, from County Durham was taking 52 Britons home from a ski trip when the bus careered off the road before smashing into rocks and bursting into flames near the resort of Alpe d'Huez.

A crane lifts the charred wreckage

Police suspect a problem with the vehicle's brakes meant Mr Wrighton lost control of the vehicle.

The French Minister of Transport, Frédéric Cuvillier, praised Mr Wrightson's courage. "You can't call it a miracle because there is one dead and many wounded," he said. "But the human toll could have been much heavier."

"The driver's courage saved many lives. All the testimonies of the people we have met have confirmed this. His attitude and his actions prevented an even worse situation."

The bus is thought to have had brake problems

UK travel organisation Abta said the passengers, who are staff at a Brighton-based ski company, are now on their way home.

It has since been said that Mr Wrightson, who worked for Stanley-based firm Classic Coaches, alerted his passengers to the imminent crash which allowed them to prepare to escape.

Several passengers leapt from the burning wreckage out of windows. At least four people were said to have been seriously injured, with those hurt being treated in local hospitals.

Firefighters sift through the wreckage

A helicopter was sent to the scene where firefighters battled to put out the fire.

A local police spokesman said: "The driver seems to have lost control on a steep bend in the road and his vehicle crashed into rocks.

"It burst into flames but everyone is now out. Some passengers escaped by jumping out the windows."

TGM group which owns Classic Coaches confirmed in a statement: "Classic is a North East based company and the coach was being driven by a North East based driver."

:: More from Sky News Tyne And Wear

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'Severe' Blaze Hits Birmingham Paper Mill

Around 100 firefighters are tackling a "severe" fire at a paper mill in Birmingham.

Thousands of tons of cardboard have been burning at the Smurfit Kappa plant in the Nechells area of the city.

No injuries have been reported.

People living near the plant were urged to stay indoors and keep their windows and doors shut because of the smoke and falling ash.

However, the material burning is not believed to be toxic.

Frank Turner, who lives nearby, told Sky News: "Last night you could feel the heat from the fire from some distance.

"It was raging. We could see the flames leaping into the air. There are fire crews all over the place."

The fire, which started just after 10pm on Wednesday night, is expected to take a couple of days to burn out, a fire service spokesman said.

He tweeted that the fire is "in a very large outdoor storage area. Approx 10,000 tons of recycled cardboard bales are ablaze.

"Fire is contained to storage area, high winds are hampering fire fighting, however crews and other agencies are working extremely hard to bring blaze under control."

A number of roads around the site in Mount Street have been closed off.

Smurfit Kappa is one of the leading producers of paper-based packaging in the world with more than 41,000 employees in 32 countries, the company's website says.

West Midlands Police said  a helicopter was being used to see if it had spread to other parts of the industrial estate where the paper mill is located.

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Life Sentences For UK Terror Bomb Plotters

Four men have been sentenced for their part in a plot to detonate a bomb at a Territorial Army (TA) base in Luton.

Zahid Iqbal, 31, and Mohammed Sharfaraz Ahmed, 25, who plotted to guide a bomb mounted onto a remote-controlled toy car into the base, have been sentenced to life in prison. 

Security services heard the pair discussing the plot on the telephone between January, 2011 and April, 2012. 

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Wilkie QC said the pair posed "a significant risk of serious harm to the public."

He imposed a custodial sentence of least 11 years and three months, with a five-year extension period subject to licence.

Umar Arshad, 24, and Syed Farhan Hussain, 22, were also jailed for six years and nine months and five years and three months respectively for their roles in preparing a terrorist attack.

Security services had heard the the four men discussing methods, materials and targets for a terrorist attack, the court heard.

Iqbal and Ahmed talked about making an improvised explosive device (IED) based on instructions in online al Qaeda manual "How to make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom - by the al Qaeda chef", the court was told.

Covert recordings of the pair heard Iqbal suggesting attaching the bomb to a remote controlled toy car and sending it under the gap of an entrance gate at a TA centre in Luton.

Iqbal was recorded telling Ahmed: "I was looking and drove past like the TA centre, Marsh Road. At the bottom of their gate there's quite a big gap.

"If you had a little toy car, it drives underneath one of their vehicles or something."

The men were arrested following a series of raids at their homes in April last year after an intelligence-led joint operation by the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command and the British Security Service (BSS).

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Npower: Energy Firm Denies Tax Avoidance

Npower has admitted it has not paid corporation tax in the UK for three years - just months after increasing prices by around 9%.

The company made the admission to the Energy and Climate Change select committee - but its boss said they had invested billions in new power stations and wind technology.

Chief Executive Paul Massara said: "Effectively we have invested £5bn in the last five years building power plants, creating jobs, creating employment and helping to keep the lights on.

"If we had not made that investment we would not have the deductibility that we would be allowed. That is a simple accounting UK rule."

Npower reported a 34% rise in profits to £413m last year.

The admission came as the "big six" energy companies were questioned by MPs over topics including profits and how they treat their customers.

A company statement added: "Looking at RWE npower specifically, our investment programme since 2008 has amounted to almost £3bn, which means we have seen a large increase in tax relief.

"This is in no way tax avoidance, and all of our business is taxable in the UK. We've not paid corporation tax because we've been investing hundreds of millions to keep the UK's lights on."

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman said: "I wouldn't comment on an individual taxpayer.

"More broadly, the Prime Minister's view is that it is important that companies pay the tax that is due."

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Lowestoft: Death Fall Mum 'Cared Too Much'

A heavily pregnant woman who fell to her death before her three young children were found dead was "beautiful and intelligent".

Fiona Anderson had suffered from mental illness

Fiona Anderson, 23, has been formally identified after she suffered fatal head injuries at a multi-storey car park on Monday morning.

Officers investigating the incident later found the children - named by neighbours as Levina, three, Addy, two, and 11-month-old baby Kyden - at their home in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

In a statement issued by Suffolk police, Ms Anderson's mother Kerry, father Michael and sisters, Claire and Laura, said she "cared passionately" but had suffered with mental illness from a young age.

Levina

They said: "Fiona was a beautiful, intelligent girl and a loving and caring person, but she had suffered from mental illness since she was young and we believe she was driven to her actions yesterday.

"This was not our Fiona - she was not herself. She cared passionately about others but often brought stress on herself by caring too much.

"She was gentle but ended up under too much pressure.

Addy

"As a family we were close but she would often push us away, keen to do her own thing and not to listen when we offered support. Life was sometimes overwhelming for her.

"She was really popular but just didn't believe she was and had forgotten there were people there that could help her.

"We wish more had been done to recognise her mental health problems, which could be masked by her intelligence and creativity. She would often make costumes for the children, who she loved very much."

Kyden

The family added that Ms Anderson would be remembered as a "girlie girl" who was also a very private person.

Post-mortem examinations have failed to ascertain how the children died and further tests will be carried out, police said.

Neighbours said Ms Anderson was eight months pregnant with a baby girl she had planned on calling Evalie.

CCTV images show Fiona Anderson shortly before her death

She was seen entering the car park in Battery Green Road, Lowestoft, shortly before 8am on Monday, Suffolk police said.

CCTV footage showed Ms Anderson walking around Lowestoft holding a teddy bear shortly before she was found.

Detective Superintendent John Brocklebank said the force was "conducting a meticulous investigation" into the tragedy.

The IPCC said it was awaiting details of the case from Suffolk police.

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Jobless Total Up As Income Squeeze Tightens

The unemployment total has risen for the second month in a row while average pay increases were found to be at their weakest on record.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of people without work rose 70,000 in the three months to the end of February to reach 2.56 million - pushing the jobless rate up to 7.9%.

The number of people in work fell by 2,000 over the period to just under 30 million - the first time the figure has dipped since autumn 2011.

There were 900,000 out of work for more than a year, an 8,000 increase on the three months to November, while the number of unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds rose by 20,000 to 979,000.

However, those claiming unemployment benefit fell by 7,000 in March.

While the jobless figures suggested a reversal in the resilience of the UK labour market amid the UK's weak economic growth, it was the pay statistics that will most worry those who are seeking a pick-up in consumer spending to boost output.

Pay, excluding bonuses, rose by 1% between November and February compared to a year earlier which was the smallest on record, the ONS said.

With CPI inflation currently measured at an annual rate of 2.8%, the pay figure demonstrates that prices are continuing to rise at a faster pace than wage growth at a time when energy bills and many other costs have soared.

Employers have been limiting pay increases as a way of managing to keep hold of staff amid the flat-lining economy.

The move has been cited by some economists as a key reason why unemployment levels fell last year: companies wanting to be ready for when recovery came.

While the Government hailed falling jobseeker's allowance claims it admitted there was much still to do to help get people back to work.

GMB union general secretary Paul Kenny said: "The Chancellor should heed IMF advice to change course to grow the economy to end this needless waste of human talent."

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Home Office To Appeal Over Qatada Ruling

The Home Office has asked the Court of Appeal for leave to appeal over a decision to allow Abu Qatada to stay in the UK.

The move to appeal to the Supreme Court comes after judges last month rejected the latest in a long line of attempts to deport the radical cleric to Jordan.

In March, Court of Appeal judges backed an earlier ruling that Qatada, also known as Omar Othman, could not be deported over fears that evidence obtained through torture would be used against him.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Government remains committed to deporting this dangerous man and we continue to work with the Jordanians to address the outstanding legal issues preventing deportation."

The Government has now been trying to deport Qatada to Jordan, where he was convicted of terror charges in his absence in 1999, for nearly eight years.

The Home Secretary's lawyers challenged a ruling made last November by immigration judges on the grounds that Qatada was a "truly dangerous" individual who had escaped deportation through "errors of law".

Qatada on his release from prison last November

But three Court of Appeal judges said the Special Immigration Appeals Commission was entitled to conclude that disputed statements would be used against Qatada.

And, in reaching their conclusion, they added it was not "relevant" that terror suspect Qatada was regarded as "extremely dangerous".

Qatada, who featured in sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the 9/11 bombers, has ultimately thwarted every Government attempt to deport him.

A resident in the UK since September 1993, he was returned to jail last month after being arrested for alleged bail breaches.

A hearing over whether he should be granted bail again was due to be held last month but was delayed.

Police say he is being investigated over extremist material following a search of his London home.

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London Marathon Security Review After Boston

British police are reviewing security arrangements for the London Marathon this Sunday after the bombs in Boston.

Marathon organisers and officers are working together to find out whether there is an international threat and if they should change any arrangements.

The security operation for Baroness Thatcher's funeral on Wednesday is also being reviewed.

The London Marathon passes some of the capital's top tourist attractions

Chief Superintendent Julia Pendry, police commander for the London Marathon, said: "A security plan is in place. We will be reviewing our security arrangements in partnership with marathon organisers."

Nick Bitel, London Marathon Chief Executive, vowed to look at whether extra steps need to be taken to safeguard the race and runners.

"We are deeply saddened and shocked by the news from Boston," he said. "Our immediate thoughts are with the people there and their families.

"When an incident of this nature occurs you can't be complacent. You have to see if more needs to be done. That's what we'll be doing in the coming hours and days."

Nick Bitel: "It's a sad day for athletics"

The London Marathon is the world's largest but turnout for the event could now be affected because of the attacks in Boston.

Half a million spectators were expected to line the streets of the capital to watch more than 30,000 runners, but it is possible some will pull out.

The course, starting in Blackheath and finishing in front of Buckingham Palace, takes in some of the capital's top tourist attractions, including Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, Big Ben and Parliament Square.

As well as the threat of disruption from Irish republican groups and left-wing protesters, police will now be preparing for the possibility of copycat attacks after the blasts in Massachusetts.

Richard Barrett, who analyses terror threats for the United Nations, said they would need to balance the needs of security with the need to allow public events to continue.

"They'll be concerned about copycat attacks and about other sporting events and public galleries," he said.

"The Boston Marathon was a very soft target with 26 miles of spectators and lots of cars and people moving around.

"Security services are used to dealing with these issues but they'll be looking at things again in the light of this attack."

Soldiers rehearsing on Monday for Baroness Thatcher's funeral

Meanwhile, Lord Reid has said experts will be keen to review security arrangements for Lady Thatcher's funeral, which is also due to pass major London landmarks.

He said: "Everyone will have been appalled at the terrible events in Boston. While the culprits and motivation behind the US terror attacks are still unclear, this will obviously entail a review of security arrangements for both Lady Thatcher's funeral and the London Marathon.

"They will require extra vigilance from everyone involved and it is also to be hoped that everyone recognises the added responsibility of co-operating with the police and the authorities at both events."

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Terror Suspect Haroon Aswat - No Extradition

European judges have blocked the extradition of terror suspect Haroon Aswat, ruling that sending him to the US would breach his human rights.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided that Broadmoor patient Aswat's probable incarceration in a high security prison could "exacerbate his condition of paranoid schizophrenia".

The terror suspect and suspected ally of Abu Hamza is wanted by US prosecutors for allegedly plotting with Hamza to set up a terror training camp in Bly, Oregon.

Aswat is a suspected ally of Abu Hamza

Hamza and four other terror suspects were extradited last year after the court rejected their appeal against the move - but Aswat's case was adjourned to allow judges more time to consider his mental health.

Aswat, who was born in 1974 and is being treated for schizophrenia, claimed that he would be at risk of ill-treatment inside the so-called supermax prison ADX Florence, in Colorado, if he was sent to America.

The Strasbourg court's decision came after it adjourned the case last April to obtain further submissions on the relevance of Aswat's schizophrenia to his claim.

Last year, the court ruled that five men, including Hamza, would not face ill-treatment if they were extradited to the US.

Hamza, Babar Ahmad, Seyla Talha Ahsan, Adel Abdul Bary and Khaled Al-Fawwaz were all removed from the country.

Hamza, who was serving a seven-year sentence in Britain for soliciting to murder and inciting racial hatred when he was extradited, has denied 11 counts of criminal conduct related to the taking of 16 hostages in Yemen in 1998 and advocating violent jihad in Afghanistan in 2001.

He is also accused of conspiring to establish the Oregon-based jihad training camp between June 2000 and December 2001. Aswat was charged with being Hamza's "co-conspirator".

:: Meanwhile, three members of an al Qaeda-inspired group that plotted to bomb the London Stock Exchange and build a terrorist training camp have had their  indeterminate sentences quashed at the Court of Appeal.

Instead, the three judges imposed "determinate" custodial sentences of 17 years and eight months in the case of one of the men and 16 years in relation to the two others.

The Islamist extremists originally received the indeterminate sentences for public protection at London's Woolwich Crown Court in February last year.

Mohammed Shahjahan, now 29, was then ordered to serve a minimum term of eight years and 10 months, while fellow Stoke-on-Trent-based radicals Usman Khan, 22, and Nazam Hussain, 27, were ordered to serve at least eight years behind bars.

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Boston Marathon Explosions: Britons On Attacks

No British nationals appear to have been injured in the deadly Boston terror attacks, but the Foreign Office says it is continuing to monitor the situation.

Some 347 of the 25,000 runners taking part in the race were British and several have spoken of the aftermath of the twin blasts, which killed three people.

The Foreign Office tweeted: "We're in close contact with local authorities in Boston. Not aware of any British nationals injured but will continue to monitor situation."

One marathon runner from Cardiff told how she heard explosions moments after crossing the finishing line.

Arriving back at Heathrow Airport still wearing her running gear, Sarah Morris, 46, told Sky's Rachel Younger: "People were running towards us. There was a lot of blood and screaming."

Shattered windows in buildings lining the route of the marathon

Mrs Morris had just met up with her husband, Brian, when the explosions happened. He said: "There was a lot of panic. A man said a little boy had his leg blown off."

Abi Griffiths, from London, crossed the finishing line around 10 minutes before the explosions.

The 34-year-old told Sky News she heard the blast while collecting her bag.

She said: "The ground shook and immediately people sort of looked around - it was just too loud to be something that wasn't serious.

"People kind of didn't know what to do. Then all of a sudden it went into a state of chaos. Police were everywhere, we were being evacuated out of the area and it was really eerie.

"It was very, very scary and what should be a major celebration of the achievement of running 26.2 miles suddenly became a frightening scene."

She said police had swung into action quickly.

An injured man with shredded clothes

"This is just such an awful scene to have happened," Ms Griffiths continued. "It felt like it may have come from the inside of a shop.

"Suddenly you looked around and there was this cloud of smoke and then people went into gear. There were police everywhere."

Jez Hughes, a firefighter from Morley, west Yorkshire, was walking to the subway with his wife when they heard two explosions.

He had been standing only 100 yards from the finish line with other competitors after completing his 10th marathon but walked around the corner to meet his wife.

He said: "While we were going to the subway we heard two explosions. I said straight away that sounds like a bomb and then we heard a second one.

"My wife is very shook up but we are out here until Thursday evening and no terrorists are going to spoil our day. Don't let them get the better of you."

Darren Foy, 40, from Southampton, his wife Sandra and their two children, missed the explosions by just half an hour after he finished the marathon in three and a half hours.

The chartered surveyor, who is chairman of the Lordshill Road Runners in Southampton and was competing in his fourth marathon, said: "There are reports here that the explosions came from a hotel at the finish line and I walked past there a few days ago to pick up my race number.

"It's such a soft target. There are hundreds of thousands spectators on the streets and 27,000 runners, so we got off lightly."

Mark Jenkin, a 34-year-old sports writer from Barnstaple in Devon, said the explosion had put the race into perspective.

After finishing 138th in a time of 2 hours 24 minutes, he told his paper, the North Devon Journal: "It's a beautiful spring afternoon in Boston.

"The people of the city put on a great race and it's such a tragedy this has happened.

"I was feeling tired and a bit disappointed with my time in the race but all that seems irrelevant now. I just feel grateful to be ok."

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Cable Climbdown After One Direction Blast

Business Secretary Vince Cable has been forced to backtrack after suggesting that the high pay of pop bands like One Direction is "downright insensitive and grossly immoral".

At an Institute of Directors event in central London, the Cabinet minister was questioned about the earnings of the boy band.

One Direction - made up of singers Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne - made a total of £25m last year, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

Mr Cable was asked if he agreed it was "mad" that the band had made £5m each over the past year.

He replied: "I agree ... about the extremities of pay and the fact much of it is downright insensitive and in some cases grossly immoral."

Vince Cable suggested the singers' earnings were "mad"

However, aides stressed that the Liberal Democrat had misheard the question and was referring to the pay of chief executives, rather than the teen pop group.

He told Sky News: "I don't want to attack One Direction; this is one particular group who are apparently very popular and very successful so I have nothing against them.

"But there is a general issue of chief execs in particular who are paid well beyond what can be justified in terms of the performance of their companies and that's something the Government is now trying to address."

Fans of the group immediately took to Twitter to criticise the politician.

One said: "I like Vince Cable a lot less after turning on One Direction." Another said: "And to THINK I voted for him."

Mr Cable was unveiling a 12p rise in the minimum wage when he made the remarks.

The rate for 18 to 20-year-olds will rise by 5p to £5.03, and by 4p to £3.72 for 16 and 17-year-olds, from October.

Ministers rejected a recommendation from the Low Pay Commission that the rate for apprentices should be frozen, and announced a 3p an hour increase to £2.68 an hour.

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Ex-Corrie Actor Denies Child Sex Offences

Former Coronation Street actor Andrew Lancel has denied sexually assaulting a teenage boy.

The 42-year-old, who played Frank Foster in the ITV soap, was charged last November under his real name, Andrew Watkinson.

He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court where he pleaded not guilty to six counts of indecent assault of a child under the age of 15.

The charges relate to one alleged victim and the offending is said to have taken place between 1993 and 1994, the court heard.

Lancel's Coronation Street career began in November 2010 when he was cast as Foster, a business associate of Carla Connor.

His role ended in March 2012 when his character was found murdered.

Lancel, from Gateacre in Liverpool, also played DI Neil Manson in The Bill and starred alongside Helen Baxendale in Cardiac Arrest.

He was granted bail until the start of his five-day trial on June 3.

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Measles: Letters Sent To South Wales Schools

Schools in South Wales are sending out letters of consent to parents so their children can be vaccinated against measles.

So far there have been near 700 confirmed cases of the disease and that number is expected to rise - both in Wales and England. About 60 have been hospitalised.

According to experts, the peak of the epidemic will not be seen for nearly four weeks.

The rising number of people infected has prompted fears that a youngster may die from the disease. Experts say that in the developed world around one in 1,000 cases of measles results in a fatality.

About 2,000 pupils could be given the MMR jab this week in South Wales schools to try to slow down the spread of the epidemic, which is centred on Swansea.

Experts believe there are around 40,000 children across Wales who have yet to be vaccinated.

Dr Meirion Evans, of Public Health Wales, said that the number of cases could easily double and that low vaccination rates across the UK mean that no area in the country was safe from an outbreak.

He told the BBC: "Across Wales as a whole there are many, many children who have not had their MMR – we estimate over 40,000 children across Wales.

"Nowhere in Wales is safe from measles and I think that is true of the UK as a whole."

Another immunisation expert, Dr David Elliman, has warned that London and the north of England are most at risk.

Experts believe the epidemic has arisen as a result of an earlier low uptake of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.

Many people are thought to have refused the vaccination for their children because of now disproven fears that the MMR vaccine could cause autism.

Dr Andrew Wakefield, the doctor who sparked the scare, had tried to blame officials in Wales for the latest epidemic.

But over the weekend, the Government dismissed his claims, with a spokesman for the Department of Health saying: "Dr Andrew Wakefield's claims are completely incorrect."

More than 2,000 people were vaccinated in at special drop-in sessions set up in South Wales over the weekend to give residents free MMR jabs.

Clinics will be open again next weekend and schools will continue being targeted this week as officials try to prevent the epidemic spreading further.

Professor David Salisbury, director of immunisation at the Department of Health, said the problems in Wales were "historic".

"Our immunisation coverage rates, currently, are extremely high, 95% of children are being vaccinated in this country.

About the situation in Wales, he said: "That is a historic problem, the legacy of bizarre suggestions about vaccines and autism from 15 years ago, that's not the situation currently."

Typical symptoms of measles include fever, cough, conjunctivitis and a rash.

Complications are quite common even in healthy people. These can include ear infections, vomiting and diarrhoea, pneumonia, meningitis and serious eye disorders.

Before the introduction of the MMR jab in 1988, about half a million children caught measles each year in the UK. Approximately 100 of those died.

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Thatcher Funeral: Practice Run Of Procession

A full military rehearsal for Baroness Thatcher's funeral procession has taken place in the early hours of this morning.

Timed to last 19 minutes, Wednesday's ceremonial service will involve more than 700 serving Armed Forces personnel and see Lady Thatcher's coffin carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage from St Clement Danes, the church of the Royal Air Force, down the Strand.

Led by the Band of the Royal Marines, the solemn procession will then slowly travel along Fleet Street towards St Paul's where around 2,000 mourners are expected to attend the service.

Major Andrew Chatburn, the man in charge of choreographing the parade, said the rehearsal "went very well" and claimed it was "vitally important" to stage a trial.

He said the atmosphere of the thousands of people expected to line the streets could obviously not be replicated, but added those involved, including the horses, were used to big occasions with large crowds.

"We'll have a debriefing and we'll take the points from that. We'll address whatever we have to address. If it's additional rehearsals in barracks we'll conduct those rehearsals and we'll get it right on the day," he added.

The band played the funeral marches of Chopin, Beethoven and Mendelssohn as it made its way along the deserted streets.

The military and police wore their working dress and high visibility clothes respectively, but will be in ceremonial uniform on the day.

The pensioners from Royal Hospital Chelsea did not take part in the trial due to the early start, but they will line the west steps of St Paul's for the real event.

The coffin carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage

Amid fears protests could mar the funeral, there was also a large police presence on the streets during the practice run.

The Met has urged groups to let them know what they are planning, and in some cases they have reportedly come to an agreement to allow protesters to turn their backs on the coffin.

Sky's events commentator Alastair Bruce, who watched the rehearsal, said Lady Thatcher "would have wanted to see democracy in action" and that organisers were hoping the protests would not offend mourners or affect the procession.

"The ceremonial has been worked on very hard by the armed forces, and they are doing their very best to represent the United Kingdom. They will want to deliver that duty without interruption," he said.

Some 700 serving members of the Armed Forces took part in the trial run

Lady Thatcher said she did not want a state funeral, but she has been given the next highest honour: a ceremonial funeral with full military honours tailored to her.

With all the the pageantry of a state funeral, it is set to be the largest in Britain since the Queen Mother's.

Downing Street has refused to give details about the cost until after the ceremony but it is expected to run into several million pounds.

The rehearsal came after a poll by ComRes found that only 25% of people think the event should be funded form the public purse and that 60% are against the idea.

But the Government has defended the plans for a lavish ceremonial service.

Tory Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, one of the organisers, told Sky News the ceremony had to be a "fitting event for a very great lady" and argued that the involvement of the armed forces was "not over the top in any way".

George Galloway will attempt to block PMQs delay so MPs can attend funeral

Meanwhile, Respect MP George Galloway will later attempt to scupper plans to cancel Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions so that MPs can attend the funeral.

He has said he will try to block a Government motion dropping Commons questions and delaying the start of business to 2.30pm, after the funeral has taken place.

Ministers had hoped the motion, tabled by the Leader of the House Andrew Lansley, would go through "on the nod" at the end of Commons business.

On Sunday night police charged a series of demonstrators at London's Trafalgar Square who were protesting against Baroness Thatcher's legacy and who marked her death with a party.

Scotland Yard said nine suspects had been charged with various offences including assaulting police, affray and drunk and disorderly, and would appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on various dates in the next few weeks.

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Gunmen Rob Britons On Caribbean Cruise

Some 55 passengers - including ten Britons - from a cruise ship have been robbed by "three" masked gunmen on a tour bus on the Caribbean island of St Lucia.

The gunmen held up the bus at the Botanical Gardens in Soufriere during a tour excursion on Friday, but no one was hurt. Jewellery and money was believed to have been stolen.

Two crew members from Celebrity Cruises' Eclipse vessel were also on the bus along with guests.

One passenger broke down in tears after the ordeal while others were "shaken", according to local broadcaster DBS TV.

One Eclipse passenger, Arizona Cruz Chic, posted on internet forum Cruise Critic: "One of the ships tour was robbed at gunpoint by three masked gunmen. We're not on the tour but friends were.. They said one woman fell and broke her leg, no one else was injured, all their money and jewellery were taken."

Tourism Minister Lorne Theophilus said it was "unfortunate and a horrible scenario".

Matthew Beaubrun, Chairman of the St Lucia Tourist Board told DBS : "This is a rare incident …This is such an important industry for us that we need to respond.

"We have taken it very seriously at the highest level and I know the minister's been in touch with the prime minister, so we are not taking this thing lightly."

A statement from Celebrity Cruises said: "No one was injured in the robbery and the guests returned to the ship unharmed.

"We are thankful that none of our guests were injured in this unfortunate event, and will continue to provide them any support they may need.

"A vacation is supposed to be filled with fun, rejuvenation and relaxation. An act of crime should not be part of any vacation, and we regret our guests had to experience those events."

The Eclipse is currently on a 14-night Caribbean cruise that departed Fort Lauderdale in Florida on April 6 and ends there on April 20.

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LSE: BBC N Korea Report Put Students At Risk

Visiting Secretive North Korea

Updated: 2:46pm UK, Friday 12 April 2013

Despite the current tensions on the Korean Peninsula, tourists have been able to travel to North Korea.

A Sky News employee has just returned from a four-day trip. Journalists are strictly banned from the county without visas, which are rarely issued, so we are not revealing her name, but here is her story:

I flew from Beijing to Pyongyang. On the flight with me were lots of North Koreans with plenty of excess baggage: TVs, vegetables and meat.

Nothing felt abnormal. There was no feeling of tension.

Only when I arrived at the Demilitarised Zone were we prevented access to some of the buildings because of the current situation.

Throughout the four-day trip, which was organised by a Chinese travel company, we were assigned two North Korean minders.

One of them was more senior than the other. She watched us and watched her colleague too.

They did not want the war but were also determined to fight if the country decided to start a war. They emphasised to us that they believed in the country from their hearts.

We were not allowed to move freely. We could only do tourist things according to the guidance of the tour "guards".

We were not allowed to take photographs in the car or anywhere without the minder's permission. We were told not to photograph anything that looked bad or makes North Korea look bad.

"Don't bring bad impressions out of Pyongyang," they said.

People were very friendly. There was little traffic, so people would stare at our bus wherever we drove.

People there are very aware of the potential war.

Every time we arrived at the places of interest, the tour guides would always ask us in Korean (the minders would translate into Chinese) about the latest situation and our opinions about the situation, particularly our opinions about the US, as they all believe the tensions are the fault of America.

When we asked the minders what would happen if the war breaks out tomorrow, they said: "If the war breaks tomorrow, until midnight tonight, we are still building the socialist constructions."

We also asked them whether they know where Kim Jong-Un lives and works, as we explained to them that in Beijing, all the top leaders work and live in a place called Zhongnanhai. They all said they had no idea.

The two minders liked to sing. One of the songs they sang was apparently written by a South Korean musician to express his admiration toward Kim Jong-Il.

On one of the days we went to Myohyang San, a North Korean mountain. The six of us on the tour were locked in the restaurant because the North Koreans were so afraid that we would wander around.

There is a museum near the mountain, where gifts from foreign countries are displayed. A lot of them came from Japan.

We asked them how could they receive so many gifts from Japan given that North Korea considers the Japanese as enemies. They told us that the Japanese really admire the leaders, so they gave us many gifts.

We stayed in the Yanggakdo International Hotel, where we could watch international TV channels including the BBC, NHK, (Japanese TV), Phoenix (Hong Kong TV) and CCTV (Chinese TV).

The minders live on a specific floor where they only have three North Korean channels to watch. They never ate with us and when we asked what they had eaten, they always refused to tell us.

We were not allowed to use the local currency, and they never showed us their money. We could use Chinese RMB, US dollars or euros.

There were not many opportunities to see any ordinary North Korean people apart from the shopkeepers, tour guides or waitresses in the hotel.

There is a casino on the underground floor of the Yanggakdo International Hotel, where most of the staff members come from Liaoning Province over the northern border in China, and North Koreans are not allowed to enter.

The casino is managed by people from Macau. The staff there told us it was empty because the tensions mean far fewer people are travelling to North Korea.

Staff at the casino are all Chinese. When we asked to go to the casino, one of the minders said to us: "You must be non-communists, because communist members don't go to casinos."

Wherever we go to visit, they always asked us if we think their places or things are pretty. They only wanted to show us the good side of the country.

As soon as we travelled outside the capital city, it felt very like the real North Korea: rural, no tall buildings, only farmland.

We never felt the tension of war on our trip. On the streets, on our tour, in the hotel and even at a school we visited, the students were studying as normal.

The people we spoke to asked us if it was true that living in Beijing is hard. They think living in North Korea is the happiest thing in the world.

It feels as though those North Koreans who have travelled outside the country have never mentioned what the outside world really looks like.

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Thatcher Funeral 'Not Over The Top' Says Maude

The Government has defended the lavish plans for Baroness Thatcher's funeral after a poll showed major opposition to using taxpayers' money to pay for it.

A ComRes survey found that only 25% of people think the event should be funded form the public purse and that 60% are against the idea.

But Tory Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, who is one of the organisers of Wednesday's ceremonial service, insisted it had to be a "fitting event for a very great lady".

He told Sky News that the ceremony would be a "fitting send-off" and argued that the involvement of the armed forces was "not over the top in any way".

Speaking on the Murnaghan show, he said: "Of course, with any funeral of any former prime minister the state inevitably plays a big role.

Lady Thatcher at a Royal Hospital Chelsea event in 2008

"Normally there would be a funeral followed by a memorial service. She was very adamant that she didn't want that, she wanted a single service. So this needs to be a fitting event for a very great lady."

Amid fears protests could marr the funeral next week, Mr Maude also urged critics of Lady Thatcher to be respectful.

"It is a free country. People must be free to express their views," he said, but added: "I would simply ask that they respect the wishes of the mourners for this event to take place in a dignified way."

Lady Thatcher said she did not want a state funeral, but she has been given the next highest honour: a ceremonial funeral with full military honours tailored to her.

With all the the pageantry of a state funeral, it is set to be the largest in Britain since the Queen Mother's, bringing to the fore the issue of who will pay.

The former prime minister's estate will contribute with the taxpayer picking up the rest of the tab.

Downing Street has refused to give details about the cost until after the ceremony but it is expected to run into several million.

Labour's former deputy prime minister John Prescott angrily denounced the cost in his column for the Sunday Mirror.

David Cameron will do a Bible reading at the funeral

"Thatcher split this country, North and South, the haves and have nots, 'one of us' or 'the enemy within'. This country paid enough thanks to that woman. So why the hell should we continue to pay now she's dead?," he wrote.

"Privatise her funeral. It would be a fitting tribute," he added.

David Cameron and William Hague both already defended using taxpayers' money last week, insisting it would be wrong not to mark Lady Thatcher's huge contribution to the nation.

The Foreign Secretary said: "The rebate she negotiated for this country from the EU has brought us so far £75 billion - which is twice the size of our annual defence budget.

"I think that puts money in perspective ... so I think we can afford to contribute to a funeral."

The poll for the Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror came as the Government released the Order of Service for the funeral at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday.

Lady Thatcher's coffin will be carried through the streets of London on a gun carriage, allowing the public to pay their respects as the funeral cortege passes by. 

It is the same honour bestowed on Diana, the Queen Mother and Winston Churchill.

Then there will be a single bell will toll as the funeral cortege draws up to St Paul's, and 14 Chelsea pensioners will line the steps as the coffin is taken into the cathedral.

The presence of the pensioners - the oldest aged 90 - is aimed at reflecting the strong connection Lady Thatcher built up with the Royal Hospital Chelsea over the last 10 years.

In front of the coffin, Michael and Amanda Thatcher, grandchildren of the former prime minister, will carry cushions bearing the insignia of the Order of the Garter and the Order of Merit and lay them on the Dome Altar.

The service, attended by the Queen, will be "framed" by British music, with traditional pieces by great British composers played at the beginning and at the end.

Lady Thatcher's love of poetry will be reflected in her choice of TS Eliot's Little Gidding, which will be printed on the opening page of the Order of Service and William Wordsworth's Ode: Intimations of Immortality on the final page.

Prime Minister David Cameron and Amanda Thatcher will deliver the readings from the King James Bible - of which she was particularly fond.

It was confirmed that the hymns will be He Who Would Valiant Be, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, Psalm 84 set to the music of Johannes Brahms, and the patriotic verse I Vow To Thee My Country.

The funeral address will be delivered by the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres.

The military procession leading to the service will feature more than 700 serving Armed Forces personnel from units particularly associated with the Falklands War, including some from the Welsh Guards, the regiment that suffered some of the heaviest losses.

Plans are also developing for Lady Thatcher's legacy to be enshrined in the creation of a major new institution to promote her political philosophy and shape future Tory politics.

Supporters of the former leader are working on a Margaret Thatcher library for London as a lasting memorial.

Backers also aim to raise £15m in private funds to establish the combined library, museum and training centre.

It is planned that visitors will be able to view key artefacts from her time in office, such as her trademark blue Aquascutum suits and handbags.

:: ComRes interviewed 2,012 Great Britain adults online on April 10 and 11.

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Firefighters Tackle Blaze At Scottish Zoo

A fire has ripped through part of a Scottish zoo, killing a sustantial number of reptiles and insects.

The blaze began in the early hours at the reptile house of the Five Sisters Zoo at Polbeth in West Lothian and quickly took hold.

Described as "fierce", it took 11 fire engines and around 50 firefighters several hours to bring it under control.

The alarm was raised at just before 4am by which time the tropical house was described as "well alight".

Crews were hampered by high winds and had to use lines of hose to stop the fire spreading to neighbouring buildings.

No-one was injured in the fire - which has now been extinguished - but many animals in the single-storey building perished.

The olive green steel-clad building was scorched and buckled by the heat

As well as the reptiles and insects, an otter is although believed to have died.

Lesley Coupar, head of marketing and visitor services at the zoo said: "We are devastated. It's the worst nightmare."

"We're in the business of rescuing animals, giving a safe haven to animals - to look now at the shell of the reptile house and everything gone from there.

"The owners are obviously distraught, as are we all. We're all animal lovers."

On Saturday, Ms Coupar had posted a message on the zoo's website saying: "Hey! If you are not busy today, why not come and 'hang' out at the zoo, suns out and so are the animals:)"

The blaze appeared to destroy sections 3, 4 and 6 at the zoo

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it had been able to rescue some animals during the blaze.

"Firefighters were able to help them rescue two dwarf crocodiles and an otter but sadly some animals have perished in the fierce fire," it said.

"Full details of the animals affected will not be available for some time until it is safe for zoo staff to access affected areas."

Officers described it as a "fierce fire" and a large metal-clad building appeared to have been gutted by the intense heat.

Police said road closures were in place in the immediate vicinity.

The privately-owned zoo was established in 2005 and is some 30 minutes' drive from Edinburgh.

According to the zoo's website, it is "probably one of the few places in the world where you can see at close hand a West African dwarf crocodile".

The non-profit zoo is home to some 130 species of animals, including meerkats, monkeys and assorted reptiles.

The fire service added: "An investigation into the cause of the blaze will now take place."

The attraction is around 30 minutes' drive from Edinburgh

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TV's Andrew Marr: 'I'm Lucky To Be Alive'

BBC presenter Andrew Marr has told how he feels "lucky to be alive" three months after suffering a stroke.

Marr, 53, made his first television appearance on his own show on Sunday morning and spoke of his battle to regain his health.

Despite still struggling to walk properly, he insists he will return to his previous job as one of the BBC's top presenters and interviewers.

He said: "I had a major stroke, I'm frankly lucky to be alive. I had been heavily overworking - mostly my own fault - in the year before that.

"I'd torn the carotid artery, which takes blood into the brain, and had a stroke overnight - which basically wipes out a bit of your brain.

"In my case, luckily not my voice or memory or anything like that, but the whole left hand side of my body, which is why I'm still not able to walk fluently - I do a kind of elegant hobble is the best I can manage.

"My left arm isn't much good yet. I've got a lot of physio still to do."

Andrew Marr in December 2012 weeks before his stroke

The presenter explained that the stroke in January came after he had been working very hard and also exercising intensively.

He said: "I'd had two minor strokes, it turned out, in that year - which I hadn't noticed - and then I did the terrible thing of believing what I read in the newspapers.

"The newspapers were saying what we must all do is take very intensive exercise, in short bursts, and that's the way to health.

"Well I went on to a rowing machine and gave it everything I had, and had a strange feeling afterwards - a blinding headache, and flashes of light - served out the family meal, went to bed, woke up the next morning lying on the floor unable to move."

Mr Marr pre-recorded interviews with the Conservative former Cabinet minister Lord Parkinson and the Labour peer Baroness Kennedy on Saturday at Broadcasting House.

The live section of his programme is still being hosted by guest presenters, with newsreader Sophie Raworth standing in on Sunday.

Mr Marr assured her that he remained determined to return to full-time duties in time.

"The only way through is intensive physio and doing a lot of it. And I'm now in the period where if I really concentrate on the physio, I will get better, and if I don't, I won't. Which is why I'm not back trying to do the job full-time, I have to say," he said.

"I'm going to be taking your chair I'm absolutely sure, when I'm ready. I'm certainly coming back. I've got a lot more to say about it all, but I'm going to wait until I've gone through the physio to do so."

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